What’s on my Workdesk this Wednesday? A mess… My studio is a dumping ground at the moment, waiting for me to have a huge sort-out, to tidy up and put aside things I no longer need. I have used my sewing zone a bit, though, for my Eco Project.
Eco Project Phase 1
I’ve been teasing you all for the past few weeks, mentioning my Eco Project. Although I haven’t finished it, Phase 1 is up and running so I thought I’d share that with you at least, and it will give me the incentive to complete Phases 2 and 3 in time to share them over the next couple of weeks.
For some time I have been concerned about the amount of disposable stuff we use, that goes in the black bin and ultimately to landfill. We seem to get through a great deal of kitchen paper, and I often look back to when I was growing up, before the stuff had been invented. I can see my mum now, each Wednesday after the fish man had come with his van and she had bought pieces of fresh fish for our supper. She used to take a clean tea towel and wipe the fish, and spread flour over it, and coat the fish with it before frying it. Then she would wash out the tea towel, and it would be clean and ready for use again.
I can’t remember how I came across it but recently I was online and discovered something called flour sack towels. I had never heard of these so I dug a little deeper, and found that they were large pieces of heavy white cheese-cloth like material about 30 inches square, out of which they used to make the sacks for flour at the mill. They are pure cotton and very absorbent, and people use them around the kitchen for all sorts of uses.
Someone suggested cutting up the flour sack towels into smaller squares and using them as kitchen paper substitutes.
The idea intrigued me. Someone said you really have to hem them, because if you don’t, when you wash them they begin to fray, and they all tangle up together and it’s a dreadful job trying to separate them!
I ordered a pack of a dozen of the flour sack towels and washed and dried them. I ironed them, folding them first into three one way, and then into three the other way, so each one was divided into nine squares. I cut along the fold lines and hemmed the raw edges, using the existing hemmed edges where appropriate.
I started off hemming them on the sewing machine, but where I folded over the corners, they were too thick and it was such hard work, and I managed to break the needle! How I mourn the loss of my old sewing machine – a solidly built metal German Pfaff monster that could tackle anything!!
Anyway, I thought this was too much hassle, so I gave it up as a bad job and decided to hem the rest by hand. This wasn’t as arduous as you might think, because it was something I could pick up and put down, and I got through them quite quickly while watching TV with my hubby in the evenings.
I expect you are familiar with those carrier bag holders that you can get at Ikea? A sort of half-cylinder-shaped plastic thing that fixes to the wall, with holes in the front. You stuff the bags in the top, and can pull them out through the holes as you need them. I found a miniature one of Ebay, in the right shade of green to match my kitchen, and I fixed it up over the counter where I do most of my food prep. I can pull out the little towels as I need them, and when I have used them, I either rinse them out or just hang them over the towel rail to dry, and then pop them in a small peddle bin under the counter.
When I do the laundry at the weekend, I put them all in to soak, and then put them in with the towels for a 90-degree wash. They come out spotless! When they are dry, they get put back in the little dispenser and we are ready to go for another week. I made plenty of them so I never run out.
I still keep the kitchen roll on top of the microwave because there are odd occasions when I want to use it, but generally speaking, it’s the little flour sack towels all the way these days. They are absolutely brilliant! They don’t fall apart when wet, and feel a lot more substantial than paper.
I also cut some of the flour sack towels into four, so I have a few larger ones.
You may have seen me using these to wrap my mushrooms in, to store them in the fridge. This enables the mushrooms to breathe, and they stay wonderfully fresh all week till they get used up. Much better than the slimy revolting mess they used to be, stored in plastic.
This project isn’t for everyone, I know, because apart from the initial effort to make them, they do involve more work than just using kitchen paper and throwing it away, but I think it’s worth it. It gives you a good feeling to think you are doing your bit to recycle and save the environment.
Watch this space for Phases 2 and 3!
