2/18/14

Over time, air and water can cause even the toughest cast iron pan, bakeware or "stainless" steel teakettle to rust. Failure to treat rust stains can make the cookware useless and lead to total disintegration in rusty spots. The good news is that treating rust on your kitchen items is easy and can be done naturally. Sprinkle salt all over the rust (be generous) and squeeze half a lime on the salt so the rust is saturated. Wait 15 minutes and rub the salt into the rust stain, then wipe away with the used lime half. Repeat if necessary. For tougher rust stains, soak the item in white vinegar and scour it away with crumpled aluminum foil. Keep repeating until the rust is gone.

2/17/14

Almost 16 million children in the United States live in households where they do not have consistent access to nutritious food and are desperately in need of food assistance programs. One way to help end childhood hunger in America is to participate in an Instagram program with Sysco, called "ShareMyPlate." Simply take a photo of your meal in a restaurant and tag it with #sharemyplate. For each photo, Sysco will donate 50 cents to the nonprofit organization No Kid Hungry. The best photos will even have a chance to win cash prizes, which could also be a generous gift to the charity if you win!

2/16/14

While it may be tempting to raid your pantry and use leftover food like old bread, nuts and snack food to feed wildlife, it's actually doing more damage than good. According to the Humane Society of the United States, "people food" can be unhealthy for wildlife and hurt their digestive tract when they eat it. Plus, feeding wild animals close to your home lessens their fear of humans, turning them into wild panhandlers. But you may also be inadvertently feeding wildlife without realizing it by feeding your pets outdoors. If the family dog doesn't finish his food, it becomes a tempting food source for wildlife. They'll eat it and keep returning to get more. So feed your dog indoors to prevent that from happening.