tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54697882645820111602024-03-05T00:27:53.439-05:00The Unwired ChefBlogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-67176662463676643642016-07-29T21:28:00.003-04:002016-07-29T21:29:58.322-04:00Modern Womenhood, circa 2016Last night, Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. I stayed up late to see her speech, and the one her daughter, Chelsea Clinton made introducing her.<br />
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It was one of those rare moments when it meant something that I have only sons, although I know that it is every bit as important that my boys bear witness to this moment. The way young men perceive women within our world is just as important as the way we see ourselves. My boys have grown up with a strong, working mother. For the last year, I've frequently traveled for work, and Mr. UnWired has been single-parenting. He is no less capable than I, and in many ways, more so. 'Bitches get shit done' is how my friend described the kind of women we are. My mom echoed that comment in her 5 second review of this moment in history. "Pushy broad" she said about Hillary, meaning it in a positive way, exactly as I've heard her describe herself, and me, her daughter.<br />
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It struck me that the comments Bill and Chelsea Clinton made in their speeches were designed to "humanize" Hillary. The Washington Post reported that Bill Clinton described his wife saying, "Hillary, first and foremost, was a mother." An accomplished, bright woman had to be described as a mom in order to project electability. Even today, a woman must balance work and family in order to be perceived as whole. So had Hillary been an imperfect parent to Chelsea while in pursuit of her legal career, she would, according to these perceptions, be undeserving of our vote for the presidency. That's a tough bar to reach, let alone surpass, and not one her husband Bill, nor any of his predecessors, was subjected to in any other presidential election.<br />
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Reading transcripts of the Trump family speeches at the RNC the previous week, there are glimpses of fatherhood. Ivanka played with Legos in her fathers office (not with her father, but on the floor of the office, while he worked) and Tiffany Trump mentioned her father's handwritten notes on her report cards. They were able to describe a father-figure, but not a dad. No bringing the kids to sports practice or dance lessons, and no references to dinnertime conversations and bedtime books. Clearly, Trump didn't have to be 'dad' to be a candidate for president. Yet Hillary had to pass the mom-test in order to be considered an electable women.<br />
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It's one more moment, one more image, one more symbol that demands actions from forward-thinking Americans. While political speeches are merely theater, it's clear that even as we boldly stride towards equality, there's a steep uphill climb for all women to truly advance, and plenty of backsliding comes with the territory. In 15-20 years, it is my hope that my boys can marry women who truly are considered, by law, custom, and paycheck, their equals in every way. <br />
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I'll gladly take two steps forward with Hillary, even if it means taking small steps back as well. As always, someone has to stop traffic so the rest can pass safely.<br />
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#Imwithher <br />
<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-52460652229182700372016-01-15T22:01:00.001-05:002016-01-15T22:01:15.437-05:00Meyer LemonsI have my produce delivered most weeks by <a href="http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com/" target="_blank">Washingtons Green Grocer</a>. Compared to other produce deliveries and CSAs, WGG lets you edit your box-- if you don't want brussel sprouts, you can get 2 pineapples instead. Boxes are updated Saturday, and for my area, delivered on Wednesday. Plenty of time to meal plan, using the lovely fruits and vegetables. They deliver other local, organic and interesting food items, too!<br />
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I did that substitution thing to get three orders of Meyer lemons in my last box. I wasn't sure, but I knew there was something yummy I could do with them.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-DeFE4hXDxzkkmZzl4k2sweS1009Szg8fLx-ja4BKFPRFmHej1OQ-r70iXbB6dhjuAJAPyMC7Beek9gr5AmniZzwz7LfGwIydQAKO6GABh66G141EzfPZ79A32FqkcidXDn-QqqHsh2l/s1600/20160113_182903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-DeFE4hXDxzkkmZzl4k2sweS1009Szg8fLx-ja4BKFPRFmHej1OQ-r70iXbB6dhjuAJAPyMC7Beek9gr5AmniZzwz7LfGwIydQAKO6GABh66G141EzfPZ79A32FqkcidXDn-QqqHsh2l/s320/20160113_182903.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They smell even better than they look!</td></tr>
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What I did not expect was their lovely perfume.<br />
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And what I <u>really</u> didn't expect is the memory that the perfume would unearth.<br />
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The intoxicating smell of the lemons brought back my grandparents house in Laguna Beach, CA. They lived in that house from before I was born until my grandfather died when I was 31. I learned to walk there.... my parents were moving from NJ to CA, and I spent the day with my grandparents while my parents looked for a house.<br />
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I wasn't sure if I could be right about this.... it was a long time ago. I emailed my dad and his sister. She replied in minutes that yes, the house on Capstan Drive had a Meyer lemon tree, and in memory, her house in Rancho Palos Verde has one too. <br />
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As I write this, I realize that my favorite photo of me with my grandmother was taken in the front yard, near that tree. All smiles!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir56fQvePL4-kskjYVtUHqoIm1SEBlW8gqmx4hQuQabj4UYvH-86U49xNLIqP8JoOynHWSw5mNbqy4G4fgWm4DUddkitpc4cF7eP2RYSFV2FRQv-DerfJQaWzcbKCc7MtcS8LP6pLKqzrn/s1600/20160115_214902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir56fQvePL4-kskjYVtUHqoIm1SEBlW8gqmx4hQuQabj4UYvH-86U49xNLIqP8JoOynHWSw5mNbqy4G4fgWm4DUddkitpc4cF7eP2RYSFV2FRQv-DerfJQaWzcbKCc7MtcS8LP6pLKqzrn/s200/20160115_214902.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preserved lemons, chilling in the jar</td></tr>
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As for the lemons, I made a small jar of preserved lemons, layering lemon slices with salt. I have no idea what to do with them (most of the recipes I've found for preserved lemons include olives, which I loathe), but it seemed like a good adventure.<br />
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Sliced thin, five lemons are in the dehydrator. It's a great way to keep a bit of this memory alive. Sliced, dehydrated lemons are pretty, and can flavor seltzer, tea and vodka, three of my favorite beverages! The dried ends are useful too; I'll grind them into dried Meyer lemon zest, to use in baked goods and canning.<br />
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There's one left. It has a bruise on the side, so I didn't want to dry it. I might keep using it in tea... It smells divine. And it reminds me of foggy mornings and sunny afternoons in Southern California. Driving my grandmother's Volvo, going shopping and out to lunch at Cocos. My grandfather watching the weather report each night (it was SoCal... the weather was always the same!), and the big leather chair in his office. And the cool clover underfoot in the front yard. And the lemon tree.<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-30578855056213621992015-10-18T12:24:00.000-04:002015-10-18T12:24:16.364-04:00Chocolate Applesauce CakeFor no apparent reason (as my son would say), yesterday was a cooking day. And not just a cooking day.... a new recipe day! Three new recipes in one day!<br />
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Breakfast was a baked oatmeal dish. A cross between traditional oatmeal and a large oatmeal cookie, it was enjoyed by all. Will blog about that another day when I remember to take photos. Not that they'll be good photos- my cooking skills far exceed my photography skills. But still, I'd like to give it a try.<br />
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Today's feature is the title- Chocolate Applesauce Cake. The 'cake' part got the kids attention, as did the presence of Chocolate. All good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNzRML0kEmhsW3Q8QXrQ3fzYnc8k9yiOEdn-fmk3gq6T0ZQ-jNC7p9VnYQTRQStzkZolrKrimjUllwJxdlbCm8srWtPsXonAUIrLPHgd2IHBP3qhW08tpqiszLQnq2yxSrptvnYIlQThM/s1600/20151017_163833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNzRML0kEmhsW3Q8QXrQ3fzYnc8k9yiOEdn-fmk3gq6T0ZQ-jNC7p9VnYQTRQStzkZolrKrimjUllwJxdlbCm8srWtPsXonAUIrLPHgd2IHBP3qhW08tpqiszLQnq2yxSrptvnYIlQThM/s320/20151017_163833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus crumbs... the downside of slicing when warm. The price I have to pay for impatience.</td></tr>
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This one came from a gluten free recipe on <a class="source-url" href="http://araisinandaporpoise.com/crabby/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #278ab7; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.75px; text-decoration: none;">araisinandaporpoise.com</a> - the original flour was buckwheat. I replaced the 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour with 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour. The consistency of the batter and the finished product were exactly as expected. I think the sugar can be reduced- I'll also make it next time as muffins.<br />
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<u>Chocolate Applesauce Cake</u><br />
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<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1 cup nut butter (I used creamy peanut butter)</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade applebutter)</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">3 eggs</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1 teaspoon vanilla</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1 cup sugar</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1/2 cup white whole wheat flour</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">1/3 cup cocoa</li>
<li class="INGREDIENTS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">pinch of salt</li>
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Instructions</h3>
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<li class="STEPS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">Heat the oven to 350 and lightly oil a 10″ cake pan. A tube pan might be a nice alternative.</li>
<li class="STEPS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">In a mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla and blend well together; I used an electric hand mixer. </li>
<li class="STEPS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, then add to wet ingredients. Mix together by hand until just combined.</li>
<li class="STEPS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center springs back and the sides have just begun to come away from the pan.</li>
