QUESTION: I am having a dinner party next week and would like to serve cocktails. Can you tell me how to make perfectly clear ice cubes instead of white or foggy cubes? Charissa (Portage la Prairie, Man.)
ANSWER: The trick is to boil distilled water twice. In other words, pour distilled water into a pot and boil it. Let it cool and repeat. Freeze cubes in trays. Or if your party has a theme, freeze water in silicone moulds or a new rubber glove. Secure the opening of the glove with a rubber band and freeze. Remove the rubber band and glove and drop the giant ice hand into a bowl of punch. Feel free to get creative and add food colouring.
QUESTION: I have all three of your books and enjoy giving them out as gifts. I do however have a question and I could not find the answer in your books. My son bought a $40 baseball hat; I nearly fell over when I saw the price tag. The worst part is the hat is white. What is the best way to clean it? I have heard it's okay to put it in the dishwasher or washing machine. Any suggestions? Shirley, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I would be very careful about fabric care on this one. Forget about risking the dishwasher; while dishwasher detergent works well sometimes, it often leaves small irreversible spots on the fabric where bleach from the dishwasher touched the hat. Too risky. The washing machine may also work but can damage the rim of the hat, leaving it flimsy or misshapen. Too risky. Instead, soak the hat in a bowl of enough hot water to cover the hat, half a teaspoon of dish soap and half a cup of borax. Leave it for two or three hours. Scrub if necessary, rinse and repeat if needed. Dry the hat on an inverted plastic or glass bowl.
QUESTION: I do hope you have an alternative to mousetraps or poison. We just don't have the stomach to kill or, perhaps worse, find maimed but alive mice in a trap. It's too cruel. This week two were found alive, one with a crushed jaw, one with an injured leg. We must find a way to repel them from entering the building. Thank you, Jana, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Mice love peanut butter even more than cheese. Locate a five-gallon (19 litre) bucket with a lid. Cover the bucket and cut a 10 centimetre hole in the lid. Make a ramp so the mice can climb up and fall in. Spread peanut butter around the hole. Leave the bucket empty and, after they fall in, take them at least 10 kilometres from your home before releasing them. If you have mice in your home, flatten an empty toilet-paper roll, put peanut butter on one end and tape the roll to a counter, extending beyond the edge. Put a bucket on the floor underneath the counter, so the mouse will fall in.
To deter mice, spread many fabric-softener sheets where the mice like to congregate. You can also use shaving cream on a cotton ball, oil of peppermint or Irish Spring soap slivers; these are all mouse deterrents.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming! Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new website: www.reena.ca .
