Stupid Questions, volume 7

Ivy says:

Due to my own slacking, I didn’t answer Kathy T’s Stupid Questions last week. Never fear, I am doing them this week! Here we go:

1. Since they’ve recently talked about silver fish and other creepy things on their site, here’s a bug question. What’s with those giant mosquito looking things? Do they bite or just make your skin crawl?

Those are crane flies. We always called them skeeter eaters when I was a kid, but they don’t eat mosquitos or anything else- they only live for a few days and do not eat as adults.
2. Is it true that the fuller the lips, the more fertile a person is?

Nope, otherwise Angelina Jolie would be constantly pregnant, right?
3. I have all kinds of fingerprints and other unidentifiable crud on my walls. They really need a good scrubbing. Can you recommend a product that will clean the walls without stripping the paint?

I see Jag already gave the answer I would- the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It’s wonderful for cleaning walls. Be careful with flat paint, though, it does take some of the paint off, if it is flat paint.
4. My goddaughter gave me a very pretty, divinely odoriferous hyacinth for Easter. It died after about a week and a half (my black thumb). But I’d like to preserve the bulb either outside or inside for next year. What do I do? How do I do it? Any good recommendations?

Here is your answer. Sounds like a pain. Might we suggest marigolds? Or better yet, embrace the dandelion!
5. I have several oil lamps that we use when the power goes out thanks to our outrageously expensive, awful electric company. How do I clean an oil lamp? Does the oil need to be changed?

I totally feel your pain on the electric company- my bill was a hundred bucks in March and I didn’t run the heat OR the AC all month. Ridiculous. Anyway- here is a good link on cleaning oil lamps. I couldn’t find anything on whether or not you need to change the oil in it, but I’d say you probably should dispose of the oil whenever you clean the lamp. Make sure you are properly disposing the lamp oil and not just dumping it in the sink or toilet.
6. The most interesting discussions at family reunions are always about politics. But people get really really mad, feelings get hurt, and … well you know. Can you suggest another really good subject for conversation that won’t get everyone’s panties in a wad?

At my family reunions, we normally talk about celebrity gossip, any family members who aren’t there, and recipes. Although recipe discussions can get ugly if you have a lot of people in the family that consider themselves great cooks.
7. How do you get a dead snake out of a tree?

Pitchfork.
8. How do you make kids want to help clean the house?

I pay them.
9. Without money being involved?

Or beat hug them.
10. What about those teeth whitening strips? Do they really work?

I’ve used Crest White Strips, I think they lightened my teeth some, but I don’t know that it was the “8 bazillion shades whiter” that was promised.

Grease goes bye

Dear Home Ec 101:

OK ladies. I have a question for you! Our house was built in 1968 and we have the original wood cabinets in our kitchen. We bought our house in 2000 and they had just been painted white. Today? They are not so white. They are covered in a lovely “kitchen/grease/film.” Help! I’d really like to make them white again. Do you have any suggestions? I was thinking a little elbow grease and maybe good old fashioned Pine Sol?

Thanks!

~Greasy in Graniteville

Heather says:

While I’m not the biggest fan of using degreasers for everyday cleaning, they can be a lifesaver when cleaning up years of yuck.  Simple Green is my favorite.  As with all cleaning products follow label directions and test in an inconspicuous area.  The build up has taken years to accrue, don’t expect it to magically disappear, there may be some elbow grease involved.  Make sure you are using a soft cloth to avoid scratching the cabinetry and creating new nooks and crannies perfect for trapping dirt.  You may have to repeat the process to get all of the grime.  To make the job less of a chore consider setting a goal of one cabinet a day. Ten minute chunks of wiping and scrubbing are easier to swallow than an hour or two of drudgery.

To prevent future grease build up run the stove’s exhaust fan and cover food as often as possible while cooking. For quick clean-up I keep a spray bottle of diluted vinegar on hand and wipe down the cabinets once a week or after frying foods.

