Recipes from Pat, poet and writer

Most of you know I have chemical sensitivity which means I can't use products with petro-chemicals or fragrances. Pat Daharsh , a regular reader and an award winning poet and writer, sent me a long list of non-chemical cleaning recipes and uses for simple safe items we have in our kitchens. I am sharing a few here today. Some of you might have tried these already. I plan to print this list and keep it handy. If you have tried one of these, let us know

Hair Dryer as Sticker Remover - A little hot air quickly loosens price labels—with zero fingernail-chipping frustration.

Mustard Powder as Jar Deodorizer - Deodorize smelly glass jars by washing them with a mixture of one teaspoon powdered mustard and one quart warm water.

Onion as Basement Deodorizer - Clear the air in a dank basement. Cut an onion in half, place it on a plate, and leave it out overnight. Once the initial salad-bar aroma dissipates, you'll have a fresh (non-oniony) atmosphere.

Rubber Glove as Pet Hair Remover - Put on a damp rubber dishwashing glove and run your hand over hair-covered upholstery—the hair will cling to the glove, not the sofa. Rinse off the glove in the sink (with the drain catcher in place, of course).

Vanilla as Freezer Freshener - Trade frostbite funk for a more pleasing freezer scent and wipe the inside of the icebox with an extract-dampened cotton pad.

Vinegar as Garbage Disposal Deodorizer - Deodorize a garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain.

Coffee Filter as Screen Cleaner - For lint-free viewing, grab a coffee filter to wipe down dusty and staticky computer monitors and TV screens regularly.

Club Soda as Stainless Steel Polisher - Shine stainless-steel cookware and fixtures. Buff scuffs with a soda-dampened cloth, then wipe dry.

Coffee Filter as Mirror Cleaner - Get a streak–free shine by using a coffee filter to buff a mirror or window.

White Bread as Painting Cleaner - To clean an oil painting, softly rub a piece of white bread over it to remove dust or dirt.

Candy cooking disaster

While reading Sam Hoffer's blog, http://www.carolinakitchen.blogspot.com/ I remembered a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law, Helen Beall, when I was a young greenhorn wife and cook.

One Christmas she served her home-made chocolate candy. It was the best I'd ever tasted. I had to have the recipe. Helen didn't write it down, but said it was so easy she would tell me how to make it.

"The first thing you do is boil a can of sweetened condensed milk for three hours. Don't let the water boil out and keep the can covered in boiling water at all times." That seemed a peculiar way to make candy, but I was sure I could do that easy enough.

"Second, you chop a cup of pecans very fine. Melt a 16 oz bag of chocolate chips along with a stick of parrafin in a double boiler.

When the milk has cooked, take it out of the water and let it cool.
Dip out one teaspoon of the cooked milk, roll it in the chopped pecans, dip into the melted chocolate and let cool on waxed paper."


On a Sunday afternoon in November just before Thanksgiving while Barry watched football on TV upstairs, I put the can of condensed milk on the stove to boil. I checked my watch and went upstairs to join Barry. Since I am not a big football fan, before long I had fallen asleep on the sofa.


I was awakened by a strange odor. I knew immediately what it was. I jumped up and scooted downstairs to the kitchen. Just as I reached the door, an explosion from the stove sent sticky bits of candied sugared milk flying into every crevice of the cabinets and all over the ceiling, the walls and floor.
I had not kept the can of milk covered with water. The water had boiled away while I slept. How could such a small can of milk make such a mess? For the next three hours I cleaned my kitchen. For weeks afterward, I continued to find sticky stuff in places I'd not have been able to put it in , even if I had tried.

That was the worst cooking mistake I've ever made and the most embarrassing one.


I didn't attempt that recipe for a long time. When I finally tried once again to make the candy, I followed directions and watched the pot. My candy came out melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and not a speck of it was on the ceiling.