Ezine Food Facts Page One | Fitness and Freebies

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2001 to 2003 Food Facts: Page One

Basil plants will repel mosquitoes and flies, just keep a plant or two around the house.
Bay leaves should be placed in all kitchen drawers and in the flour and sugar containers to keep crawling insects away.
Mice can't stand the smell of fresh peppermint. Plant it around the outside of the house to keep them away. Oil of Peppermint placed on a piece of cloth and placed in their favorite location will also work.
If you live in an area that has a constant problem with roaches, know that roaches hate cucumber peels! Just place a few in their favorite areas and you will never see them again.

A good roach killer can be made from 35 percent borax, 15 percent white flour, 10 percent powdered sugar and 40 percent cornmeal. One more little trick for roaches sounds ridiculous, but can work.
Fill a large bowl with cheap wine and place it under the sink. The roaches will drink the wine, get drunk, fall in and drown. Go ahead a laugh, but this is for real!
A solution of weak tea, ammonia and dish soap placed in a spray bottle and sprayed on plants will keep most bugs away.
You know all those egg yolks you shouldn't eat? Use them to remove coffee and tea stains on fabrics by mixing them with a little warm water.
Fruit berry stains can be removed by pouring hot water with salt added on the stain as soon as possible after the stain occurs, then wash the area with milk before placing it in a washing machine. Milk will provide a natural bleaching agent.
Cornstarch will remove blood stains. Use as a paste, then wash in warm soapy water.
If your dishwasher has stains in it, try filling your dispenser with powdered Gatorade and run it through a cycle.
Egg stains will respond to cold water only, hot water will only set the stain.
Water in which onions have been cooked will clean brass bottomed pots.
To make your porcelain sink look like new, place paper towels on the bottom and sides of the sink, then saturate with household bleach. Clean after a half-hour to one hour.
If your shoes have an odor, treat them to a shot of baking soda. It does wonders.
Fruit juice can be removed from fabrics by pouring at least three quarts of boiling water slowly on the stain.
To remove most grease stains from cloth, try rubbing the stains with lard before washing with a detergent.
Carpet stains from oil or grease may be removed by rubbing cornmeal into the stain and allowing it to stand for twelve hours.
Keep an empty plastic soda bottle handy, in case you ever need a hot water bottle. Just fill it up with hot water and wrap it in a towel.
Vinegar - the all around helper!
Never use a painted plate for serving with vinegar dressing. Vinegar will corrode the paint off the plate. This will not only ruin the plate, but may release harmful toxins into the foods.
To de-crud a flower vase or wine bottle, try using a solution one tablespoon salt and one cup of white vinegar. If you still have some residue left, add some rice and shake.
White vinegar will remove coffee or tea stains.
Sour wines may be used in place of vinegar.
To remove water spots from stainless steel, place alcohol or white vinegar on a cloth and polish.
Lime deposits can be removed from teapots by filling the kettle with equal parts of vinegar and water, bringing to a boil and letting it stand overnight.
Use warm vinegar to remove old decals. Just allow the vinegar to soak in for a few minutes then sponge off the decal.
DO THE TWIST! Pour oil and vinegar into the remains on the bottom of a ketchup bottle, shake vigorously to make a great salad dressing.
To control the mold in your breadbox, if you have one, that is, try washing it occasionally with a mild solution of vinegar and water.
White vinegar will help eliminate the odor from a dog's accident on the carpet.
To make your hair shiny, try a teaspoon of vinegar in your final rinse.
End of vinegar tips!
Wash silver or silverplate soon after it comes into contact with eggs, salad dressing, olives, vinegar and other foods that have been seasoned with salt. These will cause silver to tarnish faster.
To remove grease spots try using talcum powder.
Your oven can be cleaned easily and harmlessly by using baking soda.
Corningware cookware can be cleaned by filling them with water and by dropping in two denture cleaning tablets. Let stand for 30 - 45 minutes.
In winter, add denatured alcohol to your window cleaning solution to prevent freezeups.
Silver polish will remove coffee stains from plastic cups.
To clean an oven spill, sprinkle the area with salt immediately; then when the oven has cooled, clean with a damp cloth.
Oven Guard used on a clean car bumper will make it easier to get the bugs off next time.
Left over cola drinks poured into your toilet adds cleaning power to your cleaner as well as giving it a brillant shine.
If you have problems cleaning a grater after grating cheese, rub raw potato over it before washing.
Use an old toothbrush to clean the grater.
A few drops of ammonia should be dropped into greasy pots before hot water is poured in. This will make them easier to clean.
An excellent way to clean butcher blocks is with a plastic window scraper.
Place a piece of chalk in a silver chest to absorb moisture and slow tarnishing.
If you want your fingernails to be whiter, dip them in lemon juice. The acidic nature of the lemon juice will bleach them.
Always keep a clean small plastic baggie handy when you have both hands in any food you are mixing. If the phone rings, just slip your hand inside the baggie before answering.
To keep plant-eating pets out of your garden or from potential poisonings, place red or black pepper on the leaf tips of plants and especially African Violets and other toxic houseplants.
To keep animals away from your plants, try placing tin foil around them. Most animals will stay away.
The reason you can place your hand around a 500 degree oven and not into a pot of boiling water at 212 degrees is that air doesn't transfer heat well.
