Of bristles & Italian Cauliflower Bake

Volume III, No. 24 (January 29, 2006)
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006

Hate is always picking a quarrel,
But love turns a blind eye to every fault.

Proverbs 10:12





HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

Use 2 kinds of bands to keep 2 kinds of bristles in tip-top shape. Use a wide rubber band (such as comes from the store containing fresh broccoli) to keep the bristles of your paintbrush pristine. For your kitchen broom, cut off the waistband of old pantyhose to avoid the bristles’ becoming askew.

You can save a good deal of energy costs for the oven by taking 2 simple precautions. First, only preheat the oven when baking bread, cake, or other pastries. Second, turn the oven off 3 minutes before the time that the recipe calls for – the residual heat will cook the food just dandy.

Loyal reader Ruan Frenette has asked how to make a clogged drain free-flowing again. Here’s how I do it: First, mix 1 quart of hottest tap water with ¼ cup of baking soda, & pour it down the drain. Follow with a cup of white vinegar at room temperature. Finally, add a quart of boiling water – that sequence should do the trick.

Do you have concrete walls – perhaps in a basement or the garage – that you would like to decorate with pictures? Neither standard nails, toggle bolts, or much of any regular hardware will do the trick. Try 4” hardwood flooring nails, originally made for hardened tin. They are denominated “4” hardened tin nails.”

Washing or dry-cleaning a 2-piece garment? If you neglect to wash the second piece, you’ll be dismayed at the color difference between the 2 pieces….

You don’t need to buy new cedar for your closet to keep it fresh & insect-free. Just sand the existing cedar!

Any liquid that you like to work with – tempura paints & white glue are just a couple of examples – can be controlled better in application if you move them into an empty roll-on deodorant bottle. Get out the ball by applying pliers to the neck – make sure no one is within shooting distance! Wash both ball & container well, & you are on your way!

You don’t have to discard & then replace music CD’s that have gotten scratched. Just wet them with a soft cloth that is barely moist. Buff along the scratch, NOT across it. Wait until it’s dry before playing the CD.

If a battery-operated appliance stops working, don’t change the batteries before you try this handy-dandy tip. Just clean the contacts – use a pencil eraser first. If that doesn’t work, use a very fine grade of sandpaper. (Crocus cloth, which seamstresses use to clean burrs off of the needleplate of a sewing machine, is ideal.)

DON’T purchase “non-stick” cookware from a thrift store, because it probably has nicks (dangerous even if they are too small to see). But, if you have such ware -- that you purchased recently, new -- , & you want a scraper to get up “messes,” try a wooden spoon that you have cut in half with a hacksaw horizontally at the middle of the spoon itself.

Here’s the low-calorie way that I enjoy potatoes & onions. I cut about 1 lb of potatoes into cubes & chop ½ large or 1 small onion. In a 2-quart pot, I cover the veggies with water, & then cover the pot itself. I set the timer for 10 minutes, & wait for steam to be emitted (just put your face about 6” from the side of the top of the pot to tell). Then I lower the flame to nearly-nothing, & set the timer for another 15 minutes. After that, I drain the water (all this entails is leaving the pot lid very slightly askew while pouring out the water – you don’t need a sieve or colander for this because you are TRYING to leave a bit of water in the pot.) Next, I put salt & pepper on the veggies (I use ½ tsp salt to 1 lb potatoes, & grind about 10 grinds of pepper on top.). I then mash the veggies with a potato masher. No, I do NOT add milk, butter, oil, or margarine. This dish tastes lush to me.

To find car-pooling partners, Google “car-pool XXX” where XXX is the name of your town or neighborhood.


RECIPE:

You may have noticed that no recipes have appeared recently. This is because Jewish Family & Children’s Services has been bringing me entrees & other food. I miss cooking, however, so you will be seeing more recipes as time passes (however, they won’t be in every issue.).

Italian Cauliflower Bake:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 T olive oil
½ large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & small pieces of stems
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil

Use an oven-proof Dutch oven. Stir the food thoroughly over medium-high heat. Saute together for 5 minutes.

