Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Hanging Out the Wash


I love my washline!  Hanging out my sheets on a breezy sunny day is heaven!

You don't see many wash lines anymore and some have told me, they are not aloud to have them in their neighborhoods due to zoning laws!!!!  That is preposterous!   I mean, with everyone trying to help save the planet, zoning worrying so much about  your yard (that most of us own by the way..isn't this a free country?  don't we own our own property?)

Here is a cute poem about wash lines that I got from a group I am in the other day.

 A  POEM

             A clothesline was a news forecast
              To neighbors passing by,
              There were no secrets you could keep
              When clothes were hung to dry.

             It also was a friendly link
              For neighbors always knew
              If company had stopped on by
              To spend a night or two.

             For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
              And towels upon the line;
              You'd see the "company table cloths"
              With intricate designs.

             The line announced a baby's birth
              From folks who lived inside -
              As brand new infant clothes were hung,
              So carefully with pride!

             The ages of the children could
              So readily be known
              By watching how the sizes changed,
              You'd know how much they'd grown!

             It also told when illness struck,
              As extra sheets were hung;
              Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
              Haphazardly were strung.

             It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
              When lines hung limp and bare.
              It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
              With not an inch to spare!

             New folks in town were scorned upon
              If wash was dingy and gray,
              As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
              And looked the other way .. . .

             But clotheslines now are of the past,
              For dryers make work much less.
              Now what goes on inside a home
              Is anybody's guess!

             I really miss that way of life.
              It was a friendly sign
              When neighbors knew each other best
              By what hung on the line.


You have to be a certain age to appreciate this.  I can hear my mother now ...

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:  (if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)

1.  You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes - walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

2.  You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

3.  You never hung a shirt by the shoulders  - always by the tail!. What would the neighbors think?

4..  Wash day on a Monday! . .. . Never hang clothes on the weekend, or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

5.  Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

6.   It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather  ... clothes would "freeze-dry. "

7.  Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes!  Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

8.  If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

9.  Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?!  Well, that's a whole other subject!


            

Thursday, March 25, 2010

My Attempt at Homemade Pasta ...it really is easy!



Well, I am don't have to work until tomorrow, so I am going to attempt to use my new handy dandy pasta machine I got last week. I love new kitchen toys!  I watched Giada make it using her food processor and she made it look so easy.  I have grown to love this chick, even thought her selective accent drives me nuts.  Just say Parmesan like you say everything else hunny..lol.   She also used a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer attachment to make it..looks great but pricey and I was told, it not only is hard to control when its moving on its own (you can't back up) but it puts a lot of wear and tear on the motor of your stand mixer and I baby my mixer...I got it for mixing. 
In any case, Giada made this pasta in her food processor and of course, now I cannot find the recipe and I deleted the show from the DVR...darn it.  Looking through the links on Food Network has become a time consumer for me, so I am going to just wing it using my From Biba's Italian Kitchen cookbook.  She used to be on PBS, her and Mary Ann  Esposito where the first two cooking shows I watched. Some of their cookbooks (linked) are so inexpensive on Amazon because they are older books, but surely treasures to have.  Biba  Caggiano grew up in Italy, so to me, that's Italian. There are a lot of Americanized Italian recipes, having come from Italy but slightly tweaked by each generation. 


Biba has five pages on pasta making in her From Biba's Italian Kitchen book. She has directions for making it by hand, in food processor, in mixer, etc and even making spinach and tomato pasta....I am thinking of making it this way?  Hmmm.   Maybe my first batch will be regular and then spinach (I should have done this last week for St. Patty's day!).

Now, to make cut pasta (fettuccine or something) or  stuffed pasta...ravioli?  I could even make lasagna and make it easy, just sheets of pasta.  hmmm?

Fettuccine Alfredo it is lol
 ***********************************************************************

I put 3 Cups of unbleached all purpose flour in my food processor...in a bowl, combined 4 eggs and 1 T course salt and 1 T olive oil in a bowl, whisked together and then I dumped it in the food processor.  Pulsed a few times, then whirled it on full speed for a minute.  Looked like a course cornmeal.  I dumped it onto a floured board and kneaded it for about 3 minutes into a smooth ball.  Wrapped in plastic and let set for 30 mins (good time to get the water pot ready and start on the sauce.

I cut the dough into sections and flatten out slightly.  roll it on setting one through the pasta machine...fold in half, roll again, three or four times. Then, onto setting two, two times...then three, and four all the way to six.
Switch my handle to the cutting machine...and cut the fettuccine...hubby said, next time, cut it smaller first...they were 2-5 feet long lol.

This recipe made about  the equivalence of a one pound box of pasta.



 That is the background there is my key lime tree I am growing...While making a margarita one day, I was cutting a key lime and decided to put that seed in the post my grandmother had given me before they moved to Texas (the plant that was in it had just died, didn't like that window I guess).  Anyway, the key lime tree thrives there. I am always pruning it back. Don't ya love the retro red board wall?  My whole kitchen, wainscot and radiators and all were painted fire engine red when I bought my house. I vowed to keep some red for the woman we purchased the house from who was 91 and going into an old age home (and she was born in this house, tell me my well water is bad? LOL)





I was so excited and proud of myself that I made pasta.  I attempted it years ago, when my husband and I lived in a tiny apartment and had a kitchen the size of a box lol.  I had no pasta machine, nor did I have a food processor...talk about rustic pasta lol.

