Heather Solos's Blog, page 62

Picnic Perfect: Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

 

Bobbie says:

It’s Memorial Day weekend and many of you will be marking the day with the first cookout of the summer. Here’s a perennial picnic favorite: Classic Macaroni Salad.

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This is a pretty basic recipe - no suspicious vegetables or epicurean excesses here. For some people I know, this is comfort food, pure and simple. Not excessively sweet, and with a hefty helping of eggs to balance out the carb-rich pasta, this could easily work as a meatless main dish.

I always make this a more diabetic-friendly recipe (and lower the overall glycemic index) by using xylitol instead of white sugar. While xylitol can’t sub for sugar in baking without some other recipe alterations, it works perfectly in the dressing for Classic Macaroni Salad.

Oh, and while dijon mustard a wondrous thing and certainly does have its place, that place is not here. Plain yellow mustard is what you want to make this salad work.

Classic Macaroni Salad5 eggs1 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons white wine vinegar1/4 cup sugar (or xylitol)1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper (or more to taste)1/4 cup minced celery1/4 cup minced or shredded carrot1/8 cup minced onion1/2 pound elbow macaronipaprika or parsley for garnish, if  you swing that way

Using one of the methods Heather showed us a while ago, hard cook the eggs. Peel as soon as they’re cool enough to handle, using whatever method works for you.

Here’s the method I learned from my mom, and it works for me: using a metal spoon (one from your set of flatware) gently tap the egg all over until the entire shell is crackled.
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Pull off a few bits of the shell and the underlying membrane, and then gently slip the spoon between the shell/membrane and the cooked egg white, and pull away the shell in large pieces.

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I do this as soon as I can handle the eggs, while they’re still somewhat hot – this method doesn’t work too well once the eggs are cooled. This is the only way I can manage to get somewhat decent looking hard-cooked eggs. After peeling, I alway rinse the eggs to remove any stray bits of shell. This helps to avoid having the wrong sort of crunch in the salad.

Crunchy veggies = yum.
Crunchy eggshell = not so much.

[image error]Backing up a bit…while the eggs are cooking: in a very large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard and black pepper, as well as the minced celery, carrot and onion. Mix until well-combined, and set aside.

Oh, the macaroni – you know, you could have been cooking that – in a separate pot, of course – at the same time you’re doing the eggs, which has, most likely, occurred to you by now, and you’ve already done. If not, get a move on, and cook those elbows according to the package directions, just until tender but still slightly firm. Mine took 9 minutes to get to that point. Drain it well, but not obsessively – an extra little bit of water in the mix won’t ruin anything – and dump the warm macaroni in with the dressing. Chop up the hard-cooked eggs however you like – I like big chunks of egg white, so I quarter the eggs lengthwise, then make 3 or 4 horizontal cuts. Add those to the bowl. Using a large spoon, gently fold the still-warm pasta and eggs into the sauce.
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Yes, it’s going to look a bit….too wet. Don’t panic. It’ll be fine. The pasta will easily absorb that extra liquid – that tasty extra liquid – and everything will be awesome and splendiferous and people with wonder at the amazingness of you and your Macaroni Salad of Win, but first you have to chill a bit. (The salad – and you, too. You deserve it.)

Cover the bowl tightly (plastic wrap or foil) or transfer to a lidded container, and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably longer. Before serving, stir it again gently, then add your garnish, if you’re the garnishy type. Being presentationally challenged myself, I just add a touch more cracked black pepper to the top and tuck a few lettuce leaves around the edges. If I have lettuce.

Ta-da!

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I hope you have an enjoyable weekend, however you choose to spend it.

 

Bobbie Laughman is an elder caregiver and writer who is quite happy to once again be living near Gettysburg with her husband and son. She also posts at Gruntled. Sheveled. Whelmed. You can contact her there, or by email at Bobbie@Home-Ec101.com

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Quick Tip from Q-Tips

Heather says:

It’s time again for another quick tip from Q-Tips brand cotton swabs.

This time we’re heading into the bathroom and no, this tip has nothing to do with personal hygiene. Have fun watching the video. Someday I’ll get more comfortable on camera, until then, I’ll blink a lot. And I do mean, a lot.

