Using up le over ginger
Dear Heloise: My husband and I love fresh ginger in a number of dishes that I prepare, but oftentimes, leftover ginger sits in my refrigerator and dries out. Even if I wrap it tightly in cling wrap, it looks disgusting after a couple of months. Any hints for me on what to do to use up my fresh ginger?
— Melody H. Huntington Beach Melody, I love fresh ginger, too. Here are some additional uses for fresh ginger:
• Take the leftover ginger and grate it into a fine texture. Use any amount you want in curry of any kind. This will add a new taste to your dish.
• I always like to cut ginger very thin and add three or four of those thin slices in a marinade for chicken or salmon. It seems to add a little “zing” to the recipe.
• When I steam a head of cauliflower, I usually add about four thin slices of ginger to the water. It not only adds flavor to this dish, but also give a fresh scent to the kitchen.
• Sometimes I’ll add some ginger that has been grated with a zester to my oil-and-vinegar salad dressing.
• Many people like to add one fresh ginger slice to their tea, along with a few drops of lemon.
— Heloise
To tattoo or not to tattoo
Dear Heloise: I’m a freshman in college, and I have a boyfriend who I’d like to marry someday. Right now, he wants us to get matching tattoos, but I worry about things like poor workmanship (a lot of tattoos are poorly done), infections, and changing my mind about it afterward. Every so often, someone gets a bad infection from tattoo needles. And to top it off, my parents are dead set against it.
Are there any other drawbacks?
— Courtney W. Ann Arbor, Mich. Courtney, first, are you of the legal age to get a tattoo? Most, if not all, states have requirements about getting tattooed. Don’t lie about your age because they usually need proof.
Despite improved safety precautions, each year, there are a number of people who develop an allergic reaction to the ink used. In a study of Danish adults with tattoos, they found traces of nickel, lead, and various other cancer-causing substances in the ink. There are also skin infections from needles that weren’t sterilized properly.
Some people develop keloid scarring, and on occasion, there are complications with an MRI causing swelling and itchiness of the tattoo.
If you donate blood, the Food and Drug Administration requires you to wait at least three months after being tattooed.
Now ask yourself if you really want something tattooed on yourself for the rest of your life. Tattoo removal is costly and uncomfortable, and it scares most people. The tattoo may be gone, but a scar still remains.
You’re better off waiting a year or two to see if it was just a passing fancy or you really do want skin art. If you are still eager to get inked, use a reliable, licensed artist whose work you’ve seen and liked.
— Heloise
Condiment squeeze bottles
Dear Heloise: If you are caring for delicate African violets and want to avoid getting their leaves wet when watering them, a condiment bottle works well. You can also add the appropriate plant food to the bottle, but just remember to label it accordingly. This also works for other fragile plants as well.
— K.B. California
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@ Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.