<li class="STEPS" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">This cake slices best when cool. Excellent when served with a cold glass of milk.</li>
</ol>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">After the cake cooled, I sliced the rest and wrapped each piece in wax paper and put them in my baking box. This way, the kids (and husband) can take portions instead of ALL the remaining cake.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY1i6_muvNYI2TxQk0IpZVfCfGaSFokqLQKRUFM7YyfEmZSkRa99lbZ8Y9F8dM96e2yHJKzR6b3OQmlXWYp4YDa58porelwflZ_LcZwqkFaucuSKmzAcNf9zF7coFSQoVk7yqCJT0S1vR/s1600/20151017_172023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY1i6_muvNYI2TxQk0IpZVfCfGaSFokqLQKRUFM7YyfEmZSkRa99lbZ8Y9F8dM96e2yHJKzR6b3OQmlXWYp4YDa58porelwflZ_LcZwqkFaucuSKmzAcNf9zF7coFSQoVk7yqCJT0S1vR/s320/20151017_172023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum. I give the remaining 8 portions about a day.</td></tr>
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-83325915506794211732015-08-04T11:56:00.003-04:002015-08-04T11:56:44.764-04:00Peach Palooza OR Saving SummerI love peaches. I love them so much I bought a half-bushel at the farmers market on Saturday... and went back to buy another half-bushel Sunday. That's 50 pounds of peaches, sprawled around my dining room.<br />
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Really, they aren't sprawled. They are nestled inside peach crates from 2 years ago, when I bought my peaches by the 4lb box at Trader Joes. While my love affair with TJ continues, I now restrict my peach purchases to the farmers market. In bulk.<br />
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Inquiring minds want to know what one does with 50lbs of peaches, right? Here goes, along with hints for efficiency. <br />
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Did I mention that I have a new job that I love that has me traveling and busy? Not as much time for cooking as there once was. Efficiency is the key!<br />
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First things first-- while the peaches are beautiful and begging to be cooked/cut/preserved/frozen, do not yield to immediate temptation. My peaches, as I brought them home from the market were lovely, but had not reached perfection. Plan on the fruit aging for a few days in your home until the perfume overtakes you. In practice, this also allows you to work with 5-10lbs/day, making the task more manageable.<br />
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Lay the peaches out on cookies sheets or in shoe boxes in a single (or at most double) layer. Check them at least daily, removing those that are ripe and ready. Bring those to the kitchen, wash and proceed as below:<br />
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<u>Freezing peach slices:</u> Slice into 10-12 long slices, then place on a cookie sheet. When slicing, try cutting across the peach (not down the peach crack). If the pit is going to split, this method gives you a chance to get it out in one piece, which reduces the odds of having hard peach pits in your final product.<br />
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In my freezer, they are solid in 3 hours. Move to a bag or freezer-safe container, and freeze. With this method, the slices remain separate for smoothies, frozen yogurt/ice cream and baked goodies. I use no preservative or acid to maintain color... I've never had a problem with them not being perfect eight months later.<br />
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<u>Peach Jam: </u> Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Each must be deep enough to hold your largest ripe peach. Cut an X in the non-stem end of the peach, then drop into boiling water (I do 4 at a time in boiling water). After 30 seconds, remove peach and slip off skin. Place naked peach into a bowl.<br />
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Here's the cool part... When you have 12 naked peaches in the bowl, crush them with your bare (clean) hands. Remove pits as you go. The benefit of crushing the peaches in your hand instead of dicing them on a cutting board is that you are able to capture all the peach juice. And (bonus!) it doesn't end up all over your table/counter/floor/cat, saving you from the sticky, sugary mess.<br />
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Proceed with your peach jam recipe. 12 peaches makes about 8 cups of peach smush, which is enough for 2 batches of most jams. Your results will vary based on the size of your peaches. Duh.<br />
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For future jam, freeze the crushed peaches in containers in useful sizes... I add 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice to every 4 cups of peaches, to ensure color. Most finished recipes call for lemon juice anyway. I use freezer bags and mason jars.<br />
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<u>Peach Puree:</u> Using above technique, take smushed peaches and treat them to a whirl in the blender. I add lemon juice as above, and freeze in 2 cups batches for future mixed drinks and ice cream. Bellinis, anyone?<br />
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Lots of other things to do with the fresh peaches. Grilled peaches (slice in half, remove pit, brish with butter and grill face down over low heat) are awesome. I saw a recipe for broiled peaches-- same as above, but in the oven. Peach salsa is on my list this year- I'll process the peaches like peach jam, then follow the directions (maybe).<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-84822774471206489992015-06-10T11:19:00.001-04:002015-06-10T11:26:20.199-04:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: black;">Hey all you Washingtonians... free stuff to keep you cool! If I can get a schedule of where they will be stationed, I'll post it here before Friday.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">NEW STUDY NAMES WASHINGTON D.C. THE SIXTH “SWEATIEST CITY” IN AMERICA: HONEYWELL FANS DEPLOY THE “BEAT THE HEAT” STREET TEAM</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">Honeywell Fans, in partnership with a team of scientists at environmental consulting company Environmental Health & Engineering, developed new criteria to rank major metropolises across the country on their potential “sweatiness” -- and, Washington D.C. has ranked sixth!</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">To help Washingtonians prepare for summer heat waves, Honeywell will be deploying the</span> Beat the Heat Street Team to hand out portable fans on Friday, June 12</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">at the National Mall from</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> 9am to 4pm</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The new, USB and battery operated</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><i style="font-size: 10pt;">Turbo® on the Go! portable </i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">fan from Honeywell provides strong air circulation in a convenient, compact design that folds, stands upright and pivots for personalized cooling that goes with you anywhere you need it.</span></div>
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<b>This Californian is always looking for ways to stay cool-- will let you know how this fan works for me and my family and how long the batteries last!</b></div>
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-42503717808799466612015-01-17T23:18:00.002-05:002015-01-17T23:18:26.492-05:00Best Parenting Moment EverAt bedtime, one of my boys asked me to read to him. He's been doing this for about a week now. And although he's almost ten, he wants to hear the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. We read them together when he was younger (five? six?). Like me, he's a fan. We started this time with The Long Winter, because it's cold here now. We have no risk of being cut off from civilization and starved like the folks in that story, but it's cold enough to relate, and we can certainly take a moment to be grateful for the warm beds and good movies.<br />
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Anyway, we finish the chapter and talk for a minute. At some point, he puts his finger in gun position and points them at me, asking 'what would you do if someone did this?' <br />
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Mom: Wow, I hope that never happens to me. But if they wanted my phone or watch, I would give it to them.<br />
Boy: Because they're expensive?<br />
Mom: Because I can get another phone or watch. If they wanted to hurt you, I'd have to fight back, because I can't get another you.<br />
Boy: (puts his gun down and launches into me with a huge hug)<br />
<br />
Best<br />
Parenting<br />
Moment<br />
Ever.<br />
<br />
I love you too, Boy.<br />
<br />
Remind me of this when he's a miserable, smelly teenager.<br />
<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-69673573573240033512015-01-17T23:07:00.002-05:002015-01-17T23:22:33.098-05:00Funny story about how kids torture their parentsA funny story from last week. Funny in a twisted kinda way.<br />
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A few nights ago, I had the kids solo. Mr. Unwired was out at a gig; I made dinner, and the kids and I had a lovely meal. Afterwords, we balanced clean-up and a few random chores, then it was time for my son to take his nightly medicine. He takes it crushed in ice cream (yum), a flavor of his choosing. <br />
<br />
I let him know it's time. He agrees, I crush the pills, swirl in the Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (double-yum), and he reacts:<br />
<br />
Boy: I'm not taking this.<br />
<br />
I reply:<br />
Mom: Not sure what the deal is... you agreed earlier, please take the meds and then we can go upstairs and read before bed.<br />
<br />
Boy: I don't like taking this.<br />
Mom: I'm sorry you don't like it... would another flavor of ice cream be better? I can buy it tomorrow, for tomorrow night's dose.<br />
Boy: I don't like taking medicine.<br />
then..... Boy: It's not fair that my brother doesn't have to take medicine.<br />
then.... Boy: I don't want to.<br />
then.... Boy: You're no fun.<br />
<br />
At some point, he agreed to take the dose mixed into milk. Which I did. The response was as expected at this point in the story:<br />
Boy: This is gross. I'm not taking it.<br />
<br />
After 20 minutes of handwringing and pouting and stress, we agreed that I would mix him a new dose in new ice cream. <br />
2 minutes later, he took it.<br />
About 5 seconds later, he cracks a joke.<br />
<br />
Now put yourself in my shoes. You are relieved that the medicine is down. You are proud of yourself for remaining calm for 20 minutes of head-crushing stress that came out of nowhere. And now the kid is cracking jokes?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I say:<br />
<br />
Mom: Hey kid, I'm glad you're cracking jokes. Now would you kindly explaining to me what the HECK has been going on the last 20 minutes? What was the deal with not taking your meds? Were you just messing with me?<br />
Boy: Yes. I was just messing with you.<br />
<br />
Mom: <head explodes><br />
<br />
The end.<br />
<br />
PS: All true. I told Mr. Unwired the next day- he was dumbfounded. The happy ending is that when the kid put up a fuss about something inconsequential later that week, I looked him square in the eye and said 'Stop messing with me'. And he did.<br />