Remember, do not use chlorine bleach to clean when there is any chance of the chemical coming into contact with ammonia. Remember, it’s not like you’re going to perform medical procedures on your toilet, and you do wash your hands after using the facilities, there is no need to have a sterile toilet. I’m not saying let your water closet devolve into  that awful scene from the movie Trainspotting -there’s a blast from the past for ya- just don’t obsess. Clean it and get on with your life.

For more great tips from Q-Tips be sure to check them out on Facebook.

Oh and for reading this far, I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m giving away three $50 gift cards, just leave a comment to enter, one entry per person, no purchase necessary. I’ll close comments on Monday May 28, 2012 and select the three winners at random. You must be a resident of the US to participate (Dear Rest of the World, Please accept my sincere apologies. Love, Heather)

This is a sponsored post. Q-tips® product was provided by Unilever, the makers of Q-tips®; my tips and usage suggestions are my own.

Click here to leave a comment on Quick Tip from Q-Tips . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Picky Palates or When Grown-ups Act Like Toddlers

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I have so many questions, but the main one is about food. As a stay-at-home-mom of 1 (yeah, she’s enough for now, I don’t want more…yet) I do most of the cleaning and cooking around the house. Since I actually do have an inordinate amount of time on my hands, I try to make as much of our food from scratch as I can. That said, I have an issue with the Dear Husband. He won’t eat his vegetables. I don’t know exactly why this is, but he has an aversion to all things fruit and vegetable or otherwise touched by chlorophyll. He also grew up with a mom who took to the convenient canned-food kick of the fifties. The problem is – I adore cooking with vegetables. At least 90% of my recipes start with the trinity of veggies, with the remaining 10% using some variation with different veggies. I am constantly scraping any larger chunks of vegetables off his plate when I do the dishes. I’m not the best chopper at times, especially if the little angel is underfoot or cranky, so this tends to be more often than not. My staple pantry items are flash frozen veggies like corn and carrots and peas for when I can’t get them fresh, and spaghetti sauce since I don’t make and can my own ( I have time, not a garden and eons).

I don’t know how to broach the vegetable conversation with my husband. It concerns me that our 3 year old sees this (if I ask him to please eat some of the vegetables that I made, he flat-out refuses) and then emulates this behavior because she thinks it’s funny, and because pushing my buttons is what she does for a living. It’s a waste of money to prepare this food and then have some of it go to waste because he won’t eat it and I can’t eat it all. When we’re alone my daughter will eat some vegetables, but when Daddy is there she won’t touch them. I’m at my wit’s end with this and other things: he insists on eating canned food (chili, Cream of X soups, etc), prepackaged foods (the HEB near us has packaged pre-marinated fajitas), and other junk. He doesn’t believe me that if he went a week without his energy drinks, he’d feel better on his rotating shifts.

It’s already hard enough to be stuck at home with the toddler, trying to get into some kind of a cleaning schedule so that we’re not always going to the neighbors for play-time instead of inviting them here, and trying to stay sane. The only thing I haven’t done is talked to a doctor about all the other crap going on. My only consolation is that he takes a vitamin, so I know he’s getting what he needs. I just don’t want this to hurt our daughter as much as I’m pretty sure that it will.

Signed,
Mother of 1, but feel like 2 

Heather says:

First of all I’m going to let you know that I am not, nor do I pretend to be, a marital counselor or licensed therapist, take any and all advice with a grain or 1lb box of salt -I prefer kosher.

Next take a few deep breaths.

Remember that you cannot make a person change, no matter how much you want to -and this is not a healthy impulse, I’m aware of that- shake some sense into them, you cannot make a person change.

As a parent who spends all day with a very young child it is quite easy to slip into the mode where we forget and start acting bossy. It’s what we do all day long, even if that’s disguised in phrases like, “Do you want to please put away toy a or toy b?”

Spouses are grown ups -even when they don’t act like them. Telling him to eat his vegetables likely gets on his nerves just as much as his not eating them gets on yours.

