4 parts borax 2 parts All Purpose flour 1 part cocoa powder Mix; sprinkle where pets and children cannot get to it. Post Views: 38
Category: Hints, Tips and Tricks
Chestnuts, Which Kind To Buy
Candied, canned or Vacuum-packed chestnuts are boon to cooks who want to get on with the cooking and don’t fancy the time consuming and somewhat perilous process or roasting, shelling and peeling fresh chestnuts. The tough skin is Death to Read More …
Egg Safety
Although the overall risk of egg contamination is very small, the risk of foodborne illness from eggs is highest in raw and lightly cooked dishes. To eliminate risk and ensure food safety, replace all your recipes calling for raw or Read More …
Chiles
Anaheim or California green chile Named after the California city. Slender green chile about 6 to 8 inches long with rounded tip; mild flavor. Also known as New Mexican chiles. Substitute: canned green chiles. Ancho chile Dried form of poblano Read More …
Glossary of Chiles and Hot Peppers
AnchoAn essential ingredient in mole, ancho is a dried poblano chile. Ranging in color from green to red. Sweet, yet moderately hot. Mostly used in sauces.AnaheimNamed after Anaheim, California and sometimes called New Mexican chiles. Long (6 to 8 inches) Read More …
Chile Powder
Roast whole dried chiles in an ungreased, very hot cast iron skillet, shaking the pan from time to time to avoid any scorching. This only takes a little under a minute. Remove the chiles from the pan, let them cool Read More …
Chocolate Facts & Tips
Chocolate has been called the food of the Gods, and as Karl Petzke and Sara Slavin note in Chocolate, A Sweet Indulgence (Chronicle Books, 1997) "The craving for chocolate is physical, arising out of the desire for its uniquely dark, Read More …
Christmas Cinnamon Ornaments
1 c Applesauce 1 oz Cinnamon 1 oz Grd. cloves 1 oz Grd. nutmeg 1 oz Grd. ginger Cinnamon for cutting board Combine ingredients to make a stiff dough. Roll out on board dusted with ground cinnamon. Cut with cookie Read More …
Christmas Snow
1/3 cup liquid starch 1 cup soap flakes or detergent granules 1 to 2 tablespoons water Blue food coloring Mix liquid starch into the soap flakes. Add the water and beat with a rotary beater until the mixture has the Read More …
Christmas Tree Preservative
Chrome Fixture Hard Water Stain Remover
Citrus Floor Cleaner
Citrus Mint Window Spray
1/2 cup fresh lemon peel 1/2 cup fresh orange peel 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup white vinegar Combine peels and mint leaves. Steep in white vinegar for two weeks, or until vinegar has leached the color and fragrance Read More …
Citrus Scented Sugar
White or raw sugar Citrus peel, some cut with a peeler and some with a zester (Peeling very thinly, remove most of the white pith left, much of this pith will cause a bitterness to the finished product. Spread the Read More …
Car Floor Mat Cleaner
1/4 cup mild dishwashing detergent 2 gallons warm water Mix. Gently scrub mats with the solution, using a stiff-bristled brush. For tar spots, rub with a little baking soda. Rinse. Dry thoroughly on both sides. Occasionally use a protective coating Read More …
Cherimoya
Car Wash
1/3 cup mild soap flakes 2 gallons warm water 1/4 cup baking soda Mix soap flakes and baking soda in a large bucket. Add water and stir until soap flakes dissolve. Start washing from the top down. Wash one section Read More …
Cheese, Dairy and Egg Tips
Plan to serve cheese at your next party? Always serve cheese at room temperature for optimum flavor! For best results and greater volume when making whipped cream, chill both the mixing bowl and the beaters. The colder the cream the Read More …
Care & Handling of Chicken
CARE & HANDLING OF CHICKEN Bacteria are all around us. Most of them are harmless. Some of them are even beneficial, like the ones used to make yogurt. But, others can make you really sick if allowed to grow and Read More …
Caring for a Wok
Before you use your wok, there are things you should know about the care and feeding of your wok. Seasoning a Wok Traditional carbon steel woks are the best conductors of heat. Foods won’t stick to a well-seasoned wok and Read More …
Carpet Cleaner (for oil and grease)
3 cups whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon salicylic acid 1-3/4 cups water 1-1/4 cups mineral oil 1 tablespoon aluminum stearate Mix flour and water into a paste. Blend in aluminum stearate and salicylic acid. Slowly add mineral oil to paste, Read More …
Carpet Cleaner (heavy duty)
1 pint washing soda 1/4 cup turpentine 1 cup fuller’s earth Liquid dishwashing detergent Blend the washing soda and fuller’s earth. Slowly stir in the turpentine. Mix vigorously until well blended. Store in a clean jar. To use, mix with Read More …
Carpet Color Restorative
Cast Iron Seasoning
To season a new skillet, Dutch oven, griddle, etc., rub the pan inside and out with lard, vegetable shortening or canola oil. Bake it at 350 degrees F for about one hour. Over the next few days, repeat the process. Read More …
Cast Iron Burner Cleaner
Cast Iron Cookware Cleaner
Casserole Tips
Here are a few great tips to help make your casserole making endeavors as simple as can be. To save time, though not necessary money, stock up on pre-cut and peeled vegetables like carrots, onions, and broccoli florets available in Read More …
Ceiling Repair (for cracked plaster)
This trick could help postpone re-plastering for months. “Elmer’s” Glue Baking soda Mix “Elmer’s” Glue with baking soda to form a paste. Apply to ceiling cracks with fingers. If the ceiling is colored, add food coloring to match. Post Views: Read More …
Ceramic Tile Cleaner
1/4 cup baking soda 1 cup ammonia 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 gallon warm water Mix all in a bucket and stir until the baking soda dissolves. Scrub solution on tile with a brush, nylon pad or sponge. Rinse with Read More …
Ceramic Tile Stain Remover (heavy-duty)
1 part sodium citrate Water 6 parts glycerin Whiting Stir sodium citrate into the glycerin to dissolve. Add sufficient water to thin to a milk-like consistency. Mix in enough whiting to form a paste. Spread a thick coating on stains Read More …
Candy Cooking Temperature Chart
Hardness Temperature Cold Water Test Soft Ball Stage 234 – 240° F 110 – 115° C Forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water. Firm Ball Stage 242 – 248°F 115 – 120°C Forms a firm ball that Read More …
Chayote
They may be baked, steamed, stuffed, or sauteed. A 1-pound chayote will serve two or three. Scoop out and stuff for baking, or julienne or dice for use as a side vegetable, soup garnish, or a salsa ingredient. Although they Read More …
Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test?
