Question — I had a badly clogged stainless-steel sink, and tried various unsuccessful methods, including chemicals, to unclog it before calling the plumber. Once the standing water had drained from the sink, I realized that the chemicals used had dulled the finish on my sink. Is there any way to restore the shiny finish? Learned my lesson, Margaret
Answer: The easiest method for restoring shine on stainless steel sinks, is to make a paste of baking soda and water. Use a green scrubby pad, scrub the surface. For really stained surfaces, substitute baking soda with washing soda. Wear protective gloves when using washing soda. Rinse with vinegar. Next wipe the surface with olive or mineral oil.
Question — Is it good manners to send a text as a thank you note for a gift? Cameron
Answer: Any thank you is better than no thank you at all; however, a text demonstrates much less effort and thought, compared to a handwritten letter. Consider the following factors: To whom are you writing? How precious was the gift? What was the occasion? Will the receiver appreciate a text note as a heartfelt gesture? Is it possible that the text will be overlooked? When in doubt… write it out.
Question — Often a recipe calls for a half teaspoon of lemon zest. The rest of the lemon goes into the garbage. If I were to zest the whole lemon, can lemon zest and lemon juice be frozen? What is the best way to do that? Marla
Answer: You never need to throw fresh lemon into the garbage. Either grate the entire lemon rind (excluding the stem) and place the zest into a sealable container and freeze (the juice also freezes well), or grate as much as you require and put the remainder of the whole, washed lemon into a sealable freezer bag. Seal the bag with the lemon inside and store in the freezer. Whenever you require zest, take the lemon out and use your grater to remove as much zest as you need from the frozen lemon. Place the remainder back inside the bag, and into the freezer for next time.
Save on Groceries
Did you know? Buying a whole chicken is often much cheaper than purchasing individual parts.
Farmer’s markets often reduce their prices later in the day. The same is true for some grocery stores, they mark food down in the evening.
Buy meat in bulk and break it up into portion sizes before freezing.
Even though bottled water is cheap, filling your reusable water bottle at home is even cheaper.
Smart container method: Store a plastic container or box in the fridge and fill it with food that is about to expire. Let family members know that when they cook, they must incorporate at least one food item from the plastic container into their meal.
Follow the sale patterns of your favourite grocery store. They will often put similar products on sale at the same time each month.
If you search for coupons online, you can save a bunch of money; it is worth the effort.
Review your receipt to make sure you were charged correctly. You worked too hard for your money to be mistakenly overcharged.
My absolute favourite tip is to utilize store reward cards. If you refuse, you are literally giving away money. You have nothing to lose, and every dollar helps. I love rewards cards!
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email at: info@reena.ca. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
