Question: Does leaving a ceramic disk in the brown sugar container, actually make a difference? Robert
Answer: I always store a piece of terra-cotta in my brown sugar container. Soak the disk in water for about five minutes. Because the clay is porous, it absorbs moisture, and keeps sugar loose for about three months.
Question: Why is it so difficult to separate an egg? Whenever, I prepare to make a meringue pie, I take all my ingredients out, one hour ahead of time, and organize it on the counter to prepare to make the pie. When I separate the egg, yolk always seeps into the white and the meringue won’t whip. Allison
Answer: While it is true that you want the eggs at room temperature before whipping, it is also true that separating eggs at room temperature is more challenging than when they are cold. Remove eggs from the fridge and separate them immediately into two bowls before allowing them to warm up, you will find this much easier. Dollar stores often sell egg separators that will also increase your success rate.
Question: My son was sweeping up the berries on our sidewalk from the mayday and Schubert chokecherry trees and somehow got ground in stains from these all over his grey sweatpants. I tried boiling water, vinegar, lemon juice but the stains are still there. Any other suggestions? Teresa
Answer: What makes fruit stains difficult to remove is that berries dye textiles. Pouring water through a berry stain is the best first step in increasing your chances of removing the stain, but vinegar and lemon juice may have set the stain. You are better off scrubbing the area with dish soap and water and then spraying with Shout. Use the dish soap and Shout technique several times before the stain disappears.
Stuffing 101
Make your own simple and delicious stuffing. Slice one loaf of dry bread into cubes. In a pot sauté one chopped onion and four sticks chopped celery. Add one teaspoon poultry seasoning. Add bread and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in one cup chicken broth. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or heat in slow cooker on low for one hour.
Lint me your ears
My dryer vent leads right onto my back patio and spews the fluff from the dryer all over the patio and into the garden. Rather than a stocking or pantyhose, which could end up being a fire hazard, perhaps consider what we did, which was build a small rectangular-shape box with chicken wire. This sits up against the outside area around the vent outlet. We did this primarily to keep local mice from climbing into the vent, as it is fairly close to the ground, but it also ended up being a good lint catcher. Easy to clean out, and lots of air circulation, so no heat builds-up. — Judy
I had a problem with dryer lint messing up my outdoor patio space. To solve it, I placed a one-gallon black plastic plant pot (with drainage holes) under the dryer vent and put a two-inch layer of coarse gravel in the bottom of the pot. The lint gets trapped by the gravel and can be picked off, or just disposed of and replaced with fresh gravel. — Linda
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
info@reena.ca
