Soak egg-covered dishes with detergent, followed by rinsing and scraping the item before putting it in the dishwasher.
Question: I am so frustrated with my dishwasher; it is only two years old and works like junk. Egg food particles tend to bake onto dishes in the machine, making them even more difficult to clean. Any suggestions would be appreciated. — Maureen
Answer: Even with today’s technological advances in dishwashers, eggs are still the No. 1 enemy of cleaning. Baked-on egg should be sprinkled with dishwasher detergent and left to soak. Rinse and scrape well before putting casserole or egg dishes into the dishwasher.
Question: My local store does not carry brown sugar and with Christmas around the corner, I would like to bake cookies for my grandchildren. Is there a way to make my own brown sugar? Thanks, — Elda
Answer: Here is an easy way to not only make your own brown sugar, but also save yourself money in the process. For every cup of white sugar, mix in two tablespoons molasses (costs about 40 per cent less).
Question: Every year my car mats stink up my truck in the winter. Is there anything that I can do so that the mats stop smelling? — Douglas
Answer: As soon as ice melts, water forms underneath the mats and becomes trapped. Trapped moisture grows bacteria (which is why hockey equipment smells so bad). Put newspaper under car mats in snowy weather to absorb moisture and replace it often.
Question: My dog pushes his dog-food dish along the floor while he is eating from it. The problem occurs when his dish becomes trapped underneath furniture, and he can’t get at it. Is there a product or trick for securing his dish to the floor so that it doesn’t move? — Otis
Answer: To prevent a pet bowl from sliding on the floor, cut a square of rubberized shelf fabric larger than the bowl and place it underneath the pet dish. There are also pet dishes in stores with rubberized bases. If your dog is very strong, duct tape (being careful not to damage the floor) a shoe mat to the floor and set the bowl on top of the mat.
Darkening Gravy
In a recent column of yours, someone asked how to darken gravy. I do not have the column in front of me, but my recollection is that you offered three suggestions: molasses, Worcestershire sauce and soya sauce. I’m sure all three would have the desired darkening effect, but what about the taste?
To achieve darkening without affecting the flavour the best solution is caramel colouring.
This is very easy to make and has a long (years) shelf-life even at room temperature. My very old Joy of Cooking has a recipe for it and I expect the woman could easily get it at a library. You would be doing all your readers a service by including this information in a future column. — Don
Fabulous Discoveries
A couple of weeks ago I tried something that worked so well, I felt like smacking myself upside the head for not thinking of it sooner.
I had a stain on something that needed to be washed in cold water, so I sprayed the stain with water then I squeezed a little bit of Zero on it and rubbed gently. Then I left it for 30 minutes before laundering it.
It did a great job on removing the stain. So now I keep a small travel-size plastic squeeze bottle of Zero to use as a pre-wash stain remover. It even cleaned the stain from the dingy denim covers for my oven mitts. Mind you, I scrubbed those stains with Zero and an old toothbrush before laundering. It works like a charm for me! — Jan Cooper
To deter a cat from wandering around the Christmas tree, place a small dish of used coffee grounds in a bowl on the floor. Many cats won’t go near it, because they don’t like the smell. — Bruce
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
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