Remove Oil Stains

Are you a klutz like I am who routinely has oil stains on her tops? Honestly, I don't know how it happens. Not a week goes by that I don't have an oil stain on a top. Mostly, salad is the culprit: I spear an oily leaf an no sooner is it halfway between the plate and my mouth does the leaf unfurl and fling dressing at my top. I've taken to eating salad with a chef's apron on; at work, I have a bib made of plastic bubble wrap that I lifted from the recycling bin (and I should specificy for maximum impact that I mostly eat at my cubicle--can you imagine how stupid I look?). And still, I am plagued with oil stains.

Well, lucky for me and you, I have a tip that works I'd say 90% of the time. I can't say what goes wrong 10% of the time, I suspect it has to do with fabric. In any case, here's the trick: Immediately (or as soon as possible without causing a scandal), remove the soiled item (most likely a top, probably new)and lay it on a flat surface. Then, take a tablespoon of cornstarch and pour directly over the stain so it is completely covered. Let stand over-night. The next day, scrape off the powder and voilà! The stain should be gone.

Waste Less Wine

I love a glass of wine with dinner. But really, all I want is one glass. If I have two on a week night I get really sleepy and then I'm no fun at all. I'm not even drunk, just tired. And often my partner prefers beer or nothing at all. I can't tell you how many half-drunk bottles of wine we've poured down the sink.

What to do? This summer, I ventured out into buying half-bottles of wine. I'd read in a newspaper article that the offerings were interesting, and sure enough, they are. I can polish off a half-bottle before it turns. This week, we've even tried those mini-bottles, like the ones you get on planes. While this particular wine wasn't anything to write home about, it was the perfect for flaking out on the couch alone watching t.v. on a Friday night.

We've even found mini-bottles of beer. So I can have my wine, my sweetie can enjoy a small beer and we both have enough energy for our kids after dinner. Perfect!

Lame Workout Beats No Work Out + Random Advice

Do you ever put off exercising because you don't have the time you need for your ideal workout? Yah, me too. No more though. I learned to comprise. I figure a lame workout is better than none at all. I'm still running in the morning, and even when I've over slept, I squeeze it in. The after effect is almost as good as getting in a decent workout. Plus, it means I don't lose my flow long enough to break what is now a habit. In the case of exercise, it's definitely a good idea to settle for what you can get.

The same goes for real estate. If you are ready to get into the market, do it now. No reason to wait until you can afford your dream house, or even worst, until you find someone to share it with. You can always trade up when you have more cash or sell once you've met someone you want to live with.

Sadly, this whole compromise business doesn't work for relationships, in my opinion. A lame relationship does not beat no relationship. The only thing a lame relationship beats is your odds of being happy.

How do you define a lame relationship? If you're in one, you'll know.

Bite Off What You Can Chew: It Beats Choking

Recently, I read an article about survey results on the home-buying habits of Quebecers published in the TD Canada Trust Home Buyers Report. Among other fascinating tidbits, the survey found that Quebecers were less concerned than people in other parts of Canada about being able to afford their mortgage payments if interest rates rise, and are also more likely to fork over a downpayment of less than 20% than their national counterparts.

“It’s only natural to want your first home to be the home of your dreams, but it is important to be realistic about what you can afford as a down payment and what that will mean for both the type of home you buy and for your mortgage payments over time,” says Christine Marchildon, Senior Vice President, QuebecRegion, TD Canada Trust.

“I advise first time home owners to consider a larger down payment because a 10% or greater down payment will make a big difference... Speak with a representative at your bank about setting up an automatic savings plan to help you save,” she continues.

I found her last statements so hysterically funny I almost choked on my toast. No offense to Christine Marchildon, but I wondered if she's ever applied for a mortgage at her own bank. You see, I have. I was quickly pre-approved for a nice little mortage. In fact it was so nice, it was actually more than I could realistically afford. My initial reaction, when presented with the sum, was "Wow, I can afford that?" "Of course you can!" laughed the young "representative" at our bank,"you gave me all your info, I added up what you make and what you spend and owe, and tah-dah!! This is what you can afford. Trust me. Now sign. Please. " (More or less-I'm taking artistic liberties).

Well, we did the math back and forth and ultimately set our sights homes that cost about $40,000 less than what we were pre-approved for. We thought, what if one of us loses her job? What if interest rates sky rocket? Do we want to be eating Ramen noodles for the next five years? We HATE Ramen noodles. Ultimately, our decision was based more on fear than on financial savvy, but we have never regretted it.

In hindsight, and knowing what we know now, we would have been backed up against a wall and very financially strained had we bought the home we were told we could afford. We might have had a prettier, more spacious home. But we would have had to make some very different decisions about our lives to be able to afford that home.

