I was 13 when my great-grandmother, Ma Horton, died. She was 85 years old. She left us with wonderful memories and many lessons for life. I have a rich farming heritage because it was just who they were and my grandparents taught me all their parents taught them. Now whether or not I remember it all is another story.
I wanted to share some of the household tips Ma Horton passed down to us. Her daughters wrote these tips down for those of us in the younger generations so we would have a written record of her wisdom and life. I picked the Top 10 that I use in my own home to share with you.
My grandmother as a child.
Pa and Ma Horton
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Use an old toothbrush to clean the crevices of the handles of your knives, your can opener, and your hand grater. I use one to clean the tight places of my drain rack.
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Boil away stuck on food from your pots by adding a couple tablespoons of baking soda to a pot half full of water and boil until the burnt on food loosens and floats.
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Rub a little oil on your hand grater before use to keep food from sticking to it.
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Make a paste of baking soda and vinegar and rub on the stove to remove stubborn stuck on food or stains. You may have to let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. I use this to clean my sinks and tub too.
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Popcorn will stay fresh and you will eliminate “old maids” if kept in the freezer. We don’t eat a great deal of popcorn so this works well for us.
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For a fluffier omelet, add a pinch of cornstarch to your eggs before beating them.
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To quickly soften butter, place a heated pot over the butter dish for just a few minutes.
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Always heat the pan before adding butter or oil to prevent fires or burning.
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If your brown sugar gets hard, place a piece of bread in the canister with it to absorb moisture and soften it up. (I make my own brown sugar now, but I did use this one in the past.)
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Rub a small amount of beeswax onto your dusting cloth to polish and dust at the same time. I do use beeswax to make my own dusting polish and if I am out of the polish, I just use the beeswax.
I hope you enjoy using these or at least reading them. Do you have helpful hints from your grandmother to share? Let me know, I enjoy learning more of the wisdom of the old ways.
Safe and Happy Journey,
Rhonda and The Pack
(It is cold here today)
