9 Potato Hacks to Make the Holidays Easier

Planning a dinner party this holiday season? As luck has it, Idaho® potatoes are the perfect wingmen for virtually all of your party prepping needs! Not only is www.idahopotato.com the perfect resource for recipes, the Idaho Potato Commission has compiled a few party planning hacks that you’ve got to try!

1. Feeling overwhelmed? Eat a potato! Potatoes and other carbohydrate-rich foods raise levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that regulates your mood, and will help reduce stress.

2. Puffy eyes? Look and feel your best by applying thin slices of raw, cold Idaho® potatoes to your eyelids to reduce swelling.

3. Too Much Salt? If you added a pinch too much, stir in a slice of raw potato to soak up some of the unnecessary salt. Remove before serving. (Using the same slice that was on your eyes is not recommended.)

4. Tarnished silver? Make your silver shine by soaking it in water that potatoes have been boiled in. This trick works so well not even your mother-in-law will be able to find a spot.

5. Need the perfect floral arrangement? Skip the green Styrofoam and use a raw potato. Slice a large russet Idaho® potato vertically, place the cut side down, poke holes where you want the flowers to go and insert the stems. The moisture in a potato will keep your flowers looking fresh.

6. DIY décor? Potatoes make the perfect stencil. Cut a potato in half, carve a design into the exposed edges, dip in paint and stencil away. This is also a perfect craft to keep little hands busy while you work on other party preparations.

7. Stained hands? Rub your hands with a peeled potato to remove those pesky stains from foods like carrots and beets.

8. Broken light bulb? If a broken bulb is stuck in the socket and guests are due to arrive any minute, turn off the breaker, cut a potato to the size of the socket, press the potato onto the socket (you may need to use a little muscle), turn it left and the bottom part of the bulb will come out easily.

9. Sore legs, feet, or back? Since your party was such a success and you danced the night away, your feet might be aching. Boil a potato and wrap it in a towel for a hot compress or refrigerate the boiled potato for a cold compress.

Have your own favorite way to use potatoes? Join the Kenmore brand, Idaho® potatoes and Momma Cuisine for a spudtacular event! Mashed, baked, frenched, scalloped — however you cook America’s favorite vegetable, we want your recipes! Share your recipe in the Kenmore® Fully Loaded Idaho® Potato Cook-Off for a chance to win!