PPS: I recounted the story to my mom later in the week. She replied that while the kid looks like my in-laws, he's definitely related to her side of my family. Good story tellers, athletes and eaters. And comedians, if sometimes a little twisted. Ugg. <br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-76674783206885548502014-12-06T16:38:00.000-05:002014-12-06T16:38:16.765-05:00Event: Great American Bulb SwapI spent part of Friday with a friend at the Great American Bulb Swap at Eastern Market in Washington DC. I had heard about the event from the blog <a href="http://the-gadgeteer.com/" target="_blank">Gadgeteer</a> and planned to go, then I received an invitation to attend as a blogger-- yay!<br />
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If you've read other posts in this blog, you know that I can be <strike>cheap</strike> frugal. So while the idea of spending $15/bulb is unappealing, I am certainly interested in bulbs that last 20+ years. I also found myself with a lack of good energy efficient options for the fourteen recessed lights in our kitchen and living room. I've bought many CFLs for these fixtures and relegated each one to little used fixtures because the light was so unpleasant. We stuck with halogen floods for these constantly used fixtures... not cheap at $5/bulb and VERY hot, but at least I like the light. <br />
<br />
In a fit of energy efficiency, I broke down and bought six LED bulbs for the kitchen in summer 2013. They were a mere $10/bulb at Costco (gulp!). They are slow to come on, and two of the six have had intermittent flickering, requiring a warranty claim and return to Costco. Not the best experience, but the light is pleasant and they're not as hot as halogen.<br />
<br />
Enter Cree Bulbs. I first encountered Cree bulbs at a local energy conservation event this past summer. I used one Cree bulb when the kitchen LED bulb started blinking, immediately noticing that it came on faster than the ones from Costco and gave off an equally appealing light. When the other company came through with replacement bulbs, I put the Cree back in the closet in order to have a matching set in the kitchen.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxHx4lEheyHBajrVCC2QgWxJqRYkwk8lbvnvJBZFTKs4mfUHjZ29nTzLgr15Twgeo_-ezYkK5o_t2Bi1jZOLIcs0AQ3gaDpx4yftjKAkPGBnTDbfU6urfNfwdbdSWAiMjxmY-S3jPv6Zj/s1600/cree_DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxHx4lEheyHBajrVCC2QgWxJqRYkwk8lbvnvJBZFTKs4mfUHjZ29nTzLgr15Twgeo_-ezYkK5o_t2Bi1jZOLIcs0AQ3gaDpx4yftjKAkPGBnTDbfU6urfNfwdbdSWAiMjxmY-S3jPv6Zj/s1600/cree_DC.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Bulby and Elaine at Eastern Market DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At this event, I learned that my Cree bulb is behind the curve compared to the new ones. The newest ones are plastic, which makes them shatterproof and less expensive to make. They dim better than previous versions, and kept the instant-on feature I noticed in the first one. If there's a problem, Home Depot will swap them out under warranty. And, drum roll please.... they are only $7.97 at Home Depot. That's 20% savings over the ones I got at Costco, and they are better bulbs. Score!<br />
<br />
<br />
The price is right, the energy savings is there, and most importantly, the light <i>looks</i> right in my house. Time to head to Home Depot and switch to <a href="http://www.cree.com/Lighting/Products/Indoor/Consumer/Standard-AType-Bulbs" target="_blank">Cree</a>!<br />
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Disclaimer: I received Cree bulbs and gift cards as a part of this event, but was not asked to write about the event or the bulbs. All opinions are my own.</i><br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-55761866133242409482014-11-19T11:51:00.001-05:002014-11-19T11:51:20.779-05:00Two Recipes: Pecan Pancakes and Brown Sugar Sweet Potato CakeI've mentioned before that I love to save recipes. They are saved in folders and files and binders, and many never see the light of the kitchen. <br />
<br />
Some, on the other hand, demand to be made.... immediately.<br />
<br />
This post is about two of those recipes.<br />
<br />
I'm glad they were so insistent. I have been well rewarded for having made them (queue the applause).<br />
<br />
First up, Pecan Pancakes. I stumbled across this one by clicking from one blog to the next. I will be forever grateful for the time to wander, as it landed me in the midst of such yumminess at 'Blogging Over Thyme' (<a href="http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2014/10/24/pecan-spiced-buttermilk-pancakes/" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
<br />
My son prepared this recipe, doubling it as I asked him to. We're hungry around here. I prepped the ground pecans the night before, so that he didn't need to use the blender and wake up the rest of the household-- he's the early bird! I think he followed the recipe as written, except omitting the ground cloves. He put in two whole cloves; I fished them out later :-). He did split the flour-- half all-purpose, half white whole wheat flour as the blog (but not the recipe) suggests. The pancakes were very light thanks to the buttermilk, but hearty and delicious.<br />
<br />
The second recipe was made just four days after I found it: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/brown-sugar-sweet-potato-cake/14343/" target="_blank">Brown Sugar-Sweet Potato Cake</a> from the Washington Post. I had been telling the kids I was planning to make dessert over the weekend, then lost track of time and generally backed out of my commitment to them.<br />
<br />
This went on for several days... until I found this recipe in the Wednesday Food section.<br />
<br />
I made the recipe the following Sunday. I was planning to halve it (who needs cake for 16 laying around the house?!) until I realized that I had a friend coming for coffee on Monday. That would be the perfect excuse to serve cake in the morning, right?<br />
<br />
My friend loves Bundt cakes, and as it turns out, had not had time to eat breakfast before coming over. She had two portions of cake, and I am thrilled she enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
The only change I made to this recipe was to use canned pumpkin, instead of sweet potatoes. I am also unsure of the exact amount of molasses I used.... it's really sticky, and I was at the bottom of the bottle. I measured one tablespoon, then dribbled the rest into the bowl, straight from the bottle. <br />
<br />
I'm just crazy that way.<br />
<br />
You may (or may not) want to know that the molasses was older than the child I was cooking with. I don't use a lot of it, and am not certain if I'll buy another bottle to make this cake again, or just substitute something else. Let me know if you decide to make a substitution.<br />
<br />
Until next time.... Bon Appetit!<br />
<br />
<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-85224031831931067692014-11-09T11:18:00.002-05:002014-11-10T11:40:56.843-05:00MEAT!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08SDbh2IO71Mysu2-jqhwsm3E3Si6Ucw8hdLzvJxXtGTqyQ0oVlxGUpI9V1eInSp_fVhUtSBTKvu-RGurd15I0SzktxXW4sXn3HwrDg6GWGfULN-gvboeouTtVXxfeYtXDk_0YvMlYVei/s1600/1POTROAST+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08SDbh2IO71Mysu2-jqhwsm3E3Si6Ucw8hdLzvJxXtGTqyQ0oVlxGUpI9V1eInSp_fVhUtSBTKvu-RGurd15I0SzktxXW4sXn3HwrDg6GWGfULN-gvboeouTtVXxfeYtXDk_0YvMlYVei/s1600/1POTROAST+copy.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meaty goodness!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My dear friend (the one who taught me to can) just posted on FB that she thinks my Pot Roast recipe is the best ever. I have to agree, although I will give credit to Alton Brown for the bones of the recipe. I am reminded that I never posted the recipe online.... this post corrects that egregious error.<br />
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This photo doesn't hurt either :-)<br />
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<br />
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Even when cooking for four, I double the recipe and freeze the extra. And yes, you MUST allow the meat to rest overnight before serving. Alton Brown explains the impact of the heat/cooling cycle on the connective tissue in <a href="http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season11/stew/stewromance.htm" target="_blank">his Good Eats episode on stew</a><br />
<br />
<u>Pot Roast</u><br />
2 lbs blade cut chuck roast/cross rib roast/cross rib steak<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 Tbsp cumin seeds<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
10 garlic cloves, chopped<br />
1 cup canned tomatoes (chopped or diced)<br />
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine<br />
1 cup black raisins<br />
<br />
1. Trim excess fat from the outside of the meat and cut it into a few pieces. Place in crock pot with remaining ingredients and cook on low for six hours, or until a fork can shred the meat. <br />
<br />
2. Remove the meat from the crock pot and place in a stove top safe dish. Place in fridge overnight.<br />
<br />
3. An hour or so before serving, remove from fridge and skim chinks of fat from the top of the dish (this is the saving grace of using a fatty piece of meat- so much is removed in this step). Warm the whole dish over medium-low heat on the stovetop.<br />
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4. Prior to serving, remove the meat from the pan and place on a serving dish. With an immersion blender, puree the gravy in the pan (it can be removed to a blender, although working with hot sauces in a blender requires skills I don't have. If you don't have an immersion blender and don't want to blend, then skip this step-- it's all about the aesthetics, but won't affect the flavor). <br />
<br />
5. After blending (or not) turn up the heat to medium high and reduce the gravy by half to concentrate flavors. Serve gravy on top of the pot roast, or pass it on the side.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eoT2IkQkFarqk8EJ8TLilvuTTIlzM-z83EUAjJlwY4RCv4NizCCbdenp51UFyuMWU-1uyfI2n0y3DxsirFTTtTJ-QWhmXSmiEhzpJLg28_3ENnDsYgCXabWtN_Cai203e8Cs1RJkKBju/s1600/2POTROAST+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eoT2IkQkFarqk8EJ8TLilvuTTIlzM-z83EUAjJlwY4RCv4NizCCbdenp51UFyuMWU-1uyfI2n0y3DxsirFTTtTJ-QWhmXSmiEhzpJLg28_3ENnDsYgCXabWtN_Cai203e8Cs1RJkKBju/s1600/2POTROAST+copy.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravy goes great over mashed potatoes.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Delicious. Time to go buy some pot roast meat!<br />
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Photo Credits: www.lauravidlerphotography.comBlogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-68519925208051397492014-11-09T10:53:00.002-05:002014-11-09T10:58:37.823-05:00Sweet Potato and Apple CasseroleI'm not sure what took me so long to make this.<br />
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It's a simple recipe, one my mom made for holidays and such. A few minutes of prep and then it cooks in the oven. It bakes for 45 minutes or so (depending on the thickness of your slices and the number of layers), but overcooking will do it no harm.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8daPsF5N0nl485Nmx3JbddhyphenhyphenUdfTg5hmCieFeyJF7qDYxV8Bp1ptJa8CZvfh2jwpEm2n0JW_Ng03G1QRgL4DiRg2-aY-yDbyeoA_AXW_WolqvSnsEB1La0RyafLo8SFMxpIBHmXTv3SUZ/s1600/IMG_20141020_182517508_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8daPsF5N0nl485Nmx3JbddhyphenhyphenUdfTg5hmCieFeyJF7qDYxV8Bp1ptJa8CZvfh2jwpEm2n0JW_Ng03G1QRgL4DiRg2-aY-yDbyeoA_AXW_WolqvSnsEB1La0RyafLo8SFMxpIBHmXTv3SUZ/s1600/IMG_20141020_182517508_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product... as pretty as I can make it.</td></tr>
