| How to Make a Piping Bag Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:00 PM PDT A piping bag, also known as a pastry bag, is a cone-shaped bag that you fill with icing, frosting, or sauce. You apply pressure to the bag to dispense frosting, icing, or sauce in a specific pattern to make your dish beautiful and tasty. You can make a piping bag by filling a resealable plastic bag and cutting the corner off. If you don't have a plastic bag, you can cut a triangle out of parchment paper and fold it into a cone. If you want to store any left-overs, use a plastic bag since it can easily be packed away. If you have a lot of different icings that you need to use, opt for parchment paper since it's cheap and disposable. [Edit]Using a Resealable Plastic Bag - Get a resealable plastic bag and a pair of scissors. Resealable plastic bags make excellent piping bags because the frosting or sauce won't come out from anywhere but the point that you want it to. Select a plastic bag based on the amount of frosting or sauce that you need to apply to the top of your dish.[1]
- Most packages list the interior volume of the plastic bag. This can make it easy to determine whether a bag is big enough for the recipe.
- A thicker resealable bag, like a freezer bag, is a good choice if you have a thicker frosting that will require a lot pressure to be applied to the bag.
- You can use a non-sealable plastic bag if that's all you have available, but you'll need to twist it at the top once you fill it to close it. These bags also tend to explode when you squeeze them, so they're not great for thicker frostings.
- Open your plastic bag and add your icing or sauce with a spoon. Set your bag and other materials out on a cutting board or flat work surface. Open the resealable plastic bag and start scooping your sauce or frosting into the bag.[2]
- One of the advantages of using a plastic bag is that the sauce or icing won't leak out of the bottom while you're adding it.
- You can make a nozzle for your bag by cutting out a flexible strip of matboard or aluminum and wrapping it into a cone before cutting the points out with scissors. Insert the nozzle from the inside before filling your bag if you want one. The pattern that comes out may not be perfect though.[3]
- Seal the bag at the top to close it. Once you've added your frosting or sauce, seal your bag by running your fingers on the opposite sides of the seal and pressing it together. If you have a plastic bag with a zipper, all you need to do is slide it to the other end of the bag. Push the frosting, icing, or sauce down towards the corner that you're going to cut.[4]
- You can push the air out before sealing it if you want. It'll make it easier to dispense the icing or sauce but it will also come out quicker.
- Use scissors to snip a corner of the bag off. Open your scissors and place the blades around the corner of the bag. Line your scissors up so that there is of plastic sticking out past the line that you're going to cut. Close the scissor blades to snip a section of the bag off and make the spout for your piping bag.[5]
- The size of the cut that you make will determine the amount of sauce or frosting that dispenses as you squeeze your bag. The bigger you make the hole when you cut the bag, the more icing or sauce that will come out.
- Lift your bag up with the opening pointing upwards so that your sauce or frosting doesn't spill out.
- Hold the bag over your dish and squeeze the bag to use it. Put your nondominant hand around the top of the bag to control the pressure in the bag and move it. Place your dominant hand lightly around the bottom of the bag to control where the icing or sauce comes out. Keep the opening of your piping bag from the surface of the dish to apply your sauce or frosting.[6]
- If you want to stop dispersing the sauce or frosting, all you need to do is stop squeezing the bag and tilt the opening of the bag upwards.
[Edit]Folding Parchment Paper to Make a Cone - Cut a large triangle out of a sheet of parchment paper. Pull out a sheet of parchment paper and cut an isosceles triangle out. The size of your sheet will determine the size of your bag. A triangle with a base of is a good general size for applying sauce or frosting.[7]
- You can buy parchment paper from a pharmacy, grocery store, general goods store, or some corner stores.
- The advantage of using parchment paper is that it's extremely cheap and easy to cut. It also comes in rolls, so you can pull out any length to adjust the size of the bag.
