GLYCERINE, LEMON COMBINATION WILL REMOVE STUBBORN STAINS
And secrets to a perfect pie crust are cold dough, making sure you don’t over-knead
Q We were having dinner at a friend’s place. I spilled a little bit of red curry stuff on my brand-new cotton, khaki pants and the following happened: My wife told me to put powder on it, but I did not listen. I washed it with water. It spread from two spots to one large spot. I then washed it with vinegar, but the stain remained, so I sprayed WD -40 and washed my pants with a regular load of clothes in the washing machine. The pants still have a light, dark shade stain. What do I do now?
A It sounds as though you have done a great job acting quickly to remove the stain. Cover the stain with glycerine and squeeze the juice of a lemon onto the stain. Wash as usual and air dry or dry the garment in the sun. Repeat this process until the stain is gone. Avoid dryer use, as the heat of the dryer will set the stain.
Q Any advice on making flaky pie crusts? My track record tends to be creating hard crumbly disasters that make me feel like giving up on baking pies.
A The secret to making fabulous pies is not to over-knead. Handle or mix the dough as little as possible and make sure the dough is very cold. When rolling the dough, you should still see flakes of butter. For an easy and delicious pie crust, check out the recipe on the back of the Crisco shortening box.
Q I love to eat breaded meat. How can I prevent breading from sticking to the pan?
A The key is to use two steep pans and a bowl. Fill the first pan with flour. Put beaten eggs into the bowl. The second pan should be filled with dry bread crumbs, seasoning and a teaspoon (5 ml) of lemon-pepper, salt and Parmesan cheese. The flavour is all on the outside, and you want the taste to last for the entire chew. Put the meat into each bowl. Pat firmly. Flip each piece over and repeat. Put the meat uncovered, in a single layer, in the fridge for an hour or so. The egg seems to evaporate, and you are left with a nice crust before you even cook it. Either pan-fry in a mix of a little oil and butter, or olive oil. Baking works well with stuffed chicken but tends to get a little gooey on the bottom.
HACKS FOR ANY TIME OF THE YEAR:
I protect my TV remote control ■ by wrapping it with plastic wrap. I then heat the plastic with a hair dryer so that the plastic clings to the remote control. This prevents the remote from getting dirty, as I just wipe it whenever it gets greasy or grimy.
Submitted by: Landa
If you separate bananas instead ■ of leaving them on the stem, they will ripen faster.
Submitted by: Kristi
I purchase chlorine tablets
■ from my local pool supply store. They are very inexpensive and effective for cleaning my toilet bowls. I drop one into the tank of each of my toilets and replace them after 2-3 months.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website — reena.ca — to ask a question or share a tip.
Disclaimer: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.