Sassy Water

I love Pinterest. There are so many interesting ideas there. One of the latest I've been eager to try is Sassy Water. I repinned it from one of my friends who had repinned it from a lovely blog named Carolina Charm. The original recipe I followed is here.  Sassy Water is supposed to help eliminate contaminants, fat, and excess water weight. Plus, it just looked so pretty I had to try it.

I started out by grating fresh ginger, something I had never done before. I've baked with ginger spice before, of course, but always used the dried powder out of a little spice bottle. I've learned that the smell of freshly grated ginger is heavenly. Plus, I just like the looks of it. It reminds me of Earthroot from World of Warcraft. I used the little pokey side of a standard grater and had so much fun grating and enjoying the aromatic smell that I ended up with a little too much - you only need a teaspoon. (I tossed the extra into some oatmeal, which I heartily recommend.)

So that's what the other side of the grater is for.

Next you need a medium cucumber, sliced thin. I sliced my cucumber much thinner than the cucumbers in the picture in the original recipe. I also had to cut out a suspicious looking section of my cucumber, leaving just slightly less than a full medium cucumber.

Another useful side of the grater that I never used before. Who knew it could do more than grate cheese?

 

 

 

Next, the lovely lemon - possibly one of the most delightful substances on earth. The smell of a lemon always takes me back to about age 11 or 12 when I was a knobby-kneed skinny bookworm girl, shimmying up the side yard tree to sit on a gnarled old limb and read, provisioned with slurpy refreshment in the form of a half of a lemon. I know, that's weird, but it seemed refreshing to me at the time.

Had to use the knife for this slicing job, about 1/4 inch slices.

The final ingredient - mint leaves. I got these from Kroger. There are way more than enough for Sassy Water in this package. I will probably make more pitchers of water, but I'm contemplating other uses for the mint leaves, too. They smell divine! Pinch the leaves off the stems. I think I used 14-15 leaves. Recipe calls for 12, but some of mine were kind of small.

Such pretty little things.

Okay, now toss it everything into your pitcher. Doesn't it look pretty?

Recipe says to add 8-1/2 cups of water. I found that 8 cups of water filled my pitcher. (Maybe my cucumber was large instead of medium.) Next, let stand in the refrigerator overnight. This was the really hard part because I wanted to drink it right away over ice, but I restrained myself.

The final product!! Beautiful aromatherapy!

Okay! So when I got up this morning, the first thing I wanted to do was taste test my Sassy Water. The original recipe said to strain it, but I didn't want to do that. I poured it, bits and all, into my glass. I noticed a delicate taste of cucumber straight away, which was a little weird in a beverage but not at all unpleasant. There was just a hint of ginger; I think it was the perfect amount. The lemon and mint flavors were also a bit understated, but when taken all together it made a refreshing blend of flavors for a cool, light summer drink. I thought it was just about perfect.

CHEERS!

Let me know if you decide to make this!

Kathy

Twisted Pinto Beans and Cornbread

I made the best bean soup and cornbread EVER, through what I call "accidental cooking adventures." I happened to see a recipe for U.S. Senate Bean Soup (view original recipe here), and I was eager to try out a recipe that was over 100 years old. A quick check of the kitchen cabinets revealed I had no Navy beans on hand. Well, I'm not one to let a little thing like not having the main ingredient stop me from pressing on, so I substituted pinto beans, which I like better anyway. (Note: I find the pintos agree with my tummy better if soaked overnight in water before cooking. I drained and changed the water a couple of times, too. This produces a much less gassy result, in my experience.) I made a couple of other substitutions, simply because they're what I had on hand: (1) dried parsley instead of fresh, and (2) diced deli ham added near the end of the cooking cycle instead of starting with an actual ham hock. So ... I ended up with something quite unlike the original recipe - which I still want to make - but my result was splendid all the same. The hub, who is not normally a big fan of pinto beans, declared it delicious and ate it two days in a row. See photo below:

My variation of U.S. Senate Bean Soup

Now, here in the Southeast U.S., we like cornbread with our pinto beans. I started with two boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix. I added eggs and milk as directed on the package. This would have been good as is, but I was in a creative mood. I cut about four stalks of celery into apx. 1/4-inch pieces, and the hub finely diced a small-to-medium sized onion. I also had about a half cup of shredded cheddar left over in the fridge, so I tossed that in also and rounded it out with about a teaspoon of minced garlic and about a half cup of mayonnaise. (Sorry, I didn't measure anything. This is accidental cooking, after all.) Voila, done with the mixing part. It looked great. About this time, I remembered I was out of cooking spray and had not yet mixed up the homemade cooking spray as was my good intention. Bah. I put about 2 tablespoons of real butter in an 8-inch baking dish and heated it in a 400 degree oven until melted. Then I tilted the baking dish until all the sides were coated with buttery goodness and poured in the batter. To top it off, I sprinkled a moderate dusting of black pepper and baked until it was done in the center. I started out at 400 degrees but became concerned that it would burn around the edges, so after about 10 minutes I turned the heat down to 350. The Jiffy package directions said to use an 8-inch baking dish for one package, but I used the 8-inch baker for both packages, so I had to bake it longer than package directions. Oooo, the butter gave the cornbread such lovely and crispy edges! This was delicious, one of the best things I've made through accidental cooking adventures! Crunchiness on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

Flaky and tender goodness all at once. This smelled heavenly in the oven.

The black pepper dusting on top was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.

If you try either of these recipes, with or without modification, let me know how it works out for you!

Yours in accidental cooking,
Kathy
 

At the end of my rope, er ... I mean cable...

Today I was looking everywhere for the adapter to plug my blood pressure monitor into the wall outlet. I was concerned its battery life was affecting my readings, and I knew there was an adapter around here somewhere. It wasn't where I thought it was, but then I remembered this plastic box we have that contains phone chargers, ear buds, all kinds of snaky cords and cables. I found the box, tore into it, and came up with a mess that looked like this:

I'm normally a patient, kind of serene person, but this kind of stuff gets on my last nerve. I had to go through it all to find the one item I wanted. I'm not even sure we still need all this stuff or still have any devices that use some of it. Bear in mind, I'd gone through it previously and taken out all the phone chargers that I thought someone else might use and gave them away. I needed a solution. Bear in mind, I'm not the original thinker who came up with the following idea, but I remembered my husband saw something online awhile back that inspired him to organize his desk drawer that was full of assorted cables and such that were similarly impossible to sort through when you wanted to find a USB cable or the charger for the Garmin.

Here's what you do:

Collect a bunch of these:

Everyone uses toilet paper, and there are actually some good uses for the empty tubes. This is one of them. You'll also need a Sharpie, ink pen, or some other writing instrument. I suppose if you wanted to get particularly fancy, you could make labels on the computer and thus include more descriptive text than I did.

Sort your cables, cords, and chargers into groups of like items. For the larger items, use one tube per item. For the smaller items that do the same job, you can put two or three in one tube. Mark the tubes in whatever manner helps you identify the contents. I recommend wrapping the cords and cables loosely so as not to damage the itty bitty copper wires or phoenix feathers or whatever other magic may be contained inside them. (If you're concerned about damage, then don't do this. I am not responsible for any problems you may have with anything. Fold or wrap your cords and cables at your own risk.)

The end result is shown below. I still may never use some of this stuff but at least I'll be able to find it if I do.

