Use nine: Try softening brushes that are hardened with old, dried-in paint by boiling them in vinegar and let them stand for one hour. Then heat the vinegar and brushes come to a gentle boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Rinse well, working the softened paint out of the bristles. For extremely heavy paint encrustations, you may need to repeat the process...or head to the hardware store.

Use ten: A little vinegar and salt added to the water you wash leafy green vegetables will float out bugs and kill germs.

Use eleven: Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar. The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.

Use twelve: Clean and freshen the garbage disposal by running a tray of ice cubes, with 1/2 cup of vinegar poured over them, through it once a week.

Use thirteen: In a pinch, you can use equal parts of lemon juice and vinegar to clean brass and copper. On difficult areas add a little salt to the mix for some abrasive action.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

131. Oh, Lavender, Oh, Lavender!

Saturday found me under the spell of Cabin Fever.  It comes on unexpectedly sometimes, but this time I just needed to get out and about and try to get beyond the sadness.  Sometimes just having the fresh air and maybe a little breeze blowing can work wonders for the spirit.  

Paso Robles is a small town about an hour and a half north of our door step and they were celebrating lavender in the little park in the center of town.  Lots of trees and only about 80 degrees with that little breeze and it was just the ticket.  Our friend, Polly, has a birthday in few days and we thought, who knows maybe something will fill the bill.  We found it!  Around the first corner we spied it.  It's perfect!  I'm obliged to keep it a secret...Shhhhh...just in case she is reading this.  I'll post a picture later.

Our friends, Will and Chris, you know, the olive oil people, have another new endeavor, "Bella Pops!"
Chris tells us that the Popsicle is going to be the next "Cupcake."   Chris even attended a big workshop in Florida where she learned the ins and outs of the Popsicle industry.  She had been making them for friends and family just for fun for years, so all she needed was the know how to kick it up a notch and go big.  Fancy freezers and wrappers, secrets and recipes, for Chris, all organic, of course.  Flavors like Ginger Lemon, and Very Berry are so tempting on a hot day.  Their energy level is to be admired  as if tending the olive oil business and having weddings all summer long weren't enough!  They were in attendance at the festival, not that we were surprised to see them, they seem to be everywhere.  Go, Bella Pops!

The drive home was pleasant and we finished a book we have been reading.  It was written by an old school chum, William Wallace (Bill to us) about his grade school years.  The Ghosts of Gordon Street.  It was a page turner!  We thoroughly enjoyed it and hope he gets the kudos he deserves.

I have to admit that I didn't buy a single thing that had to do with lavender, but our friend Lisa said that her dish of lavender ice cream was lovely until the last bite and it tasted like she had eaten one of her grandmother's lavender scented hankies.  I got quite a chuckle out of that analogy!  Lavender, oh, lavender, how we love thee, but a little goes a long ways, particularly in ice cream!
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