Don’t lose your screws!

Dear Home-Ec 101,

It seems every time we take something apart for storage, we manage to lose any screws that go with the items. How do you manage not to lose the screws?

Signed,

Not all who wander are lost, but my screws are gone forever

Ivy says:

Screws are wily little buggers and will get up and leave whenever possible, I’m convinced.I think they are going somewhere with the socks that keep vanishing from my wash. You have to corral those suckers whenever you take things apart.

I take them and put them in a plastic ziplock bag and tape the bag to the item that needs screws. My pal Ginger tells me she uses the jewelry sized bags, which probably works even better, but I don’t own any jewelry, or jewelry sized bags, so I just work with what I’ve got.

Heather told me you can do the same thing with manuals for appliances. I think that’s a nifty trick. I generally file mine in a filing cabinet, but if I wasn’t such a lover of filing, I would definitely tape manuals to the backs of my appliances.

And remember, when you’re screwing things, it’s righty tighty, lefty loosey!

Mildew: not tasty like Mountain Dew

Dear women-in-the-know,

I’ve spent my summer at a summer camp and have gotten my money’s worth
out of my double stroller. It has endured bugs, kids with dirty diapers,
and lugged pounds worth of stuff, but it has also contracted mildew.

I’ve heard to use tilex and hose it off. Is there a natural way to rid
this valuable part of my life of the ‘dew?

Thanks,

mildewed out

Ivy says:

First, I’d like to apologize for this coming so late, Heather and I both have been having problems with our spam filters being too strong on our email. I have actually removed my spam filter, so bring on the email. Also, if you have sent us an email and have gotten no response in the past, oh, month, please resend.

Now, for the question at hand. Tea tree oil is a great natural fungicide. For your stroller, I would mix 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil and 2 cups of water, put it in a spray bottle and spray the crap out of your stroller. Don’t rinse, just leave it to sit. Within 24-48 hours, your stroller should no longer be funky.

Other things that work on mildew: bleach and vinegar. I don’t think vinegar works better than the tea tree oil, though. But if you are wanting a quick fix with something you have on hand, you could try it.  Let us know how it works out for ya!

Menu Monday 7/30

Heather says:

This week and next week both have the potential to be thrown completely out the window. With that in mind, it’s mostly meat that will thaw quickly

• Monday - baked ziti, salad, garlic bread w/ tomatoes & mozzarella
• Tuesday - tacos, refried beans, zucchini
• Wednesday - pita wraps: grilled chicken w/ sausage and peppers + raw veggies
• Thursday - pork chops, rice, green beans
• Friday - blackened catfish, fruit salsa, cheese grits, salad
• Saturday - C.O.R.N.*
• Sunday - roast chicken, scalloped potatoes, broccoli

*Clean Out Refrigerator Night

Flash Freeze

Dear Home Ec 101:

Flash Freeze, does that involve liquid nitrogen?

~Slushy 

Heather says:

Well, for some industries such as commercial fishing it could.

However, here at Home Ec 101 we are only equipped with the usual appliances and baking supplies.  Flash freezing is simply a term used to mean freezing an item as quickly as possible before it wrapping it for storage.  Items such as berries or beans that are damp or that may clump together are often flash frozen before being stored.

Simply spread the item to be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer.  Once the item is frozen, wrap or baggie it for long term storage.

Quick tips: Freeze pancakes and waffles

Heather says:

On relaxing less harried mornings, double a batch of pancakes or waffles for quick reheating on busy mornings.  Either flash freeze then place in freezer bags* or seperate with parchment or wax paper before freezer storage.  Both methods prevent the creation of an inseperable stack-o’- breakfasty-goodness.

*Frugal tip - Unless a freezer bag shows signs of wear or has been used to store meat, rinse and reuse!  Not only will this save your wallet, it helps reduce the amount of waste in our landfills.

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