Making chicken stock is easy!!! Making it yourself is a great way to save money and also use something that would otherwise be garbage. It doesn't take a lot of time either. Just throw everything in a pot, cover with water, let it simmer, and strain it. After I make a whole chicken I take any chicken off that we didn't eat, shred it, and freeze it until I get enough to use it in something like creamy chicken wild rice or chicken pot pie. Then I freeze the remaining carcass until I have enough to make stock. I usually use 3 or 6 cups of stock/broth when I make my creamy chicken sauce so I froze it in 3 cup amounts in glass quart jars, but you can freeze it the amounts you normally use. I have heard too of freezing it in ice cube trays and throwing them in a bag. This recipe is from my Prime Time Emeril cookbook.
-4 pounds chicken parts (wings, backs, carcasses, and necks)
-2 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions
-1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
-1 cup coarsely chopped celery
-3 garlic cloves, smashed with side of a heavy knife
-4 bay leaves (I never have bay leaves so didn't use them)
-1 tsp whole black peppercorns (also never have these so just used some regular table pepper)
-2 tsp salt
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 tsp dried rosemary (also didn't have)
-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1. Put all the ingredients in stock pot. Add enough cold water to cover the bones by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that forms on the surface.
2. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cool completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze up to two months.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
January: Kitchen - update
January has already ended! How is this possible?! My house organization project for January was the kitchen and although I did a pretty good job, I didn't quite get everything I wanted done. Oh well, better than nothing and I'm sure I will finish up a few things and I can finish the other things in July I guess (if this confuses you see post titled "A new year, one month at a time"). Maybe I would have had more done if I didn't have a sick punkin' that turned into a sick momma!
What I did get done: Emptied, cleaned, and organized most of the cupboards and am getting rid of stuff I'm probably never going to use or haven't used in a long time. Found a place for most of the stuff on the counter in the cupboards. Created a cupboard for the punkin' to keep her coloring stuff.
What I wanted done: There were a few cupboards that I didn't get to, the food, and the garbage mainly. I also wanted to get the fridge, inside and on top, a little more organized and it needed to be cleaned. More stuff off of the counter and table. Need a few organizational things like a spice rack and maybe some bins for small things. Cleaned the oven, dishwasher, fridge, etc.
In reorganized and simplifying my home, I want to also think about routines and the things we do in the house, not just things. So for every area I wanted to come up with ways to be more green (here comes the slippery slope).
*We already use earth friendly or homemade natural cleaning products (7th generation dish and dishwasher soap, and homemade vinegar/water all purpose cleaning spray). My husband and I also made a few modifications to a swiffer wet awhile back. I bought a reusable microfiber pad for it and then we made is so you can take the cap on and off and filled it with vinegar and water instead of using that crap that's in there.
*Use less water: I used to do my handwash dishes with a soapy sponge and running water. Now I wait until the sink is full of dishes and fill up that sink with hot water and soap, and then fill up the other sink with clear water to rinse. The time it takes to fill the sinks is much less than the time of running water and you end up using less soap too. Also, we are trying to scrape most dishes before we put them into the dishwasher instead of rinsing them, but there are some I know won't come clean if I don't rinse a little. Already waited until the dishwasher was full, sometimes too full, before running.
*Use less electricity: Turned off the heated dry off on the dishwasher and they are just as dry...it's a conspiracy! I also am starting it at the start option instead of hot prewash. Getting closer to the water saver setting, but I have had bad luck with the dishwasher so I have to do it gradually! We already have a toaster/convection oven that I use most of the time instead of the big electric oven. Why heat up that whole oven for a few egg rolls? Light bulbs are already energy efficient.
*Food: already buy local/organic/sustainable foods. I'm going to start making more homemade foods, thus reducing packaging (and $ too!). I started making bread again, and am trying to figure the yogurt thing out, and also going to try stock. I used to make pasta, maybe I will try that again too. This month I also made my own minestrone soup and froze it instead of buying canned, and have been making my own cream of chicken soup for meals (if I make stock I can use it in this instead of buying!). I use cloth grocery bags too and bring back my plastic produce bags. I would like to make some mesh produce bags though. I also try to buy bulk foods.
*Paper products: We use real cloth towels and washcloths instead of paper towels and napkins. I always get mad when I see the commercials for paper towels and they say it has a cloth like feel. If you use cloth, it will really feel like cloth!
*Garbage/recycling: I recycle everything I can in our cub side bin. I need to get an actual bin for under the sink. I have been using paper grocery bags because I had a bunch and I was used to having to separate our paper, etc. but now we can mix. Everything that can't be recycled in our bin I put in a big box and am going to take to the recycling center. I might figure out a way I can compost and then I would have hardly have any garbage, but I don't know if this will happen (ya know, townhouse and all makes composting a lot of work and planning, but not impossible!)
