What’s a Mary Ann pan?
DEAR SARA: I asked my mother-in-law what my sister-in-law might like for her upcoming birthday. She told me she wanted a Mary Ann pan. I was too embarrassed to ask what it is. What is it? — Becky Cody, Kansas
DEAR BECKY CODY: It’s a round cake pan. They’re short compared to a Bundt pan. Although the classic Mary Ann pan has smooth sides, some now have fluted edges or elaborate floral designs and are called Mary Ann or Marianne pans. It’s shaped in a way that the cake is molded to have a semi-hollowed-out top when it’s inverted. This lets you fill in the depression with fruit, whipped cream, custard, etc. If you can’t find a Mary Ann pan, look for a obsttortenform, Culinique or a flan/Tiara pan. They aren’t exactly the same, but they are similar.
DEAR SARA: Any suggestions on how to keep wild geese off the lawn? Kind of a yucky topic, but we live near the St. Lawrence River, where it seems the whole geese population stays, and poop all over the lawn is a constant battle. We’d like to be able to enjoy our own yard but often just give up. Shooting them is not allowed. — P.F., New York
DEAR P.F.: I lived in upstate New York and had a large-scale deer problem in my yard, so I feel your pain. I’ve heard border collies are wonderful in helping to scare geese away without harming them. The geese view the collies as predators. They’re not a cheap or low-care breed to buy from a breeder, but you can look around for an older dog at the humane society, or try the border-collie rescue in New York at Glen Highland Farm, 217 Pegg Rd., Morris, NY 13808; (607) 263-5415. If you’re not interested in taking on a new pet, there are geese-control services that use collies, too. Try Geese Police at 866-NO-GEESE (664-3373). They’re based in New Jersey but service parts of New York. If they can’t help you, maybe they can refer you to a company that can. You could also post a classified ad. You might find someone who would be willing to bring his or her collie for a friendly visit to help you out. I’m not sure what your ick factor is, but you could use it for garden compost, too.
DEAR SARA: I noticed that some people wash and reuse their plastic zipper-type and sandwich bags. I have started to do this also but only when I have stored nonmeat items. I have been really leery to wash and reuse something that had uncooked chicken or pork in it. Do you also rewash and reuse the bags that you have used to store raw meat, or do you just cut your losses and throw them out? — luvmyhubby, e-mail
DEAR LUVMYHUBBY: No, I don’t reuse those baggies for food storage. You could reuse them for nonfood items instead of tossing them away. I know you didn’t ask me about drying them, but I thought I’d share a tip. You can repurpose a container, such as a toothbrush holder, and insert chopsticks or dowels into the holes. Then hang your baggies to dry from the “sticks.” Some people simply let them dry on their top dishwasher rack or use a bottle-drying rack.
Photo by Carla Take a look at her wonderful tutorial for caramel cake.
Posted by Sara Noel
on June 16 2008. Filed under Frugal & simple living, Home & family, Question & Answer.Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook
There was an inquiry regarding using bags that had meat in them. I save my marshmallow, brown sugar etc. bags flat and separately. When I buy a package of meat to be utilized in smaller portions, I put those portions in those bags with a twist tie and then put the batch in a bread bag, label and date it, mark the position in the freezer in pencil on a “what’s available in the freezer” list and store. When I use them, I throw them.
1I store general sized bags, gallon zip, and sandwich/zip bags separated into three different gallon milk jugs with larger holes cut on the top and laid sideways on a shelf space about that size. They are great for slipping over food in a bowl and many other including sorting errands, groups of similar papers etc.
I dry bags on a mug racks arms. We can use the moisture in the house. They dry nicely on the line in summer even with 3 held from corners by one clothes pin.
I love your validation of my saving ways because I don’t get much from anyone else. I’ve been told,”You are so frugal you make me sick,” when I am not that good at it at all. I had attached a dried Hydrangea to a brown paper lunch bag for a gift decoration and closure for a second marriage get together, when the gift inside was handmade but worth $80.