Nothing Doin’

Sometimes, when I have much time on my hands I end up with even more time  doing nothing.  Does that make sense?

Well, there are days when I have nothing to pre-occupy my time-- all errands done, no friends or places to visit, not even a meal to cook.  So I sit and ask myself, “what shall I do today?”

Suggestions come to mind.

• What about finishing the bead work around a bottle I started a year ago? It sits forlorn on a book shelf.

• The bookshelves could do with a little straightening up.

• Did I notice how the mint needs a little pruning?  My hair is getting to be on the long side too.

• Will I ever finish the cross stitch project you started when you first got pregnant?

• Maybe now I can finish that book I  have been reading for the last two months already. (It’s still under the bed)

On and on a litany of possibilities pour in but not attractive enough to move me to action.

In the end, I decide to do nothing.  As WTP (Winnie the Pooh) so wisely states,  “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”

---xoxoxox---

There is one thing that finally got my attention—update my blog.   

I want to send you a few nifty kitchen tips I have picked up from my mom, friends, readings and some of my own invention.  And maybe, just maybe, it will move you to use them when the time comes. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Do you have one of these in your kitchen drawers? 

It’s a pastry blender for cutting butter into the flour when making a pie crust.  You can use this to cut ground beef or pork into small pieces after browning.

Ever feel regret at money wasted when you throw an over ripe banana away? Regret no more.  Mash and freeze these bananas for use in later baking (a yummy addition to pan cake mixes).

To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring to room temperature, roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.   Even lemoncitos (calamansi) can benefit from this. The juice can be stored in the freezer and made ready whenever a recipe calls for some perking up.

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato.  The potato absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.

Cleaning up a frying pan may no longer be challenging if you put in a few drops of dish washing liquid with a cup of water. Heat up to a simmer and stir.  Set aside to cool down.  When ready, a gentle scrub is all you need to get the pan clean.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator.  It will keep for weeks.

Speaking of veggies in the ref’s veggie bin, I learned from a good neighbor that wrapping your veggies in paper before piling them in the bin keeps them moisture free. Less moisture, less rot.

But keep the tomatoes out of the fridge.  They are more flavorful if not refrigerated.

IF you have extra time, best to cool down soups or stews with meat before adding the veggies.  The fat solidifies and you can spoon most of it away. Once done, it’s back on the stove.

Craving for boiled bananas or sweet potatoes? Steam them instead.  This makes for firmer end result and eliminates the sogginess which boiling often does.

Frying can lead to a lot of splatter around the stove.  Cut the grease by covering the floor around the stove with newspaper. 

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

But what can you do to stop your tears from falling when slicing an onion?  Now that’s something I don’t know nothing about.

---xoxoxox---

While writing this piece, I felt that I could not end without a recipe to share involving nothing more complicated than the use of an empty mayonnaise jar. 

When I got interested in home-made salad dressing, I would put out an appropriate bowl, a whisk, some spoons and measuring cups.  Having whisked all the ingredients together, I then needed to transfer the dressing to a sealed container and had to wash up all of the utensils I used.

Then one day, I saw this teevee chef whipping up his salad dressing using just a mayonnaise jar.  He would proceed to fill his jar without the need for measuring spoons or cups.   After a vigorous shake of the sealed jar, he pours the dressing over some salad greens.  Any excess dressing was kept in the jar and placed in the fridge. 

Enough said already.  Do try out this honey mustard dressing when the mood hits you.

CC’s Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

Put the following in a clean mayonnaise jar:

1 ½ T mustard

2 T apple cider vinegar (or for extra zing, 1 T cider vinegar and 1 T lemon juice)

1 T honey

3 T olive oil

½ t salt

¼ t pepper

1 t sugar

1 T chopped red onions (optional)

Tighten the lid on the jar and shake away to the tune of a hot Zumba number. Recipe may be doubled and any left overs can be kept in the fridge up to three weeks.

Drizzle over lettuce or mixed greens.  Then throw in some raisins, apple slices and chopped nuts. Yum!

salad with baked Greek-style fish