Tomorrow the subcontractors are coming to put the finishing touches on the room. Actually, that is a bit misleading, as the so-called finishing touches are fixes to things that weren't done right. There are two outlets that are not flush with the wall, one outlet that is supposed to be GFI and is not, and the paint job needs some touch-ups. Please, please, please, let this be the end of it!
Re the flooring tile: They ordered a replacement box of tiles for me. Yay!
Re the cracked "waste funnel" from my sauce maker: A replacement is on its way. Yay!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Slicker 'n snot
I bought myself an xmas present, the Roma Sauce Maker. I'm sure you have seen these around - usually they are associated with tomatoes. Gardener's Supply was offering 20% off, so I purchased a variety of things, including this baby.
Saturday I decided I should assemble the thing, to make sure all the pieces were there, and initially I was not impressed. In fact, one part arrived cracked - the "waste funnel" which is made from a plastic one step better than the plastic used for disposable glasses. Anyway, all the parts went together, and I decided that I should test it out as well. Tomato season is long past, but I just happened to have half a peck of Gold Rush apples in the refrigerator.
An aside on these apples: they are not pretty, which made them a good candidate for applesauce, but while cutting them up, I tasted a slice. Oh. My. God. Crisp and tart but not overly so. I held one back just to eat, ugly skin and all.
According to the directions, tomatoes can go through the sauce maker raw, but apples and most other fruits need to be steamed first. So I quartered the apples and put them on the stove with a little water and let the magic of cooking with gas do its thing.
After the apples cooled a bit, I filled the hopper. That red thing is called a "stomper" but wielding it takes little muscle power.
After hand cranking for a bit, applesauce started to flow. Initially, the peels still had a fair amount of apple mixed in, so I sent the "waste" through again, and extracted even more applesauce.
And it is wonderful applesauce. In the past, I have made applesauce with a Foley food mill, which crushed the seeds and let some of the nasty stuff through. But this applesauce is clean and smooth. I like it tart, but also tried it with a bit of agave nectar and cinnamon. Lovely, just lovely.
It went great with the bread I baked at the same time the apples were steaming. Working from The Bread Book...
... I used their method of creating a sponge first. This step comes after proofing the yeast and before mixing in all the flour.
Smells yeasty.
Otherwise, the directions are standard for bread, with the exception of recommending longer rise times at cooler temperatures and a free form loaf.
The result was a very crusty loaf, just the way I like it. The basic loaf recipe used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour, so it is lighter than whole wheat but heartier than white.
I couldn't wait for the loaf to cool before sampling. Mmmmmm!
I highly recommend this book. There is a wide variety of recipes from around the world, plus the authors explain not only what but why. For example, besides instructing you to knead the bread for ten minutes, they also explain that this is to develop the gluten which is necessary to support the yeast, and that mechanical kneading can easily lead to over-kneading, which breaks down the gluten strands. I'm looking forward to working my way through this book during the Year of Bread.
Saturday I decided I should assemble the thing, to make sure all the pieces were there, and initially I was not impressed. In fact, one part arrived cracked - the "waste funnel" which is made from a plastic one step better than the plastic used for disposable glasses. Anyway, all the parts went together, and I decided that I should test it out as well. Tomato season is long past, but I just happened to have half a peck of Gold Rush apples in the refrigerator.
An aside on these apples: they are not pretty, which made them a good candidate for applesauce, but while cutting them up, I tasted a slice. Oh. My. God. Crisp and tart but not overly so. I held one back just to eat, ugly skin and all.
According to the directions, tomatoes can go through the sauce maker raw, but apples and most other fruits need to be steamed first. So I quartered the apples and put them on the stove with a little water and let the magic of cooking with gas do its thing.
After the apples cooled a bit, I filled the hopper. That red thing is called a "stomper" but wielding it takes little muscle power.
After hand cranking for a bit, applesauce started to flow. Initially, the peels still had a fair amount of apple mixed in, so I sent the "waste" through again, and extracted even more applesauce.
And it is wonderful applesauce. In the past, I have made applesauce with a Foley food mill, which crushed the seeds and let some of the nasty stuff through. But this applesauce is clean and smooth. I like it tart, but also tried it with a bit of agave nectar and cinnamon. Lovely, just lovely.
It went great with the bread I baked at the same time the apples were steaming. Working from The Bread Book...
... I used their method of creating a sponge first. This step comes after proofing the yeast and before mixing in all the flour.
Smells yeasty.
Otherwise, the directions are standard for bread, with the exception of recommending longer rise times at cooler temperatures and a free form loaf.
