i'm not very good in keeping my house clean. what with two kids around, not sure whether i want to clean up every 5 minutes or so. i know i would just drain myself from doing unnecessary works. i would rather just clean up a bit at night, when everyone's ready to sleep or when everyone's asleep already. one of the most challenging household work for me is to keep my sink clean. i have read from one of the magazines i bought that stainless steel sinks are the most easy to maintain sink, among others. having said this, i still dream of having a spic and span house everyday. maybe get another maid? probably not. it's an added stress, no privacy and more finances to spend. so better stick with not so spic and span house and enjoy privacy and less stressed life.

ever wonder how you can tell whether eggs are still fresh or they're ready to be discarded? test eggs for freshness by placing them in a deep bowl of cold water. if they rise to the surface, throw them away. air permeates stale eggs and makes them lighter! if they tip to one side, use them quickly. if they lie on their sides, however, you'll know that they're fresh.

i have wasted so much eggs in the past coz i didn't know how to test their freshness. i would have cracked 4 eggs into a bowl and suddenly, the 5th one would be spoiled and i had to discard all of them because the 5th one is already mixed in.

i have started posting household hints for a couple of weeks now. if you have your household hints and you want to share with me, please leave a comment. thanks!

i love yoghurt. i can eat it like there's no tomorrow. but of course, i have to control myself otherwise, i'd gain weight like crazy also. now i'm trying to make my own yogurt. i haven't been successful with making one yet but here's how you can make your own yogurt:

make you own, greek-style yogurt by first warming 1 liter (35 fl oz) of UHT or sterilized milk to blood heat and then gently stirring in the contents of a small pot of natural yogurt. Pur the mixture into a warmed vacuum flask and screw tightly before leaving the flask and screw on the lid tightly before leaving the flask in a warm place overnight. The next day, pour the yoghurt through either a fine sieve or a piece of muslin draped over a colander to separate the thick yoghurt from any liquid whey. (You could use the whey in cooking or could even wash your hair with it!) If you don't have any UHT or sterilized milk, you need to bring 1 liter of pasteurized milk to the boil, let it cool to blood heat and then continue with the method described above.