I know you all have favorite recipes so lets make this blog one big recipe swap!
Just post your recipes here or email me at lratrandom@gmail.com and I will add them to the main blog.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Pumpkin Butter
Prep: 5 Min
Cooking: 20 Min
Yields: 32 Servings (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 Cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Combine pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in medium, heavy duty saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook; stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. Serve with biscuits, breads and corn muffins. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Recipes makes 2 cups.
Cooking: 20 Min
Yields: 32 Servings (1 Tablespoon per serving)
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 Cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Combine pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in medium, heavy duty saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook; stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. Serve with biscuits, breads and corn muffins. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Recipes makes 2 cups.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Peach Dumplings - two recipes
I haven't tried either recipe yet, but they both sound tasty!
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Fresh Peach Dumplings Served with Hard Sauce
By: MARYBAKEWELL (allrecipes.com)
"This is fresh peaches wrapped in a rich flakey dough, and topped with a teaspoon of hard sauce after baked. No sugar is used on the peaches, just the sauce. Sugar free ice cream could be used instead of hard sauce."
Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr
Original Recipe Yield 6 dumplings
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
5 tablespoons ice water
6 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and halves
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter flavored shortening using your hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the dough, and stir until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough briefly, then divide into 6 pieces.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
On a lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle. Place two peach halves together, and wrap in each circle of dough, sealing at the top. Place the dumplings onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake dumplings for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. While the dumplings are baking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, egg, nutmeg, vanilla and salt using an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spoon over warm dumplings.
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Peach Dumplings
By: Bettiann (allrecipes.com)
"My dad used to make the best Peach Dumplings. Some people make them with a bread dough. My Dad made his with a potato dough. The peach was wrapped in the dough and dropped into boiling water to cook. When they were served you would cut them up and sprinkle them with crushed vanilla wafers, sugar and melted butter. We ate them as a meal even though they sound like a desert. Again, different ways to serve them my friend's mother sprinkled hers with ricotta cheese and sugar."
Prep Time: 2 Hrs
Cook Time: 20 Min
Ready In: 2 Hrs 20 Min
Original Recipe Yield 10 dumplings
Ingredients
8 potatoes - peeled and cubed
1 egg
5 cups all-purpose flour
10 firm ripe peaches
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
Directions
Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and put through a ricer or mash.
Place the riced potatoes onto a large clean work surface. Crack the egg over the top, then gradually work in the flour with your hands until you get a nice stiff dough. You may not need to use all of the flour, or you may need to use more. This could take as long as 30 minutes, or just seem like it. Let the dough rest for a minute before rolling.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to roll out 1/2 at a time. cut the dough into 8x8 inch squares - larger or smaller depending on the size of your peaches. Wrap each peach in a square of dough, and pinch all of the seams to seal it in.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the peach dumplings into the water. The peach should be as close to covered with the water as it can get. We usually had 2 or 3 pots with boiling water because you can only fit about 3 to 4 peaches per pot. Boil for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 for even cooking. Remove from water using tongs or a large slotted spoon.
To serve, place a peach dumpling onto a plate, and cut it up. Remove the pit, and sprinkle with melted butter, sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs.
FOOTNOTE -Peach dumplings are a lot of work, but can be frozen whole after cooking, and are even better reheated, so make extras. To reheat, my dad would melt lots of butter in a fry pan. Cut the peach dumpling in half, remove the pit and fry until hot. Flipping once if you choose. The edges that touch the fry pan get a nice crispy brown. Yum!
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Fresh Peach Dumplings Served with Hard Sauce
By: MARYBAKEWELL (allrecipes.com)
"This is fresh peaches wrapped in a rich flakey dough, and topped with a teaspoon of hard sauce after baked. No sugar is used on the peaches, just the sauce. Sugar free ice cream could be used instead of hard sauce."
Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr
Original Recipe Yield 6 dumplings
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
5 tablespoons ice water
6 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and halves
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter flavored shortening using your hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the dough, and stir until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough briefly, then divide into 6 pieces.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
On a lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle. Place two peach halves together, and wrap in each circle of dough, sealing at the top. Place the dumplings onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake dumplings for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. While the dumplings are baking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, egg, nutmeg, vanilla and salt using an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spoon over warm dumplings.
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Peach Dumplings
By: Bettiann (allrecipes.com)
"My dad used to make the best Peach Dumplings. Some people make them with a bread dough. My Dad made his with a potato dough. The peach was wrapped in the dough and dropped into boiling water to cook. When they were served you would cut them up and sprinkle them with crushed vanilla wafers, sugar and melted butter. We ate them as a meal even though they sound like a desert. Again, different ways to serve them my friend's mother sprinkled hers with ricotta cheese and sugar."
Prep Time: 2 Hrs
Cook Time: 20 Min
Ready In: 2 Hrs 20 Min
Original Recipe Yield 10 dumplings
Ingredients
8 potatoes - peeled and cubed
1 egg
5 cups all-purpose flour
10 firm ripe peaches
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
Directions
Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and put through a ricer or mash.
Place the riced potatoes onto a large clean work surface. Crack the egg over the top, then gradually work in the flour with your hands until you get a nice stiff dough. You may not need to use all of the flour, or you may need to use more. This could take as long as 30 minutes, or just seem like it. Let the dough rest for a minute before rolling.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to roll out 1/2 at a time. cut the dough into 8x8 inch squares - larger or smaller depending on the size of your peaches. Wrap each peach in a square of dough, and pinch all of the seams to seal it in.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the peach dumplings into the water. The peach should be as close to covered with the water as it can get. We usually had 2 or 3 pots with boiling water because you can only fit about 3 to 4 peaches per pot. Boil for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 for even cooking. Remove from water using tongs or a large slotted spoon.
To serve, place a peach dumpling onto a plate, and cut it up. Remove the pit, and sprinkle with melted butter, sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs.
FOOTNOTE -Peach dumplings are a lot of work, but can be frozen whole after cooking, and are even better reheated, so make extras. To reheat, my dad would melt lots of butter in a fry pan. Cut the peach dumpling in half, remove the pit and fry until hot. Flipping once if you choose. The edges that touch the fry pan get a nice crispy brown. Yum!
Peach Bread
By: Janie (allrecipes.com)
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr
Ready In: 1 Hr 10 Min
Original Recipe Yield 2 loaves
Ingredients
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups diced canned peaches, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine. Stir in the peaches and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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I made this with fresh peaches and it was very good!
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr
Ready In: 1 Hr 10 Min
Original Recipe Yield 2 loaves
Ingredients
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups diced canned peaches, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix just to combine. Stir in the peaches and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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I made this with fresh peaches and it was very good!
10 Tactics for Overcoming Sugar Addiction
Here's another interesting article...
Are you addicted to sugar?
When I ask that question, most people attending my weight-management lectures raise their hand. Addiction to sugar is stronger for some people than others, but the truth is sugar is a powerfully addictive substance. If you've overindulged in cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream—and who hasn't, at some point—you know its seductive pull. Food manufacturers bank on it when they load sugar into soft drinks, breakfast cereal, soups, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, energy bars, and even catsup.
THE DETAILS: Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Every month a new study comes out adding to the list of dangers posed by consuming sugar and its cousins, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose. Despite the risks, we continue to eat sugar because it is so addictive.
Would a tax on sugary drinks and sweets help you slim down?
In fact, sugar meets all the criteria for an addictive substance:
•It stimulates release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, in a manner similar to alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse.
•People eat it compulsively, despite negative consequences and the intention to stop.
•With continued use, people develop a tolerance to its effects.
•Heavy sugar consumers have trouble functioning without it.
•When consumption ceases, withdrawal symptoms occur.
WHAT IT MEANS: Breaking free from a dependency on sugar is easier said than done. Because the roots of sugar addiction are both physical and emotional, you need a combination of physical and psychological approaches. The less you eat sugar, the less you will crave it. If you get withdrawal symptoms, know they will only last a few days and then you'll feel more balanced and energetic than ever.
