RV TIP - Cheap Awning Lock

It's a $3 gate latch from the local hardware store. With the extended latch pin positioned in the end-cap hole, drill four holes in the awning arm and mount the latch with four 1⁄8 × 1⁄2-inch screws. When the latch is in the closed position, the awning roller can’t turn, so the awning stays tightly shut. A short twist-tie prevents the latch from opening accidentally.  I got this idea from the Good Sam RV Club blog, originally submitted by Vern Dalke of La Mirada, California, on June 1, 2014.

Seasoning Cast Iron the CORRECT Way

It does matter what oil you use. So what is it? Here are some hints: What oil do artists mix with pigment for a high quality oil paint that dries hard and glassy on the canvas? What oil is commonly used by woodturners to give their sculptures a protective, soft-sheen finish? It's the same oil. Now what is the food-grade equivalent of this oil?

The oil used by artists and wood turners is linseed oil. The food-grade equivalent is called flaxseed oil. This oil is ideal for seasoning cast iron for the same reason it's an ideal base for oil paint and wood finishes. It's a "drying oil", which means it can transform into a hard, tough film. This doesn't happen through "drying" in the sense of losing moisture through evaporation. The term is actually a misnomer. The transformation is through a chemical process called "polymerization".

Go to your local health food store or organic grocery and buy a bottle of flaxseed oil. It's sold as an omega-3 supplement and it's in the refrigeration section because it goes rancid so easily. Check the expiration date to make sure it's not already rancid. Buy an organic flaxseed oil. You don't want to burn toxic chemicals into your cookware to leach out forever more. It's a fairly expensive oil. I paid $17 for a 17 ounce bottle of cold-pressed, unrefined, organic flaxseed oil. As it says on the bottle, shake it before you use it.

Strip your pan down to the iron using proper techniques. Heat the pan in a 200°F oven to be sure it's bone dry and to open the pores of the iron a little. Then put it on a paper towel, pour a little flaxseed oil on it (don't forget to shake the bottle), and rub the oil all over the pan with your hands, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. Your hands and the pan will be nice and oily.

Now rub it all off. Yup - all. All. Rub it off with paper towels or a cotton cloth until it looks like there is nothing left on the surface. There actually is oil left on the surface, it's just very thin. The pan should look dry, not glistening with oil. Put the pan upside down in a cold oven. Most instructions say to put aluminum foil under it to catch any drips, but if your oil coating is as thin as it should be, there won't be any drips.

Turn the oven to a baking temperature of 500°F (or as high as your oven goes - mine only goes to 450°F) and let the pan preheat with the oven. When it reaches temperature, set the timer for an hour. After an hour, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Let it cool off with the pan inside for two hours, at which point it's cool enough to handle.

The pan will come out of the oven a little darker, but matte in texture - not the semi-gloss you're aiming for. It needs more coats. In fact, it needs at least six coats. So again rub on the oil, wipe it off, put it in the cold oven, let it preheat, bake for an hour, and let it cool in the oven for two hours. At that point it starts to develop a bit of a sheen and the pan is ready for use.

Natural Fruit and Vegetable Wash

ALL NATURAL ALL FRUIT HOMEMADE POPSICLES

ALL NATURAL ALL FRUIT HOMEMADE POPSICLES
 

3 cups watermelon puree (about 1/4 to 1/2 a watermelon)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 peach or nectarine, diced small
Handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Make sure to wash all the fruit you will be using before you begin.  If you have other fresh fruit, feel free to substitute what you prefer/have on hand to the ones listed in the ingredients.

Cut the watermelon into chunks (be sure to get all the seeds out) and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit.  Pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out. Enjoy!

Make Your Own Flavored Coffee Syrups

Do you like the flavored coffee syrups at your favorite coffee shop?  This is how to make your own flavored coffee syrups that you can use at home and save some money.

VANILLA SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar, brown or white

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (the clear kind is better here)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small pot, heat your water and sugar over low/medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Now stir in your vanilla extract and pour into your dispenser.  You can experiment with other extract flavorings.

RASPBERRY SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar, brown or white

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

In a small pot heat, your water and sugar over low/medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Mash up the raspberries a little and then stir them in with the syrup, allow this to mingle for 3-5 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer to filter out any large raspberry pieces and seeds. Then pour into your dispenser.  You can experiment with your favorite fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, etc.

CARAMEL SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar, brown or white

1/2 cup caramel syrup

DIRECTIONS:

In a small pot, heat your water and sugar over low/medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in caramel until well combined and pour into your dispenser.

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Label the syrups.  You can add decorative labels or ribbons to these for gifting. You can wrap a piece of craft paper (labeled and decorated any way you like) around the bottle(s).  These do not need to be refrigerated.  The shelf life value is unknown by me at this point.

Adding a CONTACT ME widget/gadget to your blogspot

This is  what to do if you are interested in adding a contact button to your blogspot page.


From the dashboard, choose the layout option.


Click Add a Gadget


Choose Picture


Type in your title (example:  Contact me via e-mail)


In the Link box type:  mailto:youremailaddress@wherever.com


Load your chosen image and save


Go back to your layout page and move your gadget wherever you want it and then save.  This will allow others to send you an e-mail directly from your blog.

Singer's "Tea"

SINGER’S “TEA”

INGREDIENTS:

1 ginger root (4-6 inches long)
6 ounces apple juice concentrate
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:

Chop the ginger root in 1/4 inch slices using approximately 4-6 inches of the root. Add enough water to cover the slices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes.

Add cayenne, honey, lemon juice, and apple juice concentrate, using relative amounts to suit your taste.

You can use Singer's Tea to warm and soothe the throat, to cut through mucus, and to stimulate the circulation in the vocal tract.

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I have also seen this same recipe with a couple of different ingredients:

1 fresh ginger root (4-6 inches)
2 cups water
1 caffeine free tea bag
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Fresh lemon
1/4 tsp. Cayenne
1/3 cup honey