½ large head or 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & pieces

Add. Saute, striring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes (left whole)

Add. Stir thoroughly & take off the stovetop.

1 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed

Add on top of the rest of the food. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Of cleaning cast-iron & using ceiling fans

Volume III, No. 23 (January 22, 2006)
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006

We rejoice in our sufferings,
Knowing that suffering produces endurance,
& endurance produces character,
& character produces hope,
& hope does not disappoint us,
because G-d’s love has been poured into our hearts.

Romans 5:3-5
These lines from the Christian Scriptures were paraphrased in a novel by Madeleine L’Engle.





HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

How to get burnt-on food cleaned off cast iron cookware easily? Club soda poured in can work wonders. Dry off very carefully this time or any time, to avoid rust. And remember to season the pot the 1st time you use it, & every time that you find that the soda does not pull off the whole stain, &, so, you need to use a scouring pad on it.

Don’t get overly enthusiastic in insulating a gas water heater. You must, for safety’s sake, keep a clear breach over its top as well as at the gas burner on the bottom.

To avoid making a big mess while painting a door, wrap all its hardware with aluminum foil. (Use a knife to smooth the foil evenly.) Also, wrap the doorknobs of each door that you need to open to get to the sink, as well as the sink’s faucets. If you use oil-based paint instead of latex, place foil all along the route to the turpentine or mineral spirits.

If you have to get out of a wall a nail without a head, grasp what you can with the deepest part of a claw hammer. Swing the hammer from side to side, &, after some maneuvering, you’ll be able to get the nail out.

Give a special gift to your 18-year-old child – but you’ll have to begin at his or her birth! Save the newspaper from each birthday date, & wrap a box containing all of them.

Fill your car’s tank early in the morning. As the day wears on, the fuel expands, so you’d get up to 5% less gas if you were to purchase it in the heat of the day.

You don’t need to go out to buy a specialized spray to clean your computer keyboard or the printer’s paper bin. Just use the crevice tool of your vacuum cleaner. You can also dip a cotton swab like Q-Tips® in alcohol, & clean between the keyboard keys with that.

You want to save money on delivery services such as the post office or UPS™ by reusing scrap boxes instead of buying new ones. But it’s a hassle to cover up all of the prior print on the boxes. Here’s a good idea: cut down each side seam of the box. Then push down the sides & tape to create a new, inside-out, box!

To clean your eyeglasses, you don’t need expensive fluids or cloths. Just run very hot water over the insides & outsides of each lens. Wipe dry with a lint-free cloth.

If a steel wool pad -- cleanser-type such as SOS® or Brillo®, or workshop-type – becomes rusted, just cut away the rusted portion with scissors. You’re doing yourself a double favor, because you are sharpening your scissors at the same time!

Do the numbers on your measuring spoons & cups make you squint? You’ve heard about using nail polish to make them stand out, but did you know the real secret Take an emery board (yes, another manicure device) & lightly sand the painted numbers – now, they will really stand out!

Does your town offer recycling, but paper needs to be separated from other items (such as plastic, glass, & metal)? Do what I do – keep a new garbage can inside your house. You can throw paper right inside it. As to the other items, add a tall kitchen bag to the can & put the plastic, glass, & metal into that bag. (You’ll have to deal with composting directly into the can provided by your town – or, you can keep a jar in your kitchen for disposal weekly or so.) By these means, you can more easily follow your Sanitation Department’s requirements.

What to do about clothes that require cold water in the washer, knowing that detergent is less effective with dry detergent? Here’s the answer: use liquid detergent, which will dissolve more easily.

You CAN freeze cottage cheese (well, not the creamed style). Just know that when you defrost it, the texture will have changed so much that the cheese will only be suitable for use in a casserole.

One rotten apricot, apple, banana, avocado, blueberry, peach, or cantaloupe can spoil the batch, because they emit ethylene gas, which ripens produce. So don’t keep any of these near potatoes or cut flowers, lest they spoil from the gas. And scan your produce containers frequently to avoid a rotten piece from spoiling the bunch. If you have a pear or a tomato or an avocado that you want to ripen, put it in a brown bag together with an ethylene source.

