I love baking soda. I love it not just for baking and cooking, but also for cleaning! I use it to clean my hair in place of shampoo and I use it in my laundry. I also use it to clean hard-to-clean dishes!
That's right, baking soda is a mild abrasive. Since moving in with my hubby, we've been eating foods made with or baked with cheese. I never had so many problems washing dishes with baked-on or stuck-on cheese! In the past, I rarely cooked with cheese so this was a newly frustrating experience for me. However, ever since I started using baking soda for the hard-to-wash dishes, I have been a happy camper. For stuck on food, liberally sprinkle baking soda on it and scrub with a sponge. If a dish needs soaking, cover the dish liberally with baking soda and soak in hot water for a few hours or over night. Drain and sprinkle with more baking soda and scrub with a sponge. For baked on grease, soaking the item overnight in a heavy baking soda solution works wonders!
Did you know you can also use baking soda to unclog drains? Just pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of hot vinegar. Leave for 15 to 30 minutes and then flush with lots of boiling water. I've tried this in the past and it really works!
I also use baking soda in my laundry. It's not as strong as washing soda, but in a pinch, baking soda will do just as well. Just double the amount of baking soda per amount of washing soda. I've heard you can make baking soda into washing soda, but I haven't tried it. I'm just not sure if it's worth the time and energy when I can just sprinkle in additional baking soda.
One of the things that I hear all the time is using baking soda as a deodorizer. I don't think our fridge is smelly so I never put baking soda in there. I will occasionally sprinkle some in the trash can, but I find that as a trash can deodorizer, there are better materials out there. Still, it's better than nothing. It does work wonders deodorizing carpets. Just sprinkle some on the carpet and vacuum. I used to live in a carpeted basement apartment where the floor would get damp whenever it rained too much. The carpet would start to smell after a while because it would take so long to dry in such a poorly ventilated, dark environment. The baking soda trick worked every time to rid the carpet of musty smells.
Those are the main uses I have for our baking soda. There are many more lists of uses online but what I've written above, I can say works for me because I've actually tried it. Baking soda is awesome!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
What a busy weekend!
I was quite busy this past weekend and now I'm exhausted! Unfortunately, the work week has begun and I can't relax just yet. I know today is Valentine's Day, but I made our Valentine's Day dinner yesterday since I had more time to prep and cook. Beyond the v-day preparations, I also did other things in the kitchen. I basically slaved in the kitchen all weekend.
On Saturday, I had set up my sewing machine in the kitchen and spent a good chunk of time hemming 3 pairs of my hubby's pants. They were already pinned to where they need to be shortened so I needed to measure how much to cut, finish the raw edge and blind stitch the hem. Of course, there was ironing involved in between. It was rather time consuming, but in the end, I'm glad it was done by me rather than to pay 20 bux per pant to get someone else to do it.
I also spent a good chunk of Saturday washing, prepping and blanching food to be frozen. Broccoli and cauliflower were on sale so I got two heads of each. We only eat about half a head each time, so I needed to blanch and freeze all the cauliflower and 1.5 heads of broccoli. I started doing them on Saturday, but didn't finish until Sunday.
On Sunday, I made a version of buckeye balls, which are chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. You can find the recipe here:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/bourbon-blinders/
I used oreo cookie crumbs rather than graham cracker crumbs. The result was that it was more chocolaty than peanut buttery. I think I will try it next time without the cookie crumbs at all. I'll probably leave out the alcohol as well since I can't taste it at all. My hubby has kept these in the freezer because he likes his chocolate covered peanut butter candies (like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) in the freezer.
For our entree, I made these:
http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/
I highly recommend this recipe. It turned out delicious! I would, however, lessen the amount of soy sauce called for.next time. This is probably because I used seasoned bread crumbs rather than plain bread crumbs because I didn't have any plain bread crumbs. I'll have to keep this in mind for next time.
While the hubby worked on the mashed potatoes, I also made an easy gravy. Melt some butter, or heat up some oil in the fry pan and add some flour. Just a tablespoon or two of each, depending on how much gravy you want to make. Cook the flour for a few minutes to get the flour taste out. Then add vegetable broth and mix together. Add a little at a time to get the consistency you want. Remember that this will thicken a little more as it cools. I like to use unsalted vegetable broth, so if your gravy needs salting, add some salt or soy sauce to taste. You can also add other flavorings such as oyster sauce or BBQ sauce. Just remember not to add too much. You can always add more but you can't take away.
I had also made a batch of veggie soup out of leftover veggies, but we didn't get a chance to have some. I make a batch of leftover veggie soup almost every week now. Sometimes I'll drain the liquids for freezing and sometimes I don't. Either way, after it's cooked in the crock pot for a number of hours, I'll take my immersion blender and puree the whole thing. I don't add salt until I'm ready to blend so I can freeze the veggie stock unsalted. To make your soup creamy, you can always add milk or cream and/or a good melting cheese like finely grated parmesan.
Sorry, I didn't take pictures. The meal turned out beautifully and it was really delicious! So I had a little bit of everything for lunch today as leftovers. Yum!
On Saturday, I had set up my sewing machine in the kitchen and spent a good chunk of time hemming 3 pairs of my hubby's pants. They were already pinned to where they need to be shortened so I needed to measure how much to cut, finish the raw edge and blind stitch the hem. Of course, there was ironing involved in between. It was rather time consuming, but in the end, I'm glad it was done by me rather than to pay 20 bux per pant to get someone else to do it.