These 10 recommendations will make it easier to get a sugar problem under control.
#1: Keep sugar and sugar products out of your house. This includes white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.
#2: Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you'll enjoy these foods even more.
#3: Eat three regular meals each day that combine complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, and fruits), lean protein (poultry, fish, meat, dairy, tofu) and healthy fats (milk, cheese, omega-3's, olive oil and other cold-pressed oils). This will help you maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce your sugar cravings. Eating a diet high in fiber also helps to reduce sugar cravings.
Drop those fries! Sugar is just as addictive and bad for you as excess sodium.
#4: Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Chromium picolinate and l-glutamine help to reduce cravings for some people.
#5: When you go out, make sure you are not ravenously hungry, especially if sugary sweets will be the only food available. Bring your own healthy snacks with you, or eat before going out.
#6: Get regular exercise, plenty of sunlight, and adequate sleep to reduce sugar cravings.
#7: Learn to identify and manage cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but instead are rooted in stress or anxiety. Develop alternative ways of managing stress: Take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your pet, watch a movie. Breathe, meditate, listen to music, or take a hot bath to activate your body's relaxation response. Relaxation helps to balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings.
#8: If you have turned to sugar to deal with uncomfortable feelings, learn to identify the specific feelings and respond appropriately to them. If you are tired, take a break or rest, rather than trying to persevere in the face of fatigue. If you are bored, find something stimulating to do. If you are lonely, reach out to a friend. Overcoming your sugar addiction involves really paying attention to what you are feeling, and giving yourself what you really need instead of using sugar as a substitute.
#9: If you do overindulge in sugar, acknowledge that you slipped, and get back on track as soon as possible. Let go of the guilt and shame. Eating sugar is unhealthy, but it's not a sin. As with other addictions, it doesn't matter if you need multiple attempts to quit, just that you keep trying until it sticks.
#10: Be kind to yourself. To end the struggle with sugar, learn to nourish your body well and respond compassionately to your own feelings. The best sugar substitute is genuine self-acceptance.
Are you addicted to sugar?
When I ask that question, most people attending my weight-management lectures raise their hand. Addiction to sugar is stronger for some people than others, but the truth is sugar is a powerfully addictive substance. If you've overindulged in cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream—and who hasn't, at some point—you know its seductive pull. Food manufacturers bank on it when they load sugar into soft drinks, breakfast cereal, soups, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, energy bars, and even catsup.
THE DETAILS: Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Every month a new study comes out adding to the list of dangers posed by consuming sugar and its cousins, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose. Despite the risks, we continue to eat sugar because it is so addictive.
Would a tax on sugary drinks and sweets help you slim down?
In fact, sugar meets all the criteria for an addictive substance:
•It stimulates release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, in a manner similar to alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse.
•People eat it compulsively, despite negative consequences and the intention to stop.
•With continued use, people develop a tolerance to its effects.
•Heavy sugar consumers have trouble functioning without it.
•When consumption ceases, withdrawal symptoms occur.
WHAT IT MEANS: Breaking free from a dependency on sugar is easier said than done. Because the roots of sugar addiction are both physical and emotional, you need a combination of physical and psychological approaches. The less you eat sugar, the less you will crave it. If you get withdrawal symptoms, know they will only last a few days and then you'll feel more balanced and energetic than ever.
These 10 recommendations will make it easier to get a sugar problem under control.
#1: Keep sugar and sugar products out of your house. This includes white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.
#2: Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you'll enjoy these foods even more.
#3: Eat three regular meals each day that combine complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, and fruits), lean protein (poultry, fish, meat, dairy, tofu) and healthy fats (milk, cheese, omega-3's, olive oil and other cold-pressed oils). This will help you maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce your sugar cravings. Eating a diet high in fiber also helps to reduce sugar cravings.
Drop those fries! Sugar is just as addictive and bad for you as excess sodium.
#4: Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Chromium picolinate and l-glutamine help to reduce cravings for some people.
