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Soup Bones
 
 
 Just thought of a GREAT SOUP IDEA..
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BAKE YOUR SOUP BONES
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I DO THIS ALL THE TIME.  BAKE ALL THE BONES FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO.  IT WILL HELP WITH THE FLAVOR OF YOUR BROTHS. THE BROILER PAN REALLY WORKS GREAT FOR THIS IDEA.
 
 
 
6/26/2004
Uses for Baking Soda
 
 
 

 
There are 10 Common Uses For Baking Soda:
  1. Make a paste of baking soda and water and rub on insect bites to relieve itching.  
  2. Remove coffee and tea stains by scrubbing pots or cups with baking soda and a plastic scouring pad. 
  3. Add 1/3 cup baking soda to a wash cycle as a bleach booster or to the rinse cycle for cleaner smelling laundry. 
  4. To remove black scuff marks from floor, rub them with a paste of baking soda and water. 
  5. Clean fiberglass showers and tubs with baking soda sprinkled one sponge. Sponge clean and wipe dry. 
  6. Soak sour smelling dishcloths and sponges in water and baking soda solution. 
  7. Use a solution of water and baking soda to clean and deodorize the inside of your microwave. 
  8. Put a few spoonfuls in a cup of water in the microwave, boil for two minutes, then wipe down the inside with a sponge. 
  9. Sprinkle a little baking soda into the laundry hamper to minimize odors.  
  10. Remove crayon marks from walls by scrubbing gently with an old toothbrush and a paste of baking soda and water. 
 
 
 
6/26/2004
Clean Recipe Cards
 
 

 

If you are following a recipe from a card, you know how it can get very dirty and splashed with exotic ingredients.  To keep it pristine, put the card in the prongs of a fork and set the fork in a glass in front of you....
 
...and don't touch it again until you have washed your hands!! 
 
 
 
 
Reply from dianne11323:
 
You can also place your precious recipe card in a CLEAR NOTE BOOK. The type kids use for SCHOOL TERM PAPERS..
Remove their papers, store in folders in underbed clear plastic containers. Wash covering inside and out
Keep a few in the kitchen to simply LAY YOUR RECIPE UNDER WHILE YOU FOLLOW RECIPE. WASH EVERYTHING.
 
A LARGER PICTURE HOLDER WORKS GREAT TO HOLD RECIPES (Not the frame, just the holder).
If you have some really favorites and have a way to LAMINATE THEM...KEEP A BOX OF FAVORITES LAMINATED. SIMPLY WIPE OFF YOUR RECIPE WHEN FINISHED. I had all my favorites laminated at our local Library. The laminate machines are available almost everywhere.. 
CLOTHESPINS WORK GREAT ALSO!  Glen made me a recipe holder out of an old piece of wood with a clothespin attached.  IT'S REALLY EASY TO DO. CUT THE WOOD OR WHATEVER, ADD A BACK HOLDER SO YOUR RECIPE IS EASILY VISABLE. ATTACH WITH A CLOTHESPIN. Mine is not glued on. I keep a few on the counters for closures for almost every bag in this house, as well as for holding recipes. USE THE CLOTHES PINS.. AND wood.
 
 
 
6/28/2004
Inexpensive Containers
 
 
Storage containers do not HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE..
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CHEAP PLASTIC SHOE BOXES MAKE A NICE PICTURE ORGANIZER; FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS, ALL-OCCASION CARDS, ENVELOPES...Use cheap different colored note cards to divide catagories.  ALSO GOOD FOR THREAD(spools and all), LEFTOVER YARN,  CRAFTING ITEMS, ALMOST EVERYTHING, PAPER, NYLONS, SOCKS. YOU NAME IT.
CHEAP SWEATER OR UNDERBED PLASTIC CONTANERS WORK FOR EVERYTHING IN EVERY ROOM OF THE HOUSE!!!
These should be clear so you can see what's in them. MARK THEM ON TOP AND ON ALL SIDES .They stack nicely on top of each other and are very easy to move off each other to get to the bottom one. I love these for closets without shelving. Closets with shelves, storage sheds, GUYS' STUFF IN GARAGES, GIRLS' STUFF IN GARAGES, SPICE CONTAINERS...THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!!!
 
 
 
6/28/2004
Fresh Parsley
 
 
 
  
 
This tip is from Maidie Cohen via http://www.worldwiderecipes.com   (I was very glad to see this because my parsley always wilts before I can use it.  You have to buy such a big bunch of it at the grocer and I usually just use small amounts at a time.) 
 
