Coca Cola—The Real Thing—for Lots of Things

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? I typically choose the bad news to get it over with and then end on a positive note. DH asks, “Do you want the good news or bad news first?” but it doesn’t matter. He tells me whichever news he wants to tell first. Sigh. Why bother asking?

Back to my good/bad news (It really is all about me!), I gotta tell you, there’s not a lot of good news to be had with this article. The link is further on in this post so you can read the article for yourself, but I have to say I was excited that there were 40 more uses for Coca Cola. I always have “the real thing” on hand. Can’t stand Pepsi. I know, I know. Millions of you do. So sue me.

The number one use for Coke is, well, duh, drinking it for enjoyment. Nothing like those “tiny bubbles” to perk me up in the late afternoon while I’m sweating over how to entertain you here. And, of course, we all know you can use Coke in cake and barbecue sauce (recipe to follow).

So, I eagerly opened the link and discovered, ta da . . .

Coke isn’t such a good thing to be putting into my mouth. Regularly. With abandon. No, Coke is much more utilitarian. Who knew?

The author categorized the uses for us, to make it easier to locate one for your need. I’m not sure the guys at the Coke company are especially happy with this particular kind of publicity, however.

So here goes. I will select a few of my “favorite” uses and you can read more at “40 Creative Uses for Coca Cola” at http://bit.ly/biNDJj .

Cleaning—1) degreaser: pour one can into your washer with greasy clothes; 3) clean your toilet bowl with one can, let sit for an hour and wipe away stains; and 9) pour a can over your corroded car battery terminals (whatever the heck that is!)

Health and Beauty—18) to de-gunk hair (seeing a theme here?) and boost shine, use Coke instead of conditioner; 20) to remove chewing gum from hair, soak strands in Coke; and 23) use alone or on top of sunscreen as a tanning lotion.

Miscellaneous—34) soak coins in Coke to remove dirt and tarnish; 35) boost your compost pile decay rate with the extra acid from Coke; and 38) remove rust from a tight bolt so it’s pliable again.

Enough bad news, now for the good news: Cooking!!!

Cooking—11) marinades for meat to tenderize and add a subtle sweetness; 14) gravy from coke, flour, and seasonings; and 16) Coke softens shells on hardboiled eggs making them easier to peel.

Here’s a BBQ sauce you can brush over cooking meat after it’s been on for a while.

The Real Thing BBQ Sauce

¾ c Coke

½ c extra strong black coffee

1 T brown sugar

1 c catsup

1 ½ T Worcestshire sauce

2 T spicy brown mustard

1 T liquid smoke

Despite the “bad news”, I can’t give Coke up. Surely if I cut back to a liter a day, I’ll be okay. And, it might keep my “pipes” running smoothly, too!