Join Thrive Market today to get 30% off your first order + a free gift worth up to $60! Join here: thrivemarket.com/JessicaBraun - Thanks Thrive Market for sponsoring! ✨ W H A T I M E N T I O N E D (affiliate links) furniture piece in filming setup: go.magik.ly/ml/20eqg/ pink lamp: amzn.to/3I0AEO3 matching prints: go.magik.ly/ml/20eqf/ lighted mirror I bought: amzn.to/3T54tDy emkfit’s channel: www.youtube.com/@emkfit taylor swift vault workout: th-cam.com/video/7IUzXk1kX48/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5fIAGQnAevWoGbWb my fave dry shampoo: amzn.to/3uyzt5j nyk1 lash serum: amzn.to/48oUHjM nyk1 brow serum: amzn.to/49GZHBD sunglasses car holder: amzn.to/3SJn4TX fleece with colors: amzn.to/48Ajf9T slouchy socks: amzn.to/3OMNIKN heating pad: amzn.to/3SKpRwc couch arm cup holder: amzn.to/3SKPD3H monarch financial site we’re using: www.monarchmoney.com/ chocolate chip bar recipe: www.welcometothecuttingboard.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookie-bars
@@robbiegleason4462 lard burns hotter, cleaner & longer than shortening. There is a winter survival item I try to never go without. Take a pint canning jar & a shabbos candle. Fool the remainder of the jar with soft warm lard. I timed it & got roughly 105 hours give or take with no soot build up in the jar. There was soot with shortening. Rancid lard does smell terrible burning big so does shortening. I think there was like 20-25 hours more with lard than shortening. God Bless All Y'all 🙏🇺🇸💄🇺🇸🙏
Yes! 🙌 I tell everyone about this! It works better than anything I’ve ever tried. Plus it doesn’t go bad since it’s just basically sugar. Like bread or apples. And those terra cotta things work for about 5 minutes.
Absolutely works until your niece gets in the jar of sugar somehow and is walking around eating the marshmallows. 😂 the pantry door now has a higher lock on it.
Just a note on Thrive market. I did like the products they sold for snacks etc. but good luck if you ever want to cancel. I cancelled my membership with them a year ago and they still won’t remove my payment method. They say they require a payment method on file. Sure while I have an open membership I could see that but I cancelled my membership. I have called and chatted and send the emails they requested. Ugh.
If I were you I would report Thrive to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They don’t have the right to hold your CC hostage. It’s not safe having your credit card information on file where it’s not being used.
I wish i could just go on walks outside. Unfortunately, i live in an area where thats not possible due to safety. Dont take for granted that your neighborhood allows for that. 😊
Gotta love a Jessica Braun video when "girthy" is used multiple times. Also, you were giving high school flashbacks with the scrunchy socks and color blocked fleece!
Besides the “catching fire” situation that was already explained by other commenters, I just want to say that - technically - there’s absolutely nothing wrong with shortening. The oils you read out are simply more similar to butter than to, say, olive oil, in terms of their saturated Vs non saturated fat composition so they are used to make shortening because at room temperature they harden up while olive oil doesn’t. Butter is basically all saturated fat which is why it does harden, while other fats such as olive oil don’t, so in baking you actually prefer stuff like butter and, in case of vegetable sources, coconut or palm oil, for that reason. It makes the end product more fragrant and it gives the texture we all know and love. Now the reason why I said “technically” is that in the EU it is prohibited to use hydrogenated fats, which if I am not mistaken are non saturated fats that undergo a chemical reaction to make them more saturated (aka more similar to butter) but this practice is outdated and can pose some health concern. That being said, I don’t know how it is in the US, which is why I said “technically there’s nothing wrong with shortening”. If the shortening you’re using is made of simply a blend of vegetable oils that are more high in saturated fat and kept together through an emulsion process (I believe that’s the term - I am not a chemist so my explanation probably sucks) then it’s completely fine to consume. No need to fear monger. But I don’t know how it is in the US versus the EU. I hope this helps!
It made my day to see you have a vlog up! This make me feel better after the stressful week I've had. Your timing is amazing. Thank you for being a light in the darkness.
Shortening like Crisco has no water in it, where american style butter can have up to 20% water by weight. That could effect the texture of your recipe, but it might be worth it for the improved flavor. If you want to get a little fancy you could brown the butter first, which will drive off that water.
Hispanic here and I just put dried chiles in those containers. Game changer for our house. Like chile de árbol or dried which we use regularly and they come in bags that can’t be resealed.
I have always decanted brown sugar and put a piece of bread in it (usually the end since I like that piece the least) and it takes the moisture from the bread to keep it soft.
@katiestarns300 Honestly I don't use brown sugar that often; however I have left the same slice of bread in there for a while (I would say its been a year and brown sugar was soft) and as long as the brown sugar is soft, I leave it in there. If the brown sugar starts to get hard, I will swap out with a new piece of bread.
What most people don't realize is that you have to rehydrate the terracotta piece you keep in your brow sugar periodically to keep the moisture and avoid it getting hard. I am a baker by trade and since I learned about this method, I have never had an issue with my brown sugar. I mostly decant things that come in bags that may not have a way to close once open or have unreliable re-sealable packaging such as sugars, flour, powders, salt, and dried fruit. --- most of these I also buy in bulk, and I want to make sure it all stays fresh while I use it. The only things I keep in their original containers are any liquids or items that come in containers that are air-tight already.
