We have received lots of replies to questions.
Gaynor from Kapiti has a suggestion for Two-minute Mum from Wellington, who has a habit of leaving things on the stove for two minutes too long. The latest incident involved boiling milk and a stainless steel saucepan. The result was a pot with very stubborn burn marks.
Gaynor writes, “Re pots encrusted with burnt or hard caked food: I used to soak them over night in water until I discovered that covering the base of the pan with neat detergent, soon makes them easy to clean.”
Ampersand from the UK has two solutions for Two-minute Mum. The first is to “boil a few rhubarb leaves and let the stew cool before finding a good shiny result. It’s probably the oxalic acid released from the leaves that does the work. Repeat if necessary, but that is rarely required”.
The second suggestion is to “boil soap powder and water in the pot and let this cool. It’s not entirely money-free, but still cheap and effective.”
Kathleen from Tauranga has this solution to the two-minute problem. “Years ago I brought a egg timer, when I need to keep an eye on things in the oven etc I set it and the ring reminds me that it needs attention. I would not be without it – it’s the best kitchen item ever!”
Last week Warren asked, “Does anyone know how to kill aphids on a swan plant bush, without killing the caterpillars?” Raumati Ron has a simple – but squeamish – solution: “Use your thumb and finger to squash the little blighters. It is very cost effective and kills them soooo dead!”
Sarah from Hamilton asked, “Does anyone have any idea for vegetarian main meals that only cost about $4 per person to make?
Cassie from the Wairarapa has suggested recipes using lentils as a meat substitute. They are cheap and convenient. Google search lentil recipes and you will see how versatile they are for soups, salads, burgers, and more.
Billy from Whangarei writes, “Sarah from Hamilton might like to know that I’m a vegan who is spending about $9 a day on food – including a cafe brunch once a week – and eating very well. My dinners are usually a starch and some vegetables, and rarely exceed $4 – see vegansociety.org.nz for more specific details.” Indeed, the vegan society website does have lots of recipes and would be a good place to start.
Lorraine from Hamilton has lots of tips for frugal folk. “I used to buy a 1 litre carton of milk each week. Now I buy a 2 L container of milk fortnightly and freeze a litre. The simple approach saves $1.20. Not a lot of money but as food prices rise all the time, it helps.”
“Loose brushed/unwashed potatoes are 40c per kg cheaper than washed potatoes at my supermarket. I buy loose brushed potatoes once a fortnight but mostly eat brown rice now as it is about half the price of a potato per serve. I take the potatoes home, wash them all at once, dry them off and store them in a cardboard box ready to go.
“Non Perishables. I buy family packs and either break them down or store them. For example, toilet paper – instead of buying a 4-roll pack I’ll buy an 18-roll pack (saving $3.50 – or more if it’s on special) and so on.”
Lorraine also has a tip for Canola oil. She says it makes a good bicycle chain lubricant!
Rodney from Rotorua asks if anyone has any tips about removing oil stains off a tar seal drive way? If you can help, please let us know.
Also on cleaning questions, if you have any suggestions on how to remove black mold from grey silicone in a tiled shower please let us know so we can pass on your tip on to Warren from Tauranga.
Don’t forget to send us your tips and queries so we can share them with the oily rag community – you can do that via this website or by writing to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.