My Obsession with Canning Jars

It started with a dozen. The next day I bought 2 more dozen. Then I went back for another dozen. There isn't any more room on the pantry shelves, unless I start removing other things. They are already two rows deep. We're trying to avoid storing food in plastic, and these work so well for small quantities. I love them dearly.

What do I use them for? They are filled with ingredients for healthy cooking. I always have something available to make. The list rotates, but this is the gist of it: dry pasta, whole grains, dry beans, coconut, flax seeds, kosher salt, nuts, rice, sun-dried tomatoes, vital wheat gluten (for baking bread), pinenuts, couscous, dry fruit, seeds for sprouting, raisins (golden & regular), oatmeal (rolled & steel cut), raw cane sugar, brown sugar, tea bags, bay leaves, hot chocolate mix, bran, lentils. But that's just the pantry...

I also use them in the freezer. Since I don't want to go through the whole boiling canning process, when I cook from scratch, I just throw the item in a jar and keep it in the freezer. Right now I have homemade marmalade, strawberry butter, and tomato sauce. I store a jar of yeast for baking in there too.

Yes, it's Quick Hint Tuesday

Shaved soap curls ~ use a potato peeler to shave off little curls of glycerin soap (opaque won't work). I keep them in a pretty little dish next to the sink in the guest bathroom.

supercook.com ~ you type in the ingredients you have on hand and a list of potential dishes comes up. I did this for carrots, butter, maple syrup, and a few other things and got over 400 pages of ideas.

Greek salad ~ ripe tomatoes, diced cucumbers, kalamata olives, fresh oregano, crumbled feta, dress it lightly with vinegar and olive oil.

Quick Hint Tuesday

Kitchen sponges--keep your sponge in the dishwasher permanently. I could never find a good place for it next to the sink. Now it's always close, always in the same place, and always sanitized from the latest wash cycle.

Eat This, Not That--I am currently obsessed with this book (available at Costco for $10). Compares the best choices in a given situation, listing specific restaurants and fast food joints, grocery store selections, and drink options. I was horrified to learn that my favorite Smartfood popcorn is a "Not That." Hint: the website covers all the basics too.

Method daily shower--this non-toxic spray cleaner keeps soap scum, hard water deposits, and mildew from your shower. And it smells delicious, ylang ylang, whatever that is.

smallnotebook.com--a new blog to me. I really enjoy reading about this young homemaker and her very practical solutions to everyday situations. Rachel and her family just had a no-spend month. Very interesting.

Pollen

If you live in the mountains, you become used to pollen season, when giant yellow clouds of pine pollen fill the air and land on EVERYTHING. Combine that with the 30 mph winds we had yesterday, and you'll find that a thick coat covers your car, your deck, your carpet, your clothes, your eyes, mouth, and nose. It follows closely behind "Flying Carpenter Ant Day."

Here in Reno there are not millions of pine trees, like there are in the Tahoe area. But I have 13 pines trees in my yard alone. Needless to say, I am a dusting, mopping, vacuuming fool right now. I say fool because you know I'll have to do it all over again tomorrow.

Yesterday, we noticed little white puffs floating by on the breeze. Yes, here comes Cottonwood season too.

What's in Your Refrigerator Today?

People are surprised that our frig is mostly empty, because we cook so much. I could easily list the things in there, but I won't bore you. We try to buy as much stuff fresh as possible and use it right away, so the frig isn't filled with aging foods. We tend not to use a lot of condiments, so there are just the basics. I have diligently eliminated as many as possible over time. Things that are always there: milk, butter sticks (real) and spreadable (real), jams, juice (lime and/or orange), salsa, pickles, eggs, parmesan cheese (real, big chunk).

One way to keep it cleaned out is to eat up the leftover bits for lunch. Today's invented lunch: Mexican whatever. Brown rice (leftover from a dinner about a week ago), about 3 Tbs of taco meat (why did we save that?), 2 sticks of string cheese, cut into chunks, sliced deli turkey meat (for more protein) and spoonfuls of salsa. Heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Serve with 3 small fresh tomatoes. Lunch!

Tuesday Quick Hints

Moo cards—I am in love with these little cards of my own photos. You can order them off Flickr and several other sites too. 100 cards for $20. I’m on my second box already.

Cloth napkins—I swear this is the easiest thing to do. Paper is just not as good as the feel of real napkins. We use them daily. I will admit that if it’s just me and Brad, we re-use them if they aren’t too dirty. If we have company, they’re always fresh. You just toss them in the washer with a load. The hardest part is folding, not much effort involved.

Rszr, Intelligent Image Resizer—This is the best new invention I can think of. The program analyzes what is most important in your photo and adjusts the sizing accordingly. You can shrink or stretch and things stay in proportion magically. They use a technology called seam carving. There is a short video you can watch that explains it. But it’s super easy to use. It’s free, on the web.

