did you know when you freeze leftovers, it's hard to tell whether it's chilli con carne, spag bol sauce or sausage and cous cous?

if you're like me and you cook way too much each time, either intentionally or not, then your freezer is probably chokkers of left overs.

this is good. it means people like us can pull stuff out of the freezer, defrost and dine like royalty quite quickly and easily.

i have had a labelling problem, though. first, i got sucked into the tupperware type system where you have a coloured plastic disc that gets shoved/clipped into the end of the box. on this you are meant to write, with the special pencil, whatever it is that you are freezing. you can rub these out (unsatisfactorily, i might say) and re-write as often as you like.

this "system" lasted about one time with me.

but i've come up with something better, which only today was tested properly.

get yourself a whiteboard marker. it's important you don't use a permanent marker. (the permanent marker of choice in our home is the sharpie. they are great, but they stay forever.)

what you then do is write the name of the food, probably not bill or percy, on the lid before you freeze. i just did this with bol sauce which was in one of those plastic spc? fruit bottles with the green lids. i find these are good for freezing leftovers.

and the label i'd written on it just washed off perfectly in the soapy water.

i am so pleased with myself. needless to say.

you give it a go if you want.

i haven't tested this yet on other plastic-ware so i suggest you be cautious with your really expensive/spesh stuff.

but so far, it's looking good and i think i may have created a solution to something that has been bothering me for a long time.

my first comment asking for advice

the delightful dxxxx left a comment about a problem with some tights.

it reads as follows:

Hey tipster - Got any tips on what to do with a pair of gym tights which *someone* (ie not me) put in the wash with towels and are now covered in green fluffy type stuff? Are they a lost cause or is there something you can do to get rid off the the offending fluff?Much loveDxxxx

don't you love it that she calls me tipster?

here's my response:

i presume the "green fluffy type stuff" to which you refer is pilling which has transferred from the towels to the gym tights?

are they small tight balls or is it a looser fluff?

if small tight balls you can get a little machine that's kind of like a circular electric shaver which shaves the balls off and they collect in a plastic repository. my brother gave me one of these gadgets years ago. i don't know what happened, perhaps i got rid of it because it didn't work, but if i had it, i'd sent it straight up to you.

failing that, you might just have to spend an hour or more picking the fuckers off. have a friend help you.

if it's looser fluff, you might just have to go the manual pick, or there are i think combs that can comb stuff off.

or try the razor method mentioned in the first post, on sheet pilling. it worked for me.

if anybody else has anything to suggest, please do.

and sorry dxxxx for taking a while to get back to you. not sure how long your question was there, i haven't been here for a while.

x