MTips

How to Broil in a Roper Oven
By Kathryn Hatter
Roper Appliances, a division of the Whirlpool Corporation, makes an electric range for home use. The range comes in a white color and provides cooktop and oven cooking with baking and broiling oven settings. The Roper oven’s broiling capabilities enable the standard broiling of steaks, hamburgers, chicken breasts, fish and pork chops, as well as vegetables such as zucchini, squash, peppers, potatoes and eggplant.
Topic To Broil in a Roper Oven:

• Double Oven
• Outdoor Oven

To Broil in a Roper Oven Difficulty:

• Moderate

To Broil in a Roper Oven You’ll Need:

• None

To Broil in a Roper Oven Instructions:

• Preparation – Place the oven rack into position then turn on the oven. Position one rack into the “rack 4” position (the second position from the top). This will enable effective broiling for meats or vegetables. Another rack can be in position in the “rack 2” position (the second position from the bottom). However, this rack can’t be used for broiling because it is too far away from the heat source.
• Controls – Turn the oven control knob from the “off” position to “broil lo” to broil food at a low temperature, or “broil hi” to broil food at a high temperature. The “oven heating” light will illuminate. It is not necessary to preheat the oven.
• Broiling – Place the food in a single layer in a broiling pan. Center the broiling pan on the top rack and beneath the heat source at the top of the oven. Close the oven door. Check the food frequently throughout the broiling process. If the recipe recommends turning the food midway through the broiling process, remove the broiling pan from the oven, use tongs to turn the food over, and return the broiling pan to the oven. Remove the broiling pan from the oven when you finish broiling and turn the oven control knob to the “off” position.
• Cleaning – Allow the oven to cool completely, then wipe any spills that occur inside the oven. Use a plastic scrubbing pad and a gentle abrasive, such as baking soda, to scrub any baked-on food from the interior oven surfaces. Remove oven racks and, if necessary, scrub them clean with steel wool pads.

How to Groove Marble
By Leslie Rose
How to Groove Marblethumbnail Marble is relatively easy to scratch and groove.

Marble carving is a longstanding tradition in the world of art. Sculptors have been carving marble for many centuries. Compared with harder surfaces like granite, marble is easily scratched and grooved. In addition, because marble carving has been around for centuries, all the tools for doing so in a controlled way are available at art and craft supply stores.
Topic To Groove Marble:

• Marble Tile Cleaning
• Soapstone Carving

To Groove Marble Difficulty:

• Moderate

To Groove Marble You’ll Need:

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Tape
• Point chisel
• Tooth chisel
• Hammer
• Sandpaper 100 grade and up

To Groove Marble Instructions:

• Mark the area of the marble that you’d like to groove with a pencil. If you wish to make a straight groove, tape a steel ruler to the surface of the marble, flush with the line you made.
• Place the tip of the point chisel on the end of the line farthest from you and pull the point toward you. Apply a little pressure to the tip and score a very light line along the pencil mark you made.
• Place the tip of the point chisel at the end of the line closest to you. Position the point chisel at a 45 degree angle to the marble, with the hilt of the chisel closest to you and the point of the chisel pointing away from you. Hit the end of the chisel with a hammer. Continue to hit the end of the chisel, driving the point along the line you scored. Do this until the point of the chisel has reached the opposite end of the line you scored.
• Place the tip of a tooth chisel, with a tip as wide as the groove you’d like to cut, at the end of the groove. Position the tooth chisel at a 45 degree angle to the marble and hit the end with the hammer. Drive the point of the chisel along the groove until it reaches the other end.
• Repeat until the groove reaches your desired depth.
• Choose a narrow rasp that fits in the groove. Insert the tip of the rasp in the groove and run it back and forth over the marble, softening and sanding the surface.
• Sand your groove with 100 grade marble sandpaper. Switch to progressively finer sandpapers and continue to sand the groove until it is as soft and smooth as desired. The finer sandpapers will be indicated with higher numbers of sandpaper. These numbers go all the way to 3000.

• If your grill’s porcelain-coated grate contains any rusty spots, scrub the spots with a scrub pad to remove the rust and then coat the grate with unsalted olive or vegetable oil to keep it from rusting again.

• Never burn lead-painted wood. Burning the wood produces toxic lead fumes.

How to Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paint
By Melissa King
How to Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paintthumbnail Dispose of lead properly to avoid contamination.

