Take care, be safe, wear mask

 Hi All

I sincerely pray for everyone's safety and good health. Please don't panic about anything, as getting panic makes things worse. As a cancer survivor and a veteran of 14 major surgeries, I can assure you, that being positive helps. Have faith in God. Remember the day we're born, our destiny is already written by God. So, why worry about it and blame it on other things.

Be happy, keep your body and mind busy doing what gives you all happiness. 

I've made a couple of very cute small mug cake key chains, 2 of owl, earlier made 3 small elephant all given away, made another one, baby octopus. Shall upload it soon.

A simple remedy for low oxygen is, take 2-3 camphor, which we use to do aarti for God, 1 tsp Ajwain/ Omam / carom seeds, make a small packet by putting in a small clean piece of cloth, keep sniffing it every few minutes, your oxygen level will raise. Best for those who have Covid, is lie down proning, i.e., keep 2 pillows near your hip bone, 1-2 under legs, 1 under chin, Lie down on your abdomen, such that your stomach isn't pressed. Lie down for 2 hours like this. As our lungs are at the back, when we lie on our back, they're compressed. Lying on stomach, helps them to breathe easily. Then for 2 hours lie on your right/ left side, then turn to the other side for 2 hours. Do pranayam/ breathing exercise, keep saying your prayers to calm you. Think of those things that give you happiness, Listen to some soothing music.

Be happy, wear mask, stay safe, away from crowd.

Try some new dishes, as cooking gives a lot of satisfaction.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

 

14 Cooking Tips and Tricks That You Need to Know!

The lock-down may be loosening up in some places around the world, but the hobbies we've picked up still remain firmly within our grip. One major quarantine activity that many people picked up during the lock-down was baking and cooking. Creating delectable delights (or attempting to) based on family recipes, professional recipes, and others that you can find on the internet has never been so popular.

As with all new skills, the initial phases often come with laughable failures, but practice makes perfect. And if you really want to take your cooking skills to the next level, you should keep these clever tips in mind. They will not only help make sure your meal comes out tasty, but they can also help reduce your clean-up time! 

 

1. A little sugar goes a long way  

If you’re making a dish heavy in spices and tomato sauce like Chili or spaghetti, the acidity content will likely be high. Just adding a teaspoon of sugar will drastically reduce the acidity of your dish. 

 

2. Use all the broccoli

When you’re making a dish that uses broccoli, the common method of making use of it is to cut off the stalks and leave the stem. But the stem is equally delicious and nutritious. Just cut it up into smaller pieces and toss it into the pan. 

 

3. Baking with recipes

If you’re baking, recipes are the law. Of course, you can experiment and try new things, but following the recipe can help you avoid disasters like sunken souffle and burnt bread. 

 

4. Cooking with recipes

Unlike baking, which is heavily based on a formula to ensure the consistency of your baked goods, cooking doesn’t need as much precision. You can use recipes like road maps and tweak them to your flavor preference. 

 

5. When the blade falls

Any chef will tell you, a knife that’s falling is a knife without a handle. If the knife slips out of your hand, you and everyone in the vicinity should take a step back away from the drop zone and let it fall before you pick it up. You’re much more likely to cut yourself trying to catch it mid-air. 

 

6. Try scissors instead!

Any fan of street food has probably seen chefs cutting meat with scissors. This actually makes the cuts cleaner, leaves less of a mess, and it’s quick! Many types of meat, vegetables, and dough can be cut with scissors, and it’s also an easy way to cut the crust off a slice of pizza. 

 

7. Electric or gas stove?

It's not so much a question of which is better, it’s about keeping in mind the temperatures. Most electric stoves run hotter than gas stoves, so a high setting in an electric stove will burn your dish while the same setting on a gas stove will sear your dish quite nicely.

8. Salting is an art

Depending on what you’re making, the time at which you add salt can drastically change the flavor of your dish. Check existing recipes just to learn whether the dish requires salt to be added early or later into the process of making your dish. Also, avoid adding salt to the pan directly from the container or a spoon. Let it go from your hand to the pan in small measured amounts. 

 

9. No salt? No problem!

In case you run out of salt on one frightful and unexpected occasion, don’t panic. Fish sauce or soy sauce can both work well to add saltiness to your dish and also give it an umami flavor. Since the flavor is concentrated in both sauces, a small amount is enough which will also reduce the sodium content of your dish. 

 

10. Scraping with knives

After chopping vegetables, the easiest way to gets every bit of your chopped veggies from the chopping board into your pot is by scraping them into the pot using the back of your knife. Never use the sharp end of the blade as it will make the blade dull.

11. Frying with olive oil

It’s not advisable to fry items with olive oil, though it can handle relatively high temperatures. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a very low smoke point so it cannot be used for frying or heated too much. Too much heat will cause Extra Virgin Olive Oil to break down. 

 

12. Pasta perfection

Making pasta is relatively simple. You boil the pasta, strain it, and add it to a delicious homemade sauce. The next time you’re making pasta, add a little bit of the pasta water used for boiling the pasta to the sauce before mixing it. This will ensure that, when you mix it, the sauce sticks to the pasta better and enhances the flavor. 

