iRead’s Neighborhood

On chips. Mmm....

Okay, okay, there are also better uses for salt too:

Use Salt to:
1. Make eggs or cream whip up faster and higher. Add a pinch of salt before beating.
2. De-ice sidewalks. In a pinch, it can be used as a substitute for rock salt.
3. Keep chicken or turkey moist. Rub salt in the cavity of the bird before cooking.
4. Prevent sautés made with eggplant or zucchini from getting watery. Sprinkle salt on these vegetables before cooking. 5. Eliminate sticky residue from an iron. Run the hot iron (no steam) over plain paper sprinkled with salt.
6. Clean drains. Pour a hot, strong solution (1/2 cup salt for every quart of water) down the drain.
7. Remove dirt from leafy vegetables, such as spinach. Wash the vegetables in a bath of salt water.
8. Prevent frost from accumulating inside car windows. Rub the glass with a solution of 2 teaspoons of salt in 1 gallon of hot water. Wipe dry.
9. Remove sangria and red-wine stains from your washables. Stretch the fabric over a bowl, cover the stain with salt, and carefully pour boiling water over it.
10. Keep shells from cracking when boiling eggs. Add a few pinches of salt to the water.

+ one more

11. Chill a bottle of bubbly — fast. Place ice around its base in an ice bucket; sprinkle with a few tablespoons of salt. Layer salt and ice until they reach the neck. Fill with water. Wait 10 minutes; serve.

Vinegar is one of the best, the number of things it is useful for is insane. INSANE. Here's my top ten:

Use White Vinegar to:
1. Pinch-hit for lemon in a savory recipe. Use 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in place of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
2. Remove coffee or tea stains from the bottom of a cup. Swish 2 tablespoons of vinegar around in the cup, then wash as usual.
3. Treat oily hair. Vinegar is a good degreaser for oily hair because it helps adjust pH levels. Shampoo your hair as usual, rinse, then pour 1/4 cup over it and rinse again.
4. Wipe salt stains off boots. Dip a cloth or an old T-shirt into vinegar, then wipe away the white residue.
5. Make wool sweaters fluffier. Drop in a couple of capfuls of vinegar during the rinse cycle for an extra-soft feel.
6. Deodorize a garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain.
7. Clean a teakettle or a coffeemaker. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in a teakettle, then wipe away the grime. Fill the reservoir of a coffeemaker with a mixture of vinegar and water and run it through a brewing cycle. Follow this with several cycles of water to rinse thoroughly.
8. Clean a dishwasher. Once a month, with the machine empty, run a cup of vinegar through an entire cycle to reduce soap buildup on the inner mechanisms and glassware.
9. Remove stubborn price tags or stickers. Paint them with several coats of vinegar, let the liquid soak in for five minutes, then wipe away the residue.
10. Kill weeds between cracks in paving stones and sidewalks. Fill a spray bottle with straight vinegar and spray multiple times. (Be careful not to get any on the surrounding grass, as it will kill that too.)

 

Now, there's also a website dedicated to the uses for Vinegar - there are so many uses it's absolutely insane.

Go crazy. Fix the house! Fix everything! Go the power of Vinegar! Woot!

Besides making the odd volcano erupt....

Use Baking Soda to:
1. Exfoliate skin. Wash your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and one part water. Massage gently with a circular motion, avoiding the eye area; rinse clean.
2. Erase crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle soda on a damp sponge, rub clean, and rinse.
3. Unclog a drain. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water.
4. Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Scrub enameled cast iron with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water. Clean stainless steel with a soft cloth and 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
5. Scrub pans. Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse.
6. Brush teeth. Use a paste of baking soda and water.
7. Fight class-B fires (flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease). Baking soda can be used to smother only a small flame.
8. Deodorize. Dust baking soda under your arms to absorb body odor.
9. Clean up minor oil and grease spills on a garage floor or driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
10. Settle a stomach during occasional indigestion. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1/2 cup of water and drink for a safe and effective antacid.

Olive oil. I love love love it in salads! Mmm... Drool.... Mmmm....

