Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Stop down jacket from leaking feathers
QUESTION: I very much enjoy and appreciate your solutions in the paper. Here is one challenge that I have and haven't noticed mentioned before. I have a lovely down-filled jacket that is warm and comfortable. But it is a few years old now and the feathers sort of leak out and leave my sweaters looking like I have a bad case of dandruff! Any ideas? Is there anything I can spray it with (short of shellac) that could prevent this from happening? Looking forward to your "solution." Karen, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Both expensive as well as inexpensive down-filled jackets have a tendency to lose feathers. Here are a few suggestions to solve this issue.
If the problem is excessive and the jacket is new, find your receipt and return the jacket. If the jacket is older and cannot be returned, pull escaping feathers towards the inside of the jacket when they decide to stick out. If you pull feathers out, the holes become larger and more feathers will escape. Put your jacket into the dryer and run the no-heat fluff cycle for about 15 minutes.
The reason that this works is because as the jacket is worn the feathers compress and flatten making them easier to fit through the weave. But if you fluff your feathers they will fatten up and have a more difficult time fitting through the fabric.
If all else fails, wear a thin nylon jacket underneath your down-filled jacket to prevent the feathers from clinging to your clothing. Scotchgard products have proven unsuccessful when it comes to keeping feathers inside jackets.
QUESTION: Hopefully you have a solution for my problem. Recently, I was cooking a potato in the microwave. In error, the wrong time was selected (way too long for one potato) and the potato, including the paper towel that it was sitting on, ignited. Fortunately, I had just returned into the kitchen when I noticed the flames inside the microwave.
The inside of the microwave is discoloured from the smoke. Most of the blackness came off when I scrubbed the walls. The top inside wall, however, still has a mottled appearance. Is there anything that I can use to "bleach" or whiten this area? The microwave still functions normally. It's a fairly recent purchase that was quite costly (one of the over-the-range types). Thank you. David, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Although people often share their success stories about removing microwave discolouration by wiping the interior with acetone and then washing with dish soap and water, this is not recommended because acetone is a dangerous flammable solvent.
Instead, clean the microwave by scrubbing it with vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. Scrub to remove the stain and when the unit is clean, leave the remainder of the cleaning solution in a bowl inside the microwave (when not in use) to absorb remaining odours.
QUESTION: I burnt beef stew in my enamelled cast iron pot and after cleaning the burnt food off, the pot is now discoloured with a brown color on the inside of the pot. The normal colour of the inside of the pot is cream. What can I do to get the brown colour off? Thanks. Katheryn, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Adding the element of heat is a powerful tool that lifts stains, odours and kitchen messes. In other words, pour enough vinegar into the pot to cover the bottom, add one tablespoon baking soda. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Turn element off, cover and leave overnight. Wash in the morning. Or sprinkle the bottom of the pot with a layer of dishwasher detergent powder. Fill the pot one-quarter full with water. Boil for five minutes and remove from element. Leave overnight and wash as normal.
Some people have also reported great results with leaving cola in the pot overnight. In the morning, scrub with an abrasive pad.
QUESTION: I would like you to give me a substitute for carton whip cream. B.. Minnedosa
ANSWER: The substitute depends on what you are using the whip cream for i.e. roux vs. whipping. Experiment with the following suggestions: Chill your beaters and bowl. Whip chilled evaporated milk and serve right away, two tablespoons lemon juice can be added to 12 ounces evaporated milk before beating to give it extra flavour.
Another option is pressurized whipped cream which is handy to have on hand but more expensive and less yummy. Other substitutes are frozen yoghurt, well drained vanilla yoghurt or if you are looking for a hot chocolate topping you can use marshmallows. And finally non- dairy whipped cream can act as a substitute for real whip cream.
Renovation & Design
Tools for tasty treats
Can't quite afford to renovate your kitchen? If the heart of your home is in need of a wee facelift, funky gadgets and colourful appliances will do the trick with an instant, easy update until you're ready to take on the big job.
Cuts like a knife
Kiss herb-chopping goodbye with these Westmark Krauterschere herb scissors. They have five stainless-steel blades for quick and gentle cutting. Find them for $19.95 at Linen Chest stores.
Then try out these two Kuhn Rikon Swiss products available online at kuhnrikon.com. Hull and cut strawberries with this foldable fruit knife with a super-sharp steel blade ($12.99), and for young ones, Kinderkitchen duck snippers will get the job done with safety ($17.99).
Fizz it up
Go green and turn tap water into sparkling H2O in under 30 seconds with the Soda Stream drink maker, which eliminates lugging heavy bottles from the grocery store. The newest model, called Fizz, includes a carbonating machine, a 60-litre CO2 cylinder, one-litre carbonating bottle and a "fizz chip" to allow you to monitor the level of carbonation added to the bottle and the remaining amount of gas left in the cylinder.