I think March is the hardest month for me. February still has fun holidays, but by March it’s still terribly cold in Chicago, we still get snow and I’m so sick of winter by then. I am not a chip person but those Late July Lime are delicious.
The warning is for frying. People will use shortening to deep fry in and really any oil heated for deep or shallow frying is something you should use caution with.
As someone who was born in the 70s, Crisco was a staple of our diet. The key is don’t look at the ingredients 😂 I am convinced that the only things to survive in a post-apocalyptic event are Twinkies and Crisco!
Crisco can die, come to find out. I did a pantry clean out during the pandemic & found a ton from when I first moved in (2012) & it had soaked through the cardboard & smelled horrible! But it does last for YEARS!
As someone who bakes as a hobby, I hate measuring anything out of a bag! I decant sugar, brown sugar (I use a pampered chef stone in it and never have hard brown sugar), flours, chocolate chips, baking soda, and salt.
Regarding the pantry: I use containers for things like flour, cereal, rice, and beans. For other things I prefer larger drop in labeled bins. That way it can look nice at a glance, but I don’t have to take the time to decant things that aren’t worth the time. Example: I have a bin labeled “baking”, and I have things like vanilla extract, baking powder, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in there.
The Crisco is what creates the "different" texture. It's not completely hard or soft at room temperature and it add both flavor and moisture to the cookies. Crisco is kinda gross but for baked goods, especially cookies it's really essential.
@@annulkaa It's just processed vegetable oil. It's processed in a way that makes it near solid at room temperature. The type she's using also has butter flavoring. Vegetable shortening is in a lot of commercial baked goods because it's shelf stable. It's a substitute for things like lard or suet.
Hardened vegetable oil is gross 🤢 so bad for you. I understand use of it in cheep store bought baked goods but why use it at home for baking? Like you want to deliberately clog your family arteries 😅
I stopped buying brown sugar since I couldn’t keep it from drying out. Now I just use regular cane sugar and molasses. 1 tbsp of molasses for 1 cup of sugar.
At my grocery store they sell it with like a 10 pack of 1/4cup increments! Like in individual sealed clear plastic packets! It's SOOOO helpful!! Costs a bit more but totally worth it! Hope you can find that way at your grocer!
This is what I was going to say! I follow a homesteader and she said don't bother even buying brown sugar. Just make what you need. Less molasses for light brown, more for dark.
Try putting a slice of plain white bread into your brown sugar container. It sucks up the moisture and keeps your brown sugar soft. I've been doing it for YEARS and never had the bread become moldy, or the brown sugar get funky. Best lifehack I can give lol
Jess- your calendar- I feel like you would LOVE frixion pens and highlighters. I’m a home visitor and I use my Erin Condren planner for appts and paperwork tracking. I HATE a messy planner. I discovered frixion pens (they erase with friction, not a traditional eraser). And the highlighters, I use to signify that I’ve turned in paperwork. Everything is color coded. I prefer the pastel highlighters, I don’t want to obliterate or make the pen harder to see.
I always thought I wanted to put all my pantry items in containers, but my pantry isn't a walk in one and I would actually lose space if I had to adjust the shelves to fit various containers. I like having the cooking instructions handy on the items and knowing the expiration dates. And with recalls happening every time we turn around, I like to be able to find the information on the item for that-- lot numbers and dates.
Put a piece of bread in the bag with the brown sugar, close it and leave a few hours. The brown sugar will absorb the moisture from the bread and will be good as new!! Learned this while living in Arizona where it is SO dry!
Butter is definitely superior, but as far as the shortening….its an oil so it’s a source of energy like gasoline. Just think Aladdin lamp hehe. But definitely jarring to see on a food
You have made my weekend! I took off today because we are going to pick up our oldest daughter and head to Richmond for a long weekend with our youngest daughter! Since I’m off, I can actually see this when it is posted! The girls and I plan on doing a major haul at Ulta. I’m actually going to try to get enough to do a full face of ELF and essence make up, however, what are some other must have that I should look for while there? You know I trust your suggestions and judgments!❤ now I’m going to watch your video!
I oddly recently reorganized my cabinets. It's so odd how things get all mixed up, things you don't use, and things that expire! It's so gratifying to see it all refreshed. Also, that and other small projects, I like to split into smaller tasks so it's not so overwhelming! I think I am going to do your moving every day challenge next month. I didn't get it started for this month! Thank you, Jess! ❤
If you put a couple of big marshmallows in the brown sugar it will keep it soft. I keep my brown sugar in a container with 2 marshmallows and it stays nice and soft.
OMG YES THE CREEPY CLOWNS! My siblings and I had those. My mom had a ton of cake decorating things just like that with old ones that had been collected over the years stored in a tin and I just loved going through it. That is so nostalgic. I just love your videos, they are so nostalgic and heartwarming to me with a little nuggets like this. ❤❤❤
When it comes to decanting pantry items, my mindset is how often we go through said item + how annoying the original packaging is. Things like flour and sugar last us forever, so they get decanted. Cereal doesn’t last long, but I can’t keep the bag sealed well, so it also gets decanted.
This may sound weird but if you put a piece of bread in with the brown sugar it keeps it from hardening and the sugar keeps the bread from growing mold. It’s weird, but it works! I also think it’s totally worth decanting things like grains, dried beans, popcorn things like that. The bags are hard to stack and annoying to access when you need them. I put them into mason jars. I would never decant cereal or anything that already comes in convenient packaging. Waste of time, ya know? 😅
Add a slice of bread to your brown sugar. It definitely keeps it soft. I put mine in a container and sometimes add bread when I notice it gets hard. Works every time.
