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After picking a few kilos of carob from the tree or recently fallen on the ground, the seeds are collected with the tip of a knife and they are chopped into tiny pieces; they are then placed in a bowl in the microwave for around 6 minutes (turning them over so they become toasted without burning).

When cold, they are ground in an electric coffee grinder and turned into a powder which is similar in colour and taste to chocolate. 

Finally, you can spread this powder on slices of bread for breakfast (with or without butter), or add to any confectionary or ice cream product that can be made at home, without adding sugar.

Pour milk into the cup you'll be using and add chocolate powder to taste; no need to dissolve or stir. Place the cup in the microwave on high power and, when the chocolate settles at the bottom, take it out and stir well. Put it back in the microwave until you see the chocolate rise to the cup's edge, and it's ready to enjoy once it's cooled down slightly!

I’m sharing my basic anti-damp kit with you. Now that the cold and dampness are coming, I always have some essentials in my bag: a hair serum, to prevent frizzing, hydrating cream for the hands and a cacao stick for the lips. They never fail!

When autumn arrives and I begin to notice myselfgetting paler, I normally prepare a jar of body cream and another ofself-tanning. I make a hole in the jar of cream with my fingers and add a goodglug of liquid self-tanning lotion. I mix it well with a teaspoon, and it’sready! Apply it after the shower

To remove stains from stainless steel sinks, all you need is one of the green scouring pads, the usual ones. Wet it with a little water and rub the stain. It will disappear straight away and the sink will be like new. Its good for all types of stains, even those of hydrochloric acid.

Small silver objects (napkin rings, teaspoons, pendants…) can be cleaned extremely well with toothpaste. Dampen the object with some water, spread a fine layer of toothpaste over it and brush well with a small nail brush that has been slightly dampened. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a cloth until the object shines. It will end up sparkling.  

Three ideas for frying without splatters. 1. When frying, always heat the pan before putting in the oil. 2. To prevent splatters, coat the frying pan lightly with a little salt. 3. When frying, place a metal sieve upside down on the pan. It allows the steam to escape but prevents all those annoying splatters. 

If a roasted pumpkin is not sweet enough or does not have a pleasant texture for the dish you wanted to use it for, don’t throw it away! Make use of it by frying the pulp in a frying pan with a little butter, salt and nutmeg. Keep stirring it until it has the colour and texture of a puree and you will have a marvellous accompaniment for any meat.

If your nails have turned yellow and you want to clean them, you can do so by dipping them in lemon juice. The paste made with lemon, bicarbonate and olive oil also works as a bleach.

Try applying a mixture of aloe vera gel and rosehip oil to the roots before washing your hair. Leave it for at least an hour and then wash with a silicone- free shampoo. Next, use conditioner with a few drops of rosehip oil. Since I started doing this treatment, my hair looks stronger, it falls out less often and it seems to have a lot more volume. Ah! The oil doesn’t make your hair greasy if you add the right quantity.

Do you have a grease stain that you don't know how to get rid of? Try sprinkling talcum powder on top and leave for a few minutes. Afterwards, scrub and remove with a brush and machine wash as usual. This trick also works on oil stains, the talc soaks up the liquid and then comes off easier.

Take advantage of old newspapers to clean the windows. Use the normal product and rub with the pages, you will see what good results you get. They do not scratch the crystals, being old they do not leave behind stains and they leave behind a small layer that keeps them clean for longer.

Sometimes we accidentally go overboard with the salt while cooking. If one day you add too much salt to a stew, you just have to dissolve a teaspoon of cornstarch in cold water and add it while the stew is still on the stove.

If you want a delicious garnish for grilled fish or meat. Try frying a julienned leek in plenty of very hot olive oil. When it is browning and getting a straw like consistency, remove it from the pan and let it drain well on absorbent kitchen paper. You will see how delicious it is!

If keeping the cables of small home appliances and headphone leads tidy is like an impossible mission in your home, try keeping them secured with clothes pegs. Just pass them over the ends several times and then secure them with the peg part. They will stay tidy and to hand at all times.  

