Shana Lee's Profile

This:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/08/buttermilk-bacon-corn-salad-stuffed-tomatoes-recipe.html

The bacon and the sweet corn complement each other perfectly. :)

Oooh...I'm always in need of good baking pans. I also have never treated myself to the good stuff!

Try sandstone coasters. Seriously. They absorb the moisture AND insulate. They're heavy as all get out, but they work fabulously and last forever (provided you don't break/crack them).

Also, apparently the company Thirstystone strives to do right by the environment in their manufacturing process.

There's a corner market near me that I guess would be classified as a "hippie store." They've got a small section of local veggies/fruits, a big tub of fresh tofu in the refrigerated section (just reach in with a plastic baggie and pull out how many blocks you want!), and a completely random selection of goods.

They'll stock anything you ask them to. Write down your request, and in a few weeks they'll have it on the shelves. Explains the randomness, no?

Also, they make the most incredible tofu hoagie I've ever had (like a tofu bahn mi). Whatever magic they marinate the tofu in is incredible!

I freeze the following regularly, usually in 1-serving or 2-serving sized containers:
*my mother's Italian meat sauce (it makes enough to serve 12! so freezing extra is a necessity)
*lasagna - this freezes so well. Freeze it before you cook it. A loaf-sized aluminum pan works really well for 2-servings of lasagna. Thaw and cook per normal instructions.
*summer fruit, especially blueberries (I do the same as tasterspoon). There is nothing better than tossing a handful of frozen blueberries into hot oatmeal in the middle of December. Cools the oatmeal down and tastes great!

Other than that, my freezer isn't big enough to add much else. Gotta have room for the ice cream. :)

On the menu these days:
*zucchini carpaccio (basically thinly sliced zucchini and onions, marinated in a bit of oil and vinegar, and topped with nuts and goat cheese)
*watermelon-feta salad with mint (can also add sweet onion and cucumber)
*tomato-cucumber-sweet onion salad, dressed with nothing but salt and pepper (SewTrashy's right that the tomatoes make their own dressing!)
*tuna and white bean salad with olive oil and fresh herbs, especially good tossed with some fresh kale torn in bite sized pieces
*any salad with arugula
*fruit and cheese platter (fresh apricots and queso fresco are amazing together)

Can you tell I'm enjoying the bounty of my farmers' market right now?

And in honor of my childhood: very ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, tossed with a bit of Miracle Whip and some shredded cheese. Really. It's good.

For those that suggested not using bags at all or using brown paper bags, make sure you check if there are any regulations regarding trash (in your lease, your apartment/condo/homeowners association documentation/handbook, or in your city refuse collection regulations).

In some places, trash must be placed in plastic bags at the curb, and tied/knotted shut. Or even in plastic bags IN a trash can (no joke). Or trash must be contained before placed in your apartment garbage cans (in this case a paper bag may be acceptable).

As for the kitty litter, lkguge, if it's the clumping kind, wrap it up in newspaper. :)

My $9 umbrella. One of the seams and the connection to the metal rib (at the tip) started to unravel. So I took some dental floss and stitched it back together.

I have the Tvatta rack from IKEA ($39.99). It folds down flat against the wall when not in use. :) It works really well for me in my apartment. I mounted it on the wall in the bathroom. My lease stipulates I can't put laundry out on my balcony to dry since it's out front. What I can't fit on the rack, I put on hangers and hang from the shower curtain rod.

I also have this cute little octopus looking thing that hangs from the rack also from IKEA (Pressa, $4.99) that has 16 clips to dry my dress socks, undies, etc. The "arms" with the clips fold up when not in use so it stores easily with my clothes pins.

Sigh. If only I could give up lip balm. My lips are naturally chapped. Something about the angle of my lips and the angle of my nose creates a perfect storm of constantly chapped lips year round. I have switched to Burt's Bees or other natural lip products. But I can't use nothing or else my lips crack and bleed.