This is a conflict to be settled out of the sight and hearing of your child.

And if he, a grown up, decides that no, he won’t eat his vegetables, it’s up to you to decide how you will respond. (When it comes down to it, is not eating his vegetables actually the problem or is it his appearing to undermine your authority?) If he doesn’t eat his vegetables, don’t put any on his plate. Don’t call attention to this fact, just let it be.

For what it’s worth you can tell your child that when she is a parent, she can decide whether or not to eat her vegetables, but at this time she doesn’t get that choice. Continue serving her vegetables and be the good example. Also remember that preschooler serving sizes are quite small.

As far as menu variety, quit waiting for permission and begin adding new things to the rotation. Notice I’m not saying create a meal where he hates every item. Just add one new side or entree a week. If he doesn’t like dinner, he’s a grown man, he can handle making himself a sandwich after the kidlet has gone to bed. Ask for his input when you make a meal plan. If he shrugs and says whatever, I’d ask one more time -unless he’s involved in something- and then make whatever.

Finally I just want to sympathize with rotating shifts, they are hard on a family with young children who need structure. Hang in there.

Okay Home-Eccers, what would you tell this Stay at Home Mom?

Previous posts you may find relevant:

Avoid Creating a Picky Eater (remember Ivy? She wrote this one)

And this ancient post from 2007: Picky Picky

Meal Plan Primer

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

Click here to leave a comment on Picky Palates or When Grown-ups Act Like Toddlers . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Can I Wash Clothes in Cold Water?

Dear Home Ec 101,

Lately I’ve been hearing about using cold water when doing laundry, in order to save energy. I have always washed everything in warm water. Can my socks, my toddlers clothes, and my husbands workout clothes really get clean using cold water?

Signed,

Tepid in Topeka

Heather says:

When I first launched this site, I had no clue how often my chemistry background would be used.

I cannot give you a simple yes or no answer to this question. I know “Can I use cold water to do laundry” sounds like a simple question, but there are many factors at play. How cold is the water in your area? The cold water in Minnesota is much colder than the water in South Carolina. How hard is your water? How dirty are your clothes? What kind of detergent do you use?

Your clothes washer uses three forms of energy to remove dirt from your laundry. Chemical, physical, and thermal energy all work together to bring the dirt on your clothing into solution (the wash water) where it can be rinsed away.

Chemical energy is provided by the water and the soap of your choice. If your water is hard, it already has a lot of minerals in solution and your detergent won’t be as effective.

Physical energy is provided by the movement of the water through and past the fibers of your clothing. With physical energy you don’t necessarily need the particles to be dissolved, sometimes the dirt is just rinsed away (it would settle out of the water if the water were not being swished around)

Finally, thermal energy comes from the temperature of the water in your machine. Particles (soap, dirt etc) are more soluble at higher temperatures. Soluble simply means that the particles can go into solution (in this case, your wash water). If your cold water is particularly cold (around 40°F) your detergent may not even fully dissolve. If your detergent isn’t even in solution, do you think that dirt is going to join it?

All of that basic chemistry will help you as you experiment to find the balance of energy that is good for your wallet (and the environment) and still has the ability to get your clothing clean.

And on a side note, remember that cold water is best for protein type stains (think body fluids and blood) as the stain undergoes a chemical change when heated and is more difficult to remove.

Apparently I’m feeling quite parenthetical today, but I hope it was helpful.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

 

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How to Get Rid of Mealy Moths

Dear Home Ec 101,

My fiance and I recently moved into our first home together, but it soon became apparent that we weren’t the only occupants. The previous owner apparently had a mealy-moth infestation, and she oh-so-thoghtfully left it for us. They’re everywhere. I kill at least 5-10 daily and each day it seems like there’s more! I freeze all my grains and flours and sugars for at least 24 hours when I buy them, all my food is stored in airtight containers, I’ve cleaned the cabinets and the drawers and everyplace I can reach yet they’ve migrated from the kitchen (where we first found them multiplying) to everywhere in the house. They crawl on the TV screen, and I’m worred that they’re going to start eating my clothes and rugs and furniture fabrics.

