QUESTION: I wasn’t thrilled when I received the news my family would once again be visiting for the holidays; well, everything went better than expected with one small exception. My niece set her wine glass down on my brand new marble countertop, which left a red stain. Help! Clarice (Morris)
ANSWER: Using paper towels, soak the area with hydrogen peroxide; use either three or 12 per cent. Wipe the stained area with water and place the hydrogen-peroxide-soaked towels on the stain. Cover with plastic wrap and seal the edges with masking tape. Wait 24 hours, and then remove the plastic and leave to dry for 24 hours. Remove paper towels, rinse with water and buff. Repeat if necessary.
QUESTION: I cooked a big roast on Christmas and burnt the roast and roasting pan to a crisp. Did you know some pizza restaurants were actually open on Christmas? Anyways, to make matters worse I cannot seem to get the stainless steel pan clean. Any suggestions? Petre (Plumas)
ANSWER: You are not alone. This happens to almost all cooks at one time or another. Hopefully your family understood! The trick is to boil water and one of the following: dishwasher detergent, baking soda, vinegar and water. Scrub with an S.O.S pad. Or if you are desperate, ventilate, wear gloves and spray pan with oven cleaner. Leave for a few hours and wipe.
QUESTION: I wrecked a pan cooking for my husband's boss and family last week. For future reference, what kind of pans can one safely use in the oven? Sandi (Grunthal)
ANSWER: Often when you purchase a pan, you will find care information, either on the bottom of the pan or on the packaging. If the pan can be used in the oven, it should say; "oven, microwave, dishwasher safe." However, here are a few added guidelines. Many people prefer cooking with cast iron above anything else. The pans made of cast iron last long. You can also use stainless steel. Stainless steel usually can be heated to a point about 500 degrees.
Another tip is that pans that have handles made from the same material as the pan are oven safe. Suppose you have a stainless steel frying pan that has a plastic handle. It is not oven safe.
QUESTION: Please help me find a really easy gravy recipe that works. I never had much luck with mine, and I tried several different versions. Most are just too complicated or require too many ingredients. I do not need anything fancy; I just need instructions I can do at the last minute after the turkey is out of the oven. I find it really challenging. Please give me some tried and true recipes that are simple and fool-proof. Morgana (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: After you have finished roasting your turkey, take the bird out of your roasting dish and set it aside. Pour off all but about two tbsp. fat/drippings from the roasting pan and set it on the stove top, on an element set to medium. Pour in one and a half cups water or chicken stock. As the liquid comes to a boil, scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned bits (these are what flavour the gravy). Turn the heat to low. Combine 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. flour and mush it all together until combined. Add the butter/flour mixture into the gravy and turn the heat back up to medium, stirring constantly. Stir the gravy until the butter has disappeared and the gravy has thickened (the flour in the butter thickens the gravy) - this should only take a minute or two. Season as desired. Strain the gravy (optional).
QUESTION: What is the best way to store leftover Christmas gift wrap? I tend to jam it inside of drawers making them unusable when the next year comes around. Any secrets? Mattie (Lockport)
ANSWER: You can go to the store and buy special containers. January is the best time of year to purchase storage containers. The top holds gift tags, bows, pens, tape, scissors and everything else you need. The bottom holds all of the wrapping paper. You can buy one just for Christmas wrapping paper and another one to hold birthday, wedding, baby wrapping paper. Another option is to use an under-the-bed storage box for all wrapping paper, scissors and cellophane tape, ribbons, sticky labels and card tags along with birthday cards and a few leftover Christmas cards. Or save a clean, five-gallon paint bucket and use it to store rolls of gift wrap. Lastly, always slide a paperclip to secure roll ends and keep rolls from unravelling during the year.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
* Get rid of paper towels to clean up everyday messes. Use good quality microfibre instead! By doing this, you will have a paper-towel-free home and save tons of money.
* To store Christmas lights: Wind lights around a sheet of sturdy cardboard or tubing. Gather the string into your hand in sections and secure with a twist tie. Another option is to purchase light storage products from a store.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming!
Check out my website! www.householdsolutions.org
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, MB., ROA 0C0.
