Random Year End Thoughts

     My husband gave me an attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer that not only sifts but then adds the dry ingredients to wet ones. If you bake, if you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, you should have this attachment. It fits any KitchenAid mixer, even if it’s 50 years old or 15 years old or if you got it last week. It not only sifts but it weighs the dry ingredients, as well. (I don’t know why you need to weigh the dry ingredients). The groovy part is that it sifts the dry ingredients together. As they sift, they are released down this little chute into the bowl holding the wet ingredients. No flour flying all over the counter as you try to spoon-add the flour to the wet stuff. Sifting makes whatever you bake, fluffier. It has renewed my love of baking. I baked six loaves of bread (5 egg nog/cranberry loaves and 1 gingerbread loaf) over the holiday. So much easier with the attachment. Tomorrow I think I’m going to make sugar cookies 😋 Yum!

     Segue to the rolling pins I found on Pinterest/Etsy. They are embossed so when you roll out the cookie dough, it imprints the pattern on the dough. The finished cookies look very Scandinavian or Old World-ishy. Anyway, there are many patterns to choose from; reindeer, Christmas trees, snowflakes and florals. Some pins have different holiday images; some have other random themes. The cookies are really lovely and, I think, eliminate the need for further decoration. The rolling pins are handmade. So worth having and something to pass down in your family.

     On to Bed, Bath and Beyond… or not. I found a great gadget for keeping plastic bags closed. Bags like bread bags, hot dog and hamburger bun bags are hard to keep closed with those little twist tie things. We were in BB&B looking for something I found online that was supposed to be in stock at the store near where we live. Wasn’t in the store but, as the clerks alway tell you when you can’t find something you saw online, “We can have it shipped to the store in a couple of days” necessitating Another trip to the store. You don’t have to buy it but you do use more gas and time out of your day to make the return trip. Just a friendly warning ⚠️, BB&B seldom has what is shown online in the store. I’m just sayin’! Anyway, I spotted this gadget while I was looking for the other thing. It’s a small, short tube deal that has buttons on both ends. When you compress the buttons a circular space opens in the middle where you insert the neck of the plastic bag and when you release the ends, the middle section closes around plastic holding it tightly closed thus keeping the bread item fresher. It’s a super gadget, not expensive but one of those things that once you have it you wonder why you didn’t know about it sooner.

     My husband and I have discovered essential oil diffusers. My only regret is that we didn’t try them earlier. The diffusers run about $50 or less. We got ours on Amazon. They add humidity to the air and when you add essential fragrance oils, they diffuse wonderful scents too. It’s much better than scented candles (less dangerous, as well). The floral oils can make the house smell like spring or a summer garden. The autumn oils, like cedar or pine or maple sugar, take you on a walk through a colorful forest in October. Winter oils bring to mind a cold day or a cozy evening around the Christmas tree and fireplace. Some oils will convince you a bakery opened next door and the bakers are just taking a batch of cookies out of the oven (vanilla, brown sugar and apple). You are the chemist and can mix any number of scents to create any mood. You’re only limited by your  imagination. We have one in the bedroom and, I’m convinced, it helps us sleep better. Some nights I put lavender, eucalyptus and rosemary together which is so calming. The diffuser adds moisture to the air and in this dry climate, it’s essential to a good night’s sleep. The essential oils provide peaceful ambiance.

     We got an Insta Pot last year when they were the New Best Thing! Of course there’s a NEW model now that crisps the skin on chicken, supposedly. I think it’s just a way to sell more pots. We’re still learning how to use it. It does save time and is very easy to clean up. Doesn’t heat up the whole house. My husband made a wonderful Italian Chili in about half the time. We’re going to make Beef Bourguignon for our anniversary dinner. I’ll let you know how it turns out 😋. I’m looking forward to it. Don’t think you need to buy a new model every year, however.

     Saran Wrap has a new wrap, Press and Seal. It is so much better than regular Saran Wrap. No clump of clear plastic wrap that is thrown away because it got stuck to itself and can’t be separated. The new Press and Seal is translucent instead of transparent. It sticks to any container and to itself but doesn’t become a mess of clear plastic goo. Give it a try, I like it much more than the old kind.

      To clean hard water build up on a shower door use Epsom salts (1 cup), baking soda (1/2 cup) and liquid dishwasher soap (1/4 cup). Make a paste, rub on the shower door and rinse with clear water. Will remove the build up, best solution to this problem ever discovered. Hard water stains don’t come off with most cleaners on the market. I tried everything and this really is the only thing that works for me.

     The best cooking show on Food Network, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. My husband and I watch it all the time and can’t make it through one show without our mouths watering. Guy goes to various diners, drive-ins and dives around the country to showcase places owned by local people. It is kinda hard to explain. It could be a New York style Deli in Texas or southern barbecue in New England. The show is always fun, surprising and, most of all, makes you eager to support the local restaurants in your area. Guy has been to Colorado a few times. He’s given us a couple of suggestions on where to go for lunch. We’re watching now, I’m drooling 🤤!

     Finally, if you have pets, you need to know about chewy.com. This is simply the best company for pets. Here are a couple of personal examples why I love Chewy so much. I ordered a dog feeder that was up off the floor since it’s easier for dogs to eat that way, easier on their digestion. When I got it, I realized it was much smaller than I thought. I contacted Customer Service at Chewy to find out how to send it back. They refunded my money and told me to just donate the feeder I got to a local rescue or shelter. What?!?  I also ordered a bed that was great but it had a zipper our puppy found immediately. I had to sew it closed so she didn’t chew and ruin it. I contacted Chewy again just to let them know maybe they should tell the people who make the bed to redesign it with another way to close it without using a zipper. Chewy refunded my money even though I didn’t request it. That’s a business model all companies should follow. Great prices on everything.  We save $25 on Auto-delivery dog food over buying from the big box pet stores locally. Food comes right to the house, what more can you ask for? From Customer Service to auto-delivery to toys, this company is just the best. P. S. Shipping is free on orders over $50.

     That’s all for now. See you in 2019. Wow, never thought I’d live this long, yikes. Have a Happy New Year. Be safe, be healthy and make at least one significant happy memory every month.