Leader Enterprise - July 3, 2013 - Laundry Tips & Frozen Desserts

Summer has definitely arrived. Trust you have been enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps we've waited for. Hope you're getting outside and soaking in some Vitamin D, being careful to wear sunscreen if you're out for long. Hubby and I are enjoying many evenings on our deck, along with a cooling breeze. Enjoy this lovely weather while it lasts. And have a safe holiday weekend too.

I do enjoy doing laundry. It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but when we were first married, if I didn't have enough dirty clothes for a load, I would pull clean ones out of the drawer to add to the washer. (RED face-I know!) That crazy habit stopped once children joined our family.

Maybe you have a clothesline and enjoy hanging clothes out in the summer time. If so,KUDOS to you! There are definitely benefits to line - drying, but if you use your dryer year around, I wanted to share some easy and helpful hints to help you with the process of drying your laundry. Look for more laundry tips in my next column also.

• Be sure to shake and untwist items before tossing in the dryer. This not only reduces wrinkling, but allows the clothes to dry a bit faster, and this saves energy.
• Cleaning your lint filter before drying every load reduces drying time significantly - a money saving idea.
• Dry loads back to back so the dryer doesn't have time to cool down, then heat up again. Do lightweight, quick-drying items first in a separate load. Placing these in a cold dryer to start reduces shrinkage risk while preheating the dryer for later, heavier loads. Avoid wrinkling by doing several small loads rather than one large, crammed load. You’ll save energy with the shorter drying times and make use of the residual heat.
• A general rule for drying: If clothes were washed in hot water, most likely they can be dried on high, but if they were washed on permanent press/cooler water cycle, they should be dried at 'medium' or 'permanent press' setting also.
• I believe one of the most important things to remember when drying clothes, is removing them from the dryer promptly so they don't have time to get wrinkled. Keep clothes hangers handy and don't ball everything into the basket when removing, as that can add a lot of wrinkles too.
• When I don't get right to the dryer when it stops, I turn it on to reheat the clothes a little bit before I remove them. Makes the task of folding the clothes a little nicer when they are warm.

Using common sense will save you and your clothes wear and tear. If your clothes haven't gotten dirty, or you haven't worn them long, or you've not been sweaty,hang it back up and wear it again. Why not reuse your towels after showering - after all - we ARE clean when we get out of the shower. If everyone in the family has their own towel, washing them once a week could have your towels lasting longer. It's something to consider.

I love this adorable poem.

A clothesline was a news forecast, To neighbors passing by,
There were no secrets you could keep, When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by, To spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the"fancy sheets", And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths", With intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth, From folks who lived inside,
As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could, So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck, As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes,and a bathrobe too, Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "On vacation now", When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!"when full lines sagged, With not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon, If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past, For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home, Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life, It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best... By what hung out on that line.

(Author Unknown)

The kids can help put together this easy and tasty ice cream dessert that everyone will love. It keeps nicely in the freezer for up to a month.

ICE CREAM SANDWICH DESSERT

11 regular sized, or 17 mini ice cream sandwiches

1 jar (12 ozs) caramel ice cream topping

1 (12 ozs) tub frozen whipped topping,thawed

1/4 c. (lite) chocolate syrup

1 lg. (7 ozs) symphony candy bar, chopped

Arrange ice cream sandwiches in an ungreased 9" X13" X 2"dish. Cut a sandwich, or two, in half length-wise; fill in the spaces in the dish. Spread with caramel sauce and then whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Cover and freeze for atleast 45 minutes. Cut into squares when serving. Makes 15 - 18 servings.

My variation of this dish is simple: I don't use the syrups, but stir into the whipped topping - 1-1/2-2 cups chopped candies-malted milk balls, peanut butter cups, toffee pieces, (your favorite) and spread over the sandwiches. Cover and freeze.

This is a simple 2-ingredient recipe that can easily be made sugar free. Very refreshing.

COOL PEACH JELLO DESSERT

1 sm. (4-serv.size) box of cherry (or lemon or peach) jello (regular or sugar free)

1-16 ounce container (sugar free or lite) cool whip, thawed

Mix together. Stir it well so the jello dissolves; freeze. Scoop it out with an ice cream scoop and enjoy!