marfa's Profile

I'll be the sole (?) defender of poison. For years, we'd routinely kill a couple mice a week in snap traps (have a 150-year-old farm house for weekends, impossible to fully seal, although we tried). Just steadily kept coming, the last straw was them eating all our bar soap and candles!

So used poison in conjunction with snap traps and that finally worked. You want the big chunks that fit into child/pet-proof containers. (Found out the hard way the little pellets are bad as they used my boot to store them, revolting.

The thing about them dying and stinking is that might happen regardless of poison, happened several times while we were using the snap traps. Hasn't happened since we started using poison. Smell does go way eventually.

Twice a mouse fell into tall glass vessels (carafe and demijohn) and the smell drove me insane as I cleaned like crazy, but couldn't find the bodies.

I bet the vodka one would make a great DIY Febreeze (or would it stain?). I googled DIY Febreeze and recipes used fabric softened which I don't like.

Agree with Pi. We bought an old door, had it stripped, oiled, then we waxed it. Added iron pipe legs. Dents and dings add to the beauty and the oil and wax keep away rings.

Simon Pearce has ones very similar.

Creme fraiche is one thing, but "light" mayo is full of crap (see below) not found in the real thing (I'll make my own sometimes, but Hellman's in always in my fridge).

I'd much rather have a small amount of real Hollandaise any day. It's actually quite easy this way: beat 3 room temp yolks, and beat in alternating dribbles of a melted stick of butter and the juice of half a lemon. Voila! (If you want it thicker, do this in a double boiler on low).

Kraft Light Mayo
Water, Soybean(s) Oil, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Food Starch Modified, Vinegar, Contains less than 22% of Egg(s) Yolks, Egg(s), Salt, Sugar, with Potassium Sorbate and, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Mustard Flour, Phosphoric Acid, Lemon(s) Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Garlic Dried, Onion(s) Dried, Paprika, Vitamin E Acetate, Spice(s), Flavor(s) Natural, Phylloquinone (Vitamin K1) , Beta Carotene color(s)

I have my own system (as seemingly everyone here): cold eggs in hot tap water on high, set timer for 10 minutes, turn off when water boils. So this is perfect 93% of the time, but if the eggs are vastly larger or smaller, it's off. Does one of these gizmos really solve that?

Also did no one mention egg cups and non-sterling spoons? Essential.

These are useful too: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-DREIZACK-SOLINGEN-EGG-CUTTER-GERMANY-/370644142684?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564c1cca5c

Saw one of these on ebay once listed as a "cigar cutter" ha! That'd be one thick cigar.

We used an antique high chair with our kid, he never fell out. Actually we took off the tray and still use it now as a booster seat, works well.

I tried to recreate my mom's fried chicken coated with Ritz crackers and it was totally wrong since they're no longer made with lard.

I began to fall in love with my husband on our third date when I stepped into his beautiful antique- and eccentric/industrial object-filled apartment. We combined tastes really well.

Dealbreakers of past dates: professionally "decorated" apartment (complete with white rug). Mirrored mylar vertical blinds, massive stuffed animal collection, and nifty (not) round dining table that flipped over to transform into a gambling surface. No books (or like ten crappy books including Ayn Rand).

Maybe DIY an old wood door and pipe coffee table?
http://frugalfarmhousedesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/industrial-table-base-tutorial.html?m=1