Place an address sticker on all home electronic equipment. When taken in for repairs. Too many times they have lost, the information You provided. Now if it comes up missing your name is on it. Those techs get careless.

You can Get yourself either a ketsup or mustard squeeze bottle. Now use it to blow off your keyboard when dusty. Or you can use an electrostatic cloth. Designed to attact dust.

You can clean off your t. v. screen with a fabric softener sheet.Or use the electrostatic cloth. Your t. v. is like a magnet. Grabs everything.

When packing some small electronic device for a trip. Take the batteries out, and turn them around. Now it won't accidentally come on.

You can put 4 moth balls in your cleaner bag. Now vacuum your rugs. When you store the machine no fleas will come crawling out. That is if you had some in your carpets. The moth balls will kill them. Other wise when you vacuum, they'll just come crawling back out of your power nozzle. Waisted effort.

Spray a vegetable spray on your grater. Now cut cheese or whatever. Easy clean up.

When you mix up something in your blender. Use low - speed first. Then increase. If you having problems getting started use a little liquid. Depending on what your mixing up. Use a juice to go with it. Or water.

If your leaving home for any length of time. Unplug your garage door opener. Now lock the door. Thieves like to patrol the neighborhood. Trying to see if their opener will open your door. Some controllers do. After they find out it does, they'll sit on a corner watching for the right move. I was shocked to find out others have my same controller.

Hi!

 Great helpful post!

 I like the vegetable spray on the grater before shredding cheese, cool!

 Would like to add some more. We purchased at Builder's Square a sliding bar. This is a fairly long black bar. You attach it to the side of your garage door. When you retire for the evening, slide it across the door. Now no one will be able to lift it.

You can also spray your measuring cups with a cooking oil. Next time you put in something like a honey, it will slide right out. Measuring spoons too.

You can spray the inside of a plastic bowl, then pour in a spaghetti sauce. No stains.

You can use the mesh bag onions come in for a pot scrubber.

You can blow up beach balls or inflateables with a turkey baster. Just remove the bulb from the baster. Now insert the small end into the toy. Blow into the large end.

You can water a christmas tree, with a turkey baster.

You can blow up a balloon and plop it into a paint can. This will keep a skin from forming on any unused paint.

You can make a funnel for liquids, by snipping one corner of a plastic bag.

Got dents in a carpet from moving furniture, put some ice cubes in them. Dents will come out as ice melts.

You can keep your small xmas cards you receive. Now next year use them as name tags.

Put a tennis ball in your dryer. It will pluff up your blankets when you wash them.

Get a dent out of a ping pong ball. Put it in hot salty water.

Easy plant watering. Give it a few ice cubes.

If your watering a hanging plant inside, put a shower cap on the bottom.

If you need to cure a squeaky floor, put dusting powder along the edges.

Great thread.

Here's my two cents.

For tough food stains and burns on the stove top, dampen the area and/or make a paste of baking soda with water and let it stand and wipe clean after I guess about 20 - 30 minutes.  I usually spinkle over the area after dinner and wipe clean before bedtime or the next day....I'm sorta lazy sometimes.

Oh, and my favorite because I'm a big green tea drinker...

To remove tea and coffee stains, etc..either

1/Add to your hot dishwater a small amount of bleach or a teaspoon of bleach to each coffee mug and fill it to the rim with water, let set overnight.

or for a more natural solution,

2/Soak overnight your coffee mugs with enough vinegar to cover the bottom of cup and fill to the rim with water.

Cereal And fussy Kids

If kids  turn up their noses to hot cereals, than try these suggestions.:

Make the cereal with chocolate milk.

Stir in some canned chop fruit

Put 1 tbsp of jam in a bowl. Add little milk, Mush them up and then add cereal. You  can do this with hot or cold cereal.

You can put chocolate bits in oatmeal cereal. Think about those oatmeal cookies.

You can eat cold cereal with some eggnog, or malted milk.

You can add some ice cream to cereal.

If cold cereal is too soggy. Then pour it on a cookie sheet. Set the temp for 350 and bake 2 or 3 minutes. It will crisp back up.

 Useful Hints

Go to a  wall paper store and ask if they have any old catalogs.  They only toss these out.  Get the one that has pre pasted wall paper in it. Go home and check it out. Look for some that has prints appropriate for a baby’s room. Now cut these cute little pictures out. There now just wet the backs and put them on your babies wall. My friends use to put them around the changing table. Keeps your baby amused during the changing periods.

Also keep in mind, that you can glue fabric to a wall also.

 You can use sheets to make window curtains, and shower curtains.

If the top of the shower curtain rips out from the rings, just put a strip of duct tape in that area where the hole ripped out. Then take a punch and make a new hole. Volla!

Now if you get a spot on your carpet, and nothing seems to take it out. Well where’s your box of crayons. Buy the large box of assorted colors. Keep it handy just for this purpose. You can usually find a color in there to match your carpets. So doctor it.

Crayon marks on a wall will usually come off with W D 40.

Spray paint will come off with W D 40.

You know those little tiny stuffed bears. There about 2 ½ “ tall. Well you can tie a ribbon around their neck. Then glue a magnet on the back.. Or glue on two if heavy. Put him on the frig to hold messages.

You can hem leather jackets with rubber cement. Apply it to both pieces, and hold to bond until dry.

You can pin socks on a coat hanger, then hang it on the line. Fast removal.

You can set up 10 soda pop cans. Then let the kids throw a ball at them. ‘Bowling”

The kids can do the limbo, hop, or play volley ball through a sprinkler.

Now when tiling , and you have left overs. You could glue some felt on the bottom, for a trivet for hot foods. Or you could break them into tiny pieces, and glue them on a small table, a vase, or a counter.

Or pop one in the mic and place it in the bottom of a bread basket to keep bread or rolls hot. Or you could even paint them with some glass paint, and you decide what to do with it after that.

