Lee Reich / Associated Press files
Hands and clothes can become sticky with sap while decorating the Christmas tree.
Question: While putting up the Christmas tree my pants, shirt and hands became layered with tree sap. What can I do? — Zane
Answer: Smear your hands, shirt and pants with mayonnaise. The tree sap will come right off. Follow with a solution of dish soap and water. Blot the area and wash the pants and shirt according to the care labels.
Question: Whenever I make banana muffins, they turn out perfect. Whenever I bake banana loaf, it sinks in the centre and never bakes evenly. Why is this happening? — Anne
Answer: Here are a few of the most common reasons for your sinking centre.
Over-mixing the batter: only mix the batter until the ingredients come together; over-mixing reduces the air in the batter so that the batter won’t rise to the challenge. Bake batter immediately after mixing because that is when the leavening agents are most active.
Baking temperature: Bake the loaf at 350 F; any hotter than this will give you a brown loaf on the outside and an unbaked inside and — boom — your centre will drop like a hockey puck.
Finally, don’t pack your pans: A regular size recipe should be divided into two or three loaf pans, because pouring all of your batter into one little loaf pan hinders the batter from rising to the challenge.
Question: I was cooking a tomato-based sauce that ended up tasting acidic. Is there a way to neutralize the sauce or is it garbage? — Ruth
Answer: If a tomato-based sauce becomes too acidic, add a teaspoon of baking soda at a time to the sauce to reduce acidity. Some cooks prefer to add sugar for the same reason. Sugar can also reduce the acidity of tomatoes used in salads.
Question: My hair is frizzy from this terrible Manitoba weather. I don’t know why I live here! I use several commercial frizz reducing products. I have noticed when I dry my hair with a towel, it creates more frizz and using my hair dryer also increases the frizz. Is there any other way to quickly dry my hair? — Madison
Answer: Squeeze (don’t rub) your hair with a cotton T-shirt instead of a towel. Cotton will absorb moisture without frizzing. Or wear a microfibre after-shower head wrap. Use the cool setting on your hair dryer instead of hot.
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.