When I buy a bunch of fresh parsley I chop off a tiny bit of the stems and put the parsley in a glass or vase of very warm (almost hot) water to keep on my kitchen counter.  The warm water revives the parsley.  I remove any leaves in the water, and change the water every few days, or when it gets cloudy.  Not only is it good to look at, especially in the winter, it's also always handy to use when I want small amounts to chop and sprinkle on something, or a stem or two to throw in a pot. My experience has been that it keeps on the counter just as long as it does in the fridge.  If it's very fresh when I buy it, it'll last a couple of weeks.
 
Chopping Parsley: Using a chef's knife and holding down tip end, cut back and forth across whole parsley sprigs. Also use this method for chopping other fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil or sage.
 
 
 
6/29/2004
Filling Freezer Bags
 
 
TO FILL FREEZER BAGS QUICKLY, place food in a quart jar, slip the bag over the jar then invert. The bag is quickly filled and the top is clean for sealing.
TO REMOVE AIR FROM A RESEALABLE BAG, insert a drinking straw into the bag, 
close bag as close to straw as you can. SUCK THE AIR OUT OF THE BAG.
IN ONE QUICK MOVEMENT, REMOVE STRAW AND FINISH CLOSING THE BAG. Change the straw between different foods.
 
 
 
7/1/2004
Softening Brown Sugar
 
 
Place an open box of hardened brown sugar in the microwave oven with 1 cup of hot water. Microwave at high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes for 1/2 pound or 2 to 3 minutes for 1 pound. This will work also if you have those LEFTOVER ROCK-HARD BAG'S.
DO NOT HEAT LONG, YOU MIGHT MELT THE SUGAR. Be sure to watch closely
 
 
 
7/1/2004
Softening Butter
 
 
Softening Butter in a Hurry:
 
It can take a long time for a stick of chilled butter to reach the right temperature for creaming. Many cooks are tempted to use the microwave, but this is an imperfect solution because the edges of the butter often begin to melt before the center is really softened. If you are in a hurry, cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. It will be soft enough to use in about 15 minutes. If, despite all precautions, your butter is still too cool, a quick remedy is to wrap a bowl with a warm, damp towel and continue creaming.
 
 
 
7/1/2004
Starting a Spice Cabinet
 
 
Starting A Spice Cabinet:
The beginning cook could become confused when browsing the spice rack at the local supermarket. Purchasing them all can get expensive. Many are seldom used in most kitchens. Start with these 10 and build from there:
  • thyme
  • rosemary
  • oregano
  • vanilla extract
  • basil
  • dill weed
  • ginger
  • garlic powder
  • chili powder 
  • cinnamon.
 
 
 
7/1/2004
Appliance Maintenance
 
 

We have a lot of trouble with our dishwasher since we have hard water for two or three months a year. This is what the dishwasher repair guys told us to do:  FIRST, IF YOU CAN, TAKE THE MACHINE APART AND CHECK FOR BROKEN PARTS. You do this from the bottom. IT IS A LOT EASIER THAN YOU THINK. Replace what you can. Check the motor and all belts. He told me to buy a gallon of MURADIC ACID.(I cannot remember how to spell that name.WE USE IT IN THE TOILETS TO REMOVE THE HARD WATER BUILD UP.Ask some guy at the HARDWARE STORE.HE WILL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT). Use one cup of acid. Pour into the dishwasher. RUN THROUGH TWO CYCLES. THIS DOES WORK, but if you have exposed metal, the acid may hurt it.

Every time you clean your coffee maker with a nice big cleaning of straight vinegar, remember to allow the vinegar to cool and then run it through the coffee pot again. WIPE OUT THE INSIDE OF YOUR CONTAINERS WHILE STILL WARM. Pour vinegar in the dishwasher for use with your next washerfull.  I usually add it just before turning the load on. This will be part of your first cycle.
 
He also told me to run the dishwasher through an empty cycle with a full amount of soap and a gallon of vinegar. Divide the vinegar up amoung the cycles. This takes BABYSITTING, but it does work. Keep in mind, most dishwasher long cycles take an hour and have 7 to 10 water changes.YOU CAN HEAR THE WATER DRAIN OUT.  OPEN THE MACHINE AND POUR MORE VINGEAR IN.
 
 
 
7/2/2004