Of bristles & Italian Cauliflower Bake
Volume III, No. 24 (January 29, 2006)
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006
Hate is always picking a quarrel,
But love turns a blind eye to every fault.
Proverbs 10:12
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
Use 2 kinds of bands to keep 2 kinds of bristles in tip-top shape. Use a wide rubber band (such as comes from the store containing fresh broccoli) to keep the bristles of your paintbrush pristine. For your kitchen broom, cut off the waistband of old pantyhose to avoid the bristles’ becoming askew.
You can save a good deal of energy costs for the oven by taking 2 simple precautions. First, only preheat the oven when baking bread, cake, or other pastries. Second, turn the oven off 3 minutes before the time that the recipe calls for – the residual heat will cook the food just dandy.
Loyal reader Ruan Frenette has asked how to make a clogged drain free-flowing again. Here’s how I do it: First, mix 1 quart of hottest tap water with ¼ cup of baking soda, & pour it down the drain. Follow with a cup of white vinegar at room temperature. Finally, add a quart of boiling water – that sequence should do the trick.
Do you have concrete walls – perhaps in a basement or the garage – that you would like to decorate with pictures? Neither standard nails, toggle bolts, or much of any regular hardware will do the trick. Try 4” hardwood flooring nails, originally made for hardened tin. They are denominated “4” hardened tin nails.”
Washing or dry-cleaning a 2-piece garment? If you neglect to wash the second piece, you’ll be dismayed at the color difference between the 2 pieces….
You don’t need to buy new cedar for your closet to keep it fresh & insect-free. Just sand the existing cedar!
Any liquid that you like to work with – tempura paints & white glue are just a couple of examples – can be controlled better in application if you move them into an empty roll-on deodorant bottle. Get out the ball by applying pliers to the neck – make sure no one is within shooting distance! Wash both ball & container well, & you are on your way!
You don’t have to discard & then replace music CD’s that have gotten scratched. Just wet them with a soft cloth that is barely moist. Buff along the scratch, NOT across it. Wait until it’s dry before playing the CD.
If a battery-operated appliance stops working, don’t change the batteries before you try this handy-dandy tip. Just clean the contacts – use a pencil eraser first. If that doesn’t work, use a very fine grade of sandpaper. (Crocus cloth, which seamstresses use to clean burrs off of the needleplate of a sewing machine, is ideal.)
DON’T purchase “non-stick” cookware from a thrift store, because it probably has nicks (dangerous even if they are too small to see). But, if you have such ware -- that you purchased recently, new -- , & you want a scraper to get up “messes,” try a wooden spoon that you have cut in half with a hacksaw horizontally at the middle of the spoon itself.
Here’s the low-calorie way that I enjoy potatoes & onions. I cut about 1 lb of potatoes into cubes & chop ½ large or 1 small onion. In a 2-quart pot, I cover the veggies with water, & then cover the pot itself. I set the timer for 10 minutes, & wait for steam to be emitted (just put your face about 6” from the side of the top of the pot to tell). Then I lower the flame to nearly-nothing, & set the timer for another 15 minutes. After that, I drain the water (all this entails is leaving the pot lid very slightly askew while pouring out the water – you don’t need a sieve or colander for this because you are TRYING to leave a bit of water in the pot.) Next, I put salt & pepper on the veggies (I use ½ tsp salt to 1 lb potatoes, & grind about 10 grinds of pepper on top.). I then mash the veggies with a potato masher. No, I do NOT add milk, butter, oil, or margarine. This dish tastes lush to me.
To find car-pooling partners, Google “car-pool XXX” where XXX is the name of your town or neighborhood.
RECIPE:
You may have noticed that no recipes have appeared recently. This is because Jewish Family & Children’s Services has been bringing me entrees & other food. I miss cooking, however, so you will be seeing more recipes as time passes (however, they won’t be in every issue.).
Italian Cauliflower Bake:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 T olive oil
½ large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & small pieces of stems
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
Use an oven-proof Dutch oven. Stir the food thoroughly over medium-high heat. Saute together for 5 minutes.
½ large head or 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & pieces
Add. Saute, striring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes (left whole)
Add. Stir thoroughly & take off the stovetop.