- Fold 1 corner over the middle of the opposite side. Hold 1 side in front of you with your nondominant hand. Grab the opposite point in your dominant hand and fold your dominant hand over the side that you're holding. Angle it slightly to any side to make one of the openings smaller than the other. Pinch the junction where your side and point meet your nondominant hand.[8]
- Continue wrapping the corner around the side until the sheet forms a cone. Keep the side and point pinched lightly together and continue pulling the point around the parchment paper at an angle. Continue pulling it until the narrow opening at the bottom is wide.[9]
- The size of the opening will determine how much sauce or frosting comes out of the bag when you're using it.
- Staple the junction where the corner folds over your sheet if you want. You can use the bag without stapling it by simply holding the junction with your nondominant hand as you're using it. If you want to ensure that the paper stays folded though, use a stapler to put a few staples over the area where it overlaps so that it doesn't unfold.[10]
- You can make multiple piping bags ahead of time if you need to use multiple bags while you're baking or cooking.
- Fill the bag with icing, sauce, or frosting by scooping it in with a spoon. Hold the bag on its side and start scooping sauce or icing into the middle of the bag. If the material that you're adding is particularly thin, pinch the opening at the bottom of your cone to keep it closed as you add your icing or sauce.[11]
- You can't really add a nozzle to the tip of your paper pastry bag. It's kind of unwieldy as it is, and the seal won't be airtight around the nozzle.
- Fold the top of your bag over to close it. Once you've added a decent amount of icing or sauce, fold the opening at the top over itself to close it. Fold it multiple times to ensure that nothing spills out. Lift the bag and squeeze it to apply your icing or sauce.[12]
- Discard your bag after you've used it. You can't really store it for a long period of time without anything leaking out.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Using a Resealable Plastic Bag - Resealable plastic bag
- Spoon
- Scissors
[Edit]Folding Parchment Paper to Make a Cone - Parchment paper
- Scissors
- Stapler (optional)
- Staples (optional)
- Spoon
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Protect Your Skin While Gardening Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:00 AM PDT Gardening can be a fulfilling hobby, but there are many ways your skin can get irritated while you're working. Plants could cause skin irritation, the sun could cause burns, and bugs can spread harmful bacteria or cause itchiness. When you're gardening, wearing protective clothing and gloves, putting on sunscreen, and applying bug repellent can all help you stay safe while you're outside! [Edit]Preventing Skin Irritation and Damage - Wear thick gardening gloves while handling plants. Invest in a pair of leather gardening gloves to prevent any thorns or sharp objects from cutting through them and stabbing your hands. Make sure the gloves fit your fingertips exactly and that they aren't too tight when you clench your fist. Avoid handling any of your plants without gardening gloves since the plants could have sap or chemicals that may irritate your skin.[1]
- You can give your skin a little extra protection by applying a layer of petroleum jelly to your hands and putting on some latex or nitrile gloves. Then, put on your gardening gloves on top of those.
- Keep a few pairs of gardening gloves in your home so you have spares in case you accidentally rip or tear one.
- There are many types of gardening gloves that each have specialized purposes. For example, you may get pruning gloves to cover more skin and work with delicate plants.
- Put on sturdy shoes while you're working outside. Look for shoes that are comfortable to wear, waterproof, and flexible so you can easily get to your plants. For the maximum amount of protection, wear rubber boots so water can't get inside and to keep your feet safe from any sharp tools you're using. If you want something more casual, wear rubber slip-on shoes for walking around your garden doing simple tasks, like pruning.[2]
- Keep your gardening shoes clean after you're done working for the day so they don't get caked with dirt or mud.
- Avoid wearing slip-on shoes while watering or working with pesticides and fertilizers so you don't get wet or expose your skin to the chemicals.
- Learn to identify poison ivy, oak, and sumac to prevent rashes and irritation. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac have chemicals on their leaves and sap that can cause itching or rashes when they come into contact with your skin. Take some time to familiarize yourself with what each plant looks like so you can identify them if they're in your area. When you find any, be careful not to touch them or only handle them if you're wearing gloves.[3]
- Poison ivy has 3 leaves at the end of each of its reddish stems, and the vines may have a hairy appearance.[4]
- Poison oak can grow as a shrub or a vine and has 3 dark green leaves at the end of each of its red stems. The leaves and stems have "hairs" on both sides, and they produce tan-colored berries.[5]
- Poison sumac is a tree that has leaves that look like a feather, and the stems have a reddish color. The tree can grow up to tall.