#5: When you go out, make sure you are not ravenously hungry, especially if sugary sweets will be the only food available. Bring your own healthy snacks with you, or eat before going out.
#6: Get regular exercise, plenty of sunlight, and adequate sleep to reduce sugar cravings.
#7: Learn to identify and manage cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but instead are rooted in stress or anxiety. Develop alternative ways of managing stress: Take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your pet, watch a movie. Breathe, meditate, listen to music, or take a hot bath to activate your body's relaxation response. Relaxation helps to balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings.
#8: If you have turned to sugar to deal with uncomfortable feelings, learn to identify the specific feelings and respond appropriately to them. If you are tired, take a break or rest, rather than trying to persevere in the face of fatigue. If you are bored, find something stimulating to do. If you are lonely, reach out to a friend. Overcoming your sugar addiction involves really paying attention to what you are feeling, and giving yourself what you really need instead of using sugar as a substitute.
#9: If you do overindulge in sugar, acknowledge that you slipped, and get back on track as soon as possible. Let go of the guilt and shame. Eating sugar is unhealthy, but it's not a sin. As with other addictions, it doesn't matter if you need multiple attempts to quit, just that you keep trying until it sticks.
#10: Be kind to yourself. To end the struggle with sugar, learn to nourish your body well and respond compassionately to your own feelings. The best sugar substitute is genuine self-acceptance.
46 smart uses for salt
This is a long article but it's interesting to see some of the different ways to use salt.
By Melissa Breyer
How many ways can you use salt? According to the Salt Institute, about 14,000! The salt website has tons of handy tips for using salt around the house, and the best of the bunch -- plus my additions -- are listed below.
I can't think of another more versatile mineral. Salt is the most common and readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. In fact, the supply of salt is inexhaustible.
For thousands of years, salt (sodium chloride) has been used to preserve food and for cleaning, and people have continued to rely on it for all kinds of nifty tricks.
So with its nontoxic friendliness and status as an endlessly abundant resource, let's swap out some toxic solutions for ample, innocuous, and inexpensive salt.
There are a number of forms of salt produced for consumption (and by default, housekeeping!): unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. Kosher salt is sodium chloride processed to have flat crystals. And in case you're wondering, Epsom salt is an entirely different stuff: magnesium sulfate to be exact (which is a salt that I consider to be, essentially, miraculous).
Here are just a few of the many ways you can put salt to good use in your home:
In the Kitchen
Aside from all of the alchemy that salt performs in terms of baking chemistry and food flavor, salt has a number of other great applications in the kitchen.
Test egg freshness.
Put two teaspoons of salt in a cup of water and place an egg in it -- a fresh egg will sink, an older egg will float. Because the air cell in an egg increases as it ages, an older egg is more buoyant. This doesn't mean a floating egg is rotten, just more mature. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for any funky odor or appearance -- if it's rotten, your nose will tell you. (Bonus fact: if you have hard-boiled eggs that are difficult to peel, that means they are fresh!)
Set poached eggs.
Because salt increases the temperature of boiling water, it helps to set the whites more quickly when eggs are dropped into the water for poaching.
-Prevent fruits from browning.
Most of us use lemon or vinegar to stop peeled apples and pears from browning, but you can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.
-Shell nuts more easily.
Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for several hours before shelling to make it easier to remove the meat.
-Prevent cake icing crystals.
A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.
-Remove odors from hands.
Oniony-garlicy fingers? I like soap and water, then rubbing them on anything made of stainless steel (it really works), but you can also rub your fingers with a salt and vinegar combo.
-Reach high peaks.
Add a tiny pinch of salt when beating egg whites or whipping cream for quicker, higher peaks.
-Extend cheese life.
Prevent mold on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth moistened with saltwater before refrigerating.
-Save the bottom of your oven.
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won't smoke and smell, and it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
Personal Care
-Extend toothbrush life.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before your first use; they'll last longer.
-Clean teeth.
Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda -- dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual. You can also use the same mix dissolved in water for orthodontic appliances.
-Rinse your mouth.