Use Olive Oil to:
1. Shave. Olive oil can provide a closer shave when used in place of shaving cream.
2. Shine stainless steel. Many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil, however, is a safe and effective shining agent.
3. Remove eye makeup. Dab a little under the eyes and rinse off with a washcloth.
4. Prevent wax from sticking to a candle holder. Rub a thin coat on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Dripped wax should peel away easily.
5. Care for your pet. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to your cat’s food to help prevent hair balls.
6. Moisturize cuticles. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds.
7. Treat dry skin. Rub a thin layer over the skin after a shower or a waxing.
8. Unstick a zipper. Using a Q-tip, apply a drop to lubricate the teeth. (Avoid touching the fabric.) The zipper should move up and down freely.
9. Dust wooden furniture. Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe.
10. Silence squeaky doors. Lubricate hinges by applying a small dab to a cloth, then wiping the top of the hinges so that the oil runs down the sides.

Ah the old coffee filter. Not brilliant in terms of unusual uses, but useful ideas nevertheless!

Use Coffee Filters to:
1. Diffuse the flash on a camera. When you’re taking a close-up, soften the brightness by placing a coffee filter over the flash.
2. Strain wine from a bottle with a broken cork. Place the filter over a pitcher or a carafe and slowly pour the wine into it.
3. Serve popcorn or other snacks. The filters act as disposable bowls, so there’s no dishwashing.
4. Make yogurt dip. Use a rubber band to secure a paper coffee filter over the mouth of a deep cup or jar. Slowly pour 8 ounces of plain yogurt onto the filter. Let drain for one hour. In a bowl, mix the thickened yogurt with 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers.
5. Heat up leftovers in the microwave. Use a filter as the protective covering over a bowl or a plate.
6. Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots. When repotting, place a filter at the bottom, over the drainage hole, then add the soil.
7. Prevent scuffs and scratches on fine china. Use flattened coffee filters as spacers when you stack your dishes.
8. Protect hands from Popsicle drippage. Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter so your hands stay mess-free.
9. Serve pita sandwiches. A circular filter is the perfect size for carrying a sandwich on the go.
10. Clean windows and glass when you’re out of paper towels. Coffee filters leave no lint or other residue.

 

Lemon, I knew a friend back in high school who ate just lemons for lunch. She ate them the way you would eat chocolate. She LOVED it and I watched her eat it and cringe. All the wrinkles in my face was probably due to the face I made when she ate lemons, the other wrinkles are due to stress! haha

Anyhooo, a while back I got an email about the top ten uses for things and that included lemons. So here's the top ten uses for lemons:

TOP TEN USES FOR LEMONS

1. Sanitize a chopping block. Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.
2. Eliminate the browning that occurs when food sits out too long. Sprinkle apple or pear slices with lemon juice before serving, or squeeze a bit into guacamole and give it a stir.
3. Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.
4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.
5. Decorate on the cheap. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny centerpiece. Or display a row of them along a windowsill.
6. Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture.
7. Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.
8. Shine the interior of copper cookware. Sprinkle a lemon wedge with salt, then scrub.
9. Brighten laundry whites. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the wash cycle of a normal-size load.
10. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

 

There are heaps more on the net, here's a link about the uses of LEMON skin!

My favs from the site:

Remove Coffee and Oil Stains

Put a dry lemon skin into plain water until it becomes bloated. After that, pour the lemon water together with the skin into the coffee-stained cup and leave it there for 3 hours. After that, use a damp cloth and clean the cup and the stains will be magically gone.

 

Turning a Black Wok Base Shiny

Boil some lemon skin and water together. After a while, the wok would turn shiny. Not only that, the wok would not turn black for a period of time as oxidation would be prevented.

Refresh the Refrigerator

Firstly, wrap a few slices of lemon skin in some gauze. Soon, the refreshing smell of lemon would ease your mind. However, you have to remember to change the skin every 3 or 4 days.

