Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

651 through 675

651. So buttons stay on longer.
     Buttons stay on shirts and jackets longer if you give the thread they are sewn on with, a thin coat of clear nail polish. It makes the thread tougher, so it lasts longer.

652. Is the seal on your refrigerator door airtight?
     There is a very simple way to check that the seal on your refrigerator door is airtight. Trap a banknote between the seal and the fridge so that half of it is exposed. If the banknote slides down and falls out of place, the rubber seal on the door needs replacing.

653. Warm croissants.
     Line the basket you serve croissants in with a piece of aluminium foil. They will stay warm longer.

654. A clean kitchen sink.
     If you want a clean kitchen sink with no nasty smells, once a month drop three antacid tablets, like Alka Seltzer, down the sink and then pour a glass of vinegar down it. Wait a few minutes and then rinse the sink with hot water. The bubbles from the tablets and the acid of the vinegar will clear the drainpipes of all traces of grease and food.

655. Clean collars and cuffs.
     Very dirty collars and cuffs come a lot cleaner in the wash if you put a little shampoo on them before putting them in the washing machine.

656. Fragrant kitchen drawers.
     Your kitchen drawers will smell very nice if you put a herbal teabag in each one.

657. Combs without hairs.
     Don't waste time trying to get hairs out of combs and brushes. Soak them in hot water and shampoo for an hour and the hairs will come out of their own accord.

658. Threading a needle.
     When thread refuses to go through the eye of a needle, dampen it and put a little soap on it. It will be firmer and go through straight away.

659. So candles don't melt.
     When you light candles, keep them at least 3.94 inches apart so that the heat of one does not melt another.

660. Sew with dental floss.
     Use dental floss to sew buttons onto thick cloth. It will last a lifetime.

661. Dealing with screws that are stuck.
     When you need to remove a screw that is stuck, heat the tip of the screw driver with a cigarette lighter and touch the screw with it for a moment. The transferred heat will expand the metal screw and when it cools down and contracts it will be easy to remove.

662. Keep animals away from rubbish bags.
     Cats, dogs and birds will not go near your rubbish bags if you spray them with insecticide. The smell puts them off.

663. So that butter doesn't burn.
     Whenever you fry food in butter, put a few drops of oil in the frying pan. It will stop the butter from burning.

664. Salt in moderation.
     The human body needs 0.21 to 0.28 ounces of salt a day so you can sprinkle some on your food, but do not overdo it.

665. Boiling eggs.
     Eggs are a rich source of protein. To prevent eggs from cracking when you put them in boiling water, simply add some salt or vinegar to the water.

666. Boiling vegetables.
     Cooking vegetables by steaming does not destroy the vitamins and mineral salts they contain. Simply brown them first in a teaspoonful of oil over a very hot heat source and then let them simmer over low heat for 35 minutes to one hour according to which vegetables you are cooking. The firmer the vegetables, the longer they need to simmer. This method of cooking is suitable for vegetables like leeks, endive, cabbage and carrots.

667. Re-heating food.
     When you are re-heating food, do you put a knob of butter in the saucepan? Wrong! Instead of using fatty substances, use a drop of water. That way the food does not dry out and it is healthier.

668. Cooking fish.
     Fish tends to dry out quickly and lose its flavour when cooked in the oven or under the grill. Fish will stay juicy and retain its flavour if you do not clean it first. The skin easily comes away whole after cooking.

669. Cooking on a barbecue.
     As soon as the weather starts to improve, barbecues come on the scene. Your barbecued meat will stay free of carcinogens if it is left to marinate for a few hours prior to cooking.

670. Making vinaigrette dressing.
     When your vinaigrette dressing goes wrong and is drowning in oil, put a large piece of bread in it. The bread will soak up the excess oil.

671. Souvlaki light.
     Look after your figure by cooking your meat in the form of souvlaki, because that way more fat drains away during cooking. You can make souvlaki even less fattening by marinating it in lemon juice, or in yoghurt and aromaatic herbs, or even in thyme tea, without any sugar.

672. Boiling pasta.
     Pasta gives us energy. But the success of pasta lies mainly in the boiling. Unlike rice, which does not require a lot of water, pasta should be boiled in plenty of water, otherwise it will stick. The water should be boiling fast when the pasta is put into it. Do not cover the saucepan until the pasta is ready.

673. Less greasy schnitzels.
     Schnitzels fried in breadcrumbs are tasty but hard on the digestion. For less greasy schnitzels, do them in the oven. Make the coating with the yolk of one egg, rusk crumbs and a dash of lemon juice.

674. Perfect pot roast.
     For a really perfect pot roast with vegetables, shortly before serving, pour some strong alcoholic drink into it and leave it on the heat for a minute or two.

675. Juicy meat.
     Get into the habit of removing the butcher's string from joints of meat shortly before the end of cooking time. The meat will be juicier and you will not need to add any fat or grease.

05-22-2004