10 Clever Food & Life Hacks Our Kids Taught Us During Quarantine
We love tips & hacks that make life easier… and more fun, too!
With over 2 billion downloads to date, it’s no doubt that TikTok is currently the hottest social media platform for tweens and teens. Not only is the app used for dancing, singing, comedy, and lip-syncing, but many awesome life and food hacks have recently emerged during quarantine that caught the attention of parents and kids alike!
By the way, Hip2Save is now on TikTok! Come follow us over there. 🙌
We’re sharing 10 clever hacks that we’ve learned from our kids over the past few weeks that we found useful, fun to try, or just plain interesting – and many of these ideas were discovered on TikTok!
1. Keep your cereal boxes closed with this clever folding hack.
Tired of having cereal spill out all over the pantry because someone forgot to close the bag? 🙋♀️ Or want an easier way to keep the cereal from getting old and stale? We’ve been closing cereal boxes wrong all this time! 😱
We tried this mind-blowing TikTok hack and couldn’t believe that we hadn’t tried it before.
Here’s how it works:
- First, fold in the two short tabs on either side of the cereal box.
- Next, fold in one of the longer flaps, leaving the other long tab free.
- Then pinch the two sides of the box closed.
- With the remaining tab, tuck the flap into the box.
Easy peasy!
Need to organize your pantry? Check out these easy strategies!
2. Turn green grapes into healthier Sour Patch Kids “candy.”
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to Sour Patch Kids candy, you’ll definitely want to give this TikTok hack a try! Whenever you squeeze lime juice on green grapes, it makes them taste very close to the popular candy. Stetson tried this fruity hack and was pleasantly surprised by how similar it tasted!
Another version you may want to try is to toss green grapes in lime juice first and then gelatin powder for the taste and look of Sour Patch Kids candy. The kids will love these sweet and sour treats!
Looking for a fun way to serve fruit? Check out these unique Apple Fruit Bowls!
3. Magic may happen when you spin your peanut butter jar.
If you’ve ever tried to make a PB&J sandwich and found that the peanut butter is stuck to the bottom and edges of the jar, you’re going to love this viral TikTok hack that Lina tried!
Just give your peanut butter jar a few fast spins or twirls on the counter and when you open it up, the peanut butter will be neatly swirled at the top of the jar, making it easy to get out. Not to mention that it looks cool!
Note that a few team members did try this hack and it didn’t work for them like it did for Lina’s kids. Also, keep in mind that this hack seems to works best with a mostly empty jar. Also, we did not test this with the all-natural peanut butter varieties that require you to stir the oil and peanut butter together. If you try it, let us know!
Speaking of peanut butter, have you tried this viral Peanut Butter Bread recipe?
4. Whip up the best 3-ingredient drinks in a flash.
As families are spending more time in the kitchen, it’s no surprise that all sorts of whipped drink recipes are trending on TikTok! They’re easy to make, super creamy, and require just three ingredients!
We tried the following whipped drinks and can’t believe how delicious they are… no wonder our kids are loving getting creative in the kitchen and trying all of these yummy hacks, too! 😋
Want to whip up your own drinks at home? Try these recipes!
5. Make the most amazing crème brulée dessert.
You don’t have to visit a fancy restaurant to enjoy this delicious custard treat! Thanks to TikTok, this viral Crème Brulée recipe idea can be made at home using just three ingredients: vanilla ice cream, an egg yolk, and granulated sugar. What’s not to love about a restaurant-quality dessert with just three ingredients! YUM!
6. Craving chocolate? Try this 2-ingredient mug cake!
Get your chocolate fix easily! If you’re looking to enjoy a sweet treat after dinner but don’t want to spend hours baking, this oh-so-easy Oreo Mug Cake Dessert is just the quick fix you need!
From the moment it went viral on TikTok, everyone and their mom has literally been trying out the chocolate lava cake recipe hack, and I can see why—it’s so DELICIOUS!
We’ve also gave 3-ingredient Nutella Mug Cake a try, and it sure didn’t disappoint either! These hacks just keep getting yummier!
7. Make Disney’s grilled cheese using a waffle maker.
If you’ve ever been to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and had the grilled three-cheese sandwich from Woody’s lunch box, you probably already know just how amazing it is!
After seeing a similar version going viral on TikTok, Stetson decided to make Disney’s grilled cheese sandwich using a waffle maker, and the results were amazing! Find out how he made it here.
Want more? Check out even more Disney Parks recipes you can make at home!
8. Use a water bottle to remove an egg yolk.
Ok, how cool is this?! If you’re planning to whip up Lina’s crème brulée dessert recipe where you only need the egg yolk and NO egg whites, this is a simple TikTok hack that will make your life easier!
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- First, grab an empty water bottle, a small bowl, and an egg.
- Next, crack the egg in the bowl.
- Squeeze the empty water bottle and hold it over the egg yolk.
- Slowly stop squeezing the water bottle to allow the suction to grab the yolk.
- It will suck only the yolk into the bottle – and voila!
Make your life easier in the kitchen with these clever gadgets!
9. Up your breakfast game with Mini Pancake Cereal.
No matter the time of day, season, or meal, pancakes always hit the spot! Now you can make breakfast a bit more fun and interesting with this TikTok-inspired Mini Pancake Cereal recipe. It turns ordinary pancakes into teeny tiny pancakes that are spoonable (or forkable) and more fun to eat!
You’ll just need some of your favorite pancake mix (or make your own), a Ziploc bag, maple syrup, your favorite pancake toppings, and a bowl to put it all in. Check out how Stetson made this Mini Pancake Cereal!
Ready to make more breakfast recipes? We’ve got you covered!
10. Land a bottle flip every time.
While this hack doesn’t really make our lives easier, it is fun to do with the kids! The bottle flipping challenge has been popular on TikTok for a while now and still going strong. So if you’re wondering how to land a bottle flip every single time, our kids showed us this fun hack that works – all you need is a water bottle and salt!
Stetson tested this hack and could not land the bottle while it was full of water and without salt. He then added kosher salt to a full water bottle and still wasn’t able to successfully flip the bottle. The trick was to use only about 1/3 filled bottle of water, add the salt, shake it up, and voila!
He even managed to land the bottle at an angle after pouring salt in the water! Woah! 😱
Looking for more activities to do with your kids at home? We’ve got lots of fun ideas!
Now it’s your turn!
Have you learned any interesting TikTok hacks from your kids during quarantine? Please share!
These cheap eyeshadow palettes are going viral on TikTok, too!
I’ve been folding the box tops every chance I get, driving my family crazy!! 😂😂😂
Hahaha!
Our kids are obsessed with hacks. They’re ALWAYS showing us their favorite hacks. We like the peanut butter one and the water bottle to suck out the yolks. My oldest daughter only eats egg whites so she does it herself to help with the process. (•‿•)
My kids hate the “yellow touching the white” drives ME insane but makes our dog happy who gets the yolks! Maybe we will try it!