Careful readers may remember that one of my books last Quarter was It's Not You, It's the Dishes: How to Minimize Conflict and Maximize Happiness in Your Relationship, a Father's day gift from Worldwide. One of the points the authors make in the book is that couples often have a division of labor that is well understood, but nevertheless unarticulated. And though they don't begrudge the division, each harbors a tiny bit of resentment that a given task is not fully appreciated in its contribution to household bliss
In our kitchen, for example, I usually (my estimate is 95% of the time, but people tend to have a higher opinion of themselves than is warranted in these cases) empty the dishwasher, while Worldwide wipes down counters and cleans the floor, although for some reason the stovetop is my responsibility.
Her tools of choice for these tasks are those disinfecting "wipes" for the countertops, and the wet "Swiffer" for the floor. I've never fully understood why the wipes are better than a paper towel and a bottle of cleaner, and I've never used the Swiffer, preferring the traditional mop the two or three times I've cleaned the kitchen floor over the last three years. In fact, on more than one occasion, having been asked to add Swiffer cloths to the grocery list, I have come home with the wrong product.
This morning I was faced with a conundrum. You may recall a June post about our cantankerous coffee maker. I've taken to not setting the timer in order to avoid the occasional Lake o'Joe in the kitchen, but things have been going without incident of late, so, diving straight into the Sunday paper (See how Tom Friedman echoes my position on natural gas) I did not notice the malfunction until I waded into the kitchen for my first cup of the day.
I soaked up the overflow with a sponge and a paper towel, but there was a noticeable brown residue left on the floor. Luckily, Worldwide had arranged for our housekeeping service to come on Monday (ensuring her return to a presentable abode) so I knew that they would handle the unsightliness.
But how in good conscience, could I leave a mess for the housekeepers to clean up? Wrestling with the economics and the psychology of this dilemma, I decided to do a quick once-over with the Swiffer. It took awhile to figure out how to attach the cloth to the mop, but after I did, the tool took care of the problem in two shakes of a lamb's tail, as my grandmother would say.
I'm not making any kind of point about how easy this job is. Our kitchen hosts a lot of activity, so keeping it clean requires continuous attention. I get that. I'm just giving the wet Swiffer a little plug, and I'm glad that I won't have to admit in the future that I don't know how to load it.
Big D in the House
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Chicken Biryani
One of my favourite things about cooking is the challenge of making something out of what's on hand. I'm a bit of a hoarder, though, so I've usually got a full pantry and freezer to complement whatever's staring back at me from inside the refrigerator. And with Worldwide and the Gs away, I don't run the risk of abuse for one of my experiments going wrong, which they sometimes do. "Really dad? A peanut butter cup smoothie? That's gross."
Yesterday I was looking at a half-empty bag of Trail mix. I had taken out a couple of boneless chicken breasts earlier in the morning, not sure what I was going to do to them. But looking at the bag of raisins, nuts and coconut shreds, I had an idea: The Penzeys Chicken biryani recipe is a good one, although I don't make it too often these days (thanks to the vegetarian and spice averse members of the family). Would a smattering of nuts make it better?
Short answer: not really. Maybe a little. The nuts were a bit stale, and I think if I did it again, I'd toast them first, but that would have involved picking them out of the trail mix, which seems excessive, even for me. But it looked pretty, used up something headed to the compost bin, and I didn't have to make a trip to the store.
*I also used brown rice, instead of basmati, in keeping with my quest to eat more whole grain. That part, I liked.
Yesterday I was looking at a half-empty bag of Trail mix. I had taken out a couple of boneless chicken breasts earlier in the morning, not sure what I was going to do to them. But looking at the bag of raisins, nuts and coconut shreds, I had an idea: The Penzeys Chicken biryani recipe is a good one, although I don't make it too often these days (thanks to the vegetarian and spice averse members of the family). Would a smattering of nuts make it better?
Short answer: not really. Maybe a little. The nuts were a bit stale, and I think if I did it again, I'd toast them first, but that would have involved picking them out of the trail mix, which seems excessive, even for me. But it looked pretty, used up something headed to the compost bin, and I didn't have to make a trip to the store.
*I also used brown rice, instead of basmati, in keeping with my quest to eat more whole grain. That part, I liked.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Go Bullets!
I'm gonna blow your mind...
- 81% of the world's Jewish population (14 million) live in the US and Israel (about 5 million in each).
- There are 12 aircraft carriers in the world. One is under construction in China, the other 11 belong to the United States. T. Boone Pickens on why we need to switch the economy to natural gas now, and not wait for the next big thing.
