Archive for Cooking

New Counter Tops

The next big project for my kitchen will be replacing the counter tops. The most popular material in the 1960′s for countertops was a plastic product called, “Formica.” This material was hardy, easy to custom fit and install, and it came in a variety of colors and patterns.

Now there are many different types of products and finishes. I think the most popular here is granite. Solid granite is heavy and fragile until installed properly. But it is beautiful and needs very little care to keep it clean and maintained.

I have not decided on getting granite. There are other products that are less expensive and look good. I’ll be looking and touching the floor samples at Home Depot tomorrow while I consider what I want to get.

Breakfast Options

Breakfast is not my favorite meal. It is a necessary evil.

I like to start my mornings with a nice cup of hot tea and maybe a piece of toasted raisin bread or an English muffin. Rarely do I want a bowl of cold cereal or a complete cooked traditional breakfast of bacon and eggs, etc.

Last night on his way home, my hubby acted on a whim and bought a dozen donuts at the local donut shop. That is a special treat for us. We only have donuts 2 or 3 times a year. I am looking forward to a jelly donut along with my tea this morning.

Keeping The Faith

I have become pretty close to several of the vendors at the one flea market that I go to when we have a Sunday with good weather to enjoy the day outside. Most of the vendors are various nice so at times I come home with something that I just couldn’t resist and was given “the deal of the day” by the more generous ones. And I have found that at the end of the day you can really get the best deals. These poor folks don’t want to pack everything up and haul it back home so you can really clean up if your timing is right.

Anyway, Lynne is one of my favorite dealers that I find myself spending a good amount of time talking with on these visits. She always sells the coolest  jewelry pieces and her prices are more than reasonable, so I usually buy at least one piece from her and give her some business. She’s a great lady and she is going through some pretty rough times right now with her husband suffering from some pretty major Ms Symptoms for the last year.

Due to this Multiple Sclerosis set back he has had to stop working, hopefully it’s temporary, and for now they spend a good amount of time at the doctors and the hospital for various treatments. So she is trying to keep his spirits up and doing all that she can for him as well as being the sole provider for the family by doing the flea markets. So of course I’m going to listen to her stories of the various meds that he is on and the newest Ms Diet that they are trying as well as buying a few nice pieces of jewelry to help her with her sales.

Now it’s my kitchen

I don’t know why, but I have a special fondness for spice racks.  Having a spice rack in my kitchen makes me feel like it is “home.”  Maybe it has to do with the thought that people in transit don’t settle down enough to bother having any kitchen spice racks.  I really enjoy seeing all of the different styles of spice racks.  My favorite ones involve those that are hidden from sight inside cabinets.

 I really like the appearance of a wall spice rack, and I used to have one that I thought was really cute.  But I got really tired of dusting all of those spice bottles!  So the last time we moved I gave that spice rack away to a friend.  Now I keep my spices in my pantry, where the dust is not as obvious!

Every time I’ve moved, there is a sense of “now this is home” once I unpack my few precious spices and set them up where they are going to be stored.  Does that sound weird to you?

No Melt Ice Cream

Cold Stone Creamery has been busy putting little gourmet ice cream shops in malls and shopping centers all over the country. I’ve tried it a couple of times. As much as I love ice cream, I can’t justified spending $5-$6 per person for a cone of ice cream.

But this morning I read that Cold Stone has invented an ice cream that does not melt. It looks like a pudding or mousse and, according to the report, still tastes like ice cream. That might be worth a try!