by Debbie Walker

Did you know that our appliances have secrets? Yes, they do. I am sharing the information from Reader’s Digest, by Marissa Laliberte (July/August ’19).

MICROWAVE: (my favorite) I did not know the shape of the dish you use in reheating or cooking, makes all the difference in a microwave. A rectangular container attracts more energy and the corners may be over cooked, not heated as much in center. A round container allows more uniformed heating. Did you know? Here is a tip Nana Dee gave me: A whole cauliflower, remove the core. Wrap the entire head with a wet paper towel and microwave until done enough for your taste. I haven’t tried it yet but I will.

The same article tells me not to season my food until it’s done. Microwave energy is drawn to salt. The seasoned top leaves a dryness you don’t want. Did you know?

OVEN BROILER: Have you ever heard of leaving the oven door open a bit when broiling? Marissa wrote that the closed oven door is likened to baking. Venting the oven lets the steam out; the steam prevents the crustiness you hope for in broiling. Check your ovens manual first, you wouldn’t want to melt knobs. Did you know?

SLOW COOKER: Trapped heat is what does the cooking in a slow cooker. Unless, you keep lifting the lid, then the cooking takes longer. Wait until there is about an hour left of cooking before you lift the lid. Slow cookers are wonderful to make the most of your time. Did you know? You can dye yarn in it. Not something I will try but I am wondering what else I could do, maybe a T-shirt for one of the kids. You know I must try that one day.

DISHWASHER: Obviously, the area above the rotating arms gets the strongest spray. I learned that’s what starch foods need to eliminate their mess. It needs the force of the spray rather than the chemical clean.

The other side of the coin is dishes holding protein leftovers need the chemical clean, so the lower rack is better. It allows the soap to stay on longer for its cleaning. Did you know? Wash the baseball type hat in dishwasher. You just want to be sure to turn it off before it starts the heat and dry process.

BLENDER: If your blender stalls every few seconds, it is the layering of your ingredients that’s probably the cause. Start with a soft base ingredient (ex: yogurt) Then layer smallest to largest, ice and tough stuff on top. They will get “blended” in. Did you know? Bisquick Coconut Pie can be mixed in a blender, if you need directions, I can get them and pass on in email. Can also blend butter and graham crackers for a crust right in a blender.

STAND MIXER: Blades sometimes need to be aligned. You want them adjusted so blades can reach ingredients but not hit or scratch the bottom or sides. Find your adjusting screw by referring to your owner’s manual. Did you know?

Since I have devoted most of my life to avoiding kitchens whenever possible I did not know most of this information. The microwave information was the most important tidbit for me, and I am very well acquainted with the dishwasher as well.

I am just curious how many of these you know and how many you may have questions about. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. I’ll be waiting. Have a great weekend.

by Debbie Walker

I was reading an article the other night from an HGTV magazine titled “when’s the Best Time to…” by Marie Masters. I have heard people talk about the best time to buy a new vehicle being in December, especially that last week of the year. Reason being dealers want to get rid of older models before inventory and sales associates want to meet that end of year goals.

There are many more “better times to” buy or use products. An automobile is only one “Best Time to ….:”

I, for one, wrestle with choosing paint colors. I now know not to choose my paint colors in the early-morning or late afternoon sun. You should narrow down to several colors. Put two coats of paints on white foam board and keep moving around the room to make a well-informed decision.

Did you know there is a “better” time to go to the Post Office? No, it’s not when the doors open for business unless you are the first or second in line at the door. Wait till about 30 minutes after opening and Tuesday and Thursday are usually lower traffic days. Avoid lunch hour on weekdays and any time on Saturday.

Keep in mind I do not have a green thumb; this is only what I read. Plant a shrub, for you northerners, that would be mid-April. (Ooops, too late for this year.} This way the shrub’s roots will have a few months to spread out before the drier summer season.

Shopping for shoes after 5p.m.: Feet swell as the day progresses, trying on shoes when your feet are largest will be a more accurate, comfortable, size. Dad used to tell my mom to take me shoe shopping, come home and throw the shoes out, the boxes will work better than the shoes in my case. Dad’s can be funny that way.

