----- Original Message ----- From: "Spring" Posted by Lotteria: Add a pinch of raw rice to table salt to prevent it from getting soggy. ~~~~~~~~ Add a few teaspoons of oil while boiling lentils to help cook well and prevent spill over. ~~~~~~~~ If milk begins to boilover, quickly sprinkle a little cold water over it, and the overflow with subside. ~~~~~~~~ When pan frying always preheat the pan before adding the butter or oil. ~~~~~~~~ Do not wrap foods containing natural acids, such as, tomatoes, onions, lemons etc., in aluminum foil. A chemical reaction caused by the combination of acid and the foil can the taste of the food, use plastic wrap instead. Salty foods can cause the foil to rust. ~~~~~~~~ When freezing liquids, leave a half an inch headspace at the top of the container to allow for expansion. ~~~~~~~~ To freeze a frosted cake, put it in the freezer without any wrapping. Once it has frozen, wrap it and replace. This keeps the frosting from sticking to the wrapping. ~~~~~~~~ Allow fruits, especially grapes, plum, and pears, to ripen at room temperature before refrigerating to improve the flavor. ~~~~~~~~ To keep peppers fresh, remove the stalks and store. ~~~~~~~~~ Store spices in a cool, dry place, heat and light deteriorate them. ~~~~~~~~~ A dried hot pepper will repel insects in a bean container. ~~~~~~~~ To store bread , pita, english muffins, rolls, bagels, or breadsticks wrap them airtight in a plastic bag and store them in room temperature or freeze them. The refrigerator will dry out these bread items. ~~~~~~~~ To chill and crisp salad greens or coleslaw quickly, place them in a metal bowl and put them in the freezer for a few minutes. ~~~~~~~~ No more tears when you freeze onions for 5 minutes before chopping them. ~~~~~~~~ To get rid your any odors on your hands after chopping onions or garlic, rub moistened salt into your hands, then rinse with warm water and soap. ~~~~~~~~ To get of any odors from your microwave oven, chop half a lemon into 4 pieces and put them in a small bowl with a cup of water and boil it for 5 minutes. A few cloves can be added to this too. ~~~~~~~~ To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty. ~~~~~~~~ Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water. ~~~~~~~~ Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle. ~~~~~~~~ Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher. ~~~~~~~~ Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn. ~~~~~~~~ Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt. ~~~~~~~~ A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage. ~~~~~~~~ Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile. ~~~~~~~~ A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea. ~~~~~~~~ Salt improves the taste of cooking apples. ~~~~~~~~ Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse to prevent the clothes from freezing. ~~~~~~~~ Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing. ~~~~~~~~ Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water. ~~~~~~~~ Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty. ~~~~~~~~ Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them next day to remove burned-on stains. ~~~~~~~~ Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt. ~~~~~~~~ Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added. ~~~~~~~~ Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor. ~~~~~~~~ Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash. ~~~~~~~~ Use the top of a small juice glass or jar to cut out cookies and biscuits. Dip cutting edge into flour between cuts to prevent sticking. ~~~~~~~~ Use a jar filled with water as a rolling pin. ~~~~~~~~ Use an ice cream scoop to drop cookies. ~~~~~~~~ Punch holes in the lid of a jar and use it to shake sugar over cookies and cakes. ~~~~~~~~ Wrap a hot towel around a molded dessert dish or cold cake pan for a few seconds to help it release easily. ~~~~~~~~ Your food processor or blender will make fresh apple sauce in a few seconds. Add spices and create delicious sauce for recipes or eating. ~~~~~~~ Place a small juice glass (top-up) in the center of a large cake pan when baking cakes in your microwave (grease or cooking spray). Pour the cake batter around the glass and bake as usual. The cake will bake much better. ~~~~~~~~ Keep puddings from forming a crust by covering them with waxed paper or plastic wrap directly on top of the hot surface. ~~~~~~~~ If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come right up, without all that mess. ~~~~~~~~ Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing. ~~~~~~~~ Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away. ~~~~~~~~ Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier. ~~~~~~~~ Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring. ~~~~~~~~ Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting. ~~~~~~~~ Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float. ~~~~~~~~ Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way. ~~~~~~~~ A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier. ~~~~~~~~ Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up. ~~~~~~~~ Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick. ~~~~~~~~ Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer. ~~~~~~~~ Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot. ~~~~~~~~ Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl. ~~~~~~~~ Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily. ~~~~~~~~ Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer. ~~~~~~~~ Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour ~~~~~~~~ Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life. ~~~~~~~~ Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain. ~~~~~~~~ Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the ironing surface. ~~~~~~~~ Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double boiler will make the food cook faster. ~~~~~~~~ Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys. 1. Cup of salt, cup of baking soda flushed with a kettle of boiling water makes an excellent drain opener. ********** 2. Raw egg white for glue. ********** 3. Teflon spatula for a ice scrapper. ********** 4. A little instant coffee powder mixed in with some spackling compound makes good wood filler. ********** 5. Use a skateboard as a dolly. ********** 6. A dab of lemon juice several times a day makes good blemish cream. ********** 7. Lipstick mixed with a few drops of face cream makes a good blusher. Just stroke as you would a cream blusher. ********** 8. For toothpaste--two parts baking soda to one part grated orange peel for a substitute. ********** 9. A little brown shoe polish mixed with floor wax makes an excellent concealer for scratches on wood flooring. ********** 10. Got scuff marks on shoes-Use a little furniture polish or window spray for leather, petroleum jelly for patent leather, and rug shampoo (rubbed in with a tooth brush) for canvas shoes. ********** 11. A tablespoon makes a good shoehorn. ********** 12. For moisturizer--Use a tiny dab of petroleum jelly on wet, freshly washed face. Continue wetting your face til jelly is evenly spread and no longer greasy. ********** 13. Worcestershire sauce, or lemon juice makes a good brass polish. ********** 14. A bag of frozen vegetables will serve well as an ice pack. Don't refreeze the vegetables. ********** 15. Two parts water to one part alcohol makes a good spot cleaner for clothing. ********** 16. For floor and furniture polish use 1 part lemon juice, 2 parts olive or vegetable oil. Use toothpaste to remove water stains. ********** 17. For an oven cleaner just wipe while still warm. Use baking soda and water and scouring pad to scrub. ********** 18. Spot removers use soda water, lemon juice, cornmeal/water paste, or use professional dry cleaning service. ********** 19. A toilet bowl cleaner use toilet brush and baking soda. Soak with white vinegar. ********** 20. Instead of those toxic ant and roach killers, try using. Ants: red chili powder or cream of tarter to hinder entry. Roaches: traps or mix baking soda and powdered sugar mix. And sprinkle in areas where roaches are seen. ********** from Lynn'es Household HInts