Food Savers Rescued My Refrigerator

I recently discovered the Hutzker world famous “Food Savers” at KitchenWares in Boston.  These little storage containers are shaped like onions, lemons, limes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other assorted fruits and vegetables. 

The two sides of the Food Saver attach by twist lock. They are made of polypropylene plastic, are phthalate and BPA-free. And, they are dishwasher safe. They’re not only good looking, but they protect the item inside better than a baggie while reminding you of what’s actually inside.  Sometimes I even stick them on the table at meal time and use them as a serving dish.

If you are interested in purchasing them online, take a look at Gourmac.com which is the online shop for Hutzler Manufacturing or give the company a call at:  860-824-5117 (between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST.)

• Less is More: When color blocking in your home, try to keep the focus on splashes of color, minimizing other distractions in the room.  For instance, if you decide to go with bright, spring shades on your bedding, keep the wall color a neutral white or grey.
• All in the Family:  For maximum impact, avoid mixing pastels and neon/bright shades.  Pastels are pretty on their own, but can get washed out by brighter tones.
• Lighten Things Up: Create added depth in a room by bringing in extra light sources.  Try glass or metal lamps on your night stands to help frame your bed with light and bring in another dimension to the space.  Also, since your walls may be a neutral shade, try adding picture lighting above framed artwork to create another focal area.
• Mix ‘n’ Match: Don’t be afraid of mixing bold colors together as everything doesn’t have to match when color blocking.  Try mix in bright pink with turquoise, and so on.  Taking risks is all part of the design process.  Have fun playing with color and you’re guaranteed to have a ton of fun in your living space.

Outdoorchef 420 City Grill

With spring comes a fresh awakening that beckons us outside in the warm air with thoughts of sunshine, gardening and barbecues. Many are spending more time in our small spaces as the weather gets nicer, which makes the garden and patio take center stage.  Overstock.com has a few simple tips that can help spruce up your patio and garden without breaking the bank:

 -Update any seat with an outdoor cushion that revitalizes the look of any chair or lounge

-Add an outdoor rug for an extra splash of color and design or a hammock for a cozy touch 

-Solar outdoor lighting can add an eco-friendly flare and will help you save on electrical bills

-Planters in various shapes, sizes and materials can spice up your surroundings

Making the most of revamping your garden can be gratifying  - especially when you don’t go broke doing it. Whether it’s an outdoor wrought iron dining set, solar lighting for your porch, gardening necessities and tools or serene decor such as cascading fountains, bird feeders or hammocks for the backyard – Overstock.com offers it all, with discounts of up to 70% off department store prices and shipping that never exceeds more than $2.95, no matter weight, size or quantity of items.  So go ahead — revitalize your patio and backyard while you rake in the savings.

1.)   Deep Clean – Start off your bathroom project with a nice deep clean, and sort the things that you need and throw away the stuff that you don’t use. You can find great clear plastic boxes, bins, drawer dividers and clear cosmetic bags to  – Add a lihide your things out of sight.  For the items that will stay in sight, put them in nice decorative storage containers.

2.)   Paint or Wallpaper – add a little color to your space with a nice bright semi-gloss paint made just for bathrooms and kitchens. These paints are not only easy to clean, but the ones made for your bathroom are also mold and mildew resistant. Wallpaper can be challenging since the moisture and humidity in the bathroom might cause the wallpaper to peel off. 

3.)   Replace the Bathtub/Shower – Instead of removing your bathtub, which can damage flooring, walls and plumbing and puts your bathroom out of service for days, get an acrylic bathtub or tub liner installed over the old tub.  Companies like Bath Fitter  can do this in just a few hours and for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

4.)   Update the Fixtures – Update those old gold fixtures (don’t forget the door knob!) with nickel, pewter or stainless steel fixtures for a modern look.

 5.)   Replace Linens – Old faded and stained towels give your bathroom a drab look.  Invest in some fluffy, bright towels to match your color scheme.

6.)   Accessorize – Throw rugs, shower curtains, bath mats, soap dishes and pictures are easy and low cost add-ons for any bathroom.

• Eliminate the aggravation of messy tangled cords with cable capture organizers (www.cablecapture.com).
• Get as much natural light as possible. If you can’t, consider bringing in your own lamp.
• Try a splash of color. Brighten up your workspace with living plants or fresh flowers.   Get some colorful containers for your pencil holder or file folders.
• Display interesting pictures, inspiring poems, or your own quotes.  Change them every few months.
• Play classical music on your headphones. Scientific studies have shown that over time, classical music can help increase your intelligence and help you relax more than any other music.

Having tried to get into the restaurant once before and told there would be a 90-minute wait, we showed up right at 5:30 when it opened.  By 6:15, the 80-person restaurant was filled to capacity and they were turning people away.  Our server told us that the restaurant just celebrated its 4th birthday.

So What Did We Have?

Because I’m gathering information on what to serve with Argentian red wine at an upcoming wine tasting at my house, we probably sampled a bit more than we might have otherwise. (Yeah, right!)  So, here’s our list in order of favorites:

• Escalivada Catalana - marinated wood roasted eggplant, onions, peppers, and tomatoes with sherry vinegar and olive oil
• Datiles con Jamon- Medjool dates filled with Marcona almonds and Cabrales blue cheese, wrapped in Jamon Serrano
• Gambas al Ajillo - griddled garlic shrimp
• Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija - (house speciality) grilled corn with alioli, lime, espelette pepper and aged cheese 
• Foie Gras con Chutney de Pera – Foie Gras with pear and bacon chutney
• Coles de Bruselas a la Plancha – brussels sprouts with olive oil and sea salt
• Pollo con Farro – crispy chicken with farro, mushrooms and Madiera glaze

Our server couldn’t have been  more helpful or could have timed the delivery of each dish better.  I can’t wait to go back and try some of the dishes that I missed!  If you’re interested going, you can find more information on the Toro website.

Table of Contents

Chapter One:  “Cooking Through the Week” – focuses on poultry, meat, and fish dishes.  Offers many suggestions on how to stretch a chicken into multiple meals rather than make one meal and eat it as leftovers for the next four meals.

Chapter Two:  “Soups for All Seasons” – encourages you to make soup out of what’s in your refrigerator or what’s in season.

Chapter Three:  “Magic of Eggs and the Seduction of Cheese” – tells you how to use eggs to make any meal and how to use cheese to enhance the flavors.

Chapter Four:  “Improvising with Vegetables, Salads, and Sauces” – offers many ways to bake, boil, roast, and stuff vegetables, as well as how to make a hearty salad that becomes a meal.

Chapter Five:  “Rice, Pasta, Grains, and Legumes” – focuses on how to create great side dishes or how to utilize other ingredients – like poultry – to make a whole meal.

Chapter Six:  “Treats, Sweets, and Special Indulgences” – shows how to make preserves and desserts you can enjoy alone.

Boeuf Bourguignon

And, of course, there’s a recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon.  Would cookbook from Julia Child’s editor be complete with out it?  You’ll see as you take a look at the recipe below how it can be stretched to three meals as suggestions are given to alter it each time to make it a little different.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces, preferably a chunk cut into little dice
• About 1 1/4 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/3 carrot, thick end, peeled and diced
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• Salt
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• Herb packet of 1/2 bay leaf; a fat garlic clove, smashed; a small handful of parsley stems; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 4 or 5 peppercorns

For Vegetable Garnish

• 3 or 4 baby onions, or four 1-inch pieces of leek
• 3 or 4 baby carrots, or the thin ends of larger ones, peeled
• 2 or 3 small new potatoes

Directions

Brown the bacon in a heavy pot, fairly deep but not too large. When it has released its fat and is lightly browned, remove it to a dish, leaving the fat in the pan. Pat the pieces of beef dry with a paper towel. Pour the oil into the pot, and when it is hot, brown half the pieces of beef on all sides. Remove to the plate with the bacon, and brown the remaining pieces. Now sauté the onion and the carrot until they are lightly browned. Return the meats to the pot, sprinkle on the flour and some salt, and pour the wine and beef stock in. Tuck the herb packet into the pot, and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat, cover, and cook at a lively simmer for about 1 hour or more, depending on the cut of the meat. Bite into a piece to determine if it is almost done (it will get another 20 minutes or so of cooking with the vegetables).

When the time is right, add all the vegetables, cover, and cook at a lively simmer again for 20–25 minutes–pierce the veggies to see if they are tender. Serve yourself four or five chunks of meat, with all the vegetables, and a good French bread to mop up the sauce.

Second Round

Use three or four pieces and some of the remaining sauce to make a quick Beef and Kidney Pie (page 34 of The Pleasures of Cooking for One) later in the week. The recipe follows Veal Kidneys in Mustard Sauce because you want to use the leftover kidneys to put this dish together.

Third Round

Use what remains to make a meaty pasta sauce for one, breaking up the meat and adding three or four squeezed San Marzano plum tomatoes. Simmer the sauce as the pasta cooks.

(© Judith Jones)

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Knopf (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
Price: $27.95

As he began to tell people about his book idea, they began to give him suggestions on great tiny houses that he should take a look at.  And, he did.  From Henry Thoreau’s cabin (150 sq. feet) on Walden Pond in Concord, MA to George Bernard Shaw’s writing hut (64 sq. feet) at the bottom of his English garden to a fisherman’s shack (192 sq. feet) downeast in Maine, he visited them all.  More importantly, Walker took photos and captured the stories of the people living in these little houses.

While there are no plans available for the houses in the book, there are drawings that were reduced in size on the same scale.  If you are interested in one in particular, you can compare them to others in the book and get a plan of your own together.  If tiny houses are your thing, then you will find inspiration in this book.

“The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses” was originally published in 1993 and a new version of this book is coming out on January 7, 2010.  You can buy the original 96-page book through Overlook Press or pre-order the new edition on Amazon.  Which ever you chose to do, you won’t be disappointed.

In her book, The Not So Big House, author and architect, Sarah Susanka, writes that  the large homes being built today place too much emphasis on square footage rather than on current lifestyles.  In order to design a home for everyday use, she writes “In a three-ring binder, start to assemble data about the places in your life that make you feel comfortable and those that make you feel uncomfortable. Document their size, take photos or make diagrams, illustrating what it is within the space that evokes the response. Images of other spaces can supplement your notes–magazines are a great resource for this.”

Interested in learning more?  Here’s a link to recommended reading from Sarah Susanka and here’s a link to her other books on Amazon.

–from The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka

The Itty Bitty Kitchen handbook

This book begins with a kitchen purge that helps you organize the tools you need in a small kitchen in the order of importance.   He reiterates what we already know in that it’s not how much, but how few things you actually need in the kitchen if you’re willing to think creatively.  Cramming too many things into your small kitchen, just makes it dysfunctional….and could lead you to living on take out, like poor George who is mentioned in the book.

This book covers every aspect of cooking in a small space, from stocking it with the right ingredients to understanding which appliances are really necessary.  For example, toaster ovens are dispensable, while blenders aren’t because they can do the work of mixers and food processors.  The book has 101 creative recipes for anyone with a basic understanding of cooking.  Some examples are:  “Blender Bernaise,” “One-Pot, No-Mess, Toaster Oven Brownies”, and “Chicken and Rice in a Pot.”

And when you’re finished cooking, Justin Spring offers some great cleaning tips using alternative cleaning products.  Think about it, while strong commercial solvents can be are useful, many also have toxic effects causing dizziness, nausea, and skin rashes in the people who use them in very small spaces.  Plus, getting more use out of product you have means less products to buy and store.