This article originally appeared in the October 1995 FDA Consumer. The version below is from a reprint of the original article and contains revisions made in December 1995. Can Your Kitchen Pass theFood Safety Test? by Paula Kurtzweil What comes Read More …
Chandelier Cleaner
1 part rubbing alcohol 3 parts water You do not have to disassemble the fixture to clean it. Protect the area underneath the chandelier with a drop cloth. Fill a water tumbler with alcohol and water. Raise the tumbler to Read More …
Browned Flour (Fat-free roux)
Using a fat-free roux in the traditional recipes that call for a roux saves a significant amount of calories and fat. Mix equal amounts of browned flour and water before adding to recipes. Oven method 2 to 3 C. white Read More …
Brush and Comb Cleaner
Warm water 2 teaspoons shampoo 1/4 cup vinegar or ammonia Nail brush Wide-toothed comb Mix ingredients in a nonreactive bowl or container. Submerge brush or comb into the mixture. Allow to soak for a few minutes. Thoroughly rub the brush Read More …
Buddy Burner
1 clean tuna can 1 (2-inch) square paraffin Corrugated cardboard Cut a long strip of cardboard. The width should be the same height as the tuna can. Roll the cardboard strip firmly and place into the tuna can. Melt paraffin Read More …
Bug Spray
Buttermilk Spray (for spider mites)
Use this for heavy infestation of spider mites in an orchard. 5 pounds All Purpose flour 25 gallons water 1 pint buttermilk Mix well. Siphon into a spray container and apply weekly to orchard trees until the leaves are full Read More …
Butchering Venison
The neck is then separated at it’s juncture with the thoracic vertebrae and also placed in one of the tubs; later, I cut away as much meat as possible for stew and sausage — the bones go into the roasting Read More …
Cabinet Grease Remover (for painted cabinets)
1/4 cup baking soda 1 cup ammonia 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 gallon warm water Press a hot, damp cloth against grease deposits until they soften. Wash cabinets with a sponge and the above solution. Rinse off with a clean Read More …
Calcium Deposit Remover
1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 cup water Simmer water and vinegar in the teapot or tea kettle for 30 minutes. When the deposits have loosened, scrub with steel wool if you can get at them. Otherwise, let the vinegar/water mixture Read More …
Canning and Preserving
Attach canning labels to the lids instead of the sides of jelly jars to prevent the chore of removing the labels when the contents are gone. Jams and Jellies When boiling jellies and jams, a large glass marble placed in Read More …
Candied Citrus Peels
3 oranges 3 lemons 1-1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar Cut peel of each orange and lemon into 4 sections with sharp knife. Remove peel carefully with fingers. Scrape white membrane from peel with spoon (back of Read More …
Canning Fish
Blue, mackerel, salmon, steelhead, trout and other fatty fish except tuna Although freezing is the easiest way to preserve fish, canning does offer some advantages. The only safe way to process fish is in a pressure canner. Fish that has Read More …
Braising
Braised meats are juicy, flavorful, and tender. Braising, also known as stewing, is a moist-heat, slow-cooking technique that is used to make the most of tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck, round, shank, shoulder, and flank. Meats are sometimes Read More …
Canning Ground or Chopped Meat
Bear, beef, lamb, pork, sausage, veal, venison Choose fresh, chilled meat. With venison, add one part high-quality pork fat to three or four parts venison before grinding. Use freshly made sausage, seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper (sage may cause Read More …
Brass Cleaner/Polish
1 teaspoon salt 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup All Purpose flour CAUTION: DO NOT USE ON LACQUERED ITEMS. Wash the item in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry. Mix ingredients to form paste. Apply paste and rub vigorously. Re-wash Read More …
Candy Making Chart
Thread begins at 230° The syrup will make a 2″ thread when dropped from a spoon. Soft Ball begins at 234° A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers Read More …