Cleaning Windows

When we lived at Donner Lake we had lots of big windows facing the lake for views of the water, some of which were four stories off the ground. No way was I going to clean those babies, so we hired professionals, which costs a lot! I watched them carefully to learn how to do it quick and efficiently. That way I could do the important ones and the easy ones, so we needed to pay the pros less often.

Almost the whole backside of our current house is windows, which means a lot of cleaning for me. They have to be done early in the morning, before the sun hits them. I like to do it in the fall, because the trees in the backyard are starting to turn and the view is so nice. Now I can do all of them in half an hour, inside and out. Here’s the technique:

First you need a high quality squeegee. If you don’t own one, get in the car and go to Home Depot. Pay the $12 for the best one. We use the same one in the shower too.

When you’re cleaning inside, put a big old towel down on the floor or windowsill to catch the drips.

Get a bowl with warm water and a few little drops of liquid dish soap in it. Use a small rag to wipe down the whole window, leave it fairly damp.

Use the squeegee to wipe long strokes from top to bottom. Wipe the squeegee dry with a clean paper towel between each stroke. This is critical, don’t get your dirty water dripping on your clean window parts.

Use the clean paper towel to wipe around all the edges and maybe any drips that you missed. It takes less than three minutes per side.

While you’re at it, why don’t you get out the vacuum and get rid of all those dead bugs in the tracks?

********

PS. It helps make the job more enjoyable if you can hum the Van Morrison song, “Cleaning Windows.”

Monday Activity

Man, I’ve had an industrious morning. In addition to the regular Monday morning cleaning, I’ve vacuumed the garage, dusted the canopy-thing over the bed, changed the sheets and cleaned out the frig. It’s like spring cleaning, but in the autumn instead. I think it probably has something to do with the green tea I’ve been drinking all day. It’s been awhile since I did that, and it feels sooooo good.

Later this afternoon, I will finish my postcards and make my autumn list. A little late, but I’m feeling like getting things done around here.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Rottentomatoes.com: This website compiles the reviews of hundreds of movie critics and then gives each movie a score based on the average. This is a fair way to represent the quality of a film, no one critic can unduly influence the score. If it gets over 70 percent it is “fresh” or under 70 gets a “rotten” tomato. There’s a “tomatometer” at the top for the exact score and quotes from various critics, so you can see why they rated it. Look under the tabs at the top for “Tomato Picker” and “Certified Fresh.”

Take off Labels: We are crowded in our lives with too much advertising. I prefer that my home is a quiet refuge from all that, so I go around pouring contents into clear jars and pulling the labels off shampoo bottles. It’s very satisfying.

Quick Panting: Give your insides a good quick workout by panting deeply for a minute. Take a big breath and let it out in short strong bursts until you can’t get any more out. You’ll feel the muscles around your diaphragm tighten. It’s great exercise for your core muscles.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Brining Meat: This makes a tremendous difference in any meat that you cook, roast, stew, fry, or bbq. It will be soft and tender and tasty. Mix ½ cup of kosher salt with 1 qt water. You can add sugar and/or herbs too if you want it to be even more flavorful. Soak the meat for at least 4 hours.

Buy Matching Socks: I have about six pairs of white and six pairs of black, all identical. I never have a problem with matching or missing socks.

Clean Your Kitchen Stuff: Once in awhile, meaning rarely, I take everything on my kitchen counter that can go in the dishwasher – the tea kettle, the head of the can opener, the sponge, the drain strainers, the crock next to the stove and all of the utensils in it—and run a load.

Sleep Warm

After living in the Tahoe area for twenty five years, I’ve learned a few things about keeping warm at night. We mostly heated our house with a woodstove, so by two o’clock it turned very cold in the house and no one wanted to get up and put more wood on the fire.

When we married, my English grandmother gave us a goose down duvet as a wedding gift. This was in the 70’s, before Americans had any idea of what a duvet was. Heaven! When I needed to buy a new one, I thoroughly researched them since it is somewhat of an investment. By far the best deal is Costco – highest thread count, highest down count, lowest price. They have them at Costco.com. While you’re at it, buy their down pillows too. I can’t live without mine.

About ten years ago we bought a feather bed, which was more of an investment, but worth it, creating an envelop of warmth around us. We bought a high quality one and it has been warm and soft since. I had to get extra deep fitted sheets to go over it, but those are easier to find now. I just flip it and shake it every couple of days.