3-2-2012.01

Epic fail at keeping up with a blog, again. Of course on December 3 when I started this I had no idea that in 10 days I would barely recognize my life for awhile. Drama aside, on Dec. 12 I noticed something weird going on with my left eye. I went to my regular vision doctor on the morning of Dec. 13 and by that afternoon I was on an operating table having my retina reattached. It was a difficult case involving both a scleral buckle and gas bubble. That was bad enough but I had to have two follow-up repairs, one in December and another one in January. I was off work for weeks and finally had one brief spurt of improvement which allowed me to return to work on Feb. 3. After a persistent lack of improvement thereafter, my doctor advised a fourth surgery called a vitrectomy. Long story short, this involved drilling three 25-gauge holes into my eye, implanting another gas bubble, and for good measure another round of laser surgery around the buckle. I had to lie constantly on my right side with only a 10-minute break every two hours for 7 days. I had an appointment yesterday, and my doctor said everything looks as expected at this point. I still can't lift or lie flat on my back, but I can be up and about and sleep in any other position. I'm on numerous different eye drops throughout the day. I've been weaning off pain pills which means I have to tolerate some level of discomfort. I am functionally sightless in my left eye for up to 12 weeks, perceiving only colors and movement. My doctor and I had a discussion about returning to work, what I really think I am capable of doing under the circumstances. I think I am going to give it a try - going for at least a reduced schedule at first. Naturally, being a newly (albeit temporarily) blinded person, I have some practical concerns such as being able to get ready on time etc. Not that my employer would mind a late arrival, but I would be riding in with my hub as he goes to work because obviously I am not driving myself. Still, I think I want to try. I may not be up to my normal pace, but I think I can still be useful and relieve my co-workers of some of the burden. Besides, today if I squint hard from the lower part of my eye, I can almost make out the general shape of my hands on the keyboard with my left eye and that gives me hope.

Third Post 12-22-2011

It's hard to believe it's been about two weeks since I've posted here. Since I posted last I had emergency eye surgery which took me out of commission for some time, but I don't really want to write much about that just yet, if ever. And it's still too difficult to type very much at once. But I will say this much about it - the possibility of losing one's vision, even in just one eye, has brought to mind this morning thoughts of things I want to see. Among those things are my blue girl roses blooming against the warm red brick of my house. For those who may not know, the scent of the blue girl rose is nature's loveliest perfume, the sweetest smell imaginable. Following is a photo of my rosebush from a previous year. If only there were a way to capture the smell...

My Blue Girls

These delightful creations frame the right side of my front porch. They bloom profusely, several times a year. These don't look especially "blue," although sometimes they do sport their characteristic silver-lavendar color and other times we see the more pinkish lavendar color.

Second Post 12-7-2011

I'm already falling behind. I wanted to try and post something every day, darn it. Today's bit of goodness is Lazy Mom Casserole.

I don't want to give the wrong idea. I'm not too lazy to do the things that need to be done every day. But I am not one of those hyperactive super moms who do the once a month cooking and build their own utility sheds. Well, I used to be sort of like that, but my kids got older and I got tired of doing all that stuff. Nevertheless, I like a certain amount of orderliness and so I am re-focusing my energies into looking at ways to do things that allow me more lazy time.

One of those things is potato preparation. I have found that I can peel and cut potatoes while watching TV and keep them for several days in the fridge. Later on, when I would like to cook potatoes or something that requires potatoes, I will not be deterred by having to prepare the potatoes. Seriously, I have changed more plans than I care to admit by being too lazy to peel potatoes. But if you can combine the potato peeling with an enjoyable activity - let's say watching several episodes of "Breaking Bad" on Netflix, the potato peeling is no problem. I like to cut them into smallish (half inch or so) cubes so they cook faster.

To keep them in the refrigerator for about four days or so, placed cubed and washed potatoes in a container (one that has a tight fitting lid), cover completely with water. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt and a goodly squirt of lemon juice on top. Cover with plastic wrap and lid. I've used mine after four days and they were just like new. Haven't tried longer than four days, though. Use your own judgment. Just so happened I had some potatoes waiting in the fridge tonight and used them in the Lazy Mom Casserole. I also had a small amount of leftover mashed potatoes which I mixed in with them.

