Labor-Free Laundry

Labor Day picnics are supposed to be fun and relaxing. So if your hot dog hoedown goes haywire, and you or your guests wind up with globs of mustard or ketchup on your clothing, don’t worry—just try one of these quick and easy fixes:

• Scrub MUSTARD SPOTS with a solution of 1 teaspoon each of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar in ½ cup of water. Lay the stained area on top of an old absorbent towel, pour the solution onto the stain, and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Rinse the area with hot water, and then launder the item as usual.
• KETCHUP STAINS are some of the easiest to remove. Just wet a sponge or paper towel with lukewarm water, add a dab of dishwashing liquid, squeeze the extra moisture out, and blot the spot. But whatever you do, don’t rub the stain—it’ll just drive it deeper into the fabric.

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Five-Minute All-Star Marinade

Did you have a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it summer like I did? It’s hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is already here, but I’m looking forward to spending the day with family and friends. I’ve already pulled out all of my favorite recipes so we can enjoy our summer stockpile of garden-fresh veggies.

And in case you’re wondering what I’ll be serving alongside our delicious tomatoes, asparagus, and peppers — it won’t be unhealthy hotdogs for us! Instead, I’ll be marinating chicken with a delicious marinade that not only enhances the flavor of the meat, but also delivers powerful health benefits.

Here’s the long-time family favorite recipe:

½ cup of red-wine vinegar

2 tbsp. of chopped fresh oregano

2 tbsp. of chopped fresh rosemary

2 tbsp. of olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a shallow bowl, and pour over your meat or poultry. Let the meat sit, covered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to eight hours. Then carry on with your usual grilling routine.

(Yield: Enough for 1 ½ to 2 pounds of meat or poultry.)

Enjoy!