Lately I have been thinking about popcorn. Probably because it is our late night choice snack as it is low-calorie and high fiber. I like mine with a glass of skim milk, spiked with some Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Syrup. Mmmmm!
We usually have the microwave but I have been thinking that:
1. it is expensive
2. that it can't taste as good as the real stuff cooked in a little healthy oil with some kosher salt
I posted an article under my Reader from Frank Bruni at the NYT all about popcorn. Interesting that most of the "foodies" out there consider microwave popcorn an abomination. I won't go that far, but I think I am going to try a trusty saucepan and some oil. I was looking at an electric popper, but the reviews weren't good and no sense buying another gadget to clutter the house.
I had an air-popper, but seriously, you need a tiny bit of fat to carry flavor and air-popped corn tastes like cardboard.
Add this to my list of things to buy this week:
Bag of popcorn
20 oz. pint glasses
Hand towels to have friend monogram
Mrs. Meyers Lavender Cleaning Concentrate
Mirror at Michaels (always tear out the 40% off coupon that comes with the junk mail)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Vinegar Testimonial
Here are some comments from my friend about vinegar!
Anyway, I LOVE cleaning with white vinegar. My mom introduced me to it when she came and cleaned when I was on bedrest. Her cleaning lady introduced her to it. She said her 90 yr. old aunt swears by it. I have a spray bottle 1/3 full of vinegar and the rest water. I use it for tons of stuff and it works so well.
I used to swiffer my wood floors and it left an ugly film - but I loved the convenience of it. Now I use vinegar water in my spray bottle and it my floors look great - so shiny and clean - and it is still just as convenient. The vinegar really cuts through dirt and grime and food. I also could never get the hard water buildup off my water thing in the refrigerator - I tried everything. I let the vinegar soak on it a little while and it came right off. Also use it to clean stove top with hard to remove food buildup. I keep finding more and more uses for it - it is super cheap, doesn't smell chemically, I always have it on hand, and does a better job than most of the other cleaners I have used. I do still keep a good disinfectant on hand though for chicken juice, toilets, etc though.
Anyway, as you can see I am very passionate about vinegar ;) If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!
Note from me: You can buy the super huge 1.32 gallon (5 litres) Heinz white vinegar from Costco for around $4. Buy that and the huge bag of baking soda and you are set for lots of cleaning fun!
Here are 27 more tips for uses for vinegar:
http://www.frugalfun.com/vinegar.html
Anyway, I LOVE cleaning with white vinegar. My mom introduced me to it when she came and cleaned when I was on bedrest. Her cleaning lady introduced her to it. She said her 90 yr. old aunt swears by it. I have a spray bottle 1/3 full of vinegar and the rest water. I use it for tons of stuff and it works so well.
I used to swiffer my wood floors and it left an ugly film - but I loved the convenience of it. Now I use vinegar water in my spray bottle and it my floors look great - so shiny and clean - and it is still just as convenient. The vinegar really cuts through dirt and grime and food. I also could never get the hard water buildup off my water thing in the refrigerator - I tried everything. I let the vinegar soak on it a little while and it came right off. Also use it to clean stove top with hard to remove food buildup. I keep finding more and more uses for it - it is super cheap, doesn't smell chemically, I always have it on hand, and does a better job than most of the other cleaners I have used. I do still keep a good disinfectant on hand though for chicken juice, toilets, etc though.
Anyway, as you can see I am very passionate about vinegar ;) If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!
Note from me: You can buy the super huge 1.32 gallon (5 litres) Heinz white vinegar from Costco for around $4. Buy that and the huge bag of baking soda and you are set for lots of cleaning fun!
Here are 27 more tips for uses for vinegar:
http://www.frugalfun.com/vinegar.html
Monday, April 23, 2007
Labels
I have figured out how to put labels on everything, so if you are looking for recipes, go to the bottom of the blog and click on the "recipes" label. It will bring up all the posts with recipes. Pretty cool!
Top 10 tips
I am somewhat of a Crunchy Conservative (thought that term was a hoot). What I really am is a gal who likes to save money (so I can buy more lip gloss!). Cleaning products are expensive, and I really like the idea of using non-toxic cleaners that save money, as they are cheap to make.
I found this site the other day, click on the heading "Top 10 Tips" as it is a link. I haven't tried these yet, but thought they were interesting. If you do, let us know how they work.
Top 10 Tips
1. Windows, Mirrors: Spray with mixture of 1/4 c. white vinegar, one quart water & a drop of dish soap.
2. Countertops, porcelain: Scrub with paste of baking soda, water, drop of liquid soap. Disinfect with hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine bleach.
3. Oven: Coat with paste of baking soda, washing soda, water, white vinegar. Leave overnight; wipe out with rags.
4. Floors: Mop with 1/2 c. white vinegar and 1/8 c. liquid soap in 2 gallons hot water.
5. Rags, known as “chiffons” to the French, are Riches: Pick up dust with damp rags; wrap an old t-shirt around a push broom to damp dust/mop. Wash and reuse rags–they just get better!
6. Clean and polish wood with a mix of vegetable oil, essential oil of lemon, thyme, eucalyptus or your fave, and beeswax.
7. Toilet: Scrub with baking soda; wipe seat with white vinegar
8. Laundry: presoak stained cloth in 1/4 c. lemon juice, washing soda or borax in gallon of water.
9. Add 1/4 c. baking soda or white vinegar to wash cycle to soften fabric
10. Choose fragrance-free laundry soaps to prevent asthmatic and allergic reactions and skin/eye irritation.
http://www.servegodsavetheplanet.org/
I haven't really checked out his site, but I thought this was an interesting Christian perspective on personal stewardship. I don't buy into the current panic mode, but I do think as believers, we are called to be the best stewards of what God had given us and being mindless consumers is not the way in my opinion. Especially when we can save money with alternatives. I don't know that I could do what this doctor did, but their electricity bill is something crazy like $20 a month!
