HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[PanBiker]

Another disadvantage the Americans have is that because they work on 120 volt mains electricity electric kettles are unknown.

Plenty of 120v and dual voltage kettles about Stanley they still boil but not quite as fast.

[Stanley]

Perhaps but I've never seen one in an American house.....
I have a Kenwood Mixer but very seldom use it, it always seems like too much bother. However yesterday I used it to shred cabbage and it made a lovely job, I shall do it again, worth the faff! Washing was easy of course because no fat.

[Stanley]

We all know how beneficial a good tidy up can be. I was reminded of this today when I noted that my mail programme was slow loading because of the number of sent and received items. Many of these are of course connected with Janet's death so I deleted everything from 2106. Thousands of messages vanished, my programme is faster and funnily enough I feel a bit better, as though I have put something behind me. I don't need these reminders of a bad period and doing this doesn't damage my 51 years of memories. A tidy desk can mean a tidy mind!

[Cathy]

2106 Stanley... Gee you really do know more than the rest of us.
Enjoy life in the fast lane.

[Stanley]

Well spotted Cathy...... Senior moment!
Thinking in Shed mode. Never forget that it's amazing what you can accomplish if you use your head, work slowly and with purpose. This new engine frightened me to death when I started but it's OK now. Same applies to that fiendishly difficult knitting pattern that's been sat in the back of the drawer for years. Get it out and have a go!

[Stanley]

Only one tip this morning, keep warm!!

[Stanley]

We have so many expensive anti-bacterial sprays about these days that it is easy to forget the cheapest one of the lot, bleach and boiling water!

[Stanley]

I've been doing a lot of cast iron machining lately and while I like CI it is mucky stuff because of the high carbon content. This makes it hard to keep your hands clean and the temptation is to use hand cleansers like Swarfega. This dries your skin and can cause cracking so don't forget that all these cleaners are in effect paint strippers! Give your skin a chance with plenty of hand cream. This applies to may powerful domestic cleaners so always bear it in mind!

[Stanley]

I got my annual statement from BG for my boiler maintenance contract. It's about £350 annually but as it's full parts and labour this doesn't bother me. The service is superb and the peace of mind is wonderful. Peace of mind is perhaps one of the rarest things there is these days.....

[Stanley]

I love my routines and you could normally set your watch by my activities but this morning I was late up. When this happens give yourself a break! You deserve a bit of flexibility every now and again.....

[Whyperion]

Negiotitate on the BG price, they do seem to up the charges year over year.

[Stanley]

I am feeling no pain and have better things to do with my time..... Today's tip, don't waste time on unimportant things, concentrate on the essentials like communication with your Kids and keeping healthy! That's a full time job.

[Stanley]

If you use bleach in the sink, don't forget occasionally to immerse the spout of the tap in the hot bleach and water. Not often recognised but splash back from what is in the sink can easily contaminate the tap. Particularly if you wash poultry or the wrappings.

[Julie in Norfolk]

The current government and industry advice here is not to wash poultry before cooking. There has been a lot trials that show that you splash a lot of rinse water over draining boards, taps and for those who didn't know, draining washing up. I had a bout of Campylobacter about this time last year and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. So my advice, now found on poultry outer wrapping is: don't wash the poultry before cooking, and make d*mn sure it is cooked thoroughly.

[Tizer]

Here's more from the FSA to back up Julie's comments:

Campylobacter is considered to be responsible for more than 280,000 cases of food poisoning each year. There are more than 72,000 laboratory confirmed cases of campylobacter poisoning (also known as campylobacteriosis) and a high proportion of these will be due to food.

We are continuing to analyse the full impact that campylobacter has, but previous estimates have indicated that campylobacter causes more than 100 deaths a year, and costs the UK economy about £900 million. About four in five cases of campylobacter poisoning in the UK come from contaminated poultry. Campylobacter is also found in red meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Although it does not normally grow in food, it spreads easily and has a low infective dose so only a few bacteria in a piece of undercooked chicken, or bacteria transferred from raw chicken onto other ready-to-eat foods, can cause illness.

We carried out a survey of campylobacter in chicken on retail sale in the UK between May 2007 and September 2008, and it reported that campylobacter was present in 65% of the fresh chicken samples tested. A European Union baseline survey carried out in 2008, and published by European Food Safety Authority in March 2010, showed the UK estimated prevalence for campylobacter in broiler batches (caecal contents) was 75.3% and 86.3% in broiler carcasses (skin samples). These results were above the weighted EU mean prevalences of 71.2% and 77% respectively. There was a wide range of campylobacter prevalence across members states varying from 4.9% to 100% in broiler carcasses and from 2% to 100% in broiler batches...........The full article is here: LINK

[Julie in Norfolk]

There has been a lot of work done by industry both at farm and at abattoir to reduce the incidence of campylobacter and the cross contamination from carcass to carcass. The hazards are just the same as described, but we are hoping that the incidence is reducing.