- Clean any wounds immediately to prevent infection. If you ever puncture your gloves or break your skin by scratching it on a plant, take off your gloves and stop gardening immediately. Wash off the wound with warm, soapy water and apply an antibacterial cream or spray so it doesn't get infected. Wrap the wound in a bandage before continuing gardening so you don't expose it to any harmful materials.[6]
- You can also keep antibacterial creams or sprays out with you while you're gardening to treat the wound right away. Wash the wound as soon as you're able to ensure it doesn't get infected.
- If you punctured through a pair of gloves, then use a different pair when you continue gardening so you don't reintroduce any bacteria.
- Shower and change your clothes when you're finished gardening. Once you finish gardening for the day, take a shower once to rinse off any chemicals or plant bacteria that you may have gotten on your skin while you were working. After that, put on a fresh change of clothes so you don't accidentally spread or expose yourself to irritants again.[7]
- Do an oatmeal soak to help alleviate any itching or rashes. Oatmeal can soothe your skin to help relieve pain from rashes or itching. Fill a large mixing bowl with ¼ cup (25 g) of dry rolled oats and pour in of warm water. Put your hands or the affected area in the bowl and let them soak for 10-15 minutes to help reduce any itchiness and pain. When you're finished, rinse your hands and moisturize them with lotion so your hands don't dry out any more.[8]
- If you want to do a full body soak, then add ½ cup (50 g) of oats to a full bathtub instead.
[Edit]Protecting Yourself from the Sun - Wear water-resistant sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30. A little bit of sunlight is healthy for you, but too much can increase your risk of skin cancer. Look for a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher, and make sure that it's waterproof so it doesn't come off as easily when you sweat. Rub the sunscreen onto any skin that's still exposed and work it in until it's clear. The sunscreen will help block UV rays that cause sunburn so you can work outdoors for an extended period of time.[9]
- Don't forget areas that are commonly missed, such as your face, ears, and the back of your neck.
- Cover as much skin as you can with long-sleeved shirts and pants. Wear light colors and thin fabrics, such as cotton, rayon, or linen, while you're gardening so you don't overheat while you're working out in the sun. If it's still too warm to wear long sleeves or pants, then it's okay to wear T-shirts and shorts as long as you're careful around plants and put on sunscreen.[10]
- Long sleeves and pants also help protect you from skin irritants in plants as well as insects.
- Put on a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses for additional sun protection. While sunscreen can protect your face from sunburn, try putting on a hat that has a wide brim so your face is out of direct sunlight. Large pairs of sunglasses can also help block out harmful rays and make it easier to see while you're outside.[11]
- You can buy gardening hats online or from any outdoors store.
- Keep yourself well-hydrated. While you're in the garden, always have a bottle of water on hand and take regular sips as you work. This will help you stay cool and hydrated if it's hot out, and will also help keep your skin well-hydrated as you lose water from exertion and sweating.[12]
- Most doctors recommend drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. If you're working up a sweat, you may need more. A good rule of thumb is to drink whenever you start to feel thirsty.
[Edit]Keeping Bugs Away - Garden during the middle of the day to help reduce bug bites. Harmful insects that bite, such as mosquitoes or ticks, are more active from dusk until dawn, so try to garden throughout the day so you aren't outside during peak insect times. While there still may be insects, like bees or spiders, during the day, they're less likely to bite or sting you unless they're provoked.[13]
- There still may be ticks or mosquitoes around during the day, but they're less likely to be active.
- Spray insect repellent with DEET to protect from stings or bug bites. DEET is a bug repellent that also deters ticks, so spray it on exposed skin or your clothing to keep the bugs away. Read the repellent's label carefully since it may tell you when to reapply or provide any special instructions you need to follow. To apply the bug repellent in hard to reach areas, like your face or the back of your neck, spray it into your hands and rub it into your skin.[14]
- If you don't want to spray insect repellent on yourself, you can also buy repellent capsules that you keep near you to keep bugs away.
