3 Simple Hacks For Keeping Your Avocados Fresh

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I love avocados. They're full of healthy fats. They're creamy. They make for incredibly delicious chocolate pudding. Also...guacamole. Enough said there, right? A lot of recipes call for only half of an avocado, so what are you to do with the other half? When air hits the avocado, it starts to brown and turn the flavor. It's a waste to just toss the unused half. We, at Diply, are big fans of hacks to help with issues like this, so we've tried out different methods to keep your avocado half fresh for you to use later on, and we've brought the three best to you. 

What you'll need:

- avocados
- knife
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- onion
- pastry brush




The method(s):

Any one of these methods will help, so try them all out and see which you prefer. 


1. Roughly chop an onion. (I say roughly simply because it doesn't matter what size or shape or anything they are, but if you're a perfectionist you can chop them all uniform if it floats your boat.) Put the onion in a container. Add your avocado. Seal. Place in the fridge. 

2. Squeeze lemon juice all over your avocado and seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Dream of the guac you're going to make with it tomorrow. 

3. Use a pastry brush to brush olive oil all over the pit and exposed flesh. Seal it up. Put it in the fridge. Moonwalk away from the fridge, knowing that you have a fresh avocado half waiting for you tomorrow. 

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Lab-Grown Chicken Fingers Are Here, And They Cost $9,000 A Pound

Okay, let's cut right to the chase here: would you ever eat lab-grown meat? Because it's hard to see how factory farming could possibly be sustainable. It's plagued with problems, and fewer and fewer people are comfortable with the idea of killing animals for food. But humans are omnivores, and meat is difficult to replace in our diets. It's entirely possible that we'll all be eating lab-grown meat in the future. Are you okay with that?

Say what you want about Memphis Meats – they're committed to both eating meat and not killing animals. It's a tough line to toe, but they're getting closer to making it a reality.

In 2016, they announced that they had made a meatball entirely from lab-grown beef. Now, they've announced a new breakthrough in "clean meat," serving both chicken and duck breast without killing an animal.

So how do you just grow meat in a lab? At Memphis Meats, they start with living animal cells in bioreactor tanks, which they feed oxygen, sugar, and minerals.

Emily Byrd of the Good Food Institute got to try both the lab-grown chicken and the lab-grown duck. Her verdict? "I went back for seconds...Both dishes were remarkably flavorful." 

So apparently good-tasting meat that doesn't require raising animals just to kill them later is really possible. Which, okay, sure, that's a good goal. It's hard to fault someone for not wanting to kill. But isn't there something just odd about eating food that grew in a petri dish?

And then there's the matter of the cost. That meat that Memphis Meats served up will have a hard time finding a spot in grocery stores at $9,000 a pound.

So although there might be future for lab-grown meats, the future isn't exactly tomorrow. There's still considerable testing to be done and there's plenty of room for that price to come down.

Considering how many of America's dinner plates rely on chicken and ground beef, this is worth paying attention to.

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16 Things We All Totally Missed In The 'Harry Potter' Movies

When it comes to Harry Potter, I like to think of myself as a true nerd. I’ve been sorted into Gryffindorevery time I try a sorting hat quiz, have read the books more times than I can count, and can almost recite every line from every single movie. I’m a bit of an enthusiast, but during my last binge session, some surprising tidbits caught my eye, proving that even die-hard fans miss some pretty AWESOMEaspects of the films. So, get ready! Here are 16 mind-blowing things you probably missed in the movies:

1. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry is admired for his potential in the magical arts, but he doesn’t cast a single spell throughout the film!

We see him practicing his wand movements, but he never uses it to cast a spell on-screen. Then again, why bother casting when Hermione can handle any spell thrown her way?

2. On the train to Hogwarts, Ron’s hair mysteriously shifts from a center part to a side part in a split second.

I'm sure this was just a goof between takes!

3. The trophy case houses both the trophy from James Potter’s stint on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as well as Tom Riddle’s award for Services to the School.