Essential oils, such as rosehip or argan, that have been used for a specific treatment are often left unused. Both of these oils have regenerative properties. Avoid wasting them by adding a few drops to your face cream or to your body milk and mix well with a spatula.   

Are your breakfast or snack-time Madeleines alittle dry? Eat them as if they were just baked by coating the tops with alittle milk and putting them in the oven for a few minutes. They will come outspongy and ready to eat.  

If you have combination skin, try using a bar of glycerine soap with a facial sponge for basic cleansing. Cleanse the skin by massaging softly and then rinse with cold water. Afterwards, use your usual hydrating cream and you’re ready to go. Clean hydrated skin at a very low price. 

A trick that never fails when cleaning the house is to use Kh7 or a similar de-greaser. For example, if I am going to clean my wooden kitchen furniture, I use a mixture of 20 per cent Kh7 and 80 percent warm water mixed together to dampen a cloth and wipe down my furniture. Then I dry it with another cloth and it really shines. 

To make courgettescrunchier and tastier, soak them in water for 5 to 10 minutes before fryingthem. Leave them to dry on a paper towel, and then put them into the fryingpan. You’ll see the difference! 

If you want to get rid of lumps in a béchamel sauce or custard, strain it through a very fine sieve while it is still hot. Use the back of a spoon to ‘squash’ the sauce through the sieve. Alternatively, if you have a sauce that is too thick, you can thin it by adding a little hot milk to it while stirring. Avoid using cold milk as this may create new lumps.

If you get an oil stain on your clothes while cooking or eating, immediately apply talcum powder liberally to the stain. Cover it well so that it absorbs as much as possible, let it work for a little while and then wash the item of clothing as usual in the washing machine.

A beauty tip that never fails: mix coconut oil with bicarbonate of soda in equal parts and keep it in a glass container. This can be used as a deodorant, as a facial scrub, and even as toothpaste when you’re in a fix.

If you want to avoid tears when peeling and chopping onions, try cutting the two ends of the onion, taking off the first layers and cutting it in half. Then, place it under running water in the sink and wet it well and you will be able to cut it any way you like, without tears.

If you use plastic containers you will know that tomato sauce, as well as many other foods, tend to stain them and it is very difficult to get rid of that orange tint. Well, this is when you need to reach out for the sodium percarbonate, which is contained in many clothes whiteners. Rub the container with the product and fill it with boiling water. In a couple of hours it will have regained its original colour.

When spring arrives we feel like leaving our skin a little freer of make-up. Try applying foundation only on strategic points and the results will be fresher and more natural. Use highlighters to correct imperfections and creme colouring in pink tones to lighten the end result.

Our eyebrows frame our eyes and if they used to be thin, the trend now is to have them thick and dense. To take care of them, always try to keep them free of make-up traces and apply Vaseline a couple of times a day. Keeping them well combed will also help them stay in good condition. 

If you want the taps in your kitchen or bathroom to shine effortlessly, the trick is to clean them with shaving cream. Let it act for 5 minutes and remove it with a damp cloth you'll see how they shine!

Prevent that smell that lingers for hours by putting two parts water and one part vinegar into a saucepan while preparing your fish recipe. Let it boil, and you'll notice that the smell disappears. It also works with 3 teaspoons of cinnamon.

If you want your nails to be stronger, heat a bain-marie for five minutes with two tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of sage. Let it cool and soak your hands in this mixture for 20 minutes. Then dry and moisturise. You'll see how effective it is! 

At parties or family celebrations where more wine is consumed than usual, it's not unusual for our clothes or the tablecloth to get stained with red wine. This stain can be very resistant and difficult to remove. My trick is to rub it with white wine. Try it: one wine removes another. 

For really tender chicken breast, try leaving it in milk and salt for 24 hours. When you cook it, it will melt in your mouth.