Kids can stick their hands in acrylic paint. Then press them onto a t  shirt.Make sure you put a cardboard on the inside of the t  shirt first. . Do a good job now. Then give them to grandparents for X mas.  Maybe write something like “ My grandchildren walk all over me. Let it dry good.

Or gather up 12 photos of your kids. Now take them to a photo shop. Tell them you want a calendar made with them. Give these as X mas gifts.

You can even use wall paper for book covers. Or to line your shelves.

Put a trash bag in the bottom of trash cans. Then when you take out the full one, just pull up the new one. I keep several in the bottoms of mine.

Here’s the Boo Boo Bunny Song to sing for all Boo Boo’s.

I’m the Boo Boo Bunny and I’m here to say, when you get a Boo Boo I’ll help it go away. We’ll just place a little ice upon the bump, and keep it there, until there’s no more lump.

I use to sing this to my kids, and still do my grandchildren. It helps to make the Boo Boo a little easier.

Boiling – Crockpot- and Microwave Cooking.

Vegetables should always be placed in the water, after it starts boiling. The shorter the time in the water, the more nutrients that will be retained. Vit C is lost very fast.

Your water must boil for at least 2 minutes, to release a percentage of the oxygen, which will also cause a reduction in nutrients.

Leave those skins on, and the vegetables in as large a piece as possible. The more surface you expose the more nutrients will be lost.

Never put vegetables in a crock – pot for a prolonged cooking process. Most of the nutrients will be lost to the heat and the liquid.

Microwave usually results in short cooking times, which retain the nutrients. The water  content of the vegetables will determine just how well they will cook Microwave ovens should have a moveable turntable so that the food will not have “cold spots’ This could result in the food being under cooked.

Now if you want to brown foods in the microwave, be sure to use a special dish for that purpose. Preheat the dish first.No browning dish, then brush the meat with soy or teriyaki sauce, or the liking.

A steak will continue cooking after it is removed from the microwave, and it is best to slightly under cook it.

 Chicken Facts

The safest method for thawing out poultry, is to place it in a bowl of cold water. If you add some salt to the water, it not only will provide some flavor, but will provide a measure of additional cleaning.

When stuffing your bird, the opening may be sealed with a piece of raw potato.

The dark meat on the bird is a result of using, the breast muscles more, providing them with a greater blood supply. 

Broiler/Fryers are 7 week old birds that weigh from 3 – 4 lbs.

Roasters are usually hens weighing 5 – 8 lbs. Have more fat than a broiler.

Stewing hens are a year old. Retired sort of speak. Tough old birds and need slow cooking. But they are flavorful.

Capons These are castrated roosters which are 10 weeks old Weigh 8 – 10 lbs.They usually have large white meat breast from making a lot of noise.

 When choosing meat in the grocery store, make sure there is no liquid residue either wet or frozen on the bottom of the package.  If there is it means that the food has been frozen and the cells have released a percentage of their fluids.

Cooking Tips Of Long ago

If your food is boiling over, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. Or rub some butter along the inside rim of your pot.

All methods of  cooking, will lower fat content, except frying in oil.

Depending on what type of metal your wok is made of, it will rust. So always wipe off the inner surface with vegetable oil after each use.

To prevent splattering, always wipe off foods before placing in hot oil.

Always cook a roast in a shallow pot. This will allow air to circulate more efficiently. Place some fresh celery stalks under the roast . It will also help.

Don’t try frying so much food at once. The food has a tendency to bubble over from the cold food, and hot oil. You should also lift the basket out of the oil a few times. This will prevent the food from sticking together. Then lower it and keep it in until food is done.

Fish Facts

The skin on the fish should always have a shiny look to it, and when finger pressure is applied, it should easily spring back to it’s original shape. The meat should be firm to touch with no visible blemishes.

Never buy fish if the skin  has any dark discolorization.

When you look into the fishes eyes, they should be bulging and not sunken into the head, which is a sign of dried out.  Eyes should also be clear, not cloudy. If the fish winks at you, this is a very good sign.

The scales should not be falling off. If you notice loose scales don’t buy the fish. The scales should also be healthy, bright, and shinny.

The gills should look clean with no signs of slime. Their healthy color is reddish – pink. Gray gills are a sign of an old fish.

A fresh fish never smells  “FISHY” If it has an odor , it is probably from the flesh decomposing and releasing a chemical compound.

SEAFOOD NEEDS TO BE AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE. NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 DAYS OUT OF THE WATER.

Going fishing Need Worms

Just hook up the hot line of an A C power outlet to a copper rod. Now shove it into the ground and plug it in.  Stay off the ground while it is plugged in. Stand back and watch  for worms.

These suckers are so expensive in the bait stores. So collect your own.

Insects and other pests

Fleas  can be eliminated by, vacuuming with a high powered vacuum cleaner such as Electrolux, with a good sealing bag. But remove bag after vacuuming immediately.

Citronella oil candles will rid your house of mosquitoes.

Next time you change the litter box, try sprinkling a small layer of baking soda on the bottom to absorb the odors.

Keep the cat in the house. If you want to remove a grease stain from your drive way, try rubbing kitty liter into the stain. Allow it to stand for 1- 2 hours before sweeping it up.

Hang small pieces of a deodorant soap, on trees to keep deer away. Especially  fruit trees.

Or use pieces of clothing. They don’t like the smell of humans.

Bugs love us. If you wear blue you will have thrips following you. If you wear yellow whiteflies will follow you. Forget those colors. Brown and Khaki you’re pretty safe with. You won’t look like flowers.

Most animals are usually afraid, of bright and shinny objects. So hang strips of foil on trees or shrubs.

Stop wasting money on bug zappers. Don’t work. Have no effect what so ever. Bugs seem to have a special sense that, keeps them away from electronic magnetic fields.

Citronella lamps will do the trick.

