TOP TIPS

Photo's- Before and after subjecting the spud to microwaves.

Eggs

To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away. To test if the egg is soft or hard-boiled spin it around on the table. If it is hard-boiled it remains horizontal, soft boiled it will stand on its end

Splinter removal: When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. (I have tried this and it only really works on splinters that are not fully embedded in the skin)

Here are some other ideas to be friendly to the earth. I have been trawling the streets again looking for top tips to make our lives that little bit easier. The usual disclaimers apply, try tham at your peril!

Leaking vase- A leak in a vase can be repaired with a few drops of melted candle wax.

Ripening fruit- If you put bananas in the fridge their skins will darken, but the flesh will stay firm and the fruit will not ripen too quickly. If your pears, peaches or tomatoes are under ripe, put them in a brown paper bag with a ripe apple. Make a few holes in the bag and stand in a cool, dark place overnight (no, not you silly!)

Lovely lemons- To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

Soften sugar- Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

Home made scoop- A Friend of mine used to slice a milk carton down the middle to make a container for growing seedlings in. Another great idea is to chop them up to make them into scoops for flour, sugar and water, or even for the kids to use in the sandpit.

Harvesting crops- Regularly pick crops so that they are always tender and fresh. Never leave crops for too long before picking them, especially beans and courgettes.


Potato cleaner- Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

Ice to see you- During frosty weather, mix four tablespoons of vinegar with a drop of water. Put this on your car window at night and the windows will be frost free in the mornings.

Oh crumbs- Burnt toast put into training shoes overnight rids them of any smells.

Hollow promise- When cooking jacket spuds in the microwave push in three cocktail sticks like a tripod. As the potato cooks the sticks slowly go into the potato and eventually will come out of the top. When this happens the potato is cooked and ready for serving.

Result- I do try most of the tips that are mentioned, including this one. I must say that for me this experiment was a total disaster. I stuck in the three sticks and after twenty minutes of watching the tuber gradually resort to a hollow shell, the sticks were still firmly stuck on the bottom and showed absolutely no sign of moving to the top. Maybe I didn’t use a big enough potato; still it kept me busy for a while.

Household