Top Drawer
Best for colds
With a particularly nasty cold and flu season upon us, we turn to a seasonal tip we use to contain germy tissues each winter.
1 Take two tissue boxes. Neatly open the side of one box, pull out the entire fold of tissues and place them in a plastic zip-top bag for use later.
2 Refold the flaps of the empty box and place the two upright boxes together with the recently opened side sandwiched against the closed side of the other. Place two rubber bands around the boxes to hold them together.
3 Use a tissue from one box, dispose of it in the other, then toss it away.
Thanks to MeckMom.com for the idea. See it at http://nando.com/eu.
Best for hospital visits
I recently visited the hospital to see a friend with a serious illness. I wanted to bring her some practical things that could make her stay more pleasant. Thanks to Facebook and some very resourceful friends with ideas, I was able to make a basket that my friend clearly appreciated. It included:
• Chapstick
• Disinfectant spray
• Hand wipes
• Hand sanitizer to keep bedside
• Warm, comfy, chenille socks with aloe
• Hard peppermint candies
• Febreeze plug-in with Gain (laundry) scent to mask hospital odors (A favorite!)
• Bottled water and Gatorade
• 2-liter bottled soda such as Sprite or Ginger Ale that the patient can enjoy or share with visitors
• Magazines (People is always a nice distraction.)
Best habits of the uber-organized
So the holidays are over and, if your house is like mine, you are still trying to recover some semblance of law and order. Believe it or not, some people have homes that are spotless and organized year-round. (Seems unnatural, I know.) The folks at Good Housekeeping put together a list of these folks’ housekeeping secrets. It turns out that certain daily routines naturally lend themselves to organized homes.
We’ve excerpted some of our favorite tips here:
They put away their clothes every night: When you’re changing into your pajamas, it might be tempting to just toss your clothes on a chair or even on the floor, but it takes only a couple of seconds to put them in your laundry hamper or return them to your closet. Same could be said when you’re trying on an outfit or when you’ve just finished doing your laundry.
They keep a paper trail to a minimum: It’s easy to leave stacks of junk mail, delivery menus and old newspapers around your house. Create a good filing system to save the important documents and toss the rest.
They wipe down every surface after use: Let’s be real, the less grime has built up, the easier it is to clean. Mildew, grease and food stains are not a good look for your home.
They put their shoes and coats away: A pile-up of shoes or coats in the entryway sure doesn’t look tidy – or inviting. Put your shoes in a closet or place a shoe rack near the door. Hang your coat as soon as you take it off.
They never let dishes pile up: This one’s pretty much a no-brainer, but taking a few minutes to do three or five dishes is way better than doing 15 with caked-on mess.
They dust and vacuum on the regular: A few minutes of dusting or vacuuming at least two to three times a week will save you from doing a deep clean on the weekend when you could be relaxing.
You can see the complete list at http://nando.com/qv.
Best go-to meal
Teresa Watts of Raleigh shared an easy, quick chili recipe that is a go-to meal on chilly days. “This dish is a longtime family favorite when the cold weather rolls in,” she says. “Cornbread goes great with it.”
You will need:
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon minced onion (can use dehydrated minced onion)
1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chili powder (or more, according to taste)
1 (15-ounce) can pork and beans
Brown ground beef in a large skillet and add in ketchup. Add onion, chili powder and pork and beans. Stir to combine ingredients and heat about 10 minutes over medium heat until mixture is hot and bubbly.
Seeking readers’ best
We are seeking your best one-pot dinner recipes. If we use your yours, you’ll be entered in our quarterly drawing for a gift card. Send your recipe to topdrawer@newsobserver.com. Be sure to include your name, street address and city – and please give precise quantities and pan sizes. Put “best one-pot recipe” in the subject line.
Best of the tube
On HGTV:
Transitions: Nicole turns her attention to the kitchen in this episode, which requires a creative update that includes re-using stock cabinets, turning old doors into new countertops and repairing the pine sub-floor that she’s determined to keep. She must also part with a previous project after it’s sold to a new owner. “Rehab Addict” airs at 8:30 p.m Thursday.
Send news and photos to The News & Observer, P.O. Box 191, Raleigh, N.C. 27602; email topdrawer@newsobserver.com.
This story was originally published January 9, 2015 at 8:00 PM.