Mice love peanut butter, more than cheese. It works good  in traps.

If you have roaches,.fill a shallow  pie plate with alcohol, their favorite. Especially cheap wine. Goodbye roaches.

Flying insects. Get out your hairspray and immobilize them, if in the house.

RID YOUR PET OF FLEAS.-   CUT A STRIP OF CLOTH ABOUT AN INCH LARGER THAN YOUR PETS NECK. FOLD IT OVER SO THAT THERE IS AN OPENING IN THE CENTER.  SEW ONE END SHUT, AS WELL AS PLACING A SEAM DOWN THE STRIP.  USE A FUNNEL AND FILL THE OPENING WITH A COMBINATION OF 50/50 ROSEMARY AND OREGANO.  NOW SEW OR TAPE A PIECE OF VELCRO, TO CLOSE THE OPEN END ,AND ATTACH TO PET USING THE VELCRO CLOSURE.

Kitchen Helpers

Store your flour in the freezer to prevent eggs from hatching.  Insects and bugs set up residence when the grain is warehoused, during transit., or even in your home.

Beware when purchasing rye bread. Really read that label. Most rye bread contains white flour. Very little rye. So make sure the label says Whole Rye Flour.

Good quality white bread will read unbleached flour, not flour, or white flour.

Never place hot pans next to each other. Hot air needs to circulate and not be blocked.

Never place yeast in a bowl, and pour water on it. The yeast is easily damaged and the weight of the falling water can harm too many of the yeasties.

Always store dry yeast in the refrigerator. But then allow it to warm to room temperature before using.

The best way of cooling hot bread, is to place it on a wire rack. This will allow air to circulate around the bread.

Before purchasing those little bread sticks, read the directions. They may contain up to 40% fat.

When making biscuits, never over work the dough. They will become tough

Try substituting buttermilk in a muffin recipe for the lightest muffins ever.

Now if you want soft biscuits, brush them with milk or melted unsalted butter.Place them in a pan so they touch each other.

When buying white bread look for the word enriched. This is the best. Many do not.

Never use compressed fresh yeast in a bread baking machine. Always dry yeast.

 Let’s  Have fun painting Tips

If you have dark walls and you’d like a lighter color do this. Prime over the dark color, then you can paint your lighter color over the prime.

Now warm colors like blue, green , and violet remind you of an ocean, and relaxation. So figure out what room you want these colors in. Remember they go in  a room with no direct sun.

Then comes the cool colors. These look great in a sunny room. Reds, yellow, oranges.

Red would be nice in a sexy bedroom. Orange in a  family room, or child’s room.

Yellow I’d put in a hallway.

 Blue good for a bedroom also. Green in a livingroom.

Violet is good for a play area, or a child’s room. Kitchens are pretty in a sunny yellow, then do the cabinets and trim in chocolate brown.

Use semi - gloss on woodwork, cabinets, and doors.

Want the room to look bigger.  Use a light color, and one color scheme.

If the ceiling is low, paint it a bright white.

Dark walls and ceiling, will make the room look smaller.

If you have a long narrow room, and you want it to look wider, then paint both of the short walls a darker color, than the longer walls.

Remember what I said in another set of tips. Put the paint brush and roller, in a zip lock bag and into the freezer, when not in use. Or if the project hasn’t been completed in the color your using, at the end of the day.

Now let’s paint the trim in a room darker than the walls.

All door knobs cover with aluminum.

Keep a zip lock bag next to the phone when painting. If the phone rings, put the bag over your hand and answer the phone.

Put plastic bowl covers over your shoes. Remove them when finished painting.

Now when you purchase a can of paint, have them mix it up. I don’t care if it’s right off the shelf or not. They will mix it. Saves you time and arm work when you get home.

Car

Before going on a vacation, check out your hoses for cracks, and bulges.  If More than two years old, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get them replaced.

Flush and refill your radiator every two years.

Check your antifreeze, when you check your oil.

Keep electrical and duct tape in your glove box. A friend of mine back into a stump in the woods. They were getting  a Christmas tree.. Their muffler came loose and they duck taped it till they got home. Held great. The tape was a life saver.

Remove rust spots on your car’s bumper, by crumpling up tin foil, and dipping into coke.

Use a paste of baking soda to clean away corrosion on car battery terminals without having to use a wire brush.

When you purchase a new car, Spray the upholstery and carpeting with Scotch Guard. Clean up later will be a snap.

Put and old shower curtain under a baby seat, to catch all crumbs when they eat.

You can clean out all hard to get to places with a q- tip.

Put a bag of kitty liter in your trunk in the winter time. Great traction to help you get out of the snow.

When going camping toss a plastic tub with a lid in the trunk. Then when you need to wash clothes toss in some laundry soap, water and your clothes. Drive around town. When you return your laundry should be done.

You can use coffee filters to wipe windows and mirrors. Their lint  free.

You can use a hair dryer on a bumper sticker, for a few minutes to remove them.

If you lock yourself out of your car, use a coat hanger to get in. Take an straighten a hanger, fashion a loop and work between the window and the door. Use the hoop to hook the door lock and pull it up.

You can coat a clean and dry car battery terminal, with petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion.

You can clean leather upholstery with cold cream. Put some on a rag and rub in then wipe.

Carpet stains you can use club soda.

Bugs on cars. You can use baking soda on a moist sponge. It stiffens them up.

Rust on the wheels. You can use an S . O. S. pad.

Car white  walls. You can use basin tub and tile cleaner. Rub good.

For interior car rugs, you can use plush rubber back bathroom rugs.

Lost gas cap. Usually the attendant will have it. Ask her.

Need gas fill up in the morning, before the hot sun comes out. You’ll get 5 % more. Gas expands later.

Use Rain X on the windows. You’ll be able to see anything a car splashes at you.

Need your car painted. Call the Tech school. They need the practice, much cheaper, and are supervised.