- Spray the repellent around your shoes and socks since ticks are usually found in grasses low to the ground.
- Flick bugs away rather than killing them if they land on you. If you slap or kill bugs that land on you, they're more likely to bite you or sting. If you notice a bug on your skin, then use your thumb and forefinger to gently flick it away. Try to flick it from the side so you don't accidentally get bitten or stung.[15]
- Check yourself for ticks when you're finished gardening. Stand in a well-lit room and check over your body for small bugs the size of a poppy seed or larger. Look in warm, dark areas, such as between your toes, the backs of your knees, your armpits, and your groin. If you find a tick attached to you, carefully pick it off with a pair of tweezers as close to the skin as you can and pull it straight outward.[16]
- Wear light colors while you're gardening since it will be easier to see if you have any ticks on you.
- Have a partner help you check for ticks if you have trouble searching on your back or neck.
- Apply lotion before and after you garden to keep your hands smooth.[17]
[Edit]Warnings - Remove any ticks as soon as you find them since they could spread harmful diseases and bacteria.
- Chemicals in pesticides or fertilizers can cause eye irritation when you come into contact with them, so wear safety glasses that cover your eyes completely. Make sure the glasses are snug against your face so chemicals, pollen, or other flying debris doesn't cause any eye damage.[18]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Preventing Skin Irritation and Damage - Gardening gloves
- Safety glasses
- Sturdy shoes
- Antibacterial cream
- Bandages
- Dried oats
- Mixing bowl
[Edit]Protecting Yourself from the Sun - Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Pants
- Wide-brimmed hat
- Sunglasses
[Edit]Keeping Bugs Away - Insect repellent with DEET
[Edit]References |
| How to Heal Blisters Fast Posted: 09 Sep 2019 01:00 AM PDT Blisters typically heal on their own within 3 to 7 days, but it can be hard to deal with them for this long. Since picking at a blister may cause an infection and lengthen the healing time, your best bet for getting rid of blisters fast is to leave them alone and let them heal. However, you can drain your blisters if the fluid buildup is causing pain. There are also a few home remedies that you can try to speed up your blister healing time. As with any injury, watch for signs of an infection and call your healthcare provider if you notice any. [Edit]Promoting Quick Healing with Basic First Aid - Try not to pop the blister or peel away skin if it's still intact. The blister may pop on its own or it might heal without popping. Resist the urge to pick at the blister with your fingers or to apply pressure to it. Forcing the blister to pop can introduce bacteria into the wound, which may lead to an infection.[1]
- Pad the blister with a donut-shaped bandage if it's on your foot. If the blister is somewhere that you apply pressure to regularly, such as on the bottom or side of your foot, then applying a donut-shaped bandage can help. Position the donut-shaped bandage around the blister so that it will reduce the pressure on it.[2]
- You can find padded, donut-shaped blisters in the first aid section of a drug or grocery store.
- Cover the blister with a dry, sterile bandage if it bursts on its own. If the blister does pop, allow the fluid to drain from it. Then, loosely cover the blister with a piece of sterile gauze and secure the gauze with a band-aid. This will help to keep the blister clean and dry. Change the bandage daily or any time it gets wet.[3]
- Call your doctor if you notice any signs of an infection. It's important to check the blister every day and watch it for signs of an infection. These signs may include any of the following:[4]
- Green or yellow pus
- Redness or increased redness
- Heat
- Swelling
- Pain
- Fever
[Edit]Draining a Painful Blister to Increase Comfort - Wash your hands and sterilize a needle with rubbing alcohol. If you need to relieve the pressure on a blister, you can puncture it with a small, sterile needle. Wash your hands first to avoid introducing bacteria into the wound. Then, get the smallest needle you can find, and wipe it with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to sterilize it.[5]
- A small sewing needle or pin works fine for puncturing a blister.
- Make sure to lather your hands with soap for 20 seconds and rinse them thoroughly. Then, dry your hands off with a clean towel or paper towel.