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My kinda recipe... one that appreciates neglect.<br />
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My kids, who prefer their sweet potatoes mashed or in the form of fries, love this recipe. It might be the visible cinnamon. There is a little sweetener, but not much, I like tart apples, but with sweeter ones, the brown sugar might not be needed at all. Also, I prefer to leave the skin on both the apples and sweet potatoes for bonus vitamins and fiber. Peeling them would make the finished recipe prettier.<br />
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Measurements here are by weight, since both apples and sweet potatoes vary widely in size. The recipe scales up and down nicely to feed four or forty. As you can see from my photos, I've used a round, 2QT Corningware pan with a lid, as well as a shallow au gratin pan (covered with foil for baking). The pan needs to be oven safe; after that, it's all about size and aesthetics.<br />
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<u>Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole</u><br />
1lb sweet potato<br />
1lb apples (I prefer Nittany, Fuji and Granny Smith for this, but anything will work)<br />
2 Tbsp butter, separated<br />
2 Tbsp brown sugar (can use maple syrup, or omit if apples are sweet)<br />
1 Tbsp cinnamon, separated<br />
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1. Heat the over to 350 degrees. Grease the plan with 1/2 Tbsp of butter; set aside.<br />
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2. Wash the sweet potatoes and apples. Scrub well if you will be keeping the skin on; otherwise, peel them now.<br />
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3. Cut the sweet potatoes and apples into 1/2 inch thick slices. Shape and exact measurement are unimportant unless you want a pretty final dish.<br />
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4. Place a layer of sweet potatoes in the dish, covered with a layer of apples and half the cinnamon. Cover with another layer of sweet potatoes and another layer of apples. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rTHMHM1Ae6VK7ObPX4h_wA-8a6y780hyphenhyphenzKUeQkUK1xLB12f84QhPpdBXlvs7vUtxRbxreZR_18xwl4012gw2Ab6-0a6tthyphenhyphenqPSDW1XvvwtKAe2YzE29nnpq_0msiVoy2YY2TfUS3O6Dv/s1600/IMG_20141014_171419554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rTHMHM1Ae6VK7ObPX4h_wA-8a6y780hyphenhyphenzKUeQkUK1xLB12f84QhPpdBXlvs7vUtxRbxreZR_18xwl4012gw2Ab6-0a6tthyphenhyphenqPSDW1XvvwtKAe2YzE29nnpq_0msiVoy2YY2TfUS3O6Dv/s1600/IMG_20141014_171419554.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my neatest attempt, but it was still delicious.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
5. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon on top of the final layer of apples. Dot with butter and brown sugar, cover, and place in the oven for 45 minutes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbuKeluoNAESbZKUaFsxDtYk9_bZ3-BUZ2KT3iDX1a7RGAkGISKEHTkf-hYoM_KLb_TXNTpPBFyc1JXmSxTGAG4VKg9eIJVMzzfLHQaJKUum-Dq5SyTX36uN4WiSpQ2oF0jZLYlA_PWyu/s1600/IMG_20141020_172455220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbuKeluoNAESbZKUaFsxDtYk9_bZ3-BUZ2KT3iDX1a7RGAkGISKEHTkf-hYoM_KLb_TXNTpPBFyc1JXmSxTGAG4VKg9eIJVMzzfLHQaJKUum-Dq5SyTX36uN4WiSpQ2oF0jZLYlA_PWyu/s1600/IMG_20141020_172455220.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go in the oven- cover, bake, then eat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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6. When done, both apples and sweet potatoes will be soft and easily pierced with a fork, and the kitchen will smell like fall. <br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-36172693389075936192014-08-27T10:54:00.000-04:002014-08-27T10:54:09.897-04:00Fish and Corn PieNot the most creative of names, but a really yummy recipe.<br />
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It all started with an email from Bon Appetit with <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fish-and-corn-cakes-with-tartar-sauce" target="_blank">this</a> recipe for Fish and Corn Cakes with Tartar Sauce. I'm not a big fan of tartar sauce, so that part got ditched. And the recipe called for 1 1/2 lbs fish.... I only had a pound. And many of the reviews said that the cakes fell apart, so I planned to increase the eggs, which serve as glue in the recipe.<br />
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You know, a normal recipe for me. Find something online/in a book and make myriad changes.<br />
<br />
But the last change was the best! Wait for it.....<br />
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Bake it in a pie pan, not on the stove!<br />
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You see, I love making pancakes on weekend mornings. But at the end of the day, when I'm tired and hungry, I don't want to stand at the stove flipping burgers (or fish cakes) while the rest of the family either eats without me, or stomps around, tired and hungry. Changing this into a pie removed that burden, and got all of dinner (and the chef!) to the table at the same time. Yay! I will be adapting my Black Bean Burger recipe in the same way... Bean Pie!<br />
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Note, the fish needs to be cooked BEFORE the pie can be assembled. I oil a baking sheet, lay the filets on the pan, sprinkle with Old Bay, then bake at 350 degrees until cooked (around 15 minutes). The Old Bay gives the flavor a boost, but can be omitted or substituted if you like.<br />
<br />
<u>Fish and Corn Pie (serves 4)</u><br />
1 lb skinless firm white fish, cooked and broken into small pieces<br />
1/4 cup mayonnaise<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 tsp lemon zest<br />
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn<br />
2 Tbsp fresh chives or green onion<br />
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), plus 2 Tbsp to sprinkle on top<br />
1/2 tsp each Old Bay, salt and pepper (omit Old Bay if you seasoned the fish when preparing)<br />
lemon wedges for serving (optional)<br />
<br />
1. Heat over to 400 degrees.<br />
1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, mayo and lemon zest until well combined. Stir in fish, corn, chives/green onion, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. <br />
2. When combined, pour into greased pie pan. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs on top of pie, pressing them lightly into pie. <br />
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until topping is browned slightly and pie is cooked through. <br />
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Note: this recipe can be made gluten free by swapping panko crumbs for any GF crumbs.<br />
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Bon appetit indeed!<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-25516219459440970172014-07-24T22:05:00.001-04:002014-10-01T16:17:01.537-04:00Curried Pickled Cucumbers - Refrigerator StyleI am clearly not a serious blogger.<br />
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I took no photos during this pickling adventure because I was so sure it wouldn't work. After all, I broke sooooooo many rules of pickling! </div>
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For starters.....</div>
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1. I used the wrong cucumbers!</div>
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I ordered a double batch of cucumbers in my delivery from <a href="http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com/" target="_blank">Washingtons Green Grocer</a> expecting that they would be small, pickling cucumbers. It ends up that Diva Cukes are relatively thin skinned, but are huge and have tons of seeds. Not what you want in a pickler, and not what I *thought* Google told me before I placed my order. Oops.</div>
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2. I did not boil the pickling liquid.</div>
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Heated it in the microwave. My new favorite way to make it! :-)</div>
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3. Made substitutions in the recipe.</div>
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Okay, hardly a news flash there. I am incapable of following a recipe. Or, as it seems, checking that I have all the ingredients before I start.</div>
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That all said, these are delicious pickles! </div>
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The recipe (mostly) came from Andrea Chesman's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Pickled-Pantry-Zucchini-Relishes/dp/1603425624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406252842&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pickled+pantry" target="_blank">The Pickled Pantry</a>. The recipe I made is below-- consult her awesome book for the original. (To start, she uses the correct cucumbers and boils her pickling liquid!) Also, her curried pickles are water-bath processed so that they are shelf stable, and will last longer.</div>
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Because I used the large slicing cucumbers, I was concerned that their high water content will make them mushy before too long. Water bath canning, and making them shelf-stable, seemed unnecessary. After tasting these, I'm definitely interested in doing it the 'right' way, in order to make more than one jar at a time. I think they would also be great cut into spears or thicker slices.</div>
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<u>Curried Pickled Cucumbers</u></div>
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4 cups sliced cucumbers (I sliced thinly by hand)</div>
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3/4 onion, sliced thin</div>
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1 heaping Tbsp coarse sea salt</div>
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1/2 cup apple cider vinegar</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1 Tbsp raisins</div>
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1 1/2 tsp curry powder</div>
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1/2 tsp cumin seeds</div>
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1/2 tsp mustard seeds</div>
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Mix cucumber, onions and salt in a bowl, and cover with ice water. Let soak for 2 hours or so, until the cucumbers taste slightly salty.</div>
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At the tail end of the brining time, mix remaining ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mix is hot-- 1 minute did the job in my microwave. Set aside.</div>
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Drain the cukes and onions, and pack into a clean quart jar. Pour hot brine over the veggies, then put the lid on the jar and store in the fridge. Try to wait a day before eating. </div>
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Note: soaking the cukes in salt water- brining them, really- is a new one to me. I can't argue with the results!</div>
