Up until the middle of the twentieth century, people utilized root cellars
to keep food supplies cool and avoid spoilage in the summer and prevent
freezing in the winter. Not just root crops like potatoes, turnips, carrots,
and beets, root cellars stored the autumn harvest of families vegetable
gardens and seeds for the spring plantings. Along with the canned/pickled/
preserved vegetables, meats, and fruit, also the salt preserved fish and
meats, and last but not least the alcoholic beverages.

It was used on a daily basis for milk, butter, cream and bread to allow these
items to be used more than once. Before the dawn of electricity, it was quite
literally the home’s food pantry and refrigerator. (more…)

I am sure that you have heard or seen these before, but I feel the need to share them
with you to help out in your everyday living.

- Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick the little “stringy
things” off of it. That’s how the primates do it. Take your bananas apart when you
get  home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

- Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much
longer and not mold!

- Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
- Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. (more…)