I also spent a good chunk of Saturday washing, prepping and blanching food to be frozen. Broccoli and cauliflower were on sale so I got two heads of each. We only eat about half a head each time, so I needed to blanch and freeze all the cauliflower and 1.5 heads of broccoli. I started doing them on Saturday, but didn't finish until Sunday.
On Sunday, I made a version of buckeye balls, which are chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. You can find the recipe here:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/bourbon-blinders/
I used oreo cookie crumbs rather than graham cracker crumbs. The result was that it was more chocolaty than peanut buttery. I think I will try it next time without the cookie crumbs at all. I'll probably leave out the alcohol as well since I can't taste it at all. My hubby has kept these in the freezer because he likes his chocolate covered peanut butter candies (like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) in the freezer.
For our entree, I made these:
http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/
I highly recommend this recipe. It turned out delicious! I would, however, lessen the amount of soy sauce called for.next time. This is probably because I used seasoned bread crumbs rather than plain bread crumbs because I didn't have any plain bread crumbs. I'll have to keep this in mind for next time.
While the hubby worked on the mashed potatoes, I also made an easy gravy. Melt some butter, or heat up some oil in the fry pan and add some flour. Just a tablespoon or two of each, depending on how much gravy you want to make. Cook the flour for a few minutes to get the flour taste out. Then add vegetable broth and mix together. Add a little at a time to get the consistency you want. Remember that this will thicken a little more as it cools. I like to use unsalted vegetable broth, so if your gravy needs salting, add some salt or soy sauce to taste. You can also add other flavorings such as oyster sauce or BBQ sauce. Just remember not to add too much. You can always add more but you can't take away.
I had also made a batch of veggie soup out of leftover veggies, but we didn't get a chance to have some. I make a batch of leftover veggie soup almost every week now. Sometimes I'll drain the liquids for freezing and sometimes I don't. Either way, after it's cooked in the crock pot for a number of hours, I'll take my immersion blender and puree the whole thing. I don't add salt until I'm ready to blend so I can freeze the veggie stock unsalted. To make your soup creamy, you can always add milk or cream and/or a good melting cheese like finely grated parmesan.
Sorry, I didn't take pictures. The meal turned out beautifully and it was really delicious! So I had a little bit of everything for lunch today as leftovers. Yum!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Homemade Laundry detergent and fabric softener
Homemade laundry detergent is really easy to make! Not sure if there is a cost savings in doing this, but I like being able to, more or less, control what goes into my washing my clothes. The basic recipe I use is as follows:
1 bar of castile soap, grated
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 cup borax
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process till it's a fine powder. Let the mixture settle before opening. You do NOT want to breathe in soap particles because let me tell you, it's most unpleasant! Anyways, if you're worried about the grains being too big to dissolve in cold water, let the powder dry out for a day and process again. Put into a container and sprinkle 2 tablespoons per full load.
Once the wash goes into the rinse cycle, I add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of white vinegar as the fabric softener. Vinegar does everything you want a fabric softener to do, except smell nice. It softens clothes, dissolves residual laundry soap and has anti-static properties. Once the clothes dry, the vinegar smell is gone.
If you're looking for a liquid laundry detergent, I believe you can place the ingredients above in a large pot add about 1 gallon of hot water. Mix until everything is melted and pour into a container. It's supposed to gel up. Use about 1/2 cup per full load.
You can find other laundry recipes here:
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/
and an FAQ on homemade detergent here:
http://tipnut.com/homemade-laundry-detergent/
I don't have a dryer so I air-dry all my clothes on racks. Applying heat to your clothes makes them wear out faster. It also can shrink your clothes in some cases. That is not to say I wouldn't want a dryer. It's difficult to dry queen-sized bedsheets on racks because you can't dry anything else while the bed sheets are taking up all the space. At the very least, I would dry large items in the dryer. In any case, I don't have one right now so I do the best I can without one.
1 bar of castile soap, grated
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 cup borax
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process till it's a fine powder. Let the mixture settle before opening. You do NOT want to breathe in soap particles because let me tell you, it's most unpleasant! Anyways, if you're worried about the grains being too big to dissolve in cold water, let the powder dry out for a day and process again. Put into a container and sprinkle 2 tablespoons per full load.
Once the wash goes into the rinse cycle, I add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of white vinegar as the fabric softener. Vinegar does everything you want a fabric softener to do, except smell nice. It softens clothes, dissolves residual laundry soap and has anti-static properties. Once the clothes dry, the vinegar smell is gone.
If you're looking for a liquid laundry detergent, I believe you can place the ingredients above in a large pot add about 1 gallon of hot water. Mix until everything is melted and pour into a container. It's supposed to gel up. Use about 1/2 cup per full load.
You can find other laundry recipes here:
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/
and an FAQ on homemade detergent here:
http://tipnut.com/homemade-laundry-detergent/
I don't have a dryer so I air-dry all my clothes on racks. Applying heat to your clothes makes them wear out faster. It also can shrink your clothes in some cases. That is not to say I wouldn't want a dryer. It's difficult to dry queen-sized bedsheets on racks because you can't dry anything else while the bed sheets are taking up all the space. At the very least, I would dry large items in the dryer. In any case, I don't have one right now so I do the best I can without one.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Cultured buttermilk
In Chinese supermarkets, you can often find a set of little bottles of flavored, sour "yogurt" in the refrigerated section. It's very artificial and filled with sugar, but very tasty. It turns out that cultured buttermilk reminds me of that.
