How to Refill a Printer Cartridge

Printer ink cartridges can be extremely expensive, especially if you do a lot of printing. If you want to try your hand at refilling ink cartridges, you’ll be saving yourself a bundle and learning a new skill that can help you out many times down the road.

Buy a Printer Cartridge Refill Kit:

The very first step in refilling an ink cartridge is to buy a refill kit. These kits include a bottle of ink, or bottles if you’re refilling a color cartridge, a syringe, and possibly a drill and calibration tool. Don’t worry; the process is much simpler than it might appear looking at the contents of a kit.

Prep Work:

Remove the cartridge from the printer. In a perfect world, it is not yet completely empty. If it still has just a bit of ink inside, the chamber is less likely to be dried up and it won’t clog.

Fill the syringe with the proper amount of ink. The instructions that come with a refill kit can give you instructions on how much ink to actually pull into the syringe. But as a very general guideline, black ink might be 17 ml and color ink is 8ml. Be sure to check your instructions, however, as you do not want to overfill your cartridge or have to repeat the process sooner than necessary.

Insertion:

Drill a small hole at the top of the cartridge. If your kit does not come with a drill, you can use a push pin or small nail. If you are refilling a color ink cartridge, you must put a hole at the top of each color chamber.

Then, slowly put the needle of the syringe into the chamber and very slowly press the plunger. The ink will fill the chamber slowly, and this is ideal. If you press the plunger too hard, the ink will foam and you’ll create pockets of air. Working slowly also lets you see if you are going to overfill the cartridge.

Clean-up

When the ink has been inserted into the cartridge, you can remove the syringe and start cleaning up. Let the cartridge sit and settle for a few hours while you wash out the syringe and let it dry. Then pack it away until you need it again. Any ink that was left in the syringe can be placed back into the bottle for future use.

Once the cartridge has had a chance to settle, insert it back into the printer. You don’t need to block the small hole you drilled. Insert the ink and let the printer run through calibration and print a few test and alignment pages before printing any of your own documents. Keep running a cleaning cycle if there are gaps in the ink flow.

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How to Make a Black Currant Liqueur

Specialized liqueurs are a treat, and the price tag on a bottle can be high. But there is another solution. You can make your very own liqueurs to be given as gifts or to be enjoyed with a fine dessert or alone.

How to Make a Black Currant Liqueur

Black currants have an earthy rich flavor that is perfect for liqueurs or sauces. This special flavor and the ease of the recipe make black currants perfect for our homemade liqueur.

Assemble the Ingredients

To make black current liqueur, you will need the following ingredients, although some you won’t need for a long time after beginning the recipe.

• 3 pounds of clean black currants
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 1 clove
• 2-3 black currant leaves
• 1 quart of Brandy
• 1 pound of sugar
• 1 cup of raspberries (optional)

Make the Liqueur

In a large bowl that you do not use frequently in the kitchen, combine all ingredients except the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and keep refrigerated or otherwise chilled for forty-five (45) days.

At the end of the forty-five days, remove the bowl and drain the contents to separate the fruit. Discard the fruit.

Add one cup of water and the pound of sugar the remaining liquid. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar.

Pour the juice into waiting bottles and seal or close the lids of the bottles very tightly. The bottles should be stored for at least two months before serving.

Liqueur is a very sweet spirit that is served in small portions in a brandy snifter or cordial glass. The black currant liqueur can be chilled to bring out the fruit flavor or at room temperature to enjoy the aroma and sweetness. It is best served with dessert or in lieu of a dessert following a meal.

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How to Feed a Baby

Considering babies are said to only “eat, sleep, and poop,” they certainly manage to make the eating portion of their existence complicated. Here is how to feed your baby by age:

Months 0-4

Babies need only breast milk or formula through month four. Contrary to popular belief, solids or cereal will not help your baby sleep better, but they can mess up her sensitive stomach.

Months 4-6

Some babies are ready to begin solid foods at four months. Signs of readiness include being able to sit assisted, excellent head control, showing marked interest in the food you eat, and not being satisfied after 24-32 ounces of milk or formula each day. Speak with your pediatrician about the right time to start solids as every child is different and many now feel that waiting until six months is the best option.

When you do offer your baby solids for the first time, use a soft tipped baby spoon to protect her gums. You can offer essentially any baby food, but rice cereal is usually the first choice as it presents little chance of allergies and is mixed with familiar milk or formula. Feed a tiny bit and wait for it to come back out thanks to the tongue thrust reflex. This reflex will go away shortly.

Months 6-8

After you have introduced cereal, continue to introduce other grains such as barley and oatmeal, then fruits and vegetables. Wait 3-5 days after each new food to be sure no allergic reaction is present. Most parents wait to introduce citrus and strawberries as these have high rates of allergic reactions in many children. You should also begin offering your baby a cup at this age, and she is also most likely ready to chew on a biscuit or piece of toast that she can grip with her fist.

Months 8-10

You can now introduce dairy and protein foods. Proteins include beans, meats and yogurt. Dairy products should be full fat yogurts, cottage cheese and other soft cheese your baby can gum up. Your baby is now developing the pincher grip which allows her to pick up individual bites and put them in her mouth. You should greatly encourage this self feeding, but watch her very carefully as she learns to chew and swallow properly.

Month 10-12

Gradually encourage greater use of the cup, spoon and self feeding of finger foods. By her first birthday, your baby should be eating the same table foods that you are eating at every meal.

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