I started doing emkfit videos recently bc I've heard you rave abt them for so long, and I needed something fun I would stick with...thank you! I am so glad you mentioned so often! I'm obsessed! Gotta try that T Swift pilates one!
I put the heel from sandwich bread loaves in the brown sugar container to keep it from hardening. I usually just swap it out whenever we finish a loaf of bread. Works great!
Love the new background! Just a suggestion obvi, but I think the frames would look so nice hung instead of propped! Command Velcro strips will be your bff.
Girl!! I was the same about my planner and then I found erasable pens and it changed my life!!! I can color code everything and make it all cutesie and still be able to erase if I mess up!! Game/Life Changer for sure!! They're Pilot Brand and they're called FriXion!!
GURL! Get you an Airscape Coffee Cannister to store brown sugar! Made by Planetary Design. Mainly marketed to store coffee, but keeps brown sugar soft, too! GAME CHANGER! Bought mine at Crate & Barrel a bunch of years ago, but if you Google the name, they'll come up and can be purchased in more places these days. I think they come in different sizes now. They're a little pricey for what they are, but if you HATE rock-hard brown sugar and you're the family baker, it might rock your world. It did mine! Best to you guys! ~ Kristin
So for signing up for subscriptions, if it’s through Apple, you can cancel immediately after you sign up for a trial/month and you’ll still have access until it expires. I do that or I immediately set a calendar reminder for when to cancel and then go a few days before it’s due.
Just a quick note. If you want to eat healthier, check out Bobby Parrish. Also, using coconut oil instead of shortening would work too. If you used the refined coconut oil, the coconut taste is not as obvious. Also, the trick to the terra cotta brown sugar thing is you have to wet or soak the stone. Wait a few hours then add the terra cotta in with the brown sugar. It does actually work. 😊
Our rule is: the longer it takes to go through a food item necessitates an air tight container. We don’t bake as often so all of our baking ingredients stay in the air tight containers just for longevities sake. And if something is going bad it’s easier for us to see that. 90% of our pantry though we fly through weekly so it would be pointless for us to decant. Also, people we decant milk or juice into glass “cartons”. Makes no sense to me. 😂
Love your vlogs always brighten my day. FYI to get your Pyrex pan looking brand new you can take it and put it in a trash bag outside and spray it with oven cleaner leave it sit outside in the sun for a few hours and then wash as usual and it will look brand new
Jessica, the cookie bars with the shortening will be thicker than all butter. I say the trade off with all butter is worth it, better taste and no crazy ingredients. Also, it helps to line the pan with parchment to lift the baked bars out of the pan. Makes cutting easier and prettier.
Probably has already been said but butter cooks differently. Meaning vs crisco with butter you get a different spread so if you substitute from crisco then consistency can be different. Also I recommend using the crisco sticks for backing life changing 😂
I feel like if something comes packaged in something you can’t easily reseal (like choc chips in a bag) then that makes sense to put in a container. But if something comes already in a neat box or container (like pasta) or is resealable (like you said croutons) then it might not be necessary!
So crazy you’re mentioning this- I just started reading Simple Money, Rich Life bc I’m really wanting to get our finance in check and make sure we are having good discernment when it comes to money management
I have used the Ball latch glass jar for the brown sugar and it stays fresh. Also, for powdered sugar trying to stay away from plastic. Like you have said “I’m not an expert here”. Just trying to figure it out. I also love how you can quickly organize a cabinet while waiting for cookies to bake. Great use of your time👍🏼
omg. You mentioning how it would drive you nuts if you had to cross out something in pen made me feel seen. lol. I hate having to cross something out! I get so tempted to just get a whole new piece of paper! Have you heard of PILOT FriXion Clicker Erasable? That's what I use when I want the pen feel/look instead of pencil. Less anxiety and commitment than a regular pen. haha
I keep brown sugar soft by using a terracotta clay disk soaked in water for 10 minutes, then you shove the wet disk into the sugar itself. I rewet the disk each time I use the brown sugar. I also keep it in the bag with a clip and also put the bag into a container.
Stick a piece of bread in your brown sugar to keep it moist! You’d think it would mold over time, but it just imparts the moisture into the sugar and leaves you with stale bread! 😜🫶🏼
I have glass containers with bamboo lids (purchased at Hobby Lobby) for all my baking goods. I have sugar, flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, etc. Those jars keep my brown sugar soft, has never gotten hard!
