Of annunciations, helpful hints, making instead of buying from catalogues, & a custard entree
AN ECUMENICAL THOUGHT:
This week, Jews read the portion of Genesis that includes the recounting of the annunciation that the matriarch Sarah, at age 90, would become “the mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.” I have always wondered why this story hasn’t done more to improve Judeo-Christian relationships. For Christianity also starts with an annunciation, that of a virgin birth. Birth by parthenogenesis does not to me seem to be particularly much more outside the purview of G-d’s immanence than birth by a woman so very far past menopause ….
HELPFUL HINTS:
You’ll always be able to find the sheets that match a pillowcase if you fold the sheets & insert them into the matching pillowcase. If you have more than one bed in your house, it’s best to purchase linen in a different color for each bed so that you can identify it easily. Also, giving each family member his or her own color for towels helps to keep the laundry load down, as the towel will be more likely to dry between uses, so your family won’t always be raiding the linen closet.
A cancelled credit card for an account that you have CLOSED has its uses. (Note that I am NOT speaking about a reissued credit card, that has your on-going account number on it, for an account that remains open.) You can use it as a dough scraper when baking bread, as a scraper to get bathtub decals up, & for many other purposes where a razor blade would be too sharp.
We who sew on a machine are admonished by “the experts” to insert a new needle whenever we start a new sewing project. This is wasteful, considering that one needle costs a dollar or more. The better procedure is to continue using a needle until it breaks, & then replace it. (The experts do tell you one thing that is completely correct, & that is that you must clean the entire bobbin area, called the race, & get rid of all the thread & lint that has collected there, before you start a new project.)
To find out which gas station in your neighborhood is offering the best price per gallon, click on www.GasPriceWatch.com.
Aha! I didn’t tell you enough. In the September 24th issue of this blog, I told you how to use 2 ice-cube trays taped together to make a medications tray for yourself. I omitted to tell you the best part. Cover the trays with a plastic produce bag & tape it into place. Then, you’ll be able simply to cut away the plastic covering the one cube that has in it the meds for that day & time of day.
USE OF THINGS ON HAND: THE PLASTIC BAGS ANIMAL HOLDER:
This blog has a NEW FEATURE: How can we use things that we have on hand (or can buy very cheaply) to make items similar to those expensive doodads that catalogues sell? This will be a weekly contribution to THE PENNY ORCHID: THRIFT WITH FLAIR.
Take for example those handy-dandy animals stuffed with plastic grocery bags, into which you can insert the bags at the head end, & from which you can remove them at the tail end: Do you have a sewing machine & have you made patterns from newspaper or brown paper bags before? This project will be a cinch, then. Draw an oblong 8” wide by 18” long. Take a drinking glass and use it to round off each inner corner. What animal do you want to make? To copy the commercial ones, you would want to make the belly side of your animal. The animal that you select will probably be determined in large part by the colors you have in your box of scrap fabrics. You will also need contrasting scraps to put on the facial features & the feet. (Pieces of felt are particularly handsome; what’s more, there’s no need to finish the edges of felt.) Before you sew the side seams right sides together (leaving an opening to turn the animal right-side out), you may want to quilt a lining to the outer fabric. Use elastic at the top & bottom, leaving a 3”-round opening at both ends. With a scrap of bias binding, ribbon, or whatever narrow trim you have on hand, fashion a hanging loop at the top back of the animal. That’s that, & you’ve just saved yourself at least $11, not counting the tax, shipping & handling, & any insurance.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
FRUITED BROWN RICE WITH SOY MILK CUSTARD:
1 large cooking apple, halved, sliced in 1 direction, turned by ¼ & sliced perpendicular to the initial slices
½ c raisins (break up any clumps)
3 dried apricots (that’s just 1,2,3, for economy), snipped with kitchen shears into small pieces
1 c uncooked brown rice
2 c soymilk
½ tsp salt
1 T honey
In a 3-quart or larger saucepan, place all ingredients. Over high heat, checking frequently, bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. With lid still on, remove from heat & let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a cooking fork & serve to 2 appreciative diners as an entrée.