I got into researching buttermilk when I read in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that you can make cheese using buttermilk. It was a fascinating idea which lead me to wonder if you can make your own buttermilk as well. It turns out that you can!
Just to clarify, in the previous post, I made butter, which made old-fashioned buttermilk as a by-product. Old-fashioned buttermilk is not the same as cultured buttermilk, which is what you buy in the stores. Cultured buttermilk is milk or cream that has been invaded by a kind of bacteria, kind of like how yogurt is made. In fact, yogurt is made exactly the same way except it is invaded by a different bacteria. As long as the bacteria culture is alive, you can use the old batch of cultured buttermilk to make a new batch of cultured buttermilk.
To make cultured buttermilk from cultured buttermilk, use a 1 to 3 ratio. One part buttermilk to 3 parts milk. Mix together and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours at least. The process should not take longer than 36 hours. You know it's done when it tastes sour and tangy and when it coats the side of your glass. When it has the flavor and consistency you like, put it in the fridge. If you don't plan to use it right away and don't plan to drink it, you can also freeze the buttermilk.
Honestly, I didn't think I would particularly like the taste of buttermilk. However, when I tried it, I found that I couldn't stop sipping! I experimented a little by mixing a little bit of juice into a little bit of buttermilk and it was great! This is a very happy discovery for me indeed.
What's more, adventuring into this territory has opened up many other avenues of exploration. For instance, you can make sour cream or creme fraiche by adding 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk to 1 cup of cream and let stand for 24 hours or until desired consistency. Stir and refrigerate for 24 hours after for best flavor. I think technically, sour cream is made from light cream and creme fraiche is made from heavy cream. I never really was clear on the difference between the two.
From your chilled creme fraiche or soured cream, you can then go on to make cultured butter the same way you'd make regular or sweet cream butter. If you don't have or want to use buttermilk to inoculate the cream, you can also use yogurt with active cultures. Just make sure the yogurt doesn't have any thickeners, like pectin, in it.
Buttermilk can also be used as a cheese starter. Generally, you add the starter to the milk, let it sit for about a day and then add the coagulating enzyme, otherwise known as rennet. If you don't want to use rennet, I think you can just let the milk sit until it clabbers, or forms lumps. For more information on making rennet-less cheese, check out this link:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/cheesedragoona.htm
This is really fascinating stuff to me and is an amazingly awesome welcome into the world of cultured diary!
I got into researching buttermilk when I read in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that you can make cheese using buttermilk. It was a fascinating idea which lead me to wonder if you can make your own buttermilk as well. It turns out that you can!
Just to clarify, in the previous post, I made butter, which made old-fashioned buttermilk as a by-product. Old-fashioned buttermilk is not the same as cultured buttermilk, which is what you buy in the stores. Cultured buttermilk is milk or cream that has been invaded by a kind of bacteria, kind of like how yogurt is made. In fact, yogurt is made exactly the same way except it is invaded by a different bacteria. As long as the bacteria culture is alive, you can use the old batch of cultured buttermilk to make a new batch of cultured buttermilk.
To make cultured buttermilk from cultured buttermilk, use a 1 to 3 ratio. One part buttermilk to 3 parts milk. Mix together and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours at least. The process should not take longer than 36 hours. You know it's done when it tastes sour and tangy and when it coats the side of your glass. When it has the flavor and consistency you like, put it in the fridge. If you don't plan to use it right away and don't plan to drink it, you can also freeze the buttermilk.
Honestly, I didn't think I would particularly like the taste of buttermilk. However, when I tried it, I found that I couldn't stop sipping! I experimented a little by mixing a little bit of juice into a little bit of buttermilk and it was great! This is a very happy discovery for me indeed.
What's more, adventuring into this territory has opened up many other avenues of exploration. For instance, you can make sour cream or creme fraiche by adding 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk to 1 cup of cream and let stand for 24 hours or until desired consistency. Stir and refrigerate for 24 hours after for best flavor. I think technically, sour cream is made from light cream and creme fraiche is made from heavy cream. I never really was clear on the difference between the two.
From your chilled creme fraiche or soured cream, you can then go on to make cultured butter the same way you'd make regular or sweet cream butter. If you don't have or want to use buttermilk to inoculate the cream, you can also use yogurt with active cultures. Just make sure the yogurt doesn't have any thickeners, like pectin, in it.
Buttermilk can also be used as a cheese starter. Generally, you add the starter to the milk, let it sit for about a day and then add the coagulating enzyme, otherwise known as rennet. If you don't want to use rennet, I think you can just let the milk sit until it clabbers, or forms lumps. For more information on making rennet-less cheese, check out this link:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/cheesedragoona.htm
This is really fascinating stuff to me and is an amazingly awesome welcome into the world of cultured diary!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Making butter
It turns out, making butter is really, really easy and really, really worth the effort! All you need is heavy cream and a jar. Make sure you don't fill the jar more than halfway with cream, screw on the lid nice and tight and just shake, shake, shake! After a while, it turns into whipped cream. Just keep shaking! Eventually, it starts to separate. The fats clump together to become butter and the liquid can be poured and saved to make baked goodies. The liquid is known as old-fashioned buttermilk and is not the same as cultured buttermilk, which is what you get at the supermarket. Once the butter has separated, pour the buttermilk into a separate container and fill your butter jar with cold water. Shake some more, then pour out. Fill the butter jar again with cold water, shake and pour out. You're trying to squeeze the rest of the buttermilk out of the butter, otherwise the butter will sour very quickly. Once the water pours out clear, you're done!