Ms. Jess I have recently started binge watching all your vlogs. I just wanted to point out a few things about baking items: replace all shortening with lard--1 to 1 replacement for butter & nothing beats lard for baking bread....NOTHING!! Hands down!! Butter is ok to a point for somethings baking but you have to remember that you will see liquid pool on it after you have melted it & it has hardened up again. Bith butter & lard are natural animal fats & it has been my experience they are 110% interchangeable for most things but NOT to put on toast. I actually like coconut oil for that. Lard had gotten the same bad rap that eggs did in the 1980's. No eating fat doesn't cause high cholesterol not having enough fat in diet causes your body to go apeshit & make its own & cholesterol goes through the roof. As for the brown sugar thing, I've tried it all too & a slice bread works the absolute best. Works for softening up cookies too. At the end of the day, dark brown sugar just is not sold in my area so I put a dollop of molasses in my baked goods. It is also what feeds my yeast in homemade bread. I alao use sour smelling milk for my sourdough--not spoiled chunky gross milk, but the one you won't drink a glass of because it is off. The more off it smells the better the bread it makes. God Bless All Y'all 🙏⚓🇺🇸💄🇺🇸⚓🙏
You just look so fresh and pretty. You're aging backward. Toss a bit of bread into the brown sugar the night before and it'll be soft the next day for you. Just don't leave the bread in more than a week. I do put it in a ziploc bag before putting it in the airtight container (squeezing out as much air from the bag as I can). What happens is the molasses dries out from the air and lack of added moisture (brown sugar is just regular sugar with molasses added if you ever need to make some on the fly), so you just need to add a lil moisture to bring it back to life, which the bread does. The bread gets hard, the brown sugar gets soft. The clay disk can work too, but soak it 15 mins before you put it in then keep it air tight. The thing I hate to see put in a canister is cereal and things that get stale. Cereal is much better in a ziploc with as much air taken out as possible. In a canister, it just gets stale so quickly.
I try to only decant when the new container is better than the original(flour, sugar). The most ridiculous thing I’ve seen is milk- it brings up so many issues 😂 does it pour out of the pretty container as well as a jug? How do you know when it’s expired?! Just seems reckless to me 🤣
Put a slice of fresh bread in the container with brown sugar...maybe like the day before or even a few hours before you use it. It will soften it and then you can toss the slice of bread out. Don't ask me how it works... but it does work. 🤷🏻♀️
I hear you on the updated picture frame situation. I have been putting off filling frames because I wasn't sure where I wanted them. I finally settled on where I wanted them and then ordered the prints after a couple of days. It felt SO good to put the photos in the frames!!! We printed a ton of pictures from our Walt Disney World trip that Haleigh with People Mover Travel helped us plan ;) -- it makes me smile every time I walk into that room now!!
Throw a piece of bread in the bag with the brown sugar. It works!! The bread will get super hard, but the brown sugar stays soft. I trade it out after a while depending on how long its been.
I love your weekly Vlogs ❤️ thanks for your hard work n dedication. N always putting us on all the new make up n snacks you're the best and killing it as a mother and wife
We love choc chip bar cookies! I used to make a similar recipe until I saw Moss Family (my other fav vlogger :) from 09/02/23 make Choc Chip Blondies- sooo good & even simpler than what I had been making. Highly recommend! (I seem to always recommend recipes!)
We put our brown sugar in the fridge. Although we make brown sugar syrup regularly for coffee so we go through it surprisingly fast! Love your vlogs - my favorite type of video!
Join Thrive Market today to get 30% off your first order + a free gift worth up to $60! Join here: thrivemarket.com/JessicaBraun - Thanks Thrive Market for sponsoring!
✨ W H A T I M E N T I O N E D (affiliate links)
furniture piece in filming setup: go.magik.ly/ml/20eqg/
pink lamp: amzn.to/3I0AEO3
matching prints: go.magik.ly/ml/20eqf/
lighted mirror I bought: amzn.to/3T54tDy
emkfit’s channel: www.youtube.com/@emkfit
taylor swift vault workout: th-cam.com/video/7IUzXk1kX48/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5fIAGQnAevWoGbWb
my fave dry shampoo: amzn.to/3uyzt5j
nyk1 lash serum: amzn.to/48oUHjM
nyk1 brow serum: amzn.to/49GZHBD
sunglasses car holder: amzn.to/3SJn4TX
fleece with colors: amzn.to/48Ajf9T
slouchy socks: amzn.to/3OMNIKN
heating pad: amzn.to/3SKpRwc
couch arm cup holder: amzn.to/3SKPD3H
monarch financial site we’re using: www.monarchmoney.com/
chocolate chip bar recipe: www.welcometothecuttingboard.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookie-bars
I just signed up, thank you soooo much Jessica! Luv ya!
😊
Every vlog feels like a great conversation with a wonderful friend
@@jelibeanncoffee2577 I know, right?! Luv her!
30:22 Yes, all oils can catch fire if over their smoke point, including butter.
Glad to see this posted, was coming here to say the same.
And grease fires can be dangerous
Yep, came here to say the name. The other ingredients that are HIGHLY flammable are flour (dry) and sugar.
You can put a wick in a can of shortening and use as a candle in a power outage. You get way more burn time with it than a candle.
@@robbiegleason4462 lard burns hotter, cleaner & longer than shortening. There is a winter survival item I try to never go without. Take a pint canning jar & a shabbos candle. Fool the remainder of the jar with soft warm lard. I timed it & got roughly 105 hours give or take with no soot build up in the jar. There was soot with shortening. Rancid lard does smell terrible burning big so does shortening. I think there was like 20-25 hours more with lard than shortening. God Bless All Y'all 🙏🇺🇸💄🇺🇸🙏
Put a couple of big marshmallows in the container with your brown sugar to keep it from hardening. My mom taught me this, and it works!
Yes! 🙌 I tell everyone about this! It works better than anything I’ve ever tried. Plus it doesn’t go bad since it’s just basically sugar. Like bread or apples. And those terra cotta things work for about 5 minutes.
My favorite trick!
Absolutely works until your niece gets in the jar of sugar somehow and is walking around eating the marshmallows. 😂 the pantry door now has a higher lock on it.