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-12684905909925398842014-06-30T14:57:00.001-04:002014-06-30T15:11:28.862-04:00US Capitol Building, Washington DCI work in the wireless industry, and sometimes that makes for an interesting opportunity. Like today, when this normally white collar gal put on a figurative hardhat and went on a site walk. Wireless, after all, has become a utility. Like electricity and running water, most people can't do without wireless, and most buildings need to have it inside.<br />
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After all, the phone on the desk (if you are sitting at a desk) is used less and less. And since most wireless traffic originates indoors anyway, there need to be indoor systems to support voice and data services.<br />
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Today's opportunity was to walk the House of Representatives (HoR) in Washington DC. When you're standing at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, looking east towards the Capitol Dome, the HoR is everything on the right of the midline of the dome. That line dividing House and Senate might as well be literal, but since that would wreck the aesthetics of the historic building, it's merely figurative.<br />
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The downside of this opportunity: had to arrive at 530am. Yup, dressed, make-up, breakfast.... 530am. I am a morning person, but this, to my mind, is still the night before!<br />
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My cab was early-- I got there at 510am.<br />
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The silver lining of arriving at this hour was the opportunity to breathe the still, mild air of a beautiful city while standing in the shadow of a quiet, captivating, historic building.... The US Capitol.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsY_wPrW1qcjrBHKtcDotPQVR1SKaGsGfpVyqWsFaPe1ADQnjAB92ssVEFr32x2Q21xGyPPvBTHJEzSnlVX_avXV-UXqKyxpCwYt-fCZnycPRfshpmpBGYCT6nqJGYIy7QifiCQd5TN3v/s1600/IMG_20140630_051128564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsY_wPrW1qcjrBHKtcDotPQVR1SKaGsGfpVyqWsFaPe1ADQnjAB92ssVEFr32x2Q21xGyPPvBTHJEzSnlVX_avXV-UXqKyxpCwYt-fCZnycPRfshpmpBGYCT6nqJGYIy7QifiCQd5TN3v/s1600/IMG_20140630_051128564.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East front of the US Capitol at 515am.... what a jewel!</td></tr>
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Amazing. Simply awe-inspiring. <br />
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Back to business.... the job of the day was to inspect 100+ wireless antennas inside the building. They exist to bring your carrier's wireless signal to most every nook and cranny of this huge, historically significant space. <br />
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I say 'most every nook and cranny' because there are spaces where signal is not wanted. Not to worry though, most of us mortals will never be inside the private Members Only dining room, so you won't notice.<br />
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I am not an engineer, but I had one with me. He did the hard work, and I played tourist, spectator, gawker and student. Lots to learn, both about the building and the wireless project. And what a space to learn it in!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt257d-XNYap5vcKDIuJLqS2mctLFi4WI-EJmwbHw9_HY6yppFLyDJ5lWv3sUl99lkrP_zyaRBx5afp7IjngVzXSEzlHUBipGSKpPpeL5EvpE7s6B7GPKBbelZ50ZpQOnkYvsUoUGGz9z/s1600/IMG_20140630_065031825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt257d-XNYap5vcKDIuJLqS2mctLFi4WI-EJmwbHw9_HY6yppFLyDJ5lWv3sUl99lkrP_zyaRBx5afp7IjngVzXSEzlHUBipGSKpPpeL5EvpE7s6B7GPKBbelZ50ZpQOnkYvsUoUGGz9z/s1600/IMG_20140630_065031825.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from one of the private offices on the West side of the Capitol. House Majority maybe?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm15LR89vfOb9vg4NyyAUpwnAvLVqWY2mTnRQo8JhW09EFwy_paGUu_QKqfcJTerfyY23B2LK-0wp50DjaHvLKIz9X4GIO3qlYgCf_gIRoxTZ2LTve6U6Gh7E36UZDwn4NY_AWOdqiOgzI/s1600/IMG_20140630_071943746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm15LR89vfOb9vg4NyyAUpwnAvLVqWY2mTnRQo8JhW09EFwy_paGUu_QKqfcJTerfyY23B2LK-0wp50DjaHvLKIz9X4GIO3qlYgCf_gIRoxTZ2LTve6U6Gh7E36UZDwn4NY_AWOdqiOgzI/s1600/IMG_20140630_071943746.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While there are no wireless assets on the roof, we did get to wander out there to take in the view. Wow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5ts3Gi9nrHI6wN8-uqTxcGm_Gxx79QnThEIJovlciBUuSsm3RQpEfzIYsjnuwyRXakssnoxi5Fv94PqYuLMM606wkns1K-TEL5scoB0LF1lyjtaFJkpSzlZ09uszPCfz1AQf6NIplFC1/s1600/IMG_20140630_072013900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5ts3Gi9nrHI6wN8-uqTxcGm_Gxx79QnThEIJovlciBUuSsm3RQpEfzIYsjnuwyRXakssnoxi5Fv94PqYuLMM606wkns1K-TEL5scoB0LF1lyjtaFJkpSzlZ09uszPCfz1AQf6NIplFC1/s1600/IMG_20140630_072013900.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the roof, looking up towards the Freedom statue on the Capitol Dome.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16OpG88GgBJAUNrweJVZpr7kxNzsEDRV0y6CnQIT1jkZw9E9LrKJz0PVvMb79oucXI36CgWXSsRljEeSurJ4aiOC1TXzbH59Ii-XXNCdfffqhZElXr26V5vtXQqJw255bWV3zNabnnjM2/s1600/IMG_20140630_073407616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16OpG88GgBJAUNrweJVZpr7kxNzsEDRV0y6CnQIT1jkZw9E9LrKJz0PVvMb79oucXI36CgWXSsRljEeSurJ4aiOC1TXzbH59Ii-XXNCdfffqhZElXr26V5vtXQqJw255bWV3zNabnnjM2/s1600/IMG_20140630_073407616.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old House Chamber-- this photo is taken from what was spectator seating (only accessible now via one of the House Speaker's private offices) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfii3nua4fQYnMcT6RXVq_o6X6Ms1v7YFK4w8VJ1bbhzLjuY26zH_2DRwYKel5E4QsmkijZLa3y-HVeMRcIwmXPwHSb6uZO6ZYQmQoHMS6WhuTjR0mxY9vfe1_jSYtrojDP36nBPz1uaba/s1600/IMG_20140630_120511949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfii3nua4fQYnMcT6RXVq_o6X6Ms1v7YFK4w8VJ1bbhzLjuY26zH_2DRwYKel5E4QsmkijZLa3y-HVeMRcIwmXPwHSb6uZO6ZYQmQoHMS6WhuTjR0mxY9vfe1_jSYtrojDP36nBPz1uaba/s1600/IMG_20140630_120511949.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wireless is a utility, which means basements and attics and ugly spaces. These are some of the cables/conduits running through the basement-- also called the Headache Chamber, because of all the VERY low ceilings!</td></tr>
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Our day ended about 1215. I walked 4 1/2 miles since 5am, and it was time to head home and get my actual job done. Before I left, I walked out to the same spot as the first photo, for another picture of the Capitol. This time, in the full light of a sunny, Washington DC summer day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwmFO9nygQzqadwpmI0sW3jlB6h1P4yO4CnBCKGYkLBrJ6sLXKV11TL9RJ-cdqmuUtrG_mwEorbCDZQ5HPMXqoN01SO2DK-IygOklJW2UBcwcBiAHKQoGJmQ_u2lCikS2H6yb5oWGK8-z/s1600/IMG_20140630_122428720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwmFO9nygQzqadwpmI0sW3jlB6h1P4yO4CnBCKGYkLBrJ6sLXKV11TL9RJ-cdqmuUtrG_mwEorbCDZQ5HPMXqoN01SO2DK-IygOklJW2UBcwcBiAHKQoGJmQ_u2lCikS2H6yb5oWGK8-z/s1600/IMG_20140630_122428720.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I purposely did not crop this photo.... there are people and cars at 1230pm. Wow!</td></tr>
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Thanks for a great day Washington DC. You take a lot of heat for lazy, entitled politicians. I saw only hard working facilities and security folks on my tour today, taking care of a magnificent building and the people who work there. <br />
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Cheers to you, US Capitol. Happy early July 4th!<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-58978057511869836182014-06-20T12:06:00.002-04:002014-06-20T12:08:11.247-04:00Spy GearLast week, I scored an invitation to a Spy Gear event for me and the kids at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC. The invitation came from my friend Elaine (<a href="http://connorandhelen.blogspot.com/">blogger </a>and parent extraordinaire!) who was unable to attend. She knows my kids well, and was certain that this event would be right up their alley.... boy was it!<br />
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The event was sponsored by Spy Gear, a kids toy maker. With the kids wrapping up third grade, I don't find myself buying a lot of toys anymore-- mostly the kids want books, apps or games/accessories for the Wii. I was curious as to what Spy Gear offered and what the kids would think. And the Spy Museum is always a hit!<br />
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The event was fun- upon arrival, we were each given a pair of <a href="http://www.spygear.net/site/product/night-goggles">Night Goggles</a>. These glasses have battery powered lights, which helped when we snuck back into the house after the event, hoping the scare the cat or Mr. Unwired. I can confirm that a child wearing these while climbing into your bed in the morning will certainly cause you to wake up... and fast! The kids had a chance to check out the table of Spy Gear stuff, while I chatted with a spy (actor) or two. After a presentation by EvanTubeHD, dinner and instructions, we were off on a scavenger hunt through the museum. <br />
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After the scavenger hunt, we came back into the event space and collected our swag. From the presentations earlier, the kids were very interested in the door alarm and <a href="http://www.spygear.net/site/product/spy-specs-video-glasses">Video Glasses</a>. I was pleased that instead, of those toys, they received a pair of <a href="http://www.spygear.net/site/product/ultra-range-walkie-talkies">Walkie-Talkies</a>, which they tested all over the house and through the neighborhood the next day. I can confirm that they reach 1/4 miles- we look forward to testing them further soon. The packaging says 2 miles!<br />
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Each kid also received a <a href="http://www.spygear.net/site/product/spy-recording-pen">Spy Recording Pen</a>. One of my boys immediately started recording everything said in or around him. The other had trouble with the buttons, so we'll keep working on that. I was impressed with the heft and build of the Spy Gear toys; they are not flimsy! With that in mind, I expect that the toys will last through multiple adventures!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsXCIPaNcQ6hz1NZojrEoaAN4HdMmZVaKBR_QhND_AYnL_hI9bA0_PbbMS7fYaUhkSClPOrG4coEymJ1hqyEEDDvOCm3Mf6-AL88rrhpkHDbJqalqMogBJ9We50Ch_cWk8O7DFOTy9zQ/s1600/P1000885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsXCIPaNcQ6hz1NZojrEoaAN4HdMmZVaKBR_QhND_AYnL_hI9bA0_PbbMS7fYaUhkSClPOrG4coEymJ1hqyEEDDvOCm3Mf6-AL88rrhpkHDbJqalqMogBJ9We50Ch_cWk8O7DFOTy9zQ/s1600/P1000885.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids wearing Spy Gear Night Goggles, en route to the moon in their cardboard spaceship.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><i>Disclaimer: I attended an event hosted by Spy Gear at the International Spy Museum. My children received Spy Gear toys during the event. I was not asked to write about either the event or the toys. All opinions are my own.</i></span>Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-52073225208372025232014-06-13T20:58:00.003-04:002014-06-13T21:02:08.556-04:00Peach Jam<br />
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It's good to have a plan.<br />