I have to say, homemade butter tastes soooooo much better than store-bought butter. After having it smeared on a nice slice of whole wheat toast, I said to my hubby, "I don't think I could ever settle for store-bought butter ever again!" In the future, I may consider making it in my mixer though all that shaking was rather fun. I guess it will depend on how much butter I plan on making. Lol! Also, the old-fashioned buttermilk tastes really good too! I could definitely just down a glass of that at the end!
The next thing I might want to do research on is letting the cream sour a little before making it into butter. I read that doing this gives the butter a nice flavor that some creameries feel is important. I'm not sure if they add yogurt or buttermilk or just let it stand.
Anyways, it's totally worth it to make your own butter. Try it!
I have to say, homemade butter tastes soooooo much better than store-bought butter. After having it smeared on a nice slice of whole wheat toast, I said to my hubby, "I don't think I could ever settle for store-bought butter ever again!" In the future, I may consider making it in my mixer though all that shaking was rather fun. I guess it will depend on how much butter I plan on making. Lol! Also, the old-fashioned buttermilk tastes really good too! I could definitely just down a glass of that at the end!
The next thing I might want to do research on is letting the cream sour a little before making it into butter. I read that doing this gives the butter a nice flavor that some creameries feel is important. I'm not sure if they add yogurt or buttermilk or just let it stand.
Anyways, it's totally worth it to make your own butter. Try it!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Banning pedestrians from using headphones
I saw this in the NYTimes and thought, what a waste of time this is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26runners.html?ref=nyregion
Apparently, some lawmakers think it prudent to ban pedestrians from using headphones while crossing streets. The justification is that distracted pedestrians are a danger to themselves because they aren't paying full attention (in some cases, any attention) on where they are and what's around them. Pedestrians often do not follow traffic rules and add the fact that they're distracted, they are particularly vulnerable to accidents.
Personally, I have walked many streets with headphones on. It's true that I can't hear and my ability to sense danger when crossing a road is dampened. However, I can still see. I still look both ways before I cross and never cross if I see a car coming. Isn't that what we're taught as children? If an adult just so happens to forget that crossing streets have inherent dangers or chooses to ignore the inherent dangers because they're listening to a really rockin' song, then I agree with this quote from the article:
“At some point, we need to take responsibility for our own stupidity.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26runners.html?ref=nyregion
Apparently, some lawmakers think it prudent to ban pedestrians from using headphones while crossing streets. The justification is that distracted pedestrians are a danger to themselves because they aren't paying full attention (in some cases, any attention) on where they are and what's around them. Pedestrians often do not follow traffic rules and add the fact that they're distracted, they are particularly vulnerable to accidents.
Personally, I have walked many streets with headphones on. It's true that I can't hear and my ability to sense danger when crossing a road is dampened. However, I can still see. I still look both ways before I cross and never cross if I see a car coming. Isn't that what we're taught as children? If an adult just so happens to forget that crossing streets have inherent dangers or chooses to ignore the inherent dangers because they're listening to a really rockin' song, then I agree with this quote from the article:
“At some point, we need to take responsibility for our own stupidity.”
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Banana cake
I neglected to eat some bananas before they got really ripe so I made banana cake! It turned out quite delicious. The trick is to use really ripe bananas and to cut the sugar in half.
The recipe I used is from Peg Bracken's I Hate To Cook Book. It is not exactly a cook book for healthy eating, but there are couple of recipes in there that have never failed to please. The banana cake one is one of them. I believe the recipe is called Maui Bread.
The cake is really good fresh out of the oven, and almost never lasts the week. It's good sliced and toasted with some warm butter smeared on too. My hubby was quite pleased. :-)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bald eagles are making a comeback!
In a world of bad news, there is some good news. Our conservation efforts to keep the bald eagles from extinction appear to be working! All those people trekking and climbing to the birds' nests to check on their eggs and taking headcount must feel pretty good because for sure, there must have been times that their efforts felt futile.
Check out the article here:
http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/24012/celebrating_the_return_of_the_bald_eagle
Check out the article here:
http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/24012/celebrating_the_return_of_the_bald_eagle
Fly repellent
I never knew that a bag of water can repel flies, but apparently it does! Wonder if it works for mosquitoes too.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/scare-flies-away-with-water-with-this-chic-version-of-the-popular-latin-american-bug-repellent.php
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/scare-flies-away-with-water-with-this-chic-version-of-the-popular-latin-american-bug-repellent.php
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Magnetic Yellow Cards for Cyclists to Warn Dangerous Drivers
I saw this article on Treehugger.com:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/magnetic-yellow-cards-for-cyclists-dangerous-drivers.php
The article got me thinking about cyclists, drivers and pedestrians sharing the same road. Now I can't say that I'm a cyclist considering I don't own a bicycle and I can barely ride one. However, I have ridden bicycles traversing streets, sidewalks and a modicum of dirt and sand. I have also driven a car regularly for a short period of my life. Most of all, though, I've been an avid pedestrian, the least armored mode of transportation. As a pedestrian, I have very strong, negative feelings towards certain behaviors in cyclists and drivers. When I ride a bicycle or drive, I do realize that pedestrians irritate me as well, but however I may scream in the car and rage on a bike, I never ride or drive in a way that may scare someone or put someone in danger. Safety comes first.