Frozen door locks, use W D 40.

You can use  a polish on your car, and you won’t have any white powder residue.

To stop your car from fading, wax it every 6 months. Wash it once a week.

Caught in traffic snack

1 graham cracker spread with peanut butter.

You can use a dust mop head to wash your car with.

 Gardening Tips

 Years ago the only things available for mulching were straw and leaves. Now you can use grass clippings, cocoa bean hulls, black plastic, roofing paper, and newspapers. This will keep the soil in the garden from drying out, on hot days, and from washing away during a thunderstorm.

Have you noticed that right after a thunderstorm you’re your plants green up really fast? Well it’s  due to electrically charged oxygen, that is turned into nitrogen.

Before you plant anything, it would be wise to take a soil test. Then send it to your agricultural center. Maybe you want to plant a tree. Well the ph may not be suitable in that area for growing a tree. Maybe too much clay or sand..  Or not enough limestone, or sulfur etc. Trees can drown in a clay soil. Sandy soils are too dry, and they’ll drain to fast.

But the soil test will tell you what you need to add to your soil to plant your trees, or plants even. Soil tests are usually taken  at least every 3 years.

When planting a tree, make sure you dig the hole big enough. I’ve seen people try to squeeze a good size tree into a tiny hole. Then the roots get broken because they have no where to spread out, and then the tree dies.

Do not grab the trunk and try to force the root ball  out of the container. Just ask them at the nursery to cut the side of the container for you. Than wrap some twine around it, until you get home.  Then remove , and lift out the soil ball, not the trunk.

If you live in a windy area, it’s a good idea to stake your new young trees.

Now you can feed your tree with the drilling method, if you’d like.  Just drill holes down in the soil, around the tree. Now fill with some dry  fertilizer.

 It will dissolve slowly, and won’t need to do this again for a year.

Now when your lawn feeding with a liquid fertilizer. – take an put a golf ball in your hose spray bottle. This will distribute the fertilizer further, and evenly.

It’s a good idea to put on your golf shoes once in the while. Now hike across your lawn. This will aerate your lawn, so it will accept water and fertilizer better.

Water before 2 p.m.  But the best times are between 5 A. M. and 8 A. M.

All disease controls apply after 7 P. M.

Best time to mow is after 7 P.M.

Make sure your mower blade is sharp. Hose down you mower so it will keep working efficiently.

Impulse sprinklers are the best, if you need to rely on a hose .It’s faster, and delivers more water.

Don’t water at night, unless using insect spray, fungicides, or a bacterial soap and water solution.

Sew you seeds when the days are warm and evenings are cool. Loosen your soil, apply seed, sprinkle on a light layer of soil, and keep it moist.

In hot weather, if you need to seed a spot. First soak your seed in 1 cup dish soap, and 1 gallon of a weak tea water. Chill 48 hours. Then spread the seed out on a warm dry surface to dry. Now plant them.

Apply all liquid weed killer to weeds only. NOT THE WHOLE LAWN.

  Crabgrass and other annual weed seed plants should be killed with a pre – emerge crab grass control applied very early in spring.

Never mow wet grass.

Trim and edge before mowing. Don’t allow excess grass, to grow along side walks, driveways, or flowers beds. These are the areas insects and diseases like to take up residence.

Seeds go down late in the evenings.

Mow your lawn up until the season ends. Now your very last mowing, drop your blade down 1 notch.

Keep all your tool blades sharp with a bastard file.

Don’t toss out old hoses. Put some tiny holes in  and use it in a flower bed. Or take and cut off sections to slip over sharp tools. Just slit them and slide over the blades.

I also paint a bright color on the side of my tools. Then I can always find them in the grass. Also if the neighbor’s borrow them, you will know yours. Just go borrow them back, if not returned.

Don’t put your tools away dirty. Wash and dry them. Then squirt on some W D 40.

Wash all your containers with ammonia and soap before planting anything in them.

Treat all young seedlings with T L C, until time to move them out to the garden.

Catch rainwater for your hair. It’s fabulous.

More Kitchen Helpers

Remove lumps from soups, and gravies  with a wire whisk.

To make your soup go further, just add some pasta, rice, or barley.

To change your stew a little.-  Just add a stack of cut long thin strips, of corn tortillas the last 15 mins.

The tannic acid in strong tea can, tenderize meat and reduce your cooking time. Just add ½ cup of strong tea to any stew.

An easy way of thickening stews, is to add a small amount of quick cooking oats, a grated potato,  or  onions.

When preparing vegetable soup, only pour enough water into the pot, to cover the vegetables by 2 inches. Too much water makes the soup to watery.

To help a semi – solid soup slide right out of the can easy. Try shaking it up first, than open the bottom.

If your stew meat gets tough, it could be that you used warm water. Always start with cold.

For best results, and keep flavors in tact never boil soups and stews. Only simmer.

Don’t use dark colored bones in cooking. They are probably too old, and have deteriorated.

Mashed potatoes allowed to sit out on a buffet, will lose up to 100 % of their nutrients after one hour. This loss is due to heat, lights, and mashing.

Brown areas on potatoes are due ,to the result of oxidation and Vitamin C losses.

When cooking vegetables, and you find your water decreasing- just add as hot of water that you can, to bring the level back up. When you add cold water it affects the cell wall, and causes the vegetables to become tough.

Best to purchase your potatoes out of a bin. It is too difficult to determine which ones are bruised in the bag. Oh you will know the rotten ones alright.

Watermelon can be placed, in a double brown paper bag for one hour, after it has been cooled. This is great if you need space.

If you need to dry out a head of lettuce – just place it in a pillow case, and swing it around.

Try placing a few sponges in, your vegetable drawers to absorb moisture.

There is a chemical group found in parsnips. This chemical causes cancer readily in laboratory animals. Parsnips should be peeled and cooked to eliminate these toxins.