I’ve taken a few trips to England, where I’ve been colder than I’ve ever been in Tahoe. It’s a dampness that I’m simply not accustomed to. When I was thirteen years old, I became obsessed with hot water bottles, insisting that I buy one while we were there. I got a nice quilted lavender one, which I used for years. When I went back, they had moved up to electric bed warmers. A flat panel, like a heating pad but larger, that you put between the sheets and turn on shortly before going to sleep. You whip out the bed warmer and jump into the warm sheets. You can do the same with a heating pad, but it only warms one spot, probably your toes. I know people through history have warmed rocks or bricks in the fire and wrapped them with towels to warm the bed, but I am afraid of them exploding, so I’ve never done it.

When we moved to Donner Lake, both of our kids complained bitterly that their rooms were too cold. I guess Brad and I didn’t notice because we have each other for body heat. So I bought them electric mattress pads. Problem solved! They loved them. I bought Sunbeam from Sears, but they have them in most department stores. Turn them on 30 minutes before you go to bed and you’re toasty all night long.

Tuesday Quick Hints

It's Tuesday again!

Zicam: I have a cold today. I hate that. Zicam is the best thing I’ve found to eliminate it quickly. I like the swabs and keep using them for several days. It seems expensive at $11 for a box of 20, but it’s worth it to feel better.

Non hazardous cleaner: This is a great way to scrub things clean without harsh chemicals. Mix baking soda and dish soap, maybe a little water to make a paste. Scrub with a toothbrush.

Prepared beets: beets are the best vegetable! Although I didn’t get to eat them much before, because they’re a pain to cook and peel. Now you can buy them already done. They are pretty much always in my frig. Have them on a salad or as a side dish, warm or cold.

Clear Off Your Counters

I know it looks great in magazines when you see kitchen counters filled with cute cookie jars, cookbooks, baskets of fresh veggies, etc. The house seems alive and ready to cook a wonderful meal for a wonderful family. Life is not like that!

What do you have on your counters right now? I have a fruit bowl, a kitchen-aid mixer, a paper towel holder, two knife blocks, a can opener, salt and pepper shakers, a soap dispenser and a utensil holder by the stove. When people come over they say, “Your counters are empty.” How can that be? I have ten things in my tiny kitchen. All the appliances are black and chrome and blend into the background. Everything is completely practical, used daily. The exception is the Kitchen-Aid, because it’s too heavy to lift up every time I want to use it and it really looks good there, tucked away in its own corner.

Kitchen counters need to be clear to be useful. We need room to prep, cook and clean up. How annoying it is to clear the dinner table to find that every inch of counter space has been over run with all the cooking paraphernalia. Look at each item on your counter and ask if it really needs to be there. If it’s not critical, find it another home.
______________________
Note: The comment below by flyfly3 appears to be some sort of "blog spam" that I cannot delete. Do not open it.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Peanut butter fondue: My friend, Teri Reed, told me to melt a little bit of peanut butter in the microwave for one minute. Then use fresh fruit to dip in. I tried a banana; it was heavenly. Just my kind of snack: quick, easy and healthy.

Red thread: I think this is a Martha idea. Sew a little piece of red thread at the bottom center of your sheets. There will never be the “which way does it go?” dilemma again.

Mixing juices: I had a quarter of a jug of Simply Orange, I mixed in a can of Kerr’s guava juice and a sparkling cider left over from Christmas, which added just enough fuzz to make it interesting. I’ll mix any kind of juice together, limeade and pomegranate is another good one. I add water by a third to cut down on the calories. My only rule is that the juice can’t have any high fructose corn syrup.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Appliance Sliders: usually used for the feet of chairs so they don’t scratch the wood floor, these little plastic discs are a miracle for putting on my Kitchen-Aid mixer. Before, it was too heavy to move, I had to literally lift it up to use it or clean under it. Now it slides across the kitchen counter without any effort at all.

Use up old lemons: sprinkle wooden cutting boards with a generous helping of kosher salt, cut lemon in half, rub over salt all over the cutting board to eliminate odors.

Slide show screen saver: If you use a digital camera and save your pictures on your computer, you can set it up to view the pics on a random revolving pattern. Just right click anywhere there is blank spot on your desktop. Click Properties. Under the screen saver tab, choose “my pictures slide show.” And then click “settings” to the right of it. You can change the speed and size of the photos. You can also choose a specific folder (I use the music folder to show only photos of shows we’ve been to). Make the settings so that the screen saver comes on after 5-10 minutes of non-use, but then stays on for two or three hours before going to sleep. That way you’ll get maximum view time. I’m always delighted when I see something that reminds me of a good time.

Tuesday Quick Hints

http://scorecard.org/: type in your zip code and see the hazard level for your county. I was shocked to learn that Washoe County is in the 10 percent worse counties in the country. It makes sense because of the horrible inversion we get here. Truckee is among the top ten percent best. All that beautiful mountain air. The website actually lists the chemicals and how many pounds of pollutants and the worst polluters in your area.