I’ve bought some sticky traps, but they don’t seem to be working well anymore.

Is there anyway to get rid of these horrible little bugs?

Signed,
Creepy Crawlin’

Heather says:

Mealy moths are a miserable infestation to deal with.

First some good news, mealy moths only eat grains, your fabrics are safe. Just double check to be sure you ONLY have mealy moths in your home.

You are on the right track with sticky traps, but you may have gone overboard. Sticky traps for mealy moths have pheromones which act as an attractant for the moths. Because of this attractive scent it is very important to only use one trap per room. If you have more than one, you’ll confuse the moths and they will circle around thinking they’re about to get lucky, but never finding their potential honey. Maybe play a little Barry White to set the mood?

Do you have pets? If you have any kind of pet food in the house, it’s very possible that this is their new food source. Either store the food in an airtight container or keep it outside of the house.

Mealy moths or grain moths are especially obnoxious to get rid of because the larval stage likes to hide in the cracks of your cabinets. You need to completely unload the cabinets, remove the shelves and clean thoroughly. Get a stepladder and a flashlight because they especially like the underside of shelves. Use the flashlight and look up inside your cabinets and make sure you wipe down the ceiling of the cabinets and all of those internal corners. In the past when we had a minor infestation, I brought out the vacuum cleaner and thoroughly vacuumed the inside of all of my cabinets before wiping them down with a strong all-purpose cleaner. You know me, normally I take the enviro-friendly route, but in this case the environment is being a pain in my butt and I pull out the big guns and go ahead and use an insecticide. *GASP* Heather said use poison? Yeah, I did. You’re not rubbing it all over your food and consuming that, you’re solving a major problem and will discontinue the use as soon as you’ve fixed it.

Finally you’ll need to wipe down the walls close to where it meets the ceiling. I don’t know why, but the larvae just love to hang out there and pupate. Awesome.

So here’s the TL / DR version of getting rid of pantry moths:

Remove all infested grain products from the house.COMPLETELY clean out all cabinets, inside and out, top and bottom.Store all grain products in air tight containers, preferably after the 72 hour freezing.Use only 1 pheromone trap at a time.In severe cases use an insecticide with a crevice tool to get areas you cannot clean.

Repeat the procedure on a weekly or every other week basis until moths are no longer showing up in the trap.

Good luck and I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this mess.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Click here to leave a comment on How to Get Rid of Mealy Moths . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Menu Monday: In a “Back-slidden’ Condition”

Heather says:

Before reading, I suggest you go ahead and check any judgey-mcjudgerson pants at the door. We all have our fail moments in one area or another.

It has been a rough couple of months around here. I’ve been adjusting to having a part-time job outside of the home, working on my start-up SpinPicks, and trying, trying to keep everything moving here at Home-Ec 101.

Recently, someone hit my car in a parking lot while I was in a coffee shop working. If you don’t know me very well, you may not know that my super power is the ability to leap to the worst conclusion in a single bound. I even bought the anxiety girl t-shirt (I’m setting the stage for the next bit). Let me just tell you, for a person like me, having a cop walk up to you and ask if you drive [description of my car] and ask if your last name is Solos is quite scary. I was so relieved that it wasn’t anything serious that the poor guy who tagged my car kept commenting “You are so calm about this.”

My desktop computer, until a few days ago, has been nothing but a giant, paperweight that pretends to act like a computer until I begin something important, then it reverts back to paperweight mode -that’s a big part of the reason for the recent dearth of recipes… no pictures, no posts.

Last week I received a letter from my publisher saying that Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living will not be reprinted. Yeah, that’s a let down, but there’s nothing I can do about it. If you want to get a copy, I suggest you hurry up and order it.

So what got left behind in all of this?

Dinner.

Don’t worry, the kids still were fed 3x a day and almost all of the time it was fairly healthy – there was one night where I said to heck with, it gave them each an apple, and then we went out for ice cream sundaes because I was done, just done. Go ahead and feel smug, I doubt the department of social services is going to get too upset over that one.

Oh, you want to know what the back-slidden condition reference is, don’t you?

