QUESTION: I very much enjoy your column in the Free Press and hope you can help me with this. How do you keep meringue from shrinking? I have tried adding cream of tartar (about half-teaspoon per pie) but it has not helped. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Pat, Anola
ANSWER: Here are a few tricks to prevent meringue from shrinking. Instead of cream of tartar, add cornstarch to the egg whites. In a small pot dissolve two tablespoons sugar, one tablespoons cornstarch and half-cup of water. Heat on medium and stir until clear. Prepare filling as normal and spoon onto crust very evenly while the filling is nice and hot. Beat three (room-temperature) egg whites and half-teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks forms. Gradually beat in six tablespoons sugar. Add the cooled cornstarch mixture and beat until stiff peaks form. Be sure to spread the filling over the entire edge to seal the sides and prevent the meringue from shrinking. Bake in a 300-degree oven until meringue is golden brown. Cool and refrigerate.
QUESTION: How do I bake a pie crust that has a flaky pastry instead of heavy and doughy? Kimberly, Winnipeg
ANSWER: The greatest pie crusts are those that are light and separate into thin layers much like a croissant. The fat or butter used to bake your pastry must be cold and hard, to keep the layers apart until the steam during baking separates the layers apart.
Extra tidbit: While there are several ways to keep pie crusts from shrinking during baking, one of the easiest tricks is to chill the dough in the pie plate for 20 minutes before placing the pie crust into the oven.
QUESTION: I was given your name by a friend who says you have a solution for everything! Here's hoping. An area of my bathroom linoleum has yellowed. I wasn't aware that this was possibility from a rubber-backed bathroom mat. I've tried baking soda and water, lemon juice, and OxiClean. None of them have worked. I read that natural sunlight help, but my bathroom does not get any sunlight. I was thinking of trying Javex, but didn't know if I should or not. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much. Marg, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Yes, unfortunately the sulfur in your mat has left you with a yellow stain which is very often permanent. With so many vinyl and linoleum products on the market, it seems that what works on one does not necessarily work on another. If your floor is over 50 years old it is most likely linoleum; in this case the linseed that makes up linoleum has discoloured. In order to bring back the colour the floor would need to be stripped and refinished. Doing this may or may not remove yellowing.
Or perhaps, the floor is actually vinyl. Many people have found pouring thee per cent hydrogen peroxide onto the floor everyday for three days is helpful. Other people have had great success by combining one quarter cup OxiClean with one gallon boiling water and pouring the solution onto the area. Another solution is bleach but most experience that this application removes the floors finish and shine. Lastly, mineral spirits is another treatment that people have told me worked for them.
It's a shame that so many floors have a tendency to yellow and discolour most often from a rubber backed rug or some other weight being left on one specific area.
QUESTION: I enjoy reading your articles in my Saturday paper. My daughter-in-law has a problem. She has two sets of stoneware dishes which get marked up from cutlery. The cleanser once sold has been discontinued. Do you have a solution for how to get rid of these marks? Olga, Winnipeg
ANSWER: It sometimes seems easiest to hop in our cars and head off to the nearest retailer to purchase yet another cleaner. And while there are hardware stores who do sell products specifically designed to remove scratch marks, let's first take a look at a product that we all have somewhere in the kitchen. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Scrub with a sponge or green scrubby pad. Chances are the marks will vanish. If not, start your engine and head to your nearest home hardware store.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
-- Wrap lettuce in paper towel instead of tea towels to prevent the leaves from turning brown.
-- Makeup can take up a lot of room inside your purse which is alright if the purse is large. For small purses, put a little foundation inside one of the holders of an empty contact lens case, this takes up much less room. Perhaps a few headache tablets can go in the other empty holder.
-- Tuck an empty nylon or plastic bag inside your purse before leaving home. You will be amazed at how handy an extra bag is. For instance, wrap a wet umbrella inside the bag. Carry groceries in the bag instead of paying for another plastic bag. Bring home library books without dropping them all over the road.
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