Mix equal parts salt and baking soda in water for a fresh and deodorizing mouth rinse.
-Ease mouth problems.
For cankers, abscesses, and other mouth sores, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of warm saltwater several times a day.
-Relieve bee-sting pain.
Ouch? Immediately dampen area and pack on a small pile of salt to reduce pain and swelling.
-Treat mosquito bites.
A saltwater soak can do wonders for that special mosquito-bite itch -- a poultice of salt mixed with olive oil can help too.
-Treat poison ivy.
Same method as for treating mosquito bites. (Salt doesn't seem to distinguish between itches.)
-Have an exfoliating massage.
After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It freshens skin and boosts circulation.
-Ease throat pain.
Mix salt and warm water, gargle to relieve a sore throat.
Around the House
-Deter ants.
Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills, and anywhere else ants sneak into your house. Ants don't like to walk on salt.
-Extinguish grease fires.
Keep a box of salt near your stove and oven, and if a grease fire flares up, douse the flames with salt. (Never use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease.) When salt is applied to fire, it acts like a heat sink and dissipates the heat from the fire -- it also forms an oxygen-excluding crust to smother the fire.
-Drip-proof candles.
If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they will not drip as much when you burn them.
-Keep cut flowers fresh.
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer. (You can also try an aspirin or a dash of sugar for the same effect.)
Arrange artificial flowers.
-Artificial flowers can be held in place by pouring salt into the vase, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt become solid as it dries and holds the flowers in place.
-Make play dough.
Use 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Stir together flour, cream of tartar, salt, and oil, and slowly add water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until dough becomes stiff. Spread onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until it reaches a good dough consistency. (Read about juice dyes here.)
-Repair walls.
To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheet-rock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill the holes.
-Deter patio weeds.
If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk, or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
-Kill poison ivy.
Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water (use a gentle dish soap) and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer, avoiding any plant life that you want to keep.
-De-ice sidewalks and driveways.
One of the oldest tricks in the book! Lightly sprinkle rock salt on walks and driveways to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easier shoveling/scraping. But don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to plants and paws.
-Tame a wild barbecue.
Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).
Cleaning
Salt works as an effective yet gentle scouring agent. Salt also serves as a catalyst for other ingredients, such as vinegar, to boost cleaning and deodorizing action. For a basic soft scrub, make a paste with lots of salt, baking soda and dish soap and use on appliances, enamel, porcelain, etc.
-Clean sink drains.
Pour salt mixed with hot water down the kitchen sink regularly to deodorize and keep grease from building up.
-Remove water rings.
Gently rub a thin paste of salt and vegetable oil on the white marks caused by beverage glasses and hot dishes on wooden tables.
-Clean greasy pans.
Cast-iron skillets can be cleaned with a good sprinkling of salt and paper towels.
-Clean stained cups.
Mix salt with a dab of dish soap to make a soft scrub for stubborn coffee and tea stains.
-Clean refrigerators.
A mix of salt and soda water can be used to wipe out and deodorize the inside of your refrigerator, a nice way to keep chemical-y cleaners away from your food.
-Clean brass or copper.
Mix equal parts of salt, flour, and vinegar to make a paste, and rub the paste on the metal. After letting it sit for an hour, clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.
-Clean rust.
Mix salt and cream of tartar with just enough water to make a paste. Rub on rust, let dry, brush off and buff with a dry, soft cloth. You can also use the same method with a mix of salt and lemon.
-Clean a glass coffee pot.
Every diner waitress' favorite tip: add salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse. The salt scours the bottom, and the ice helps to agitate it more for a better scrub.
Laundry
-Attack wine spills.
If a tipsy guest tips wine on your cotton or linen tablecloth, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with a pile of salt, which will help pull the remaining wine away form the fiber. After dinner, soak the tablecloth in cold water for 30 minutes before laundering. (Also works on clothing.)
-Quell oversudsing.
Since, of course, we are all very careful in how much detergent we use in our laundry, we never have too many suds. But if someone overfills ... you can eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
-Dry clothes in the winter.