Shirts are one of the hardest items of clothing to iron. If you want them to be soft and easier to iron, try putting a few drops of softener in a spray bottle and spray the shirt well before you start to iron.  It will be easier to iron and will also be smell nice! 

Vanessa P.

If you want your whites, particularly the children’s, to be brighter and whiter, add a good squirt of hydrogen peroxide to the washing machine dispenser along with the detergent. The result is spotless!

Silvia G.

You don’t need to scrub in order to clean your frying pans and pots after cooking. Place a little bit of Consum oven cleaner in them and leave them for a few minutes. Then wipe over with a scourer and they will sparkle. 

Encarnación L.

We all know how hard it is to peel a hard-boiled egg… Here is a solution: try making a small hole in the widest part of the egg, at its base, with a drawing pin. You will find that when you do this the egg will peel like a dream. Try it! 

Ángeles B.

Hair suffers a lot on vacation. Prepare a repairing mask with a ripe banana, a spoonful of honey, half a cup of milk and a spoonful of olive oil. Mix the banana, honey and oil, then gradually add the milk. Apply to dry hair and leave on for half an hour before rinsing.

In summer we all want to show off our feet: prepare a homemade exfoliant by mixing a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix everything well and then spread all over the feet, especially on the sole and heels -low cost and fast!

We love our dogs, but sometimes their smell can be annoying. Fill the mop bucket halfway and add four tablespoons of baking soda, four tablespoons of salt and about 8 drops of tea tree essence. The smell disappears immediately.

To remove those damp stains that appear in the bathroom or on white walls, there's nothing better than putting pure bleach into a spray bottle, spraying the area and letting it dry for a few hours. If the mould persists, repeat the process several times and it will soon begin to disappear.

To reduce the odour that spreads around the house when you fry fish, spread lemon over the fish fillets or immerse them in water and milk before frying. Besides giving off less odour, they'll gain in flavour.

Do you want your salads to have an extra something? Take half a lime and grate its skin over the salad once you have added all the other ingredients. Squeeze the juice over the salad for a more intense flavour.  It also provides vitamin C, and is delicious!

To easily remove the wax remnants from your skin after waxing, wet a cotton ball in olive oil and pass it gently over the area. It will clean and remove the wax and at the same time moisturise and sooth your skin. 

Remove make-up from your eyes naturally by mixing ¾ parts of mineral water and ¼ extra virgin olive oil in an empty and clean jar.  Shake well before use and apply it to your eyes with a cotton swab to remove make-up easily. 

Per a mantindre la campana de la cuina protegida de l’òxid, una vegada estiga completament neta i seca, aplica-hi una mica d’oli hidratant per a bebés amb un drap de cotó. Torca-la molt bé amb un drap net i la campana brillarà i a més estarà protegida! 

If you want the outside of your pans to be like the first day you got them, fill a baking tray with vinegar and a cup of baking soda. Soak the pan for 24 hours. After that time, scrub it with a little vinegar and baking soda and your pan will look like new!

To keep your packaged salads and spinach fresh, open the bag and wrap the vegetables with a little absorbent paper towel. The paper will remove moisture and the vegetables will remain fresh for much longer. 

When you fry an egg or potatoes, does your kitchen smell of fried oil all day? Try putting a sprig of fresh parsley in the pan when the oil starts to heat up. You'll see how the smell disappears!

One of the tricks I inherited from my grandmother and which helps me to go to work every day looking my best, is to leave the moisturising and eye contour creams in the refrigerator. They will be nice and cool in the mornings and when applied it can help you reduce bags and dark circles as well as to have clearer, fresher and more hydrated skin. Also, if you put makeup on every morning, the coverage is much better and it lasts all day.

If you notice that your eyelash mascara is getting a bit thick or even dry, don't throw it away! Put a few drops of lens fluid, let it take effect and it'll be like new again. You'll notice the difference!