Place an ice cube on a splinter a few seconds before removing it. This will numb the area.
A slice of cold onion placed on a bee or insect bite should stop the pain and swelling.
To cure hiccups, try a cup of dill leaf tea sipped slowly.
Run a warm iron over contact paper and it should peel right off.
Season your carpet"! Carpet colors will be livelier if you sprinkle a small amount of salt on before vacuuming.
Empty ketchup or mustard containers are great for decorating cakes or cookies.
"Kitchen Kopter" - To get the last drop out of a ketchup bottle, grasp the bottom of the bottle firmly and swing it in a circular motion from your side. The remaining ketchup will go to the top. But make sure no one is standing too close to you!
Keep a jar handy for leftover crumbs from empty cereal boxes or cracker boxes. When you need bread crumbs they will be there for you.
Spray non-stick cooking spray on your snow shovel and the snow will slide right off.
Milk cartons make excellent kindling. Fill with wood chips for a great fire starter.
To unclog a drain, try using a cup of salt mixed with a cup of baking soda (no liquid). Pour the dry solution into the drain followed by a pot of boiling water.
To eliminate refrigerator odors, try a small amount of vanilla on a cotton ball.
If you boil several cloves in a cup of water, it will rid the house of unwanted food odors.
Cloves can also be combined with cinnamon, wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth and placed in boiling water. It will give off a pleasant scent.
Coffee grounds kept in an open jar will help absorb odors.
For an efficient refrigerator deodorizer, try using a few charcoal briquets on a small plate.
To raise the nap of carpeting after heavy furniture has matted it down, place one or two ice cubes on the area overnight. In the morning the carpet should be back up.
Dry eggshells in the oven then pulverize them in the blender and make a high calcium meal excellent for plant fertilizer.
Club soda that has lost its fizzle, has just the right chemicals left to add vigor and color to your plants.
To save washing extra cups and spoons, first measure all dry ingredients of a recipe, place them on waxed paper, then use the same cup or spoon for measuring the liquids.
Save all microwave food containers, place leftovers in them and freeze them for later use.
To check to see if a container is safe for use in the microwave, place the container next to a cup that is half full of water. Use full power for one minute. If the container is hot to the touch, it cannot be used in the microwave. If it is warm, it may be used to reheat, and if it is cool, it is okay.
To grease a pan easily, try using a soft bread crust spread with the butter or shortening.
Anyone still use Ping-Pong balls? If so, you can bring back to life those that have been dented by placing them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
When traveling with small children, carry a bottle of powdered milk instead of regular milk which spoils. All you have to do is add water and shake.
Make your children or grandchildren home made play dough! Formula: mix together 1/2 cup of salt, 2 tablespoons of alum, 2 tablespoons of a powdered detergent in one cup of water. Add food coloring if desired.
Keep plastic wrap in the refrigerator to prevent it from sticking to itself when handled.
Hydrogen peroxide won't lose its fizzle if kept in the refrigerator.
Store nail polish in the refrigerator. It will go on smoother and have a longer life.
Keep a shaker of mixed salt and pepper near the stove. Use 3/4 part salt to 1/4 part pepper.
Wide rubber bands around drinking glasses give children a better grip.
For warm-weather fun for the kids or grand kids, make home-made blowing bubbles with the solution: Mix 1 tablespoon of glycerin with 2 tablespoons of a powdered detergent in 1 cup of water. Add food coloring if desired.
If food is scorched, place the pot immediately in cold water to stop the cooking action, which will eliminate the burnt taste from the food that was not scorched.
If you overdo the mayonnaise in a recipe, add bread crumbs to absorb it.
To bring the bounce back into tennis balls, place the can in the oven with the lid removed overnight. The heat from the pilot light will revive them - unless you have an electric oven, of course. If that's the case, never mind!
If plastic has burned on an appliance, clean with lighter fluid.
To remove cigarette burns or coffee stains, rub the stain with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda.
To remove stains from enamel pots, mix bleach with water and boil in the pot until the stain is gone.
Stainless steel pots wil remain shiny if you rub them with a piece of lemon rind, then wash in warm soapy water. If you have a problem, try adding a small amount of salt to the lemon.
Juice, coffee, and tea stains may be removed by scrubbing them vigorously with a paste made of baking soda and water.
Clean crayon marks off walls with baking soda on a damp cloth. Has just enough abrasive action to do the job without causing damage.
A thin layer of fresh baking soda applied to your armpits will replace your deodorant.
Baking soda works great in place of toothpaste if you're in a pinch.
To repair a small nail hole on woodwork, just mix a small amount of instant coffee with spackling paste or starch and water.
Mirrors can be brightened by rubbing them with a cloth dampened with alcohol.
Pantyhose will last longer if you freeze them before wearing. This strengthens the fibers.
Water from boiled vegetables should be saved and mixed with your cat or dog's food to give them additional nutrients.
To check your salt intake, eat a piece of bacon. If it doesn't taste salty to you, you are probably eating too much salt.
Aged wine and cheeses contain the substance tyramine, that in sensitive individuals can cause migraine headaches.
Tin coffee cans make excellent freezer containers for cookies.
Mayonnaise will remove dead skin on your elbows. Rub briskly.