Going for a run is said to be better if done between 4 and 8 p.m. That’s when we are our strongest. That’s when our internal body temperature peaks. Also, you’re most flexible since muscles are warmed up and elastic from daily chores.

Telling your child, the tooth fairy isn’t real should be determined for each child. They will let you know when it’s time to tell them. You will know when they ask you, but you defend the tooth fairy. Probably someone has already told them. Unless you’re like me and are hanging onto the fairies at 68! They are real, ya’ know.

I still try to remember to do the moisturizing ritual directly after my shower. That is the recommendation, apply body lotion 1 -2 minutes after showering. It will seal in the water. The idea is to keep the skin hydrated.

I’m just curious what you are curious about. Let me know and we will see what we can find. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Thanks for reading and have a great week!!

I wanted to add these little Philosofacts from the Farmer’s Almanac. I love some of these sayings. So many of them are just common sense.

– Years may wrinkle the skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
– Aspire to inspire before you expire.
– Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
– Optimism is when a tea kettle can be up to its neck in hot water and still whistle.

by Debbie Walker

There have been times when I have wondered just how long some products last. The article I read may not have had some of the products I was interested in, but they may interest you. The information was from an HGTV Magazine, written by Colleen Sullivan.

The article starts out with Aloe Vera gel. Once the bottle is opened it is good for about 12 months. The best place to keep it is in the refrigerator. It’s protected from sunlight and feels good when you put it on your skin.

Plant Bulbs can live for 10-15 years. Some bulbs need to be fertilized in the fall and others need to be dug up and stored before the first freeze.

Cast iron pans can last for generations if you do gentle cleaning. It should be done with warm water and a non-scratch nylon scrubber. Do not leave in water for extended time.

Deli-meat is good for up to five days. If the meat doesn’t come home in a zip lock bag, as soon as you get home it needs to be done. It’s best if stored in your refrigerator’s deli-meat drawer. Temperature stays steady longer.

Gum: I’ve never thought much about it but the article said 14-18 months. I don’t think I’ve ever kept any that long. It says the sweeteners lose their flavor and it’s hard to chew. So if it’s been in the bottom of your pocket book for two years, don’t chew it!!

Water heater: Why do people refer to it as a “hot” water heater? It’s a heater, certainly not to make it cold. Oh well, anyway, the article says the tank one can run up to 12 years and the tankless can last 15 years. They should be checked each year when you are doing the annual heating system check-up. Maintenance is key to how many years get.

A funny one to me is the store-bought Popsicles are good up to 18 months because they do have preservatives. Home made is only about three weeks.

Have you wondered about your gallon jugs of water? They can last indefinitely. Store in a cool area not near chemicals like paint thinner.

An open bottle of wine (red) is good for three to five days. The white wines are good after opening for four to five days. See, so you really should finish your wine so as not to be wasteful.

Petroleum Jelly is good for up eight years. If you have put your fingers into it while you have a cold or virus you really should throw it out.

Vitamins are good for up three years. They should be kept out of the light, not on counters, etc. Light can weaken their potency.

X-acto knives. Now that is a subject I have(n’t) wondered about. I just figured when the blade gets dull it’s time to trash them.

I am just curious if you know any other miracle numbers you might share. Contact me with any questions or comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org

P.S. This weekend is my first great-grandchild’s first birthday. Addison Grace won’t understand much of anything going on this weekend other than she is just having fun. But the rest of us will just be glad the numbers of Covid are down enough that we can celebrate her birthday and to celebrate being able to party at all.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

The other night I was flipping through my 2020 Farmer’s Almanac for the 100th (at least) time since I bought it last fall. I would have told you, if asked, that I had studied that volume front to back and there would be no surprises left for me in that issue. I discovered I was wrong. I had indeed missed something. I missed two of what I consider the funniest advertisements.

Let me first tell you I did not know the word “Biffy” is another term for toilet or outhouse. It may have come from the term Bivouac. This is a temporary military camp. The “Biffy Bag” was believed, in this description, to have been a carrier for the soldier’s toiletries. However, that is not the reason for the ad I saw.