Which brings me back to the first thing Christine Marchildon said, the part about it being natural to want your first home to be your dream home. Really? Common yes, but natural, I'm not so sure. Whatever happened to the concept of starting out small, building equity and moving up into your dream home? Don't get me wrong: I had a dream home all picked out when I was 7 (Tudor-style mansion with a French Chateau décor--my mom liked Architectural Digest) but it never occurred to me that this should be the first home I own. And there are lots of days I curse this shoebox all four of us are crammed into. But lucky for us, there has never been a day when we had to eat Ramen noodles because we were house broke.

It's especially tempting to believe your first home can be your dream home when your banking representatives tells you can afford it. You want to believe that you can afford it. But before you buy that house, do the math very carefully. Forget that list of what you make, owe and spend that the bank works from: add up all your receipts for a month and take a look at how you really spend your money. Imagine all the worst case scenerios: you lose your job; you break up; interest rates soar. Imagine what it might feel like to not be able to eat out, get your hair cut, buy a new outfit, keep your kids home, buy Christmas presents, take a vacation, all because most of your money is going toward your mortgage. This won't be fun. You may have to readjust your vision of what your first home might look like. But a dream home can quickly become a nightmare if you can't pay for it.

Better to be happy in an imperfect and affordable little shoebox.

Hot Flashes? Fight Back

Hormones and women are a controversial topic. There are plenty of opinions, lots of contradictory research findings, and as many treatment approaches as there are doctors, it seems.

It's very confusing. We're told by some that hormone replacement therapy is dangerous and that certain treatments put us at increased risk for breast cancer. But then we are also told that not replacing hormones puts us at increased risk for other cancers. And then there are all those lovely life-altering symptoms that come hand-in-hand with the approach and onset of menopause: fatigue, depression, loss of sex drive, insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes. Fun times, fun times.

The confusion unfortunately leads a lot of women to playing ostrich: when what we think of as symptoms of menopause begin to affect us, we suck it up and just ride it out. Or, we see a doctor who puts us on a hormone replacement treatment that may or may not actually work for us, or are simply treated for some of the symptoms (anti-depressants and sleep aids, for example). It is disempowering at best.

Ultimately, only you can decide how you want to handle the inevitable shift in your body from being reproductive to not. A few months ago, I started getting frequent headaches. Having suffered from migraines in the past, this freaked me out a bit because I was afraid I was going down that road. Then I started getting hotflashes. Really intense! Head to toe instaneous and inexplicable waves of heat. I knew immediately what was happening--something hormonal was out of whack. Well, I wasn't about to just accept that. I've far too much going on to be slowed down by headaches and hotflashes. So I set out to solve the problem. Here's what I did:

1) I made an appointment at an accupuncture clinic.
2) I got some books out of the library (see Read up! below).
3) I made an appointment with my naturopath.

4 accupuncture sessions is all it took to nix the hotflashes and headaches. My naturopath then put me on a supplement regimen which, to grossly oversimplify what she said, is meant to encourage my body to produce it's own healthy level of hormones. No hormone replacement. I'm good.

Everyone is different of course, and I don't mean to reduce everyone's hormone issues to my simple solution. But I do mean to tell you that you don't have to live with discomfort. There are lots of options. Don't take it lying down, and don't play ostrich, whatever you do. The price you'll pay is your quality of life. It's just not worth it.

A few more tips:

-Read up! There are lots of great books about the subject. I recently read Suzanne Somer's book Ageless. Once I got over the whole Chrissy thing, I found it really informative, although at this point I don't believe her approach is right for me. Also, The Perimenopause and Menopause Workbook by Kathryn R. Simpson; it explains all the various hormones and their functions, and what symptoms can be linked to which hormonal imbalance.

-Pay attention to perimenopause! This critical stage precedes menopause and can begin in your 30's. You'd be amazed how many inexplicable health issues, from weight gain to infertility, are rooted in the hormonal shift that occurs during perimenopause.

-Branch out into other forms of healing. Accupuncture is annoying but in my experience quite effective. A colleague also recently told me that reflexology cured her of hotflashes. A reliable naturopath and osteopath are also invaluable resources.

Banish These Words: Sleep Through The Night

If you have a baby or are about to have one, you may think you are being proactive by reading all sorts of books about babies. Most books about babies and their development will tell you that at some point or another, your baby should be able to sleep through the night. But I will let you in on a little secret. Lots of babies don't do that. Oh, you'll hear tales of those who do, mark my word. You'll know the parents of these babies by their healthy complexions, clean hair, clothes and houses. They may feel smug and superior and be convinced their baby sleeps through the night because they have taught their baby "healthy sleep habits." At best they will simply believe their baby behaves like the books say. You will come to hate these parents because chances are, you won't be one of them.

For your sanity, and to spare you the despair my partner and I have faced over not one but two babies that never sleep/slept through the night I'd like to share are a few of my insights about babies and sleep.

1. There is no age at which babies should sleep through the night. They're all different and they have a lot going on.

2. Bottle-fed babies don't always sleep better than nursed babies. Sometimes they do because formula is harder to digest and therefore tires them out more. But, weaning an infant is no guarantee that she will sleep better.