Kitties
My hubby took the kitties to the vet yesterday for their annual inoculations. They had their usual MOT and were examined and declared in good health. Ruby has a broken tooth but the vet said it wasn’t a problem and could be left alone. We can’t imagine how that happened! The vet also said that Ruby was FAT! How rude… Well, she is fairly substantial, I’ll give her that. I don’t think she’s clinically obese or anything, and my hubby wasn’t told to put her on a diet. I don’t think she’s that much bigger than her sister, actually! My hubby said he was so proud of them because they both behaved so well. They were really good in the car – these days it’s only at the bottom of the road, unlike where we used to live, which involved about 20 minutes of constant yowling from earlier generations of kitties! He said the waiting room was full, but everyone admired our two girlies and said how pretty they were, and the vet said the same! She gave my hubby a worm dose for each of them. I wish she had administered it herself because giving these two pills is an absolute no-no. We’ve never had such difficult kitties to deal with! My hubby said he could grind them up and mix them with the food. We shall see if they can taste it, and reject it!!
Food
Yesterday was Meal Prep Tuesday, the day of my supermarket delivery. I did a lot of chopping and used my Veggie Bullet to shred enough greens for a massive salad that’s going to keep us going for most of the week!
This salad is just a basis of chopped lettuce, shredded cabbage and carrot, chopped peppers, cucumber and red onion. You can add anything you like, and ring the changes with each serving. It keeps well in the fridge. Best not to add any dressing until you want to eat it. For our evening meal I added some vinaigrette and a good dash of balsamic vinegar to give it a bit of a kick, and some chopped tomato. The tomatoes from the supermarket are pretty flavourless, but this can be improved by sprinkling on some tomato powder.
On a bed of this salad I served the last of the Pineapple “Unfried” Rice with Teriyaki Sauce that I made a few days ago (another of Chef AJ’s recipes). My hubby really enjoyed it.
Here’s the rest of the prep that I did.
I sliced the rest of the cabbage instead of shredding it all, because I didn’t want it cut so fine. The root veggies can either be boiled or roasted for different recipes. I love the leaves from cauliflower and broccoli. When preparing the big salad, I also reserved some of the better-shaped lettuce leaves for serving whole with other things. I hate celery so I don’t buy it. When I discovered celeriac, I realised I could still add the flavour but in a milder form, and without the horrible texture of celery! I usually chop the spring onions fine and add them to savoury pancake mixture along with a bit of chopped pepper. The “pot liquor” (vegetable stock) that I made from the trimmings was delicious. I pressure cook it, and then strain it, and can use it in all kinds of recipes, and I also really enjoy drinking it straight.
In case you are wondering, this is what is left from last week’s huge quantity of veggies:
It looks a lot, but we’ll soon clear it. I’ve been quite busy this week and we were out on Sunday so I didn’t manage to use it all.
I’ve also been making almond milk, about once every two or three days. When I first started, I was using blanched almonds, until I discovered that other people use raw almonds (the kind with the brown skin on them) – these are quite a bit cheaper, and they don’t seem to make any difference to the milk, apart from giving it a more creamy look. You get extra goodness from the skins. You have to soak the almonds overnight, during which time they swell quite a bit, and then rinse them off and blend them with some fresh water in a high-speed blender. You then squeeze it through a nut bag. I think this milk is utterly delicious! I’ve also been making kefir with it and this is sensational. It doesn’t thicken like kefir made from dairy milk, and you have to add a little bit of sugar to give the kefir grains something to feed on, but by the time you drink it, this sugar has all been used up and you don’t taste it. My next task is to attempt to make decent yoghurt with the almond milk.
I’ve noticed that some batches seem to split if you add hot liquid (tea or coffee) but it re-amalgamates very well if you stir it. I love the extra creamy taste it provides, and it is a lot healthier than dairy, to which about 70 percent of the world’s population is intolerant!
I didn’t like the idea of throwing away the nut pulp that you are left with once the milk is made. I searched online and came up with lots of nice recipes. So far I’ve dried a batch of it in the oven to make almond flour, but I’m not going to bother with that again because it was a bit too much faff. The other day I made some humus out of it and this was absolutely the best thing since sliced bread (vegan version!). My hubby loves it too. It will be very useful for sandwiches if he wants to take a packed lunch with him.
