Curry Stains

Sometimes, if you’re like me, you end up with curry stains on clothing or tablecloths, particularly after a particularly lively curry take-away dinner.  The yellow stain, left behind by turmeric, is nearly impossible to get out with detergent, but I have a discovered a trick to this.  A friend from India told me that her mother leaves the stain out to bleach in the sun for a few hours and then washes out the oil stain as normal.  Eager to try this, I stuck a tablecloth with a big curry stain on it outside the next time the sun was bright and, lo and behold, the stain is gone!  An oil stain is left behind, but I can get at that with shampoo.

Apparently, the dye in turmeric is reactive with the sun, and fades if it hasn’t been set by ammonia.  Who knew?

This year’s Lambeth Country Show

I’m up to my eyeballs in writing my dissertation, but I wanted to share the link to the programme for this year’s Lambeth Country Show.  It’s this weekend, and you can find information about it here.

If you get a chance, it is good fun.

Dig for Victory! (for free)

I just wanted to share the updated BBC website for free gardening seeds and tips.  I’ve ordered a pack of free seeds, and Daughter and I are eager to start planting now that spring is truly here.

The website is here, but I don’t know if they will send seeds outside of the UK…

Egg dye, the old fashioned way

I am so excited this year, I am actually going to dye eggs with natural products.  I know this sounds a bit goofy, but egg dye is a bit hard to come by over here.  Well, it used to be, and now it just seems that what is available is a vague Paas replacements (i.e. not quite right).   I had several egg dye kits packed away from previous years, but this is the first year that I don’t have any to use.

I’ll be using the method outlined by Martha Stewart here.  I thought I would mention it now because the onion skins in particular need saving up.  We always have beets and red cabbage around, not to mention coffee and tea.  I think the only thing I really have to get is the turmeric, but I might be able to borrow that one off of the neighbors…

Also, if you are wondering where eggs for dying would have come from during the War, I am willing to bet that the clever house wife actually blew her eggs out and dyed the shells.  If anyone knows, please let me know, also if anyone has any other ideas for natural dyes.

Now that the weather is warmer,

I’ve been doing a few Homefront things on the cleaning front.  I have started a huge spring cleaning yet, and I don’t know if I will, but when the weather starts to warm, I do the following:

Hang laundry back outside to dry (one of my favourites).

Hang out bedding in the sun, even if it is not so warm, and especially winter blankets.  Even if we are still using the blankets, it is nice to have them freshened outside.

Throw open windows in rooms that aren’t being used during the day, to air them, even if the heat still comes on at night.

Air out shoes and boots, especially if they’ve seen near daily wear during the winter.

Air out heavy coats, and then pack them away.

These are just a few ideas of things to do to help with spring cleaning and summerizing the house.  They don’t cost a thing or much time at all, but they do lift the spirit.  What are you doing now that the weather is warmish?