Tea Towels- Suggestions and Ways to Use them (Besides the Obvious!)

Dishtowels are my favorite new obssession - I love getting new dishtowels at work (I work in a kitchen shop) and changing the look of my kitchen in a flash. One day bright green and blue, the next day polka dots! Hey, you can have fun with your kitchen towels - just because they're functional doesn't take the FUN out of them!

If you're looking for a truly durable and absorbent dish towel, try using flour sack towels. Your mothers and grandmothers (or maybe you yourself) used these years ago from the actual flour sacks, but now these amazing towels come in fun patterns and colors. So you get the beauty of a funky towel, while actually getting a towel that dries properly. What a concept!

Ideas on Using (and RE-Using) Your Tea Towels (Dish Towels):

1. When they get old and ratty, don't throw them away! Re-use old kitchen towels as cleaning cloths - cut the towels into sections. Great for all-purpose cleaning and dusting.
2. Re-use those same old towels as cheap Swiffer mop refills! When you're done, just shake the excess muck off, and then throw the dirty cloth in the laundry.
3. Dish towels are also an easy alternative to a big, bulky dish drainer. Just put out a couple of tea towels on the countertop, and lay your dishes on there. Hang the cloth to dry when the dishes are finished drying (either the Happy Slob way - AIR DryinG!! - or else with human drying effort involved.)

My Favorite Kitchen Towels: (these are the exact ones we sell at work)

Or, here's a cute printed one with a COFFEE theme, still using flour sack material:

Using WD 40 to Clean Stainless Appliances

Cleaning Question of the Day:

Hey Christina:I heard that you can use WD-40 to clean stainless steel appliances, could you let me know if this is true or not.Thanks, Debby

Hey Debby,

Thanks for the email! I did a little research on your behalf to find out if WD40 if intended for cleaning stainless steel appliances. (I have white appliances, so I have never had to clean these babies myself!)

It appears that WD40 is more of a final step to use when you want to add shine to your stainless appliances, not to actually clean them. Here are some good tips from WikiHow on how to clean stainless (and then I have another suggestion for you at the end, too.):

• 
  Thoroughly clean the stainless steel surface using 2/3 Windex and 1/3 rubbing alcohol solution mixed together in a pump spray bottle. Wipe against the grain first, then with the grain. Clean and dry using a clean terry cloth towel.
• Spray a thin coat of WD-40 in a zigzag down the surface.
• Use a clean cloth, wipe against the grain over the total surface, then polish by rubbing with the grain until excess WD-40 is removed and surface shines. It should not be oily to the touch, however some residue is good. Remember to be careful using WD40 near your stove - it is a fire hazard!!

I love Bar Keepers Friend for keeping stainless steel pots and pans sparkling clean, and your stainless sinks too. I can't see why it wouldn't work beautifully on your stainless appliances! Give it a try and let me know how it goes, okay? It's an extra fine powdered cleanser (or there are liquid varieties available as well) that won't scratch stainless - that's why All-Clad and other posh cookware companies recommend it so highly!

Take care,

Christina

Too Good NOT to Share - Chocolate Microwave Pudding for One

:) Found a fantastic new recipe that I just had to share with all my Happy Slob pals. Craving a chocolatey treat? But, don't need to make a huge batch (which you'll just keep noshing on for days and days?) This chocolate micro pudding for one is perfect - totally rich and chocolatey, and simple enough to keep the ingredients on hand all the time, for when you need a boost of chocolate joy in your life!

Enough raving (and it really IS that good) - here's the easy recipe. I made mine in an 8-oz ramekin (custard cup). I liked it better once it had sat in the fridge and got thicker and even yummier, but warm was nice too.

CHRISTINA'S FAVORITE CHOCOLATE PUDDING FOR ONE
(Or two...just double it up in a larger bowl...I'm sure it will work fine. :)

1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
1 oz. (1/4 cup) chocolate
Chocolate chips

Combine corn starch, salt and milk together in an 8 oz. custard cup. Add
chocolate chips. Cook 1:00 minute at 100% power until hot, but not
boiling. Stir until the melted chocolate chips are completely blended
with the milk mixture. Cook 45 seconds at 100% power more until just
beginning to boil.

Christina's Notes:

• I would suggest using a bit more cornstarch, since my pudding didn't firm up quite as much as I would've liked it to. I'm going to try 2 teaspoons next time.
• Instead of cooking the second time for 45 seconds straight, I had MUCH better results by stirring after 15 seconds and then repeating until the pudding took on a thickened consistency. The first try was a little disaster, but still a yummy one! The pudding boiled over in the microwave - ALL over the microwave. hehe Good thing I know our favorite microwave cleaning trick, huh?
• And finally - adding a dollop (which happens to be one of my favorite words ever...just TRY to say dollop and not feel a bit happier!) of freshly whipped cream would take this from chocolate joy to chocolate ecstasy, I say!

Enjoy-- and yes, this has nothing to do with house cleaning whatsoever, but it IS a nice treat once you've tackled a decluttering project or two. ;)