womancake's Profile

I rarely, rarely comment on here, but I love this house so much I just had to. There is nothing about this that I don't like--excellent job!

I really like this idea, but for me it's just easier to print my recipes straight off the web, put them in page protectors, and file them in a 3-ring binder with dividers for each recipe type. It's not as pretty, but it's simpler, and quite organized. I don't feel at all that my recipes are a jumbled mess. :)

I don't know exactly what else you could use a rusted spoon for, but there are times when something can be re-purposed rather than thrown out. For instance, when I buy a new toothbrush, the new one gets relegated to the cleaning supplies basket. I know most small children tend to love playing with pots and pans--as long as there is not a safety issue, perhaps no-longer-useful cooking tools can be passed down to them to be used as toys? There is definitely a time for things to be thrown out or donated. But if you get creative, you might be surprised at what else you can do with your "useless" stuff! :)

I have much, greater success (and less stress!) when I use prep bowls. But to cut down on dishes, I combine ingredients in those bowls whenever I can. If I have onions and peppers or different spices going in the skillet at the same time, there's no need to use separate bowls for all those items. At the very least, I heartily endorse his recommendation to read the recipe before cooking! I can't tell you how many times I've gotten halfway through a recipe, only to realize that dinner will be ready at 8:00 rather than 6:00, or that I am missing a key ingredient.

I do agree with heather77--it isn't healthy to heat oils to their smoking point. He's probably right about the flavor, but I'll take a little less flavor if it means keeping it healthy--MOST of the time. :)

Also? Chris Kimball is pretty much my hero. We don't watch much TV, but we tune into PBS every Saturday to watch America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country.

We also have to watch every penny, and our solution is to simply buy and use less stuff. It's tempting for me to shop at Wal-Mart sometimes, especially since they've started carrying more organics. But I choose to stand on principle, as I simply do not agree with their business practices. If someone else's conscience has no problem shopping at Wal-Mart, then more power to them! Honestly, I'm not going to tell other people they can't shop there. BUT, you absolutely CAN survive on a limited income without shopping there if you don't want to. It takes effort and determination, but it can be done.

That said, I'm certainly not going to start shopping there, but if they are going to actually start supporting the local economies that they have taken over, then I see that as a good thing. Wal-Mart pretty much sets the standard for what other retailers do. And if they're going to go local, then hopefully others will follow suit, and maybe it will even bring prices down at places like Whole Foods. One can hope, right?

Hanna, I've had TWO wedding invitations via facebook. Call me old-fashioned, but I did find it a bit tacky. If you'd like me to take the time to come to your wedding and bring you a gift, you can at least spring for the $0.41 for a stamp!

Ew...except for the fleece blanket. I missed that the first time around.

I actually made butter in my Kitchenaid stand mixer last night--on purpose! I used Shatto brand cream (a fabulous local dairy in Kansas City) and the results were amazing. I put it on homemade bread, and voila--heaven. I was telling a friend about it and she asked if I thought it would save money vs. buying butter at the store. I don't think I could beat our local store's sale prices, but on the other hand, I think you end up with a much higher quality product, plus I was able to save the buttermilk for making biscuits later this week. I think I'll stick to store-bought butter for baking, but this will have to come out again when I make homemade bread.