No more weevils
DEARHELOISE » How do I get rid of weevils in my pantry? — Janice in Indiana
Janice, first take everything out of your pantry and cabinets. Destroy boxes and bags that have any trace of weevil activity in them. Check everything, including cereal, flour, spices, dry pet food, pasta, dry beans, etc. To destroy unhatched eggs, place items in which weevils are not visible in the freezer for four days.
Next, scrub your shelves with hot, soapy water. After that, spray shelves and doors with an insecticide, making sure you get every crevice. Close the doors and leave the pantry and cabinets shut for at least four hours. (Over night is better.)
After doing all of the above, put everything in sealable jars before returning the food to the shelves. Also, buy smaller quantities of staples and freeze them before opening and using. This is a good habit to get into to keep weevils out of your home.
Spiced vinegar
DEARHELOISE » I’m looking for a homemade salad dressing recipe. one?— Do you have Loretta, via email
Loretta, I sure do! This one is great on salads or even as a marinade for chicken. You’ll need: 1 quart cider vinegar
½ ounce celery seed
1/3 ounce dried mint
1/3 ounce dried parsley
1 clove garlic
3 small onions (peeled) 3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
Salt to taste
Put all of the ingredients into a glass container and cover. Let stand for three weeks, then strain and bottle.
Baked potatoes
DEARHELOISE » How can I keep the skins of my baked potatoes from cracking? --Tina in Colorado
Tina, it’s this easy. Just rub butter or shortening over the potatoes before you bake them.
Sticky problem
DEARHELOISE » I had a recipe that called for honey, but after I poured it out of the measuring cup, too much of it stuck to the glass and was very hard to get out. Any hints on this problem? — Karen in Minnesota
Karen, to make syrup or honey flow faster and easier, fill your measuring cup with very hot water and let it sit for a few seconds, then pour out the water just before you pour in the honey to be measured.
Soft cookies
DEARHELOISE » How can I keep my cookies soft in my cookie jar? — Faith in Delaware
Faith, just place a slice or two of fresh bread in the jar before placing your cookies inside. This should keep them soft and fresh tasting.