Lead-contaminated items, such as toys, tools and paint, pose a serious threat to children and adults. If ingested through the nose or mouth, lead’s toxicity often causes developmental problems and learning impairments, especially in children and babies. Most homes built before 1960, and some homes built later, contain lead-painted wood. Paint chips may flake off the wood, coating a home with toxic lead dust. When removing lead-painted wood, proper disposal is necessary to avoid releasing lead into the environment.
Topic To Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paint:

• How to Dispose of Paint
• Waste Paint Hardener

To Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paint Difficulty:

• Moderately Easy

To Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paint You’ll Need:

• Plastic wrap or trash bags
• Shovel
• Vacuum with HEPA filter

To Dispose of Wood With Leaded Paint Instructions:

• Wrap the painted wood tightly in plastic to avoid spreading lead particles. Paint chips may fall off unwrapped wood, contaminating your home, work site or the environment. Vacuum up small particles and lead dust with a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter. Place the vacuumed material into closed plastic bags.
• Dispose of lead-painted wood at a solid waste landfill or similar facility. Some facilities may charge a handling fee.
• Place the lead-painted wood into your household trash, if your city allows you to do so. Some cities ask that you cut the wood into small pieces before throwing it away. Give the wood to your city’s waste department when they arrive to collect the trash.
• Dig a deep trench on your property and bury the wrapped wood in the ground. Do not bury unwrapped wood in the ground as the lead will leach into and contaminate the soil.

• Never burn lead-painted wood. Burning the wood produces toxic lead fumes.

How to Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Grates
By Nick Davis
How to Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Gratesthumbnail A tablespoon of olive oil keeps food from sticking to pans, pots and grates.

Porcelain-coated grates in charcoal and gas grills are easier to clean and are not as susceptible to chipping as grates containing other coatings. Foods, including meats, fish and vegetables, are also not as susceptible to sticking to porcelain-coated grates, but you may still experience some foods sticking. You don’t need any special solutions, chemicals or oils to keep your food from sticking and possibly burning on the grates — all you is olive or vegetable oil.
Topic To Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Grates:

• Cloth Rags
• BBQ Grill

To Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Grates Difficulty:

• Easy

To Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Grates You’ll Need:

• 2 clean cloths or rags
• Latex gloves
• Unsalted olive or vegetable oil

To Keep Food From Sticking to Porcelain-Coated Grates Instructions:

• Wipe your grill’s porcelain-coated grate with a clean cloth or rag to remove any loose dust and debris. Wear latex gloves to keep your hands clean.
• Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted olive or vegetable oil onto another clean cloth or rag. Wipe the grate with the cloth or rag.
• Reapply 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil onto the cloth or rag and continue wiping the grate, including all corners, until it is completely coated with oil.

• If your grill’s porcelain-coated grate contains any rusty spots, scrub the spots with a scrub pad to remove the rust and then coat the grate with unsalted olive or vegetable oil to keep it from rusting again.

• Do not use margarine, butter or butter substitutes to coat your porcelain-coated grate. These substances can drip into your grill, start burning and produce excessive smoke.
• Non-stick sprays may or may not keep food from sticking to your grill’s porcelain-coated grate.

How to Crossbreed Peppers
By Serena Styles
How to Crossbreed Peppersthumbnail The hybrid pepper will look different from both parent plants.

Thousands of varieties and species of peppers are grown worldwide, ranging in appearance, heat level and taste. One trait peppers share is that they are self-fertile, meaning each flower contains both female and male reproductive organs. To crossbreed peppers with nearly 100 percent success, you must emasculate the flower you plan to grow the hybrid on, preventing it from self-pollinating. Once the manual pollination is complete, the resulting pepper will almost certainly be a hybrid.
Topic To Crossbreed Peppers:

• Flower on Line
• Pink Car Flower

To Crossbreed Peppers Difficulty:

• Moderate

To Crossbreed Peppers You’ll Need:

• Small scissors
• Latex gloves
• Rubbing alcohol
• Tweezers
• Twist ties
• Dissecting needle

To Crossbreed Peppers Instructions:

• Locate flowers on one parent pepper plant that are nearly ready to bloom. They are easily distinguished by their unfurled sepals, or green outer petals, which reveal the flower’s inner petals. Use small scissors and latex gloves to cut away any bloomed flowers surrounding the unbloomed flowers, as they could pollinate them. Cut the bloomed flowers at least 1/4 inch down the stem leaving only the unbloomed flowers. Wash the scissors with rubbing alcohol and put on a new pair of latex gloves before proceeding.
• Peel away the flower’s unbloomed inner petals with tweezers to reveal the interior of the blossom. You will see several stamens, the male organs of the flower. Use the small scissors to clip away the stamens, leaving only the pistil in the center of the flower. Wrap a twist tie around the stem of the emasculated flower to mark it and repeat with as many others as you would like. Wash the scissors and tweezers with rubbing alcohol and change into a new pair of latex gloves before proceeding.
• Repeat the process of emasculation on the second pepper plant with at least one flower. Do not discard the removed stamens. Slice up the side of one stamen with a dissecting needle and use its tip to scoop out the pollen from inside. Apply the pollen to the top of the exposed pistil, known as a stigma, on one of the other parent pepper plant’s flowers. Repeat with the remaining harvested stamens and exposed pistils.
• Watch the pollinated flowers. Within three to four days, the ovary, located below the pistil, will begin to swell. This is a sign of successful pollination. The resulting fruit and subsequent seeds are the crossbred pepper species. If the ovaries do not swell, the pollination was not successful. The most common cause of unsuccessful pollination is damage to the pistil during emasculation.

• You can purchase dissecting needles from many specialty gardening and science supply websites and stores.
• If you do not wish to purchase a dissecting needle, slice up the side of the stamen with the scissors and remove its pollen with a cotton swab.

How to Gas Ripen an Avocado
By Kathryn Hatter
How to Gas Ripen an Avocadothumbnail Prepare an avocado after ripening it at room temperature.

A ripe avocado feels firm in your hand, but if you press your fingers into the skin, you should feel it give slightly to the pressure. If an avocado feels rock hard when you squeeze it, it is not ripe enough to eat. Use the natural occurrence of ethylene gas to ripen an avocado. The process is simple, and within a few days, the avocado will be deliciously ripe and ready to prepare.
Topic To Gas Ripen an Avocado:

• Avocado Dip Recipe
• Custard Apple

To Gas Ripen an Avocado Difficulty:

• Moderately Easy

To Gas Ripen an Avocado You’ll Need:

• Small paper lunch bag
• Banana or apple

To Gas Ripen an Avocado Instructions:

• Place up to two or three avocados into the paper lunch bag.
• Add an unpeeled banana or apple to the lunch bag. Adding the fruit increases the amount of ethylene gas that will accumulate in the bag.
• Roll the top edge of the lunch bag down tightly to seal the bag completely just above the items.
• Set the bag aside on a counter at room temperature — between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Check the avocados after two days to assess them for ripeness. If the avocados yield to a gentle squeeze, they are ready to eat. If they still feel firm, return them to the bag and seal it tightly again.
• Remove the avocados from the bag when they feel slightly soft — the ripening process generally takes between two and five days, according to the California Avocado Commission.

• The World’s Healthiest Foods website recommends using a banana, apple or tomato to increase the ethylene gas in the lunch bag.
• Store ripe avocados in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How to Grow Zwolsche Krul
By Serena Styles
How to Grow Zwolsche Krulthumbnail Zwolsche Krul yields flavorful, curly leaves and dense stalks.

Zwolsche Krul is a leafy type of celery that has greens resembling curled parsley at the top of the stalk. Both the stalks and leaves of Zwolsche Krul have a pleasant flavor and are useful in soups, salads and stews. Zwolsche Krul is an heirloom vegetable, or a strain of vegetable more than 50 years old, and can be difficult to find in most grocers. Growing Zwolsche Krul from home requires starting the seeds early in the season so it can grow while the weather is still cool.
Topic To Grow Zwolsche Krul:

• Planting Soil
• Garden Soil

To Grow Zwolsche Krul Difficulty:

• Moderately Easy

To Grow Zwolsche Krul You’ll Need:

• Decomposable seed tray filled with potting soil
• Zwolsche Krul celery seeds
• Liquid fertilizer
• Compost
• Potting soil
• Gardening trowel
• Soil pH testing kit
• Wood ash or sulfur (optional)
• Straw

To Grow Zwolsche Krul Instructions:

• Add water to the seed tray to moisten the soil thoroughly about eight weeks before the last frost. Use the tip of your finger to make a 1/4-inch-deep indentation in the center of each cell. Sprinkle three or four Zwolsche Krul seeds into each indentation and cover them with 1/4 inch of soil.
• Set the tray in a cool, sunny spot indoors and keep the soil moist as the Zwolsche Krul seedlings sprout. After six weeks, place the Zwolsche Krul outside for three hours a day to acclimate them to the outdoors. Ensure the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit when the seedlings are outside. At the end of the eight weeks, pluck away the weak seedlings from each cell, leaving only the thick-stemmed, leafy ones.
• Select an outdoor area that maintains a steady temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and receives sunlight for no more than half the day. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost over the area you intend to grow the Zwolsche Krul. If you are using a container, lay the compost over a quality potting soil. Use a gardening trowel to mix the compost into the soil.
• Take a reading from the area with a soil pH testing kit per manufacturer’s instructions. Zwolsche Krul grows best in soil between 6.0 and 6.5 pH. To increase the pH, mix in wood ash, and to lower it, mix in sulfur. Start with no more than a handful, repeat the test and continue adding small amounts until the soil tests between 6.0 and 6.5 pH.
• Separate the cells of the seed tray and dig holes for each one in your prepared planting area, about 12 inches apart. Wait to do this until low temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cells into the prepared holes and gently press the existing soil around them. Water the area thoroughly with a mixture of water and liquid fertilizer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Water the Zwolsche Krul’s soil to keep it moist, and use the mixture of water and liquid fertilizer every four to six weeks. In 100 to 120 days, the Zwolsche Krul will be ready to harvest. About 10 days before harvest, blanch the stalks by placing straw around them, covering everything but the curly leaves at the top. This protects them from sunlight and enhances their flavor.
• Pull up the entire plant and cut off the roots to harvest the Zwolsche Krul. Alternatively, after about 80 days you can cut off the leafy tops, which will grow back once more for a second harvest. This detracts from the stalk’s flavor, but yields larger amounts of leaves.

• Do not forgo the blanching process, as the stalks of the Zwolsche Krul will have a bitter, unpleasant flavor otherwise.

• Exposure to temperatures 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below will cause the Zwolsche Krul to go to seed prematurely.

How to Use an Egg Mold
By Alex Burgess
How to Use an Egg Moldthumbnail Transform the shape of boiled eggs with an egg mold.

An egg mold is a plastic, hinged case that clips shut to encase a freshly cooked and peeled hard-boiled egg as it cools, squeezing it into the shape of the mold. Traditionally designed for Japanese bento lunch boxes, egg molds are available in the form of popular cartoon characters and kid-friendly themes, or simple geometric shapes that add a twist to hard-boiled eggs in an adult’s lunch box. For added Japanese bento authenticity, you can dye the egg before it goes in the mold.

Topic To Use an Egg Mold:

• Water Damage
• Floor Water

To Use an Egg Mold Difficulty:

• Easy

To Use an Egg Mold You’ll Need:

• Egg
• Egg mold
• Food coloring (optional)

To Use an Egg Mold Instructions:

• Place a pan of cold water on the stove and add the cold, uncooked eggs. Bring the water to the boil and cook the eggs for approximately eight minutes, stirring once a minute to encourage the yolks to settle in the middle of each egg.
• Remove the pan from the heat and plunge the eggs into a dish of cold water or place the pan under cold running water for 20 seconds.
• Take one egg from the cold water and remove the shell. The egg should still be hot to the touch and malleable. If it is not, briefly place the egg in a dish of hot water for a minute to make the white pliable again. This warming technique is also suitable for hard-boiled eggs that have been stored in a refrigerator.
• Open the egg mold and position the egg in the center of the indentation. Close the lid gently and secure the locking clip over the side of the mold until it clicks into place.
• Fill a dish with cold water and place the filled egg mold in the water to cool and leave for at least 10 minutes.
• Remove the egg mold from the cold water, release the clip and lift the lid. The egg should be molded perfectly, but if there are any pieces of surplus egg white, trim them away with a sharp knife.

• Add a teaspoon of food coloring to a bowl of hot water and drop each egg into the hot colored water before molding. Do not color eggs after molding because the additional exposure to water may cause them to swell and lose definition.

How to Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes
By Basil Sinclair
How to Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoesthumbnail Top a birthday cake with ballerina shoes made of fondant.