Create Sweet Smelling Ice Cubes

While making ice cubes, put some extremely thin slices of lemon skin into the water-filled ice cube maker before putting them into the freezer. For added taste and smell, replace the plain water with water boiled with lemon skin and allow it to cool. Enjoy it in the beach!

 

A while back I posted about the Various uses of Vaseline and my neighbour ♪ ₤yяĩça₤ ♪™ mentioned how useful it was to her! Glad to be of help, I had also managed to find on for Honey and Cinnamon that would be great - although I thought it would be more useful, it's actually more of the benefits of honey. See my next posts, they're the uses for different things too.

Anyway - I present to you: Honey & Cinnamon - A Mixture for cures!

 

INTRODUCTION

It is found that a mixture of Honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases.

• Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world.
• Ayurvedic, as well as Yunani medicine, have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries.
• Scientists of today also accept honey as a Ram Ban (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases.
• Honey can be used without any side effects for all kinds of diseases.
• Today's science says that, even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it will not harm diabetic patients.
• A famous magazine named Weekly World News published in Canada dated 17 January, 95 has given a list of diseases that can be cured by Honey and Cinnamon as researched by western scientists.

 

ARTHRITIS

• Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly.
• The pain should recede within fifteen minutes in most cases.
• Arthritis patients can take one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder every day.
• If drunk regularly, even chronic arthritis can be cured.
• In a recent research done at Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people treated, 73 patients were totally relieved of pain within a month. Mostly of these patients could not walk or move around freely, but after the therapy, they started walking with less pain.

 

HAIR LOSS

• Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder before a bath and keep it for approximately 15 minutes, and then wash the hair.
• It was found very effective if kept for 5 minutes as well.

 

BLADDER INFECTIONS

Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs of the bladder.

 

TOOTHACHE

Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey, and apply on the aching tooth. This may be done 3 times a day (daily) till such time, that the tooth has stopped aching.

 

CHOLESTEROL

• Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea, when given to a cholesterol patient, reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours.
• As mentioned for arthritic patients - If taken 3 times a day, it lowers the cholesterol level.
• As per the information received in a Medical Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

 

COLDS

• Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon of lukewarm honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days.
• This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

 

INFERTILITY

• Yunani and Ayurvedic have been using honey for years in medicine to strengthen the semen of men.
• If impotent men regularly take two tablespoons of honey before sleeping, their problem will be solved.
• In China, Japan and the Far East, women who do not conceive, and to strengthen the uterus, have been taking cinnamon powder for centuries.
• Women who cannot conceive may take a pinch of cinnamon powder in half a teaspoon of honey, and apply it on the gums frequently throughout the day, so that it slowly mixes with the saliva and enters the body.
• A couple in Maryland (USA) had no children for 14 years and had left hope of having a child of their own. When told about this process, both husband and wife started taking honey and cinnamon as stated above, The wife conceived after a few months and had twins at full term.

 

STOMACH UPSET

• Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.
• GAS : According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that honey, if taken with cinnamon powder, relieves gas and pain in the stomach.

 

HEART DISEASES

• Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder. Apply on bread or chapatti instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast.
• It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from the risk of a heart attack.
• For those who have had an attack in the past, follow this process daily and avoid the risk of another attack.
• Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heartbeat.
• In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have discovered that the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged. Honey and
• Cinnamon improves blood flow.

 

IMMUNE SYSTEM

• Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks.
• Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts.
• Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

 

INDIGESTION

Cinnamon powder sprinkled on 2 tablespoons of honey taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

 

INFLUENZA

A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ingredient which kills influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

 

LONGEVITY

• Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder,  and when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age.
• Take 4 spoons of honey, 1 spoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like tea.
• Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age.
• Life span also increases, and you begin to feel younger!

 

PIMPLES

Take three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it the next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

 

SKIN INFECTIONS

Eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections are cured by applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts.

 

WEIGHT LOSS

• Every morning, on an empty stomach, half an hour before breakfast, and again at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water.
• If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person.
• Also drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body, even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

 

CANCER

• Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully.
• Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month, 3 times a day and continue with the Oncologist’s treatment. No harm lost!