Many years ago, in my college-ish years, I dated a young man from Spartanburg, SC. Once while we were in the upstate he took me to the place where the Marshall Tucker band used to play. I can’t remember the name, just that there was live country music, dinner, lots of sweet tea, and dancing. Apparently one of the highlights of the evening’s entertainment included the owner asking the audience, by show of hands what denomination they were, “Do we have any Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics,” etc Finally he would get to, “How about any Baptists?” insert a pause for more than half of the crowd to raise their hands, “Currently in a back-slidden conidition.” ha ha ha

All of that was to say, my menu planning and dinner preparation is in a back-slidden condition and I’m working on fixing it.

Saturday I sat down with my sitter, who is an honorary part of the family and my life-line to sanity at this moment, and we planned out this week’s menu:

Monday – Patty melts, oven roasted broccoliTuesday – Baked Pork Egg Rolls, Fried Rice, Stir Fried Vegetables (hoping to get pics of fried rice preparation for the recipe index here)Wednesday – C.O.R.N (I made a giant batch of etouffee on Saturday and brought some in to my co-workers)Thursday - BBQ Chicken (leg quarters on the grill, cooked by indirect heat, low and slow), pasta salad, steamed green beansFriday -Breakfast for dinner (She is cooking)Saturday – Blackened tilapia with strawberry salsa, rice pilaf, some manner of steamed vegetalesSunday is to be determined by how working the brunch shift goes. If it was anything like this week? It may be leftovers or I may load up the kids and head to the local Mexican joint and let someone wait on me. I don’t know.  Or it will be the planned Caesar Salad with grilled chicken.

What are you eating this week? What do you do when cooking turns into a chore?

 

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Cooking in a Shared Kitchen

Dear Home-Ec 101,
I am new to your blog and to cooking. I have been married for only 9 months and my husband just got out of the Army and we are staying with my grandparents while he looks for work. We have some money saved but it wont last forever, and we have been eating out a lot lately and it just isnt going to be affordable anymore. I have been teaching myself to cook and so far I’ve been focusing on baking and learning to make different things from scratch so I can freeze the dough and use it later.

Well I’m emailing you for a few different reasons. First of all we try to eat healthy and dont like to use processed or chemically enhanced food. We buy grass fed meat and I am trying to make alot of things myself so we wont have to use many packaged or canned products, but my grandparents eat alot of ‘crap’. Its hard to plan my meals around theirs. My grandma and I argue over the kitchen and I feel like a burden. Second, how do I keep it exciting for just the two of us. Sometimes it seems pointless to get excited about meals when I know I’m only cooking for my husband and I and then I just have to clean it all up. Until we have kids I want to be able to stay motivated in the kitchen. If you have any tips for me it would be very appreciated! Thanks
Signed,
Cramped Quarters

Heather says

First of all, thank you to you and your husband for his service. If you didn’t know, I’m involved with Cooking With the Troops and we work with service members and veterans. People like you and your husband hold a special place in my heart.

Then I want you to know that you’re in the midst of a very stressful life change; cut yourself some slack.

Next remember as frustrating as it is, you are a guest receiving the benefits of your grandparents’ generosity. Repeat to yourself: This is a temporary situation. You will get back on your feet and in all honesty I’m going to say that, in the long run, you’ll be healthier (emotionally and physically) by not arguing. A temporary relaxation of your dietary ideals isn’t going to kill you. Make the best choices you can and let it go. The stress of worrying about a temporary situation is going to cause more problems than an imperfect diet.

Sit down with your grandmother and see if you can work out a schedule for cooking. This is conjecture, but there seems to be a lot of effort spent feeding four people. Offer to take turns cooking. Unless you are incredibly careful with your dietary choices when eating out, almost anything made from whole ingredients at home is going to be healthier. I know I’m speaking broadly, but the amount of sodium and excess fat that goes into most middle of the road restaurant food is insane. Remember, this is coming from a woman who isn’t scared of healthy fats (butter, whole milk, etc).