Now that cycling as an actual mode of transportation is becoming more and more of a reality, there is a lot of friction where we are all expected to share the road. The truth is, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians all think they own the road and many don't care to follow the law. Yes, it irritates me to no end when a driver drives 40 miles an hour in the left lane, just as it irritates me to no end when a pedestrian cuts me in front of me to walk slow. In both cases, if they crash into me or I crash into them, they would most likely suffer the same amount of hurt or damage as me. So though these things irritate me, I can learn to live with that.
What I can't stand, is the near-death experiences when a car stops smack in the middle of the crosswalk forcing me to walk into moving traffic, or when a cyclist nearly clips me from behind speeding down the sidewalk. In my experience, neither the cyclist nor the driver are apologetic about putting someone in danger when they are doing something illegal. What infuriates me more than the act itself, is the apathy and the self-righteous attitude in the perpetrators. I get the feeling that they couldn't care less about anybody but themselves. It's a terrible feeling to think that so many people would not give a second thought to running down or running over a human being.
I'll admit that as a pedestrian, I will often cross against the light if I don't see a car coming. So yeah, sometimes I'll break the rules, but I never do it when I think it would inconvenience someone or put someone in fear of mortal danger. While waiting for the lights to change, I'll stay out of bike lanes when I see them and I always try to remember to check before I open a car door curbside.
In my opinion, there needs to be mutual respect and compassion. I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. Education on how to share the road is important, but it will only go so far as long as each group keeps trying to "own the road" or blame the other for the friction. The truth is that none of us as a group is innocent here. We cannot keep laying the blame on someone else's doorstep and think that there won't be a push back. If cyclists want drivers to drive safer for cyclists, then cyclists need to reign in their fellows for behaviors like riding side by side in the middle of the road at a leisure pace. If drivers and pedestrians want cyclists to stop running red lights and speeding through intersections, then maybe they should stop running red lights themselves and look before turning. If pedestrians want drivers and cyclists to stop whizzing past within inches of them, then maybe pedestrians should stop jumping into the way of traffic assuming cars and cyclists won't run them over. So yeah, education is important, but more important is mutual respect that we all have to use this limited space and we all have somewhere we're trying to get to.
Going back to the article, I don't think some of the comments wishing death and hurt to a group is helpful. Just as the sentiments about kicking the car isn't helpful. In fact, it's downright saddening to see that such speech inevitably comes up when it comes to articles about cyclists sharing the road. I also think the magnets are a waste of time and resources. I just don't see people changing their habits because of an anonymous note stuck to their car. Most likely, this friction will continue for a while. Without self-reflection, there can be no change because you can't change someone who doesn't want to change.
In the end, I don't think tensions are necessarily going to get worse or better. There will be a lot of shoving, name-calling and such, but eventually, we might learn to all get along somehow. Maybe we'll reach a tenuous or uneasy way of sharing the road and that's the best we can do.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/magnetic-yellow-cards-for-cyclists-dangerous-drivers.php
The article got me thinking about cyclists, drivers and pedestrians sharing the same road. Now I can't say that I'm a cyclist considering I don't own a bicycle and I can barely ride one. However, I have ridden bicycles traversing streets, sidewalks and a modicum of dirt and sand. I have also driven a car regularly for a short period of my life. Most of all, though, I've been an avid pedestrian, the least armored mode of transportation. As a pedestrian, I have very strong, negative feelings towards certain behaviors in cyclists and drivers. When I ride a bicycle or drive, I do realize that pedestrians irritate me as well, but however I may scream in the car and rage on a bike, I never ride or drive in a way that may scare someone or put someone in danger. Safety comes first.
Now that cycling as an actual mode of transportation is becoming more and more of a reality, there is a lot of friction where we are all expected to share the road. The truth is, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians all think they own the road and many don't care to follow the law. Yes, it irritates me to no end when a driver drives 40 miles an hour in the left lane, just as it irritates me to no end when a pedestrian cuts me in front of me to walk slow. In both cases, if they crash into me or I crash into them, they would most likely suffer the same amount of hurt or damage as me. So though these things irritate me, I can learn to live with that.
What I can't stand, is the near-death experiences when a car stops smack in the middle of the crosswalk forcing me to walk into moving traffic, or when a cyclist nearly clips me from behind speeding down the sidewalk. In my experience, neither the cyclist nor the driver are apologetic about putting someone in danger when they are doing something illegal. What infuriates me more than the act itself, is the apathy and the self-righteous attitude in the perpetrators. I get the feeling that they couldn't care less about anybody but themselves. It's a terrible feeling to think that so many people would not give a second thought to running down or running over a human being.