The Fizz starter kit retails for $150 to $180 online at yachtinggourmetstore.com or soda-maker.com
For good measure
Measure and weigh up to four cups at the same time in the efficient two-in-one Ricardo measuring-cup digital scale. It's $29.99 at Linen Chest stores.
Chop chop
Save counter space with the snazzy organized Index Chopping Boards by Joseph Joseph. Each board is conveniently marked for specific foods so you can separate flavours while cooking. Find the boards for $60 at josephjoseph.com.
Little helpers
When young chefs enter the kitchen to help, it's always handy to have child-friendly items on hand. At Grace in the Kitchen, you'll find an array of items, including these two child-tested ones from the Kuhn Rikon line from Switzerland.
The Kinderkitchen cookie cutters are an ideal size to work with and boast good grips ($8.99). Held together by a spatula used to level off dry goods, the rainbow measuring-cup set fits into most jars and containers and the cups sit level for filling with liquids without having to hold them. Rest assured, individual spoons won't disappear on the measuring set. It's held together by a silicone line (both sets together are $12.99).
Grilled to perfection
This pizza stone by Emile Henry has a reputation for producing crispy crusts. Able to withstand exceptionally high heat, it can be used in the oven, on the grill and over an open flame and doubles as a cheese plate or trivet. Made of Burgundian clay, it's dishwasher safe and measures 37 centimetres in diameter (think large takeout pizza). Find it for $49.95 at Grace in the Kitchen.
Have a java
For coffee lovers, try a cup made in Bodum's Original French Press, which makes about four cups. Choose from colours including bright red. It sells for $19.95 (buy a smaller, one-cup version for $14.95) at Linen Chest stores.
New from IKEA
Here are a few items, most of which we haven't seen before in the store:
The interchangeable domes on the SPRITTA citrus squeezer ($3.99) allow you to squeeze any type of citrus fruit, and the fruit garnishing set ($3.99) makes it easy to core apples and rewmove the zest of citrus fruits in strips for salads or beverages.
Crush, grind and mix solid substances with the RORA marble mortar and pestle ($14.99). The SLUKA vacuum flask, with a long, rounded handle, holds up to 1.8 litres of hot or cold drinks ($24.99).
And have that roast ready on time with the STEM Timer in assorted colours ($2).
-- Postmedia News
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Decaying food cause of disposal-unit odour
QUESTION: I have a garbage-disposal unit connected to my kitchen sink. Lately, there has been a very strong odour coming from it. It is pretty bad, especially when we come in from the outdoors. The smell is wafting throughout the house. I have used baking soda, vinegar, and even washed under the black mat with Vim and still the smell is there. I was hoping you might have some suggestions of what I can do.
-- Diana, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Ah, the dreaded 'Stinky Garbage Disposal Challenge'! Food that is chopped up in the disposal is not always properly washed down the garburator and accumulates on the side walls of the disposal. If food gets old, it will decay and smell like compost. One of the causes for this is not enough water is run into the disposal after food has been ground up.
To fix this, you will need to call in a plumber or clean the unit yourself by disconnecting the pipe that leaves the disposal from the drain system under your sink. Purchase a rubber test cap and attach it to the tube end of the pipe and tighten the clamp. Put an empty bucket under the end of the pipe. Fill the disposal with water; the water will back up into the sink. Turn the water off when it is level with the top of the strainer basket in the sink bottom. Pour a half-cup baking soda and half-cup vinegar (or household ammonia) into the drain. Leave for one hour to give the solution a chance to loosen up the food particles. Loosen the clamp and let the water pour into the bucket.
Reconnect the disposal unit to the plumbing drain system. Put the plug into the sink and fill the sink with hot soapy water, baking soda and vinegar. Leave for one hour and drain. Regularly drop ice cubes, lemon and orange peels through the garbage disposal to freshen. If the smell remains, call in a licensed plumber to check out the system.
QUESTION: I hope you have a non-toxic solution for my kitchen cabinets, which are made with chipboard. How can one get rid of the grease that accumulates up there? Previously, I used either bleach items such as Lysol and others. But doing so, I have to breathe the toxins in, which I do not like. Do you have a tip, please?
-- Uli, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Into a spray bottle, make a solution of: One cup vinegar, half tsp. dish soap, and 5 drops tea tree oil (found in the pharmacy at most grocery stores). Fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Use this solution to clean the tops of your cupboards. Now to make your life much easier, after the cupboard tops are clean, cover them so less maintenance is required. If you lay old tea towels on top, you will only need to remove the towels to wash them. Or purchase sticky mactac paper and adhere it to cupboard tops. These are very easy to wipe anytime cleaning day comes along!
Tips for preventing ice build-up:
-- Apply rubbing alcohol to your wiper blades to prevent ice from forming on them.
-- Smear non-gel shaving cream on motorcycle face shields to keep visibility clear.
-- Prevent ice from building up on your windshield overnight with this easy trick. In a spray bottle, combine three parts white vinegar with one part water. After parking your vehicle in the evening, spray your windshield with this solution and leave overnight.