Thank you
I agree. I have had the same marshmallows for the last year and they are still soft and my brown sugar has stayed un-clumbed too
Just a note on Thrive market. I did like the products they sold for snacks etc. but good luck if you ever want to cancel. I cancelled my membership with them a year ago and they still won’t remove my payment method. They say they require a payment method on file. Sure while I have an open membership I could see that but I cancelled my membership. I have called and chatted and send the emails they requested. Ugh.
If I were you I would report Thrive to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They don’t have the right to hold your CC hostage. It’s not safe having your credit card information on file where it’s not being used.
I cancelled mine and didn't have any issues.
@@deannaLbeasley Did you remove your payment method? Like your credit card numbers, etc.
Request a new card from your financial institution
I’ve heard this many times about thrive market.
Seeing the prices for Thrive you put on the volg seem expensive to me...but I'm a cheapskate....lol
I wish i could just go on walks outside. Unfortunately, i live in an area where thats not possible due to safety. Dont take for granted that your neighborhood allows for that. 😊
Totally get that
Same!😊
Gotta love a Jessica Braun video when "girthy" is used multiple times. Also, you were giving high school flashbacks with the scrunchy socks and color blocked fleece!
Besides the “catching fire” situation that was already explained by other commenters, I just want to say that - technically - there’s absolutely nothing wrong with shortening. The oils you read out are simply more similar to butter than to, say, olive oil, in terms of their saturated Vs non saturated fat composition so they are used to make shortening because at room temperature they harden up while olive oil doesn’t. Butter is basically all saturated fat which is why it does harden, while other fats such as olive oil don’t, so in baking you actually prefer stuff like butter and, in case of vegetable sources, coconut or palm oil, for that reason. It makes the end product more fragrant and it gives the texture we all know and love.
Now the reason why I said “technically” is that in the EU it is prohibited to use hydrogenated fats, which if I am not mistaken are non saturated fats that undergo a chemical reaction to make them more saturated (aka more similar to butter) but this practice is outdated and can pose some health concern. That being said, I don’t know how it is in the US, which is why I said “technically there’s nothing wrong with shortening”. If the shortening you’re using is made of simply a blend of vegetable oils that are more high in saturated fat and kept together through an emulsion process (I believe that’s the term - I am not a chemist so my explanation probably sucks) then it’s completely fine to consume. No need to fear monger. But I don’t know how it is in the US versus the EU. I hope this helps!
Put marshmallows in with the brown sugar. I use the jumbo marshmallows and keeps the sugar soft for ages!
It made my day to see you have a vlog up! This make me feel better after the stressful week I've had. Your timing is amazing. Thank you for being a light in the darkness.
Shortening like Crisco has no water in it, where american style butter can have up to 20% water by weight. That could effect the texture of your recipe, but it might be worth it for the improved flavor. If you want to get a little fancy you could brown the butter first, which will drive off that water.
Hispanic here and I just put dried chiles in those containers. Game changer for our house. Like chile de árbol or dried which we use regularly and they come in bags that can’t be resealed.
I have always decanted brown sugar and put a piece of bread in it (usually the end since I like that piece the least) and it takes the moisture from the bread to keep it soft.
I do the same!
how often do you replace the bread? and how often are yall going through a bag?
@katiestarns300 Honestly I don't use brown sugar that often; however I have left the same slice of bread in there for a while (I would say its been a year and brown sugar was soft) and as long as the brown sugar is soft, I leave it in there. If the brown sugar starts to get hard, I will swap out with a new piece of bread.
@@katiestarns300I do it too. I replace it just every now and then. Maybe every few months?
Same! Except I don’t decant it. (:
What most people don't realize is that you have to rehydrate the terracotta piece you keep in your brow sugar periodically to keep the moisture and avoid it getting hard. I am a baker by trade and since I learned about this method, I have never had an issue with my brown sugar. I mostly decant things that come in bags that may not have a way to close once open or have unreliable re-sealable packaging such as sugars, flour, powders, salt, and dried fruit. --- most of these I also buy in bulk, and I want to make sure it all stays fresh while I use it. The only things I keep in their original containers are any liquids or items that come in containers that are air-tight already.
Yes! I was going to say you have to get the terra cotta wet in order for it to work.
I think March is the hardest month for me. February still has fun holidays, but by March it’s still terribly cold in Chicago, we still get snow and I’m so sick of winter by then.
I am not a chip person but those Late July Lime are delicious.
Pinocchio in the sun beam. So cute. 🐕🌞😊
The warning is for frying. People will use shortening to deep fry in and really any oil heated for deep or shallow frying is something you should use caution with.
As someone who was born in the 70s, Crisco was a staple of our diet. The key is don’t look at the ingredients 😂 I am convinced that the only things to survive in a post-apocalyptic event are Twinkies and Crisco!
Crisco can die, come to find out. I did a pantry clean out during the pandemic & found a ton from when I first moved in (2012) & it had soaked through the cardboard & smelled horrible! But it does last for YEARS!
Those terracotta stones you have to re-wet every so often. But if you do it keeps it so soft!
I remember wearing my scrunching socks in the 80’s😊
Is this from you?
The fact that my baby napped for 38 minutes exactly is just 🤌🏻😅
As someone who bakes as a hobby, I hate measuring anything out of a bag! I decant sugar, brown sugar (I use a pampered chef stone in it and never have hard brown sugar), flours, chocolate chips, baking soda, and salt.
