five things we learned last week
1. There’s more than one way to season a cast iron skillet. Diana adds this: “I just recently started using cast iron for cooking and I love it. To season it we do it the way my dad did — we put it in a wood stove till it turns red then we cool it off a little and wash it in hot water and oil it down then set it on top of the stove to finish drying. I have found several iron skillets on auctions and that’s all I cook with now.” Click here to read more about this kitchen must-have.
2. When your bulbs come up this spring, take a picture! Julie offers this great tip: “We love bulbs and keep adding more every Fall. We live in Michigan and it’s nice to get some early color. Our neighbor a few houses down has the most amazing bulb display. She’s been in that house over 20 years, but keeps tucking in a few more bulbs in the Fall– I asked her how she knows where to put what in the Fall, and she said in the Spring she takes wide angle photos of everything in bloom (she’s a photographer) and refers to that when adding more in Fall. Smart!” Read more great fall planting tips here!
3. Bookworms can satisfy their appetites for new reads without spending a ton thanks to bookswapping sites. Michelle recommends Paperbackswap: “Check it out. I’ve been swapping books through them for a couple of years now and I love it.” Get a few more suggestions here.
4. A lot of you live in old houses that come with a bit of mystery. An Aesthete’s Lament writes: “When we were renovating, we removed a plaster wall to find (gulp) a long, thickly braided swatch of blonde hair, tied with a ribbon. Very weird. And spooky. And, yes, a few times my husband and child have seen a ghost of a young girl with a similar braid and dressed in 19th-century clothes. I, however, haven’t spotted her once.” Tell us about the history of your home here.
5. You can quiet a creaky floor with a common household item. Hannah advices Erica: :The problem is caused by air between the boards. You can sprinkle baby powder into the cracks and it should help. Click here for more advice on noisy floorboards.
