I’m a sucker for finding alternative uses for everyday items. In most cases, it saves money and in some silly way, I get a thrill out of thinking outside the box and finding new ways to do things. 
Sometimes, a situation pops up and I just react. Then after, I realize I’m on to something. This happened to me a couple days ago. I was about to reheat some chili (it’s always better the next day), when I realized I was out of paper towels. I started to panic, because chili splatters in a microwave are stinky, sloppy messes.
Then it dawned on me…I have a huge box of coffee filters that don’t fit my new, super-fabulous coffee maker. I slapped one of those puppies on my bowl and pressed start. Voila…it worked like a charm.
So, from there, I was inspired to find some more uses for this box of coffee filters that has been taking up space in my cabinet for nearly a year. These are some of my ideas:
Sauces and Soups: I love using ingredients like bay leaves and cinnamon sticks in my cooking, but hate routing through boiling hot liquid to retrieve them before serving. Next time you use flavorful, yet not so munch-able, herbs in your cooking, tie them up in a homemade coffee filter pouch that’s easy to fish out.
Prevent scratches on plates. If you’re packing or stacking ceramic plates, place a coffee filter between them. They won’t add a bunch of bulk, but they’ll provide a buffer that will prevent scratches.
Dusting. Coffee filters are soft, but durable. Use them to dust your computer and TV screens, as well as your knick knacks. If you’d like to reuse them, just rinse them off and let the air-dry.
Holding pre-measured dry ingredients. Rather than dirty a ton of dishes, measure out your dry ingredients and put them in coffee filters. Then you can add the goodies to your mixture, dust them off and reuse them.
Snack food servers. I love, love, love soups, but hate dirtying plates to serve crackers to each of my children. Coffee filters are perfect for keeping crumbs and dishes to a minimum.
Line bowls and plates. Put a couple coffee filters down on your plate before plating fried food. They’ll soak up extra oils and reduce your fat intake without shedding fibers onto your food.
Liners for potted plants. I like using pots with holes at the bottom to release excess water. To prevent soil from seeping out, too, lay a coffee filter down before adding potting soil. The water goes out, the dirt stays in.
Coffee filters are great, because they’re durable and inexpensive. When you can, rinse them out and reuse them to reduce unnecessary waste.
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/itsgreg/401645387
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