*Keeping it clean: Clean up for 10-15 minutes after each meal instead of waiting until it's a disaster!
Next: Living room!
What I did get done: Emptied, cleaned, and organized most of the cupboards and am getting rid of stuff I'm probably never going to use or haven't used in a long time. Found a place for most of the stuff on the counter in the cupboards. Created a cupboard for the punkin' to keep her coloring stuff.
What I wanted done: There were a few cupboards that I didn't get to, the food, and the garbage mainly. I also wanted to get the fridge, inside and on top, a little more organized and it needed to be cleaned. More stuff off of the counter and table. Need a few organizational things like a spice rack and maybe some bins for small things. Cleaned the oven, dishwasher, fridge, etc.
In reorganized and simplifying my home, I want to also think about routines and the things we do in the house, not just things. So for every area I wanted to come up with ways to be more green (here comes the slippery slope).
*We already use earth friendly or homemade natural cleaning products (7th generation dish and dishwasher soap, and homemade vinegar/water all purpose cleaning spray). My husband and I also made a few modifications to a swiffer wet awhile back. I bought a reusable microfiber pad for it and then we made is so you can take the cap on and off and filled it with vinegar and water instead of using that crap that's in there.
*Use less water: I used to do my handwash dishes with a soapy sponge and running water. Now I wait until the sink is full of dishes and fill up that sink with hot water and soap, and then fill up the other sink with clear water to rinse. The time it takes to fill the sinks is much less than the time of running water and you end up using less soap too. Also, we are trying to scrape most dishes before we put them into the dishwasher instead of rinsing them, but there are some I know won't come clean if I don't rinse a little. Already waited until the dishwasher was full, sometimes too full, before running.
*Use less electricity: Turned off the heated dry off on the dishwasher and they are just as dry...it's a conspiracy! I also am starting it at the start option instead of hot prewash. Getting closer to the water saver setting, but I have had bad luck with the dishwasher so I have to do it gradually! We already have a toaster/convection oven that I use most of the time instead of the big electric oven. Why heat up that whole oven for a few egg rolls? Light bulbs are already energy efficient.
*Food: already buy local/organic/sustainable foods. I'm going to start making more homemade foods, thus reducing packaging (and $ too!). I started making bread again, and am trying to figure the yogurt thing out, and also going to try stock. I used to make pasta, maybe I will try that again too. This month I also made my own minestrone soup and froze it instead of buying canned, and have been making my own cream of chicken soup for meals (if I make stock I can use it in this instead of buying!). I use cloth grocery bags too and bring back my plastic produce bags. I would like to make some mesh produce bags though. I also try to buy bulk foods.
*Paper products: We use real cloth towels and washcloths instead of paper towels and napkins. I always get mad when I see the commercials for paper towels and they say it has a cloth like feel. If you use cloth, it will really feel like cloth!
*Garbage/recycling: I recycle everything I can in our cub side bin. I need to get an actual bin for under the sink. I have been using paper grocery bags because I had a bunch and I was used to having to separate our paper, etc. but now we can mix. Everything that can't be recycled in our bin I put in a big box and am going to take to the recycling center. I might figure out a way I can compost and then I would have hardly have any garbage, but I don't know if this will happen (ya know, townhouse and all makes composting a lot of work and planning, but not impossible!)
*Keeping it clean: Clean up for 10-15 minutes after each meal instead of waiting until it's a disaster!
Next: Living room!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Irk! Sewing projects!
I just spent most of the day cutting out a few diapers to use for nighttime and started sewing and nothing was working. Yesterday I tried to finish a pouch sling I was working on and somehow I measured wrong and its 6 inches too small! Note to self: Don't sew when you've been sick for almost a week and are very tired, no matter how much you want to get things done! Especially combined with your baby being awake and crying half the night before. Think I'll actually remember this next time? Probably not!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wool soaker
Someone on the wool soaker yahoo group was asking about elastic thread so I thought I would post these pics to show how I threaded the elastic thread into the waistband and leg cuffs since I couldn't find the website that described how to do it. If you look very closely (or you can click and make the picture very large) you can see that it is threaded through one side of the v on the 1x1 rib stitch on the inside. This way it doesn't show through to the front and it is easily replaceable if it wears out. I just threaded it through with a yarn needle and tied it in a few knots. This is a soaker I knit last fall for a friend's son. I used Paton's Classic Merino and didn't really use one specific pattern, and it was based on his measurements.
