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Display Name: Kakugori
Member Since: 8/4/08
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For pink Rice Krispies treats, use the pink strawberry flavored marshmallows, or add some strawberry flavor or puree into the mix.


You're the Bomb! 5 Cute, Kid-Friendly Treats for Valentine's Day
2/10/12 5:44 PM

Having not seen the post about your mirror prior to now: I guess it would be a bad time to mention that the frame, at least, would have been fixable. If you were interested in paying (because it wouldn't be cheap) and had saved all the pieces. I have seen paintings and frames that this happens to, in both museum and home settings.
Also, hanging things over a wood-burning fireplace is a bad idea in general (dunno if this applies). Heat and soot, and all that.

I am enjoying reading these informative posts, please keep them coming!


Quick History: Trumeau Mirrors
Retrospect

2/9/12 6:47 PM

Thank you for posting this - I wasn't expecting it to be (this is the internet, after all), but this is good, responsible advice that many people can use.

Take care of your wooden furniture! It's #1 enemy is you - no, really. Light, heat, cold, moisture/humidity, insects and mostly people. General rule of thumb is that if you are comfortable in your space, your things should be as well. Paste wax good. No Pledge, ever ever. Ever. I dunno about the mayo.

/conservator's kid.

Also, I like those blue and gold teacups and saucers.


Your Table Will Thank You: 5 Ways to Care For a Wooden Dining Table
2/9/12 6:06 PM

The Keurig machines don't make good coffee - or I don't think so, anyway. You can get an insert for them, which lets you use any coffee you like...but I still think it doesn't make good coffee, on top of the expense. You can also use it without the cup for just hot water, but that's not a good excuse to buy one (it's noisy, takes just as long as the microwave or kettle, and the water tank is irritatingly small).


$51 Per Pound: The Deceptive Cost of Single-Serve Coffee
The New York Times

2/8/12 6:32 PM

I realize that this is a heresy for a lot of people, but I like cottage cheese in lasagna in place of ricotta, which can be too finely textured or grainy.


Curds & Whey: Cottage Cheese
Ingredient Spotlight

2/8/12 6:25 PM

Often computer, but I have started eating my first meal of the day with the newspaper sudoku puzzle.


Cooking for One: Eating Alone
2/8/12 6:20 PM

Uh, you know you don't really need specific direction to make any bread recipe by hand. The most important part is knowing the correct 'feel' or texture of the dough when it is fully kneaded and/or developed and when it has risen - things you should know for any recipe, for mixer or by hand.
The tools make the work easier, but the knowledge is still required. Which is not to say that bread making is difficult.


Make Ciabatta Without a Stand Mixer
2/7/12 8:08 PM

I'll take that 3rd kitchen, ladder or no. Love the cabinets, contrasts, the window, the light fixture.


Sliding Library Ladders in the Kitchen
Kitchen Inspiration

2/7/12 8:00 PM

Looks lovely, but it's just a repaint, maintenance, not a restoration. (This word...I do not think it means what you think it means.) Restoration would imply they researched the home's original coloring and details - and original Victorian colors were often very garish! Our 100+ year old home was originally mustard yellow with brick red trim, our neighbors home would have been lighter yellow with red, and my father's office cottage is pale grey with red and two shades of green trim (original colors!). Finding original colors is absolutely do-able, by the way, as long as there is existing original siding and trim to sample from. In cases of a personal home, where live-ability and personal preference trump the historical accuracy, this doesn't factor quite so much, but still.

My technical gripes aside, the house looks lovely and the painters look to have done very careful work among the details. I like it - the colors are similar to our home's current paint scheme (pale blue/white/black).


Before & After: Painting a San Francisco Victorian
2/6/12 7:01 PM

Water evaporates. I don't want to breathe in toilet water, at least no more than I have to. This idea was reinforced when I had a dehumidifier sucking up the water, which I then had to empty out. Lid closed.


Toilet Seat Lid Up or Down?
Good Questions

2/6/12 6:35 PM

Don't forget about Chinese sausage! It's my favorite, and it does NOT have to be cooked into an Asian type dish. Put it with Brussels sprouts or broccoli, eggs, potatoes.


