It is official. I have had a meeting with the tooth fairy. She arrived
for the first time last night at 11:30 p.m., when everyone in the house
was snoring but me.
My son asked me to stay up to be sure she came, which is an interesting
request, since I also had to wait for Santa and the Easter bunny this
year.
The wait was well worth it, as she left money, a present and granted
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Carter his wish to please let him keep his teeth. I do not know how I,
I mean the tooth fairy, got talked into giving money and buying
collectable hockey cards. She certainly has become elaborate since the
1970s when I started losing my teeth. My son’s satisfaction was evident
when he woke up to her special treats, and he informed me that as of
today he is a grownup. Unfortunately, he is not quite ready to do
grownup work yet, as he still has not mastered cleaning up after
himself or his pets.
Reunion casserole
To encourage sitting down for a family meal, try this recipe that my
family loves. I have only had the recipe for two weeks and we have made
it three times.
1 pound lean 500 g
ground beef
1 cup chopped onion 250 mL
2 cups shredded 500 mL
cheddar cheese
1 medium green pepper
1 can (12 oz.) whole 355 mL
kernel corn, drained
(or 11/2 cups/375 mL
frozen corn)
1 can (10 oz.) 284 mL
condensed tomato
soup, undiluted
1 can (8 oz.) tomato 237 mL
sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
8 oz. egg noodles, 237 mL
cooked and drained
Brown meat and onion and drain. Stir in one cup (250 mL) of cheese, the
green pepper, corn, soup, tomato sauce, garlic, salt and noodles. Place
in a nine by 13 inch (22×33 cm) baking pan and sprinkle with remaining
cheese. Cover and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 35 minutes. Uncover and
bake 10 minutes longer. Serves eight.
Enjoy with some greens and bread, and a fruit salad for dessert.
Spring cleaning
Have a tough spring cleaning problem at your house? I am feeling the
need to get the house in order before the yard work begins. Linda Cobb,
also known as the Queen of Clean, has simple, effective solutions for
cleaning up the worst messes.
To remove candle wax from wood, heat the wax with a blow dryer and
slide a piece of dull plastic, like a credit card, under to pop it up.
Clean any residue with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Rinse well,
then polish.
To remove crayon from hard surfaces, spray with WD-40 lubricant and
wipe off. Wash with one quart (one L) warm water and one teaspoon (five
mL) dishwashing liquid. To remove crayon from fabrics, spray both sides
of the fabric with WD-40. Let sit 15 minutes, then work in undiluted
dishwashing liquid, flush under the hottest water allowable for the
fabric and launder as usual.
Countertops and walls
To remove rust from countertops and similar surfaces, make a paste of
cream of tartar and lemon juice. Apply this paste to the rust spot and
let it sit 15-30 minutes. Scrub with a sponge or plastic-covered
scrubbing sponge. Rinse well and dry.
To make a wall-washing
solution, combine one gallon (four L) of warm water and 1/2 cup (125
mL) clear ammonia, 1/4 cup (50 mL) white vinegar and 1/4 cup (50 mL)
washing soda (found in the laundry additives section of your
supermarket). Change this solution frequently and you won’t have to
rinse. Remember, start at the bottom of the wall and work up.
To clean the hard water, ring out of toilets, shut off the water to the
toilet tank and flush. Spray with warm white vinegar and sprinkle on
borax. Wait 15 minutes, then scrub with fine, not coarse, drywall
sandpaper. Turn the water back on and rinse well.
To remove baby formula, apply lemon juice and lay clothing in the sun.
Test in a small area on coloured fabrics. This method also works for
rust stains.
To remove oil and grease stains, combine the following: one tablespoon
(15 mL) glycerine, one tablespoon (15 mL) liquid dishwashing soap and
1/2 cup (125 mL) of water. Work the solution into the stain, let sit
for a few minutes, flush with water and launder as usual.
Most grass stains on washable fabrics can be removed by rubbing laundry
detergent into the stained area and rinsing under a forceful stream of
the hottest water you can use for the fabric type.
If the stain is stubborn, try rubbing with rubbing alcohol. Don’t use
alkalis such as ammonia, degreasers or alkaline detergents on grass
stains. They interact with the grass and can permanently set the stain.
To remove chocolate from clothing, sponge with cold water and then
apply an enzyme presoak. Soaking with cold water and meat tenderizer is
also effective. Applying a paste of borax and warm water may also work.
Let this paste soak for an hour or so, then flush with a forceful
stream of water.
For slow-running drains, pour one cup (250 mL) baking soda and one cup
(250 mL) salt down the drain. Follow this with two quarts (two L)
boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes, then flush with cool water.
For burned-on casseroles, fill the dish with hot water and throw in
several new or used fabric softener sheets. Let soak, rinse and wash.
To remove photos that are stuck in an album with sticky pages, try
dipping a Q-tip in paint thinner and gently dab it on the sticky glue.
This should help to dissolve the adhesive. If the photos are really
stuck but are very special, take the entire page to a photographer and
have the picture reproduced before you try to get it off the page.
For fruits and vegetables that are produced in this country, wash with
warm water and a bit of soap.
For produce imported from other countries, the British Columbia
Vegetable Marketing Commission recommends a commercial wash, as the
standards elsewhere are different from Canada’s.
Jodie Mirosovsky is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of
four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care
of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4.
