For crunchier coleslaw, cut a cabbage in half and soak it in salted water for an hour. Drain well and use.

If cookie dough gets gluey, resist the impulse to add extra flour – doing so will make your cookies tough. Instead, cool the dough in the fridge until it becomes firm, or roll it out between 2 pieces of waxed or parchment paper.

Pat Clement sent in this helpful tip:

I was burned with hot butter over most of my hand. I immediately cut a russet potato in slices, placed them over the burn and wrapped my hand with a kitchen towel. The starch in the potato stopped most of the blistering and eased the pain.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

There are a number of options to freezing garlic:

1. Peel and chop cloves or leave them whole. Pack them into suitable containers, seal, label and freeze. Grate or break off pieces to use as needed.

2. Leave head unpeeled. Pack in suitable containers, seal, label and freeze. Peel off cloves as needed.

3. Peel and chop cloves or leave them whole. Lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze. Transfer frozen garlic to suitable container, seal, label and freeze.

4. Garlic in Oil: This method preserves the flavour of garlic the best. However, it needs to be used immediately when removed from freezer. It should not be stored in the refrigerator (for more than one week) or at room temperature where it can support the growth of Clostridium Botulinum. To prepare, peel cloves. Make a puree with oil in a food processor (1 part garlic to 2 parts oil). Pack in suitable containers, seal, label and store in freezer. Puree will stay soft enough to scoop out as needed for sautéing. You can also leave cloves whole and pour oil over them instead of creating a puree.

Important Notes:

To store chopped garlic for longer periods of time in the fridge, the garlic should be soaked in strong vinegar.

You can store whole bulbs for up to two months in terra-cotta storage jars. If any garlic has started to sprout, discard the green sprouty bits, as they will taste bitter. If the garlic has gone dry and spongy, discard it.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

• A great way to recycle egg shells is to put them in the bottom of plant pots as a substitute for rocks. Egg shells are much lighter than stones and carry plenty of nutrients for plants

• Position crushed egg shells on the ground surface of new plant stems such as peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage. Doing this deters slugs and cutworms

• Lastly, instead of throwing out egg shells, lay them in the soil near tomatoes. Calcium is great for tomatoes; the extra calcium helps prevent blossom end rot

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Reena’s Tips for Leftover Hair Conditioner!

• Work hair conditioner onto hands before changing the oil in your car. Makes cleanup easy and skin nice and soft
• Apply hair conditioner to garden tools to prevent rusting
• Use hair conditioner on dogs, horse’s manes or other pets to make fur soft
• Use hair conditioner on skin to remove tight rings
• Before hair dyeing, smooth hair conditioner around hairline and ears to keep the colour from staining skin
• Use hair conditioner as make-up remover
• Rinse nylons with hair conditioner to zap static cling
• Soak feet in conditioner and warm water to soften nails, cuticles, corns and calluses

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Juice from canned peaches, apricots or pears may be mixed with melted butter and lemon juice and used as a yummy baste for broiled chicken.

The most important factors contributing to perfectly fried chicken are the temperature of the oil and the actual step of frying. Vegetable shortening, lard, and peanut oil are all popular frying mediums as they have a high smoke point.

To get truly golden-brown and crispy chicken, you’ll need a cast iron skillet, which cannot be beat when it comes to even heat distribution and temperature maintenance.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Sure, everyone knows that olive oil is great for the heart. And yes, it even possesses some inhibiting properties for certain cancers. But if you think its health benefits stop there, then you have to click on to see what else this Mediterranean liquid wonder can do.

Olive Oil Use #1

Makeup removers today contain a plethora of chemicals to rid your face of makeup made of well, a plethora of chemicals! But since consumers are not about to stop buying their favourite lipstick or eyeshadow, and aren’t about to learn how to make ‘em themselves, the next best thing is to have a natural alternative to those skin-unfriendly cleansers.

Why not try some olive oil! Simply remove the makeup by applying some olive oil to your skin and then wiping it away with a soft cloth. This is perfect for those of us who wear the occasional powder or mascara and can’t justify shelling the money on a bottle of makeup remover that’ll spend the rest of its life gathering dust.

Olive Oil Use #2

Not only does olive oil serve as a great natural makeup remover, it’s also great for your skin! Make your own night lotion by combining the following ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil
1/8 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of water

The oil softens and moisturizes your skin, while the vinegar lightens discolorations, kills bacteria and loosens dead skin. Dampen face before use.

This formula may take some getting used to, but we’re creatures of habit and once we make it part of our routine, it won’t feel so unusual anymore. Think of all the money you’ll save!

Olive Oil Use #3

What else requires a lot of moisturizing? Your heels! Now that sandal season’s upon us, we’ve gotta take care of those unsightly callouses before hitting the beach.

So before hopping into bed, apply a small amount of olive oil to your feet to soften those heels and toes. Slip on a pair of socks and before long, you’ll be able to flaunt your feet in those new espadrilles that you’ve been dying to wear.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

With bikini season looming, who isn’t trying to shed those extra pounds before everyone starts baring skin! To that end, Reena’s got a couple of belly trimming tips.

Substitute up to one-third of the total butter or oil in a cookie or cake recipe (light-coloured batters) with apple sauce, pureed pumpkin or sweet potato. And if you’re making a chocolate dessert, substitute with pureed prunes.

Substitute the mayonnaise in tuna, egg, pasta and chicken salads with pureed, seasoned tofu or plain low-fat yogurt, and seasonings. Keep in mind that although you may cringe at the thought of tofu, it really has no flavour of its own and picks up the flavour of whatever you add it to.