Diaper washing update
I have been washing diapers with the new method for awhile now and it is working really well so far. If there is a smell in the morning it's not as bad as it was. I kind of figure that after 10+ hours pee is going to start to smell. She is pretty wet in the morning so I'm going to start working on some better night diapers...someday! Anyway, I did modify the plan a little bit. I have a little pail in the bathroom for the poopy diapers and then one by the changing table for the wet ones. My modification is that I do a cold rinse with just the poopy diapers first since I use a dry pail. By doing only those diapers I only need to usually do an extra small or medium water setting instead of extra large (my machine has these three settings...why not just call it small, medium, large?!)
Since that was working so well I thought I would try to take it a little further and do the poopy diaper cold rinse, all the diapers hot wash/cold rinse with vinegar in downy ball. I have washed them once this way but haven't had a chance to see if it's worked yet.
I have mostly been drying them on a drying rack in the bedroom over the heat vent. I wash and hang them right before bed so we use less diapers during the drying time since they take so long. They are usually dry around lunchtime this way. They are really, really stiff when dried indoors! Last summer when I did them outside they were crunchy, but not like this. I pop them in the dryer on fluff for 15 minutes and it helps a little. Since they are so stiff I have been still drying them in the dryer every other time.
All of this diaper washing stuff has made me think about simpler diapers, ones with less layers for stink and bacteria to get into. I have been trying to find information on how people used to wash diapers, like my grandma would have for example, but I can't really find anything. If anyone knows I would be interested. I did read somewhere that they were basically just rinsed and dried but I don't know how accurate that is. Those would have been flat diapers, one layer folded into more. Easy to wash quick to dry. I kind of have an idea for a minimal layer diaper that I will try someday. Anyway, that's probably enough for now. I have finished a few projects that I will post once I get the pics uploaded! Also need to post a kitchen update!
Since that was working so well I thought I would try to take it a little further and do the poopy diaper cold rinse, all the diapers hot wash/cold rinse with vinegar in downy ball. I have washed them once this way but haven't had a chance to see if it's worked yet.
I have mostly been drying them on a drying rack in the bedroom over the heat vent. I wash and hang them right before bed so we use less diapers during the drying time since they take so long. They are usually dry around lunchtime this way. They are really, really stiff when dried indoors! Last summer when I did them outside they were crunchy, but not like this. I pop them in the dryer on fluff for 15 minutes and it helps a little. Since they are so stiff I have been still drying them in the dryer every other time.
All of this diaper washing stuff has made me think about simpler diapers, ones with less layers for stink and bacteria to get into. I have been trying to find information on how people used to wash diapers, like my grandma would have for example, but I can't really find anything. If anyone knows I would be interested. I did read somewhere that they were basically just rinsed and dried but I don't know how accurate that is. Those would have been flat diapers, one layer folded into more. Easy to wash quick to dry. I kind of have an idea for a minimal layer diaper that I will try someday. Anyway, that's probably enough for now. I have finished a few projects that I will post once I get the pics uploaded! Also need to post a kitchen update!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
P.S.
Don't forget to go to change.org to vote on the whole toy that's going on that will affect work at home moms and handcrafted children's items! http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia?full_thread=true
A new year, one month at a time
My house is a disaster. I have never been good at organizing my space. I was always good at keeping my school and work stuff organized. Most of the reason is because I can't really spend any money on organizing accessories and we have limited storage in our tiny home. So, I'm going to need to be very creative. I've decided to break up the house into monthly projects. Each room/area will be a month and it just turns out that there are six so each area will get twice a year if I stick with it. So we've got kitchen, living room, entry/stairs/hallway, bathrooms, bedroom, bedroom. I'm going to start with the kitchen and work my way up. Here's the deal for each area: clean out, rearrange, and clean. I also want to think about the things I do in each area to see what I can change.
I've already started with the kitchen. I looked through all of my cupboards and made a list of categories. For example: plates/bowls, cups/glasses, kitchen appliances, baking dishes, serving items, grains/pasta, snacks, you get the idea. So now I need to figure out where everything is going to go! There are probably also a bunch of things that need to go away. I don't think we need the baby food mill anymore or the breast milk storage bottles, and probably don't need two waffle makers considering we never use one. I've also been thinking about kitchen routines and things I can change to stay organized and also ways to be more environmentally friendly. I will continue to post my updates.
I've already started with the kitchen. I looked through all of my cupboards and made a list of categories. For example: plates/bowls, cups/glasses, kitchen appliances, baking dishes, serving items, grains/pasta, snacks, you get the idea. So now I need to figure out where everything is going to go! There are probably also a bunch of things that need to go away. I don't think we need the baby food mill anymore or the breast milk storage bottles, and probably don't need two waffle makers considering we never use one. I've also been thinking about kitchen routines and things I can change to stay organized and also ways to be more environmentally friendly. I will continue to post my updates.
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