Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Don’t look now, but it’s time to carve our Jack-o-lanterns. Traditionally, you’re supposed to carve a scary face into the pumpkin to scare Halloween’s roaming spirits away. But we Bakers aren’t a very superstitious bunch, so I’ll be sticking to my usual happy faces. Whether you decide to make yours happy, scary, or altogether strange, here’s a few tips to make the carving and displaying more fun:

To make your Jack-o-lantern last as long as possible, after cleaning it out, spray the inside and outside with a disinfecting spray. It’ll prevent mold from growing and keep the pumpkin from rotting for a few days. (But don’t ever spray it while there’s a lighted candle inside!)

If you want to carve a fancy pattern into your pumpkin, use a pin or poker tool to draw it out. Then, to make the dots easier to see, rub flour into them.

For a great scent, sprinkle a little cinnamon and ground nutmeg onto the inside of each Jack-o-lantern top. When the heat from the candle reaches the spices, they’ll give off a wonderful pumpkin pie aroma.

And for a lantern-like display, try hanging your Jack-o-lanterns in plant hangers. They’ll be easier to see, and little trick-or-treaters’ costumes will be safe from the flames.

Tubes are Tops!

Paper towels . . . Toilet paper . . . Aluminum foil . . . Wrapping paper . . . you get to the end of the roll, and what do you have left but a cardboard tube? Wait! There’s gold in them thar tubes. Here are a few of my favorite reuses:

If your windows are crammed with lighted decorations around the holidays, use the tubes to tidy up your electrical cords.

If wall space is at a premium, roll up some old posters and store ’em inside wrapping paper tubes.

Cut the tubes so they’re about 2 inches wide, and paint them orange and black. Glue on some scary plastic spiders or crazy jack-o-lanterns, and you’ve got some dandy napkin rings for your Halloween table.

To store fashionable boots for a while, tie three tubes together and stand them upright in your boots; they’ll hold the legs up.

Fill the tubes with candy and a small gift, wrap ’em in tissue paper, and tie the ends together with ribbon for a surprise-inside treat for the kids. They’ll think it’s totally tube-ular!

5 Reasons to Use Softener … Oftener

Doing the laundry is one of life’s necessary chores, and with it comes those pesky ol’ fabric softener sheets that stick to darn near everything. Here’s some ways to put ’em to good use around your house.

Save money on mosquito repellants by threading a new sheet of fabric softener through your belt loop whenever you’re working in the yard, and you’ll be mosquito-free.

Make pet hair fuzzies on your couch a thing of the past by rubbing it with a dryer sheet to attract all the loose hairs.

Tired of batting at flies? Hang a softener sheet or two in your garden shed, and the flies will stay away.

You’re all dressed up, but what about that unsightly static cling? Rub a sheet of fabric softener on your panty hose, and you’ll say “bye-bye” to those clingy skirts.

Keep your drawers, lockers, and even garbage cans smelling sweet by dropping a softener sheet in them.

Wax On, Wax Off

If there’s one thing I love besides gardening, it’s comin’ up with neat new ways to use ordinary stuff ’round the house. Last night, as I was riflin’ through my kitchen cupboard, a carton of wax paper practically jumped right out at me. That got me to thinkin’.

The next time your floors look a little dull, shine ’em up by placin’ a big ol’ piece of wax paper underneath a mop head when you clean.

To preserve colorful fall leaves, lay them out on a piece of wax paper, cover ’em with another piece of wax paper the same size, then iron the two sheets together.

For a jim-dandy seal on a jar, lay wax paper over the opening before you close it.

Got cheese? Then get some wax paper. Cheese is easier to cut if you fold wax paper over the knife before slicing it.

Put an end to dull mornings—rub your appliances with a piece of wax paper and watch ’em rise and shine!

The wonders of vinegar!

Even if my cupboard is bare, I still make sure I keep a bottle of vinegar on hand. Why? Because there are so many doggone ways to use this sour stuff! Here’s a few of my favorite not-so-common uses for vinegar around the house.

Mmmm. Buttermilk gives a wonderful tang to blueberry pancakes and fried chicken. If you’re running low, you can make a buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tsp. of vinegar to 1 cup of milk.

To absorb paint odors, keep a dish of vinegar in a room you’re painting.

Need to stop a persistent case of hiccups? Place a vinegar-saturated lump of sugar in your mouth. It works better than holding your breath.

Get a grungy vase sparkling clean by mixing some vinegar, dish detergent, hot water, and 20 metal BBs in the vase. Swirl gently, and rinse.

Relieve poison ivy itch by dabbing equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water on the rash. And do your best not to scratch!