The difference in taste will be negligible if you apply these simple substitution solutions, but your party guests will sure see the difference in how those short shorts fit on you!

Taste is everything, so to punch up your dishes, toast your nuts to enhance their flavour: Bake them at 350°F in a shallow pan, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. And for spices and seeds, briefly toast them in a hot skillet and stir until fragrant. They make great additions to salads and casseroles.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Yesterday, my daughter got gum in her hair, and I was dreading the ‘peanut butter’ treatment! Rather than use ice, or cut her hair, I took the section of hair that was full of gum and put a paper towel behind it, then sprayed it thoroughly with Pam cooking spray. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and was able to comb all of the gum out. A quick hair shampoo, and problem solved! The paper towel was used to help catch the spray from soaking into the rest of her hair. Take care, Tina.

Was interested in your column about using leftover rice. Sometimes I make rice pudding – place rice in bowl, add 1-2 cups of low fat Cool Whip, rinse half to 1 cup of raisins and add about 2-3 tsp of cinnamon. Mix well and cool in fridge until needed. It is delicious. This recipe would be good for about 2 cups of rice. Love your books and always read your column! Gail.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Do you ever have trouble telling whether the eggs in your fridge are raw or hard-boiled? There’s a very simple test you can do to find out.

Because blinds are such a pain to clean, most of us just ignore it. At some point though, the layer of dust becomes so thick it’s just unhealthy. We can’t promise an easy (or less time-consuming) solution, but we do have a tip that’ll help keep the dust from gathering on your blinds.

And for our final tip of the week, we are addressing a reader’s question:

Hi! I have a trailer in Florida and have a big problem with musty smells. It’s mostly inside closets, drawers, and cupboards. As long as I have windows opened and all cupboard doors closed I can’t smell it. I tried many things – even varnished the inside of the cupboards – but the smell is still there. I heard of Ozone machines. I asked about it and they say I would have to be out of the building for at least 24 hours or more. And it’s costly. Do you know if this works? I really hate this musty smell. It goes into clothes and everything. I would appreciate your help.

Thank you so much, Denise.

Click on for the details!

The Spin on Eggs

Here’s an easy way to tell if the eggs in your fridge have been hard-boiled:

Simply give the egg a spin on a firm surface. If cooked, it will continue to spin; if not, it may make one or two wobbly turns and promptly stop.

The reason? The liquid inside an uncooked egg (as in a glass of water) will not pick up momentum. However, the solid inside of a cooked egg will (as would frozen water).

Dust-Free Blinds

Slip your hands into a pair of old socks for cleaning the mini blinds. Dip one hand into a bucket of warm, soapy water and hold the blinds between your two hands. Rub back and forth until you’ve cleaned the whole surface. Then reverse sides so the dry sock dries the blinds.

Wipe mini blinds with damp fabric softener sheets to eliminate static that collects dust!

Odour-Busting Ozone

Dear Denise,

An ozone machine is often used after fires or floods to get rid of horrible odours. I have researched this contraption and although it is not recommended as a regular treatment by the Lung Association, they also said that under extreme circumstances and as long as the building is vacant, they have not found any problems with the machine.

We know that oxygen is O2. Well, an ozone machine is O3 – the third oxygen molecule is released into the air and zaps all of the unwanted odours, leaving the building or automobile smelling odour free. If you do decide to rent the machine, please keep me posted on the outcome.

All the best! Reena

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.

Freshly baked home-made cookies anytime. There’s a healthier alternative to the dough boy’s usual offerings.

Notice how you always get too much rice when you order Chinese takeout? We’ll tell you why you should keep it!

While we’re on the subject of not letting food go to waste, there’s also a great way of using that pizza crust that everyone leaves behind.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

These may not come out as perfect and pretty as the store-bought variety, but at least you’ll know what you’re putting in your body and they’ll taste just as great if not better.

Being one of the easiest and quickest treats to make, everyone mixes up a batch of cookies every once in a while so while you’re at it, might as well double or triple the recipe and freeze some pre-shaped cookie dough. Virtually any drop cookie can be easily frozen in its dough state to bake at a later time.

Simply line a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap (make sure that the pan fits flat in your freezer), scoop out your dough into balls with a cookie scoop and place each ball side by side on the jelly roll pan. Fit as many as you can tightly together. When the pan is full, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it flat in your freezer. When the cookie dough balls are completely frozen, lift up on the bottom layer of plastic wrap to release the balls individually and place them in a zippered plastic freezer bag and return to freezer. Now you won’t even have to to go the store the next time you have a craving for this guilty pleasure.

Everything’s Nice When You Add Rice

Leftover rice will keep for days and is perfect for making fried rice. This has got to be one of the most versatile dishes available for someone who hates the hassle of cooking. You can toss in pretty much anything you might have left over in your fridge…some peppers? the chicken you couldn’t finish from last night’s dinner? throw in an egg, sprinkle a dash of salt or soy sauce and you have a very quick one pot meal!

The rice must be cold before storing it in the refrigerator. For best results, wait a couple of days before making fried rice. To reheat rice, line a vegetable steamer with a coffee filter and warm over boiling water. (This tip can be found in Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets).

Waste Not, Want Not

You order pizza and the kids gobble up every bite…all except for the crusts that is. What can you do with leftover pizza crusts? Cut the crusts into small pieces and add them to soups like Mexican tortilla soup or tomato soup. Store crusts in the freezer and use as needed.

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.”

To learn more about Reena, click here.