Penguin Dreams's Profile

Does the thought of aluminum foil scraping across metal set anyone else's teeth on edge? That provokes a reaction much like nails on a chalkboard.

Thanks so much for reminding me of the two blankets I stupidly left with an ex-bf, intending to pick them up someday and never did. And the saddle I left at a tack store on consignment and forgot to either pick up or get paid for.

Well, at least I still have a box full of ribbons. I considered having them made into a pillow or a quilt but then decided the bright colors just don't go with my color scheme. The silver cups are displayed on a shelf but they're in serious need of some polishing. I suck at horse decor.

What are people doing in the grocery store that makes it the most time-consuming chore? A trip takes me just under an hour and I've got groceries for a week.

I guess it helps that I stay stocked up on staples and dry goods so I don't have to think about having things on hand like breadcrumbs, spices or four different types of vinegar. I tend to buy the same thing every time, mostly vegetables, and find creative ways to prepare them rather than find unusual recipes that require exotic ingredients I don't usually have.

My dad buys much finer wines than I'm willing to pay for and he tells me many of them are moving to screw tops. My cheap wines still use corks although about half of them are fake.

I like the ritual of uncorking a bottle of wine and will miss corks if they're replaced by screw tops. But I guess you can't argue with the bottom line.

Occasionally I get a craving for pancakes but I never have buttermilk on hand. One tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk, set aside for about 5 minutes, will sour the milk and it's just like buttermilk.

I find pancakes are fluffier if you just barely mix all the ingredients together so it doesn't get overworked and then put it in the fridge for at least half an hour before using. Resist the urge to stir it when you take it out. Just pour right into a hot pan.

Huh. I never thought of this but sounds just simple enough to work. I guess I'll be picking up a pack of disposable razors the next time I'm at the store.

I would love to have a few chickens for the fresh eggs. I just can't bring myself to buy eggs at the store or even the farmer's market because I'm fairly certain that the chicken's living conditions are horrible. While I've become pretty adept at eggless cooking, sometimes it would be nice to not have to find work-arounds.

I'm curious though, to those of you who have chickens, what happens to them when they're no longer producing eggs? Do you still keep them as pets or do you slaughter them for food and would a chicken that old even be good to eat anymore?

Earlier this summer the next door neighbor's tree came down on the house on the other side. The owner of the now completely demolished rental house had his insurance company pay for repairs.

To add insult to injury his house was completely looted before he could get out there to board it up. Thieves came the first night and stole all the tenant's belongings. Then they came back the next night and took all the fixtures and copper plumbing and wiring.

I knew a girl whose grandma had picked up a habit during the depression of taking the p-trap off the sinks and putting a bucket under the drain. When the bucket got full she watered her garden.

Since I'm paying my own water bill for the first time ever I'm thinking this sounds like a great idea. Sending perfectly good grey water down the drain is expensive.

I like all of them except the first one. It feels like something is looming overhead.

However, I'd only paint my ceiling if I could get someone else to do it. I did that once and it was back-breaking, arm-aching work. The result was beautiful though.