Readers Questions & Answers

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. ~Pearl S. Buck

I shouldn't have bragged about the nice weather on Saturday. Yesterday it was only 38 degrees! Today I have more questions and answers:)

I bought a butterfly feeder No instructions as to what to put into to feed the butterflies. Do you use the same mixture that is used for hummingbirds? or something different? ~Lee

This recipe will work for homemade butterfly nectar.

Butterfly Nectar

You'll need:
4 cups of water
1 cup granulated white sugar

Add the sugar to the water in a medium sauce pan. Heat the mixture, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool before filling your butterfly feeder, and store any remaining nectar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Clean your feeder with hot water between fillings and change the nectar at least once a week. DO NOT use honey, syrup or any other kind of sweetener.

I have a recipe for Old Fashioned Meat Loaf and it mentions serving with potato with melted butter, crisp bacon chips and Smetina. I have never heard of Smetina. Any ideas? ~Nita

Smetina was a brand of sour cream produced by Raskas Dairy in St. Louis, Missouri. Substitute any regular sour cream in recipes.

I have some old hand crochet items from my grand mother and these items have some brown spots from age. They are white and I am afraid to bleach them. ~Peg

Bleach is not a good thing for vintage pieces, including a color safe bleach, so you were right to not do that. Try using a cleaner made for delicate washables, a gallon or so of cool water and 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Mix it up with your crochet piece in a tub or plastic bowl and let it soak for about 6 hours. Rinse it in cold water, and check the spots. If they aren't gone you can repeat it again, using a new solution. Place it flat to air dry when you are finished.

We also have tips on attracting butterflies and hummingbirds:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/butterflies3.html