For my next trick, homemade lasagna...maybe after work tomorrow!  I had so much fun, I surely won't let the cobwebs develop on this kitchen toy!  I am very glad I was warned to be wary of the kitchen aid attachment because I don't think I cold have kept up with it.





Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Parmesan Cheese Crisps

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I had a friend come over a few years ago and bring parmesan crisps. Everyone thought they were odd. Some people loved them and some people hated them. I loved them!

No need for a silpat or even parchment paper...if you have a baking stone, and a cheese grater, you have all you need (well, ingredients are always key lol).

You can add a spice to them or leave them plain. Snack on them alone, or garnish dishes with them (salads, steaks, soups etc). Bake them flat and lay them out flat to cool or if you want, lay them over a small glass bowl or something and let them cool into a cup like shape..or roll into a cone to cool and they will harden in that shape.

I simple grate my parmesan cheese into a 2 cup bowl and then sprinkle into small circles...should be a thin layer...little holes in them are so cute. (see pics) I also used my cheese knife to cut my blog of Parmesan Cheese down a bit.



Yes, this dark thing is my baking stone...and they won't stick to it, not even a newer one! You can add some herbs to it, fresh herbs look great, I saw it on Martha Stewart once...but I am out of basil, so I used dried. I mounded the cheese on them and then spread it around a bit with my fingers so it was nearly see through to the stone.
Here are some pics of crisps I found online. My kids and I wolfed ours down before I remembered to take any pics ...that's the story of my life lol.



Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Keeping a Food Diary Doubles Weight Loss






Are you struggling to lose weight...or wondering why you can't close your pants anymore....(pregnant women need not apply lol). I have said this time and time again...you MUST keep a food diary. It does not take long to write down what you eat, and if you can't take the time to write it, then you aren't interested in losing weight. And guys, positioning the waist of your pants below your gut is noticeable! You aren't fooling anyone!


Do not make excuses....write it down and make sure you are honest...if you eat two servings...by golly...you have to track that! If you don't, you are only fooling yourself. No one believes that a heavy person works out hard and eats right.

Start keeping a food diary today and don't forget to move!

And by all means...DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF ANYTHING....everything in moderation, its a lifestyle change, not a diet.


Here is a great article I found online.....


Keeping a Food Diary Doubles Weight Loss

Dieters Who Keep Track of What They Eat Lose Weight Twice as Fast


Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Fitness/story?id=5327486&page=1

Dieters may be able to take solace in the fact that one of the most powerful weight-loss tools available may be as close as a pen and paper.

In a recent study by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, participants who kept food journals lost almost double the weight of their non-journaling counterparts.

And at a time when Americans spend $35 billion a year on weight-loss products -- a figure larger than the gross domestic product of most developing countries -- the finding could be good news for those searching for an inexpensive route to a healthier weight.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, focused on the efficacy of various behavioral weight-loss interventions in more than 1,500 overweight and obese adults. Participants were schooled on lifestyle interventions, which included weekly group sessions, regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, reduced alcohol consumption and the use of food diaries.

After five months, participants lost an average of almost 13 pounds -- a significant amount, according to physicians. However, those who used a food diary more than five days a week lost almost twice as much weight as those who didn't. And perhaps more impressively, they kept the weight off.

When keeping food diaries, dieters write down, for better or worse, every calorie that passes through their lips each day.

Frank Bitzer, a 64-year-old retired project manager and study subject, lost 26 pounds during the study, and his cholesterol dropped to healthy levels. Today, four years after the end of the study, he has kept off 20 pounds and continues to feel the positive health effects. Asked about his experiences with keeping a food diary, he described it as "enlightening." He attributed much of his success to the ability to gain immediate information and "see the error of your ways.

"It enabled me to see how much of an impact it made with even just a slight change in your diet, such as having a bowl of ice cream or a fast-food cheeseburger," he says. "That can really skew your calorie intake."

Another successful dieter, Carol Nelson of Hewlett, N.Y., credits food journals with helping her lose almost 20 pounds in six months. Now, thanks to her weight loss, she expects her doctor to cut the dose of Metformin, her diabetes medication, in half.

"It really started with the food journals," she says. "Now it's in my head. By keeping food journals for so many months, the pattern for eating is with me."

Why the Pen Is Mightier Than the Pounds

But why do the diaries work? Experts agree that the ultimate value lies in the formation of a "foundation of personal accountability." Almost everyone agrees that accountability is the most important ingredient behind any successful lifestyle change, including weight loss.

Dr. Patrick O'Neil, director of the Weight Management Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, agrees. "Most of us don't really know how much we eat and drink; we have very charitable memories," he says.


In short, he explains, food diaries force an increased awareness of habits and eating patterns. By allowing patients to follow their eating patterns throughout the day, the visual diary can highlight pitfalls that may have previously gone unnoticed by a dieter.

