Fill your home with the warm scent of the holidays with this simmering potpourri. Simply add 2 oranges cut in sections, 1 apple chopped, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 cup cranberries, 3 cinnamon sticks, and a few small sprigs from your Christmas tree (or use 4 Bay leaves or rosemary sprigs) to 4 cups
Sprinkle leftover coffee grounds on your freshly shoveled walk or driveway to help melt the ice—it’s a natural and environmentally friendly way to add more traction underfoot.
Save those silica gel packets you receive with various purchases and reuse them to keep moisture out of boxes of personal photos and important documents.
Store breakable items like terra-cotta pots, rain gauges, and other garden decor before hard freezes settle in.
Here’s a nifty apple pie trick: before you place your sliced pie apples in the pie shell, microwave them on high in a microwave safe dish and heat for 5 minutes until apples are slightly soft to the touch. Drain the water and add to your pie.
For a sweet-smelling home without the use of artificial fragrances, add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange rinds to a pot of water and simmer.
If you crack eggs on a flat surface rather than the side of a bowl, you’ll get fewer pieces of shell in your eggs. But if a piece still gets in, use a wet finger to snag it and scoop it out.
Pumpkins labeled “pie pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins” are the best varieties of pumpkin for cooking. They are smaller than traditional carving pumpkins and have a sweeter, less-watery flesh. Select a pumpkin with a stem at least one to two inches long. Stems shorter than this will hasten the pumpkin’s decay. Misshapen pumpkins are fine for
Got a cough? Grab a lemon. Cut it into wedges and place in the microwave for 10 seconds. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and suck on a slice until your cough quiets down.
Place fresh blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. After they are frozen, transfer them into an airtight bag or container and place back in the freezer where they will last 6-8 months. For best results, make sure your blueberries are completely dry before freezing. No need to