Play CDs in your DVD player: If you have a good sound system with your tv, it’s quick and easy to pop a CD in and hit play. Our music system is hooked up to a 400 disc exchanger, which is great, until you just want to listen to one particular CD. Right now, I’m into Louisiana Gumbo by Putumayo Music, a compilation of music from New Orleans.

Bacon drippings: I never could figure out what to do with them, always raiding the recycling, searching for old cans. My sister, Lisa told me to line a bowl with foil, pour in the grease, cool until solid (you can put it in the frig), and then just fold it up and throw it out. Put the clean bowl away.

Cleaning hardwood floors: Usually when people first visit my house, two of the first questions I get is, “What type of flooring is that?” and “is it hard to clean?” The answers are Amendoim (a renewable hardwood from Brazil) and No. I vacuum the edges of the floor every week, clean the kitchen floor every week, but usually don’t bother with the rest of the house except once a month. (You realize, of course, that we no longer have children at home). Bona, Swedish Formula for Hardwood works well. There’s a mop with flat plastic rectangle on the end of a swiveling broomstick. Covering this with a terry cloth wrap, you give the floor a squirt or two of cleaner and then wipe with the mop. Take off the cover and throw it in the wash and it’s done.

Tuesday Quick Hints

On Tuesdays I want to list a few easy things that I’ve learned recently. I promise not to put them up here unless I’ve really done them myself.

Pomegranates: Cut off the blossom end, score the skin from end to end in about six even segments. In a large bowl of cold water, submerge the fruit totally and tear apart. You’ll be surprised how easy it comes apart. Take off the white pith and then strain it. You’ll have a pile of little gems, so much better than picking them out one by one, squirting juice everywhere. A good salad idea: Spinach with pomegranates, walnuts, feta cheese and a simple vinaigrette.

Stamps and boxes: I buy stamps online directly from the post office. http://www.usps.com/They charge $1 shipping, but it’s well worth it if I don’t have to stand in line for 40 minutes. My mom also gets priority mail boxes online. You can order up to 20 of them. They are free and there is no shipping charge. Very handy to have around.

Mir-Acid: When I water my orchids, I add a few granules of Mir-Acid (made by the same company as Miracle Grow). Don’t use too much. It’s not an exact science, I just guess. I have been doing it to my basil plant that I got at Trader Joe’s in August and it’s thriving. It still has not flowered yet.

Clementines: I adore these little packages of joy in winter. They're also called mandarins. When you peel one, close your eyes, put it up to your nose, and take several deep breathes all the way down to the bottom of your lungs. You’ll feel better.

Out, out, damned spot!

What's the worst stain you can think of? How 'bout pomegranate juice? On your special holiday tablecloth? That's what happened to me this morning. Leaving my sister's house after Thanksgiving last night, I threw the tablecloths into a box so I could wash them when I got home. I also threw in the leftover pomegranate juice from Amy's punch. Because we got home late at night, we left the boxes in the car. When I unloaded them this morning, the tablecloths had bright pink splotches, some as big as platters. And they had sat all night.

I figured that my best bet was to use Spray and Wash on them and see what I was left with after I washed them. They came out of the washer perfectly clean, not a spot to be seen! I will be a lifelong devotee of Spray and Wash.

Mondays

I know most people dread Mondays, but I kind of like them. They give me a chance to put my life back together. If we’ve been gone for the weekend or I’ve been extra lazy on Sunday, I get an opportunity to keep the edges of life from fraying.

I do these things in no particular order:
Put away all the items that have been scattered about
Clean the kitchen counters
Wipe fingerprints off the microwave, frig and stove
Unload the dishwasher, load it back up again if needed
Vacuum edges of kitchen floor
Change the sheets, fluff the bed, and throw in a load of laundry
Change the towels in the bathroom
Wind the hall clock, water the plants
Take out the trash from the office, study, and bathrooms
Clear old stuff out of frig, take out kitchen trash

None of these things take more than a few minutes. I save heavier housework like vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, etc for later in the week.

In the shower, I deep condition my hair, shave my whole legs (all the way down to my hairy toes), use body scrub instead of soap. This usually takes about three minutes longer than normal. I make sure to moisturize 'cause it's probably the only time all week that I'll remember to do it.

Then I move into the office, going through all the paperwork. I don’t have to actually do any of the work, if I don’t feel like it. I just put it where it belongs and make lists of what needs to be accomplished during the week. This gives me the rest of the week for appointments, projects and errands.

I always do a clean up on the computers. I run the disk defrag, the spyware program, the disk clean-up. Then I restart them. This seems to keep them running well enough.

If I work diligently, I can finish all this by lunchtime. And the rest of my week runs smoother because of it.

If you work and need to be there on Monday mornings, pick another time, maybe Tuesday evenings. Will you share what systems to you use to make your life better? We all need help in this department.