1. To store rolls of gift wrap, use an empty wine box. The dividers help hold the rolls upright in a relatively small space. You can store the box in the guest-room closet or basement. Pam
2. When cooking omelettes, do not overbeat the eggs and do not salt until cooking time is almost complete. Salt can break down the structure of eggs. Also, keep the pan moving while the eggs are cooking and do not overcook. If it is your intention to add mushrooms, onions or other veggies to the omelette, for best flavour saut © them first before adding the ingredients to the omelette. Chefs Mike and Brandon
3. Recipe for "Berrylicious Smoothie": In a blender, combine 1 cup frozen, unsweetened assorted berries, 1 cup pineapple juice, half cup fat-free soy milk or 1% milk and half cup frozen vanilla yoghurt. Blend until smooth. Meghan
4. You can use silly putty to clean muck off of your computer keyboard. It can also be used to remove lint from clothes. Teresa
5. While cooking tomato sauce, add a half a teaspoon of instant coffee to the sauce. This extra step takes the acidic edge off of the tomato sauce. Lila
6. When Jan's friends went to Australia for six weeks, they visited a tea plantation. The owner of the plantation explained how to remove caffeine from tea. Add hot water to loose leaves and steep for 1 minute. Discard the liquid. This first brew contains most of the caffeine of the tea. Add water to the teapot and let steep for 2-3 minutes and drink that infusion that has only small amounts of caffeine (over 80% of the caffeine is removed during the first wash of the leaves). Jan
7. Freeze your pre-shaped cookie dough. Virtually any drop cookie can be easily frozen in its dough state to bake at a later time. Simply line a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap (make sure that the pan fits flat in your freezer), scoop out your dough into balls with a cookie scoop and place each ball side by side on the jelly roll pan. Fit as many as you can tightly together. When the pan is full; cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it flat in your freezer. When the cookie dough balls are completely frozen, lift up on the bottom layer of plastic wrap to release the balls individually and place them in a zippered plastic freezer bag. Return to freezer. Extra tip: If cookie dough gets gluey, resist the impulse to add extra flour so that the cookies don't become tough. Cool in fridge until firm, or roll out between two pieces of waxed or parchment paper. Norma
8. When barbecuing hamburgers this summer, don't press down on the meat when the burgers are on the grill. That will just press out moisture and you'll end up with dry burgers. Carter
9. I make rice pudding with leftover rice. Place rice in bowl, add 1-2 cups of low fat Cool Whip, rinse half to 1 cup raisins and add about 2-3 tsp of cinnamon. Mix well and cool in fridge until needed. It is delicious. This would be for using about 2 cups of rice. Gail
10. Yesterday, my daughter got gum in her hair, and I was dreading the peanut butter treatment. Rather than use ice, or cut her hair, I took the section of hair that was full of gum and put a paper towel behind it, then sprayed it thoroughly with Pam cooking spray, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and was able to comb all of the gum out. A quick hair shampoo and problem solved. The paper towel was used to help catch the spray from soaking into the rest of her hair. Tina
11. I save rainwater in 45-gallon plastic barrels and I like to have open tops so I can scoop the water out with a bucket for flushing the toilet and watering etc. (I also salvage my laundry water and reuse it for flushing the toilet). Anyways, I learned a hard lesson when I returned from a week away and found a deceased red squirrel in a barrel that was half full of water. It had fallen in and couldn't climb out so it drowned. I had forgotten to put a two by four into the barrel so any squirrel that happened to fall in the water could climb out. I also tie the wood down so it doesn't float up and out. Dick
12. Juice from canned peaches, apricots or pears may be mixed with melted butter and lemon juice and used as a yummy baste for broiled chicken. Extra tip: To get truly golden-brown and crispy chicken, you'll need a cast iron skillet. Cast iron simply cannot be beat for even heat distribution and temperature maintenance. The most important factors contributing to perfect fried chicken are the temperature of the oil and the actual step of frying. Vegetable shortening, lard, and peanut oil are all popular frying mediums, as they have a high smoke point. Sandi
13. A great way to recycle egg shells is to put them in the bottom of plant pots as a substitute for rocks. Egg shells are much lighter than stones and carry plenty of nutrients for plants. Extra tip: Instead of throwing out egg shells lay them in the soil near tomatoes. Calcium is great for tomatoes; the extra calcium helps prevent blossom end rot. Roma
14. I was burned with hot butter over most of my hand, I immediately sliced a russet potato, placed the slices over the burn and wrapped my hand with a kitchen towel. The starch in the potato stopped most of the blistering and eased the pain. Pat
15. For crunchier coleslaw, cut a cabbage in half and soak it in salted water for an hour. Drain well and use. Lester
Solutions, is compiled from various sources. Thanks to all who contributed! Similar information may be found elsewhere.
Solutions sleuth Reena Nerbas is a home economist and speaks professionally on the topic of household challenges; she is also the author of two national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions and Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets. She can be heard on radio and television programs across Canada.