Almost all of the recipes here on Home-Ec 101 are written for beginner cooks with limited access to fancy ingredients. When I’m selecting recipes to modify and share, I head up to my local grocery store, if the ingredients aren’t at my Bi-Lo or *gasp* Walmart, I assume that there is a fair amount of the population who may not have access. (I also shop at Publix, but in my immediate area, that’s the “fancy” grocery store and has some more exotic ingredients. *Charlestonians, I know we have a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Earth Fare but those are 45 minutes from me and therefore not on the easily accessible list)

Check out the meal planning primer series.

Also helpful for variety – A guide to cooking and using chicken

When it comes to cooking for a couple or small family planned overs and freezer friendly menu items are a great way to keep variety in your diet. When you get your own place, consider even a small chest freezer. Use it as an end table if you are really short on space in your new place.

Check out How to Freeze Food and Cooking Homemade Frozen Foods.

Side note: I have a chef friend who likes to tell me, “All foods are a conveyance for sauce.” Marinades, sauces, and rubs are a great way to add variety to a fairly limited menu.  Just something to keep in mind.

Finally remember that cooking seasonally -planning your menu around the seasonal availability of produce is a great way to keep variety in your diet without thinking too hard. Check out: Paradox of Choice and the Weekly Menu Plan.

Okay Home-Eccers, what advice do you have for this couple in a shared kitchen?

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

 

 

 

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Home Energy Conservation

Dear Home Ec 101,
Help! I just read your article on removing a broken lightbulb from the socket and thought perhaps you could answer this question. Our home was built in 2006, from a reputable builder and we are the 2nd owners. We have noticed that our electric bill is considerably higher than it should be and lightbulbs are often blowing in their sockets. We are on the time of use plan through our electric company and abide, very well, by the 3-6pm rule (power is 30% higher during these 3 hours). No a/c (up or downstairs), no fans upstairs, one downstairs, no lights on upstairs, our oven, heater and water heater are all gas, and yet our bill is still huge! We think it must have something to do with the wiring (a short perhaps), but we don’t know how to go about checking or having it checked. This is something we feel needs to be corrected before we have a pool installed, or before we go broke!

Do you have suggestions on what it could be, or how we ask for service?

By the way, we live in the Phoenix area and are not looking forward to another year sweating without saving!

Signed,
Short Circuit

Heather says:

First of all, there’s a simple way to figure out if you are actually conserving as much as you think during those peak energy hours. CHECK your meter. Compare the rate of consumption at several periods throughout the day, including those peak hours.

As far as finding a reputable electrician, I’m a big fan of asking on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Obviously you’ll need to ask people in your actual geographic location and generally I would discount any recommendations from accounts representing electricians. I know whenever I see a local asking about various service technicians that I happily recommend those I’ve had good experiences with. (I try to stay away from publicly bashing companies for poor customer service, but I’m sorely tempted to call out a specific franchise for a recent experience -it happens). On Twitter, many people use the airport code to search locally. For example: Charleston, SC is #CHS

Now as few tips to reduce your electric bill.

Unplug chargers when they are not in use. (If you’re like me and have three or four cell chargers scattered throughout your home, this can help.)Don’t underestimate the power draw of small appliances like vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, avoid their use during peak times.Turn off your printer. How often do you print? Does it really need to be sitting there in standby at all times?Turn off your television when no one is watching. This is especially true if you have a large, flat screen, they use significantly more energy than older types.Clean the gasket on your refrigerator, your appliance isn’t designed to cool your kitchen.Vacuum your refrigerator coilsUse solar shades on southern and western windows to reduce passive solar heating.

There are many more ways to conserve energy and I know the Home-Ec 101 community is full of ideas. Home-Eccers, feel free to share your favorite energy saving tips in the comments.

Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

Click here to leave a comment on Home Energy Conservation . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Grilling Weather Has Arrived

Heather says:

It’s May and in my part of the US that means hot weather is settling in and getting comfortable until October.

It’s time to start thinking of ways to not use the oven and minimize the use of the stove. Grilling is my go-to, but I have been known to set the slow cooker or roaster oven out in the garage in an attempt to create a hot meal without overheating the kitchen.

