Spring brings us sunshine, blossoms, renewal . . . and a desire to clean. Because olive oil is natural, it won’t release harsh chemicals into the air like many common household cleaners. I’ve highlighted 10 spring cleaning tips with olive oil. As we get our homes organized, well functioning and clean, first of all […]
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10 Spring Cleaning Tips with Olive Oil
3 Tips for Buying Olive Oil
3 Tips for Buying Olive Oil. The dilemma: you’re standing in the grocery aisle and looking at dozens of brands of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You’re confused. Which one do I choose? Choose EVOO in a tin or dark bottle or in packaging that shields it from light and oxygen. The packaging should protect […]
Easter, Passover, and Olive Oil
The olive tree and olive oil have been central to springtime celebrations for centuries. Spring is a time of renewal, new beginnings and celebrations. Here are a few interesting Easter, Passover, and Olive Oil traditions: Decorating Easter Eggs. Did you know you can create your own dyes from pantry ingredients? By adding olive oil, you can […]
Carol Firenze Receives COOC Pioneer Award
Reprinted from OLEA NEWS, April 2019 The talented and generous recipient this year was Carol Firenze. Carol, a brilliant author and crusader for extra virgin olive oil received the award for her devotion and support of the COOC for two decades. Not only did Carol actively serve on the board for several years, […]
Olive Oil, your Heart and Valentine’s Day
Get heart healthy and passionate! What do Valentine’s Day (the most romantic holiday of the year) and February, American Heart Healthy Month have in common? If you guessed “olive oil” you’re right. If there is one simple way to love your heart, change your oil! And if there’s one simple way to love your sweetheart, […]
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day – September 30
Ways to Celebrate Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day Share EVOO Learn about EVOO Visit an olive oil specialty store Prepare a favorite recipe With the health benefits of olive oil on everyone’s lips and the movement toward more flavorful tastes, the time is right for this 8,000 year old tradition to become an irresistible, national force. […]
Best Tips When Traveling to Florence
Most of my Olive Harvest Adventure Tours begin in Florence. Not only is Firenze (Florence) my last name, but to me the most beautiful city in Italy. I have compiled a list of the Best Tips When Traveling to Florence, if you have just a few days in Florence. What to see/do Places Recommendations and Tips […]
Fourth of July, Thomas Jefferson, and Olive Oil
On a recent trip to Mt.Rushmore, I saw the stunning carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and Lincoln. With three friends, we took a selfie with Mt.Rushmore in the background. I was second from the left and slanted my face upward. I was Thomas Jefferson. As we are about to celebrate our most important national holiday, I […]
Cooking with Gigi
My dear mother, Gigi Firenze passed away in 2018 at the age of 99 and 6 months. I wrote this article the year before she died and was active and living alone Even though I titled this article “Cooking with Gigi” – I was usually just the clean up person. She loved cooking. It was a major […]
3 Healthy Appetizers
Are you hosting a party? Here are 3 healthy snacks for your next party. What you need: country- style bread or baguette (sliced diagonally), sea salt, olives, garlic, fresh vegetables and your best extra virgin olive oil. 1. Marinated Olives – with olive oil!Transform your selection of olives into a delicious treat by making a […]
Did You Know?
In England, up until the early 1960’s, you could only get olive oil from chemists or pharmacists.
Remove Paint from Skin & Hair
Moisten a cotton ball with olive oil and gently rub it into your hair or skin. Olive oil serves as both a lubricant and solvent to remove oil-based paint.
Restore Antique Furniture
Whisk 1 cup of olive oil and ½ cup of lemon juice together until completely blended. Put solution in a spray bottle. Spray onto the wood and wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
Polish Tile & Hardware Floors
Sweep the floor. Apply several drops of olive oil and several drops of the juice from a lemon on a dry mop and oil mop the floors.
Polish Brass
Brass looks brighter and requires less polishing if rubbed with a cloth moistened with olive oil. Olive oil retards tarnish and helps maintain a shine.
Lubricate Skis, Snowboards, Skateboards & Inline Skates
Olive oil is a good lubricant for ski and snowboard bindings and for the wheel fittings on skateboards and inline skates.
Did You Know?
If you've searched for a way to stop snoring, champions of the Mediterranean diet staple suggest taking a swig of olive oil before turning in for the night.
