Food
Collapsible Bags and Baskets I’ve Used for Years
Just because bags and baskets serve a useful function does not mean we always have space to store all of those bags and baskets. Especially the ones that help us manage the more tedious aspects of our life. That’s why I’ve become a fan of collapsible bags and baskets for chores such as laundry and grocery shopping. They are available in all their full-size glory when I need them, but I can easily fold them up and tuck them out-of-sight when I don’t need them. Here are the collapsible bags and baskets I’ve used for years. Years, folks. If I’ve used something for years and it still works great, you…
In Praise of the Ceramic Colander
Ceramic colanders might seem like a funny blog topic. Are you wondering if I’ve run out of things to write about? Is this my ‘jump the shark’ moment? No, I have not and I certainly hope not. I just really, really like my ceramic colander. And I almost threw it away. The ceramic colander was in a box of jumbled junk in our garage. (In case you are new, we bought a house and the seller left a ton of belongings behind.) I remember picking through the box and finding a bunch of planters for houseplants and then the ceramic colander. I didn’t know what the “bowl with the holes”…
The Granola I Make Once a Week
Ready yourself. I’m about to ask a presumptuous question. Have you ever wondered how I decide what to write about? See? Presumptuous of me to think you might wonder. I’m cringing too, but I needed a jumping off point for this post. Today I decided to write about the granola I make once a week because of sunlight. Yep, sunlight. As I was cleaning the table up after lunch I realized the outside light was streaming in on my jar of granola so beautifully. Pretty light on a jar of granola sitting on a messy table. The lens through which I view my surroundings might be a little…unconventional. Then I…
Would I Make It Again: Homemade Ginger Ale with Fresh Ginger
Ginger ale is one beverage that I never, ever considered making at home. It didn’t even dawn on me that you could. Or should. Or would! But I did. The idea started on a somewhat typical Friday night. I had cooked a package of bacon. Why bacon on a Friday night? Why not?! We had company visiting us for the weekend. Handy Husband was on bartender duty. The adult beverage of choice that evening was a Moscow Mule. This drink is made with ginger beer, lime and vodka. I had purchased a few different varieties of ginger beer and ginger ale for Handy Husband to use to mix these drinks.…
Almond and Anise Biscotti
Have you ever baked something so mouth-wateringly delicious that you realize you should probably NEVER EVER EVER bake it again? Hear me out. If you bake it again it means you’ve thrown caution to the wind. You’ve chucked your self-control out the window. You may end up binge-eating that baked good just to get it out of the house. And it’s worth every bite. That’s how I feel about this Almond and Anise Biscotti recipe. In fact, I had to move to a foreign country where one of the ingredients wasn’t readily available just so I wouldn’t be able to bake this biscotti. That’s not exactly true, but it was…
Would I Make It Again: Sweet Potato Cranberry Doughnuts
I’d like to say this recipe had me at ‘doughnuts.’ Then this could be the shortest post ever! Hahahahaha. Actually, this recipe had me at ‘sweet potato cranberry.’ That’s an epic Thanksgiving flavor mashup, isn’t it? I thought so. The doughnut part was just an added perk. Doughnuts are always an added perk. In a series of Internet search twists and turns, I landed on a recipe I didn’t know I needed for Sweet Potato Cranberry Doughnuts from Taste of Home. The recipe concept made me go hmmm. And mmmm. And, yes, I said that all out loud. I know you talk to your screen too. Right now you’re probably saying,…
Would I Make It Again: Maple Glazed Apple Pull-Apart Bread
I’m becoming predictable with these “Would I Make It Again” posts for two reasons. First, I don’t want to be mean. This is a happy place, after all. I’m not going to rip apart a recipe just because I didn’t enjoy a particular food. Chicken feet aren’t my thing, but millions of people seem to eat them quite regularly. Who’s to say they are wrong? Not me. Second, I have eaten enough food in my life except chicken feet that I have a strong hunch of what I will enjoy or not when selecting a recipe. While all the recipes I’ve featured in this series are pretty tasty, I’m on the…
Would I Make It Again: Balsamic Glaze VS. Regular Balsamic Vinegar
A new friend who has been absolutely so kind in welcoming us to the neighborhood texted on a Saturday morning to see if we could come over for an impromptu BBQ that night. My thoughts, all in the course of about 3.2 seconds, were as follows. Uhhh, I was planning on curling up in my bed with a book tonight. We have friends! Woohoo! And they invited us to dinner! That’s so nice! But my bed… The kids would have a lot of fun swimming with her kids! But my bed… Handy Husband would have a lot of fun hanging out with the neighbors! But my bed… I wouldn’t have…
Would I Make It Again: Pasta from Chickpeas
The perk and curse of grocery shopping in the U.S. is there is always a new product to try. It is a seemingly revolving door of new product barrages introductions! It didn’t phase me much until I lived in Europe. Being back now and grocery shopping in the U.S. feels like I’ve been dropped into the middle of a carnival funhouse with a bunch of clowns jumping out every three seconds to show me the latest and greatest product. Then the funhouse mirrors show me what my hips will look like if I eat that product. Unfortunately, it’s never the mirror that shows me getting taller and skinnier. However,…
Would I Make It Again: Lemony Cucumber and Herb Pasta Salad
I’ve mentioned my potluck anxiety before, haven’t I? One bad experience with a mystery dish at a church potluck will do that to you. So now eating at a potluck is out. But I still get invited to potlucks! Sometimes I feel compelled to say, “Yes, I’d be delighted to attend because I haven’t flirted with food poisoning in awhile.” Then begins the second round of potluck anxiety. Yes, there’s a second level to this madness! What do I make that will travel well, can sit out and not make people sick, and be a crowd pleaser? I call this the potluck trifecta and it’s a difficult dish to find.…