Wrap all produce loosely. Air must be allowed to circulate around them to reduce spoilage.

Home canned vegetables should always be cooked before eating, since bacterial contamination is very common in these products.

If you have joint pain, best to leave these alone. Green potatoes, tomatoes, red and green peppers, eggplant, and paprika. These foods are high in Solanine,  and the  university says it’s associated with arthritis pain

Parsley contains a chemical that may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.

.

SOME PLANTS HIGH IN OXALIC ACID SHOULD BE AVOIDED AS YOU APPROACH MIDDLE – AGE. AND BEYOND. ESPECIALLY WOMEN WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH MENOPAUSE. THESE INCLUDE SPINACH,RHUBARB,AND COCOA BEANS ( CHOCOLATE)

OXALIC ACID MAY INTERFERE WITH CALCIUM ABSORPTION AND CAUSE EXCESS CALCIUM TO BE EXCRETED IN THE URINE.

More old Time Tipsters

The best juice to buy is is the juice that is squeezed and sold fresh in the markets. All commercially bottled juices are pasteurized and the natural enzymes are destroyed by the heat. Now frozen orange juice only loses about 2 % of its Vit C content over a 3 month period of home freezer storage.

 You can store cooked vegetables in a well – sealed plastic container in the frig. They will last 3 – 5 days. If you plan on freezing them, then put them in a an air – tight bag or container in which most of the air can be removed. They will be a bit soggy so use in soups and stews. They’ll last up to 12 months and still be edible.

Prunes are a good source of minerals and a natural laxative is better than a chemical remedy.

When you cook garlic the chemical that gives garlic its it’s unique flavor is partially destroyed. If garlic is allowed to sprout most of the chemical will enter new sprouts and your garlic will become milder.

Eat at least three servings of vegetables a day, and you can reduce your risk of stroke by 22 %.  Eight hundred men did, that participated in a heart study.

Listen carefully – E – Coli -----this deadly strain of bacteria is usually the result of fecal contamination of meats during slaughtering and processing. However this strain is now showing up on vegetables, and fruits. Four outbreaks have been reported in lettuce alone

Salmonella has been found on melons and tomatoes, and other dangerous bacteria has been found on cabbage and mushrooms.  In one instance more than 245 people became ill from cantaloupe in 30 states. Seventy percent of all produce is now being imported from third world countries. Just thought you’d like to know.

More Tips Of Long ago

More tips We Can All Use

To protect your flashlight in the rain, maybe looking for fishing worms, put it in a plastic bag. Close the opening with a rubber band. You can turn it on and off as needed. It will provide a bright light right through the bag.

Freeze wet wash cloths in a plastic bag. Come in handy for cuts, bruises, teething, burns, or just plain cooling off.

Mix meat loaf ingredients in a zip lock bag. Knead and squish all together. There no messy dishes. Do meatballs, and bread dough the same way.

They say to keep down odors in the frig, just pop in an open box of soda. Well girls you can pop one in your freezer too. In the frig put it in the back.

Ring around the collar, use baby shampoo.

Now lets make some colored ice for a punch bowl. You can fill a clean balloon with tinted water or punch. Place this in a bowl and pop it into the freezer. Peel off the balloon when the liquid is frozen. The ice ball, is now ready for the punch bowl.

Lets blow up a balloon. Now plop it into your paint can. This will prevent a skin from forming on the top of your paint. Just use a balloon that’s big enough to cover.

When you drop an egg on the floor, get out that turkey baster and suck her up.

Now let’s blow up a beach ball, or some other inflatable toy. First remove the bulb from the turkey baster. Insert the small end into the toy and blow into the larger end. So much easier.

Turn your  baskets upside down to make cages, for small animals. Or put two milk crates together.

Add a capful of chlorine bleach to a dishwasher. It will make glasses sparkle and everyday silverware shine.

O.k. enough for now. Got a terrible storm coming in. The thunder and lightning is wicked.

More TipsTo Help Yas

You can use dental floss to cut a cake.

You can use dental floss to sew on buttons.

 Use can use a buffer to polish your nails.

You can use pledge to clean your plastic glasses.

You can shine your teeth with baking soda.

You can shine leather shoes with mineral oil.

If you have to take a V C R or some electronic item in for repair. Put an address sticker on it. These get moved around so much, and they end up losing the paper work on it.

Spray your grater with a vegetable spray. Then grate your cheese. Easy clean up.

Spray your measuring cups with vegetable spray, before filling with syrups. It will come out easy.

Remember a pinch of something is 1/8 tsp.

Fill ice cube trays with hot water. They’ll freeze faster.

Always remember these words when  working around the house.  RIGHTY TIGHTY.  LEFTY LUCY. Then you will know which way to loosen or tighten a nut.

If you have a bandage on a finger, and need to wash dishes. Just slide a small inflateable balloon over it.

Remove grass stains with alcohol.

Keep an address sticker on your glass case, in case you lose them.

Wipe candles with rubbing alcohol to clean them.

Brighten outdoor lighting, by placing aluminum foil behind the lamp. Maybe at a campsite, or even a back yard.

For winter protection. Cover the vents on your air conditioner with aluminum foil.

When working on crafts, remember aluminum foil can be spray painted.

Keep animals out of your garbage. Soak a sock in ammonia, and tie it to a handle on the  can, or lid.

Shower door scum, remove with baby oil on a rag.

Warm up a few tbsp of baby oil and soak your brittle nails in it for 10 mins. This helps make them more flexible.

Use baby powder as an emergency face powder, when traveling.

Guys you can use peanut butter to shave with, in a pinch.

Ladies you can use hair conditioner on your legs, when you shave.

You can use fabric softener and water for a hair rinse.

To untangle a small chain, dust it with powder to make it easier.

You can sprinkle powder all over men’s white shirts, before or after ironing. This will keep the material from absorbing oil and grime during wear.

