Tricks & Tips:

  1. Did you Know that Bay leaves also keep weevils out of your flour, cornmeal, Bisquick and other cupboard products, and they deter ants, silverfish and a whole horde of other insects. totally safe to keep around food, and they cost a lot less money.Simply tape fresh bay leaves inside cabinets or under appliances to ward off insect invasions. You can also stick the leaves themselves into your canisters or bags of flour, cornmeal, etc. The flavor and scent of the leaves won’t leech into your dried goods, so don’t worry about that. The scent will, however, drive bugs crazy and keep them far away from your pantry.
  2. Did you know that bee pollen contains almost all of the nutrients required by the human body to thrive? That’s why the German Federal Board of Health has officially recognized it as a medicine.Bee pollen is wonderful for natural allergy relief and is responsible for the many health benefits of raw honey. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids and fatty acids, enzymes, carotenoids and bioflavonoids — making it an antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent that strengthens the capillaries, reduces inflammation, stimulates the immune system and lowers cholesterol levels naturally.
  3. You probably have a can of cinnamon in your pantry. Use it to repel ants from your home. They dislike it for two reasons; it’s a powder and they don’t care for the feel of it in their mandibles, and they dislike the spice odor. Shake plain cinnamon (not cinnamon-and-sugar) into cracks and crevices and ants will not cross the spice. You can also purchase cinnamon oil and, as with the peppermint oil, douse a few cotton balls with it and place them all around your kitchen.
  4. Did you Know if  you Dilute a cup of vinegar in a gallon of water and pour the whole solution onto the roots of the plant. The solution, which settles around the roots, unlocks vital nutrients in the soil, feeding hibiscus plants. Although vinegar is mild enough that you don’t need to worry about wearing gloves, take care not to get the solution on leaves or flowers, which will die.

  5. How To Keep Berries Fresh

    • Once you bring your fresh berries home, the key to keeping it fresh is to kill any spores on the fruit.  The pH of vinegar does that job.
    • Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath:  1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water.
    • Let the berries sit in the vinegar-water bath, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.
    • Drain the berries in a colander and then thoroughly rinse the fruit (to remove any vinegar flavor).
    • Thicker skinned fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) can be dried in a salad spinner but delicate berries such as raspberries and blackberries should be dried on a towel, patting them with paper or cloth towels.
    • Store the washed and dried fruit in a sealed container that has been lined with paper towels — if using an air-tight container, leave the lid slightly open to avoid natural moisture build-up.