LEMONS
Yeah, yeah, we all know; “Make lemonade”
But what if you’re not thirsty? What if it’s a cold day in March and really all you want is a cup of hot coffee? And what if your mother, best friend, grandmother, business associate, sent you a bag of lemons from Florida? Mmmmm why didn’t they send oranges or grapefruit? Oh well, what to do?
1. MENTAL HEALTH- (especially in February)
Lemon water can also prep up your mood and relieve you from depression and stress. Long distance walkers and world travelers as well as explorers look upon the lemon as a Godsend. When fatigue begins, a lemon is sucked through a hole in the top. Quick acting medicine it is, giving almost unbelievable refreshments.
2. COOKING CAULIFLOWER
Cauliflower tend to turn brown with even the slightest cooking. You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.
3. REFRESH CUTTING BOARDS
No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells! After all, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.
4. KEEP INSECTS OUT OF THE KITCHEN
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.
5. KEEP GUACAMOLE GREEN
You’ve been making guacamole all day long for the big party, and you don’t want it to turn brown on top before the guests arrive. The solution: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green. The flavor of the lemon juice is a natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. Make the fruit salad hours in advance too. Just squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, and they’ll stay snowy white.
6. CREATE BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS
For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week.
7. ALL AROUND MIRACLE MEDICINE
Lemon contains potassium which controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness. Lemon water can reduce phlegm; and can also help you breathe properly and aids a person suffering with asthma. Lemon is a diuretic – assists in the production of urine which helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism. Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. If salt water does not work for you, try lime and water for gargling.
8. MAKES SOGGY LETTUCE CRISP
Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.
9. GET RID OF TOUGH STAINS ON MARBLE
You probably think of marble as stone, but it is really petrified calcium (also known as old seashells). That explains why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. If washing won’t remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well.
10. SOOTHE POISON IVY RASH
You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time poison ivy comes a-creeping. Just apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.
Stay tuned for more helpful ways to use lemons in a future blog. In the meantime you now know what to do “when life gives you lemons”
Special thanks to my friend Gail for leading me to the lemons!
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JULIA CHILD – Wise Words from the Magician in the Kitchen
Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Everyday Food, From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, tagged Centenarian, Chef, Cooking, food, French cuisine, Home, Julia Child, Master the Art of French Cooking on August 15, 2012| 2 Comments »
English: American cook, author, and television personality (August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today Julia Child would have been 100 years old! I wonder what she would have cooked for breakfast? This post is in honor of a great lady, a wondrous cook and wise woman. I was never a fan of her food. I don’t own any of her cookbooks not even the famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking! I like French food but I guess as a young 20 year old bride I was more concerned with mastering cooking first and learning more about Italian dishes than French.
However, I have always admired her quick wit and sharp to the point remarks. So in honor of that laudable characteristic of hers, I am posting some of her famous remarks.
1. “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”
2. “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
3. “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”
4. “The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit.”
5. “I think every woman should have a blowtorch.”
6. “Fat gives things flavor.”
7. “Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one’s cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.”
8. “I think one of the terrible things today is that people have this deathly fear of food: fear of eggs, say, or fear of butter. Most doctors feel that you can have a little bit of everything.”
9. “I always give my bird a generous butter massage before I put it in the oven. Why? Because I think the chicken likes it — and, more important, I like to give it.”
10. “I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a Valentine as you can give.”
11. “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.”
12. “Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”
13. “I just hate health food.”
14. “Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.”
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