You can keep baby wipes in the car to use after pumping gas.

More Useful Help

When cutting hedges outside. Take an put down an old sheet to catch the clippings. Later drag it to the disposing area.

You can clean your phone with alcohol.

If you freeze your meat for about 20 – 25 minutes, you will be able slice really thin slices.

The junk mail that we all hate.  Take the envelopes apart. Now turn them inside out, and seal them with a glue stick. Now mail them back out.

Cut the fronts off from X mas cards. Now use the backs for post cards.

Smaller cards. Cut the fronts off, and use for name tags on gifts.

Use pretty colored tissue paper to wrap gifts. Just attach a pretty ribbon.

Now boys like their gifts wrapped up in the funnies. Get them out of the Sunday paper.

Kids sneakers wont stay tied. Then wet the laces first, then tie them.

Kids basketball in the house. Roll up a pair of kids socks. Now put the waste paper  can on the dresser.  Toss away.

Dust the inside of your shoes with baby powder. Keeps them dry, and comfortable.

You can use a dampened bag as an emergency damping cloth for ironing.

Shine bathroom fixtures with alcohol.

Now lets save some time from scraping snow and ice ,off our car’s windshield when parked outside. I want you to place a ripped paper bag, beneath the wipers when you park the car. Then in the morning just peel it off.

Those that crochet. Take bread wrappers and cut them into long strips. Now tie them together. Grease up a crochet hook really good, and crochet a round or oval rug. Put this outside the door. Spray it off as it gets dirty from feet being wiped off.

String up pretty colored Xmas lights. Take 12 small juice bottles. With the lids. Now cut an x in the lids. Next  take a small string of lights, and insert one down into each lid. Now string these up across a front porch, balcony etc.

You can take a nice filled out branch and spray it white or silver. Now insert it into a pot of sand, or plaster paris. Something tall and secure it. Now hang ornaments or lights on this. Maybe for a sunporch,  or a balcony with outdoor furniture. You decide.

 When traveling keep a stain stick in your purse. When ever you spill something you can treat it right away.

When traveling put your shoes into an old pair of socks. Then if the bottoms are a little dirty, your clothes won’t be.

You can place a rolled up mesh bag, in the bottom of a flower vase.  It will help hold the flowers in place.

Take a mesh bag to the beach to hold all the toys. When you leave dunk the whole bag to remove sand.

So you can see your recipe card. when cooking.  Invert a fork into a tall glass. Now stick the card between the tines in the fork. There nice clear instructions.

Store small amounts of food in zip lock bags. Then you will have room for other things. Containers take up too much space.

Freeze a cookie sheet of grapes. When frozen put in individual zip lock bags. Give to the children as snacks.

More wonderful tips

Hairspray. Boil 2 cups of water. Fine chop 2 lemons and add. Simmer on low until the lemons are soft. Now cool and strain. Then put it in a pray bottle. If too sticky add more water. Now you can add 1 tbsp of vodka, or witch hazel, or rubbing alcohol for a preservative.  Keep in refrigerator for about a week. O.k. just spray at the roots only for an uplift.

If your hair is thinning, eat foods with iodine. Or drink buttermilk.

Spray on conditioner.Take 1 part conditioner, and 5 parts of water. Put it in a spray bottle, and shake it up. Spray on hair.

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Frizzies. Switch to a satin pillow case and frizzies with disappear.

Eat molasses. You’ll have nice healthy hair.

Remember this. Hair is the richest thing on a woman.

Bananas will help lubricate the hair. They will also make the hair softer.   If the hair has been  over processed eat bananas it will come back.  Bananas will also help with elasticity of the hair. Bananas will even strengthen the hair.

 Eat coconut  great  for your skin.

Perming, coloring, and bleaching will  promote graying.

If you must dye your hair, drink a lot of vegetable juices after.

Let’s do a double twist. Sweep half of your hair to the side. Now take the other half and

make a twist Secure with pins.  Last take the hair that was swept aside, and wrap it over the first twist. Secure that with pins Remember you need to  start rolling at the nap of the neck, and go up. There ya go. Cute to.

Spray gel for the hair. Take 1 cup of hot water and mix in 3 tbsp of gel. Put this in a spray bottle, and shake it up. Spray on the hair. Now roll it up.

Distilled water is wonderful for rinsing hair. Good for it to.

Biotin is good for the hair, nails, and the skin. Will help prevent hair loss, breakage, and it will thicken the cuticle.

Salmon is the highest concentration of heart protective Omega 3.

If you’ve got a cold, then vicks the bottom of your feet to.

You can wash car windows with club soda.

Still More Wounderful Tips

Enjoy a cold drink outdoors by covering your glass tightly, with a piece of aluminum foil and sticking, a straw through it to keep insects out.

Now gals if you’re in a painting project, and you want to take a break, just pop the brush in the freezer. Just stick it in a plastic bag and wrap it up first. Thaw it out a bit, and continue. Now if you don’t finish the room in that color, you can pop the brush in the freezer, thaw in out in the morning, and be on your way, once again. I love this trick.

O.k. when your applying  an iron on patch, put a piece of aluminum foil under the hole in the garment. Now the patch won’t stick to the ironing board.

You can add a little baby oil to the water, when   washing rubber pants. This will keep them soft.

You  can get rid of shower door scum and build up, by applying oil to a moist cloth once  a week.

You can mix about ¼ cup baby oil, with a few drops perfume, or cologne for the scented bath oil.

To get your rubber gloves to slip on easier, sprinkle them with baby powder.

To cure squeaky floor  boards , try dusting powder along the edges.

Clean baby shoes, with baby wipes.

Let your toddler use baby wipes for toilet paper. They easier to use, and will help save laundry.

You can tie a large brown paper bag, over the head of a dust mop. Then shake off the dust in the house.