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Here's mine for the summer: preserve lots of fruit, make pickles, move my work project forward, and master another inversion or two in yoga. I've already got tripod headstand down (or up, as the case may be).<br />
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For this blog, I'm going to document the first two. The work thing is confidential, and the yoga... well, that's my personal obsession. I'll leave it that way for now.<br />
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The fruit and pickles story starts many years ago, in a house far far away. Well, not that far-- we only lived 2 miles from where we are now. We bought the house in 1998, and soon after, met the couple who lived across the street with their young daughter. We always called them our first adult friends-- we owned a house but wow, they had a kid!<br />
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We became close friends over the years. They were always the folks you could count on. She made the curtains for our nursery when I was too pregnant (and inept) to do so. They helped us clean out the fridge on our last night in the house. Even when we moved two miles away, they were a phone call away, inviting us to a block party in the old neighborhood, or we were inviting them to a party at our house.<br />
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And then.... she got sick. Pancreatic cancer. It was not curable, and her time in chemo was awful. Mercifully, she died just six months after the diagnosis. It was awful and miserable and unfair... and a year later, it's still awful and miserable and unfair. <br />
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As she was declining, I spent time with her, talking about the things we had in common... our families, her daughter, the neighbors, and cooking. She knew the magic of preserving, and I did not. At this late date, it was not possible for her to teach me, but her passing reminded me to not delay in spending time with and learning from my friends and loved ones.<br />
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Seven weeks after her death, my BFF drove from her home in NY State to teach me how to make jam. The whole water bath thing was a mystery-- I could make the stuff and store it in fridge or freezer, but it was not shelf stable, and not giftable. That weekend, she helped me conquer the water bath... we made made plum jam, chipotle pickled carrots and jalapeno green beans. The experience was wonderful, and the fruits of our labor (pun intended) were delicious!<br />
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I used what I learned to make apple butter over the winter, gifting it to teachers and friends. In honor of the 1st anniversary of my friend's death, I made strawberry jam. The berries were picked from a local farm by me and another BFF along with our kids. I brought a jar to the family. It was sad and happy and sweet, all at the same time.<br />
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Tonight, I made my first peach jam. I used <a href="http://asweetspoonful.com/2009/09/old-fashioned-peach-jam.html">this</a> recipe, selected because it calls for minimal sugar and no pectin. I used 8 good sized CA peaches, 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice-- tried to cut the recipe in half but miscalculated. These were cling peaches (darn!) and a real pain to pit! Learned my lesson-- freestone next time. They rested for 2 hours after slicing (macerating, for those of you in the know); after five minutes on the stove I added 1 tsp fresh minced ginger and 1/2 cinnamon. I'm proud to say that the latter was my son's idea-- he smelled the peaches as they cooked and made the suggestion. When the jam cooled he got a taste of the finished product... he heartily approved, as did I!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_MIx2t5N-yKOFRJekPwonECXtcGaPDJf-lVzIlzuonz_9UWxudfGvfXwdz5h7ocuJfWNWWTJrpdN4kS0cFJ9Rp0M-Hv7WvVjrnlZc_bONiVr7fGnLL7o03Efg9k0_ee7HFc2ApfzvVvo/s1600/IMG_20140613_191444169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_MIx2t5N-yKOFRJekPwonECXtcGaPDJf-lVzIlzuonz_9UWxudfGvfXwdz5h7ocuJfWNWWTJrpdN4kS0cFJ9Rp0M-Hv7WvVjrnlZc_bONiVr7fGnLL7o03Efg9k0_ee7HFc2ApfzvVvo/s1600/IMG_20140613_191444169.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking the peaches... it took about 15 minutes for my almost-half recipe.</td></tr>
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This eight peach recipe yielded 4 full 8oz jars. I put 3 through the water bath and put the remaining jar in the fridge. Finally bought a batch of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Regular-Mouth-Storage-Caps/dp/B0000BYC4B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402705187&sr=8-1&keywords=plastic+ball+jar+lids">these</a> reusable lids, so putting the excess in the fridge is easy and I can use the lid another time. <br />
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This was a test of the peach jam (low sugar, no pectin) recipe. When local peaches are ripe, I intend to pick a ton, brush them with maple syrup, then grill them. Some will be eaten hot off the grill, and the rest will be preserved with their smoky sweet flavor intact. I think both will be heaven.<br />
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Stay tuned for more preserving goodness!<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-61382218257279624612014-05-19T10:07:00.000-04:002014-05-19T10:07:10.800-04:00Raspberry Jam Oat BarsA quick post to share an excellent healthy treat. I found this recipe <a href="http://weeklybite.com/raspberry-jam-oat-bars/">Raspberry Jam Oat Bars</a> at Weekly Bite, one of the blogs I follow. With an RSS reader on my phone (I use Feedly to aggregate the posts, and GReader to display them on my handset), I can catch up on blogs at stop lights, in line at Starbucks, and during boring meetings (yes, that means you, "Mr. Seven-Point-Font" on the slides!).<br />
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This one is very simple-- all the ingredients (except the jam) go into a blender or food processor. Mix for 30 seconds or so until the ingredient look crumbly and well integrated, then pour into a prepared pan.<br />
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The things I did different from the posted recipe (because there's always something):<br />
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<li> I used an 8-inch round silicone pan so that I did not need to oil or line it. The bars ended up thicker than in the original recipe, with a solid layer of bar on top of the jam. </li>
<li>I used strawberry jam, as that's what I had.</li>
<li>Not having whole wheat pastry flour, I used white whole wheat flour in equal proportions. And I swapped out 3 Tbsp or so of the flour for wheat germ (more fiber and protein, and a nice nutty flavor).</li>
<li>Thinking chia seeds could be added next time, for more fiber, protein and Omega-3 goodness. Maybe a few Tbsp in place of some of the oatmeal? </li>
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Let me know what you substitute to make the recipe yours. I'm committed to making jam this summer, and think that this recipe will be a great way to use it!</div>
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-17556711142774940302014-02-13T17:30:00.001-05:002014-03-30T20:11:32.878-04:00Best Snack Ever! Crunchy Chickpeas!I know, I know.... best ever? A wee bit of hyperbole for a snowy day?<br />
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I think not. <br />
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These are awesome. Sweet or spicy, and definitely crunchy. And unlike many of the recipes I've seen on the interwebs, these STAY crunchy for days... not that they last that long.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crunchy yummy goodness.</td></tr>
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As a bonus, these are healthy, full of fiber and vegetarian.... and gluten free depending on your seasonings. No guilt, all goodness. And did I mention delicious?!<br />
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I've made multiple batches, and the best came when I started with dried chickpeas*, not canned. It might be a coincidence that these were the best batches, but it's not much harder to start with dried, and you get the chance to make so many more.... so I'll always start there.<br />
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<u>Crunchy Chickpeas</u><br />
1lb dried chickpeas<br />
10-12 cups water<br />
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1. Rinse dried chickpeas and pick through them, discarding any discolored ones or stones that found their way into the bag. Place chickpeas in slow cooker, cover with water, then cook on high for five hours until tender.<br />
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2. Drain, and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet(s) lined with paper towels/cloth. Rub chickpeas gently to remove liquid, and pick out any skins that come off-- no need to skin them if the skins hold on.<br />
*Suggestion 1: 1lb chickpeas = 2 full cookie sheets. These need some elbow room.<br />
*Suggestion 2: Leave the chickpeas in a colander or on a cloth for a few hours/overnight... let evaporation do some of the drying for you<br />
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3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use the convection setting if you have one. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and spread chickpeas on top in a single layer. No need for oil or flavors yet... just chickpeas! Place the cookie sheet in the over and set the timer for ten minutes.<br />
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4. When the timer goes off, shake the pan, then put it back in the oven and set the time for another ten minutes. Repeat two more times (a total of 40 minutes)<br />
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5. After 40 minutes, the chickpeas should be nicely browned, and if you eat one, it should be crunchy all the way through, and not at all soggy. If it's still not crunchy, try another five minutes before proceeding.<br />
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6. And now... seasonings! During one of the ten minute baking rounds, mix up seasonings in a bowl large enough to hold your chickpeas. Here are some suggestions:<br />
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Spicy: 1/2 Tbsp (or more) Sriracha, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp line juice 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp salt<br />
Flavorful: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp each smoked paprika and cumin, 1/2 tsp salt<br />
Sweet: 2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt<br />
Sweet II: 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 pinch salt<br />
Tons of seasoning suggestions on the web... just make sure you dry roast them first following the instructions here to make them crunchy crunchy crunchy! <br />
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7. Pour chickpeas into seasonings and mix until coated, then return the chickpeas to the oven (on the parchment covered cookie sheet) for another five minutes. With wetter seasonings like the sweet combo above, you may need to make it ten minutes to bake the seasoning onto the chickpeas. Keep an eye on them to ensure your creation does not burn!<br />