This information, also from Defra

The results for the third quarter of testing, from January to March 2016, continue to show a decrease both in the number of birds with campylobacter on them and those with the highest level of contamination from the equivalent quarter last year. The latest data show 9.3% of chickens tested positive for the highest level of contamination in this quarter, down from 21.8% for the three months from December 2014 to February 2015*. Campylobacter was present on 50% of chicken samples, down from 71% in the equivalent quarter of the previous year. We tested 1,009 samples of fresh whole chilled UK-produced chickens and packaging this quarter.

They go on to discuss that retailers have asked for the neck skin (the area most likely to be contaminated) to be removed from carcasses having an overall impact.

Henny way, enough of the chicken. Stay Campylobacter free folks!

[Stanley]

If there is visible dirt on a chicken you want to get off before roasting take it, the roasting tin and a large plastic bag outside, put the chicken in the PB with some vinegar and get the dirt off. Pour the vinegar down the drain, drop the chicken in the roasting tin and don't take the PB back into the house, drop it straight in the bin. Put the chicken straight into a hot oven and then scrub your hands! That way you are reasonably safe.....

[Stanley]

I'm on my old hobby horse this morning. I know it doesn't float everybody's boat but I do like managing my time well! I have this theory that deterioration of your mental faculties is just the same as your body. If you want to keep it, use it! I wish I was as good at physical exercise as I was with my brain. I can see deterioration in my body but touch wood my brain seems to be fine! You wouldn't believe how active it is especially when faced with complicated problems in the shed. I am reminded that there should be more effort put into preparing people for retirement. I can think of nothing worse than having no interests. So the tip is if you are approaching retirement make sure that you are equipped for a life of leisure!

[Stanley]

If you have a long term interest it's amazing how you can take advantage of opportunities and build up a resource of tools and accessories very cheaply over the long term.

[chinatyke]

If you have a long term interest it's amazing how you can take advantage of opportunities and build up a resource of tools and accessories very cheaply over the long term.

My DIY tools were left behind at my daughters house in UK when I moved to China. I've replaced many of them and purchased a few electrical tools but I call out workmen when a specialised piece of equipment is required for a job. I haven't found a tool hire shop here but I'm sure they will have them. Last week was Chinese New Year and I treated myself to an angle grinder (100/110 mms). It was required to cut out a section of old railings, and then to wire brush and clean up the remaining railings before painting them. I've used an angle grinder before but never actually owned one and it is a very useful addition to my kit. It cost very little, probably less than I would have paid a contractor for doing this job.

[Stanley]

That's a good example China and they are very reasonable, biggest cost is the discs! I think I was lucky because in order to do my job refurbishing old machinery I had to either use outside contractors or make the parts I needed myself. It was often cheaper to buy the machine and the materials than employ highly paid specialists, this meant that my additions were subsidised. As well as that I was moving amongst the stuff all the time and had the right contacts. Scrap yard men were well worth cultivating! There was another sad circumstance that helped, this was the era of the Tory neglect of manufacturing industry and the most amazing bargains could be had. Even the technical colleges were closing their engineering departments. That's where my Harrison lathe and horizontal mill came from, top of the range machines for peanuts. I'm sure the same thing could be done now in any field and it's well worth building up a resource ready for retirement. I am so glad that over the years I managed to get the shed together, it would cost many times more than I paid for it to replace it now.....
So today's tip is think ahead, nothing worse or shorter lived than a bored old pensioner!

[Stanley]

I buy two sorts of salt, the cheapest for simple boiling of vegetables but more expensive coarse sea salt for flavouring dishes or sprinkling on food like fried eggs. Some people say they can't taste any difference but I certainly can. It's quite amazing how the taste of salt can vary. My favourite at the moment is from the Cornish Sea Salt Company.

[Tizer]

They're at Porthkerris, a remote place on the north-east side of the Lizard peninsula, and claim to use Iron Age methods.

[Tripps]

" sprinkling on food like fried eggs"

It's gone spooky again. I read those words, having just ground sea salt onto two fried eggs. Yes I sometimes have breakfast at the keyboard - me that criticizes young people for the amount of time they spend on their phones.

I get mine from 'Home Bargains' It's just 69p for a self contained jar and grinder. Pepper is the same price. It's a shame I cant get the top off to refill it. Seems wasteful to have to throw it away.

Speaking of salt - Have you heard of Kosher Salt? It's mentioned all the time on 'Diners Drive Ins and Dives. I've never seen it over here.

PS.
With a bit more determination, and the skilfull use of a screwdriver - I've managed to get the lid off. So all topped up - planet saved.

[Stanley]

We are joined by an invisible bond David.... That's the spooky bit!
Like the link to Kosher Salt. I asked the Rabbi who did the ceremony at the Co-op Dairy behind Strangeways Gaol how the milk in my tanker became Kosher by him standing on top of the tank and praying over it. He said that that was a matter between God and the Milk!