Give your dog a plastic soda bottle to play with. 

You can tie a mesh bag from the tub faucet, or shower head to hold bathtub toys, and allow them to dry easily.

 Need to waterproof a mattress? Simply tear open a trash bag, and place it under the sheet.

Play time.”  Hawaiian skirt. “Cut narrow strips to within a few inches, on one long side of a green garbage bag.

Kitchen Tips Part 1

If you’re making a cake  or cookies with dried fruits in them, coat the fruits with flour and they won’t sink to the bottom of your batter.

Use a salt shaker filled with powered or colored sugar, for sprinkling candies and cookies.

When making sugar cookies, you can sprinkle on colored sugars before baking.

A handy little shaker filled  ¾ full of salt and ¼ full of pepper, comes in handy next to the stove.

 Here’s a great trick. When you want to put a design on the top of a cake., take a toothpick and trace the design first. Then sprinkle on the topping.

Take fresh bread and wrap it in wax paper. Now place it in the refrigerator. It won’t get moldy as fast.

Vanilla extract can be substituted for sugar.  Just use 5 drops to replace ¼ cup of granulated.

If your having a problem keeping your soft cookies soft and keeping the moisture in the cakes and pan cakes , just add a tsp of jelly to the batter. Any jelly will work.

Next time you cut a cake, try cutting it from the center out. This way you can move the pieces, closer together and it will keep the edges moist.

When using cookie cutters, dip you cutters in oil, every once it the while. It will keep them from sticking.

If you want chocolate slivers, then use your potato peeler on a chocolate bar.

Chill your dough for easier rolling of cookies.

Spray your cheese grater with vegetable spray. Now clean up will be a breeze.

  Spray your measuring cups with vegetable spray, now no gooey substance will stick.

Cookie jars should have a loose fitting lid, if you want cookies to stay crisp.

This will allow air to circulate around the cookies.

If a recipe calls for a greased pan, always use unsalted butter. Salted has a tendency to cause food to stick to the pan.

Now if you want your sugar  cookies to  remain a little soft, then roll the dough out in granulated sugar instead of flour.

Never stretch your pie dough when placing it in the pan. Stretched dough will usually shrink away from the sides.

When your mixing a batter, spray the beaters with a vegetable spray. Now the batter won’t climb up the beaters.

Nice Breasts Tips For Ya’s

Eat onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.

Cut back on chocolate

Eat more oily fish, and olive oil.

 What you need is Selenium, Vit C, Vit E, and Beta - Caratene. The foods, not the  supplements.

These foods cover these vitamins.

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Overripe and Mushy Bananas

Don’t toss these out. Instead make this

In a blender put I mushy banana, and 1 cup cold milk. Then add 1 egg, and 1/8 tsp salt.

Blend it up and drink. Yummy.

Party Tips

It’s best to use an electric knife on small finger sandwiches , that have a filling that will easily run out.

You can hollow out a green, red, or yellow pepper. Fill it with a dip.

You can also scoop out a cucumber or small squash for dips also.

If your having wine and cheese, figure 4 oz of cheese per person.

A quart of dip will  take care of 150 – 170 cracker size servings.

If your having a picnic figure on 3 beers, or soft drinks per person.

If making a pizza it is wise to add, the cheese before the sauce. This will prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Now if your worried about your ice cubes melting for drinks, just place a larger under the ice cubes with dry ice in it. They will last through the entire party.

Got left over wine coolers. Try freezing them in ice cube trays. Now use them in anything that calls for wine.

Don’t forget. You can add food coloring to cream cheese for your rolled sandwiches. You can even use a different color for each layer.

For adult drinks freeze some olives in ice cubes.

For children’s drinks freeze some red cherries in  ice cubes.

Now lets keep that large punch bowl cold. Take an make some large ice cubes, using milk cartons.  The larger the cube, the slower it will melt.

The rule of thumb is 1 lb of ice cubes per person. The average person will go through 10 – 15 cubes for his drinks. Depending on the type of drink. Now you’ll need 2 lbs for the big boozers. Or better yet, don’t invite them.

A great dip is to just puree 1 cup of white beans drained, with a package of any herb – flavored soft cheese.

Kids love those animal sandwiches. So just get out your cookie cutters.

If serving meats, keep a damp paper towel over them. Then they won’t dry out.

Stop that fizzing. When you get ready to pour soda in a glass, place the ice cubes in first. Now rinse them for a few seconds, and pour the water out. Last pour the soda in. You just changed the tension of the ice.

Fill ice cube trays with hot water. They will freeze faster.

Need chocolate for recipes. Wait until after Easter. Now go buy some solid chocolate rabbits, and shave them with a potato peeler.

Now if you’d like to serve some fancy butter-  Just take and squeeze some butter on a cookie sheet, and chill until it hardens.

Planting Seed Tips

 Here is a chart to determine the planting depth, and number of days it takes to harvest.

Lima beans- plant  2 “ deep, and they take 60 days.

Beets – plant  1”  deep, and they take 60 days.

Broccoli- plant ½ “ deep and they take 70 days.

Brussel  sprouts – plant ½ “ deep, and they take 90 days.

Cabbage-  plant  ½ “ deep  and they take 50 – 100 days.

Cauliflower – plant ½ “deep  and they take  45 – 70 days.

Celery- plant ½” deep and they take 110 days.

Corn- plant 2 “ deep, and they take 70 – 100 days.

Carrots – plant ½ “  deep and they take 70 days.

Cucumbers – plant 1” deep and they take 50 – 57 days.

Eggplant – plant ½ “ deep and they take 60 days.

Lettuce- plant ½ “ deep and they take 45 days.

Melons- plant 1 “ deep and they take 60 – 90 days.

Onion sets – plant @ “ deep and they take 30 days.

Parsnips – plant ½ “ deep and they take 90 – 100 days.