Good luck!

Low sugar / no sugar added jam

Heather says:

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for the feedback they gave regarding the recent post on strawberry jam. I’ve had several requests for lower sugar, sugar substitute, and diabetic recipes. Pickyourown.org has some fantastic tips for reducing the amount of sugar involved in the canning process.

Here are some of the highlights:

• No sugar added jam is darker, blander, and runnier than conventional.
• You must use the no sugar pectin, if you are substituting Splenda
• Some suggest adding lemon zest or juice to compensate for the blander taste
• When using Splenda, substitute half the sugar for best results

It is important to make sure the recipe you choose has been vetted by the FDA. Too many tweaks to the recipe can change the acidity or the thickness of the jam. The processing time is dependent on both.

I am only a nutrition nerd, not a nutritionist. There’s my disclaimer. If a person does not have a medical condition such as diabetes I cannot understand the desire to replace conventional sugar with products such as Splenda or other substitutes. Moderation and attention to labels will go a long way to avoiding excessive sugar intake. Pay particular attention to jarred and canned sauces, they are often loaded with unnecessary sugar.

I avoid high fructose corn syrup whenever possible, but I do not abstain from a couple teaspoons of homemade jam on my whole grain morning toast. I know exactly what went into the jar and that it did not include dyes or preservatives. While I occasionally don a tinfoil hat, artificial sweetners cause me to pull it down over my ears. I am sensitive to aspartame and will cuss to beat the devil if I accidentally buy sugar free yogurt. (One of my next projects is homemade yogurt, look for it!) For those who are diabetic and must take particular care to avoid sugar I think artificial sweetners are invaluable, but one must be careful not to rely too heavily on these products and should examine the amount of consumption in regard to their overall diet.  Here are two other alternatives to sugar stevia and agave syrup.  Neither one exactly replicates the taste and baking properties of sugar, but they may be useful in an attempt to reduce the your families overall consumption of refined sugar.

/rant off

Grilled Cheese Round Up

Heather says:

April is National Grilled Cheese month and to mark the occasion I asked on Monday for readers to submit their favorites for a little bit of link love. My personal favorite is colby jack with sliced tomato on whole grain.

Kat Coble likes hers all “growed up” known in some circles as Welsh Rarebit. I will be experimenting in the near future.

Some, like Carol prefer a little meat with their cheese and opt for ham with white American on rye.

Knitaddict’s husband demands his on texas toast with american.

IFeedFormula is also a fan of colby jack on wheat, with sliced dill pickles. I thought a pickle on the side was required by law.

Lynnster will take them anyway, anyhow, anytime.

Even the simplest american on Sunbeam has its diehard fans. All that really matters though is that the sandwiches are made with love. Lois, thank you for your contribution.

Putting the fun back into funerals!

Dear Mavens of Manners and Manor Management,

After a recent death in the family, we have received some very thoughtful gifts of flowers, plants, etc. As I was getting ready to handle the task of thank you notes for these items, I had a question I thought I would ask you for your advice.

In regards to Mass Cards that were sent, I know a thank you note should be sent for those. But for people who sent a normal sympathy card, does etiquette suggest that a thank you note is written for that as well? At first I was thinking it would be the same as if someone sent you a birthday card….you don’t need to send one for that….but then again, there is no harm in doing so to thank someone for their thoughts for your family.

Any thoughts on this issue?

~The Gratefully Grieving.

Ivy says:

First, I am so sorry for your loss.
If you were to send a thank you note to everyone who sent a card, then they might feel obligated to send a thank you for your thank you, and we could be sending hordes of cards back and forth for ages. It has to stop somewhere.

The standard etiquette is when you see your friend who sent the card again, mention the card and thank them then. If you’d really like to, you could call or send an email and thank them for the card then. People totally understand that you are grieving and don’t have time to call or thank every single person, so don’t get all worked up about that.

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