 

13. Heat the pan

Whatever you're planning to cook on the stove, from pancakes to chili, here’s one rule you should always remember: never put any ingredients in a cold pan. Put the pan on the stove to heat while you prep the ingredients. Always start cooking your dish on a hot pan.

14. Keep your towel close

A towel is your best friend in the kitchen, for quickly drying wet utensils or cleaning surfaces when needed. To make sure you can keep your hand towel handy, simply slip it through a belt or tuck it either between your belt and pants or into the inner lining of your pants. This will ensure it’s close to you in case of any spill or emergency.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

The Down & Dirty on Supplies

Brush up on the powers—and limitations—of your cleaning staples.

Vinegar

Does: Sanitize.

Yeah, the stuff you use for salad dressing is also great at slashing bacteria. “You can go a long way toward reducing organisms by rubbing a surface with distilled white vinegar and water,” says a clinical professor of microbiology and pathology.

Doesn’t: Disinfect.

To disinfect, an ingredient must kill nearly all the microbes on a surface, which vinegar does not do. It’s strongest (and, unfortunately, smelliest) in its undiluted form, says a microbiologist. The more water you add, the less effective it becomes.

Good to know:
You can use a vinegar-and-water solution on some kitchen and bathroom countertops, on glass, and in the washing machine, but avoid using it on marble, granite, stone, and wood, because the acidity can damage the surface. To lift stuck-on grime, add baking soda to your vinegar solution and watch it bubble up.

Essential Oils

Do: Make DIY cleaners smell great.

“Essential oils help vinegar-based cleaning solutions become a bit more pleasant, especially if you’re new to green cleaning,” says a cleaning expert. Choose oils labeled “100 percent pure”, she adds, to make sure they don’t contain unnecessary additives.

Don’t: Always sanitize or disinfect. Studies have shown that clove and cinnamon essential oils may possess antibacterial properties, but they’re not powerful enough to be the only sanitizing agent in DIY cleaning solutions. If you’re looking for an essential-oil-based product that can serve as a natural disinfectant (and not just a sanitizer), go for one with thyme oil as the active ingredient, Tierno suggests.

Good to know:
If you want to keep your cleaning routine completely au naturel, remove the very top layer (avoiding the pith) from an orange or lemon with a vegetable peeler. Add it to your spray bottle of vinegar water for a pleasant aroma.

Credit: Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh

Chlorine Bleach

Does: Disinfect.

No DIY solution disinfects quite as well as bleach, and even some experts who clean mostly green have it on hand. “Under my sink right now, you’ll find baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, and a bottle of bleach,” says an expert. To properly disinfect surfaces after you or a housemate gets sick, use one-third cup of bleach per gallon of water. To disinfect after handling raw meat, use one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.

Doesn’t: Immediately result in environmental catastrophe—at least with careful, every-once-in-a-while household use. Bleach can be harmful in high concentrations, but a bit of bleach diluted with water going down your drain is acceptable.

Good to know:
Nonchlorine bleach is gentler than chlorine bleach (it uses hydrogen peroxide to lift stains from clothing). However, there are no nonchlorine bleach products registered as disinfectants with the environmentalists.

Steam

Does: Sanitize without the use of chemicals.

Superheated vapor is the ultimate green cleaner because it’s just water, says Donna Smallin Kuper, a certified housecleaning technician. It can significantly reduce bacteria (the high temps essentially incinerate them), and the hot moisture loosens embedded dirt and grime, letting you use less elbow grease.

Doesn’t: Work everywhere.

On painted surfaces, like walls and furniture, steam can cause peeling. On certain other surfaces, like brick, marble, and wood, it can lead to buckling or warping.

Good to know:
You can sanitize floor tiles with a steam mop.  Allergy sufferers may benefit from steam cleaning, as the process helps kill dust mites.

Microfiber Cloths

Do: Clean better than paper towels or cotton rags.

As the name implies, microfiber cloths are made up of teeny-tiny synthetic fibers, each of which helps pick up more debris than that wad of paper towels. They can also leave windows streak-free, whereas cotton rags may deposit lint.

Don’t: Biodegrade.

When you wash them, they can shed microscopic strands of plastic that end up in our waterways. Consider installing a Filtrol in your washing machine to catch those fibers and minimize pollution from all your laundry.

Good to know:
Cotton cleaning cloths and cellulose-cotton Swedish dishcloths are sustainable and biodegradable (when they eventually wear out).

Credit: Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh

Disposable Wipes

Do: Disinfect when you’re in a pinch.

(We agree: Keeping a tub of these in your car is incredibly convenient.)

Don’t: Decompose.

Most cleaning wipes are not bio-degradable and can clog up sewer systems. In 2017, an 820-foot-long “fatberg,” or huge mass of solid waste containing sanitary products (like wipes) and cooking grease, was discovered in a London sewer.

