Of Jewish High Holy Days & French Ground Turkey
Volume III, No. 10
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2005
Jews everywhere commemorate the ten Days of Awe this week & next. The New Year, Rosh haShanah, is celebrated at home with a challah (egg bread) baked round instead of the standard braid. Apples are dipped in honey for a sweet year. There are also special synagogue services for these 2 days. There is a custom of throwing bread crumbs into a lake or other body of water, to cast one’s sins away.
Next week, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur will fall on the 13th. This is a fast day (no liquids, either). Some people wear white that day, the color of purification. Synagogue services are nearly continuous. At the end of the day, the ram’s horn is sounded for the final time during the Days of Awe, & everyone breaks the fast in a festive atmosphere.
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
When purchasing women’s clothing, look for wide hems & seam allowances. You’ll be able to let out the hems & seams if styles change. However, circular skirts (gored or full) need to retain narrow hems to flare properly.
Use the liquid left in a pickle jar to flavor veggies. I put thin carrot coins in. A week later, I stir them & enjoy! (Keep these in the fridge.)
Do you have an umbrella stand in your home or office? A major nuisance is pouring out the accumulated water. Try this: Put sponges (glued together to fit) in the bottom of the stand. It is much easier to wring out the sponges periodically than to pour out accumulated liquid
Another use for those pesky bread bag tabs. If you knit, use different colors of the tabs as markers for the stitches & rows. (By the way, do you know why the tabs come in different colors? Each color is coded for a “pull date” to indicate to grocers how fresh the bread is. Unfortunately, different bakeries use different codes ….)
While it’s true that putting hot leftovers into the fridge to chill uses up a lot of energy, cooling down the food quickly is essential for avoiding food poisoning. Best bet: Place the pan of food into a larger container (such as a dishpan) filled with cold water, & wait until the pan has cooled before placing it in the fridge.
To be able to reuse a food can (such as a tuna can for cutting out biscuits or a coffee container for steaming Boston brown bread), you need to be certain that the edges are completely smooth. Use a metal nail file (from your nail-care set) to take care of this.
Recycle a plastic milk jug to make a handy case to weave through your belt, to hold your electric drill or otther tool that you want to keep close at hand. Just
remove the neck from the bottle & then cut it diagonally, ending at approximately the half-way mark.
In the market for carpeting? Before you spring for new carpets, inquire around to determine whether there is used floor covering for sale. You might post an ad, or phone local dealers to see whether they have what you are looking for. To get a better price yet, check with remodeling & construction companies, as well as agencies that rent furniture, or, landlords of short-term “suites” for business people who plan only short stays in town. You get the picture!
To keep produce fresher longer in the crisper drawers of your fridge, thoroughly wet a clean sponge, & then squeeze it relatively dry. Put one in each crisper drawer. When it gets dry, repeat.
Want to save on the cost of facial cosmetic powder? Store it in a flour shaker (large version of a salt shaker). Whenever you want to use it, shake out the amount you desire into your palm, & apply it with a make-up brush.
Do you have tiles in your bathroom (whether floor or wall) that are ugly, because their grout is stained? Sandpaper can come to the rescue! Just smooth the grout with a light application of the sandpaper. Naturally, you can do the same with kitchen tiles.
Heavens, do you know why professionals always mat art that they are framing? It’s because the artwork needs a chance to breathe, so cannot be flush against the picture glass. If you frame your own art, be sure to use a mat.
RECIPE:
French Ground Turkey
3 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c olive oil
Saute, in a Dutch oven, on medium heat, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.
4 medium fresh tomatoes (about 1 lb.), sliced, OR a 14.5-oz can of tomatoes, UNDRAINED, cut into small pieces with a pair of kitchen shears (while still in the can)
3 small (“boiling”) potatoes, in 1” cubes
Add. Cook for 12 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally.
1 lb ground turkey (thawed if frozen)
1 tsp EACH sage, & thyme
½ T (1-1/2 tsp) salt
¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper, or freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Add. Turn to high, stirring continuously, for 5 min. Turn heat to medium, cover, & cook for 15 minutes more.