It’s interesting that both awards should be placed so close to each other since Riddle was responsible for James' death.

4. In the scene where Neville gets his Remembrall, it immediately turns red, but he couldn't remember what he forgot.

After pausing the scene, it’s clear that he’s the only character in the shot NOT wearing his Hogwarts robes! Neville essentially forgot his coat.

Each spell causes a wand to emit a different color, but this spell changes over the course of the films.

5. The color of the expelliarmus spell changes between The Chamber of Secrets and the other films.

In the second movie, the bolt of light from the tip of Snape’s wand is yellow. The charm produces a red bolt in the other films.

6. Newt Scamander visited the castle during Harry’s third year.

His name appears on the Marauder’s Map when Fred and George first show Harry how to use it.

7. The Marauder’s Map also revealed a pair of students getting a bit too familiar with each other in the end credits.

It DOES show the positions of everyone in the castle…

8. Griphook, the goblin that works for Gringotts was recast towards the end of the series.

Initially, Griphook was played by Vern Troyer while Warwick Davis provided a voiceover for his dialogue. Eventually, the director stuck with Warwick and allowed him to play the role in its entirety.

In the Harry Potter films, it seems like everyone gets credit for their role... even some unexpected cast members.

9. In The Goblet of Fire, the filmmakers introduced the dragons as unique and individual characters that perform some impressive stunts.

They acknowledge the contribution in the credits by announcing that no dragons were harmed in the making of the film.

10. At the Quidditch World Cup, there’s a house elf, that looks a lot like Dobby, riding a llama.

Dobby was free, so he could do as he pleased. I’m just happy that he found a friend AND a ride!

11. During the third task of the triwizard tournament, the students from Beauxbatons welcome the champions with a VERY familiar dance.

They’re actually performing the Macarena! This one took a few times to spot, but it’s definitely there!

12. We get a glimpse at the Deathly Hallows symbol long before the seventh movie.

In The Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore has what appears to be a sculpture of the symbol in his cabinet!

It's easy to forget that Voldemort was once human, but even though he's tough to destroy, he's not so different from the rest of us!

13. Voldemort gets dental work done!

When Dumbledore and Voldemort are fighting in the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort laughs with his mouth wide open. If you look closely, you can see a filling in one of his back molars.

14. When George sees Harry and Ginny kissing in the Weasley kitchen, he stores his toothbrush in his ear.

Because, what else would a prankster big brother do?

15. The actors that play Bill Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody only interact in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but in reality, they’re father and son!

If you look closely, you’ll start to see the slight family resemblance, even with Mad-Eye Moody’s crazy eye.

16. When the trio is running from the castle to get to the boathouse, they encounter several magical creatures.

These encounters occur in the order that the creatures first appeared in the early films: giant/troll, spiders, a werewolf, and finally the army of dementors.

SHAREthis with all the Harry Potter fans in your life!

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13 People Who Will Stop At Nothing To Charge Their Phones

What happens when the thing you rely on most in life threatens to quit on you? Panic, dread, and, most of all, desperation kick in. Those stressful moments when the red battery icon appears on our screens cause us to do some pretty questionable deeds. Sometimes that 7% creeps up on us out of nowhere (maybe you left your GPS on or were unknowingly streaming music for the past two hours), and sometimes you leave the house knowing exactly what's going to happen (I'm looking at you people who somehow never have a fully charged phone!). But no matter what, you don't have to worry, because as these 13 people show us, where there's a will, there's a way!

1. You can usually find a plug in the ceiling 

Alternately, plugging your phone into a laptop is also an option...

2. Apparently, a fridge will also work

If you're going to electrocute yourself, a fully charged phone is essential. 

