a little update

hi there!  

so, I've been missing for a little while.  my internet has been on the fritz and some things blew up at work.  i'm way behind on lots of things, so I'm taking a break until school lets out.

see you in the summer.........

new favorite snack!

We've been having this for a snack the last few days and it is way too good for the measly calories it packs.   Here's the recipe for one, multiply for the number of hungry peeps in your kitchen.

2 Wasa crispbread crackers (I used light rye, but I'm sure any will do)

2 tblsp horseradish hummus

2 tblsp finely chopped red bell pepper

2 tsp finely chopped red onion

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

Spread one tablespoon hummus on each of the crackers.  Sprinkle one tablespoon bell pepper, one teaspoon onion and 1/2 teaspoon parsley on each cracker.  Eat.

spring cleaning: coffeepot

No conflicting thoughts on the coffeepot, thats for sure.  I love that thing.  It is, quite possibly, my favorite small appliance - beating out the tv, the hairdryer and even the iron!  Nothing fancy for me, as I tend to wear them out, just a regular Mr. Coffee with a gold filter.  I used to use the Mr. Coffee cleaner, but I never really knew what was in that stuff and why it was blue.  And why I had to be so careful not to touch it.  So, for this round of coffeepot cleaning, I used vinegar and water. Its exactly the same amount of work as using the Mr. Coffee toxic blue rinse, way cheaper and I can only imagine less carcinogenic.  I followed the instructions at Wikihow again, and learned some neat stuff, too - apparently its better to fill the reservoir with water from a pitcher than from the carafe.  Who knew?

Basically, you brew a pot of 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar with nothing but a filter in the basket.  Then run a few water only pots through until the kitchen no longer smells of salad dressing.  

Worked great, though I should really do this more often as we have terribly hard water here in South Orange.  

spring cleaning: microwave

I have conflicting thoughts about my microwave.  Its true.  I own one (looks just like this), but I rarely use it.  I didn't buy it, either.  I didn't even really want it.  But now I have it and it does come in handy every now and then, I mean, sometimes I forget to soften the butter and once or twice a year I'll eat microwave popcorn.  I think T uses it, but I'm not sure what for.

So, do I keep it "in case"?  Or do I sell it for the sake of simplicity.  Here's where I don't know if I take decluttering too far.  I do have a tiny kitchen, and more space would be nice, but its not a terribly large item and things are pretty well organized in there now.  I don't really know the answer, but I do have a plan.  After I spring clean it, I'm going to leave a dated note in there.  It will be interesting to see how long it is until I use it again.   Of course, that still doesn't help make the decision of how frequently is frequently enough to keep it...

Anyway, here are the spring cleaning steps for cleaning a microwave.

From Wikihow:

Put water and some vinegar in a microwave safe bowl.  Turn the microwave on for 5 minutes and then use a cloth to wipe out the loosened up gunk.  Wash the turntable like you would any other dish.  Easy peasy and chemical free.

Of course, if you use your microwave all the time and get it all filthy, here are some other ways to clean it:

More from wikihow

Cleaning the microwave after burning rice.  Its nasty, my Mom did that once.

More here, and some really gross things in the comments.

pizza bites

I just found out that this awesome local pizza joint (its so much more than that), Village Trattoria, here in South Orange, sells unbaked dough for anywhere between $0.50 and $2.00!  A great deal around here, I'd say.  Then a few minutes later I stumbled across this recipe at Chaos in the Kitchen  via Big Red Kitchen.  I can't wait to try this, and it seems the price is right.

maplewood restaurant week March 2-8

Click here to see the specials and scroll down for other coupons.  

free food!

IHOP is giving away free pancakes today, and you can click here for a coupon for a free sandwich from Quiznos.