- Insert the sterile needle into the edge of the blister and let the fluid drain. Find a spot near the edge of the blister. Don't poke the needle into the center of the blister. Then, insert the needle into the blister about or just enough to make a small hole. Let the fluid drain out as you do this.[6]
- If the blister is large, then you might need to make 2 to 3 holes to drain it.
- If there's a lot of fluid, wipe it away with a cotton ball or piece of cotton gauze. If needed, you can also apply gentle pressure to the blister with a cotton ball or piece of gauze to help the blister drain.
- Cover the blister with petroleum jelly and a bandage for 2-3 days. After the fluid has drained out of the blister, apply enough petroleum jelly to the blister to cover it entirely and then cover it with a piece of cotton gauze or a band-aid. Leave the petroleum jelly and bandage in place for 2 to 3 days. The petroleum jelly will soften up the skin while protecting it, and it may also help to speed up the healing process.[7]
- You can apply the petroleum jelly with your fingertips or use a cotton swab.
- Sterilize a pair of scissors and tweezers by dipping them in rubbing alcohol. You can sterilize a small pair of scissors and tweezers by dipping them into a cup of rubbing alcohol. Make sure to fully submerge the scissor blades and tips of the tweezers. Then, place the scissors and tweezers on a clean paper towel and let the alcohol dry completely before using them.[8]
- Rubbing alcohol dries quickly, so your scissors and tweezers should be ready to use within a few minutes.
- Cut away the dead skin with the sterilized scissors and tweezers. Remove the bandage and use the tweezers to gently pull back the edge of the skin. Then, use the scissors to cut away the dead skin covering the blister wound. This skin will look white or yellowish. Sever the dead skin completely and throw it away.[9]
- Be careful not to cut too close to your living skin or you will hurt yourself. Only cut the skin that you're sure is dead. You can pinch it first to see if there's any feeling in it.
- Reapply the petroleum jelly and bandage to continue protecting the area. You can apply more petroleum jelly to the area underneath the dead skin after you cut it off. Then, apply a clean bandage to the area to promote healing in this area.[10]
- Do not cut away the skin again. After 2 to 3 days, the skin should be healed and you can remove the bandage.
[Edit]Speeding up Healing Time with Home Remedies - Follow a healthy diet that provides adequate protein. Nutrition plays an important role in wound healing, so following a healthy diet may help your blister to heal faster. It is especially important to eat enough protein to allow your body to regenerate itself, so include plenty of protein-rich foods in your diet, such as:[11]
- Meat, such as beef, chicken, and pork
- Fish, such as salmon, tuna, and shrimp
- Eggs
- Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Tofu
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Take a daily multivitamin with vitamins A, C, and E. A daily multivitamin can provide nutritional insurance and certain vitamins may also help to promote wound healing. Vitamins A, C, and E are especially important for wound healing, so make sure they're included in your daily multivitamin.[12] You can also get vitamins A, C, and E from the foods you eat.
- Foods high in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, beef liver, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, and mangoes.[13]
- Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, kale, sweet potato, brussels sprouts, strawberries, guava, papaya, and kiwi.[14]
- Foods high in vitamin E include avocado, red bell peppers, sunflower seeds, mangoes, pumpkin, asparagus, peanut butter, and wheat germ.[15]
- Try glucosamine and bromelain if you frequently get blisters. These supplementary nutrients have also been shown to provide some benefit to wound-healing rates. If blisters are a common problem for you, then you might consider taking 1 or both of these supplements to speed up your healing.[16]
- Make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for how to use these supplements.
- Ask your doctor before taking either of these supplements, especially if you are already taking a prescription medication.
- Soak or coat your blisters in green tea. Green tea has been shown to promote faster healing, so it might be worth giving your blisters a soak to speed up their healing time. Brew a cup of regular strength green tea and let it cool to room temperature. Then, either dip your blistered hands or feet into the tea, or dip a cotton ball into the tea and dab it onto your blisters.[17]
- If you soak your blisters, keep them submerged for 5 to 10 minutes.
[Edit]References |
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