Latest news with #TheKitchn
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mice will scurry away for good if 1 natural repellent is placed in your home
While mice might be a delightful sight in the Irish countryside, or a cherished pet safely housed in a cage, they are less welcome when they decide to nest in your walls and under floorboards. Despite their adorable appearance, mice are a public health pest and can cause significant harm. Mice are known carriers of diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria, which they can transmit to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding. As they scuttle about on your countertops, cupboards and tables, they can spread dirt and bacteria. They also cause considerable property damage due to their compulsive need to gnaw, putting your electric cables, doors, skirting boards and floorboards all at risk. Fortunately, there is a clever natural solution that avoids the need to spend large sums on traps and helps keep them away from your home. Peppermint oil has gained popularity as a method for deterring mice from your home. Mice find the smell of peppermint overpowering and disorientating as the potent aroma masks their pheromones on their pathways. Consequently, it will discourage these pests from entering your house, according to lifestyle blogger The Kitchn, reports the Express. The blogger suggests mixing two teaspoons of 100% peppermint oil with every 230 ml of water in a small spray bottle. You can then spray this solution anywhere you have spotted mice. You can also apply the oil directly onto cotton balls and place these in areas prone to mice. You can purchase 100 ml bottles of peppermint essential oil on for a mere €9.99. However, it's worth noting that if mice have made themselves at home inside your property, the scent of peppermint alone won't be enough to persuade them to vacate their nest. More drastic measures may be required to get rid of these unwelcome visitors.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Aldi Plans to Open More Than 30 New Stores Across 12 States, and Shoppers Are So Excited
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Aldi shoppers, it's time to get excited! A brand new day is upon us, and it's bound to be equal parts affordable and delicious, because Aldi announced plans to open 33 new stores across 12 states. This is glorious news to loyal fans of the discount grocery chain and Aldi-curious folks alike! This isn't the first time that the popular grocery store declared its plans to open lots of new locations. Recently, Aldi said it would be opening 225 new stores by the end of the year, which is just one stop on the way to its bigger goal of opening 800 stores by the end of 2028. That's a lot of new stores in a relatively short time — but we're not complaining! 2025 is almost halfway through, and Aldi has already opened stores in plenty of states this year. Stores have sprouted up all over the country, including locations in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, and the list goes on and on. Believe it or not, Aldi already holds the title of the third-largest grocery chain in the country with more than 2,400 stores nationwide. One hundred and twenty of those stores were opened in 2024, a sign that business is booming for Aldi. If you've never been to an Aldi store, you have so much to look forward to on your first trip! Aldi is known for its impressively low prices on grocery, kitchen, and home items, but never at the expense of quality. The store offers an incredible bakery, plenty of artisanal cheeses, old-school pasta, and an often robust selection of wine. Seriously, what's not to love?Keep your eyes open for a new Aldi destination popping up in your area. Even if it isn't part of these newly-announced stores, there may be another Aldi on its way to you soon. We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can't Stop Talking About Tuscan Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner of All Time, Says Everyone Who's Tried It Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Mice will scurry away for good if you place one natural repellent in your home
Mice can spread dangerous diseases and cause a lot of damage to your property, but one inexpensive and natural repellent will send them packing While mice might be a delightful sight in the British countryside, or a cherished pet safely housed in a cage, they are less welcome when they decide to inhabit your walls and under floorboards. Despite their adorable appearance, mice are a public health pest and can cause significant harm. Mice are known carriers of diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria, which they can transmit to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding. As they scuttle about on your countertops, cupboards and tables, they can spread dirt and bacteria. They also cause considerable property damage due to their compulsive need to gnaw, putting your electric cables, doors, skirting boards and floorboards all at risk. Fortunately, there is a clever natural solution that avoids the need to spend large sums on traps and helps keep them away from your home. Peppermint oil has emerged as a popular method for deterring mice from your home. Mice find the smell of peppermint overpowering and disorientating as the potent aroma masks their pheromones on their pathways. Consequently, it will discourage the pests from entering your house, according to lifestyle blogger The Kitchn, reports the Express. The blogger suggests mixing two teaspoons of 100% peppermint oil with every 230 ml of water in a small spray bottle. You can then spray this solution anywhere you have spotted mice. You can also apply the oil directly onto cotton balls and place these in areas prone to mice. You can purchase 100 ml bottles of peppermint essential oil on Amazon for a mere £6.59. However, it's worth noting that if mice have made themselves at home inside your property, the scent of peppermint alone won't persuade them to vacate their nest. More drastic measures may be required to rid your home of these unwelcome visitors. A pest control whizz also shared an easy trick - using peppermint oil - to deter wasps and ensure a wasp-free abode in the warmer months. Wasps and hornets have an aversion to the scent of mint, which suggests that scattering mint around your residence could serve as an effective natural deterrent. Clancy Bros Pest Control also recommended the use of peppermint oil to achieve the same result – simply by applying a few drops of the oil onto a cotton ball. Cleaning guru Chantel Mila disclosed her method of using peppermint oil on cotton balls tucked beneath her bin liner to fend off insects and unpleasant smells. She further advised placing them in your vacuum cleaner to fill your entire house with a peppermint fragrance that bugs, including wasps, cannot stand. Mila informed her 1.6 million TikTok followers that she positions mint in water-filled jars near her windows to prevent flies from entering her home, and cleans her walls and floors with orange oil to repel spiders, which loathe the aroma.