This week, Jews read the portion of Genesis that includes the recounting of the annunciation that the matriarch Sarah, at age 90, would become “the mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.” I have always wondered why this story hasn’t done more to improve Judeo-Christian relationships. For Christianity also starts with an annunciation, that of a virgin birth. Birth by parthenogenesis does not to me seem to be particularly much more outside the purview of G-d’s immanence than birth by a woman so very far past menopause ….
HELPFUL HINTS:
You’ll always be able to find the sheets that match a pillowcase if you fold the sheets & insert them into the matching pillowcase. If you have more than one bed in your house, it’s best to purchase linen in a different color for each bed so that you can identify it easily. Also, giving each family member his or her own color for towels helps to keep the laundry load down, as the towel will be more likely to dry between uses, so your family won’t always be raiding the linen closet.
A cancelled credit card for an account that you have CLOSED has its uses. (Note that I am NOT speaking about a reissued credit card, that has your on-going account number on it, for an account that remains open.) You can use it as a dough scraper when baking bread, as a scraper to get bathtub decals up, & for many other purposes where a razor blade would be too sharp.
We who sew on a machine are admonished by “the experts” to insert a new needle whenever we start a new sewing project. This is wasteful, considering that one needle costs a dollar or more. The better procedure is to continue using a needle until it breaks, & then replace it. (The experts do tell you one thing that is completely correct, & that is that you must clean the entire bobbin area, called the race, & get rid of all the thread & lint that has collected there, before you start a new project.)
To find out which gas station in your neighborhood is offering the best price per gallon, click on www.GasPriceWatch.com.
Aha! I didn’t tell you enough. In the September 24th issue of this blog, I told you how to use 2 ice-cube trays taped together to make a medications tray for yourself. I omitted to tell you the best part. Cover the trays with a plastic produce bag & tape it into place. Then, you’ll be able simply to cut away the plastic covering the one cube that has in it the meds for that day & time of day.
USE OF THINGS ON HAND: THE PLASTIC BAGS ANIMAL HOLDER:
This blog has a NEW FEATURE: How can we use things that we have on hand (or can buy very cheaply) to make items similar to those expensive doodads that catalogues sell? This will be a weekly contribution to THE PENNY ORCHID: THRIFT WITH FLAIR.
Take for example those handy-dandy animals stuffed with plastic grocery bags, into which you can insert the bags at the head end, & from which you can remove them at the tail end: Do you have a sewing machine & have you made patterns from newspaper or brown paper bags before? This project will be a cinch, then. Draw an oblong 8” wide by 18” long. Take a drinking glass and use it to round off each inner corner. What animal do you want to make? To copy the commercial ones, you would want to make the belly side of your animal. The animal that you select will probably be determined in large part by the colors you have in your box of scrap fabrics. You will also need contrasting scraps to put on the facial features & the feet. (Pieces of felt are particularly handsome; what’s more, there’s no need to finish the edges of felt.) Before you sew the side seams right sides together (leaving an opening to turn the animal right-side out), you may want to quilt a lining to the outer fabric. Use elastic at the top & bottom, leaving a 3”-round opening at both ends. With a scrap of bias binding, ribbon, or whatever narrow trim you have on hand, fashion a hanging loop at the top back of the animal. That’s that, & you’ve just saved yourself at least $11, not counting the tax, shipping & handling, & any insurance.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
FRUITED BROWN RICE WITH SOY MILK CUSTARD:
1 large cooking apple, halved, sliced in 1 direction, turned by ¼ & sliced perpendicular to the initial slices
½ c raisins (break up any clumps)
3 dried apricots (that’s just 1,2,3, for economy), snipped with kitchen shears into small pieces
1 c uncooked brown rice
2 c soymilk
½ tsp salt
1 T honey
In a 3-quart or larger saucepan, place all ingredients. Over high heat, checking frequently, bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. With lid still on, remove from heat & let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a cooking fork & serve to 2 appreciative diners as an entrée.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 1:46 PM
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