I'll admit that as a pedestrian, I will often cross against the light if I don't see a car coming. So yeah, sometimes I'll break the rules, but I never do it when I think it would inconvenience someone or put someone in fear of mortal danger. While waiting for the lights to change, I'll stay out of bike lanes when I see them and I always try to remember to check before I open a car door curbside.
In my opinion, there needs to be mutual respect and compassion. I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. Education on how to share the road is important, but it will only go so far as long as each group keeps trying to "own the road" or blame the other for the friction. The truth is that none of us as a group is innocent here. We cannot keep laying the blame on someone else's doorstep and think that there won't be a push back. If cyclists want drivers to drive safer for cyclists, then cyclists need to reign in their fellows for behaviors like riding side by side in the middle of the road at a leisure pace. If drivers and pedestrians want cyclists to stop running red lights and speeding through intersections, then maybe they should stop running red lights themselves and look before turning. If pedestrians want drivers and cyclists to stop whizzing past within inches of them, then maybe pedestrians should stop jumping into the way of traffic assuming cars and cyclists won't run them over. So yeah, education is important, but more important is mutual respect that we all have to use this limited space and we all have somewhere we're trying to get to.
Going back to the article, I don't think some of the comments wishing death and hurt to a group is helpful. Just as the sentiments about kicking the car isn't helpful. In fact, it's downright saddening to see that such speech inevitably comes up when it comes to articles about cyclists sharing the road. I also think the magnets are a waste of time and resources. I just don't see people changing their habits because of an anonymous note stuck to their car. Most likely, this friction will continue for a while. Without self-reflection, there can be no change because you can't change someone who doesn't want to change.
In the end, I don't think tensions are necessarily going to get worse or better. There will be a lot of shoving, name-calling and such, but eventually, we might learn to all get along somehow. Maybe we'll reach a tenuous or uneasy way of sharing the road and that's the best we can do.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Writing is good for you!
I've always said that writing is cathartic. If I'm feeling frustrated, depressed or am working through something stressful, it always helps to keep a journal. I admit that I don't keep a journal regularly, but I can't deny its therapeutic effects on my mental state and emotional health. Here's an article that supports my assertion:
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/73/upside-of-writing/
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/73/upside-of-writing/
Funny article
Some interesting theories as to why thousands of birds fell from the sky dead in Arkansas.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/01/why_5000_birds_fell_out_of_the.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/01/why_5000_birds_fell_out_of_the.html
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Winter eczema
If you have eczema, you'll know what it means to literally scratch yourself to ribbons. Even as your patch of eczema is scratched to the point where the area is swollen, weeping and bleeding, you still gotta scratch that patch! Winter is the worst time for eczema because the heat sucks the moisture out of the air, making it a perfect eczema environment.
So for eczema sufferers, moisture is important. Use a humidifier and moisturize often. When my eczema was really bad, I used to slather on lots of moisturizer and cover the patches with tights for my legs, cotton gloves for my hands and cotton socks for my feet. I would sleep like this to not only keep the moisture in, but also in an attempt to keep me from scratching in my sleep. If I could prevent scratching, the patch has a chance to heal, otherwise, it's just a never-ending cycle of scratching and suffering.
For me, my eczema can be triggered by specific things such as asthma or certain foods. I won't talk about the asthma here since I rarely get asthma attacks, but I will talk about food triggers. I am not actually allergic to sugar and dairy, but if I overindulge, it can trigger eczema. Generally, I don't worry about my diet since I think I eat pretty moderately, but if I know my eczema is getting bad, it helps to cut back on sugar and dairy. This just for me personally. Others may or may not have food triggers, but it's good to notice these things.
As for moisturizer, it's now cold enough that coconut oil alone isn't enough. I need intense therapy! I now have an eczema patch on the back of my left wrist. It's not bad and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sorry to say that I did scratch that patch and I broke skin, so I need to be more aware and careful. I recently made a batch of my favorite lotion to help with my winter eczema. It's made with aloe water to promote healing and has a few drops of glycerin to help pull more moisture from the air to the skin. I also made a lotion bar, which is made with wax and oil. I put the lotion on first and then rub on the lotion bar to help seal in the lotion. It's the same concept as moisturizing and then covering up with cotton gloves. Of course, for the worst cases, I think the cotton gloves are the most helpful. In the worst of times, I wore the cotton gloves during the day - even to work. To help distract you from the itching, you can add some peppermint oil to your lotion. The minty feeling doesn't make the itch go away, but it helps keep your mind off the itch.
So far, this is working for me. Of course, winter has only just begun so things could still get worse. Wish me luck!
So for eczema sufferers, moisture is important. Use a humidifier and moisturize often. When my eczema was really bad, I used to slather on lots of moisturizer and cover the patches with tights for my legs, cotton gloves for my hands and cotton socks for my feet. I would sleep like this to not only keep the moisture in, but also in an attempt to keep me from scratching in my sleep. If I could prevent scratching, the patch has a chance to heal, otherwise, it's just a never-ending cycle of scratching and suffering.
For me, my eczema can be triggered by specific things such as asthma or certain foods. I won't talk about the asthma here since I rarely get asthma attacks, but I will talk about food triggers. I am not actually allergic to sugar and dairy, but if I overindulge, it can trigger eczema. Generally, I don't worry about my diet since I think I eat pretty moderately, but if I know my eczema is getting bad, it helps to cut back on sugar and dairy. This just for me personally. Others may or may not have food triggers, but it's good to notice these things.
