Ode to Popcorn

O crunchy, yellow-white mouthful
Of kerneled puffs bountiful,
With your Graciousness my taste buds dance,
Your mildness is so wonderful.

Ten Excuses

Ten Excuses for Not Updating... or anything else

1)  I was "trapped in an oil painting"
2)  A giant pile of laundry grew legs and trapped me in a week long battle for

Unlettered

Long ago, the only means of communicating with loved ones who did not live nearby was by letter.  There were no telephones, let alone cell-phones with texting capability and computers with internet access.  Today, with the

Hair Dye Debacle: How Vinegar Let Me Down

For those who have wondered about whatever happened with that hair-dye stained towel (thank you, Patient Ones), please accept my apologies for my Procrastination.  Part of it was due to necessity.  I had to re-stock hairspray.  Since then, I have tried hairspray and vinegar on separate parts of the stain.  I had not previously washed it, so it had been sitting for over a month in my

Great Grandma's Buttons

How many of us of us have a collection of buttons housed somewhere within our homes?  Why do we keep these?  After Great Grandpa died some years ago, two years after Great Grandma had died, Father took over the house and I moved into it.  Incidentally, I acquired some of their remaining belongings that the rest of the family had left.  I got Great Grandma's sewing kit, replete with her button box.  What treasures therein did I find!

Sleep and Press

Mr. Yeater and I do not "vacation" per se, but we attend about three conventions each year.  Two of these weekends generally require an overnight stay.  When we arrive in our hotel room, I make a thorough check

My First

A young woman sits by the lamp in the warm lighting, a needle and thread in one hand and a torn pant leg in the other.  She is hunched over the pant leg, stitching slowly and deliberately.  Her brow is furrowed in thoughtfulness and frustration.  The phone rings.  She pricks herself and lets out a cry.

Blue Flowers cross-stitch

his is another cross-stitching project that I actually did quite diligently during the last week.  I think it turned out better than the Piggies.  I get some of my patterns from the books at the Public Library and from DMC. 

Lose That Bitter in a Pinch

So, the coffee grounds have been sitting in the cupboard or fridge for about a month.  Did we buy too much?  Probably.  Did we buy a cheap brand that used to be good, but whose quality has slowly declined since its hay-day?  Most likely.  We look forward to that little indulgence with growing reticence.  It is still good.  However, the bitter aftertaste is a bit off-putting and one must drown it with flavored creamer to make it palatable.  By then, one wonders why the coffee was made at all if we are to drink creamer and sugar.  I am a Coffee-Snob with a Gas station coffee budget.  Eew.

I have read a few tips here and there about how to be rid of the bitter and to bring out the intrinsic flavors of  the coffee bean without having to completely obliterate it with adulterations.  Until recently, I have rolled my eyes and continued on my merry way without so much as a moment's genuine consideration.  This morning, however, Mr. Yeater and I had had enough and we decided to try something.  In a magazine that I have received from America's Test Kitchen, it suggested one-eighth of a teaspoon of salt added to the grounds for a full (eight to ten cups) pot of coffee.  We use a small "four cup" pot, so we added just under a pinch to the dry grounds in the filter.  We did nothing else to the coffee except to prepare it in the usual way.  Would you know it?  It actually worked.  The coffee was still bitter the way that coffee should be without the lip-puckering and face-scrunching that typically accompanies bad coffee.  Suddenly, it was bearable, and rather pleasant. 

So, the next time the coffee is bitter, make a new pot with a little salt added to the grounds.  Enjoy!

What is your favorite morning drink?

Living Internationally

This is a little off of the beaten path, but I love to look at real estate listings.  I cannot afford anything, anywhere, ever, but I can dream... and laugh.  I was doing just that today, and I found the perfect place.

Finished Muddy Piglets

After about two months, I have finally finished this pattern of muddy, little piggies.  It should not have taken me so long except that I procrastinated.  Yes.  I procrastinate.  A lot.

The thread colors that I used are not those which were recommended, but they are what I had in my limited inventory.  I am now working on a cross-stitch pattern from the same company.  They are pretty flowers.  Who does not like a flower?