The “Biffy Bag” advertisement I saw shows a cartoon picture of its use.

Next ad I saw was directly beside the Biffy Bag. This one is promoted by a company called “PStyle”. The ad reads “PStyle: A ‘Stand to pee’ device ideal for woman who work and play outside. The thing to me looks like a swim flipper, just a little smaller. I haven’t figured out just how easy or difficult this would be. I am still thinking a collapsible funnel with a tube attached would work!

I am sorry, I am sure some of you may be thinking how tacky this is. I admit that when I finished my last article about my Urinary Adventure, I had no plans to travel with anything else along that line. But this info was visible to me and I couldn’t resist.

Since I am still in that arena I may as well add that the surgery seems to have been a great success. Needless to say, I am thrilled. I will be going back to see the surgeon/urologist on May 26. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.

There was an article in that same issue about salt being a miracle cure. It was written by Deborah Tukun. We always used salt to gargle when we had a sore throat. I am surprised my mom didn’t know about the cure for infected ears.

I always had trouble with ear aches and infections. Possibly that information was unavailable when we were kids. It is done with a warm ‘salt sock’. The warm salt sock is a do-it-yourself treatment. It creates a shift in the pressure within the ear, draws fluid out and eases the pain. There are boughten pillows or you can make one with a WHITE sock. It has to be white, no dyes.

You will need one white, cotton sock and 1-1/2 cups of coarse sea salt. Pour into a white sock and tie end in a knot. Heat in a clean, dry skillet over medium/low heat (NEVER a microwave) for about 4 – 6 minutes. Shake it around to make heat even. Heat till very warm, test on your arm to make sure it’s not too warm. Cover ear and jaw line and relax. I have never tried this so please do your own research.

I’m just curious what you thought was most useful in this column. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

This adventure is a little different than previous ones. Not much mileage involved in this one. I decided to share this adventure with you as another personal Public Service Announcement. It may seem a bit embarrassing to tell, yet that is exactly why I am sharing. Please do share the information.

Some of us girls and guys may have never shared any of the steps of this little adventure. It’s a shame something so natural is so embarrassing. My hopes, for my experience, is to shed some light on this subject. Any groups who would like me to speak on this subject just let me know.

For years this whole process has been building. It all started with little leaks from sneezing, coughing, or laughing. Now that is embarrassing enough but after awhile my friends and I would laugh and share stories about the experience (don’t know if guys ever do). And of course, life with panty liners became important. My secrets became an issue with traveling on land and air, that’s when the more substantial pads were worn for travel and anytime, I was to be from home for too many hours.

Time moves on, the matter appears to get worse, and I begin to realize I don’t always have much of a warning or urge. Then it gets worse. It builds up, I guess, I didn’t feel my bladder fill but did feel it when I would stand, and realize it was too late to get to the lady’s room before it released. As time rolls on and you are still too embarrassed to have an intelligent conversation with a doctor or anyone else, you move into the “monster rag” (Oops, proper language is pad. It should be no surprise to you that sometimes I can be sarcastic.)

I did chat with my primary care doctor at one point, and she put me on a medication that I think helped for a little while. Everyone is different. Recently, I became desperate.

It was one thing to avoid shopping. The panic of not being able to go to a grandchild’s function or not being able to overnight in someone else’s bed because the unthinkable happens is what sent me to a urologist.

The doctor asked a lot of questions about medical history and medications. Something from all these questions could possibly be the answer to my problems. I believe it’s thought that a medication I take could possibly be the answer, but it wasn’t.

The doctor told me I had two options to consider. I really can’t tell you much about the option I did not choose, just that it did not appeal to me. I would like to continue with information about the process I chose in the next couple of columns. But I will tell you that I can already see improvement.

I can’t tell you how important communication is, in so many parts of our lives. This is just another one of the important ones. Communication is discussing the real problem, and listening is also a big part of the process.

I am just curious if this is a subject you need to talk about. Contact me with questions and comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org. I’ll be waiting. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for reading.