CLEANING DISHES

Grandma always washed and rinsed dishes in scolding hot water. She must have know something intuitively because now we know hot water really works best. Washing dishes in scolding hot water helps clean dirty dishes faster therefore, less water and soup is used. Hot water kills bacteria on dishes. Hot water cuts grease while cool water will leave a greasy film on washed dishes. Hot water rinse eliminates the need for hand drying because the dishes can air dry quickly and they will dry spot and streak free. Plus wet dish towels are a breeding place for bacteria.

COOKING TIPS

Cooking Pancakes
Dip the spoon in milk or water and the pancake batter will drop off the spoon easily.

Baking Pies, Cakes and Cookies
A bowl containing two quarts of water, set in an oven when baking, will prevent pies, cakes, cookies, etc., from being scorched.

To Prevent Pots From Boiling Over
Rub butter or lard on the rim of a pot, and it will not boil over so easy.

Salty Soup Cure
A raw potato added to the soup will absorb the extra salt.

Prevent A Tough Omelet
A little boiling water added to an omelet as it thickens will prevent it from being tough.

Cut Hard-Boiled Eggs
To cut hard-boiled eggs in smooth slices, dip the knife first in water.

Prevent Heavy Cakes and Breads
Much of the heavy cake and bread is the result of the oven door being slammed. Close as gently as possible.

Cake Icing
A pinch of soda in your icing will keep it moist and prevent it from cracking.

Cut Potatoes
An empty tin of baking powder make a good cutter for slaw or potatoes.

Beat Egg Whites Quicker
A pinch of salt will make the white of an egg beat quicker.

Prevent Burning Saucepan
To prevent burning saucepan when boiling milk, sprinkle bottom of the pan with granulated sugar. Let it get hot, then pour in the milk. It also keeps milk from boiling over.

Keep Syrup From Crystallizing
A pinch of soda added to any boiled syrup will keep it from crystallizing.

Separate Eggs
When separating eggs, if you drop a portion of egg yolk into the whites, moisten a cloth with cold water, touch to the yolk, and it will adhere to it.

Baking Apples
Prick the skin of the apples and they will cook without bursting.

Remove Cooking Odor
Should food become burnt while in the process of cooking, sprinkle two or three coffee grains over the hot stove or element. The fragrance of the burning coffee will kill the burning smell.

Slice Potatoes
First hold the paring knife over a hot stove or in boiling water and the potatoes will slice easily.

VINEGAR CLEANS ALMOST ANYTHING

To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white vinegar.

Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

AN APPLE A DAY

An apple a day keeps the doctor away may have been right. An apple is easy on the digestion, apples contain malic and tartaric acids that inhibit fermentation in the intestines. Their high fiber content adds bulk that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and comfortable. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.

Apples contain flavonoids, antioxidants that improve immune function and prevent heart disease and some cancers.

Green apples act as a liver and gall bladder cleanser and may aid in softening gallstones.

Because of their high water content, apples are cooling and moistening and aid in reducing fever. Simply grate them and serve them to feverish patients. Steamed apples sweetened with honey are beneficial for a dry cough and may help to remove mucous from the lungs.

Today medical practitioners are beginning to recognize that the apple's abundant quantity of pectin is an aid in reducing high cholesterol as well as blood sugar, a wonder food for people with coronary artery disease and diabetes.

If these aren't enough reasons to "eat an apple a day," there's more. Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage, cleans the teeth and it cleans and disinfects the mouth.