As for moisturizer, it's now cold enough that coconut oil alone isn't enough. I need intense therapy! I now have an eczema patch on the back of my left wrist. It's not bad and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sorry to say that I did scratch that patch and I broke skin, so I need to be more aware and careful. I recently made a batch of my favorite lotion to help with my winter eczema. It's made with aloe water to promote healing and has a few drops of glycerin to help pull more moisture from the air to the skin. I also made a lotion bar, which is made with wax and oil. I put the lotion on first and then rub on the lotion bar to help seal in the lotion. It's the same concept as moisturizing and then covering up with cotton gloves. Of course, for the worst cases, I think the cotton gloves are the most helpful. In the worst of times, I wore the cotton gloves during the day - even to work. To help distract you from the itching, you can add some peppermint oil to your lotion. The minty feeling doesn't make the itch go away, but it helps keep your mind off the itch.
So far, this is working for me. Of course, winter has only just begun so things could still get worse. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Seitan Char Siu
Last night, I wondered what I should do with the last of my leftover seitan. I could always just use it as slices in stir fry, noodle soups and such. Even simpler would be to just smother it in barbeque sauce and serve it between two slices of bread. Then I started thinking that if this is supposed to be a meat substitute, why not try using it like meat. Why not roast it like Chinese roast pork? In particular, why not try making char siu out of it? So I looked up how to make char siu and substituted the pork with seitan.
I am considering my first attempt to be a failure. Although the marinade tasted okay, the seitan texture and taste just didn't seem right. I used the leftover seitan from Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and a basic char siu marinade. The resulting marinade is more brown than red, which is because I didn't add any red food coloring.
I have never made char siu before, even with pork. My mom always used to just buy it and that was that. Of course, I've had it enough times to know what it's supposed to taste like. It is one of the foods that I loved as a child and still enjoy in moderation as an adult.
After the initial disappointment with the result, I looked online for "seitan char siu." Silly of me not to think of looking it up before I decided to make this attempt, but oh well. It didn't take me long to find this:
http://community.livejournal.com/vegancooking/2694496.html
The I've never thought to add peanut butter or tahini to the seitan recipe. I am very curious to try it as I'm sure the peanut butter will have an effect on the flavor and texture of the seitan. If it will make the seitan more tender, I'm all for it!
In the end, despite my disappointment in the result, I am willing to try it again with a different recipe. There is actually hope that this might work. If so, then I might try "red cooking" the seitan. One my mom's specialties was "red cooking" cubes of meat. My hubby was treated to some when we visited one day and I know that he liked them very much. I always thought it was a shame not to be able to cook the dishes my mom cooked because I was cutting out meat. Now, I feel like there is hope that I may not have to give up making some of my favorite childhood dishes after all!
Sorry if this post rambles a little. I'm writing this late at night on almost no caffeine. The last thing I want to say now is that my hubby seems to have eaten much of the seitan char siu while I wasn't looking. Perhaps it's not as much a failure as I thought it was? Lol!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Abeego
I saw this product reviewed by a bunch of eco-conscious sites and was excited enough that I wanted to try them out myself. They're meant to replace stuff like plastic wrap. It's hemp/cotton fabric infused with beeswax and plant extracts. It's reusable and molds easily to any bowl or container, becoming a perfectly fitted cover. It can be folded up to store cheese, vegetables and fruits and is relatively water resistant.
The beeswax makes it a rather stiff fabric, but it turns malleable as the beeswax warms up in your hands. Because it's the wax that makes it stick to the bowl, keep its shape after it's shaped and makes it water resistant, you can't apply heat to it. So you can only wash it with cold water and soap, you can't use it in the microwave and you shouldn't use it for hot foods. It is, however, really good for covering bowls of leftovers and unused portions of minced veggies or half finished glasses of juices.
In my experience, they do leave wax residue on any dishes you use them on, but it is easily washed off with some hot water and a sponge. Also, with usage, the fabric gets more and more creased because of the beeswax. That doesn't interfere with its usage but just thought I'd point that out.
As for hubby, he says that we pretty much never use tin foil for food storage anymore because of this. I think we actually do use less plastic wrap, but that could also be because of the recent acquisitions of covered containers. Still, I guess it was worth it if it means us producing less garbage.
Spiced tea
When the weather gets cold, we think of comfort foods and things that warm us. There are some foods that are traditionally only eaten in the winter like tong yuan or hot pot. Being Chinese-American, I also think of things like hot chocolate, chai, mulled wine, shepherds pie and veggie pot pies.
Today, I was craving something spiced and drinkable. I don't have any cardamom to make chai, nor did I want something as heavy as hot chocolate and it's too early for wine. So I made tea with ground ginger, ground cinnamon and a drop of good vanilla extract. I also added just enough sugar to sweeten it a little.
The result was delicious. The vanilla gave it a lovely flavor, the cinnamon and ginger made it cozy and warming and the sugar made it decadent and comforting. Yum!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Seitan piccata
One of my favorite dishes at Candle 79 is seitan piccata. It just so happens, you can get the recipe online!