Additionally, when clinicians such as physicians or dietitians review a diary, they can often point out problematic cues, triggers and habits that may be contributing to weight gain. The increased awareness and knowledge allows for targeted problem-solving to improve these troublesome situations. As O'Neil says, "Sometimes a little Monday-morning quarterbacking makes for a better score the next weekend."

Madelyn Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh Weight Management Center agrees, adding that food diaries help in "transferring that written record into a permanent mental database."

When Diaries Alone Are Not Enough

Study author Dr. Victor Stevens says that the power of food diaries lies in their flexibility, allowing them to be tailored for accountability for different goals -- from calorie counting to diet quality to overall assessment of eating habits.


But when it comes to a comprehensive weight management strategy, they may not be enough. Stevens suggests that in addition to using a food diary, some dieters may benefit further from joining an organized weight-loss program that provides social commitment and accountability.

If no formal programs are available, he says, "get organized with some friends and make a commitment to help each other."

Remember, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie....be honest about your serving sizes...if you ate two, count two!
  • 1 gram of carbohydrates=4 calories
  • 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
  • 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
You can keep track in free printable pages or even keep track in this cute food diary that fits in your purse for taking everywhere.
Little Black Book ~ Daily Food Diary®.


some free printable food diaries online..

http://www.thecolumn.org/food-diary.pdf (this one asks your mood!)

http://www.mealsmatter.org/images/articles/mm_food_diary.pdf

http://www.myfit.ca/printable_food_diary.htm

http://www.anti-aging-guide.org/images/weight-watchers-food-diary.gif

http://walking.about.com/library/day/xdiary.htm

There are many more...I could go on for days posting them. Pick one you like and start keeping track.....do not lie to yourself. This is for you, not for anyone to judge you..but you have to know how many calories you are eating in a day tolose weight.

Calculate your BMI
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 years.
BMI can be used to indicate if you are overweight, obese, underweight or normal. A healthy BMI score is between 20 and 25. A score below 20 indicates that you may be underweight; a value above 25 indicates that you may be overweight.
You can calculate your BMI by using our BMI Calculator below, or by using the BMI Formula.
Please remember, however, that this is only one of many possible ways to assess your weight. If you have any concerns about your weight, please discuss them with your physician, who is in a position, unlike this BMI calculator, to address your specific individual situation.


Calculate your BMR
You use energy no matter what you're doing, even when sleeping. The BMR Calculator will calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day.
If you've noticed that every year, it becomes harder to eat whatever you want and stay slim, you've also learnt that your BMR decreases as you age. Likewise, depriving yourself of food in hopes of losing weight also decreases your BMR, a foil to your intentions. However, a regular routine of cardiovascular exercise can increase your BMR, improving your health and fitness when your body's ability to burn energy gradually slows down.


Friday, March 19, 2010

Genius Lid Storage Idea

Lid Racks

Another Genius Idea from Martha in my inbox this am.

Pots take up the least space when you nest them, but that leaves the lids with no place to go. Give them a home of their own by installing metal towel bars inside your pantry door. Don't use fancy or bulky bars -- look for simple ones that stand out about 2 inches; mount them only to the rails of solid-core wooden doors. To hang a lid, slide it behind the bar so the knob or handle catches and holds the lid in place.

Idea snagged from Martha's site.
http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/lid-racks?xsc=eml_org_2010_03_19

Who'd've Thunk It Pie Carrier





Easter is just around the bend and if you are taking any pies to Easter Dinner, here is a cool way to transport them. I got this from MarthaStewart.com She has a great site that you can save projects you like, recipes in a recipe box etc. http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_14

Hostess Gift Ideas

Pie Carrier

A freshly baked pie is always a welcome gift -- even more so when it comes wrapped inside this unusual but sensible container. A bamboo steamer is the ideal size to transport a pie to your hostess's door and can hold two pies at once. After placing a lid on the steamer, secure with a piece of twill tape tied in a bow.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Balance an Egg on the Equinox


Balance an Egg on the Equinox

Link to site I found this on above


Balancing an egg on its end is a matter of skill, not astronomy. (Steve Lewis, Getty Images)Saturday, March 20, 2010 is the vernal equinox, which marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Are you familiar with the urban legend that it's easier to balance an egg on end on the equinox than on other days of the year?

Test it and see!

This vernal equinox one of the two times during the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and the spin axis of the Earth points 90 degrees away from the sun. Why should this affect your ability to balance an egg on end? The premise is that aligning the gravitational pull of the Sun with that from the center of the Earth should somehow make it easier to balance any object.

Test the Hypothesis Yourself

Take a carton of eggs and try balancing the eggs on end today. Can you stand any of them up (without resorting to tricks like putting salt under the eggs)? Can you stand eggs on their small ends as well as their large ends? Keep track of your results and repeat the process on the equinox. Do you note any differences? A simple hypothesis to test is: Eggs can only be balanced on-end on the equinox. If you can balance an egg today, you've disproven the hypothesis. It's that easy!

One thing I find neat about egg-balancing is that a balanced egg will hold its position until a vibration knocks it down. How long can you keep an egg standing?