this one's all over the place (including a steel-cut oats recipe!)

Eeek! Marisa posted one of my jam pictures on her fabulous blog, Food in Jars. I know I've mentioned it before - it's a good one. Thanks, Marisa, and welcome to any new readers if that's what brought you here! Grab your tea, and say hi!

This beluga / mariachi combination made all of us smile this morning.

Shopping at thrift stores. Great post, and a gorgeous image.



A few other tidbits from the home front:

Kitchen fail! Last week, I mentioned that I saw instructions for making ricotta from whey. I tried it yesterday, and all that happened was that the whey boiled, making the kitchen smell like baby spit-up, and then cooled, leaving.... whey. Before making it, I couldn't figure out how it would work because the milk solids had all been turned to yogourt, but there are a lot of things I don't know, so I thought that some kind of magic might happen with a second heating. No such luck! What else can I do with whey left over from making yogourt?

On the neverending quest for a more natural dishwasher detergent that works, I have found something that I really, really like, although I don't know how 'green' it really is. It's President's Choice Green Phosphate Free Dishwasher Detergent, in the little packets. I bought it on sale for $10.99 for 44 packets, which is admittedly still pricey, especially compared to making your own. But it works much better. Of course it's phosphate free - if I remember correctly, somewhere around 1992 phosphates were banned. And there is no ingredient list on the package, so I don't know what all of the other ingredients are in it. But I love that there's no chlorine in it, and that it has no scent.

And some kitchen success. Steel-cut oats. I made them in the slow cooker overnight awhile back, which was good, but a little fussy. I came across the following recipe somewhere a couple of weeks ago, and I've made it three times since. It could not be easier. Really. Phillip will be starting pre-primary in a few weeks, and I'm thinking ahead of ways to make our days a little more routine and simpler. (More about that soon.) I think that this will be made at least a couple of times a week.


Laziest Steel-Cut Oats in the World
In the evening, put 1 cup of steel cut oats in a bowl with 2 cups of water. Cover and tuck in the fridge overnight. In the morning, plunk the uncovered bowl in the microwave for 5 minutes, and you're done. Done! Add milk, fruit, whatever you like. Yum.

**Edited to add: this makes exactly enough for the four of us. That's about as specific as I can be about the final amount, but I'm sure it would work in any volume as long as the ratio stayed the same. Also, it can be refrigerated after cooking, for up to a week. And if it ends up soaking in the fridge for longer than overnight (say, two overnights), that's fine, too. Enjoy!**


The light was gorgeous the other evening when Phillip and I picked more raspberries. We've been picking about a litre a day from the backyard. Happy Monday!