To get your oven looking as clean as new, first get it as hot as possible. Once its hot put a casserole dish with boiling water in the bottom. Leave a container with a pint of ammonia in the middle of the tray. Leave it to work for 12 hours. Clean with a damp cloth. Stains and dirt will disappear. Try it and see!

Have you ever stained any of your favourite clothes with oil? To easily remove it, cover the stain with talcum powder, press it with a spoon and let it act for two minutes. After two minutes, add detergent with water and rub until it foams. Wash the garment in the washing machine and goodbye stain!

To caramelise onion faster, cut it and place it in the frying pan with a pinch of salt and bicarbonate. Cook on low heat and the bicarbonate will caramelise the onion quickly without the need to add sugar.

If you have some bananas and don't want them to go black, one trick to keep them as fresh as the day they bought is to store them in the fridge in a bag with lemons and close it well. The result is amazing!

Grease in the kitchen can sometimes stick around even though we have done a deep clean. If this happens to you, try this home-made remedy: mix one litre of water, lemon juice and a heaped tablespoon of baking soda. Spray on to the affected area: stoves, the extractor fan or inside the oven, and leave to act for 5 minutes. Then, simply remove with kitchen towel. The shine will return!

Have you damaged your hair a lot this summer? Try bringing the softness back to your hair with this home-made mask. Empty one half of an avocado and mix it with two tablespoons of honey. Stir until it forms a fairly even mixture. Apply it to your damp hair and leave to act for 15 minutes. After this time, rinse it off with warm water.

If we leave cloths wet for a long time, they may turn black. To keep them in a good condition for longer, try leaving them to soak overnight in water with a few drops of bleach with detergent. The next day they will be as good as new!

If you have blackheads and want to remove them from your face, try mixing four tablespoons of honey with one tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Stir everything until it forms a paste, then apply it on to them. Leave it to act for 20 minutes then remove with warm water. You will see the results in a few days.

If youput white shirts and slippers in the washing machine but they don't come out aswhite as you would like, pre-scrub the dirtiest areas with a used toothbrushthat has been dipped in a few drops of dishwasher detergent. After this, useyour usual washing machine cycle. You will notice the difference. 

If you have ever accidentally burned food and this has left traces of dirt in the frying pan or pot, try putting a bit of vinegar in and boiling it. Leave it to boil for a few minutes then turn off the heat. Remove the vinegar and clean the pan with a scourer. You will see that they clean up without almost any scrubbing.

Many times, we rinse out the hair mask before we should, and the product doesn’t obtain its full effect.  If you don’t want to wait in the shower, try applying it to dry hair, an hour beforehand.  You can wear a headband or turban and continue working.  Once this time has passed, just wash your hair with shampoo. You will see that the mask’s effect is more intense and that the ends are much softer and silkier.

Does your washing machine have lime deposits?  You can eliminate them by adding vinegar to the detergent section and running a short program.  In addition to cleaning the washing machine’s cleaning cycle, your clothes will be cleaner and softer.

To eliminate odours in the refrigerator, cut a lemon in half and stick cloves into the pulp. The more cloves, the stronger the scent will be.  Place each lemon half in a different part of the refrigerator and the odours will disappear.

If you want to eliminate odours from your drains, try opening a two-litre bottle of cola and let it sit until it goes flat. Once all of the fizz is gone, pour the entire bottle of cola into the drain and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours, avoiding using the sink or toilet during this time.  Afterwards, you will notice that the odours have disappeared.

Have you added too much salt?  If your stew is too salty, add half of a potato to the pot for approximately 20 minutes and continue cooking over a low-medium heat.  The potato will absorb the excess salt little by little, and your dish will taste wonderful.

You can keep your razor blades like new and make them last much longer.  Before you shave, rub them on a scrap of cloth while they are dry.  When you do so, always rub in the direction of the blades.  You will see that they last much longer!

Have you ever needed cold water but forgot to put it in the fridge? If you don't have much time, put some ice cubes and lots of salt in a bowl and put the bottle of water in this. Place in the fridge and in under 20 minutes you'll have frozen water. Try it and see!