Recipe of the Week
This week I thought I would share with you my new go-to breakfast, Chef AJ’s Chia Oat Pudding. Yes, I know – it says pudding, and you could eat it as a pudding, but don’t let that put you off having it for breakfast! Here’s the link to the Youtube video. All the ingredients are listed below the video in the description. She uses a special lemon-flavoured vinegar which isn’t available here in the UK, so I just substitute lemon juice and that seems to work fine.
This photo was taken just after I’d made that batch. Left to stand in the fridge overnight, it does darken and looks less pink. I use frozen blueberries which is very convenient because they are always available, and they defrost overnight. You do need to let this stand overnight in order to soften the oats and to allow the chia seeds to work their thickening magic too. All the flavours have time to blend.
I also add 4 tablespoons of ground flax seeds. This quantity of the recipe makes enough for 4 servings and this way I get my recommended daily amount of 1 tablespoon of flax seeds, which have many powerful health benefits. These include being high in omega 3; a source of lignans which are said to protect against certain cancers; they are rich in dietary fibre, and they help lower bad colesterol and high blood pressure, as well as being a rich source of protein, to name but a few. You get the full benefit of the nutrients if you grind the seeds, so every few weeks I grind up a small supply with the blender attachment on my Veggie Bullet (the equivalent of the stand-alone NutriBullet) and store this in a jar. The ground version doesn’t keep as well as the seeds, so it is best to grind only what you need for a relatively short period.
Have a great creative week, everybody.
your eco kitchen towel is very interesting – not sure my machine has a 90 degree wash and I rarely use the 60 one I don’t find things get dirty enough. I hope they continue to give you good service – I do like the idea of non slimy mushrooms!! Hope the kitties take their worming medicine ok. Helen #4
Great idea for an eco project Shoshi. I use a lot of kitchen towel for mopping up ink in the shed but it usually finds its way onto projects as a background layer so not so bad. I am now using an old tea towel to clean my desk and other spills instead of wet wipes. Glad to hear ruby and Lily are doing well. Ruby is obviously big boned lol. Jess has settled in well and I have left her in the hands of son #3 and hubby while i am at the retreat. She is such a sweety and enjoys coming for snuggles, purring like a train! Happy WOYWW. Sarah #6
Morning Shoshi. Goodness me… what a day! You were certainly extremely busy with all that prep. Great idea with the flour sacks – well done.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #5
Another busy week in Chef Shoshi’s kitchen. Gosh you don’t half provide us with a lot of interesting facts about food. I have a friend who loves chia seeds so think I might just pass on your recipe for the overnight breakfast. I loved seeing all your veggies shopped again – a veritable rainbow of goodness.
This week the flour sacks are of particular interest to me. What a good idea – and the fact that you wrap mushrooms in one and they keep well in the fridge certainly caught my eye. I can’t see me hemming them all up though, but then again I still have mum’s old Singer sewing machine which is heavy duty – metal throughout.
Glad the kitties are doing well, had to smile at the ‘overweight’ problem but so glad they were well behaved in the surgery – if not so when home having tablets administered.
Have a good week and thanks for all the interesting facts.
Hugs, Neet 10 xx
An interesting read about the flour sack towels – I found something similar recently about making bags to put loose fruit and veg in at the supermarket instead of plastic bags and they were made from net curtains with a drawstring tie. Again, they can be washed time and time again. I thought it was a good idea and your flour sack towels too!
Hugs LLJ 7 xx
I love the idea of your towels and would love to do this for myself. I’m really addicted to paper towels and use quite a bit of them and it can become quite expensive.