The result was a very crusty loaf, just the way I like it. The basic loaf recipe used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour, so it is lighter than whole wheat but heartier than white.
I couldn't wait for the loaf to cool before sampling. Mmmmmm!
I highly recommend this book. There is a wide variety of recipes from around the world, plus the authors explain not only what but why. For example, besides instructing you to knead the bread for ten minutes, they also explain that this is to develop the gluten which is necessary to support the yeast, and that mechanical kneading can easily lead to over-kneading, which breaks down the gluten strands. I'm looking forward to working my way through this book during the Year of Bread.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
I'm flushing!
Welcome to my new laundry room/half-bath!
Paint colors: Outer room is "Khaki", inner room is "Antique", trim is "Architectural White", and door is "Oatmeal". Flooring pattern: Durastone Festiva Multi Greenstone.
As you can see, technically the service panel is not in the laundry room. Also, the plumbing on the right is the old faucets for the washing machine. I had the plumbers leave them so I can hook up a hose in case I need treated water outside. My outdoor faucets are connected to my well, and if I try to wash siding with that water, my house will turn orange.
The washer and dryer in situ. I bought new clamps for the dryer hose, so no more mishaps with that. Yesterday I did laundry and everything was hooked up and operating as expected.
In the opposite direction, toilet and utility sink. I obviously need hangers for the toilet paper and towels. Hmmm, that would make a useful xmas present (hint, hint!)
This is a Gerber Viper, round, standard height, white. It uses a ridiculously minimal amount of water. I haven't tried flushing golf balls down it yet, but since I use flushable kitty litter, that will become my new disposal method of choice.
The sink I picked up at Menards. The faucet doubles as a sprayer, which will be handy for bathing the dog. The plumber was going to fasten it to the wall, but there was no bracket with the sink, so he anchored the legs to the floor to make it more secure.
There are still a few outstanding issues, but basically, we are done. Whew!
And, apropos of nothing, here is my birthday gift from my daughter. She and my son-in-law hung it over Thanksgiving weekend.
Paint colors: Outer room is "Khaki", inner room is "Antique", trim is "Architectural White", and door is "Oatmeal". Flooring pattern: Durastone Festiva Multi Greenstone.
As you can see, technically the service panel is not in the laundry room. Also, the plumbing on the right is the old faucets for the washing machine. I had the plumbers leave them so I can hook up a hose in case I need treated water outside. My outdoor faucets are connected to my well, and if I try to wash siding with that water, my house will turn orange.
The washer and dryer in situ. I bought new clamps for the dryer hose, so no more mishaps with that. Yesterday I did laundry and everything was hooked up and operating as expected.
In the opposite direction, toilet and utility sink. I obviously need hangers for the toilet paper and towels. Hmmm, that would make a useful xmas present (hint, hint!)
This is a Gerber Viper, round, standard height, white. It uses a ridiculously minimal amount of water. I haven't tried flushing golf balls down it yet, but since I use flushable kitty litter, that will become my new disposal method of choice.
The sink I picked up at Menards. The faucet doubles as a sprayer, which will be handy for bathing the dog. The plumber was going to fasten it to the wall, but there was no bracket with the sink, so he anchored the legs to the floor to make it more secure.
There are still a few outstanding issues, but basically, we are done. Whew!
And, apropos of nothing, here is my birthday gift from my daughter. She and my son-in-law hung it over Thanksgiving weekend.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Almost there
I can't sleep in tomorrow - not that the dog and cat ever allow me to - because the plumber is coming at 8am to install the toilet and sink. Whoo-hoo! The laundry room conversion has taken so long that I stopped believing it would ever end. But the painters are here today, and once the plumbing fixtures are in place, we are DONE.
Except for the post-completion wrangling. There are a couple of outstanding problems. One is an outlet that is not flush with the wall. Another is a line item on the original bid for a dumpster, a dumpster that never materialized. And then there is the floor tile.
Long story: Once upon a time, I replaced the linoleum in my kitchen with Durastone. Loved the stuff, so last year I had them use it in what is now the old laundry area. Later, while extolling the virtues of Durastone to one of my co-workers, we visited the Durastone website, where I discovered that my pattern had been discontinued. My flooring people found me some more, though, and I had them do the family room. I was contemplating having the breakfast bar between the kitchen and family room removed at some point in the future, so I made sure I had enough Durastone left over to do that job.