Do you cross-stitch?  Do you have a favorite pattern?  How do you incorporate your hobby into your life?

A Few of My Favorite Books

Our days are busy, hither and thither, and filled with problems that require solution.  We have our studies and general reading of nutritional facts and material for the edification of self and mind.  Sometimes, I need a little fluff.  A little escapism.  I do not mean to entirely shut off one's brain and watch the Television, but to pick up a favorite book by a favorite author and drift into another world.  Is there anything more exquisite than the feel of soft, paper pages that whisper thp, thp, thp?  The sweet aroma of each leaf?

My favorite Escapist Reads are written by an English woman born at the turn of the last century.  She wrote in abundance and is credited with being the Mother of the Regency-England Romance.  Whereas Jane Austen wrote contemporaneously, this author wrote with the knowledge of extensive research.  Her novels are clean, witty, intriguing and humorous.  I have often found myself giggling with delight and girlish glee.  She is Georgette Heyer.  Georgette Heyer wrote Historical (romantic and otherwise), Mystery, and Contemporary novels.  These are all wonderfully written, but, again and again, I reach for the historical romance.

Yes, I love romance.  For all of my pragmatism and objectivity, I am a whimsical romantic at heart.  Of her many, many novels, these are my most favored:

(A Civil Contract)  My all time favorite.  I could read this over and over- and I have.  It is not a tale of passionate infatuation, but that of a more quiet, peaceful, enduring love.  The hero must marry a wealthy heiress of a merchant to save his family's land though he loves another.  The heroine is the daughter of a wealthy tradesman and is not beautiful, but wants to make his life as comfortable as possible, if not happy.

(Friday's Child)  Definitely the sweetest.  I am thrown into fits of hilarity and giddiness by the dialogue and situations.  Our young hero gets married in a fit of pique to a young woman barely out of the schoolroom, believing that his life will not be altered and he may continue as usual.  Our young heroine is innocent of the ways of society and how to go on.  She falls into many social scrapes, a constant source of  discomfiture to her husband.

          

     (Beauvallet)         (These Old Shades)       (Devil's Cub)

Beauvallet is filled with adventure, passion, and intrigue.  Set in the 1500's, an English Privateer (legalized pirate) and a young Spanish lady fall in love.  He promises to come for her, but the way in and out is fraught with peril.

These Old Shades and Devil's Cub are part of a trilogy; these are set in Georgian Europe.  In These Old Shades, one of Georgette Heyer's first characters from The Black Moth receives a reprisal as the "hero" who discovers a fiery-tempered young woman cross-dressing as a youth in France who resembles an enemy of his and takes her under his terrifying wing.  Devil's Cub is the story of their son who mistakenly absconds with the wrong woman.  This woman sought to save her sister's reputation by pretending to be her in meeting the intended at a midnight rendezvous.

These books carry me away to warm, fuzzy, exciting places filled with period cant, witty dialogue, hilarious situation, and believable characters.  I have laughed.  I have cried.  I have cheered.  I have jeered.  I hope you will have a look at these, and perhaps you will find others of her books that you love.  Many public libraries will have at least one of her novels if not more.  Otherwise, inexpensive ones can be found on EBay and Amazon.

What are your favorite recreational reads?

Meijer Turkey Deal (expired)

Is there a Meijer in your neighborhood?  Do you need more turkey?  Today is the last day- until midnight tonight!  Mr. Yeater and I went into our local Meijer store and picked up a twenty-three pound turkey.  Its original price was $39.14; with a $16.00 discount at the checkout, its end price was $23.14.  There is a catch!  To get this discount, one must purchase an additional twenty dollar's worth of merchandise (see the sales flier for exclusions).  If, however, one does not want a colossal bird in their freezer and only a large one, there is a $9.00 discount for turkey's weighing closer to ten pounds.  Get it while it lasts!

Turkey is Winter's fare.  Mr. Yeater and I find turkey to be a fantastic investment.  As we are only two, one bird will feed us for weeks, and sometimes months when the cooked meat is frozen- well worth the one time lump sum (which hurts a little at first).  It was a life-saver for us a few years back when we only had $75-$100 for one month's groceries (and non-groceries like TP, soap, and laundry detergent).  I'll be turning the turkey into chili, sandwiches, soups, etc.  Mmmm...  Our behemoth is defrosting in the refrigerator and should be done by Thursday.  I cannot wait!

