sugar32000's Profile

What to do about a neighbor who slams her door shut 'just because'? The doors are new and lightweight steel frame doors. *sigh* Thankfully she's retired and doesn't slam her door in the morning or at night but still, if I am at home I *notice*, it rattles my entire unit :/

Wine.
Also, a dark room is a must. I bought a fancy ipod docking clock that I can completely turn off the back lighting. Love it. That and my dark dark curtains.

I also use the same clock to play some "delta wave sleeping" music when I am having trouble falling asleep.

The bed in winter is warmed up by my heated mattress pad that gets turned off when I turn down the sheets. I keep my room otherwise cool and my window cracked except in the coldest of nights. My down comforter and snuggly kitty are also helpful.

To everybody who doesn't seem to understand the basic economics of supply and demand, the same thing happens with 18" dishwashers. I have a small kitchen and don't want a 24" dishwasher because that's six inches that can go towards a storage cabinet in a kitchen where that makes a HUGE difference. How much does a basic white 24" dw cost? mmm - I probably could pick one up for 300 USD but when I priced basic 18" white dw - about 1000 USD!!

I can even get a really nice stainless steel 24" dw for 600 USD... and 18" stainless steel dw for 1200 usd... However, looks like I will be paying that premium for that extra "less" six inches in a dw because it matters that much to me.

I however did some price shopping before I made an assumption about prices of unique sized (for the American market) appliances. (I too lived in europe for awhile and every place had a small undercounter fridge - none of those behemoths so beloved to Americans :)

Most. Favorite. House Tour. Ever.

You forgot the best deal of all:
Gaetano D'Aquino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie
http://luxuriousliquids.blogspot.com/2011/04/gaetano-daquino-pinot-grigio-delle.html

Only 3.99 a bottle and perfection in the summer. For the perfect wine spritzer: mix to your tastes with Gerolsteiner Minerealwasser, also available at Trader Joes.

Usually I put up a wreath sometime in early December and call it a day until sometime in January when it's time to retire the wreath to the compost. As a NON-Christian I love the holiday decorations that are meant to celebrate the Winter Season and the change of seasons as we pass into darkness and back into light again... Especially as many of our western holiday decorations are pagan in origin anyway - not many pine trees in the middle east for little baby Jesus to curl up under, amirite?
This year I decided I wanted a christmas tree - because I wanted more pretty sparkly things during the dark days of winter. To that end, I bought my tree last week and have started to decorate it. I've got my lights on it and mini-disco balls as ornaments. I'm by no means done but it is so soul-satisfying to come home and plug in my little tree and let the lights give some warmth to my home (it gets dark by 4 PM where I live). That, to me, is what celebrating the season is about, regardless of your personal religious orientation. Happy Holidays! and happy winter solstice!

I've already accomplished two of the most pressing items for me: repainting and reinstalling a small shelf above my sink and a new wall mounted paper towel holder. This mini-cure helped kick me into gear as these small projects were loitering for about two months (I also need to do some touch paint).

So I do have:
1) Touch up paintings of various colors and new paint for my fireplace wall and bathroom
2) Finish trimming out my floor and new office alcove, install a window, finish electrical
3) Reupholster LR chair (fabric bought and draped .. just not... upholstered), Get LR ready for an Xmas tree! My first one ever for me since I've started living on my own manymany years ago....
4) New Toaster oven, slow cooker, mmm, and a ROKU - not quite ready to buy a new TV - my 12 yr old Zenith still works fine! (knock on wood).
5) New set of steak knives
6) Gut remodel the tiny kitchen == $$$$ but will be soooo worth it (I have some other issues to take of first so the kitchen will sadly be a few more years...)

I still have my lovely flowers from last week - instead I will finish up my little painting project that I kept putting off until thie 20/20 series prompted me to pick up my paint brush.

I've made this version before and it seemed way to complicated (although I've become a more accomplished cook) - however, my go to is the Cook's Illustrated version - and Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipes are my go to anytime...

When I was a child my abuelita would put her handmade (yum!) flour tortillas directly on the electric buner to reheat them up - and nothing else tastes as good. Although occasionally I use the cast iron skillet...
Corn tortillas (we never had those in the house, don't know why) - I usually stick in the toaster oven. You can use the regular oven as well. But microwave? yuck.
(And the smell and taste of charred tortilla brings back so many childhood memories - true comfort food :)