To clean blackened tile grout, place equal parts of bleach and water into a spray bottle. Apply the mixture to dirty areas and leave it for 10 minutes. Rinse with water and watch how the dirt disappears like magic.

Are your nails weak and easily broken? To strengthen them, add a ground clove of garlic to your transparent nail varnish. Apply this to your nails and after a few days you'll see how your fragile nails are a thing of the past.

If you've had an accident and your whites have come out of the washing machine a different colour, put them to soak in well-salted water for several hours. Move the clothes around from time to time so that they are completely impregnated. See how they slowly return to their original white.

Do you make your own cannelloni? If you want the meat to be really tender, put it in a container and cover with milk, then place in the fridge for 24 hours before preparing your recipe. You'll be surprised at how tasty it is!

Sometimes it's hard to get a sharp eyeliner pencil because your bathroom may be too warm and the pencil tip is soft and ends up breaking. To avoid this, leave your pencil in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before you sharpen it and you'll see how it no longer breaks.

If you’ve bought kiwis and they’re really unripe, a tip to make them ripen more quickly in the fridge is to put them in a bag with an apple and seal it well. In a few days they’ll be ripe. Try and see!

If you want your mirrors to be perfect quickly and easily, spray them with perfume and then dry them with a towel, they’ll be shiny without effort and without having to go over marks again.

Rosemary has many uses. My aunt boiled it, left it to soak and kept the cooking water in a bottle after straining it. She used it every day to wash her face and she had extraordinary skin. You’ll have healthy, beautiful skin!

After cleaning kitchen cloths in the washing machine, you can finish disinfecting them by putting them in the microwave. Yes, in the microwave! Put them still damp in a plate at a high temperature for roughly a minute, and you’ll get rid of any bacteria that could remain. 

Do you need to defrost seafood for an importantoccasion? Put an egg in a container and fill it with water and salt until itfloats. Remove it and put the seafood in the water. Keep it in the fridgeovernight or until in defrosts and you’re done!

To show off your hands, mix the juice of half a lemon with your usual hand cream and a teaspoon of bicarbonate. Apply it with circular movements to your hands. Leave on for a few minutes, and rinse off.

Have you stained your shirt collar with make-up? Put some shaving gel on the stain, rub it and leave it on for a while and then wash it normally. After it has been washed you’ll see the result, the stain has gone. 

If your tights often rip, try reusing them to clean with. Place them over a broom and use it to dust or to remove cobwebs. You’ll see that dust easily sticks to the material. Then throw away the tights and your broom is clean.

Sometimes when you cook the smell fills the houseand there is no way to get rid of it. Try boiling orange peel and cinnamon in apan of water. In a few minutes a sweet smell will permeate the entire house.Success guaranteed! 

Who has never had an accident while dyeing their hair? If you’ve stained some clothing, don’t worry, there’s a solution. Simply apply hairspray to the dye stain, making sure it soaks in well, leave it to work for a moment and then wash the clothes (by hand or in the machine), and you’ll see how it disappears completely.

If you want to easily get all the juice from a lemon with no effort or strength, simply put it in the microwave for 15 seconds before squeezing it. You’ll see how the juice comes out much more easily.

If you want to remove pet hair from the sofa or any material, put on rubber gloves and go over the material you want. You’ll see how quickly it comes off. No fur will resist!

Before putting potatoes in water to boil them, draw a line around them with a knife. Once boiled, you only have to wait for them to cool before separating both halves of the skin. They will come off in seconds, without removing any of the insides and without using a knife.

Put two green tea bags in the freezer for an hour. Wash your eyes with cold water and place the teabags on your eyes. Leave on for ten minutes. You’ll see the results.

If when you cook rice you want it to be loose, remember to add some lemon juice to the water when you heat it. Don’t worry, it won’t overcook!

Mix a spoonful of bicarbonate with two of water to make a paste. Apply it to the hard areas of your feet and massage. Leave on for a few minutes and rinse with warm water. Dry the area well. Repeat a few times a week and say goodbye to hard skin!