Gluten and Assorted

Let me apologize, please, for my dwindling updates of late.  Let me assure you that I am working on a couple of things at home, including a recipe (which will not happen until the middle of December) and getting that hair dye out of my towel.

I have recently concluded that I may have a gluten-sensitivity, not necessarily Celiac's disease.  I will not divulge my reasons just at this time, but there are a few hints that my body has given me.  It is a more common disorder than previously thought and my Candida dieting has cut a lot of foods out of my diet that I had not realized may be causing serious harm.  I have noticed that the Candida diet tends to be quite low in gluten (I had avoided wheat breads because of the yeast content and I had not made anything with the wheat flours).  Therefore, I am going to experiment.  I am going to cut gluten out of my diet for about a month then add it back and see what happens.  As a result, one might find a couple more Celiac-friendly recipes here, though, I want to help Candida-sufferers find edible recipes.  No doubt there are those afflicted with both maladies who may also benefit.

I realize that I am not a doctor, and therefore cannot diagnose even myself- though I do the best I can.  I will admit that I am one of the many in the United States unable to afford regular doctor's visits, and it is quite out of reach for me to undergo several tests et cetera on our budget.  I can, however, adjust my diet and apply scientific principles to testing for food allergies and sensitivities.  I cannot and do not recommend this.  I am not a trained nutritionist or physician.  I am a common denizen of the planet with access to the Internet and the Library and the Will to apply my limited Knowledge.  In my experience, diet has a lot to do with illness, so I try to make the inevitable trip to the grave as painless as possible.

Do you have any favorite gluten-free recipe or candida recipe?

Hair Dye Debacle

Hair dye on everything!  Mother decided to dye her hair and now has a mess on her hands.  And I have this with which to contend.  I will not be heartbroken if I find several things that do not work to remove it, but I would love to find what does work.  Unfortunately, this has been sitting for a while.

My first step is to try soaking the stain in hairspray, then vinegar.  I will then throw it into a warm cycle in the washing machine and see what happens.  I will NOT put it into the dryer.

Do you have any ideas of how to remove hair dye stains from cotton towels?  Or anything?

Secretly Auburn

Some have a thing for blondes, some for brunettes, and the women in my family are all secretly redheads.  Strange how our follicles do not always agree with our nature.  My sister, Miss C, is a caramel brown (I think); Mother is a peanut brittle; I am a 70% dark chocolate brown.  And yet, when we seek to make a change, spice things up by changing our hair color, we invariably turn to the reds and auburns.  We could go blonde.  We could go dark.  But, no.  These ventures, of course, lead to... interesting results.  We have seen Crayola orange, Crayola red, Pippy Longstocking red, and even purple.  How does it become purple?

Perhaps our natures really are reflected in our natural colors.  Caramel is rich and sweet, and what seems to be a little bit stretches for miles in generous helpings.  Miss C is like a caramel truffle with her smooth, cloying syrup belied by a solid, almost bitter exterior.  She is generous to a fault, giving more than perhaps she can afford, stretching so thinly as to be easily torn.  Mother, too, shares this quality, breaking herself into as many pieces as possible to share with everyone.  She is a tough cookie, but delicate and sweet and a little nutty (I love you!).  Here am I, a little dark and serious-minded- an acquired taste, but I go great with fruits and nuts.  Together we are a yummy, little PAYDAY candy bar.  Delicious and addictive.  Why must we constantly try to add cayenne and red pepper?

I do not care!  Ha!  And you thought I would Prose and Philosophize through half of the day.  However, let us watch out for those purples, my loves.  Purple is not red.  Perchance we might also invest in a pillowcase specifically for the days directly succeeding the dying of our hair?  It just may save worries over ruining our good pillowcases.