Good to know:
A reusable cloth without disinfectant is a fine option for routine cleaning, according to the environmentalist.

Triclosan

Does: Kill microbes.

For decades, it’s been a popular additive to products like soap and toothpaste.

Doesn’t: Keep you safe from all dangerous strains of bacteria.

A few studies have suggested that when exposed to triclosan, bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. Triclosan was banned by the FDA, but only from certain soaps.

Good to know:
The FDA requires manufacturers to list ingredients. Companies like Procter & Gamble and SC Johnson post ingredients online. Rapinchuk suggests also researching items on third-party sites (such as ewg.org) or apps (Think Dirty, Shop Clean). Products with the Green Seal, Greenguard, or EPA’s SaferChoice logo have been certified safer for people and the planet.

Waste Less

In addition to cutting back on wipes, focus on the number of packaged cleaners you own and what you can live without or DIY instead. Consider using up what you have, even if it’s not a product you’d purchase again, then thoroughly clean spray bottles and fill them with your homemade solutions, suggests cleaning expert Melissa Maker. If you want to immediately get rid of the packaged goods, ask a friend or neighbor if they would like to finish them. Recycle whatever you can—check with your local recycling program on how to handle different types of plastics or aerosols.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

 

12 Ways You Didn't Know You Could Use Paper Towels

I use paper towels all the time, just as I'm sure most of us do, but I've never really given a second thought to just how versatile they can be. It turns out that there's plenty you can do with a few humble paper towels! Take a look at these handy tips: 

1. De-Moisturize Frozen Bread

This one’s easy – just put a paper towel in a bag with a loaf of bread before freezing it to eat later. When you take it out again and leave it to defrost, the paper towel will absorb all the moisture that’s produced as it thaws.  

 

2. De-Grease Your Sewing Machine

Don’t fret if you’ve just oiled your sewing machine – use this trick to continue with what you were working on in no time at all. Take a paper towel and thread your sewing machine with it. Stitch a series of lines onto it to remove any residual grease from the oiling.

 

3. Check Whether You Can Use Old Seeds

Wondering if you can plant that old packet of seeds you just came across in the shed? Here’s how - dampen two paper towels and place a few seeds on them. Cover the seeds with two dampened paper towels. Keep the paper towels damp for the next two weeks, and if most of the seeds sprout, you can plant the rest of the packet.  

 

4. Take Gunk off a Can Opener

The gunk that builds up over time on your can opener’s cutting wheels definitely shouldn’t be touching your food. Open your can opener’s handles, place a paper towel between its wheels, close it again turn the crank to watch all the gunk come off onto the paper towel.  

 

5. As An Emergency Coffee Filter

Have you ever been in need of a caffeine fix without a coffee filter to hand? Take a paper towel, place it in your cone coffee-shaped filter and fold it as required. Next, cut away the part of the paper towel that extends above the filter’s rim to ensure the filter canister closes properly and filter your coffee.  

 

6. De-Moisturize Brown Sugar

Brown sugar naturally has a high moisture content, and this means it can start to stick together if it isn’t used up quickly, turning into hard-to-use clumps. Put your brown sugar into a bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel. Leave it to stand overnight and you’ll be able to break it up and use it again in the morning.

7. Keep Cast Iron Pots Rust-Free

Cast iron pans are expensive, and they require some tender loving care. After use, wipe them down with paper towels to remove oil and food, and consider storing them interleaved with paper towels if you're not hanging them up, ensuring the absence of rust. If you need to wash a cast iron pan to remove caked-on food messes, make sure to dry it on the stove and when you're done, rub it with  a paper towel dipped in fat to keep the pan in good condition.  

 

8. Remove Wax Stains

Don’t worry if you've spilled wax on a precious piece of furniture or had a grandchild scribbling on your freshly-painted walls – a paper towel will fix it. Place one over the wax stain and iron over it with a clothes iron on a low setting. The wax will be absorbed, removing the stain.

9. Do Some Composting

The carbon contained in paper towels makes them great for including in the “brown” layer of your compost management system. Turn your paper towels to compost once you’ve used them to add air to your compost. This encourages microorganisms to grow, making it healthy and beautiful.  

 

10. Cook Mess-Free Bacon

Place two paper towels on the bottom of your microwave. Lay slices of bacon on them and cover with another two paper towels. Set your microwave power to High and cook the bacon for one minute at a time. It should be nice and crisp after the fourth minute. Throw away the paper towels and serve!

11. Line Your Refrigerator to Keep Your Veggies Fresh

It’s really awful finding rotting vegetables at the bottom of your refrigerator, but paper towels will remedy that too. Keep them fresh for long enough to eat by lining your refrigerator’s vegetable compartments to absorb their moisture and prevent them from rotting.

12. Remove Grease from Soups

Make sure you only get the best from your soup with this handy trick. Place a pot in your sink, and then place a colander in it. Line the colander with a paper towel and pour your soup through it into the pot. Any fat residue will remain in the paper towel, leaving you with lean, healthy soup.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement