Tag Archives: kitchen

Dirty job: composting

27 Jun
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…200 pounds!

For eighteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Hot Dog! A New Sink

18 Jul
Hot dog!  An old fashioned exclamation of pleasure plus the introduction to my short story.

Best value!  $1.5o foot long hot dog and soda at Costco stores (Note:  chicken caesar salads are also great for $4).  We shared this opinion with Mom, who said she had not had a hot dog in a long time.  Next thing we know, she and Dad ate hot dogs when they ate out and bought some at the grocery.  Of course when we go to the grocery, we are thinking hot dogs and buy some to take home.  The twist in the story comes, when we discovered all our condiments had expired (it had been that long since we had hot dogs at home).  
I proceed to empty contents in the compost bin, some went thru the disposal, followed by disposing the bottles for recycling.  A couple of days later…under the old sink…it smells like ketchup and mustard.  The disposal failed.  New disposal ordered…hmmm…outlet and hoses and connections should be updated…might as well replace the sink too!  (The almond finish of the old sink went with the appliances we replaced 10 years ago.)  One thing leads to another and it may start with hot dogs.  Happy National Hot Dog Day 2017, Wednesday July 19th!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Dirty job: composting

27 Sep
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…100 pounds!

For fifteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Impossible Pie

23 Feb
Impossible Broccoli Pie

Impossible Broccoli Pie

Impossible Bacon and Swiss Pie

Impossible Bacon and Swiss Pie

Here in lies recipes for 5 Impossible Pies (circa 1980)

Here in lies recipes for 5 Impossible Pies (circa 1980)

The big idea is to have a crustless pie.  The five recipes include Bacon, Turkey, Vegetable, Seafood and Pumpkin.  When it is time to pitch-in a dish at church, I usually take two.  The baking time and temperatures are the same.  Bonus:  No extra clean up.

Tags: , , , , ,

Friday Photo: I Ching No. 42 Augmenting or Increase

27 Nov
From the kitchen of Neuscwheinstein, Bavaria 2012

From the kitchen of Neuscwhanstein, Bavaria 2012

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mission organization (part 2)

23 Sep

Every so often is it time to clear, sort, clean and reorganize.  This week was one of those times.

This is where I left off in 2012!  The primary goal was to organize a pantry system (in the absence of having a designated pantry).

Mission Organization

That’s more like it!

The pantry would have served us better, if we had stayed home more and eaten out less.

The current mission started when I chose three cans of vegetables to prepare my favorite soup and 1 of 3 cans had a 2012 expiration.  Yikes!  That’s a FILO (first in, last out) not a FIFO (first in, first out) inventory system.  Now, everything has been scrutinized…including freezer and kitchen cabinets.  There were more expiration dates from 2012!

The remedy:  Significant additions to the compost and recycling bins.

Compost bin (wildlife ate thru original plastic lid)

Compost bin (wildlife ate thru original plastic lid)

Recycling bin for curbside pick up

Recycling bin for curbside pick up

Step 2:

Contents of rejected cans, boxes, bottles and packages get added to compost bin.

Step 3:

Packaging is added to recycle bin

Step 4:

Rearrange contents of cabinet for FIFO inventory.

2015 Pantry

2015 Pantry

Tags: , , , ,