To make gas burners recover their shine or golden colour, you just have to soak them in boiling water with vinegar for 20 minutes and rub them afterwards with a cloth. They’ll look as good as new.

Have you got an oil stain on the ground in your parking space in the garage that you can’t get rid of? Try a cola drink. Pour the liquid onto the stain and leave it for a few minutes before scrubbing with a brush. If the stain is very dark, you might have to repeat the operation.

Do you have small eyes? If you want them to appear bigger, you just have to use white eyeliner pencil on the bottom line of your eyes, both for day and night make-up. The white colour will enhance your eyes. Try it!

The best way to keep bread fresh from one day to the next is to put it in a plastic bag with a piece of celery and then close it well. The bread will absorb the humidity from the celery and will stay fresh. The celery doesn’t affect the flavour of the bread.

Cleaning cloths and kitchen cloths absorb bad smells very quickly. If you want to remove them, you just have to soak them with a few drops of ammonia before putting them in the washing machine. Remember to not mix them with other clothes.

Mix the juice of a lemon with half a cup of black tea. Apply all over your hair from the roots to the ends and massage your scalp. Leave on for 5 minutes and then wash your hair normally. Apply to your hair once a week.

To eliminate dead skin and for a deep clean, prepare an exfoliator by mixing ground sesame seeds, sea salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Apply to the face for 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. You’ll see the difference.

For hair damaged by the sun and hair dye, make a mask with two egg yolks and a spoonful of olive oil. Apply to the hair for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse with water and wash normally. You’ll have shiny, moisturised hair.

When clothes get stained with marker pen, a good remedy is acetone. Rub the stain with cotton wool and acetone and it will disappear in a matter of seconds. Then wash the clothes on a normal cycle, and you’re done!

To make brushes and brooms clean and as good as new, soak them in a bucket of water with ammoniac for a while and then rinse them. Leave them to dry outside. The results are surprising.

Put the garlic in a glass jar, shut it and shake the jar well for a few minutes. You’ll see that it practically peels itself. Amazing!

Achieving perfect cream to decorate your desserts is very easy. When you whip the cream, add a tablespoon of powdered milk. Your cream will be more fluid and therefore easier to work with.

If you have fragile, brittle and stained nails, try soaking them in lemon juice or olive oil every day for 5 minutes. You’ll hydrate them and they will look healthier and shinier.

To make your lipstick last longer, first choose a lip pencil of a similar colour to your lipstick. Outline your lips carefully and then use the pencil to colour in your lips. Then apply your lipstick. Keep in mind that matte lipsticks last longer and are fashionable. This way, your lips will be perfectly made-up for longer.

When you heat food in the microwave the smell stays inside it and it’s annoying. To remove it, place a glass of lemon juice and cinnamon in the microwave and put it on for 2 minutes.

If you use wooden spoons for cooking and over time they have become black, you can recover their colour very easily. Soak the cutlery in a bucket of warm water and half a cup of hydrogen peroxide for two hours. Then rinse them with water and washing-up liquid. The hydrogen peroxide removes bacteria and black stains.

Removing the skin of chickpeas is very simple. Place them in a container with a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda and heat it in the microwave for a few minutes. Then put the chickpeas in a bowl of hot water and stir them with your hands, you’ll see how the skin comes off. This tip is ideal for making hummus.

Sometimes you’ve had eggs in the fridge for a while and you don’t know if they are still fresh enough to eat. To know if you can use it, just put it in a glass of water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it’s fresh. However, if it floats, it’s better not to use it.

When you cook in the oven and food residue gets stuck on the baking tray, cover it with hot water and a handful of salt. After a few minutes you’ll see how all the fat is released.

Chop onions with the chopping board underneath the kitchen extractor fan and turn it on to medium power. You’ll see how the vapours which make you cry are absorbed by the extractor fan and you’ll avoid your eyes itching.