Polish Furniture
In a hurry? Apply straight olive oil onto a clean cloth or paper towel. Wipe off excess with another paper towel or cloth.
Preserve Knives
Place a small amount of olive oil on the blade of a knife prior to sharpening. Put a small amount of olive oil on a cloth towel and oil the black or wooden handle.
Did You Know?
Olive oil is a natural fruit juice, but unlike other fruit juices, EVOO needs no chemical processing and can be enjoyed immediately after its extraction from the fruit.
Did You Know?
An emulsion of olive oil, egg yolk and glycerin is used to bathe surgical stents before they are inserted into problem heart arteries.
Did You Know?
The best containers for olive oil are glass, stainless steel or tin. Stay away from plastic containers as the oil can absorb the chemical polyvinyl chloride.
Polish Leather Shoes
Clean dirt from leather shoes with a water-dampened cloth. Towel dry. Drip a small amount of olive oil onto a soft cotton cloth and rub over the entire surface of the shoe. Wait a few minutes and then buff the shoes with a dry cotton cloth.
Polish Furniture
Mix ¼ cup of white vinegar with 1 teaspoon each of olive oil and water. Gently polish your furniture to restore its luster.
Apply to Stuck Zippers
Put a few drops of oil on a zipper. Wipe off the excess.
Clean Pewter
Mix ½ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Dip a dry cloth into the olive oil mixture. Rub the cloth onto the pewter and the spots will disappear.
Illuminate a Room
Buy an olive oil lamp and burn your least expensive olive oil or oil that is old and rancid. 1 tablespoon lasts about 8 hours. Olive oil is 99% pure fuel; it does not produce smoke or soot and has a pleasing fragrance.
Safeguard Frying Pans
Hand wash the pan, towel dry and put a small amount of olive oil on a paper towel and then quickly wipe the inside the pan.
Did You Know?
Gladiators rubbed olive oil over their bodies to appear virile and strong before confronting the dangers in the arena.
Clean Wax Off Candleholders
Put a few drops of olive oil in the interior of the candleholder before placing the candle.
Remove Correction Fluid from Hands or Furniture
Put a few drops of olive oil on a soft cloth and rub to remove the correction fluid.
Lubricate Gears
Put olive oil into a dispenser with a long spout. Put several drops of the olive oil into the mechanism where the gears move. Wipe off the excess oil with a cotton or paper cloth.
Preserve Wooden Utensils & Cutting Boards
Hand wash wooden utensils or cutting boards and towel dry. Rub a cut lemon on the wood. Put a small amount of olive oil on a paper towel or clean, dry cloth. Oil the surfaces.
Did You Know?
There is no cholesterol in olive oil.
Lubricate Squeaky Hinges
Put a small amount of olive oil at the top of the hinge and let the drops of oil run down by moving the hinge back and forth. Wipe the excess with a cloth.
Recondition Baseball Mitts
Work the dry areas of your mitt with a soft cloth. Let it set for 30 minutes. Wipe off the excess.
Remove Labels from Glass Containers
A little olive oil rubbed onto stickers or labels allows you to remove them effortlessly and completely. Rinse the oil off with a little hot water and a soft cloth.
Protect & Preserve Gardening Tools
Protect metals from chemical reactions, due to the elements in the air that cause rust and deterioration. Put a small amount of olive oil on a cloth towel and lightly oil the tool.
Did You Know?
The olive is a fruit, not a vegetable.
Did You Know?
The fatty acids and phenolic compounds that make olive oil an artery-clearing wonder drop by 40% six months after olives are picked and pressed.
Did You Know?
The first uses of olive oil were not for cooking.
Did You Know?
Greece consumes more EVOO per capita than any other country.
Remove Tar Spots
Mix ½ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Dip a dry cloth into the olive oil mixture. Rub the mixture on the spots and repeat until the spots disappear.
Did You Know?
California produces almost all of the olive oil in the United States. The Central Valley is home to the largest production facilities.
Did You Know?
Olive oil was such a hot commodity during the Roman Empire that the Empire was divided into olive oil districts.
Did You Know?
The four enemies of EVOO are heat, light, air and time.
Hydrate Pearls
Put a small amount of olive oil on a soft cloth. Rub the olive oil on the pearls, then lightly buff them with the dry portion of the cloth.
Did You Know?
Drinking olive oil before a night on the town can prevent a pounding headache and a heavy stomach.