Peas – plant 1” deep and they take 60 – 90 days.

Peppers – plant 1 /2 “ deep and they take 60 – 75 days.

Radishes-  plant ½ “ deep and they take

Facts About Water

Doc says:

The average person consumes over 15,000 gallons of water if they live to age 68.

Water must be filtered if you want clear ice cubes.

However if you boil the water before placing it into trays, this will allow a number of minerals that cause the cloudiness to dissipate into the air.

If you are thirsty, remember that the body prefers, a cool supply of water, which it can absorb easily. Hot water in the form of tea or coffee, is not absorbed as well and may act as a diuretic ,and actually cause the body to excrete more water.

About 70 % of the human body is water. If you weigh 150 lbs, your body contains about 90 lbs of water.

If you suffer from any form of Cardiovascular disease, it would be best not to drink ice cold water. The cold may cause a sudden drop in tissue temperature, and may cause unnecessary shock to the system. Also the digestive system will function more efficiently if you drink tepid water. However it is best if we don’t drink any water with our meals, since water will dilute stomach acids and digestive enzymes.

There is a higher risk of contaminants, in hot tap water, than cold tap water. The heat tends to hold the contaminants better. Boiling hot tap water, tends to release contaminants.

Many people ask if it is best to drink ice water or room temperature water when thirsty. The answer is drink ice water which will quench your thirst faster, because it will cause the stomach to constrict, thereby forcing the water into the small intestine, where it will be absorbed into the bloodstream faster.

Home filtered systems are only capable of removing larger particulate matter, which leaves a good percentage of the small ones, such as bacteria and viruses. One out of 12 homes in America use bottled water, as their main source of drinking water.

Best to get rid of ice cubes in a few days. If ice cubes sit in trays for more than a few days, they tend to pick up freezer odor, and a degree of contamination from the air, when the freezer is frequently opened. It would be wise to wash the cubes before using them.

Let the tap water run for  2  3  minutes in the morning. This is in case any contaminants have seeped in over night.

The ocean contains 97 % of the earth’s water as salt water.

All alcoholic drinks require one cup of water per drink to metabolize the alcohol.

If water is called for in a recipe, than it should be between 60  80 degrees . allow the water you are going to use to stand, at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

When you drink a non diet soft drink, the sugar must be broken down by the body. This process is normally conducted in the small intestine, which requires water to break down the sugar. This may cause you to be, thirstier than before you tried to quench, your thirst with the soft drink. If you are really thirsty, the best drink is water.

Brain contains 76 % water

Kidneys contain 83 % water

Heart contains 74 % water

Bone contains 22 % water

Muscle contains 75 % water

Blood contains 82 % water

Lungs contain 86 % water

Saliva contains 94 % water

Liver contains 86 % water

Perspiration contains 95 % water

Tips For Using Mayonnaise

You can remove white rings and spots on wood furniture with mayonnaise. Just wipe on some mayonnaise, let stand for an hour an wipe off.

Stubborn spots rub gently with mayonnaise to which some fine wood ashes have been added

Use mayonnaise  as a soothing cream for skin that has been over – exposed to sun, wind, or cold.

Apply mayonnaise to dry brittle hair once a week, as a conditioner. Leave for 30 minutes. Then shampoo.

Mayonnaise will remove tar.

Spread a small amount into the tar, rub gently and wipe away.

You can use mayonnaise on dry elbows.

You can put mayonnaise on French fries, on mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes.

You can put mayonnaise on sandwiches.

If you don’t have enough mayonnaise for sandwiches or things like egg salads, then add some chili sauce, or ketchup.

Mayonnaise must contain at least 65 % oil by weight. Any less and it must be called salad dressing.

Most fat free mayonnaise contains more sodium than real mayonnaise. A tablespoon of mayonnaise contains only 5 – 10 mg of cholesterol, since very little egg  yolk is really used.

If you plan on making your own mayonnaise make sure the weather report is clear. If the temperature or humidity is too high , it will come out heavier and greasier than normal.

Mayonnaise – one tablespoon has 100 calories,  11 grams of fat and 80 mg of sodium.

When you make a turkey or chicken salad be sure that the meat has been cooked to 180 degrees farenheight. Then allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator before adding any mayonnaise.

If you come up one egg  short when baking a cake, you can substitute two tablespoons of mayonnaise.This will only work for one egg.

Too much mayonnaise can ruin a dish. So to fix the problem try adding bread crumbs to absorb the excess.

Tomato Tips

Canned

Canned  tomatoes sometimes get unpleasantly acidic in taste. So you can add a teaspoon of sugar to a 2 pound can or so to combat this.

Too Bland

Often in the winter time canned tomatoes will have more taste than fresh in the supermarkets.

Cooked

These   tomatoes go nicely with basil, celery, ground cloves, oregano, or sage.

Green

These will ripen off the vine when wrapped in newspapers, and stored in a cool place.

But they will ripen fairly slowly. It will take 4 or 5 days from green to red. Be patient.

Hard To Peel

Pour boiling water over them, and let sit for 3 minutes.Or hold them over an open flame  skewed on a long fork, until the skin breaks.

Have One Kind, Need Another

In cooking one can of canned tomatoes is equivalent to 1 ½  cups fresh tomatoes, chopped, then simmered for 10 minutes.

Old

Next time store them stem side down. They’ll keep longer.

Seeds

These can make sauces and soups bitter. So cut the tomatoes in half, and flick the seeds out with the point of a small knife. Or use a food mill.

Plum tomatoes

Cut off the stem end and squeeze . the seeds should shoot out.

Too Many

You could make a tomato  omelette  for breakfast. Or a Blood Mary, Or even a nightcap with one tomato, one shot of vodka, and 1 /8 tsp of Worcestershire sauce in a blender for one minute.

Freeze

Never freeze tomatoes, they turn to mush. Unless your only going to use them for cooking.