Holiday Tips

This is going to be a bit of a random post---hopefully with a few tips you can use for the holidays.

Back in the 1970's, I remember reading a cleaning article in one of the women's magazines of the day. It talked about the dirtiest "inch" in your kitchen. I've never forgotten it and periodically make sure to clean it.

The dirtiest inch in your kitchen is your can opener blade. It's one of those things that maybe you just don't think about cleaning. It can get pretty gunky. I just pop it out and let it soak in the sink full of sudsy water while I'm cleaning up. It's pretty easy to clean.

And don't forget about your toilet handle. I'd venture to say that's another thing you might not think about cleaning. 

We spend a lot of time putting together our holiday menus and the grocery list for all of the food supplies. But what about the spices? Now's a good time to check what you have on hand. There's nothing worse than getting in to a recipe only to find that you are out of some spice. As I was checking mine, I decided to take a look at this turmeric. It occurred to me that I have no idea what I've ever used this for. 

Upon closer inspection, the first thing I noticed was the name---Ann Page. Could that be from the A&P line of grocery stores we had in St. Louis? I don't even know if there are any more of those left. Considering I left St. Louis on January 1st, 1977, I'd say this is really OLD!!!

Yep, 53 cents---that's really old!! I tossed it. Now I'm sort of regretting that. It's almost an antique and I just threw it away.

While you are checking things to put on your grocery list, don't forget to check your wraps. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the middle of baking only to run out of parchment paper or waxed paper. Or on Christmas day, you are cleaning up and discover that  you have run out of Saran Wrap, aluminum foil or Ziplock bags. Check them now.

Lastly, don't forget to pick up a bag or two of ice. Maybe if you have a small family or just a few people for dinner, you won't need it. But for our gang, we always run out of ice. This year, I'm putting it on the list now.