homemaking101's Profile

Like others have said, get a live trap (or a few) and put it wherever you've found evidence of the mouse. Bait it with something delicious, and check it frequently--several times a day. It's not very humane if it becomes a long-term, waterless box.

Once you catch it, take it to a field or park far away and release it. If you release it just outside your place, you can bet it's going to find its way back in.

My parents used a few regular traps, and, let me tell you, there is little more heartbreaking than the horrible squeak/squeal a trapped mouse makes. My dad felt so bad he took the trap outside, opened it up, and let the mouse loose in the backyard. Don't use those. Or glue traps, which are mean in a whole lot of other ways.

In the mean time, keep everything tidy. No crumbs or bits anywhere. Keep food in sealed containers. Clean most things with regular dish soap, vinegar, and hot water. But, if you've found areas with mouse poo, use some disinfectant there.

Of course, there's a point where you probably have to accept the occasional mouse or two. In my house growing up, we lived right in front of a field, and we had constant mice. Good luck!

I switched to all whole wheat a while back, and, now that I'm accustomed to it, I prefer it. Regular pasta seems so mushy now.

My kitchen is about 1/3 the size of a kitchen that would be labeled "small." Everything is smaller than it should be--the counter space, the fridge, and oven. And everything pours out of all the cabinets when we open them. Can't wait to move!

So I'm not the only one who likes when people leave their dining and living room curtains open at night?

Nothing about this sounds weird at all. Not sure why you wouldn't eat it...

Exchanging the recipe for free desserts sounds nice, but, after a while, the chef might resent handing them out. Or you might feel uncomfortable asking for them. Even if that's the deal. Besides, unless the pastry chef is also the owner, she isn't in a position to give away food. So keep it a business transaction and not an exchange between friends, unless you're willing to offer the recipe in exchange for a one-time something (like a tray of sweets for a party).

In naming a price, I would consider what the bistro charges and how much profit they might make. You're in the best position to judge what you think the bistro should pay. Don't feel bad asking what you think it's worth. She offered and expects to pay. Tell her that you've done a little research, that X seems like a fair price, and that you can't wait to go in and order one.

I adore holiday baking! Every year for as long as I can remember, my cousin would come over to my house and we would bake an entire day away. We bake the same recipes every year, but since we've gotten older we've added a few new ones to our repertoire. Palmiers, most recently.

Afterwards, we send of packages of treats to friends and relatives and 'sample' what's left.

I'm still at the point of trying new recipes and techniques, which results in a fair amount of failure. About a month ago I tried a new dessert recipe on my grandparent who were in town to visit. The problem was basically that there was very solid caramel in it that made chewing...difficult. I tossed the recipe and moved on. My grandmother didn't. When I went to visit family last week, everyone had heard about it! My grandpa even came up to me and said, "I don't care what anyone says, I like caramel brownies."

I can forgive my failures, but apparently my grandma cannot.