Helpful Hints & Tips Archive

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Natural De-Icer

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.

Keep Moisture Out

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.

Winter Storage For Garden Items

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.

DIY Scents For Your Home

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.

No More Egg Shells

Farmers' Almanac - The 13th Cycle (POD Blurb): A Novella

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.

Picking The Right Pumpkins For Cooking

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

Quiet Your Cough Naturally

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.

Freezing Blueberries

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

Make Cooler Corn!

Make corn on the cob in a cooler! It’s a unique way to feed a crowd at your next cookout. Simply shuck your corn and place the ears in any size clean, sturdy cooler (not styrofoam). Add boiling water (2 quarts per 12 ears) and snap down the lid. Let sit for 30 minutes, drain,