Of everyday miracles, buys of the month, helpful hints, & fried rice
A REFLECTION ON EVERYDAY MIRACLES:
“The Talmud [a set of books commenting on the first 5 books of the Bible, called by Jews the Torah] states that most often the beneficiary of a miracle does not even recognize that he was saved or what it was that saved him. Divine providence is often cloaked in natural phenomena, & the direct hand of G-d is concealed.” (Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., in LIVING EACH DAY (Artscroll [Mesorah Publications], 1992), page 51, paperback)
GREAT BUYS OF THE MONTH:
(1) This is the time of year to buy those turkeys. I spent just 49 cents per pound in a “buy one, get one free” promotion.
(2) Salvation Army’s thrift stores in many localities have a half-off sale on or near every major holiday. In today’s Veteran’s Day sale, I purchased for a total of $5.70 the following:
That I had been praying that I would find:
A black-&-white top that can be worn with either casual or dressy outfits, &
A slacks hanger that accommodates 5 pairs.
Additionally, I found & bought things that I enjoy having:
Leo Rosten’s THE JOYS OF YIDDISH,
A tension rod to hang diagonally over the bathtub, to supplement my drying rack when I hand-wash., &
2 sets of binder dividers,
In my experience, no other thrift store has bargains like these from the Salvation Army.
HELPFUL HINTS:
One can freeze anything that needs to be loose – from blueberries to hamburger patties – by placing them on a baking sheet (don’t use a cookie sheet without sides, as the items you desire to freeze will fall right off at your touch.). Once the items are frozen, you can take them off the sheet & wrap them for long-term freezing. (Remember to label what you freeze.)
If you want to light a match, & the striking surface on the box has worn away, you can use an emery board for the purpose of striking the match.
When you iron on a patch or commercial appliqué, place a sheet of aluminum foil (not much larger than the patch) underneath the clothing (with the patch on top of the clothing). The foil will increase the heat, & ensure true adhesion. Then, you can just peel it off from the back of the clothing.
Turn cans upside-down before you open them. The food that was on the bottom (before you turned the can over) will come out easily that way.
A turkey baster reserved for use with plants makes an excellent substitute for a mister. It allows you to moisten the soil around the plant without disturbing it.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
Generic Fried Rice:
The day before, prepare 4 cups of RICE (preferably BROWN) & refrigerate it once cooked. On the day upon which you plan to cook the fried rice, break up the clumps of rice with a cooking spoon.
Chop an ONION (1/2 large or 1 medium), Mince 2 cloves of GARLIC, Chop a stalk of CELERY,& Slice an inch of fresh GINGER (or ready 1 tsp of dried ginger).
Chop 1 cup of any MEAT, or shred 1 cup of POULTRY, or cube ½ pound of TOFU.
Chop up to 3 cups of any VEGETABLES (fine to mix them). [For example, in the winter, I’ve used happily everything but the outer leaves of a small cabbage, shredded & 1 carrot, grated. (If you use cabbage, save the outer leaves for stuffed cabbage.)
In the summer, I’ve successfully combined ½ lb of green beans (cut into 2” pieces), corn kernels from 2 ears of corn, & 1 jalapeno pepper (with the seeds & ribs removed)]
Scramble 3 EGGS, hard, & set aside.
Place 2 T of oil (preferably PEANUT OIL) in a Dutch oven. Saute the above onion, garlic, celery, & fresh ginger (if using fresh) till fragrant.
Add ¼ CUP SOY SAUCE & dried ginger (if using dried) to the Dutch oven. Stir. Add the MEAT & the 3 cups of VEGETABLES. Stir. Return the scrambled EGGS to the Dutch oven, then add the rice. Stir & stir again till all is incorporated.
Makes 4 hearty portions as an entrée.
“The Talmud [a set of books commenting on the first 5 books of the Bible, called by Jews the Torah] states that most often the beneficiary of a miracle does not even recognize that he was saved or what it was that saved him. Divine providence is often cloaked in natural phenomena, & the direct hand of G-d is concealed.” (Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., in LIVING EACH DAY (Artscroll [Mesorah Publications], 1992), page 51, paperback)
GREAT BUYS OF THE MONTH:
(1) This is the time of year to buy those turkeys. I spent just 49 cents per pound in a “buy one, get one free” promotion.
(2) Salvation Army’s thrift stores in many localities have a half-off sale on or near every major holiday. In today’s Veteran’s Day sale, I purchased for a total of $5.70 the following:
That I had been praying that I would find:
A black-&-white top that can be worn with either casual or dressy outfits, &
A slacks hanger that accommodates 5 pairs.
Additionally, I found & bought things that I enjoy having:
Leo Rosten’s THE JOYS OF YIDDISH,
A tension rod to hang diagonally over the bathtub, to supplement my drying rack when I hand-wash., &
2 sets of binder dividers,
In my experience, no other thrift store has bargains like these from the Salvation Army.
HELPFUL HINTS:
One can freeze anything that needs to be loose – from blueberries to hamburger patties – by placing them on a baking sheet (don’t use a cookie sheet without sides, as the items you desire to freeze will fall right off at your touch.). Once the items are frozen, you can take them off the sheet & wrap them for long-term freezing. (Remember to label what you freeze.)
If you want to light a match, & the striking surface on the box has worn away, you can use an emery board for the purpose of striking the match.
When you iron on a patch or commercial appliqué, place a sheet of aluminum foil (not much larger than the patch) underneath the clothing (with the patch on top of the clothing). The foil will increase the heat, & ensure true adhesion. Then, you can just peel it off from the back of the clothing.
Turn cans upside-down before you open them. The food that was on the bottom (before you turned the can over) will come out easily that way.
A turkey baster reserved for use with plants makes an excellent substitute for a mister. It allows you to moisten the soil around the plant without disturbing it.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
Generic Fried Rice:
The day before, prepare 4 cups of RICE (preferably BROWN) & refrigerate it once cooked. On the day upon which you plan to cook the fried rice, break up the clumps of rice with a cooking spoon.
Chop an ONION (1/2 large or 1 medium), Mince 2 cloves of GARLIC, Chop a stalk of CELERY,& Slice an inch of fresh GINGER (or ready 1 tsp of dried ginger).
Chop 1 cup of any MEAT, or shred 1 cup of POULTRY, or cube ½ pound of TOFU.
Chop up to 3 cups of any VEGETABLES (fine to mix them). [For example, in the winter, I’ve used happily everything but the outer leaves of a small cabbage, shredded & 1 carrot, grated. (If you use cabbage, save the outer leaves for stuffed cabbage.)
In the summer, I’ve successfully combined ½ lb of green beans (cut into 2” pieces), corn kernels from 2 ears of corn, & 1 jalapeno pepper (with the seeds & ribs removed)]
Scramble 3 EGGS, hard, & set aside.
Place 2 T of oil (preferably PEANUT OIL) in a Dutch oven. Saute the above onion, garlic, celery, & fresh ginger (if using fresh) till fragrant.
Add ¼ CUP SOY SAUCE & dried ginger (if using dried) to the Dutch oven. Stir. Add the MEAT & the 3 cups of VEGETABLES. Stir. Return the scrambled EGGS to the Dutch oven, then add the rice. Stir & stir again till all is incorporated.
Makes 4 hearty portions as an entrée.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 5:34 PM
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