This is the article I read about him that really got me thinking:
http://www.guidepostsmag.com/WEEKLY_FEATURE.ASP?DATE=12/25/2006
While I don't think I could do everything he did, I can make small changes and save money in the process.
I found this site the other day, click on the heading "Top 10 Tips" as it is a link. I haven't tried these yet, but thought they were interesting. If you do, let us know how they work.
Top 10 Tips
1. Windows, Mirrors: Spray with mixture of 1/4 c. white vinegar, one quart water & a drop of dish soap.
2. Countertops, porcelain: Scrub with paste of baking soda, water, drop of liquid soap. Disinfect with hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine bleach.
3. Oven: Coat with paste of baking soda, washing soda, water, white vinegar. Leave overnight; wipe out with rags.
4. Floors: Mop with 1/2 c. white vinegar and 1/8 c. liquid soap in 2 gallons hot water.
5. Rags, known as “chiffons” to the French, are Riches: Pick up dust with damp rags; wrap an old t-shirt around a push broom to damp dust/mop. Wash and reuse rags–they just get better!
6. Clean and polish wood with a mix of vegetable oil, essential oil of lemon, thyme, eucalyptus or your fave, and beeswax.
7. Toilet: Scrub with baking soda; wipe seat with white vinegar
8. Laundry: presoak stained cloth in 1/4 c. lemon juice, washing soda or borax in gallon of water.
9. Add 1/4 c. baking soda or white vinegar to wash cycle to soften fabric
10. Choose fragrance-free laundry soaps to prevent asthmatic and allergic reactions and skin/eye irritation.
http://www.servegodsavetheplanet.org/
I haven't really checked out his site, but I thought this was an interesting Christian perspective on personal stewardship. I don't buy into the current panic mode, but I do think as believers, we are called to be the best stewards of what God had given us and being mindless consumers is not the way in my opinion. Especially when we can save money with alternatives. I don't know that I could do what this doctor did, but their electricity bill is something crazy like $20 a month!
This is the article I read about him that really got me thinking:
http://www.guidepostsmag.com/WEEKLY_FEATURE.ASP?DATE=12/25/2006
While I don't think I could do everything he did, I can make small changes and save money in the process.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tapenade
We are back from Canada, where the weather was a balmy 17 degrees a couple of days. It made the days when it was 30 degrees seem warm!
On the plane, I read again some of my Peter Mayle books, Toujours Provence and French Lessons. I have four of them, but need to get the rest. It is armchair gourmet reading at it's best.
http://french.about.com/cs/culture/tp/petermayle.htm
In one of the books, a Frenchwoman remarks that if you eat tapenade every day, you will be healthy, so of course that got me craving tapenade. Salty heaven! Since we have olives in the fridge (kalamata, not nicoise, but it should be OK). I bought some capers and anchovy paste and that might work.
This was interesting from Wikipedia:
"Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, tapéno". Who knew?
Here is the first recipe I will try from www.homecooking.about.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 Tbsp rinsed, drained capers
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp anchovy paste (the original recipe said optional, but how can you have tapenade without anchovies? Like having Caesar salad without anchovy paste in the dressing, the salty tang will not be there)
Fresh cracked black pepper
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Mix well. Refrigerate and use within two weeks. Use as a spread or as a condiment. Yield: about 1 cup
On the plane, I read again some of my Peter Mayle books, Toujours Provence and French Lessons. I have four of them, but need to get the rest. It is armchair gourmet reading at it's best.
http://french.about.com/cs/culture/tp/petermayle.htm
In one of the books, a Frenchwoman remarks that if you eat tapenade every day, you will be healthy, so of course that got me craving tapenade. Salty heaven! Since we have olives in the fridge (kalamata, not nicoise, but it should be OK). I bought some capers and anchovy paste and that might work.
This was interesting from Wikipedia:
"Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, tapéno". Who knew?
Here is the first recipe I will try from www.homecooking.about.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 Tbsp rinsed, drained capers
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp anchovy paste (the original recipe said optional, but how can you have tapenade without anchovies? Like having Caesar salad without anchovy paste in the dressing, the salty tang will not be there)
Fresh cracked black pepper
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Mix well. Refrigerate and use within two weeks. Use as a spread or as a condiment. Yield: about 1 cup
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Inspiration hits
I haven't been feeling very inspired lately, hence the lack of posts. I guess if I knew I had a million readers, I would post more often. :-) You can always post comments to let me know you like what I write. hint, hint
OK - I am always on the computer, so I thought to myself "Self, why don't you post funny or interesting things that you read?"
This is a girl after my own heart and she had some really good ideas. I guess she was on Rachael Ray's show, but I don't watch it, so I don't know. I was reading a review of her new book Spinster Sisters and saw this link to a video she had done.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-145064158046710576&q=stacey+ballis&hl=en
OK - I am always on the computer, so I thought to myself "Self, why don't you post funny or interesting things that you read?"
This is a girl after my own heart and she had some really good ideas. I guess she was on Rachael Ray's show, but I don't watch it, so I don't know. I was reading a review of her new book Spinster Sisters and saw this link to a video she had done.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-145064158046710576&q=stacey+ballis&hl=en
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