Question: Whenever I bake cookies, the recipe says to mix all dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ingredients. Why can’t I just add all the ingredients together in one bowl? Also, how can I make my cookies all the same size, so they look good enough to sell at a bake sale?
— Delores
Answer: The reason why dry ingredients such as salt, baking soda and flour are mixed separately is too avoid clumps. Imagine eating a cookie and suddenly, POW, a mouth full of baking soda. Yuck! Stirring or whisking the baking soda in with the flour breaks up the pieces and ensures evenness in your baking.
As for consistently shaped cookies, purchase a retractable ice cream scoop (they come in different sizes). Not only will each cookie end up the same size, but you will notice your cookies don’t flatten as much because the dough is rounded, plus, cookie scooping is much faster with a retractable scoop versus two spoons.
Another option is to bake cookies inside of silicone muffin pans — they will all turn out the same shape.
Question: I have a black glass end table. I recently discovered it now has a one-inch scratch. The scratch itself shows as clear glass. Is there any way to recolour the scratch in the glass, so that it looks black again? I hope you can help. Thank you!
— Lynnette
Answer: While you may not be able to remove the scratch, you can reduce the appearance of the scratch by polishing the area with a soft cloth and metal polish or toothpaste. Buff with a cloth and hopefully the scratch is less visible.
Question: I have a house with older replacement windows that somehow allows flies to enter the house. They congregate in the windows wanting to get out.
Is there some way to prevent them from entering in the first place?
— Paul
Answer: The best way to reduce flies getting inside is to seal the windows.
However, in Mexico, where temperatures are hot and doors and windows of restaurants are sometimes left open, employees often hang sealable bags filled with water and one penny in doorways. Hundreds of people say it keeps flies away — the theory is since flies are covered with hundreds of eyes, the movement of water prevents them from being able to focus and they fly away.
Another option is to place pots filled with lavender or basil near windows — flies do not like the smell.
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