Substitute and Solve - Wanted: Recipes and sow bug solution

Dear Reena,

I read your solutions weekly and use many of your answers. Now that I have a granddaughter with a modern, "Easy Bake Oven", I would like to know if there are homemade recipes we can use. The commercial ones are very expensive.

Also, we have sow bugs in our house (which are very common in our area). I have heard that keeping moisture out of the basement really helps but is there any other solution to get rid of them? Thank-you, Jean

Dear Jean,

Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Mix: Stir together 6 tsp. flour, one quarter tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. cocoa, one quarter or less salt and 4 tsp. sugar. Add 6 tsp. milk and three quarter tsp. shortening. Pour into greased pans and bake according to instructions on the oven box. White Cake Mix: Follow same ingredients but substitute cocoa with two drops vanilla. Makes one cake.

As you mentioned, sow bugs are a real problem in places where moisture and humidity are high. To find out where sow bugs are entering, look near (or in) floor drains or nearby damp wood such as paneling or baseboards. Also, look underneath that cardboard box in the basement you haven’t moved in quite some time. Are you able to caulk openings and put in weather stripping wherever needed? A perimeter pesticide spray may help break the cycle for a short time but will not eliminate the problem permanently. Remember, if you don’t solve the moisture problem, the bugs will return no matter what chemicals you use, or how much you use them. You may reduce the populations by sprinkling a small amount of diatomaceous earth, boric acid or borax and icing sugar around the house and in cracks.Damp or wet mulch will encourage insects, especially if it is not kept below the level of the building siding or stucco. All pest control professionals will suggest keeping mulch levels low around foundations. Glue boards work quite well on catching sow bugs, but if you don’t address the cause, the problem won’t go away. Make sure that you are using a dehumidifier and lots of ventilation.

Dear Reena,

I need an easy way to bake moist cakes, they always seem to dry out very quickly. Love your blog, Joanne

Dear Joanne,

Substitute the milk or water in your cake batter recipe with buttermilk. If you don’t want to purchase buttermilk, simply make your own. Into a measuring cup pour 1 cup milk, the thicker the better. Add 1 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 mins. Change this recipe to suit the amount of milk or water called for in your recipe.

Dear Reena,

Whenever I bake a double layer cake, I make the batter and pour half of it into my pan. I then bake the cake and it turns out perfectly. Then I remove the cake from the pan and wash it. I pour the second portion of batter into the freshly washed pan and bake it. The second cake never turns out; it always looks like a lump of unrisen cake in my pan. What am I doing wrong? Sadie

Dear Sadie,

The answer will make sense to you as soon as you read this. Most delicious cake recipes call for a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda or self-rising flour (which contains baking powder). These ingredients contain carbon dioxide which is released when the batter is mixed, and air is incorporated into the batter (heat will also help the cake to rise). As the batter sits on your kitchen counter awaiting its turn to bake in the oven, the air bubbles relax and the chemical reaction is minimal during baking. To avoid this, either purchase two baking pans and bake them both at the same time. Or purchase a heating strip, wet it and wrap it around the pan. While your baking time will increase, a baking strip leaves you with an evenly shaped and nicely baked cake. If you decide to pour the entire contents of the batter into one cake pan, make sure that your pan is large enough to hold the amount. Fill the pan no more than half to two thirds with batter.

Extra Tip: Always make sure that your cake pan is properly greased and floured before adding batter. After the cake has baked, remove it from the oven. Tent the cake with foil (to hold in moisture). Leave for ten minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature until cool.

Dear Reena,

My family has an unusually high variety of allergies but we all have one thing in common, we love ice cream. We don’t have an ice cream maker but would appreciate so much if you could give me a delicious recipe for Chocolate Chip Mint ice cream? I would list our allergies but it would take too long however, we are not allergic to dairy products. Thanks, Meghan

Dear Meghan,

Homemade ice cream without a machine requires a bit of time to make because you need to stir it a few times during the freezing process, but like you implied, when you make it yourself you have a better idea of what is going into your body. Ice Cream Directions: Into a tall metal bowl mix: 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups 2 per cent milk, 1 cup sugar, one quarter tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 tsp. peppermint extract and 4 drops green food colouring.

Place mixture in the fridge for one hour and then into the freezer for 40 minutes. Remove and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Doing this will break up the ice crystals that have begun to form. Freeze for 40 minutes. Remove from freezer and stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips. Mix using an electric mixer. Freeze again for 40 minutes then beat with an electric mixer. Pour into a plastic container and seal with a lid. The more you beat and freeze, the smoother the ice cream. If you use an ice cream maker, this project takes about 20 minutes and the ice cream is really smooth. Final freezing time varies from freezer to freezer.

Hi Reena,

My mother, now long gone, who was a professional seamstress with the London Stage always cleaned the bottom of her iron by putting a small bit of dried soap (any kind) in a brown paper bag and ironing the bag with the iron turned on until the stain or whatever disappeared. It's worked for me, all my life. Cheers. Jo!

Fabulous Tips of the Week

~ Use a pant hanger with clips to hold your cookbook. Clip the book onto the hanger and hang it on your cupboard handle. Submitted by the wonderful Jan Cooper

~ Make back to school a little easier for young children. Hang a calendar in each of your children’s room with notes of extracurricular activities, homework schedules, music practice days and chores. Use stickers for children who have not learnt to read. Doing this will help your kids learn calendar dates and take responsibility for what to expect each day as you launch into a brand new routine.

~ White shoe polish won’t smear if you spray the shoe with hair spray after it is dry.

~ To keep your extension cords from getting tangled, insert them into an empty toilet paper roll to store.

I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming! Missed a column? Can’t remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new blog/website: reena.ca

Reena Nerbas is a rural Manitoba home economist is a lab coat - and she’s not afraid to use it. Keep your questions coming:

» householdsolutions@mts.net

(204) 320-2757

reena.ca

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 11, 2012