Lazy Mom Casserole is a great cold-weather standby that anyone could make. It allows for a lot of variation as well. I seldom make the exact same casserole twice. Below is how I made it tonight:

Lazy Mom Casserole

Brown 1 - 2 pounds ground beef in a skillet, depending on how much of this stuff you want and how big of a casserole dish you want to use. Tonight I used the Pampered Chef 15.5"x10" Stoneware Baker, which easily accommodated what I would call a double batch of this stuff using 2 pounds of beef. If I use a regular 9 x 13 cake pan, I would use only 1 pound of beef and fewer veggies than tonight's batch.

If necessary, drain excess fat. I use only Laura's Lean Beef or locally produced organic beef so I don't have to drain. I seasoned the beef with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worchestershire sauce. Next I added a can of generic Mexi-corn (corn and pepper mix), french-sliced green beans (drained), a large can of sliced mushrooms (drained), one can of tomato soup and about a half a can of water. This did not look tomato-y enough to me, so I squirted in some ketchup until it looked about right. Cook on medium heat until everything is hot and evenly distributed, then pour into the baking dish.

Mash the potatoes. I add a little Country Crock, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, and milk - not to mention the leftover mashed potatoes I already had, which is a great way to use those up, and I ended up with just the right quantity, about half a medium size pan. Not sure how much mine holds, so I took a picture to give you some idea how much you need.

Use a large spoon to ladle dollops of mashed potatoes around the perimeter of the baking dish, as shown:

Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Should be nice and bubbly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and return to oven for about five minutes. Remove from oven and let set for about five minutes before serving.

My family loves this casserole, and it keeps well in the fridge for delicious second-day leftovers. Good, warm, and filling cold-weather food. Let me know if you try it!









First Post 12-3-2011

I've started and abandoned these things before, but this time I want to make a real go of it. What's on my mind currently is how to live and thrive in today's economy. Believe me, I don't have all the answers, but I'll share the ones that have been helpful to me.

There are certain things I resent - like spending money on products that are not fun and entertaining! But let's face it, some things you just gotta have whether you like it or not. Like toilet paper, laundry detergent, and fabric softener. Have you noticed the prices of these items recently??? I haven't figured out what to do about the toilet paper yet, other than try to catch it on sale and stock up. However, I do have alternatives I like for the laundry detergent and fabric softener! That's right, do-it-yourself laundry products! The hub and I have office jobs and typically our clothes don't get very soiled, so our laundry is super easy. For heavy duty cleaning, you might want to use some Oxy cleaner or experiment to find your own solution for heavily soiled items.

There are several good posts on the internet for homemade laundry soap - all are some variety of this same recipe. I would like to give credit to Mary Hunt's outstanding web site, Debt Proof Living, which is the first place I found the recipe and began my own experimentation with it. And now I'd like to share my experiences with you!

First of all, my mother laughed at me and offered me money to buy laundry soap at the store. No doubt, there are many others who would prefer not to trouble themselves with the bother of making something at home that is readily available at the store. Yes, Mom, I can afford commercial laundry detergent if I want it. But to me, this is about the satisfaction of doing it myself, of knowing how to take care of a basic need. It's also about doing something natural and clean and environmentally sound. It's not worrying about mixing a chemical cocktail in my washing machine to inflict upon my sensitive skin by forcing it to rub against chemically treated clothing day and night! And, it's about aromatherapy - mix up a batch of this and your nose will thank you!

--Finally, a word about my washing machine and the fine print warning: I have a fairly new Samsung front loading high efficiency machine, and this naturally low-to-no sudsing recipe works well in my machine with no known problems. However, use the recipe at your own risk. I am a plain old working mom, not a chemist nor an engineer, and I assume no responsibility for your experience, clothing, washing machine or anything else.