Glenda #15
I love the idea of using cloth instead of paper… makes me think that I should try to use less paper towels or maybe sew me some like you did – it sure looks lovely too! Good luck giving the pills to your cats… I know from experience how hard that can be… mixing the pills in food never worked for my cat back in the days (he’s long dead now) – he just smelled it from miles and didn’t eat any of it, I had to hold him down on the floor between my legs/knees, forced his little mouth to open and throw the pill in the back of his mouth… hope your kitties take the food! Happy woyww and a big hug from Holland, Marit #17
Llove the way you get everythig chopped and ready,
Happy WOYWDW
That’s a lot of dedication to save the environment, Shoshi – but washing them at 90 C cancels out your hard work! I did the same with my son’s nappies – I invested hundreds of pounds in cloth nappies initially – then I realised that the daily laundering at high temperatures cancelled out all the environmental benefits. I don’t think I’ve ever used my washing machine at 90 C – I very rarely use the 60 C cycle even – just stick to the recommended 40 C – which admittedly doesn’t always get rid of all the stains. There’s no easy way to win the eco battle – no matter what we do, our mere human existence is bad for the environment! ——- How rude indeed of the vet to call Ruby fat! I would have been offended as well! ——Have fun in the kitchen – I like watching YT videos when people just click their fingers and the ingredients are miraculously chopped, shredded and mixed – I wish it was that quick and easy in real life. —— Happy #533 zsuzsa #14
I love reading your food posts! Your art is in the kitchen these days, absolutely! I haven’t tried the Yummy sauce yet, but it does look interesting and it’s on my list of things to try. I was wondering about chopping all the veggies ahead of time, I was always told that cutting veggies and storing them before using lost some of their nutritional value. What are your views on this? Have a wonderful week, Lindart #21
Shoshi I love it. I really want to make those flour sack towels. I love it. I stopped buying paper napkins and have my family use cloth ones. They come in so many pretty colors and patterns and are so much fun to look at rather than the plain paper napkins. I can’t wait to see more on your eco project. You are an inspiration.
Our farmer’s market is tomorrow so I will be getting some lovely yummies soon. I would love to do something like you but I don’t think they have them in my area. I will have to look.
Have a blessed day friend and no worries about visiting late. I usually make it around last minute myself. 😉
Belinda #21
Loving phase 1 of the ECO project. My best friend has made wax covered cloths to use instead of clingfilm for sandwiches which work really well. Good luck with the kitties and tablets (always a nightmare – have you seen the funny story about giving a cat a pill – if not let me know and I will see if I can dig it out for you, it is hilarious!). Have a lovely week. With Love & God Bless, Caro x (#8)
Hi Shoshi, great post but I was exhausted after reading it … you have been so busy! The cloths look a nifty idea though I don’t use a lot of paper towels in the kitchen anyway. I have a cupboard full of dish drying cloths and they get used for all sorts of kitchen jobs and, of course, they get thrown in the washing machine too. Hope you succeeded in fooling the kitties into taking their tablets though they can be very fussy if something tastes different. Have a great week. Elizabeth x #18
Another busy week Shoshi and it’s only Wednesday! I agree with you about the amount of waste and certainly as a child I remember my grandmother using a fabric cloth rather than all this paper but I guess most women these days are working, looking after the family and time just makes it difficult to fit everything in but there are still things we can all do. We still have bottled milk delivered and I think we may be the only people on the street who do but just think if everyone did it again how much cardboard would not be needed to make cartons. We had a young man who came to do some work for us and he didn’t know what the bottle was for! Have a lovely woyww, Angela x13x
Thanks for your lovely long comment on my blog. It meant a lot.
I have now got my meat eater having at least one day a week (sometimes two) without meat. Hardly ever do we have red meat anyhow. Will have a look at alternatives as you mention.
Thanks & Hugs, Neet xx
As promised! Enjoy…. How to give a cat a pill.
1. Pick up the cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left Arm and repeat process.
3. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
4. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws, ignore growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
5. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
6. Wrap cat in a large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with cat’s head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of a drinking straw, force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down straw.
7. Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans, drink a beer to take away the taste. Apply a plaster to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from the carpet with soap and water.
8. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
9. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of Scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
10. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
11. Tie the cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of steak filet. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
12. Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.Get spouse to drive you to the A&E, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill from your eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order a new table.
13. Arrange for RSPCA to collect the mutant cat from hell and ring local pet shop to see whether they have any hamsters.
I just came back to say that perhaps I shouldn’t feel so bad about using the 90 degree wash once in a while, so I will! God knows our towels could do with one! Then I spotted Caro’s little story LOL! I dreaded giving Oreo his worming tablet the other day (I didn’t think he needed it but the vet insisted that I buy one) and he swallowed it straight away! I never managed it with my other cat years ago!