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Show It Makes Cents By Vi Judge Blake Dear Vi: I love your "What else is it good for" suggestions. Now I have one to share. Keep an extra seam ripper in your kitchen utensil drawer. With its sharp point, you can quickly slit the tough plastic on bags and cartons and even the tough stripping tape on packages received in the mail. Also, instead of buying cookie cutters, bend the cutter strip from a package of foil , waxed paper, or plastic wrap into the shape you want - heart, diamond, Xmas tree, etc. For round cookies, I use top of an aerosol can.. Sandy Miller Great ideas, Sandy. Thanks for sharing. Here's another to add to them: Dear Vi: My cub scout troop, my husband, my kids and their many friends (we live in a neighborhood of children.) wouldn't know what to think if they found my cookie jar empty. So, I bake a lot of cookies. To save time, I bake them on heavy duty foil placed on an oven rack. This way I can bake twice as many at one time. Note: Don't completely cover the rack with foil. Leave room for the hot air to circulate. Also, instead of using cookie cutters, when making rolled cookies, I cut the dough into diamond or squares so that I don't have to gather up the scraps and roll them out again. Sometimes, I roll the dough out right on the foil. If you use heavy foil, you can slide it onto the rack-while rack-while it's out of the oven, of course. Whenever we have cake crumbs, I add them to the dough. I also substitute regular (non-instant) oatmeal lightly toasted for nuts. Fran, "The Cookie Lady" (That's what the kids call me.) While on the subject of baking, here are some general rules to make the task easier: Cover the counter with a layer of thin plastic so that you can gather up your mess and toss it. When you have your hands in dough, keep a plastic produce bag handy to slip on when you have to answer the phone or door. Put dry ingredients in a plastic bag. Shake. No bowl or sifter to wash. Make crumbs, shred cheese, carrots, cabbage, etc. inside a plastic bag. Get all of your ingredients out on one side of your mixing bowl. As you use them, set them on the other side or put them away. This saves errors should you be interrupted. Add a little baking powder to pastry dough for flaky crust. Sprinkle salt on a doughy board. Dough rubs off. Usee freezer paper, plastic side up, for a pastry cloth. Wet the counter underneath to keep it from slipping. Lacking freezer paper, use a sheet of heavy plastic such as that saved from a package of prepared cereal. Dear Vi: I'm really working on "clutter" these days. It's amazing to me how, once I've disciplined myself to get rid of something that has no practical use, I don't miss it at all. I don't miss the effort it took to dust, pick up, and clean it, either. Now that I've parted with about half the clothes in my closet, I just stand there and gloat over how nice it looks. It's also satisfying to realize that ' my discards are helping victims of disasters who have lost everything. The hardest part of the "clutter battle" was convincing our kids to part with toys they have outgrown and seldom use. There, again, once done they don't miss them and they, too, experience the joy of sharing. Alice Greenwood, Provo, Ut THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: After a concert, a fan rushed up to famed violinist Fritz Kerisler and gushed: "I'd give my whole life to play as beautifully as you do." Kreisler replied, "I did." Readers: This is your feature. Send your good ideas to: IT MAKES CENTS, 328 So. 300 E. 5, St. George, Utah. 84770, or e-mail e-mail (viblakeinfowest.com.) If used here, I'll send you $2.00 or a copy of one of my booklets, Kitchen Tricks, Vinegar, the Homemaker's Best Friend, or All about Rhubarb. Please state your choice. Also, check my web page (www.infowest.comcents) for more good ideas. For back issues, click Archives. |