A combination of sugar, water and cream of tartar, fondant is a soft, pliable form of icing that can be molded into just about anything, including ballerina shoes. While you can make your own fondant, you can save time by buying pre-made fondant. Then use either a silicone fondant mold to shape the ballet slippers or form them by hand. Whichever method you use, the trick is to mold your ballerina shoes in a cooler temperature room so the fondant doesn’t soften too much — while working quickly so it doesn’t dry out.

Topic To Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes:

• Designer Shoes Heels
• Fondant

To Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes Difficulty:

• Easy

To Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes You’ll Need:

• Fondant
• Wax paper
• Shortening
• Rolling pin
• Silicone fondant mold shaped like ballerina shoes
• Small paring knife

To Mold Fondant Ballerina Shoes Instructions:
Mold Method

• Grease a piece of wax paper with shortening, and knead the fondant on it just until it becomes workable.
• Roll the fondant out on the wax paper using a rolling pin until it is about 1/4-inch thick. The amount of fondant you’ll need will depend on the size of the ballerina shoes you want to make.
• Press the fondant in a silicone fondant mold shaped like ballerina shoes, and place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove it from the freezer, and invert the mold to remove the fondant shoes.

Free-Form Method

• Grease a piece of wax paper with shortening, and knead the fondant on it just until it becomes workable.
• Roll the fondant into two balls with your hands.
• Shape one of the balls into a ballerina slipper by forming a log, and then use your fingers to carefully shape the toe and heel of the shoe.
• Hollow out the middle of the shoe with a small paring knife or your finger. Repeat with the other fondant ball.
• Add detailing to your ballet slippers by rolling out another portion of fondant, and cutting out ribbons and bows with the paring knife. Carefully press the ribbons and bows to the fondant ballerina shoes.

• If the fondant becomes too sticky, add confectioners’ sugar to it.
• Work with small batches of fondant, and cover the extra fondant in plastic wrap.

• If using a metal or plastic candy mold in place of a silicone fondant mold, coat it with confectioners’ sugar or a nonstick cooking spray before inserting the fondant. Otherwise, you will have a tough time getting the final product out of the mold.

How to Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oven
By Adri Buckminster
How to Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oventhumbnail Cover moist foods, like spaghetti, when reheating them in the Advantium oven.

GE Appliances manufactures about seven Advantium oven models, at the time of publication. The commonality between these models is that they are based on microwave technology. Many households are familiar with the splatter that can occur after prolonged and careless cooking and reheating in any brand or model of microwave oven. This stale, caked on food debris and matter has to be cleaned or it will get worse, potentially damaging the oven’s interior over time. General Electric states in most of its product descriptions for Advantium models that it is “faster than a conventional oven,” and the cleanup process is just as expeditious.

Topic To Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oven:

• GE Double Oven
• Stoves Oven

To Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oven Difficulty:

• Moderate

To Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oven You’ll Need:

• Small bowl or container
• Liquid dish soap
• Soft cloth or durable paper towels

To Clean Food Splatter in an Advantium Oven Instructions:

• Press the “Clear/Off” or similar button to ensure the Advantium oven is off. Unplugging the power cord from the wall is unnecessary. Open the door. Allow the inside to cool down and air out if you just used the oven.
• Run warm water from a faucet into the small bowl. Add enough dish soap to create suds and bubbles. Stir the solution. This soapy mixture will help to breakdown the splatter stains.
• Dip the cloth in the soapy water. Wring dripping and excess water back into the bowl. Wipe down the stains on the oven’s walls, ceiling, floor and turntable plate. Be sure you are collecting the large and small food particles as they fall to the bottom. Periodically shake food debris from the cloth off into the trash can.
• Rinse the cloth in the sink. Wipe down the interior of the oven, getting stray food particles as well as residual soapy water. You may have to repeat this step, by re-rinsing the cloth two to three more times, until the splatter is gone.

• For tougher stains, GE Appliances recommends a more robust splatter cleaning method that uses the “Speed Cook” feature. Read your owner’s manual to learn how to program the microwave.
• Navigate to the GE Appliances “Owner’s Manuals and Installation Instructions” website to download the manual specific to your oven’s model number (see Resources).
• The model number in your oven is most likely located inside the appliance, on the left or right wall. Also, look on the frame around the oven door.

• Do not attempt to use corrosive “freestanding range” or “wall” oven cleaning solutions in your Advantium “microwave” oven. Avoid using metallic scouring pads because that could scratch the walls; also, broken metal pieces can create a fire hazard in the microwave.