Dear Reena: I am considering entering the professional world of baking, I intend to use great quality ingredients only. How can I choose great quality cocoa? Sweet thanks,
Leslie
Premium cocoa is 22- to 24- per cent fat; compared with the regular cocoa that many people buy, it has twice the fat content. Even at twice the fat, it does not equate to much fat and is worth choosing for better quality. Compare the ingredient labels on different kinds of cocoa and purchase the product that has 1 gram of fat per 5 to 6 grams serving instead of .5 grams.
Dear Reena: Can you please give me a few tips regarding the best way to clean the moss between the pavers on our driveway? Is there a solution I can use?
Allan
Make your own weed killer by combining: 4 cups pickling vinegar, a half cup salt and 2 Tbsp. dish soap. Spray unwanted plants in driveway cracks. Be careful not to spray adjacent plants. Leftover boiled potato water also makes an excellent weed killer for patios, driveways and paths.
Dear Reena: For 30 years I have always put a heavy protector on my oak table whenever I use it. However, a couple of weeks ago I just threw a tablecloth directly onto the table. Now I have a whitish mark several inches wide on the wood. I put a hot casserole on a potholder on the table. I鈥檓 not sure if it was heat or moisture but I applied an oily polish which didn鈥檛 seem to change the mark. Do you have any suggestions for how to restore or disguise or cover up this mark?
Thelma
Smear the area with mayonnaise and wait for one hour. Wipe the area and observe if the stain is gone. If the stain remains, cover spot with a tea towel and press with a hot iron to draw out excess moisture in the wood. If neither solution is successful, then your best option is to refinish the table. Please note: The mark may disappear on its own after the moisture evaporates.
Reader feedback
Dear Reena: With regards to your tip about cleaning pots, I want to tell you that a handful of rhubarb (available in the frozen food section in the winter) does a great job of cleaning a blackened pot (voice of experience). P.S. When preparing rhubarb, if you bake it instead of boiling it, the rhubarb won鈥檛 go mushy.
Anonymous
Smart Thinking
鈥� My children used to waste an entire box of tissues in one day when they had a cold. Now I purchase the softest roll of toilet paper that I can find and they use one or two sheets at a time. Their nose does not become sore from rubbing, and we aren't wasting as much.
Sara
鈥� Use baby diaper rash cream for rashes and itchy skin due to sunburn, medicine (such as Warfarin), and for underarm and under breast soreness. (Check with your doctor first).
Helena
鈥� You won't see a raccoon trading his mask in for a cucumber spa mask. Plant cucumbers around your veggies, raccoons don鈥檛 like prickles or the smell of cucumber.
Mavis
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.
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