The Easiest & Cheapest Way to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

   

Fruit flies are plentiful this time of year and I can't stand them flying around my kitchen. The best way that I've found to get rid of them is both easy and free, and you can't get better than that!

You basically put a ripe banana peel or some cut up fruit inside a cup or glass, seal it with taut plastic wrap and poke small holes into the plastic wrap so that they can get inside. In my experience, the riper the fruit - the better, especially overly ripe banana peels. You can use a toothpick or another tiny implement to poke small holes into the top. You don't want the holes to be too big, or they will be able to get back out.  Use a rubber band to seal the plastic wrap tightly. 

Leave it sitting out on your counter or wherever they are most concentrated. Then occasionally bring it outside and empty the contents into a shopping bag tied tightly so the flies can't escape back into your house, and throw the bag in the trash. Or alternatively, set them free out of the container while outside and reseal the plastic wrap for reuse. Keep doing this until all the fruit flies are gone, which for me typically takes a couple of days. 

While it can be a bit unsightly to see the flies flying around in the cup while on your counter, you'll be amazed at how quickly they will be eradicated. That is, until the next time you bring produce into your home! If you don't want to see the flies inside the cup, then consider using a cup or container that you can't see through. 

After all, out of sight is out of mind!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

Grow All You Can Eat In 3 Square Feet‏!

   

With all the food recalls lately, it makes me question how my food products are grown and prepared. We have a very small raised garden in our urban backyard, and I've often wondered how to possibly grow even more produce for our personal consumption. 

The new book Grow All You Can East In 3 Square Feet was recently brought to my attention, and I'd like to bring it to yours. Whether you are a green thumb or a newbie, you will find something useful in this book. Whether you live in an apartment or a detached home, growing your own produce is not out of reach. 

Found in this large trade paperback's 256 pages are plenty of ingenious concepts on maximizing growing space, no matter how small of an area you have to work with. Easy to follow instructions provide ideas on different ways to produce small crops, and includes helpful information from how to sow seeds, DIY projects to build your own growing storage containers as well as what to plant and when.

It also provides solutions for growing when you might not have the space to have a typical garden. For fans of freecycling, you will find great suggestions on how to incorporate your recycled items into your cultivation. I love the idea they have in the book for doing a bicycle wheel trellis! 

Whether you need ideas on what to plant where you have shade, something to grow in the blazing sun, or high yielding plants, it's all in here. Even everything from quick growing to shallow rooted crops.  

Whether you purchase this book or rent it from the library, I am confident that you will find this book to be not only useful, but an enjoyable & interesting read! 

Grow All You Can Eat In 3 Square Feet retails for $24.95 in Canada, and $22.95 in the U.S.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

Hug Your Produce With Food Huggers!

    

Food Huggers are an ingenious product that prolongs the taste and freshness of cut produce! Food Huggers ensure that you don't waste nearly as much as you did before, and helps stop basically throwing money into the trash because you didn't use up your fresh fruits & veggies quick enough.

Food Huggers essentially act like a second skin by creating a seal around the item. This helps to keep the item from spoiling and maintains its freshness longer than it would with many other conventional methods.

You can use Food Huggers for all kinds of fruits and vegetables. From kiwi to citrus fruit and from avocados to onions! The avocados have their own special Avocado Huggers that come in a smaller and larger size, due to their unique shape and varying dimensions. Avocados are a beast to keep from browning and these Huggers help to reduce the amount of oxidization that will occur. Most other fruits and veggies can use the regular round Food Huggers. They come in different sizes, so they will fit a variety of circular and oblong shaped produce. The small sized Huggers are ideal for limes, kiwi etc... The regular Food Huggers will fit larger items such as bigger onions, peppers, tomatoes, grapefruit, and the like.

Not only do they extend life, they also help seal in the odours that come off certain items like cut onions which quickly permeate its scent to other items in your fridge. You can also use them to seal the top of an open can of fruit, vegetables or other food items that you haven't fully used up yet. This beats putting plastic wrap that doesn't stick to the metal cans! I've also used them to help open up those stubborn lids on jars of sauce, pickles and other containers that can sometimes be sealed on extra tight.

They nest into each other, making them compact and easy to store in your utility or utensil drawer and are so easy to use. You simply push your fruit or vegetable against the flexible silicone edge and it will mold itself around the item, thus sealing the open edge and preventing the loss of moisture. It also helps to keep most of the juices inside. They are easy to handle, making them a cinch for kids! You can view their video, which shows exactly how simple they are to use.

These Food Huggers which are BPA-free and phthalate-free, are made out of FDA approved food-grade silicone, are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe. The small ones come in yellow and green, and the larger ones come in the following colour schemes: Autumn Harvest, Bright Berry, and Fresh Greens.

Food Huggers can be purchased directly from www.FoodHuggers.com. Each 4-pack of round Food Huggers, as well as the Avocado Huggers retail for $9.99US. FoodHuggers.com also allows you to pay for your purchase with PayPal, which is a great alternative to using your credit card online.

It's time to start giving your produce a hug!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

Preserve It!

 

With the farmers' markets opening up last weekend, and seeing all that nature has to offer, it got me thinking about canning in the fall. Now, I'm not trying to rush through summer at all. After the winter we've had, you can bet that I am not! LOL I was just contemplating
making nature's bounty last so that my family can all enjoy the tastes and health benefits of locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats and other goodies found at farmers' markets.

When I asked DK Books to review Preserve It!, I thought that I was going to get a book on canning - and I did. But the book surprised me with a whole other realm of information, like all the different ways you can preserve. From smoking to freezing and even clamping! Now there's one that I've never heard of before. (It's a technique where you would insulate root vegetables outside.)

This book gives you so much information in its 352 pages. There are lots of big colourful pictures and the information is laid out into sections and recipes to make it simple and easy for those who have little experience preserving. (Like me!)

You will find recipes on how to blanch vegetables for the freezer, make a variety of pickles, relishes, jellies & jams, and you will also learn how to make your own ketchup and other sauces. You will learn how to preserve with oil, alcohol, and by smoking various meat, poultry, nuts and yes - even vegetables! There are also recipes for dry curing meat, making your own sausages and your own wine. Yum!

You will find a lot of recipes for well-loved favourites, along with quite a few unique recipes like Pea Pod Wine, Rhubarb and Rose Petal Syrup for sparkling water or ice cream, and Rosemary Jelly to name a few. 

You can currently order this book and many others from DK Books' May Food & Drink Boutique at a savings of 30% off for a limited time!

Now that strawberries will be ready soon, I'm debating on what to try first from this book: strawberry freezer jam, frozen fruit bars, or strawberry syrup with vanilla to add to ice cream, or to drizzle over sliced fresh strawberries and whipped cream! And best of all? It's made with your own tender loving care - and way healthier than store bought!

Happy summer (Ok - spring!) everyone!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****