DEAR SARA: Please help me! I need a way to keep my spices and salt from turning into one big hard ball when it gets humid out. I have tried putting grains of rice in the salt and other spices because I heard that would take the moisture out of them but have yet to [...]
DEAR SARA: I need ideas for storing foil. How do you store saved foil to reuse? I don’t have any extra space in the drawers in my kitchen, so I keep the foil in a plastic zipper bag in the cupboard. The bag falls out nearly every time I open the cupboard. It is so [...]
DEAR SARA: I was wondering if you have a suggestion on how to clean stainless steel. I have a hard time keeping my refrigerator looking nice. — Virginia, e-mail DEAR VIRGINIA: There are tons of stainless-steel appliance cleaners on the market. I’ve tried a few with good results (Stainless Steel Magic, Sheila Shine and Weiman). [...]
DEAR SARA: I saw that Lowe’s has 1.28 gallon/flush toilets for around $90. I was thinking of getting one for each of my two bathrooms. They say they save $90 a year, so they would pay for themselves. Do they really help the water bill go down significantly? — Leigh, Florida DEAR LEIGH: A good [...]
DEAR SARA: How do you repel flies? Every time we sit outside or eat outside, we are bombarded with flies. How do you keep them away? — Julie, Florida DEAR JULIE: We have mosquito problems here. Flies aren’t really a problem. They’re mostly an occasional pesky nuisance. My cat gets any flies that get inside, [...]
DEAR SARA: Can you make powdered eggs at home? — Donna, Michigan DEAR DONNA: I don’t make them at home. I’ve read about ways to do it, which involved cooking them scrambled in a frying pan, breaking them up, spreading onto a baking sheet and baking at 135 F for 10 hours or using a [...]
DEAR SARA: What essential oils do you use in homemade laundry soap? I have sweet orange and tea tree. I don’t want to smell like tea tree, and I am afraid sweet orange might stain the clothes or cause allergy. What kind of oils do you use? — Leigh, Florida DEAR LEIGH: When I make [...]
DEAR SARA: We’re a family of five, with three cats and two dogs, as well. My problem is hair. Our laundry comes out of the washer with bits of critter hair still on it, and it comes off in the dryer. How do I get this stuff to stop sticking to our laundry so that [...]
DEAR SARA: What’s the best box for packing china? I have lots of china. I own about 16 place settings, plus a bunch of more complete pieces. I’m wondering whether it would be more secure in Rubbermaid totes, then I don’t have to worry about the bottom falling out of a cardboard box, and perhaps [...]
DEAR SARA: Do you keep the little keepsake wedding favors given out at weddings? How do you decide on if/how to keep it? Is it kept because it’s something unique or practical? I’m trying to get an idea of how many people actually keep the favors. We’re considering not even having any. — Libby, Canada [...]
photo by grongar DEAR SARA: Can you make cinnamon buns from pizza dough? — Kelly J., California DEAR KELLY: Yes, you can. Here’s a recipe to try. 1-pound bag prepared pizza dough (or homemade) Filling 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed and thawed to room temperature 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup finely [...]
photo by gingerbydesign DEAR SARA: Freeze cole slaw? Can it be done? I made way too much and I would hate to waste it. The slaw itself is already made. I’m not thinking of making freezer slaw. How long will slaw keep in the fridge? — Kettel, Ohio DEAR KETTEL: Cole slaw made with mayonnaise [...]
photo by cardamom I love receiving tips from readers, so keep ‘em coming. I’m especially thrilled when they’re improvements on tips I’ve mentioned before. It keeps me on my toes. I love the first tip. It’s better than making potpourri or apple-peel jelly.
Try using spices instead of salt to enhance the flavor of your food. You can grind your own (bought from a spice retailer) by using a mortar and pestle, an electric spice, coffee or seed mill or, in some cases, a microplane grater. You can adjust the flavor to suit your tastes. To make copycat [...]
The best bargains can often be found after Christmas. If you didn’t get what you wanted from your holiday wish list, it’s likely that you’ll find it for less during year-end and clearance sales. Also, many couples have started a tradition to wait until after the holidays to exchange gifts because it’s more affordable. There [...]
photo by alibree DEAR SARA: My problem is, when I buy bananas, I have to know where I should store them — either in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter. The bananas ripen too soon, so give me some advice where to store them (temperature, etc.) — Frances V., Pennsylvania DEAR FRANCES: You can [...]
Ice cube trays are perfect little organizers. They can be used to freeze herbs, coffee/tea and baby food. They stack easily, so use them to organize jewelry, loose change, tacks, paper clips, small screws and bolts or buttons. They’re great to hold different-colored paints for kids or candies, a variety of dips, to grow seeds [...]
