MURPHY OIL SOAP TO THE RESCUE
Try this cleaning technique to banish nicotine residue from wood cabinet
Q I recently became the owner of a wooden china cabinet, but the previous owners smoked heavily in the house.
There is a thick layer of nicotine all over the cabinet. Do you have a solution that will take the nicotine off without damaging the piece?
A Clean the entire cabinet using Murphy Oil Soap and water. Rinse well. Wash all glass pieces using the following recipe: In a spray bottle, combine 5 ml (1 tsp) inexpensive shampoo, 60 ml (1/4 cup) rubbing alcohol and fill remainder of bottle with white vinegar. Spray and wipe.
Q My questions have to do with homemade pizza. What is the difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce? How can I slice my freshly cooked pizza without damaging my non-stick pan? Is there a way to make pizza with cheese in the crust? A To bake and slice perfect pizza, consider pre-baking the pizza crust on a baking stone.
Set on the second-lowest rack and preheat the stone for several minutes at 475 C (245 C).
Dock your dough to keep the crust from developing big air bubbles during the baking process. Use a fork to do this, poking holes all over the portion of the dough that will hold the toppings.
Pre-bake the crust by itself for five minutes. Sprinkle dried oregano on top of your crust. Bake for another five minutes. Brush the crust edges with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.
You can then either leave the pizza crust on the pizza stone or transfer the crust to a flat cookie sheet or an upside-down baking sheet for baking.
Finish with your favourite toppings and bake. Bake in bottom third of 425 F (220 C) oven until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden and slightly puffed.
To prevent damage to nonstick pans, cut crust with a plastic knife or plastic pizza cutter so that the cheese does not lift off.
A simple way to create cheese-stuffed crust is to roll dough so that it extends one inch (2.5 cm) past the pan. Purchase cheese strings and lay them on the border of the crust. Roll the dough over each cheese stick. Press well to ensure that the cheese remains covered with dough.
The basic difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce is that spaghetti sauce is sweeter and thinner than pizza sauce.
HINTS FROM READERS
■ To attain the shiniest windows in town, clean them with cornstarch and water. Put a few tablespoons of cornstarch into a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray and wipe windows. Use the remaining solution to clean stainless-steel sinks.
■ I recently read your solution for a badly burned pan. Something that works well is lemon juice. Just pour lemon juice into the pan and put it on the stove to heat up. As it is heating, use a heat proof spatula or lifter and start scraping. As you scrape, the black stuff just starts to lift. A couple of years ago my mom had a very black, burned copper bottom pan that she was using. I tried the lemon juice trick and soon the pan was good as new.
■ Instead of making a raised garden, I purchase 10 cinder blocks. I lay them in a rectangle formation in my garden. In the middle I lay sheets of newspaper on the ground. Then I fill all of the cinder blocks and the space in the middle with dirt. I plant herbs in each cinder block square and veggies in the middle. Doing this keeps everything separate and really cuts down on weeds.
Note: 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.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website at reena.ca for information, or to ask a question or share a tip.