Lemon Dill Viniagrette

image by SerenityRose

-1 lg shallot, minced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 T fresh lemon juice
-3 T balsamic vinegar
-3 T rice vinegar
-1/4 C olive oil
-2 T white wine
-2 T fresh chopped dill
-salt to taste

Whisk together. Enjoy!

Asian Chile Paste Recipe

image by azgalarneau

Popular throughout Southeast Asia, this garlic and chile based paste is used as a condiment that adds fire without greatly altering the taste of the dish. It is especially good in stir-frys. To use up a lot of chiles, triple the recipe. It will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen.

-1 cup small fresh red chiles, stems removed, such as Thai, serrano, piquin, or japones
-1/3 cup white vinegar
-8 cloves garlic, chopped
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon salt
-Water as needed

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or processor and puree, adding enough water to form a thick paste.

Yield: 1 cup
Heat Scale: Hot

Daily Declutter: The Roundup

image by andarilho_belem

Yes, I'm still here...still decluttering! Some extra work and Halloween preparations (I've been sewing costumes) have taken up a bit of time. So what have I decluttered in the last couple of days?
-I raided my bathroom cabinets once again and will be passing on some more toiletries--who needs two containers of baby powder and baby lotion, anyway? We rarely use it, so I kept just a small shaker of the powder in case we happen to need it. I'll be passing on both bottles of baby lotion--I find the smell is too strong, and baby oil will work for moisturizing just as well.
-Oven mitts. We're definitely a potholder family. I will, however, be recycling the oven mitts and making handle covers for my cast iron pans.
-Classical music on CD's. I've recently started playing around with playlist.com and even though we don't have an ipod, I'm trying to drastically reduce the amount of music cd's we have.

It seems like my "donate" pile is a living entity. It constantly grows and grows! That's ok, I've designated a special spot in my basement to temporarily house all the transient items that I'm finding.

Happy decluttering!

Daily Declutter: Plastic Lids

image by mag3737

Today I sifted through all my plastic containers (I'd like to to figure out how to live without these)and tossed all the extra lids. Over time, some of the containers themselves got either lost or cracked, and the tops stayed behind even after the bottoms got tossed.

Really, tossing the plastic containers bothers me, I wish there was a better solution to getting rid of unusable plastic containers. My community only recycles #1 & #2 plastics, but a lot of the containers we come by have different numbers, and the only thing we can do is toss them. Ugh.

Daily Declutter: Lotions & Potions

image by voteprime

Today I got rid of 2 extra bottles of kid's sunblock, the second half-full tube of diaper ointment, and the second half-full tube of a & d ointment. I'll be passing these along to my mother, who watches my kids weekly, and can use these things when they are over. Once, again, more room in my bathroom cabinets!

Daily Declutter: Teflon Pan

image by biepmiep

Ah, evil,toxic, unattractive teflon pan. We've held on to the last of your kind for quite some while now. The lesser of your minions have been banished to the "donate" pile for quite some time now, and we've fared just fine without them. But you, largest of them all, have somehow remained. I cringe each time my unsuspecting husband reaches for you in the cupboard. I could barely look as he blissfully fried some eggs or made some pancakes on your poisonous surface. Well no more! Begone, toxic teflon pan! I am as of today completely eradicating your kind! From now on only cast iron and stainless steel are welcome here. My cupboards will be a home for you no longer.

Daily Declutter

image by me [inspired by
smallnotebook.org]

I'd like to try my hand at a little experiment.

I'm calling it the Daily Declutter. Each day, I'm going to try to discard (properly), give away, or recycle something--essentially do away with something that isn't either completely necessary, useful, or loved.

Today's item: jewelry cleaner.

It hides in my bathroom cabinet, I rarely use it, and it's probably toxic. Ah, who needs it? I've got soap and an old toothbrush that will do the job just as well, I bet. If I get really ambitious, I can try this recipe for Homemade Jewelry Cleaner. Besides, I only use it for the two rings on my hands, nothing else. Sure, they're nice rings, but I have a tiny bathroom, and that space in the cabinet can be better used for other items. I'm passing it on to someone who will better appreciate it. So, farewell, commercial jewelry cleaner... you're no longer welcome in my bathroom (and I won't even miss you!).

Preschool Art as Wrapping Paper

image by physiognomist

This year for the holidays, we're trying something a little different when it comes to wrapping our gifts. Our three-year-old is now in preschool and brings home hoards of "art" on 18"x24" sheets of newsprint. Some of it is truly great, and it gets proudly displayed. Some of it is more "practice". We'll be using all his "practice" art as our wrapping paper.

I thought this might be a simple way to use what we have, be creative, and put all that practice art to good use.

We'll be using recycled elements for the ribbons, tags, and adornments. I have a lot of scrap fabric and there are tons of little trinkets that the kids just toss around and don't really play with. We'll be using all of them. I think I might even use this idea to decorate our tree! This will truly be a handmade holiday for us!