Quick Meal Tip: Keep Sausages on Hand for an Instant Flavor Boost
2/2/12 9:20 PM

Old stoves are wonderful. We used to have a 1947 Roper with a single oven. Only problem was that the built-in timer did not work. Hands down better than this silly new electric thing we have now.


Style Inspiration: Vintage Stoves
1/30/12 10:37 PM

@Shawnamuffin and @Jess13: The metal does not have to be super thick, but there does need to be a base of some sort underneath the metal. You can see in the pictures here how it's glued down. Stainless steel is a great counter surface and working with a local metalworker is IMO the best way to get what you want for a good price.

If you don't like the look of stainless, but like the idea of it as a surface, look into powder coated steel. This is what we have in our kitchen. It's almost impossible to hurt, as long as you don't cut directly on it. Hot pans, water, spills - no problems.


Before & After: Installing DIY Stainless Steel Countertops
The Home Project

1/26/12 5:48 PM

Ehhhh, #2 should say "Using furniture polish EVER". That stuff is no good. Just dust, without the product.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/11/home/hm-conserve11


Easy To Make Cleaning Mistakes
Woman's Day

1/20/12 7:29 PM

To take this a little farther, I have some low-profile plastic trays on one shelf in the fridge. They hold items like sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, pickles, jams and jellies (you know, those little things that get lost but don't belong in the door). There are 3 side-by-side on the shelf, and they are long and narrow. I can just pull out one tray to get to items in the back without digging around. They've been amazingly useful.


Waste Not: Make an 'Eat Me First' Basket in Your Fridge
Clossette

1/20/12 6:46 PM

If anyone else is looking for the pie pictured at the left, it's not in the list but the photo credit to BHG got me there. It's their Lemon Velvet Cream Pie.


The Seasonal Baker: 10 Beautiful Citrus Desserts
1/18/12 6:15 PM

Sounds delicious, especially with the sweet potato. I do think it would work with many other starches, including rice (white, brown, jasmine, basmati...all good), pasta or with naan or another flatbread on the side if you're not in for the extra vegetable. As for the coconut milk, you could sub in whole milk, half and half or even heavy cream (or a nut milk, like almond) depending on how rich you want to make this.


Recipe: Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon
1/17/12 7:03 PM

Microwave is good for steaming, and if you already have one it means you're not buying another appliance. Put veg in a bowl, sprinkle with a little water, cover with a couple of steam vents, nuke, done.

A rice cooker will sometimes come with an extra steaming basket, so that is an option. And this one does multiple things - rice and other grains, oatmeal, and steam vegetables or fish on top.

I would seriously hesitate to buy anything that guaranteed you can "set and forget" but never have overcooked vegetables.

How about an inexpensive restaurant bamboo or metal steamer?


Help Me Find the Best Brand of Electric Vegetable Steamer
Good Questions

1/13/12 5:40 PM

We have a stupid, impossible to keep clean, glass top range. It's a Frigidaire. Love having an electric oven, but I despise that stove top. It stays hot for quite some time after you turn the burners off, which is annoying - have to be careful not to set anything on top, even after the 'hot element' light turns off. If there's a single drop of anything, even just water, that splashes the surface you've got a spot there that will be very difficult to clean off later. It also does not distribute heat all that well, and you don't have nearly the control like with a gas stove. God forbid you have a pan that isn't perfectly flat, because the damn thing gets hot spots.

I've cooked on an electric with the coils, and besides the cleaning it wasn't too bad. I'd like to see what a new one would do, as the one I used was old/underpowered. But I'd rather clean a coil electric than a glass top any day of the year.

Induction is nice, but so expensive, and then there's the electricity issue. It does solve some of the temp control issues of an electric top, though.

Gas range FTW.


Looking for Best Electric Stove Recommendations
Good Questions

1/11/12 7:44 PM

Two words: onion gravy.


My Favorite Winter Comfort Food: Spaetzle
1/6/12 7:46 PM