Now that I am retired I am taking more time to take my time! Isn't it great to be getting so many helpful ideas and to be able to try them? This website is a lot of fun - always something to read up on.
We have three sons. The oldest boy and his wife just got married and made us first time grandparents. Our middle son just completed his degree in Justice Studies and our youngest son is still attending university. Our family also consists of a small dog and a cat.
I love baking, cooking, hanging out the laundry, picking berries and apples, making jam and salsa, and doing up the garden veggies. After working for 31 years it is great to have the time to do all of these things. I also enjoy braiding hangers, photography, and crocheting pot scrubbers. Besides walking the dog, I try to get my exercise by roller blading, cross country skiing, water skiing, skating and bike riding.
I plan on using this website a lot to learn new tips and hopefully share a few of my own. Joyce
I had a bad fall in the shower because someone said it saves time to clean while you are in there... well, it was extra slippery so, lesson learned. I am very paranoid of falling again so I just throw a facecloth in to stand on when showering. This is for home and hotel but not for public places. ... View related article.
They do make good gifts! I took several bundles of 6's to Dom. Rep. for the housekeepers. I also give them as thank you's and to family and neighbors. I use nylotex to braid them - another version of a covered hanger. If you wet the fabric it is easy to keep the fabric snug as you braid. I love covered hangers and enjoy making the unique gift to last. I'd like to see a picture of the crocheted hangers if you have one. ... View related article.
Zud is the cleaner for me! For 30 years it has served me well and it also keeps my stainless steel cookware like new. Two things to do is always clean your stove after it has cooled and never cook on a dirty stove. Clean it every time you use it. I also have a razor blade with a handle for taking the big stuff off first. Stains may appear from boiled over jam because of the sugar. ... View related article.
Sock Tape! I already posted my hint but I'll copy it here. To keep your sheets snug or bedding from falling on the floor, and making the bed in the morning a snap, just use sock tape (clear, heavy plastic tape used by hockey players to keep their hockey socks up) on the two bottom corners of the covers. Start the tape on the top and wrap it straight down, lift the corner of the mattress and bring it up the other side to the top.
I tape the mattress cover on all 4 corners to keep it snug and then tape the bottom corners of the cover sheet and quilt. In the morning all you have to do is pull your covers up. I have a king size bed so this doesn't interfere with my leg room.
On wash day, just peel the old tape and re-tape the clean sheets and blankets. In the past I have saved the waistband off of my boy's underwear if it was in good shape and re-used it for the corners of of my bedding. I'd put the sheets on the bed, pin the stretched elastic to hug the corners tight and take it to the sewing machine for the final stitching. That works okay but I prefer using the sock tape. There is a picture with my original post as well. ... View related article.
Zud - the best! I bought garage sale pots that were badly abused with oil etc. cooked on. A little elbow grease and Zud got them looking very nice. I use Zud daily to keep my Belkraft and Cordon Bleu cookware like new. Do not use an abrasive scrubber that will scratch. I just use old socks or my homemade scrubbers crocheted out of netting. (also posted on Thrifty Fun) I also use Zud to clean my corelle cooktop so I know it is gentle on stainless steel cookware. Also, scrub with the grain of the cookware - that would most likely be in a circular pattern. ... View related article.
Another thrifty way to stiffen the burlap is to make a homemade starch. I do it in a way very similar to making gravy. Take a large cup and put some cold water and a few tablespoons of cornstarch in, mix well until dissolved. Pour this mixture into a larger pot of boiling water. Cook and stir a few minutes as if making gravy. Cool the starch mixture down before dipping the burlap hanger in. If the hanger is larger, just take a soup ladle or cup and pour over the hanger above a tray. If the mixture dries too stiff you can dilute the gravy further with more water. I use this method to starch my doilies, braided coat hangers and a more diluted version for my curtains. ... View related article.
I cut new white glad kitchen catcher garbage bags open (side and bottom) which nicely cover my large baking trays or several loaves of bread. They get moisture from the oiled dough on them but I let them dry a bit before folding them up again to put them in a box to store with my pastry brush for next bake day. The box is then kept a bag on the door of my freezer to keep the bags fresh. One other time saver is just putting the mixed oiled dough on a Tupperware dough mat and covering it with the plastic sheet for the rising. Place another tupperware mat beside it and you are ready to cut all of your buns and get them onto the tray which is aslo beside the cut buns. If I mix two batches (I have a Bosch mixer) I put the second dough on a pastry mat in a large tray and just slide the whole mat on the cupboard when ready to cut the second batch of buns. I make 120 buns every bakeday or leave some dough to make a few loaves. No bowls to wash! Just roll up your pastry mats, put them in a long bag for next bake day. ... View related article.
If you spray the waffle iron before heating it, make sure it is hot before putting in the batter, make sure the batter has all of the neccessary ingredients - milk, flour, sugar, (adding sour cream is awesome), oil (or butter), salt, baking powder, I use lots of room temperature seperated whipped eggs (fold the whites in last), and vanilla. Very simple. Do not put too much batter in. Cook past the beep if it is still steaming for a crispier waffle (20 seconds or more). If it is still steaming they will stick to the top and the bottom and split in half and be lots of fun to pick off. I have a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker that has a handle that flips the waffle over so both sides fill with batter and they are perfect every time. I find making the batter at least an hour before using so it warms up before going into the hot waffle iron also helps. For added health benefit I use some fresh ground whole wheat flour and flax. ... View related article.
Sorry to hear about your shin splints - they are painful. My experience with shin splints involved replacing my runners with new ones. The old ones lost their support. ... View related article.