Regarding the pantry: I use containers for things like flour, cereal, rice, and beans. For other things I prefer larger drop in labeled bins. That way it can look nice at a glance, but I don’t have to take the time to decant things that aren’t worth the time. Example: I have a bin labeled “baking”, and I have things like vanilla extract, baking powder, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in there.
The frixion pens are the best for planners. Total game changer
They do sell the refill in the dry shampoo! I went to order them yesterday on amazon but there was only one in stock. booo. But they do exist!
The Crisco is what creates the "different" texture. It's not completely hard or soft at room temperature and it add both flavor and moisture to the cookies. Crisco is kinda gross but for baked goods, especially cookies it's really essential.
I live in Ireland. I only cook with butter/veg oil/olive oil. That shortening Cristco sounds like the most disgusting thing ever 🤢
@@annulkaa It's just processed vegetable oil. It's processed in a way that makes it near solid at room temperature. The type she's using also has butter flavoring. Vegetable shortening is in a lot of commercial baked goods because it's shelf stable. It's a substitute for things like lard or suet.
Hardened vegetable oil is gross 🤢 so bad for you. I understand use of it in cheep store bought baked goods but why use it at home for baking? Like you want to deliberately clog your family arteries 😅
We did the exact thing thing regarding financials…. Switched from Mint to Monarch. Been a few months for us now and we love Monarch!!
Fun side note: You can put a wick or tealight in a Crisco can to burn in emergency situations. Seems sketch to eat lol but my grandma swore by it.
Yes this is a preppers dream 😂
Except decant it into a fireproof container like a mason jar or old candle jar.
I stopped buying brown sugar since I couldn’t keep it from drying out. Now I just use regular cane sugar and molasses. 1 tbsp of molasses for 1 cup of sugar.
Came to say this!
At my grocery store they sell it with like a 10 pack of 1/4cup increments! Like in individual sealed clear plastic packets! It's SOOOO helpful!! Costs a bit more but totally worth it! Hope you can find that way at your grocer!
This is what I was going to say! I follow a homesteader and she said don't bother even buying brown sugar. Just make what you need. Less molasses for light brown, more for dark.
Try putting a slice of plain white bread into your brown sugar container. It sucks up the moisture and keeps your brown sugar soft. I've been doing it for YEARS and never had the bread become moldy, or the brown sugar get funky. Best lifehack I can give lol
Jess- your calendar- I feel like you would LOVE frixion pens and highlighters. I’m a home visitor and I use my Erin Condren planner for appts and paperwork tracking. I HATE a messy planner. I discovered frixion pens (they erase with friction, not a traditional eraser). And the highlighters, I use to signify that I’ve turned in paperwork. Everything is color coded. I prefer the pastel highlighters, I don’t want to obliterate or make the pen harder to see.
I always thought I wanted to put all my pantry items in containers, but my pantry isn't a walk in one and I would actually lose space if I had to adjust the shelves to fit various containers. I like having the cooking instructions handy on the items and knowing the expiration dates. And with recalls happening every time we turn around, I like to be able to find the information on the item for that-- lot numbers and dates.
Put a piece of bread in the bag with the brown sugar, close it and leave a few hours. The brown sugar will absorb the moisture from the bread and will be good as new!! Learned this while living in Arizona where it is SO dry!
bread crust in the storage jar for brown sugar. solves everything.
Butter is definitely superior, but as far as the shortening….its an oil so it’s a source of energy like gasoline. Just think Aladdin lamp hehe. But definitely jarring to see on a food
You have made my weekend! I took off today because we are going to pick up our oldest daughter and head to Richmond for a long weekend with our youngest daughter! Since I’m off, I can actually see this when it is posted! The girls and I plan on doing a major haul at Ulta. I’m actually going to try to get enough to do a full face of ELF and essence make up, however, what are some other must have that I should look for while there? You know I trust your suggestions and judgments!❤ now I’m going to watch your video!
I oddly recently reorganized my cabinets. It's so odd how things get all mixed up, things you don't use, and things that expire! It's so gratifying to see it all refreshed. Also, that and other small projects, I like to split into smaller tasks so it's not so overwhelming! I think I am going to do your moving every day challenge next month. I didn't get it started for this month! Thank you, Jess! ❤
If you put a couple of big marshmallows in the brown sugar it will keep it soft. I keep my brown sugar in a container with 2 marshmallows and it stays nice and soft.
OMG YES THE CREEPY CLOWNS! My siblings and I had those. My mom had a ton of cake decorating things just like that with old ones that had been collected over the years stored in a tin and I just loved going through it. That is so nostalgic. I just love your videos, they are so nostalgic and heartwarming to me with a little nuggets like this. ❤❤❤
I saw on amazon that they do sell refill packs for the dry shampoo! You just screw the original lid and puff thing onto it.
Pilot Frixion erasable pens have become my necessity for my planner. They write AND erase beautifully. 😁
I always feel so cozy and cared for watching you! 💖 You're a loving mama; a super hero to the girls.
Put the terracotta stone actually in the brown sugar. It will help!
When it comes to decanting pantry items, my mindset is how often we go through said item + how annoying the original packaging is. Things like flour and sugar last us forever, so they get decanted. Cereal doesn’t last long, but I can’t keep the bag sealed well, so it also gets decanted.