- Elvis Costello has a lauded autobiography that is not available. His all day playlist is though.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Bunk Notes IV
Hi Sweetie,
Are you chillin' with chinchillas? Have you met the kangaroo?
Are the dinners veggie-friendly? Do you have enough to do?
Is your cabin nice and cozy? Does the girl above you snore?
Do the animals sneak out at night and knock upon your door?
Do polar bears take dips at dawn? Do night owls stay up late?
Do foxes show up unannounced to ask you on a date?
I've never been to critter camp, so I don't really know,
But from the things that you've described, I think I'd like to go!
So do your dad a solid, take a minute of your time
And dash me off a note to help the picture in my mind.
Baggin' Groceries
There are four grocery stores in my life right now: Harris Teeter, Kroger, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Each has a point of difference: Kroger is the least expensive, but the most inconvenient and I do not like its produce; Whole Foods is the most expensive, but it has the highest overall quality and sells grains and spices in bulk; Trader Joe's has the best selection of value-priced wine, but it is not a real supermarket; and Harris Teeter is the most convenient and has the best overall mix of price and quality, but nothing that stands out. So it's the store I'm in most often. Probably 1.6 times a week, with visits to each of the others every 2-4 weeks.
One interesting thing about Kroger, though, is that it has the best selection of international products. Maybe it has a more diverse client base, or the advantage of a larger distribution network and building footprint, given the size of the company and the store's location in the middle of nowhere. But whatever the reason, the proof is in the pudding.
So I was delighted last week to find a jar of quality jerk paste, straight outta Kingston. I had made a quick barbeque sauce with ketchup, lime juice and the paste for chicken earlier, and last night, I rubbed some of the paste on some lamb chops, which I grilled while my beans and rice were cooking, finishing them up with the last of the sauce.
I usually make this with white rice, and I'll use vegetable broth instead of chicken if I'm making it for the BG, but with the Gs away, and still not too far removed from Food Matters, I made it with brown rice last night, and the results were pretty satisfying. I got the original recipe ten years ago from someplace called caribshop.com, which doesn't seem to exist anymore. I've modified it a little to make it incredibly simple. If you're making it with white rice, reduce the total liquid to 4 cups, and the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
Jamaican Style Beans and Rice
Put two cups brown rice in a medium size pot. Drain the liquid from a can of pinto beans into a large measuring cup and put the beans into the pot. Add 1 can of coconut milk and enough chicken stock to the bean liquid make about 4 1/4 cups. Add the liquid to the pot, along with one small onion, diced, one clove of garlic, minced, a sprig of thyme and hot sauce to taste (I used about a tablespoon of Sriracha). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes.
One interesting thing about Kroger, though, is that it has the best selection of international products. Maybe it has a more diverse client base, or the advantage of a larger distribution network and building footprint, given the size of the company and the store's location in the middle of nowhere. But whatever the reason, the proof is in the pudding.So I was delighted last week to find a jar of quality jerk paste, straight outta Kingston. I had made a quick barbeque sauce with ketchup, lime juice and the paste for chicken earlier, and last night, I rubbed some of the paste on some lamb chops, which I grilled while my beans and rice were cooking, finishing them up with the last of the sauce.
I usually make this with white rice, and I'll use vegetable broth instead of chicken if I'm making it for the BG, but with the Gs away, and still not too far removed from Food Matters, I made it with brown rice last night, and the results were pretty satisfying. I got the original recipe ten years ago from someplace called caribshop.com, which doesn't seem to exist anymore. I've modified it a little to make it incredibly simple. If you're making it with white rice, reduce the total liquid to 4 cups, and the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
Jamaican Style Beans and Rice
Put two cups brown rice in a medium size pot. Drain the liquid from a can of pinto beans into a large measuring cup and put the beans into the pot. Add 1 can of coconut milk and enough chicken stock to the bean liquid make about 4 1/4 cups. Add the liquid to the pot, along with one small onion, diced, one clove of garlic, minced, a sprig of thyme and hot sauce to taste (I used about a tablespoon of Sriracha). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Big Beat
I've written a couple of times before (here and here) about the annoying repetitiveness of the radio in the Triangle. Taking Care of Business and Margaritaville--both perfectly fine songs, are now ruined for me, due to the fact that the local classic rock station seems to play each several times a day.