Note:  This article has been an introduction into a Laundry Challenge!  Mother has called me a Scientist and charged me with finding a way to eradicate the Purple stain from a pillowcase.  Scientist, maybe.  Mad Scientist, more accurately.  Hopefully, she will not be forced to ask herself in shocked realization, "What.  Have I.  Done?"  This should be fun!



Copyright November 2010.

$25 for $2 (expired)

By now, one may be aware that Restaurant.com has some pretty great deals- and pretty often.  My only desire for that site is that some day they will have a partnership with more of our local restaurants.  Until that time, they are partnered with quite a few in our area and in many others.  Their latest deal can turn a $25 Gift Card into a $2 or $2.50 investment.

Site:  Restaurant.com
Code:  GOBBLE (entered at checkout)
Expires:  Thursday, 25 November, 2010
              The gift certificate does not expire

Enjoy!

Recipe Challenge Success! Chicken Fajita Chili

Last week I posted about a recipe that I was quite excited to try.  As promised, I did it.  And it was good!  I know this because, for the last two days, Mr. Yeater has been singing its praises (which he rarely does).

Vinegar Softener

Are you sick of vinegar yet?  So various are its uses that it could probably fill a book.  Perhaps it does.  Here is another!

While growing up, we rarely used fabric softener- though I was a strong advocate for that adorable little bear who frequently landed in piles of laundry and giggled.  We were content with clean, if a little scratchy, towels.  I loved new towels.  They were so soft and snuggly, and I always missed that feeling.  Unfortunately, it is not always cost effective to purchase fabric softener for regular use.  I still want soft towels.  I do not want them so softened that they no longer wick away the beads of water from my skin, only a little more indulgent of my desire for some luxury in these straightened times.

What is very cost effective nowadays?  Hmmm....  Vinegar!  A great big jug of distilled white vinegar can be found for about two dollars and it has so many uses.  One of these is Fabric Softener.  A little can be added to or substitute for commercial fabric softeners and without making the towels and clothing smell like vinegar. Why not give it a try?

Do you have any favorite uses for vinegar around the house?

Home Roasted Peppers

My Recipe Challenge is on its way today.  As I write, it is simmering on the stove top, filling the air with a delicious aroma!  This little endeavor has taken me two days to complete, though, if I had had the time it could have been done in one.  Why should chili take so long?  Well, because I cannot eat canned tomatoes (which is where one will find fire-roasted tomatoes in the grocer's), I had to roast them myself.  Subsequently, I decided to roast my peppers as well.  The recipe calls for chopped, roasted red and yellow bell peppers.  That can be a little pricey to buy in the store.  I will admit that I have never before roasted any vegetable, so I did some research.

Needed:
   Red and yellow bell peppers
   EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil); just olive oil will do
   Baking sheet
   Wax paper or aluminum foil
   Spices

The first time, I set my oven to two-hundred and fifty (250) degrees Fahrenheit.  I foiled the baking sheet, using about one to two tablespoons of olive oil to grease the foil.  I then sliced the peppers in half and removed the seeds and white pith with a paring knife.  Coating the halves with olive oil (and whatever spices you like), I placed them inside-down on the baking sheet...

...and I smashed them with my palms.  It is okay if they tear.

When this was done, they went into the oven to slow roast for about three hours.

They began to puff and blacken on the tops and around the sides they began to caramelize (that is what olive oil does when exposed to high heats for prolonged periods of time).

The most fun, or least fun, part was skinning the finished peppers with a paring knife and my fingers.  I would open the skin with the knife and pull it off with my fingers.  I did burn myself a few times on the pan and flesh of the pepper because I was not paying attention.

I did not like the results of the slow roast.  The flesh was too soft and resembled colorful slices of overripe mango.  Because I had not known how many raw peppers were needed to make a cup of diced, roasted peppers, I needed to buy a couple more and determined to try again.  The only difference is that I heated the oven to three hundred and fifty (350) degrees Fahrenheit and baked the peppers for an hour.  The results were much more pleasing.  The flesh was tender and malleable but firm enough to slice without slipping and sliding this way and that.

Have you had to learn any new skills or techniques in the kitchen for a particular recipe?

Copyright November 2010 (includes images; drawn by me in OpenCanvas)