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8. Important last step.... when done, turn off the heat and crack the oven door. Leave the chickpeas in the oven until cold. I don't know if this is necessary, but my chickpeas are awesome and I will continue to do it until someone tests it another way and tells me it definitely works :-)<br />
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When cool, store in a tightly covered container-- jar, glass bowl, plastic or whatever. I understand these can be frozen also, but mine never make it that long.<br />
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Enjoy the deliciousness!<br />
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*chickpeas = garbanzo beans. Same thing... main ingredient in hummus and falafel. Sold canned or dried, in the grocery section with beans. You'll need a larger and/or healthier store to find dried garbanzos.<br />
** Post updated 3/30/14 to reflect that fact that drying these like crazy using tons of paper towels is not necessary is you follow the rest of the directions. I did my last batch by defrosting cooked chickpeas for a few hours on the counter, then roasting them with nary a paper towel involved. They came out great!<br />
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Credit to www.thehairpin.com for introducing me to the idea of dry roasting the chickpeas, and for the bones of the Sriracha Lime seasoning combo.Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-56789887139325101702014-01-05T11:42:00.000-05:002014-01-05T11:42:10.886-05:00Food stuff and Marshmallow Treats<div dir="ltr">
Like all families, we here at the Unwired Home have our food issues. For the kids, food is truly fuel. One of my kids requires a vast amount of protein to keep his mind and body in gear. Huge amounts- he's a small kid and can out-eat me. The other kid has a much slower metabolism and is less athletic. While he wants to eat chocolate at every snack, a piece of fruit with meet his needs; for the high-metabolism child, protein is required in addition to the fruit. As a family, we are big into 'five-a-day' fruits and veggies, as well as high fiber to deal with a gastrointestinal issue.</div>
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In our community, like in yours, there are folks with all kinds of food issues. Some look like ours-- just preferences and lessons learned. But some issues may be more critical, and even deadly. Allergies to nuts, wheat and eggs. Texture/food color issues. Picky eaters.</div>
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Knowing that one of my kid needs protein, and both need fiber and healthy choices, I adapted the classic Marshmallow Rice Krispie treats recipe to fill a need (and a stomach). This recipe has a good amount of fiber, is crunchy and gives them a reason to eat cereal, which they both love.</div>
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<u><b>Nutty O's Treats</b></u><br />
4 Tbsp butter<br />
1 cup peanut butter<br />
3 cups mini marshmallows<br />
4 cups Os cereal<br />
2 cups puffed rice cereal<br />
3/4 cup peanuts<br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)</div>
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Over medium heat in a large pot (10+ quart size, which helps to contain the mess), melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and stir until melted. Add the marshmallows and reduce the heat, stirring until well combined.</div>
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Turn off the heat, and stir in the cereal, nuts and chocolate (this is where it gets messy). Combine as best you can, then pour the whole blob into a 9x12 pan. Press the blob into the corners to make the bars dense and to fill the whole pan.</div>
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Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool, then turn onto a cutting board and slice into bars. </div>
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Substitutions: Virtually everything in this recipe can be swapped out. Try sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter to eliminate an allergen. Take out the chocolate chips to reduce calories. Use a GF cereal if you are celiac or wheat-sensitive. Use high-fiber cereal to amp up the fiber content.<br /></div>
Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-6450509767219511252014-01-05T11:39:00.001-05:002014-01-05T11:39:21.041-05:00Split Pea Soup<br />
I never thought much of split pea soup until my mom sent me this recipe. For similar meat-infused soups, I only ever found a grizzled, dried, overly salty ham hock, which never lent the rich, meaty vibe the recipe promised. This recipe avoids that conundrum by using Andouille sausage blended right into the soup. Putting meat in the blender has never been high on my to-do list, but with this recipe, it's worth getting over the willies. Use any Andouille you like-- chicken, pork, etc. Another highly seasoned sausage like chorizo would work too!<br />
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The recipe is easiest with an immersion/stick blender. Mine is 10+ years old, and was only about $30 when I bought it. Worth the investment if you plan to make a lot of soups.<br />
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<u>Split Pea Soup</u><br />
1 1/2 cup dried split peas<br />
6 cups chicken broth<br />
2 links Andouille sausage (1/3 - 1/2 lb total), cut into pieces<br />
1 cup frozen peas<br />
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1. Rinse dried peas and discard any oddballs. Pour broth into slow cooker, add sausage and split peas. Cover, and turn to low for five hours.<br />
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2. When done, turn off slow cooker and pour in frozen peas. Using immersion blender, blend soup until it reaches desired consistency. If you don't have an immersion blender, allow soup to cook, pour into a standard blender, add frozen peas and blitz a few times.<br />
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I find this make about five lunch-sized portions (1 1/2 cups each), more or less.<br />
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-37908075008238087272013-09-30T14:32:00.000-04:002013-09-30T14:32:36.282-04:00Brown Sugar Maple MuffinsWow, are these good?<br />
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How do I know? Well, I bake muffins all the time. Usually, I set them out to cool, pack them in containers or in the freezer, and never have any myself. These though.....<br />
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Yum. The kids now have one fewer muffin to eat. <br />
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The recipe is great as is (<a href="http://www.moneywisemoms.com/2013/09/brown-sugar-maple-muffins/">here</a>)- I added 1 cup chopped walnuts for protein, but left the rest alone. It makes for a lovely, neutral light muffin. For more body, earthiness and oomph, I would suggest adding 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter, along with the dry ingredients. Maybe a little nutmeg too.<br />
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One other change... Every muffin recipe baked in my home prior to this one was put into the oven in standard metal muffin tins, lined with decorative cupcake papers. Cute, but the cheap liners allow oil to seep through, so the design is never as adorable after you bake as before. And I once had individual silicone muffin cups, but the fluting did not allow the baked goods to release cleanly.<br />
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Enter <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Solutions-5-Piece-Baking-Burgundy/dp/B002RL8U70/ref=sr_1_17?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380565482&sr=1-17&keywords=silicone+baking+set">silicone muffin pans</a>. <br />
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*Cue angels singing*<br />
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Fantastic. No need to grease the pans, the the muffins nearly jumped out of their little muffin holes when cooked.<br />
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I highly recommend them-- I have a set similar to the link above, although I bought them at a garage sale for $5. :-)Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-21100046900519595602013-09-18T16:47:00.000-04:002014-01-05T11:41:09.051-05:00Design on a Dime meets Pinterest<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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For a lot of reasons, I've been exercising the DIY part of my brain lately. I've always liked to do 'stuff' myself. My father did a lot of his own work around the house-- I distinctly remember helping him tile the entry way in our house. He did a lot of his own electrical work too, and taught me how to wire switches and fixtures. Doing it yourself is gratifying, cheaper, and often faster than calling a professional.</div>
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Add to that a ton of years watching DIY shows like Design On A Dime, reading blogs on design and now, browsing on Pinterest. It's a slippery slope.</div>
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Below are photos of my new dining room. Same house as before, but the dining room was a small space near the kitchen. Convenient, but too small. We removed the leaves from the DR table to fit it in the space, which meant we needed to put the leaves back in to use it. Big PITA.</div>
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So when I finished the new desk (future blog post-- the wonder of homemade chalk paint), it went into the small dining room, and became the centerpiece of the new study. The dining room furniture went into the large living room, which became the new dining room. The chair/ottoman from the living room went into the study, the sofa was sold, and I bought a beautiful credenza for the dining room from Craigslist. Keeping up?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN67EFwY8_FD-007fszK06HiE11biVJGhYkMO9_TBxHkosCapAGzavI8XKprCLqM7bCjQ8Iumzv4grf93oTErNtAio6kD-8HZCyASjcbKNq2rFxpozEibPAZxmNRPaMQcq_rHruo7TBdzS/s1600/20130917_190735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN67EFwY8_FD-007fszK06HiE11biVJGhYkMO9_TBxHkosCapAGzavI8XKprCLqM7bCjQ8Iumzv4grf93oTErNtAio6kD-8HZCyASjcbKNq2rFxpozEibPAZxmNRPaMQcq_rHruo7TBdzS/s640/20130917_190735.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a few yards back, no flash- this is the true wall color, but the photo came out very dull</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIL_0f_PjY4n5QCiw9cMbe2bq9ACQkDbteUO-r0idVYZmCUz8Uh4SMMWAT6XpYf9pn0ztUZ2IkSt54ixUohKp_SIYIoqJvur9pgAtFVg1jdEj9s0U3U6p9LoKU6fUGXDbdKVJ5QkVo5yJ/s1600/20130917_190747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIL_0f_PjY4n5QCiw9cMbe2bq9ACQkDbteUO-r0idVYZmCUz8Uh4SMMWAT6XpYf9pn0ztUZ2IkSt54ixUohKp_SIYIoqJvur9pgAtFVg1jdEj9s0U3U6p9LoKU6fUGXDbdKVJ5QkVo5yJ/s640/20130917_190747.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With flash- the wall color is grey, not green, but this photo has more depth and life</td></tr>