1 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed
Add on top of the rest of the food. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006
Hate is always picking a quarrel,
But love turns a blind eye to every fault.
Proverbs 10:12
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
Use 2 kinds of bands to keep 2 kinds of bristles in tip-top shape. Use a wide rubber band (such as comes from the store containing fresh broccoli) to keep the bristles of your paintbrush pristine. For your kitchen broom, cut off the waistband of old pantyhose to avoid the bristles’ becoming askew.
You can save a good deal of energy costs for the oven by taking 2 simple precautions. First, only preheat the oven when baking bread, cake, or other pastries. Second, turn the oven off 3 minutes before the time that the recipe calls for – the residual heat will cook the food just dandy.
Loyal reader Ruan Frenette has asked how to make a clogged drain free-flowing again. Here’s how I do it: First, mix 1 quart of hottest tap water with ¼ cup of baking soda, & pour it down the drain. Follow with a cup of white vinegar at room temperature. Finally, add a quart of boiling water – that sequence should do the trick.
Do you have concrete walls – perhaps in a basement or the garage – that you would like to decorate with pictures? Neither standard nails, toggle bolts, or much of any regular hardware will do the trick. Try 4” hardwood flooring nails, originally made for hardened tin. They are denominated “4” hardened tin nails.”
Washing or dry-cleaning a 2-piece garment? If you neglect to wash the second piece, you’ll be dismayed at the color difference between the 2 pieces….
You don’t need to buy new cedar for your closet to keep it fresh & insect-free. Just sand the existing cedar!
Any liquid that you like to work with – tempura paints & white glue are just a couple of examples – can be controlled better in application if you move them into an empty roll-on deodorant bottle. Get out the ball by applying pliers to the neck – make sure no one is within shooting distance! Wash both ball & container well, & you are on your way!
You don’t have to discard & then replace music CD’s that have gotten scratched. Just wet them with a soft cloth that is barely moist. Buff along the scratch, NOT across it. Wait until it’s dry before playing the CD.
If a battery-operated appliance stops working, don’t change the batteries before you try this handy-dandy tip. Just clean the contacts – use a pencil eraser first. If that doesn’t work, use a very fine grade of sandpaper. (Crocus cloth, which seamstresses use to clean burrs off of the needleplate of a sewing machine, is ideal.)
DON’T purchase “non-stick” cookware from a thrift store, because it probably has nicks (dangerous even if they are too small to see). But, if you have such ware -- that you purchased recently, new -- , & you want a scraper to get up “messes,” try a wooden spoon that you have cut in half with a hacksaw horizontally at the middle of the spoon itself.
Here’s the low-calorie way that I enjoy potatoes & onions. I cut about 1 lb of potatoes into cubes & chop ½ large or 1 small onion. In a 2-quart pot, I cover the veggies with water, & then cover the pot itself. I set the timer for 10 minutes, & wait for steam to be emitted (just put your face about 6” from the side of the top of the pot to tell). Then I lower the flame to nearly-nothing, & set the timer for another 15 minutes. After that, I drain the water (all this entails is leaving the pot lid very slightly askew while pouring out the water – you don’t need a sieve or colander for this because you are TRYING to leave a bit of water in the pot.) Next, I put salt & pepper on the veggies (I use ½ tsp salt to 1 lb potatoes, & grind about 10 grinds of pepper on top.). I then mash the veggies with a potato masher. No, I do NOT add milk, butter, oil, or margarine. This dish tastes lush to me.
To find car-pooling partners, Google “car-pool XXX” where XXX is the name of your town or neighborhood.
RECIPE:
You may have noticed that no recipes have appeared recently. This is because Jewish Family & Children’s Services has been bringing me entrees & other food. I miss cooking, however, so you will be seeing more recipes as time passes (however, they won’t be in every issue.).
Italian Cauliflower Bake:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 T olive oil
½ large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & small pieces of stems
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
Use an oven-proof Dutch oven. Stir the food thoroughly over medium-high heat. Saute together for 5 minutes.
½ large head or 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets & pieces
Add. Saute, striring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes (left whole)
Add. Stir thoroughly & take off the stovetop.
1 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed
Add on top of the rest of the food. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 1:23 PM
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