Annie Watson

Annie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Ask. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book 'Healthy Eating Through the Garden' will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Annie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.

How can I decorate my buffet?

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SOME BUFFET GUIDELINES TO REMEMBERdecorate your buffet’s space but don’t overdo or overlayer it!try to avoid using lots of little collectibles or small things.use faux blooms and plants only if they look real up to 1 foot away.experiment and play with your accessories.less is more.keep a tight color palette.

Do smoke detectors still use americium?

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Most smoke detectors use americium-241 as their source. Some early models used radium-226, and commercial smoke detectors and some residential units used nickel-63. The types of radiation from these sources cannot make anything else radioactive.

How long is it safe to keep food in a cool box?

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Perishable foods stored in a cooler packed with ice remain safe to eat for their natural time span as long as the temperature inside remains below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature inside rises, the food is only edible for two hours.

How do you use a bell jigger?

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Measure your cocktail ingredients easily and accurately with this vintage-styled jigger. Simply pour your ingredients into the jigger up to the appropriate measurement line, then add your ingredient to your cocktail.

Can a range hood be ductless?

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What is a ductless range hood? A ductless range hood is a kitchen exhaust fan that recirculates your kitchen air through charcoal filters instead of ductwork. Charcoal filters trap grease, dirt, and neutralize odors.

Is it safe to dry wood in the oven?

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The common kitchen oven can be used to dry cut pieces of wood. Dried wood burns with greater heat and less smoke than moist fresh-cut lumber. … Wood dried outdoors can take months to harden and cure, but a kitchen oven speeds up the wood-drying process to a couple hours or less.

Where should I put my kitchen canisters?

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What to Store on Your CounterCanisters: Canisters (small and large) are a decorative way to store and contain small items. … Coffee maker: If you make coffee every day, there is no better place to store it than where you use it: on your kitchen counter.

What is the best way to sterilize jars for canning?

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In order to actually sterilize jars, they need to be submerged in (covered by) boiling water for 10 minutes. When the process time for canning a food is 10 minutes or more (at 0-1,000 feet elevation), the jars will be sterilized DURING processing in the canner.