This may sound weird but if you put a piece of bread in with the brown sugar it keeps it from hardening and the sugar keeps the bread from growing mold. It’s weird, but it works! I also think it’s totally worth decanting things like grains, dried beans, popcorn things like that. The bags are hard to stack and annoying to access when you need them. I put them into mason jars. I would never decant cereal or anything that already comes in convenient packaging. Waste of time, ya know? 😅
Add a slice of bread to your brown sugar. It definitely keeps it soft. I put mine in a container and sometimes add bread when I notice it gets hard. Works every time.
I needed the sisterly reminder to check my subscriptions. Thanks!
I started doing emkfit videos recently bc I've heard you rave abt them for so long, and I needed something fun I would stick with...thank you! I am so glad you mentioned so often! I'm obsessed! Gotta try that T Swift pilates one!
The warning on the shortening is the same way that butter or any other oil works. 💚
Whoop whoop! Another vlog from my fave girl! I’m so glad you’re on YT and do these vlogs😊 Thanks for sharing a little bit of your life!
I put the heel from sandwich bread loaves in the brown sugar container to keep it from hardening. I usually just swap it out whenever we finish a loaf of bread. Works great!
That fleece is slaying me 😂 idk, maybe it is the color and pattern, but it feels so 90s 😂
Tyler should do some sourdough videos! I’ve always wanted to try baking it and having a sourdough starter 😊
Love the new background! Just a suggestion obvi, but I think the frames would look so nice hung instead of propped! Command Velcro strips will be your bff.
Girl!! I was the same about my planner and then I found erasable pens and it changed my life!!! I can color code everything and make it all cutesie and still be able to erase if I mess up!! Game/Life Changer for sure!! They're Pilot Brand and they're called FriXion!!
Wet the terra-cotta stone and then put it in the brown sugar. I kept throwing away our brown sugar, I wet it and it is a game changer!
Every time you say “give it a whirl” I think of Kevin mccalister at the grocery store in home alone 😂😂 IYKYK
They sell those Frooze balls at TJ Maxx and I always buy them there.
GURL! Get you an Airscape Coffee Cannister to store brown sugar! Made by Planetary Design. Mainly marketed to store coffee, but keeps brown sugar soft, too! GAME CHANGER! Bought mine at Crate & Barrel a bunch of years ago, but if you Google the name, they'll come up and can be purchased in more places these days. I think they come in different sizes now. They're a little pricey for what they are, but if you HATE rock-hard brown sugar and you're the family baker, it might rock your world. It did mine! Best to you guys! ~ Kristin
I have a big one to store coffee - it's amazing! Didn't think of it for brown sugar!
@@maryfalckslus It's a beautiful thing!
So for signing up for subscriptions, if it’s through Apple, you can cancel immediately after you sign up for a trial/month and you’ll still have access until it expires. I do that or I immediately set a calendar reminder for when to cancel and then go a few days before it’s due.
Just a quick note. If you want to eat healthier, check out Bobby Parrish. Also, using coconut oil instead of shortening would work too. If you used the refined coconut oil, the coconut taste is not as obvious. Also, the trick to the terra cotta brown sugar thing is you have to wet or soak the stone. Wait a few hours then add the terra cotta in with the brown sugar. It does actually work. 😊
Bobby is a charlatan. I'd be careful trusting anything he says.
Our rule is: the longer it takes to go through a food item necessitates an air tight container. We don’t bake as often so all of our baking ingredients stay in the air tight containers just for longevities sake. And if something is going bad it’s easier for us to see that. 90% of our pantry though we fly through weekly so it would be pointless for us to decant. Also, people we decant milk or juice into glass “cartons”. Makes no sense to me. 😂
Love your vlogs always brighten my day. FYI to get your Pyrex pan looking brand new you can take it and put it in a trash bag outside and spray it with oven cleaner leave it sit outside in the sun for a few hours and then wash as usual and it will look brand new
Brown sugar in the bag in a glass container in the refrigerator. Has been a game changer for me
Jessica, the cookie bars with the shortening will be thicker than all butter. I say the trade off with all butter is worth it, better taste and no crazy ingredients. Also, it helps to line the pan with parchment to lift the baked bars out of the pan. Makes cutting easier and prettier.
Probably has already been said but butter cooks differently. Meaning vs crisco with butter you get a different spread so if you substitute from crisco then consistency can be different.
Also I recommend using the crisco sticks for backing life changing 😂
I feel like if something comes packaged in something you can’t easily reseal (like choc chips in a bag) then that makes sense to put in a container. But if something comes already in a neat box or container (like pasta) or is resealable (like you said croutons) then it might not be necessary!
You’ll have to check out those cross leg chairs. They have lower backs, and you can sit in so many ways while being comfortable.
Would you have any interest in DIY stuff or thrifting and refinishing a piece of furniture? I'd love to see content like that from you.
I've admired that lamp for years now, lol. One day, imma get one!!!
For brown sugar, you can leaf a piece of bread of put it in a wet paper towel and micro for a few seconds!
for brown sugar, i put it in a sealed container with a piece of bread. keeps it always soft
So crazy you’re mentioning this- I just started reading Simple Money, Rich Life bc I’m really wanting to get our finance in check and make sure we are having good discernment when it comes to money management
Yay! a vlog on the day i woke up with the stomach flu!! Always coming in with video uploads at the perfect time 😊
Brown sugar- my mother in law taught me just stick a piece of the “butt end” of the bread in the bag and it softens and keeps the brown sugars soft! ❤
I have used the Ball latch glass jar for the brown sugar and it stays fresh. Also, for powdered sugar trying to stay away from plastic. Like you have said “I’m not an expert here”. Just trying to figure it out.