Consider taking full advantage of the time you spend grilling by loading up the grill with many items instead of only the main course for one meal. Typically I like to grill extra chicken breasts, but bone-in chicken is great to grill and then pull apart or shred for items like chicken salad or additions to pastas. Experiment with lots of different marinades and rubs to keep variety in your meals, just remember if there is sugar in a marinade that the outside of the item will burn more quickly, always  use indirect grilling with these items. Don’t forget foil packets are a great way to cook vegetables on the grill.

Random aside: At my pub job we call grilled wings “Nascar style” -translation “put tire [grill] marks on ‘em”

When you DO choose to turn on the oven, fill it with as many items as possible. You’ll only heat up the kitchen once and can use the microwave to reheat -also remember somethings are even awesome cold, like leftover oven-fried chicken).

Remember that there can be a lot more to salad than lettuce and a couple of vegetables.

My current obsession? Caprese

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find when the weather is hot, I’m much less likely to want carb heavy meals, unless a sandwich is involved. Cold soups like gazpacho also become incredibly appealing. Heck, I’ve been known to eat this for breakfast.

Smoothies are another cool addition or replacement for a simple meal.

How do you cope with summer heat in your kitchen?

 

Click here to leave a comment on Grilling Weather Has Arrived . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Just Say No to Jugs with Method

Heather says:

Noah is back and this time, he’s got the marching band (hello Blue Devils!*) getting their act cleaned up with the Method Just Say No to Jugs Campaign.

Enjoy the video:

I’m a child of the 80′s, if you need details, I was in grade school, where Nancy Reagan drilled (indoctrinated?) “SAY NO TO DRUGS” into our heads for 8 years (I only had to tolerate 4 of this because of the timing) and this next installment of the Method campaign makes me giggle, like, well, like a schoolgirl. I should also note that my inner 12 year-old is also having fits of the giggles, but that is for less family friendly reasons.

[image error]How do you say no to jugs? By giving their powerful, concentrated laundry detergent a try. (Well, that’s one way, the other is at the end of this post, keep reading.)

Transparency: For the past couple of years I’ve been using the mega-size Costco (Kirkland’s?) version of free and clear laundry detergent in my HE washer. Why? Convenience. I don’t like going to the store much.

The day I made the run to Target and stocked up on Method products, I took a chance and grabbed the Fresh Air scented laundry detergent, normally I steer clear of scented products (oh come on, really? This isn’t the first time you’ve heard me fuss about perfumed products.)

I’ve now been using it exclusively for almost two months and I’m not going back. Heck, I may even get brave and try another scent. You think you’re scared? My entire world makes a little less sense.

So, what’s cool about the Method concentrated laundry detergent?

Squirt. Squirt. Squirt. Squirt.

Close the door and turn on the washer.

Boom. Done.

There’s no measuring. There’s no sticky laundry cap. There’s no guessing and there’s no need to buy the ginormous jugs of laundry detergent to prevent extra trips to the store or writing a Dear Home Ec 101 can I use dish detergent in my washer letter. A: Don’t.

I suppose, maybe if you have super hard water, you may need an extra squirt, but try the recommended amount first.

Today, Method launched a photo contest on Facebook that will run all May long. One lucky entrant will win a year’s supply of Method laundry detergent and 25 additional entrants will win laundry starter kits (two 8-load bottles). To enter, submit a photo that documents what makes laundry a chore. . . sticky caps, lugging jugs, you get the idea. The top 26 pictures with the most votes from the community will win.

But wait, there’s more!

How about a 2$ off Coupon for Laundry -ooh

Every Thursday for the month of May on Method’s facebook fanpage under perks, there will be a $2.00 off coupon for Method Laundry Detergent on the perks tab. Remember this coupon will only be on available to print on Thursdays.

And no, we haven’t forgotten our Canadian friends: Instead of printing the physical coupon, you will be able to get $2 off Method products available at http://well.ca using the discount code “CLEANME”.

This is a sponsored post. I happily work with Method., but all opinions are my own.

If you want to read more about my adventures with Method, check out:
Clean Like a Mother
and
Clean Happy
and
Why I work with Method

 

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