TIPS FROM OLD-MOM-WARRIOR

To begin with, I'm not really a MOM, I lied!

Takes better than me to handle that job! I'm just a crusty old something-or-other..

I forgot to mention that in addition to being a prolific writer and avid reader, I am also addicted to gardening and cooking.

When springtime arrives you will seldom find me in the house. From sun up until sun down, I’ll be out in the garden doing my thingy. (Which reminds me I need to go pick some fresh turnips for supper).

As an amateur Chef, I love to experiment with new dishes from all over the world. Naturally, I didn’t say I’d eat these dishes, but make them – bring em’on. Notice I did put the word ‘amateur ’at the beginning.

My favorite dishes are French, German and Native American. (Bet you didn’t know we red skins had dishes did you)? I’ll put my rabbit stew (with pearl onions, snow peas, heavy cream, and pinion nuts) against your favorite dish any day – and wager you’ll love it!

I've learned a lot about being mister mom, especially around the kitchen, because one of my favorite past time activities is eating. 

There was a time as a young warrior that I would not eat anything unless it bled, but, I’ve learned that nature has given us innumerable wonderful things to toss down our gullet and also provided us with a plethora of seasonings to prepare it with.

In addition, I am always on the look-out for ways to save time. (So I can write more). Therefore when I dug some helpful hints out of my endless duffel bag of goodies, I decided to share them with you.

Most homemakers probably know them already, but for those readers like me and me and me - who are sort of new at the game - hope they teach you something:

*  To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
*  To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
*  When a cake recipe calls for flowering the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead.  No white mess on the outside of your cake.
*  If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato. It absorbs the excess salt for an instant fix-me-up.
*  Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator.  It will keep for weeks.
*  Brush beaten egg white over piecrust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
*  When boiling corn on the cob add a pinch of sugar to bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
*  Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead.  The throbbing will go away.
*  Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers.  Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
*  To get rid of that itch from mosquito bites, apply soap on the area for instant relief.
*  Ants, ants, everywhere - it is said they will not cross a chalk line.  Get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march and see for yourself.
*  Use air fresher to clean mirrors.  It does a good job and, better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
*  When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape first before resorting to tweezers or a needle.  Scotch tape removes most splinters easily and painlessly.
*  To clean a toilet, drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush.  You can clean jewelry the same way, simply drop two tablets in a glass of water, dip the jewelry for two minutes and it's clean.
*  To unclog a drain, drop in three Alka-Seltzer tablets, followed by a cup of white vinegar, wait five minutes, then run hot water.
To get rid of pesky writers, simply stop reading this article!
Happy hunting…er, I mean happy writing!