Deb Lindsey / Washington Post
To keep lettuce fresh, store it in a high-humidity area away from fruit.
Question: How does one keep head lettuce crispy to serve in salads (like in restaurants)? Mine seems to always be limp.
— Carla
Answer: To keep lettuce fresh, avoid storing lettuce near fruit, which gives off ethylene gas.
High humidity is ideal for lettuce, and storing lettuce wrapped in a tea towel and inside of a plastic bag is ideal. An extra tip: wash the entire head of lettuce in ice water, tear lettuce into pieces.
Dry lettuce in a salad spinner or with a tea towel. Make a bed of newspaper and tea towels in the crisper and drop the torn lettuce into the drawer. Salads will be a snap to make, and your lettuce is more likely to be used quickly.
Do not cut lettuce with a metal knife unless you plan to use it immediately — metal that comes into contact with lettuce speeds up the browning process.
Question: Do you have a recipe for making your own bubble bath?
— Marg
Answer: I love this recipe because it uses common household ingredients.
Bubble Nut Bath Recipe: in a bowl, combine a half cup (125 ml) honey, a quarter cup (60 ml) gentle liquid soap, 1 tbsp. (15 ml) almond or vanilla extract and 1 tbsp. (15 ml) glycerin. Shake and add to bath. Or combine 1 tbsp. (15 ml) shampoo with one-eighth cup (25 ml) safflower (or canola) oil; pour under running water. Tip: while you are at it, why not sprinkle a handful of rose petals into the water? Luxurious!
Prepare for Fruit Fly Season
I had several fruit flies in my kitchen, and so I set a variety of traps to get rid of them but nothing worked. Out of desperation, I took a carton of rotten strawberries out of the fridge and placed them on the counter. The flies gathered inside the carton, I then took the carton outside and threw it away. Now, there are no more fruit flies.
— Austin
I recently had an infestation of fruit flies, and a lady I know at work mentioned she had a large number of the pesky flies as well. I came up with a trap that works quite well, and can be made in a minute or two. You need some paper, tape, a couple of small screws or bolts and a tall drinking glass. The first step is forming a paper cone and taping it together with a small opening at the tip. Next, tape a screw or bolt to both sides of the cone near the tip. Finally, put some bait in the bottom of the glass. I’ve found a small amount of red wine works well. Finally, place the cone in the top of the glass and you are done. When you get a number of flies in the trap, take it outside and lift the cone, letting the flies fly off, and replace the cone in the glass. The purpose of the screws or bolts is to ensure a snug fit between the cone and the top of the glass.
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