INGREDIENTS:

Fels-Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap

We're located in Kentucky, and I can get this in the laundry aisle at either Wal-Mart or Kroger. I haven't looked anywhere else, so I'm not sure what other stores carry it, but I know it can be ordered online if you can't find it in your store. It smells SOOOO good. You can use other kinds of bar soap, but if you can get this, I don't know why you'd want anything else. I've used Ivory bar soap in a pinch when the Fels-Naptha was the only ingredient I was missing, but I do love the wonderfully distinct, clean smell of Fels-Naptha. Today, it was on sale for 99 cents a bar, so my cost today = 18 cents per ounce.

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Do not make the mistake of confusing this product with baking soda. I bought a new box today at Kroger, $3.15 for one box = just under 6 cents per ounce. You can also use this product to make a pre-soak for stains, directions on the back of the box.

20 Mule Team Borax

I still had a lot of this left over from previous batches, so I didn't need to buy it along with the other ingredients today. Apparently they have changed the packaging since I last bought it, too, so it doesn't look quite like this anymore. I did a price check on the Borax on the shelf today - 4.29 per box = about 5 and a half cents per ounce, call it 6 cents.

So there we have it, that's all the ingredients except for water, which I don't even try to include in the calculations.

Most people make a two-gallon batch. Alas, I have no pot big enough to hold two gallons. Sometimes I split the ingredients into two pots; sometimes I make a one-gallon batch. Tonight we will make a one-gallon batch, using about 1/6 of the Fels Naptha (round up to 17 cents, slightly exaggerates the cost per ounce), 1/4 cup washing soda (2 ounces = 12 cents), and 1/4 cup borax (another 12 cents).

Excluding the fraction of a penny for water, this brings us to a grand total of 41 cents per gallon. Try finding a gallon of laundry detergent in the store for 41 cents! I'm not that good at math, but let's see if we can get to the bottom of this: one U.S. gallon = 128 fluid ounces divided by 4 ounces (1/2 cup) per load = 32 loads per gallon. 41 cents divided by 32 loads = .0128125 cents per load.

Yep, just a fraction over one penny per load. I like that math, so let's get started:

First, grate the soap with a regular cheese grater. After soapmaking, I wash the grater normally in the dishwasher and put it back in the cabinet for regular use and I never taste soap in my cheese :D

Next, I use milk jugs or any other clean, one gallon container. Fill it up with water - I use mildly hot - and pour it into a pot big enough to hold all the water. Many of the recipes will have you boil so much water, add so much of this and so much of that, then more water, etc. (Those are the people whose output comes out to exact quantities, unlike yours truly.) I put the water in first and bring it to a boil, then add all ingredients while stirring until it is more or less dissolved. You don't want anything sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the soda and borax first, then sprinkle in the shredded soap. Boil and stir, boil and stir. You can turn down the heat and leave it unstirred if you need to walk away for awhile, which is what I am currently doing. I just checked and nearly all the soap shreds are melted, see?

And here's what it looks like with a good stir:

I use a metal spoon, by the way. I think it would be fine to use a wooden spoon, but since they are porous and I don't fancy eating soap no matter how good it smells, and I don't want to designate one of my wooden spoons to use only for making soap, I use a metal spoon which I can be reasonably sure will come completely clean of the soap mixture in the dishwasher and will be safe for food use post-soapmaking.

All right, it's all boiled together now, and I'm not sure exactly how long that took. About a half-hour, I think. I got a little wrapped up in blogging and forgot to check the time! Remove from heat and let the mixture sit until it cools. Once cool, get a large'ish funnel and someone to help you pour from the pot into the gallon jug. Depending on how much of the liquid boiled away during production, there will be somewhat just less than a full gallon.

I top it off with warm water to make a full gallon. I mean, this is not rocket science here - we have some room for fluctuation. Fasten lid securely, give it good shake. Let sit for about 24 hours before using.

To use, give the jug a good shake and pour out 1/2 cup per load.

If anyone tries this, I would be pleased to know how it worked for you. Tomorrow - fabric softener!