3. You will hear about letting babies "cry it out." This is also no magic bullet. I've known some babies who responded quite well to that approach, and others for whom it was a complete disaster (hysterical crying for over an hour with or without results; having to do it all over again after a disruption in the schedule, such as illness or a vacation). Before you consider this approach (the most common one is the Ferber technique), do read up on it and be fully informed as to what it entails. I urge to read about the topic on websites like mothering.com; askdr.sears.com; kellymom.com. Ultimately, be realistic about any "technique" you use and be prepared to look for another solution if that doesn't work.

4.Do some research on babies and sleep. It's possible your baby has a problem at night (food intolerance, for instance). Or there may be homeopathic treatments available to calm your baby down at night, or even a supplement (like magnesium) that could help.

5. Babies and young children seem to sleep much better when they are cooler. Don't overdress your baby at night or go crazy on the blankets.

6. A sound machine is a great way to block out household noise for light sleepers.

7. Such a cliché but something I regret: Nap when your baby naps during the day. As tempting as it is to have a few precious moments to yourself, you can handle any challenge your baby throws at you better if you're getting as much sleep as you can.

Sweet dreams.

Try My Stock

A few weeks back I promised I would post the recipe for chicken stock made from stockpiles of frozen chicken carcasses I accumulate from making roast chicken.

Some of you might ask why one would bother making stock from scratch, when it can be easily purchased in cans, tetra packs, concentrated in small bottles, powdered and in gummy little cubes. Truth be told, I keep stock in all of its various incarnations because it come in really handy. I swear, 8 out of 9 recipes call for stock. But I always prefer my homemade one for these reasons:

•It is devoid of creepy additives like MSG and HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein for which in Canada there is a currently salmonella advisory. Fun!).
•The taste, when done right, is superior to store-bought.
•I know what kind of or grade of chicken I used.
•From an ecological perspective, it just makes sense to me to try to make as many meals as possible and find as many uses as possible for something that a) died so I could eat it b) probably didn’t have a great life c) required an insane amount of the earth’s resources to be created, brought to maturity, slaughtered, packaged, transported, merchandised, advertised and then stored in my fridge and later cooked.
•It fills your house with aromas that to most people* conjure up feelings of happiness, nurturing, and well-being. My grandmother’s house smelled like that and you just can’t beat that.

*For some people, like those who are or were at some point vegetarian, these aromas conjure up images of slaughtered, mistreated animals being boiled in a vat of onions. If you live with this kind of person, make stock when they are not home or when you can open the windows.

So here is the recipe. You may now free your carcasses from the depth of your freezer. It is not a standard recipe and I have not tested it because it comes from my head and it changes every time. So if you make it and don’t like it, I apologize. If it is too diluted, try it again and reduce the amount of water.

Stock Recipe (Makes about 4 to 6 cups of stock)
2 or 3 chicken carcasses** with some meat left on the bone.
Cold water (2 cups per carcass)
1 large onion
3 large carrots (peeled or scrubbed clean)
3 celery branches
3 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper

•Place the chicken carcasses in a large pot
•Cover with 2 cups cold water per carcass. There should be enough water to barely cover the carcasses; put burner on medium high
•Cut all the vegetables into large chunks and throw into the water.
•Remove skins from garlic cloves and then gently squish the cloves with the side of your knife; pitch the garlic into the water.
•Add 2 teaspoons salt, pinch of pepper (you can add salt throughout the process too if you don’t think it’s enough).
•When the water is boiling, reduce to simmer and cover the pot.
•Simmer for 2 hours.

You’ll know your stock is done when the colour is nice and gold and it tastes chicken-y. One it’s done, remove from heat and strain as follows:
•Place a strainer over a large enough food storage container, pot or bowl to hold all the stock you made.
•Using tongs, retrieve all the bones, meat bits and vegetables from the pot and place in strainer. Dump contents of strainer into the garbage when full (this is the last stop for this chicken, I’m afraid). Pour rest of stock through the strainer.
•Use immediately, or cool at room temperature if storing for later use.


Fancypants 1: I once read a recipe for stock from Matha Stewart that used actual 2 whole chickens instead. I guess you could do that, but then you are using up more of the world’s chicken and resources and not putting into effect my whole stretch it out theory, but hey, I bet it’s really tasty.

Fancypants 2: You can also get creative with your vegetables and use odd and ends up: zucchini, green beans, red peppers, asparagus stalks, squash, potatoes, broccoli. In fact, I keep a freezer bag full of vegetable scraps that I can just toss into my stock.

Hot Stock Tips (haha! Get it? Hot stock tips, as in stocks sold in the stock market?)
•My mom used to make a big deal out of the fact that my grandmother didn’t skim the fat off her stock. So what? It tastes better that way. But if you are concerned about your fat intake, then wait until the stock is completely cool, refrigerate it for several hours and then skim the fat of the top.
•I freeze stock in 2-cup portions in little freezer bags that zip close.