Are you the lucky owner of a ceiling fan? To use it most efficiently, run it roatating counterclockwise in the summer forcing the hot air up. In winter, run it clockwise in order to send the cold air to the ceiling.

Of cheapskate coffee & caulking best practices

Volume III, No. 22 (January15, 2006)
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006

My L-rd, open my lips that I may declare Your praises.

-- Beginning of “The Prayer” for Jewish morning services; this is analogous to the L-rd’s Prayer for Christians, as being central to the service.






A continual report on my coffee usage. With the help of a new gold filter, I have been able to reduce my prior usage (for 12 oz water) of 1 scant teaspoon to ½ teaspoon! So easy on the budget! (I calculate that the gold filter will pay for itself within a year of not having to buy paper filters, & I know that it will last for my lifetime.)

If you have a cat, you know that litter is often sold with baking soda already mixed in. Compare the prices carefully. In most cases, it is cheaper to buy clay litter & baking soda separately. Just sprinkle the soda on the bottom of the litter box before adding in the clay litter. (Did you know that if your cat ingests too much of the clumping litters when she grooms herself, she may get sick.) DO NOT FLUSH clay litter.

A paperback cookbook can be read easily if you take a hanger meant for pants & skirts (with “clothespins”) & attach the opened cookbook to it. Then you can just hang the hanger on a cupboard knob & see the recipe easily!

Did you know that, with today’s water-based finishes for furniture, using sandpaper on them is the kiss of death? That’s right – the steel in the sandpaper will interact with the water to cause rust, your Big Enemy. Instead, use abrasive pads, which you can buy at any hardware store.

If your local newspaper offers free ads for items under a small amount of money, try asking for something that you need. For example, “Like to purchase used bridal gown, size 16.” You could get a bite that will save you big bucks. (Or, you can do the opposite & sell something for which you are willing to take an amount under the limit for the free ad.)

The easiest way to defat a cooked dish is with a perforated spoon. Just run it under the surface, & lift off the fat. This may work as soon as the dish has just finished cooking – or, you may find about a particular dish that you’ll need to refrigerate it first.

Do you use iron-on patches or interfacing, but get frustrated having to clean the iron’s soleplate from residue of the add-on’s? Ordinary aluminum foil will come to your rescue! Place a bit of aluminum foil under the area where you will be pressing. You can just pull it out once all is adhered.

When painting an intricate design, use a cotton swab such as Q-Tips® to dust the area where you will be painting, & then use another swab to actually paint.

A hint for seamstresses who make pillows or stuffed animals – wet your hands before trying to push the stuffing inside. The job will be MUCH easier!

Snow in your region? To get it off your car’s windshield, patio furniture, a garbage can, & such small areas, use a plastic or rubber dustpan, or a squeezee. To get it off your pavement (if it’s a relatively light covering), it’s much easier on your back to sweep it than to shovel it. If you do have to take out & use the shovel, coat it with cooking oil spray 1st. The snow will fall right off.

If you have a dishwasher, you’ll save on your energy bills if you turn on the kitchen sink’s hot water before starting up the washer. (Be sure to capture the water in a dishpan, so that it is not wasted.) The further away the hot water heater is from the dishwasher, the more money you will save this way.

To reduce wear-&-tear on clothing – not to mention pilling & accumulation of lint, turn them inside out before laundering. And, of course, you know how important it is to empty all pockets 1st!

You probably have some butter in the house (for baking), as well as the Smart Balance® that I hope you use for all other purposes. The butter has another use – preserving cheese. Just coat the exposed edges of the cheese with some butter. OR, another way to preserve the cheese is to cover it with cheesecloth that has been saturated with vinegar. Just keep the cloth damp.

The cheapest way to remove make-up is with plain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline®. After massaging it in, use one square of toilet paper to rub it -- & the make-up – off. If you use heavy make-up, you’ll need to use a regular facial tissue. (Petroleum jelly is cheaper than mineral or baby oil, which in turn are cheaper than the expensive specialized products that the cosmetics industry wants you to buy.)

