DIY Life

Question: What can make vintage clothing forget their musty past, and also make you forget just what exactly happened during that bachelorette party in Vegas?
Answer: One word - Vodka!

Turns out that vodka is a natural bacteria-killer, which, in turn, deodorizes last season's pea coat that's been hiding in storage for the past few months. Simply prepare a spray bottle with vodka (sans tonic with lime), spritz it a few feet away from the garment and let rest overnight. Your coat will smell fresh, clean and, surprisingly, not like you've bee partying all night with your 21-year-old nephew.

So, next time you spill your drink onto your favorite frenemy, don't fret -- you're saving her from an unnecessary dry cleaning bill!

For more secret tips on household cleaners, surprising hacks and quick fixes, check out Diane's Unusual Uses column... only at DIY Life!

Earlier this week, Debra taught us how to remove seeds from a watermelon. Reading her post made me keen for summers on the patio, enjoying ripe, juicy watermelon.

Of course, as soon as my mind drifts to watermelon and summer evening on the patio, I'm immediately planning the rest of the moonlight treats, which simply must include spiked watermelon. I remember when we thought that spiking watermelon was a matter of setting chunks of it to soak in a bowl of vodka, but there is actually a right way to do this, and you'll really notice the difference.

This technique seems to the the most effective. Basically, you cut a small hole in the top of the watermelon, and pull out the plug. Next, take a skewer and poke it through the hold at various angles. This will help make passages for the alcohol to flow through (but really the watermelon has plenty of those naturally, so you should be ok). Funnel in about one cup of your favorite alcohol. I think vodka is great with watermelon, but over at Sweet Georgia Blue, they recommend bourbon, so you might like to experiment with it and decide for yourself. Once you've poured in the alcohol, replace the plug and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Invite some friends over, slice the booze infused melon, and enjoy!

I love to bake and I gasp every time I have to buy a new bottle of vanilla extract. I go right past the organic vanilla because, even though I know it is best for me, it is just too expensive. Some of you may not think vanilla extract, whether it be real or imitation, is very expensive, but as much as I use it, there has to be a real good alternative to buying from the store.

Ian sent me a personal email on an instructable he wrote, how to make diy vanilla extract. He put months of work into his vanilla making project. He tells us that it is better to make our own vanilla extract so that we can be free of the artificial colors and corn sweeteners that are found in commercial vanilla extracts. Ian tells us what real vanilla is and where it grows, how to choose our vanilla beans, what supplies we will need, including vodka, and the steps and directions needed to make the extract.

Make sure you have plenty of time to read Ian's instructable, because he not only gives us the background of the vanilla bean, he shares with us what he knows about the different flavors of beans from various regions around the world. In my opinion, Ian's vanilla bean reviews are priceless, and I for one appreciate all the time he has taken in finding just the perfect beans to make the best tasting vanilla extract on the planet.

There's so much to love about summertime: picnics, weddings, lemonade, and ripe watermelon. The next time you have a backyard barbecue, consider spiking a couple of nice, juicy watermelons -- one for the grown ups, and one for the kids.

What you'll need:

2 large, ripe seedless watermelons
1 - 2 cups vodka
1 - 2 cups cran-raspberry juice
Sharp knife
Metal skewer
Funnel

Step 1: Carefully cut a round hole about 3 inches in diameter into the rind of the watermelon. If you have trouble prying out the rind, drill into it with a corkscrew as if you were opening a bottle of wine.

Step 2: Poke a skewer into the hole several times from different angles. This creates channels to allow the additional liquid you're adding to seep through the melon. Be careful not to poke through through the rind on the other side.

Step 3: Insert a funnel into the hole and slowly pour in the vodka until it's completely absorbed. Replace the rind plug and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Repeat with the remaining watermelon and juice.

Step 4: When you're ready to serve, slice the vodka-soaked melon into wedges and arrange on serving platters. Slice the juice-filled melon into matchsticks, a perfect size for little fingers. This little trick also helps let people know which watermelon slices have alcohol and which don't.

This is my tried-and-true method for spiking watermelons, but I've read that food-injectors make the job even easier. If you've tried using an injector, or have other tips on how to quickly spike a melon, let us know in the comments.