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Cucumbers will stay fresh and not go mushy if kept with 1 thing in the fridge
With the weather turning summery, many will be turning to fresh, healthy veg like cucumbers – avoid this mistake As we embrace the sunnier days ahead, fresh and wholesome meals like vibrant salads become the order of the day. There's nothing quite as disappointing as reaching for a cucumber to add to your Greek salad or lettuce mix, only to find a squishy disappointment in the fridge. Chris Hassall, a food storage and safety expert at Virtual College by Netex, highlights a widespread blunder that many salad aficionados are guilty of, resulting in prematurely spoiled cucumbers. But don't fret – with a tweak to your storage habits, you can dramatically increase their longevity and crunch. How to keep cucumbers fresh Chris recommended giving uncut cucumbers a good wash under cool water and then patting them dry with some kitchen roll to ward off any lingering nasties. He shared the main way to stop mushiness – keeping the cucumbers in kitchen paper before chilling them in the fridge, which will sop up any unwanted dampness, reports the Express. Additionally, the expert says the veg drawer should be the go-to spot for storing ingredients such as cucumbers and tomatoes, as this slightly more humid part of the fridge helps maintain crispiness. A test from The Kitchn involved trying out the recommended paper towel technique while also tossing the ensconced cucumber into a loosely tied carrier bag. They shared their verdict: "On day seven, most of the cucumbers were still firm and showed no signs of deterioration." The following day, the conventional cucumber began to show some soft spots at the ends, but overall they remained fairly robust. By day 10, however, all of the cucumbers had developed noticeable squishy areas. "Prepping the cucumbers for this technique was easy, and the cucumbers stayed fresh for a good amount of time. It's a solid method that will keep your cukes fresh for a good bit of time." They concluded their findings by saying: "Moisture loss, as well as moisture buildup, seems to contribute most to spoilage. Shielding cucumbers in some way - wrapping in paper towels, plastic wrap, or placing in a bag - appears to offer the longest protection." How to keep salads fresh Chris also shared a tip for salad enthusiasts, suggesting they should refrain from mixing salad ingredients until it's time to eat. He explained: "While combining salad items is safe to do so, it can cause food items to go soggy quickly, especially if you've topped the salad with a dressing. "To avoid this, keep salad items such as greens, vegetables and proteins in separate containers or bags before assembling the salad to keep it fresher for longer. While leaves don't need to be prepared, slice other salad items such as cucumber and peppers before placing them in a food bag or an airtight container." He further advised on how to maintain the freshness of cucumber slices, recommending: "To prevent cucumbers from drying out, cover the slices in water - just make sure to change the water every two to three days to keep them fresh. Keep salad dressing in a separate container too and add just before serving, to prevent it from causing the salad to go limp."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I Finally Found a Smart Way to Store Food Container Lids, and It's Unexpectedly Perfect
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Some housekeeping pain points seem so unsolvable that we've just about accepted them as facts of life. For me, one of these is the always-growing Laundry Monster that I can't ever quite tame. I have also not found a solution to how to hang and store my wet dishwashing rag. I keep it slung over the divider of the sink, but I don't love how it looks, it never really has a chance to dry there, and washing hands over it doesn't seem to be the most sanitary. Food storage lids are another organizing head-scratcher. I keep our food storage containers in an upper cabinet, so nifty solutions like this one aren't possible. I've been using a shelf riser to stack our lids above the containers, but if I make one wrong move, I run the risk of all the lids tumbling down. So there's a lot of shuffling and sliding and, well, my food storage container usage isn't quite as straightforward and frustration-less as I'd like it to be. But there's another answer to my (and your!) cabinets' messiest problem and it involves an office organization solution: a mail holder. I get a thrill out of organizing tools doing double duty in different areas of the home, and if you too have a container lid situation, you'll enjoy this as well. Just pick up this mail holder (or something similar) and use Command Hooks to hang it against the back of a cabinet door — upper or lower, it's up to you! (I happened to have a mesh one laying around but you can get a plastic one for even less money.) And that's it. You have the perfect place to stash your food container lids! If you have a robust collection of food storage containers, and therefore lids, you may even want to hang two mail organizers. Storing your lids in a mail organizer is pretty self-explanatory, but here's one tip that could enhance usability: Making sure to store larger, taller lids toward the back and the smaller lids in front. This way, you can always see everything that's in there at a glance and you can — at last — reach for exactly (and only) the lid you need. This post originally published on The Kitchn. Read it there: This $9 Mail Organizer Is the Key to Organizing Your Kitchen's Messiest Problem I Bought a Helix Mattress for My Kid — Here's My Review I Tried 8 Baby Food and Kids' Meal Delivery Services — Here Are the Best of the Bunch The Best Zipper Sheets to Solve the Worst Bed-Making Task