Use salt in the final laundry rinse to prevent clothes from freezing if you use an outdoor clothes line in the winter.
-Brighten colors.
Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.
Remove perspiration stains.
-Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains fade.
-Remove blood stains.
Soak the stained cloth in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen, or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)
-Tackle mildew or rust stains.
Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching -- then rinse and dry.
-Clean a gunky iron bottom.
Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.
-Set color.
Salt is used commonly in the textile industry, but works at home too. If a dye isn't colorfast, soak the garment for an hour in 1/2 gallon of water to which you've added 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup salt, then rinse. If rinse water has any color in it, repeat. Use only on single-colored fabric or madras. If the item is multicolored, dry-clean it to avoid running all of the colors together.
By Melissa Breyer
How many ways can you use salt? According to the Salt Institute, about 14,000! The salt website has tons of handy tips for using salt around the house, and the best of the bunch -- plus my additions -- are listed below.
I can't think of another more versatile mineral. Salt is the most common and readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. In fact, the supply of salt is inexhaustible.
For thousands of years, salt (sodium chloride) has been used to preserve food and for cleaning, and people have continued to rely on it for all kinds of nifty tricks.
So with its nontoxic friendliness and status as an endlessly abundant resource, let's swap out some toxic solutions for ample, innocuous, and inexpensive salt.
There are a number of forms of salt produced for consumption (and by default, housekeeping!): unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. Kosher salt is sodium chloride processed to have flat crystals. And in case you're wondering, Epsom salt is an entirely different stuff: magnesium sulfate to be exact (which is a salt that I consider to be, essentially, miraculous).
Here are just a few of the many ways you can put salt to good use in your home:
In the Kitchen
Aside from all of the alchemy that salt performs in terms of baking chemistry and food flavor, salt has a number of other great applications in the kitchen.
Test egg freshness.
Put two teaspoons of salt in a cup of water and place an egg in it -- a fresh egg will sink, an older egg will float. Because the air cell in an egg increases as it ages, an older egg is more buoyant. This doesn't mean a floating egg is rotten, just more mature. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for any funky odor or appearance -- if it's rotten, your nose will tell you. (Bonus fact: if you have hard-boiled eggs that are difficult to peel, that means they are fresh!)
Set poached eggs.
Because salt increases the temperature of boiling water, it helps to set the whites more quickly when eggs are dropped into the water for poaching.
-Prevent fruits from browning.
Most of us use lemon or vinegar to stop peeled apples and pears from browning, but you can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.
-Shell nuts more easily.
Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for several hours before shelling to make it easier to remove the meat.
-Prevent cake icing crystals.
A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.
-Remove odors from hands.
Oniony-garlicy fingers? I like soap and water, then rubbing them on anything made of stainless steel (it really works), but you can also rub your fingers with a salt and vinegar combo.
-Reach high peaks.
Add a tiny pinch of salt when beating egg whites or whipping cream for quicker, higher peaks.
-Extend cheese life.
Prevent mold on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth moistened with saltwater before refrigerating.
-Save the bottom of your oven.
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won't smoke and smell, and it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
Personal Care
-Extend toothbrush life.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before your first use; they'll last longer.
-Clean teeth.
Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda -- dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual. You can also use the same mix dissolved in water for orthodontic appliances.
-Rinse your mouth.
Mix equal parts salt and baking soda in water for a fresh and deodorizing mouth rinse.
-Ease mouth problems.
For cankers, abscesses, and other mouth sores, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of warm saltwater several times a day.
-Relieve bee-sting pain.
Ouch? Immediately dampen area and pack on a small pile of salt to reduce pain and swelling.
-Treat mosquito bites.
A saltwater soak can do wonders for that special mosquito-bite itch -- a poultice of salt mixed with olive oil can help too.
-Treat poison ivy.
Same method as for treating mosquito bites. (Salt doesn't seem to distinguish between itches.)
-Have an exfoliating massage.
After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It freshens skin and boosts circulation.
-Ease throat pain.
Mix salt and warm water, gargle to relieve a sore throat.