Serves 5-6.
.
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2005
Jews everywhere commemorate the ten Days of Awe this week & next. The New Year, Rosh haShanah, is celebrated at home with a challah (egg bread) baked round instead of the standard braid. Apples are dipped in honey for a sweet year. There are also special synagogue services for these 2 days. There is a custom of throwing bread crumbs into a lake or other body of water, to cast one’s sins away.
Next week, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur will fall on the 13th. This is a fast day (no liquids, either). Some people wear white that day, the color of purification. Synagogue services are nearly continuous. At the end of the day, the ram’s horn is sounded for the final time during the Days of Awe, & everyone breaks the fast in a festive atmosphere.
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
When purchasing women’s clothing, look for wide hems & seam allowances. You’ll be able to let out the hems & seams if styles change. However, circular skirts (gored or full) need to retain narrow hems to flare properly.
Use the liquid left in a pickle jar to flavor veggies. I put thin carrot coins in. A week later, I stir them & enjoy! (Keep these in the fridge.)
Do you have an umbrella stand in your home or office? A major nuisance is pouring out the accumulated water. Try this: Put sponges (glued together to fit) in the bottom of the stand. It is much easier to wring out the sponges periodically than to pour out accumulated liquid
Another use for those pesky bread bag tabs. If you knit, use different colors of the tabs as markers for the stitches & rows. (By the way, do you know why the tabs come in different colors? Each color is coded for a “pull date” to indicate to grocers how fresh the bread is. Unfortunately, different bakeries use different codes ….)
While it’s true that putting hot leftovers into the fridge to chill uses up a lot of energy, cooling down the food quickly is essential for avoiding food poisoning. Best bet: Place the pan of food into a larger container (such as a dishpan) filled with cold water, & wait until the pan has cooled before placing it in the fridge.
To be able to reuse a food can (such as a tuna can for cutting out biscuits or a coffee container for steaming Boston brown bread), you need to be certain that the edges are completely smooth. Use a metal nail file (from your nail-care set) to take care of this.
Recycle a plastic milk jug to make a handy case to weave through your belt, to hold your electric drill or otther tool that you want to keep close at hand. Just
remove the neck from the bottle & then cut it diagonally, ending at approximately the half-way mark.
In the market for carpeting? Before you spring for new carpets, inquire around to determine whether there is used floor covering for sale. You might post an ad, or phone local dealers to see whether they have what you are looking for. To get a better price yet, check with remodeling & construction companies, as well as agencies that rent furniture, or, landlords of short-term “suites” for business people who plan only short stays in town. You get the picture!
To keep produce fresher longer in the crisper drawers of your fridge, thoroughly wet a clean sponge, & then squeeze it relatively dry. Put one in each crisper drawer. When it gets dry, repeat.
Want to save on the cost of facial cosmetic powder? Store it in a flour shaker (large version of a salt shaker). Whenever you want to use it, shake out the amount you desire into your palm, & apply it with a make-up brush.
Do you have tiles in your bathroom (whether floor or wall) that are ugly, because their grout is stained? Sandpaper can come to the rescue! Just smooth the grout with a light application of the sandpaper. Naturally, you can do the same with kitchen tiles.
Heavens, do you know why professionals always mat art that they are framing? It’s because the artwork needs a chance to breathe, so cannot be flush against the picture glass. If you frame your own art, be sure to use a mat.
RECIPE:
French Ground Turkey
3 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c olive oil
Saute, in a Dutch oven, on medium heat, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.
4 medium fresh tomatoes (about 1 lb.), sliced, OR a 14.5-oz can of tomatoes, UNDRAINED, cut into small pieces with a pair of kitchen shears (while still in the can)
3 small (“boiling”) potatoes, in 1” cubes
Add. Cook for 12 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally.
1 lb ground turkey (thawed if frozen)
1 tsp EACH sage, & thyme
½ T (1-1/2 tsp) salt
¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper, or freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Add. Turn to high, stirring continuously, for 5 min. Turn heat to medium, cover, & cook for 15 minutes more.
Serves 5-6.
.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 10:22 AM
<< Home