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So the images above are clearly of the new dining room. The lamp is the DIY project in question... when you take a room not designed to be a dining room (and with poor lighting in general) and make it a dining room, you are unlikely to have the electrics in place to hang a fixture over the table. Ikea makes this great cantilevered lamp, which we ended up getting from Freecycle. Mr. Unwired had to do a bit of engineering to replace a broken piece, which he did and it's awesome. My job was to repair and jazz up the lampshade, which was torn and boring. Which is the rest of this post.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKgMvkxrBNi9R43qE2w43W-VUwnqvdjEICgA916E67dGcFC4tekI-Nf3T_YbXPxR9PudDGeOb3wn1CliGHCJrNIFqyb_wSMVM6KRzJyPV6SRchEmyRKnh0-MWZ85AALs6LXnEDDJesm3u/s1600/20130917_190803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKgMvkxrBNi9R43qE2w43W-VUwnqvdjEICgA916E67dGcFC4tekI-Nf3T_YbXPxR9PudDGeOb3wn1CliGHCJrNIFqyb_wSMVM6KRzJyPV6SRchEmyRKnh0-MWZ85AALs6LXnEDDJesm3u/s640/20130917_190803.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lamp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from a dining room chair</td></tr>
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What you're seeing is a generic, boring rice paper lamp shade, wearing the Sunday comics. Pinterest didn't warn me about the nuances of this project, so I'll share what I learned.</div>
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First, cut your paper into strips. I used one Washington Post Sunday comics section (4 pages, 8 sides), sliced up by a shredder. Consider cutting them about 1/2" to 3/4" wide, not 1/4 inch like mine. Wider will give you more coverage and be way easier to work with.</div>
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Next, hang your lamp shade over a work surface, in arms reach.</div>
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After that, prepare glue in a shallow bowl. I used regular white glue, diluted 50% with water. Dip the paper into the glue, then run it through your fingers to strip the extra glue back into the bowl. You want the paper to be wet, but not soggy.</div>
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Lay each strip, one by one onto the paper lampshade. This is where the advice 'use paper 1/2" to 3/4" comes from.' With the shredded comics, this took upwards of two hours, executed in 30 minute intervals. It's a very zen project as my hands were covered in glue so I couldn't play with my phone or do anything other than paper mache the lampshade.... And I am a bit obsessive, so the focus of this project was nice. But two hours seems excessive in the long run. Your mileage may vary.</div>
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I love the scale of the lamp in the room, and the light it gives is perfect. It's nicely filtered nicely through the paper shade and the comics, and it makes me smile every time I pass by. While I did this project to hide the tears in the lampshade (which it did perfectly), it ended up beatifying the space and making the large room more intimate. Time to invite folks for dinner!</div>
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-10009921095871569962013-09-15T17:57:00.000-04:002014-01-25T20:27:34.641-05:00Classic Movies for every modern childMr. Unwired and I have been hosting movie night for our kids for over a year now. For background, our kids are media deprived-- they don't have their own electronics beside e-readers, and they rarely are allowed to borrow ours. No TV or Wii on school days, and little computer time unless for school.<br />
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Sad, isn't it?<br />
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So deprived.<br />
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Instead, they read, do puzzles, shoot each other (and us) with nerf guns, play card games, and fight, just like my brother and I did. We lived. And so will they.<br />
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But there came a point when we realized that their cultural education was lacking. The media (mostly movies) they saw at camp or at their friends was G-rated dreck. When the kids watched TV at home, they mostly saw science programming. The kids weren't seeing any of the good stuff we watched as kids.<br />
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There are a ton of classics that are tame by modern standards, and a lot of fun to watch. This way, we like movie night too!<br />
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Listed below are the movies through which we selected to <strike>warp our childrens brains</strike> educate our children, sharing the good stuff we watched as kids, and then some. Most of these we streamed from Amazon or Netflix, and many are available free from the local library.<br />
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For a decent content review, check IMDB's parental reviews. Many movies have a catalog of each bad word, sexual innuendo and aggressive moment. If one isn't there, I can tell you that the movies we've watched might have some bad words (my kids know not to repeat them), mild violence (no spurting blood or gunfights) and a few sexual situations that are over the boys heads. <br />
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<u>Classic Movies for every modern child:</u><br />
Dr. Doolittle<br />
Three Amigos<br />
Young Frankenstein (pacing is slow, but funny)<br />
Spaceballs (more bad words than I recalled, but really funny)<br />
Superman<br />
Batman (the original 1966 version. Very campy!)<br />
Harvey<br />
Big (loved this one!)<br />
Sandlot<br />
Rookie of the Year<br />
James and the Giant Peach<br />
Bugs Life<br />
Monsters Inc<br />
Muppet Movie (I sang the entire movie, much to my kids chagrin)<br />
Muppets Take Manhattan<br />
Despicable Me<br />
Hugo (beautiful!)<br />
Back to the Future (kids loved this one!)<br />
Ghostbusters (couldn't find streaming- we bought the DVD for $3 and have watched it many times)<br />
Addams Family (a little too dark)<br />
Puss In Boots<br />
Ratatouille<br />
Up<br />
Wizard of Oz<br />
Toy Story (and sequels)<br />
Iron Giant<br />
Finding Nemo<br />
Shrek<br />
Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers- humor was not inappropriate, but mature. Kids still enjoyed it)<br />
Night at the Museum 1 and 2 (excellent)<br />
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs<br />
The Incredibles<br />
Home Alone<br />
Antz<br />
Fantastic Mr. Fox<br />
Tarzan<br />
Megamind<br />
Mrs. Doubtfire<br />
A Bugs Life<br />
Robots (one of the best we've seen!)<br />
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<u>On our list to see:</u><br />
Lion King<br />
Spellbound<br />
Who Framed Roger Rabbit<br />
How to Train Your Dragon<br />
Chicken Run<br />
Babe<br />
Hook<br />
Aladdin<br />
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Add your own to the comments below! We're always looking for more great movies to share.<br />
Post updated 1/25/14Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-26587052309055404162013-09-15T17:16:00.001-04:002013-09-15T17:23:22.326-04:00Mexican Pizza<br />
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My goals, of late, have not included blogging. But when I go to the office, a certain co-worker notes that he's looking for more recipes. He's gluten-free, so here's one for Tim!<br />
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Mexican Pizza. We eat a lot of mexican food in our house. What's not to like.... easy to prepare, easy to adjust for various tastes and dietary issues, and always delicious. </div>
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I make a rolled taco dish that's delicious (<a href="http://unwiredchef.blogspot.com/2011/07/totally-tubular-tortillas.html">here</a>). If you put them in a dish and covered them with salsa and cheese, you'd have enchiladas. And in this variation, I make them open-face, and call them pizza.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsn6RbFwbK9QQWfdfzq5GDQiLnRqjnuz711z38-Xg5tMvbDvmXEIi3t6fQi63YJYxqOtDVP8dNJRHUJejWS1kXYOAvaF8mh0x7zoq6U0NC1PvL1O3nRuvfncZgnsVVAAjjRrDXsRxWolk/s320/20130910_180647.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm ready for my cheese!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsn6RbFwbK9QQWfdfzq5GDQiLnRqjnuz711z38-Xg5tMvbDvmXEIi3t6fQi63YJYxqOtDVP8dNJRHUJejWS1kXYOAvaF8mh0x7zoq6U0NC1PvL1O3nRuvfncZgnsVVAAjjRrDXsRxWolk/s1600/20130910_180647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<u><b>Mexican Pizza</b></u><br />
serves 4</div>
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4 flour tortillas (12" size or so)-- substitute 8 corn tortillas for a GF variation</div>
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8 oz refried beans (1/2 can)</div>
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8 oz canelli beans (1/2 can- can substitute another variety you like)</div>
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8 oz cooked meat-- left-over rotisserie chicken, ground beef, chorizo, vegetarian or skip all together</div>
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8 oz shredded cheese (mexican blend or your favorite)</div>
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Heat over to 425 degrees. Lay tortillas onto baking sheets. Divide the refried beans and spread over the tortillas. Top with whole beans, then meat, then cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until the tortillas get crunchy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.</div>
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Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and any other mexican sides.<br />
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Note: The extra 1/2 can refried beans will keep in your freezer. Simply put it in freezer-safe container, and don't forget about it!</div>
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Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5469788264582011160.post-24021956496494803852012-10-25T12:20:00.005-04:002013-03-15T09:38:45.810-04:00Thirsty Thursdays- Smoothies!While I love to give my kids a choice of what to eat for breakfast (and have even developed a written menu of appropriate items), it's sometimes hard to make a decision first thing in the morning. Once again, credit goes to my red-headed friend for the idea of themed breakfasts.<br />
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This blog's title ruins the surprise, so you already know that we have christened the day 'Thirsty Thursday'. Here's how we make smoothies in my house:<br />
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<u>Basic Smoothie Recipe</u><br />
1 cup yogurt<br />
1/3 cup milk<br />
1 Tbsp cocoa powder<br />
1 Tbsp chia seeds (undetectable, and good for protein, fiber and Omega 3s)<br />
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Then, choose from at least one:<br />
7 frozen strawberries<br />
1 frozen banana<br />
1/2 cup frozen raspberries<br />
or.... another frozen fruit? Maybe mango or blueberries?<br />
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My $50, ten year old blender does not handle ice well, but works fine blending frozen fruit. This recipe contains a serving of fruit, which is more than my kids get most mornings- yogurt and milk supply calcium and protein, the cocoa adds anti-oxidents... and it's yummy. <br />
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Use whatever brand/flavor yogurt your family likes. My kids prefer it with bananas; I've been told that if you use a dark colored fruit, like blueberries, you can also add powdered spinach in order to up your intake of leafy greens. Like the flax seeds, the powdered greens don't add to the taste of the smoothie, but they do add to the nutritional content.<br />
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Drink up!<br />
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<br />Blogger Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646049861664603676noreply@blogger.com1