Little Known Household Time-Savers

Life can be a rat-race sometimes, and so who couldn't use more time in the day? I'm too often feeling like I'm a day late and a dollar short, so I'm always looking for ways to save time (and a little money in the process wouldn't hurt either!).

This said, I found some tried-and-true time-savers in the back of an old cook book my Aunt Annie had. A few of them have stood the test of time so well that they're common knowledge now (rubbing alcohol removes ball-point ink marks, or baking soda on a damp cloth will remove grime and grease from the glass oven door, for instance). So I'll skip those I'm pretty sure you're aware of and go to the "little known" household time-savers. A couple can save us some money as well:

• Don't buy expensive animal retardants from your garden shop or nursery, instead, stamp a few moth balls into the ground near flower beds to keep dogs away.
• To remove gum from hair, rub a plain chocolate bar into hair--then wash. (The fat in the candy reacts with the gum--peanut butter will do the same thing.)
• A cloth wrung out of a solution of 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in one quart of water, will make windows and mirrors sparkle.
• Don't buy expensive (and possibly toxic) air fresheners, instead, place a bowl of vinegar in that stuffy or smokey room; it will absorb tobacco smoke or the smell of paint, and keep the air fresh.
• Rinse a pan with cold water before heating milk in it, to prevent scorching and make cleaning it easier.
• To make sour milk from sweet milk, add 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 C sweet milk. Let sit a couple minutes and watch the curdling!
• Place a layer of mini-marshmallows in the bottom of a pumpkin pie, then add the filling. You will have a nice topping as the marshmallows will come to the top.
• Cut paper drinking straws into short lengths and insert through slits in pie crusts to prevent juice from running over in the oven and to permit steam to escape.

And now, just for giggles, here's a recipe from this same dusty old cookbook that would be fun to make and share. Who would've thought we could make our own TOOTSIE ROLLS? And until next time, happy cook'n!

OLD TIME TOOTSIE ROLLS
2 Tbsp soft butter
1/2 C Karo syrup
1 tsp vanilla
7-8 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
3 C powdered sugar
3/4 C powdered milk

Blend butter and syrup. Add cocoa and vanilla. Mix in sugar and dry milk. Knead until well mixed. Roll into a rope and cut into 1- or 2-inch chunks. Wrap in waxed paper.