I also love how you can quickly organize a cabinet while waiting for cookies to bake. Great use of your time👍🏼
omg. You mentioning how it would drive you nuts if you had to cross out something in pen made me feel seen. lol. I hate having to cross something out! I get so tempted to just get a whole new piece of paper! Have you heard of PILOT FriXion Clicker Erasable? That's what I use when I want the pen feel/look instead of pencil. Less anxiety and commitment than a regular pen. haha
Always interested in your hauls!❤
I keep brown sugar soft by using a terracotta clay disk soaked in water for 10 minutes, then you shove the wet disk into the sugar itself. I rewet the disk each time I use the brown sugar. I also keep it in the bag with a clip and also put the bag into a container.
Stick a piece of bread in your brown sugar to keep it moist! You’d think it would mold over time, but it just imparts the moisture into the sugar and leaves you with stale bread! 😜🫶🏼
Tap secret!!! I’ve said this for a long time about the refill. I feel so wasteful but I can’t go back
I have glass containers with bamboo lids (purchased at Hobby Lobby) for all my baking goods. I have sugar, flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, etc. Those jars keep my brown sugar soft, has never gotten hard!
Ms. Jess I have recently started binge watching all your vlogs. I just wanted to point out a few things about baking items: replace all shortening with lard--1 to 1 replacement for butter & nothing beats lard for baking bread....NOTHING!! Hands down!! Butter is ok to a point for somethings baking but you have to remember that you will see liquid pool on it after you have melted it & it has hardened up again. Bith butter & lard are natural animal fats & it has been my experience they are 110% interchangeable for most things but NOT to put on toast. I actually like coconut oil for that. Lard had gotten the same bad rap that eggs did in the 1980's. No eating fat doesn't cause high cholesterol not having enough fat in diet causes your body to go apeshit & make its own & cholesterol goes through the roof. As for the brown sugar thing, I've tried it all too & a slice bread works the absolute best. Works for softening up cookies too. At the end of the day, dark brown sugar just is not sold in my area so I put a dollop of molasses in my baked goods. It is also what feeds my yeast in homemade bread. I alao use sour smelling milk for my sourdough--not spoiled chunky gross milk, but the one you won't drink a glass of because it is off. The more off it smells the better the bread it makes. God Bless All Y'all 🙏⚓🇺🇸💄🇺🇸⚓🙏
You just look so fresh and pretty. You're aging backward. Toss a bit of bread into the brown sugar the night before and it'll be soft the next day for you. Just don't leave the bread in more than a week. I do put it in a ziploc bag before putting it in the airtight container (squeezing out as much air from the bag as I can). What happens is the molasses dries out from the air and lack of added moisture (brown sugar is just regular sugar with molasses added if you ever need to make some on the fly), so you just need to add a lil moisture to bring it back to life, which the bread does. The bread gets hard, the brown sugar gets soft. The clay disk can work too, but soak it 15 mins before you put it in then keep it air tight.
The thing I hate to see put in a canister is cereal and things that get stale. Cereal is much better in a ziploc with as much air taken out as possible. In a canister, it just gets stale so quickly.
I put a piece of bread in a ziploc with my brown sugar. It helps keep the sugar moist and doesn’t mold/etc. I just replace it when I use the sugar. ❤
You NEED the pilot frixion clicker erasable pens….theyre amazing and your teacher brain will love them
Just started my own TH-cam channel and am sitting on the floor to film so I NEEDED the filming setup tour! 💖
I try to only decant when the new container is better than the original(flour, sugar). The most ridiculous thing I’ve seen is milk- it brings up so many issues 😂 does it pour out of the pretty container as well as a jug? How do you know when it’s expired?! Just seems reckless to me 🤣
Put a slice of fresh bread in the container with brown sugar...maybe like the day before or even a few hours before you use it. It will soften it and then you can toss the slice of bread out. Don't ask me how it works... but it does work. 🤷🏻♀️
I hear you on the updated picture frame situation. I have been putting off filling frames because I wasn't sure where I wanted them. I finally settled on where I wanted them and then ordered the prints after a couple of days. It felt SO good to put the photos in the frames!!! We printed a ton of pictures from our Walt Disney World trip that Haleigh with People Mover Travel helped us plan ;) -- it makes me smile every time I walk into that room now!!
Throw a piece of bread in the bag with the brown sugar. It works!! The bread will get super hard, but the brown sugar stays soft. I trade it out after a while depending on how long its been.
Put a fresh slice of bread in the brown sugar to soften it. Works like a charm!
Jess, I joined you in working out DAILY in February and I've done it every day, too! GO US!
I love your weekly Vlogs ❤️ thanks for your hard work n dedication. N always putting us on all the new make up n snacks you're the best and killing it as a mother and wife
Loved this long vlog!
I love Monarch!!!
Keep a slice of bread in your brown sugar. It seems to keep it fresh longer.
We love choc chip bar cookies! I used to make a similar recipe until I saw Moss Family (my other fav vlogger :) from 09/02/23 make Choc Chip Blondies- sooo good & even simpler than what I had been making. Highly recommend! (I seem to always recommend recipes!)
Use a mason jar with the locking rubber seal for your sugars. I can't believe the difference in longevity.
We put our brown sugar in the fridge. Although we make brown sugar syrup regularly for coffee so we go through it surprisingly fast! Love your vlogs - my favorite type of video!