 

FATIGUE

• Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful than detrimental to one’s body strength.
• Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts are more alert and flexible.
• Dr. Milton, who has carried out extensive research on this subject, says that, half a tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder taken daily after brushing, and again in the afternoon around 3.00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts decreasing, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

 

FATIGUE

• Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful than detrimental to one’s body strength.
• Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts are more alert and flexible.
• Dr. Milton, who has carried out extensive research on this subject, says that, half a tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder taken daily after brushing, and again in the afternoon around 3.00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts decreasing, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

 

LOSS OF HEARING

Honey and Cinnamon powder taken in equal parts daily, restores hearing.

 

Note: I got this in an email so I don't know where the actual source for this information is from. Don't sue me.

 

 

 

Been laughing in arse off in the office with this one:

 

There are definitely these types in the office. I'm the Eyes-Open Sleeper! Muhahaha

We have the Cat lady nearby, the Butt Crack, The Smokers and the Too-tight-guys nearby too. Hilarious!

I couldn't get a full day assignment, so I decided to take a half day one instead--at least it's something! Even though starting this week (continuing until May 30th), the schools at my district has state testing, I have an almost full day assignments. I hope I get more full day assignments next week. Currently, I have only 1, on Wednesday at KES. I will be working with 5th graders.

I went to HES (not he's) to work with 1st graders. Some students were talkative, but everything was fine. 

Today, I thought I was subbing for a 6th grade class, but I found out this morning that I needed to first go help proctor a state test for 2nd graders (21) from 8--9:40.

Before the 2nd graders took their state test, the teacher was walking around the class checking homework. There were a lot of things that happened during the homework check.

First, the teacher caught a student by the sink picking out a pencil out of a pencil can. The teacher told her that she didn't have permission to do so and for her to sit down and get one out of her pencil box. The teacher then went over to the student's desk to look for the student's pencil. The teacher got mad because she saw how messy the student's desk was: pencils and crayons outside of the pencil box and 2 crumbled paper inside her desk. The teacher placed the crumble paper onto the floor so the student would have to pick them up and throw them away.

Second, she caught a student not doing his homework. The homework was done, however he didn't do it...his mother or someone else with nice and neat handwriting did it. That particular student missed his morning recess to complete another homework packet. She also told him, "I don't want this CRAP anymore"!

Third, the teacher told a little girl that she will be missing an entire day of recess. The teacher asked her why and the girl said she didn't follow directions given by another teacher the previous day.

Before the students came into the class, the teacher told me that during my stay, I would be the one walking around the room making sure the students were bubbling in the answers correctly, making sure no pencil marks are on the test, and making sure no one is cheating. While walking around the room, I caught a male student talking to another student. I gave him a warning by giving him an angry look. When I caught him doing it again to another student, I notified the teacher.

She yanked the student by his shirt, pulled him from his chair, and told him to stand outside of class. She changed her mind and placed him in the back table with 2 other students and pulled her chair and baby sat the 3 students during the test.

After checking all the homework packet, she threw all of them in the trash! Why? I don't know. Maybe she just needs to check who did it and have students get in trouble if they didn't do it or she doesn't want to check it because it takes to long?

After my primary grade recess duty, I went to the office so they could assign me to a 6th grade class.

When I came into the 6th grade class (73), I started to remember that I've been in here before. The last time I was there was when I was roving from class to class so the teachers could have their SST meetings. I think the students remembered me to because I heard student whispering about me.

The teacher said that the rest of my day would be easy and to be strict with them regarding their behaviors: a female student chewed gum and a male student ripped his outer shirt shooting 2 of his buttons across the room.

LEARNING SOMETHING NEW:

1. Fire Alarms
    (a) What = 8 Short Rings, Pause, Repeat
    (b) Do = Exit Room with Red Backpack, Close Door, Go to the Fields
2. Earthquake Alarms
    (a) What = 1 Continuous Ring, Pause, Repeat
    (b) Do = Get under desk, Exit Room, & Leave Door Open

3. Students on the Playground should report to their line spot