June Cleaver would be proud

"Ward, I think you're being a little hard on the Beav". Did she really say that? Ok, you all must know that I am forever working towards that ever-elusive Mother-Of-The-Year awardhttp://http://pointlessbanter.net/2007/12/19/lynne-spears-celebrity-mother-of-the-year/. This is what possessed me when I made a batch of divinity this Christmas. My son Jeremy loves the stuff. I am certain that his love of sugar stems from the fact that his Mother felt he would be healthier with NO sugar in the first 4 years of his life. Anyway, after getting the stuff to the hardball stage it quickly became apparent that my pan was lined in a permanent hardball shell! I tried everything I had ever tried and said more swear words than one should utter at Christmas, when my dear Hubby found the solution online. It is simply this: fill vessel with water and add one fabric softener sheet. That's it! The directions said to leave it overnight, but within a mere 30 minutes I had a pan that looked as good as the day I bought it. I have since used this wonder technique in several emergency cooking situations (speaks well of my cooking abilities, no?) and it has worked like a charm every time. Burnt on food? It'll do the trick. Old, gnarly cookie sheets? Yep!!!! Give it a try. And quit being so hard on the Beav.