Are you the proud owner of a grinder – for meat or for coffee & spices, but are frustrated as how to quickly clean it? Just run a raw potato through it!

Did you know about caulking that there is a “best practices” way to apply the caulk? In holding the caulking gun, the further you deviate from the optimal 45 degrees, the worse your results will be.

Of ever-flowing OJ & trash-can racoons

Volume III, No. 21 (January 8, 2006))
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006

My heart is steadfast, O G-d,
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing & raise a psalm;
Awake, my spirit.
I will awake at dawn of day.
I will confess Thee, O L-rd, among the peoples,
Among the nations I will raise a psalm to Thee;
For Thy unfailing love is wider than the heavens
And Thy truth reaches to the skies.
Show Thyself, O G-d, high above the heavens;
Let Thy glory shine over all the earth.

-- From Psalm 108







HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

Herewith, the (nearly) ever-flowing orange juice pitcher. First, blend a 12-oz can of concentrate as usual. Drink 1 glass (8 oz) from it. Replace with 8 oz of water. Repeat. Stop when there are just 2 cups left. Fill the pitcher completely & blend. Depending upon your taste, you can either make 2 or 3 pitchers of juice this way.

When your car’s windshield wipers wear out, they will still be of use within your home as squeezes.

If you are on a diet – or just want to avoid unnecessary calories, put your Smart Balance (or butter, if you must) on your toast only after the bread has cooled down, not when it is still hot. You’ll save half the calories!

Here are some hints for touching up scuff marks. Touch up white appliance paint with a correction fluid used as an office supply. Touch up white athletic shoes with white shoe polish. Touch up black rubber or plastic decorations on your car with black shoe polish.

There is no mechanical or electronic reason to purchase a color TV any sooner than 12 years after you bought it. It will continue to work just fine., Of course, there is always keeping up with the Jones’s. But you wouldn’t do anything like that!

If you like deep-fried food, at least you can save some money when you drain it. Instead of using about ½ of a roll of paper towels, use just one towel, placed atop a pile of newspaper.

To blot your lipstick, use a square of toilet paper instead of the much larger facial tissue. Indeed, I keep 2 squares in a small plastic glass, & reuse it until it is nearly covered with color.

If you plan to cook stuffed cabbage, make it easier on yourself. Freeze the outer leaves of the cabbage for an hour. Once defrosted, the leaves will be soft, making it easy to roll them up.

For sourdough bread without the trouble of keeping a starter going, try this (an accidental discovery). Using 1 cup of milk in your bread recipe (in place of any other called-for 1 cup of liquid in the recipe), add 1-3/4 T of cream of tartar. That means that you use 1 T + 2 tsp – that’s close enough, but to be perfect on this, I add a smidgman more. Luscious!

Is it ever worthwhile to spring for the brand-name when there is a generic substitute? As an example, it IS in the case of hoses for washing machines. (Yes, we cover everything in this blog.) The low-priced hoses are subject to heating loss, &, as well, they resist pressure. The best vendor for a new hose is the manufacturer of the washer itself.

Wet your dental floss thoroughly before using it. You’ll see that it is much easier to thrust it between tight gaps that way.

Here’s a great way to show people who give you or your child gifts, to demonstrate to them how much the gift means to you or your child. Take a picture of the gift being used, & enclose it with your thank-you note (or send it as an attachment online).

Fussing 3-year-old’s disturbing you as you try to cook or sew? Just give them a plastic plate of frozen peas to eat &/or throw. (Be sure to take a gander at them every minute or so. And don’t do this with a younger child.)

If your car has an apparent future life of only 2 years or so, buy any replacement parts that you need at a junkyard instead of at an auto supply store to save BIG!

Most folks own a sofa. Here’s how to keep its upholstery in best shape. Turn its cushions often to reduce obvious wear-&-tear. Exchange the cushions at each side arm, then exchange the 2 or 3 back pillows so that all surfaces wear evenly. (If the pattern is the same back & front, be sure to switch these regularly, too.)

Keep raccoons & other critters out of your outdoors trash barrels! Just pour ¼ c of household ammonia into the bottom of each can.