In light of this, I was delighted to hear Billy Squier's fist-pumping The Stroke today, a song that I'm not sure I've heard since 1982, when it was a favourite of the DJs at CACH, the radio station at my high school. This, in turn, got me to thinking about Mr. Squier, and I was glad to learn, via Wikipedia, that he's still going strong, most recently as a member of Ringo Starr's touring band. Then I remembered a reference to a "Billy Squier big beat" in my favourite Jungle Brothers song, and when I entered exactly that into my search bar, I came across the following song, which I'd never heard before.
I then wondered if the artist had been sampled elsewhere. Using the invaluable whosampled.com, I learned that he had been sampled hundreds of times, including in the seminal Roxanne, Roxanne, which introduced me to the Educated Rapper (and izzle bizzle) in the 1980s. Plate of shrimp.
In light of this, I was delighted to hear Billy Squier's fist-pumping The Stroke today, a song that I'm not sure I've heard since 1982, when it was a favourite of the DJs at CACH, the radio station at my high school. This, in turn, got me to thinking about Mr. Squier, and I was glad to learn, via Wikipedia, that he's still going strong, most recently as a member of Ringo Starr's touring band. Then I remembered a reference to a "Billy Squier big beat" in my favourite Jungle Brothers song, and when I entered exactly that into my search bar, I came across the following song, which I'd never heard before.
I then wondered if the artist had been sampled elsewhere. Using the invaluable whosampled.com, I learned that he had been sampled hundreds of times, including in the seminal Roxanne, Roxanne, which introduced me to the Educated Rapper (and izzle bizzle) in the 1980s. Plate of shrimp.
| Samples | Covers |
| As an Artist |  | Tracks that sampled Billy Squier [131] |
| As a Producer |  | Tracks that sampled music produced by Billy Squier [125] |
Tracks that Sampled Billy Squier
[131]| Sort | ||
Bunk Notes, Part III
BG weighs in from animal camp:
My response:
Hi Evie!
Your chinchillas sound darling! I understand that their fur is incredibly soft. I'm also told that in South America people wrap them around their feet at night in the winter to stay cozy.
Actually I made that up.
Quiet around here. Bubbles is auditioning for a job as my alarm clock. She comes in and mewls every morning around 7 am. Maybe you would prefer that to song of the day.
Nene and Kevin are both playing well in the Olympics. France actually upset Argentina yesterday.
My new blender/chopper makes great smoothies. Happy birthday to me! Today's special is blackberry mango.
Thanks for writing. I miss you of course, but I'm delighted to hear that you are having fun. I am looking forward to another trip to St. Louis in a couple of weeks, but I am happy to avoid airports for awhile after last week's adventure.
Keep the news coming. Here's a little song for you to sing.
You're at Cub Creek, for 2 more weeks,
Makin' friends who have fur and tails and bee-e-eaks.
Your second camp. You're very tan,
Learning how to be a junior veterinarian.
Everyone else is away from home now,
Everyone else but me.
Evie I'm glad that you're enjoying summer camp,
On a quest to be this year's vacation champ.
The exclamation points sprinkled throughout your note,
Let me know, oh-oh, that Cub Creek has got your vote.
Subject: CAMP!
Message: Hello dad! Sorry I didn't write un'till now but I have been having so much fun! I have adopted 2 chichillas.i is gray name StarDust the other one is black and named Monica. My othercouse is Jr.Vet.
I love you! WRITE ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Evie
P.S What is Mom's e-mail?
My response:
Hi Evie!
Your chinchillas sound darling! I understand that their fur is incredibly soft. I'm also told that in South America people wrap them around their feet at night in the winter to stay cozy.
Actually I made that up.
Quiet around here. Bubbles is auditioning for a job as my alarm clock. She comes in and mewls every morning around 7 am. Maybe you would prefer that to song of the day.
Nene and Kevin are both playing well in the Olympics. France actually upset Argentina yesterday.
My new blender/chopper makes great smoothies. Happy birthday to me! Today's special is blackberry mango.
Thanks for writing. I miss you of course, but I'm delighted to hear that you are having fun. I am looking forward to another trip to St. Louis in a couple of weeks, but I am happy to avoid airports for awhile after last week's adventure.
Keep the news coming. Here's a little song for you to sing.
You're at Cub Creek, for 2 more weeks,
Makin' friends who have fur and tails and bee-e-eaks.
Your second camp. You're very tan,
Learning how to be a junior veterinarian.
Everyone else is away from home now,
Everyone else but me.
Evie I'm glad that you're enjoying summer camp,
On a quest to be this year's vacation champ.
The exclamation points sprinkled throughout your note,
Let me know, oh-oh, that Cub Creek has got your vote.
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