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10634
So tonight, I decided we would try to eat seitan with piccata sauce on it. I used a basic seitan recipe from Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I added 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and an extra sprinkling of salt. I followed everything else exactly. Looking back, I could have done without the extra salt. I don't know what I was thinking when I did it. Anyways, the seitan came out a bit on the salty side, though you could taste it being too salty once you eat it with the piccata sauce. As far as seitan-making adventures, this came out the most tender and the least chewy in texture, though still on the chewy side. Maybe next time, I'll simmer it for an extra 15 to 20 minutes.
As for the piccata sauce, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand so I made do without the capers. I also substituted yellow onion for the shallots, used concentrated lemon juice and dried parsley. I also didn't bother measuring much and just tasted it as I went along. Still, it came out good enough that my hubby complimented me on it so in the end, it's all good!
Anyways, it turned out pretty tasty overall. We had some potato medallions on the side, which was also eaten with the sauce. Going forward, I'll have to keep finding ways to improve the texture of my seitan.
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10634
So tonight, I decided we would try to eat seitan with piccata sauce on it. I used a basic seitan recipe from Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I added 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and an extra sprinkling of salt. I followed everything else exactly. Looking back, I could have done without the extra salt. I don't know what I was thinking when I did it. Anyways, the seitan came out a bit on the salty side, though you could taste it being too salty once you eat it with the piccata sauce. As far as seitan-making adventures, this came out the most tender and the least chewy in texture, though still on the chewy side. Maybe next time, I'll simmer it for an extra 15 to 20 minutes.
As for the piccata sauce, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand so I made do without the capers. I also substituted yellow onion for the shallots, used concentrated lemon juice and dried parsley. I also didn't bother measuring much and just tasted it as I went along. Still, it came out good enough that my hubby complimented me on it so in the end, it's all good!
Anyways, it turned out pretty tasty overall. We had some potato medallions on the side, which was also eaten with the sauce. Going forward, I'll have to keep finding ways to improve the texture of my seitan.
Homemade lipstick
I suppose you can make any homemade lip balm into a lipstick using enough colorant. I tried that once and although the result was a tube of very deeply colored lipstick, it went on my lips more like a sheer lip balm. So today, I decided to try a different formula.
8 parts castor oil (this makes for a shiny lipstick)
1/4 part beeswax
1 part candelilla wax
1/4 part vitamin E oil
3 parts beet root powder (pink colorant)
1 part alkanet root powder (purple colorant)
1/2 part titanium dioxide (makes the color less sheer and more matte)
Most instructions will tell you to mix this is two phases: the wax and oil phase and the colorant phase. First, you melt the oil and wax and then in a separate container, mix the colorant with some castor oil. Mix the colorants into a smooth paste and mix everything together. Make sure to mix well so everything is smooth. Work quickly for as the mixture cools, it hardens. When you're done mixing, pour into liptstick tubes or lip pots.
I was lazy and just melted the oil and waxes first and then dumped the powder colorants in. I made enough for two tubes. You can make your own natural colorants by dehydrating beet root and alkanet root and pulverizing them in a food processor. There is some sacrifice in texture in going this route, which I will explain in a moment. Here is what the lipstick looks like on my lips:
I will say that the lipstick went on feeling a bit gritty. I suppose that is what happens when you don't use very fine colorants such as mica or iron oxides. I suppose I could also have just run the colorants in a food process to see if I could get the texture more fine, but again, I'm too lazy for that. In any case, it's not unbearably gritty and you don't feel the grit once it's on. Right now, I very much like this formula and this color.
I would not use this as a blusher because the little bits of alkanet root will sometimes stand out and make you look like you have dirt on you. For a powder blush, it' probably best to use a very light dusting of beet root powder. For a matte look and some oil control, add a bit of cornstarch to the powder. To make the color a bit more brown, add a little bit of cocoa powder. I have yet to mix a shade of blush that I think looks good on me, but I haven't tried very often. Lol!
One last thing before I sign off. If you just want clear shiny lip gloss, just rub some pure castor oil on your lips. If you want a little tint to your lip gloss, you can try grinding the beet root powder really fine and add that to the oil.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Zucchini "crab" cakes
Several months back, I stumbled upon a recipe for mock crab cakes. I love crab cakes. I mean, I really love crab cakes! While I was still eating only veggies, crab cakes were definitely one of the items that I had occasional cravings for.
Anyways, I finally got around to trying out the recipe tonight. I paired it with some homemade spicy aioli. The cool thing about this recipe is that it's made with zucchini! Can you believe it? Anyways, the reviews for it says it really does taste like crab cakes. So after the hubby and I tried it, the verdict is pretty positive. I can't say it tastes exactly like crab cakes, but it does taste like crab cakes.
If you'd like to try it yourself, here's the recipe for the zucchini crab cakes:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Connies-Zucchini-Crab-Cakes/Detail.aspx
For the aioli, take a few cloves of garlic and crush in a mortar with some coarse salt until you get a smooth paste. Scrape into a mixing bowl and whisk in an egg yolk. You can also add some dijon mustard and/or lemon juice. I added half a teaspoon of dijon and half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Start adding a drop of vegetable oil a drop or two at time, all the while whisking to create an emulsion. Keep adding until you incorporate all the oil you want to use. I used about 1/4 cup of canola oil and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I probably could have used more oil, but I liked the taste of it then. Once the aioli is done, I added just a tiny bit of pepper and some of my favorite hot sauce. Then, voila! Spicy aioli sauce!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)