3. Just appreciating nature...

4. When you're a complete philistine but your phone dies in the museum so you pretend to admire Rembrandt's brush strokes for 40 minutes

5. If you do this, no one can accuse you of texting in class

6. Sometimes you're really drunk but you still want to charge your phone

7. Again, nothing will stop a drunkard with a low battery except their own drunk vision

8. Some people will even squat amid dog feces for that charge

9. Apparently jump starters aren't just for cars...

10. This guy looks like he does this a lot

11. We are truly an innovative species

12. This is what happens when you're traveling and you forget a outlet adapter

13. Sometimes desperation leads to stupidity 

Main image via reddit / BackBreaker909

Collage image via Twitter / qltolar

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12 Ways To Hack Shower Caps

Have you ever looked at a shower cap and realized, "That's just a plastic baggy with an elastic closure"? No? Often when you look at something and break it down to its basic parts, you'll realize that the more simple the item is, the more hacks it can be used for. 

So let's look again at that shower cap. I bet you have one or more kicking around for when you want to keep your hair dry in the shower, but it's time to start stocking up. Pick up some bulk packs at the dollar store, or raid your hotel room next time you're on vacation! Just keep as many of these little elastic bags around as you can manage. Here are few ways you can use them. 

1. Protect your shoes, or your floors, from mud.

Don't delivery people or movers look a little silly in their plastic booties when they come through your home? Don't those booties do a great job of keeping their dirty soles from tracking muck around your home? You can do the same with a pair of shower caps. Cover your nice shoes when you know you're heading out into the mud, or protect your carpets when you need to quickly fetch something inside. 

2. Don't let messy fingers smudge your recipes.

Raise your hand if you've ever smeared cooking oil or flour all over your cookbooks when flipping a page. Everyone has, and with our tablets and phones replacing those paper books more and more, you need a way to keep those expensive screens safe from sticky fingers. Enter the humble shower cap.

3. Corral those crumbs.

We shouldn't eat at our desks, but we do (I'm doing it right now). So, the least we can do is keep those crumbs contained for an easy cleanup. In a pinch, a shower cap makes a container you can toss out when finished, crumbs and all. 

4. Clean your gunky shower head. 

Limescale builds up on shower heads, but it can be a pain to disassemble them to clean. Instead, soak it where it is by filling a shower cap with cleaner and using an elastic to secure it in place. Let it soak for as long as necessary. For a more natural cleaning solution, you can fill the cap with white vinegar. 

5. Cover your leftovers.

Let's be real a second: those cute plastic bowl covers you can buy with the elastic rims are just glorified shower caps. Instead of paying a markup, get yourself some extra caps to do the job. I'm sure you can even find some cute ones, like with duckies. Who doesn't love duckies?

6. Protect your clothes while travelling. 

Don't carry extra luggage just for your shoes. Wrap the soles in shower caps to keep any mud or grime from transferring to your clean clothes. Shower caps are also great for dirty laundry when travelling. 

7. Keep the dust bunnies in their place.

You're never going to get all of the dust and hair out of your broom, but don't let your cleaning cupboard become a home for it. Between uses, wrap a shower cap over the head of your broom to prevent the crud from spreading. 

8. Never ride with a wet bum again.

Don't worry about leaving your bicycle out in the rain. When not in use, cover the seat with a shower cap. That way you will always have a dry ride ahead of you.

9. Keep dust out of counter-top appliances.

You should always check your mixer bowl for dust before using it, but having to wash it before each use is a pain. Instead, cover it with a shower cap to keep the inside dust free. The same trick can be used for any small appliances you leave out on counters or shelves between uses. 

10. Give your seedlings a place to grow.

A shower cap can turn any container into a mini greenhouse, allowing you to sprout seedlings indoors before planting them in your garden. 

11. Protect those expensive lenses. 

Camera equipment is not cheap and even a single grain of sand can damage those fragile lenses. If you've lost the lens cap, cover the end with a shower cap instead.  

12. Add texture to walls.

Rag-painting can add a fun texture to your walls, but the rags themselves can be troublesome. When the paint builds up in the fibers, you have to rinse it clean, and you can't use a wet rag to continue the process (unless you want smears). But a plastic shower cap can give you the same effect without the downsides. The plastic won't collect the paint, and if you do need to rinse it, it dries right away. 

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