Question: I use steel cut oats and often prepare the oats the night before and warm them in the morning. One morning I was in a bit of a hurry and had the stove on too high, and it didn’t help that I happened to use the cheapest pot I have because it is the perfect size. Is there a way to remove the black char on the bottom of the pot? Thank you very much. Arlin
Answer: Soak the pan with dishwasher detergent and hot water for a couple of hours, scrub with a steel wool pad. Or (and this is what I like to do) into the pot pour a generous amount of baking soda, dish soap and enough vinegar to fill the pot a half-inch full. Boil the contents for five minutes. Turn off stove. Let sit just until cool enough to handle and scrub with an SOS pad. Some people use oven cleaner for this purpose and leave it overnight, but I prefer baking soda.
Question: I’ve been reading new recipes and have come across some words that I can’t wrap my brain around. What is the difference between broth, bouillon and stock? Submitted by: Hank
Answer: Broth and bouillon are words that are interchangeable. Traditional stock is made with vegetables, bones and liquid, with no seasonings. Stock is not a finished product and is typically added to soup and/or sauces. Broth is the liquid in which the bones have been cooked and it is typically seasoned. Broth may be served as is, for example consume soup. Vegetable broth is the same as vegetable stock.
Question: How will I get diesel fuel odour out of upholstered boat cushions that have foam inside of the material? Marjorie
Answer: Begin by cleaning the cushions with dish soap and water. Blot the entire cushion and lay on the grass to air dry. When the cushions are dry, purchase heavy-duty garbage bags and put one of the cushions inside of the bag with a few dryer sheets or cotton balls soaked with vanilla or coffee. Use your vacuum nozzle to suck out all of the air in the bag. Close the bag and leave for a day or two. Remove cushion and repeat steps with the next cushion.
Save some dough
— Don’t throw away extra hot dog buns, day old bread or bread ends. Instead collect them in an ice cream bucket with no lid. Once dry, tear them into pieces and make vegetable lasagna. Layer frozen vegetables and bread pieces into a greased casserole pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Beat six eggs or more and pour over mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Cheese and meat may be added if desired.
— Dried bread is the best for making bread crumbs, croutons and stuffing.
— Freshly baked bread should be cooled, wrapped in foil and then put into two clear, reusable plastic bags before freezing. This prevents bread from becoming soggy or mouldy. Defrost bread inside plastic bags.
— Keep room temperature bread in a paper bag and leave the cut side down on, your cutting board. Doing this keeps the inside soft.
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.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups, check out her website at: reena.ca.
info@reena.ca