Around the House
-Deter ants.
Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills, and anywhere else ants sneak into your house. Ants don't like to walk on salt.
-Extinguish grease fires.
Keep a box of salt near your stove and oven, and if a grease fire flares up, douse the flames with salt. (Never use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease.) When salt is applied to fire, it acts like a heat sink and dissipates the heat from the fire -- it also forms an oxygen-excluding crust to smother the fire.
-Drip-proof candles.
If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they will not drip as much when you burn them.
-Keep cut flowers fresh.
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer. (You can also try an aspirin or a dash of sugar for the same effect.)
Arrange artificial flowers.
-Artificial flowers can be held in place by pouring salt into the vase, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt become solid as it dries and holds the flowers in place.
-Make play dough.
Use 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Stir together flour, cream of tartar, salt, and oil, and slowly add water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until dough becomes stiff. Spread onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until it reaches a good dough consistency. (Read about juice dyes here.)
-Repair walls.
To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheet-rock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill the holes.
-Deter patio weeds.
If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk, or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
-Kill poison ivy.
Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water (use a gentle dish soap) and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer, avoiding any plant life that you want to keep.
-De-ice sidewalks and driveways.
One of the oldest tricks in the book! Lightly sprinkle rock salt on walks and driveways to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easier shoveling/scraping. But don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to plants and paws.
-Tame a wild barbecue.
Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).
Cleaning
Salt works as an effective yet gentle scouring agent. Salt also serves as a catalyst for other ingredients, such as vinegar, to boost cleaning and deodorizing action. For a basic soft scrub, make a paste with lots of salt, baking soda and dish soap and use on appliances, enamel, porcelain, etc.
-Clean sink drains.
Pour salt mixed with hot water down the kitchen sink regularly to deodorize and keep grease from building up.
-Remove water rings.
Gently rub a thin paste of salt and vegetable oil on the white marks caused by beverage glasses and hot dishes on wooden tables.
-Clean greasy pans.
Cast-iron skillets can be cleaned with a good sprinkling of salt and paper towels.
-Clean stained cups.
Mix salt with a dab of dish soap to make a soft scrub for stubborn coffee and tea stains.
-Clean refrigerators.
A mix of salt and soda water can be used to wipe out and deodorize the inside of your refrigerator, a nice way to keep chemical-y cleaners away from your food.
-Clean brass or copper.
Mix equal parts of salt, flour, and vinegar to make a paste, and rub the paste on the metal. After letting it sit for an hour, clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.
-Clean rust.
Mix salt and cream of tartar with just enough water to make a paste. Rub on rust, let dry, brush off and buff with a dry, soft cloth. You can also use the same method with a mix of salt and lemon.
-Clean a glass coffee pot.
Every diner waitress' favorite tip: add salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse. The salt scours the bottom, and the ice helps to agitate it more for a better scrub.
Laundry
-Attack wine spills.
If a tipsy guest tips wine on your cotton or linen tablecloth, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with a pile of salt, which will help pull the remaining wine away form the fiber. After dinner, soak the tablecloth in cold water for 30 minutes before laundering. (Also works on clothing.)
-Quell oversudsing.
Since, of course, we are all very careful in how much detergent we use in our laundry, we never have too many suds. But if someone overfills ... you can eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
-Dry clothes in the winter.
Use salt in the final laundry rinse to prevent clothes from freezing if you use an outdoor clothes line in the winter.
-Brighten colors.
Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.
Remove perspiration stains.
-Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains fade.
-Remove blood stains.
Soak the stained cloth in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen, or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)
-Tackle mildew or rust stains.
Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching -- then rinse and dry.
-Clean a gunky iron bottom.
Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.
-Set color.
Salt is used commonly in the textile industry, but works at home too. If a dye isn't colorfast, soak the garment for an hour in 1/2 gallon of water to which you've added 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup salt, then rinse. If rinse water has any color in it, repeat. Use only on single-colored fabric or madras. If the item is multicolored, dry-clean it to avoid running all of the colors together.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
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