Simply making your house your home
The memory tree and vintage tree, the manger scene and village are just a few of the displays we create at Christmas. Decorating is a part of the traditions we look forward to year after year. When the stores start stocking their shelves with the latest Christmas decorating trends it… Read more“Traditional Christmas Decorating”
Mom isn’t in my kitchen very often. We live 5,000 km apart. But when she is I always learn something. During a visit over Thanksgiving weekend, she shared this practical tip. As I put a pot of potatoes on the stove, she put a wooden spoon across the top and… Read more“Stop Pots from Boiling Over”
Silver, a precious metal admired for its lustre and reflectivity, tarnishes easily. Acid from your hands, sulfur from food, sunlight and where you store your silver can contribute to tarnishing. It’s inevitable. But it does not penetrate beyond the surface so it is not harmful to the silver. Polish your… Read more“Silver Polish”
Having homemade bread on hand is important to me, and I can accomplish this on a regular basis by using a bread machine. Here are some more tips on making bread with your bread machine. Subscribe to Homemaking Jewels today!
Assemble a cleaning kit with all your basic cleaning supplies and carry it with you from room to room as you work. This kit should include a caddy equipped with an all-purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, a toilet cleaner, two lint-free cloths (a wet one to wipe and one to… Read more“Cleaning Supply Kit”
A few inexpensive household items keep the cost of cleaning supplies to a minimum. I clean my house with cleaning supplies made from vinegar, dish soap or bleach. Here’s the how to: Vinegar Dish soap Bleach Purchase spray bottles for your solutions or re-use clean, empty spray bottles. Label bottles… Read more“Cleaning Supplies – Making Your Own”
Preventing a build-up of baked-on food is the best way to keep the oven clean. But this is easier said than done. If I remember about the spill after the oven has cooled I spray the area with my all-purpose cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping… Read more“Oven Cleaning”
I plant a variety of zucchini in my garden and by the end of each summer I have an abundance of this beautiful fruit. That’s right. Although treated as a vegetable, it is a fruit. Planting Plant seeds outside after the last frost or start them indoors two weeks before… Read more“Zucchini”
Onions, garlic and bell peppers are common ingredients in my cooking, but I’m not a fan of the little pieces of onion skin and pepper seeds that land on the counter. I find them a bit annoying to clean up. My solution? Choose-a-size paper towel. A half-sheet is the perfect… Read more“Food Prep – Easy Clean-up”
When I moved to the Maritimes in 2002, I initially landed in Saint John, NB. There I stopped at the Crosby Molasses Company and picked up a free copy of “Crosby’s Molasses Family Favourites” recipe book. In it I found the most delicious ginger cookie recipe. This recipe won me a… Read more“Ginger Cookies”
