SEVEN FOR YOU ◽ TIPS
There are some things that might be old but they’re still good, and we asked our panel to share these things. It’s fun to see what worked back then that still works now, what’s worth revisiting, or what’s just worth holding on to, because it’s the best! Hope you enjoy our list…
It's interesting that the first thing I thought about was a tip from my Dad. Dad served in the military for 26 years. He learned quite a few things from his military teachings that were carried over to our home life. We had shoe-shine day, latrine cleaning day, laundry day, etc. Things had to be organized and just so at all times. One of the requirements, when he lived in the barracks, was to make his bed using hospital corners. My brother and I had to make our beds the same way. As kids, we thought he was being too strict and fussy but we did what we were told.
I have learned that some organization is necessary and using the hospital corners technique when making your bed or putting on clean sheets works! I'm not a sound sleeper but when you tuck your sheets in the way Dad taught us, they stay put.
Thanks, Dad! – Cathy
I use old toothbrushes to clean those hard spots around the sink. I just have to be sure and store them where no one will use them. But they do work great when trying to get in those little crevices around faucets.
My dad was really particular about how towels were folded. He taught me the three-fold so you can save space. If my husband ever folds towels, I always refold since he does not do it this way. Silly, right?
My mom did give me this Betty Crocker cookbook when I was in college. I cooked the basic recipes and I know most recipes are outdated, but it's full of a lot of useful information and I can't part with it - my mom gave it to me! - Melissa
I not only wear aprons, but I love them and have about 10 in various colors (so that they match my outfit, of course!). I make them and I always wear one when I'm in the kitchen. When I was a young mom, my grandmother noted that most store bought aprons were much too short from the neck to the waist for me, so she made me a custom made one--and it was long enough in the torso so that it didn't bend my neck down! Yay, for my loving grandma who also helped me learn to sew! Since then, I've made a bunch of really fancy aprons as gifts for others. But for myself, I prefer much more functional and plain ones, in one of two styles. Either, the Japanese "crossover" back style that goes over the shoulders and not the neck (it's AWESOME) and has no ties at all, or a full bib apron, but with a long enough torso that it doesn't bend my neck down AND has long enough ties to wrap around the back and tie in the front.
Speaking of Grandma, she lived to be 96 and she was a phenomenal cook and could make something delicious out of practically nothing. Grandpa grew it, and Grandma canned or preserved it. I will also forever make her fruit cobbler recipe. It's better than any other I've ever tried. Her recipe puts the batter on the bottom of the baking dish, and pours boiling fruit, with all the juice, over the top of the batter. Then as it bakes, the batter rises up through the fruit and its liquid, thickening it and making a delicious, soft crusty top. The very best was her home grown and canned peach cobbler, but ANY fruit will work as long as it's hot and liquid-y. YUM! - Debbie
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Grandma’s Fruit Cobbler
(I ALWAYS double the batter for this recipe)
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a deep baking dish, at least 9x13
In medium / large sauce pan:
2 quarts fruit, including juice/ liquid
Sugar to taste, if fruit isn’t already sweet enough (~1/2 to 1 cup)
Bring fruit, sugar, and liquid to a soft boil, keep it at a low boil
(Add water or other fruit juice if there isn’t at least 2+ cups of liquid)
Cream together:
¾ cup sugar
1 cube of butter
1 tsp vanilla
Mix together:
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Add 1 cup milk
Combine creamed and dry ingredients together. Add more milk if batter seems dry. It should be fairly loose. Pour batter into buttered baking dish, covering bottom. Pour boiling fruit over the batter and spread. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Batter rises to the top as the cobbler bakes.
My mom mopped her bathroom floors with a rag and her foot. I used to watch her and think – that’s good exercise – so I do it. I don’t use a mop. I place a cleaning cloth under my foot and move around over the floor until it’s clean.
Also, I’ve never owned a Kitchen Aid but prefer my old hand mixer. I don’t bake all that much, so a Kitchen Aid seems too costly and huge for my small kitchen. I love my little Sunmaid hand mixer – it works for everything I need!
A calendar on the fridge. Does anyone else have one? I don’t like using my phone as a calendar, and I’m not sure why. But I do enjoy shopping for and finding that perfect calendar each year to hang on the front of my fridge. I love finding one with pretty colors or even recipes, or gardening tips, and then I love filling in the squares as life gets full. – Marcy
There’s nothing like a good blanket. We inherited one from my husband’s parents that he used as a child. It’s worn, a little frazzled, and red, which has never been a color in my decor. But it’s the best and warmest old blanket one could ever have. As my children grew up, it became known as the “sick blanket” and has been known by this name ever since. It’s just one of those blankets that makes us feel snug and loved when we’re sick, as well as any other time. We have lots of other, newer, blankets but this is the one that always ends up being used.
We also have several pieces of furniture that we inherited from my and my husband’s families. The chest in the picture behind the blanket belonged to my father-in-law. He used it as his dresser in his bedroom. We use it in the living room to store all those special things like colors, coloring books, and other activities for our grandchildren.
The round table in the picture was in my childhood home. I can remember waking up many nights and finding my Momma sitting beside it reading a book. I have to say, we have many sentimental items in our home, but they are just that, items. They will not last forever.
There’s nothing more important than the people that come into our home. The love and memories we make are so important. But watching my daughter tell her daughter to wrap up in the “sick blanket” is special. And having our grown kids show interest in owning some of these items later means so much. It means they have a sentimental feeling too, sentimental not because of the item but because of the person who owned it before. – Carole