For the new laundry room, the contractor provided a line item on the bid for the flooring, using a different floor company than my guys. I asked my guys for a bid as well, which was a bit lower, so I said to the contractor, If your guys can match that bid, I will just go with them. They did, and they were able to locate more of my pattern. So far, so good.
When it came time to install the floor, however, the flooring guys wanted to use a "couple" of my tiles. I said, OK. Well, they used all but two tiles. That means I have virtually no extra tiles for repair nor any for the kitchen should I decide to remove the breakfast bar. I assumed their bid included all materials, so I feel duped. My response was to ask the contractor what he wants to do, replace my box of tiles or deduct the cost of a box of tiles from the final bill? He said he would get back to me. Either way, I hope I can find another box.
Except for the post-completion wrangling. There are a couple of outstanding problems. One is an outlet that is not flush with the wall. Another is a line item on the original bid for a dumpster, a dumpster that never materialized. And then there is the floor tile.
Long story: Once upon a time, I replaced the linoleum in my kitchen with Durastone. Loved the stuff, so last year I had them use it in what is now the old laundry area. Later, while extolling the virtues of Durastone to one of my co-workers, we visited the Durastone website, where I discovered that my pattern had been discontinued. My flooring people found me some more, though, and I had them do the family room. I was contemplating having the breakfast bar between the kitchen and family room removed at some point in the future, so I made sure I had enough Durastone left over to do that job.
For the new laundry room, the contractor provided a line item on the bid for the flooring, using a different floor company than my guys. I asked my guys for a bid as well, which was a bit lower, so I said to the contractor, If your guys can match that bid, I will just go with them. They did, and they were able to locate more of my pattern. So far, so good.
When it came time to install the floor, however, the flooring guys wanted to use a "couple" of my tiles. I said, OK. Well, they used all but two tiles. That means I have virtually no extra tiles for repair nor any for the kitchen should I decide to remove the breakfast bar. I assumed their bid included all materials, so I feel duped. My response was to ask the contractor what he wants to do, replace my box of tiles or deduct the cost of a box of tiles from the final bill? He said he would get back to me. Either way, I hope I can find another box.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Oh, the weather outside is frightful...
... but the fire is so delightful.
The sky spit a bit of snow Friday, but nothing noteworthy. Still, I used it as an excuse to hang the sunflower seed bird feeder on Saturday. The sparrows thank me.
Since the weather was not conducive to outdoor activities, I busied myself with a few indoor ones. Besides the above fire, I baked bread, the old-fashioned way. In other words, no bread machine.
The yeast was a bit old, but it managed to muster a good yeasty smell and some bubbles, enough to produce a couple of whole wheat loaves.
They are a bit dense, but definitely tasty...
... especially with red raspberry spread, purchased (along with some apples) from Cook's Orchard.
Cook's Orchard is embarrassingly close to where I live, and yet I had no idea it was there. Some out-of-town visitors wondered if there were a place nearby where they could buy sauce apples, and the Internet pointed us to Cook's. Their cider is wonderful.
Progress on the laundry room continues, albeit a bit slowly. The painters came last week, so the ceiling is white and the walls "Antique".
I had some paint from last year's construction project, enough for the trim ("Architectural Off White") and the door ("Oatmeal"), and I thought the third leftover can contained "Khaki" to clean up the old laundry area, but no. I got a little panicky because I did not have the paint sample for that color anymore, but my SO and I canvassed Home Depot and Lowe's, and found it. Whew!
Of course, there are still problems, the current (HA) one being the outlet in the above photo. It is a GFI outlet that is tied into the same circuit as the laundry room light and fan, but it keeps tripping. This is particularly troublesome because I plan to plug in a freezer there. Freezers work best if they have an uninterrupted source of power, so this definitely needs to be rectified.
Tuesday the floor is to be laid, then the trim installed, then more painting. And then? Final inspections. (Cue ominous music.)
The sky spit a bit of snow Friday, but nothing noteworthy. Still, I used it as an excuse to hang the sunflower seed bird feeder on Saturday. The sparrows thank me.
Since the weather was not conducive to outdoor activities, I busied myself with a few indoor ones. Besides the above fire, I baked bread, the old-fashioned way. In other words, no bread machine.
The yeast was a bit old, but it managed to muster a good yeasty smell and some bubbles, enough to produce a couple of whole wheat loaves.
They are a bit dense, but definitely tasty...
... especially with red raspberry spread, purchased (along with some apples) from Cook's Orchard.
Cook's Orchard is embarrassingly close to where I live, and yet I had no idea it was there. Some out-of-town visitors wondered if there were a place nearby where they could buy sauce apples, and the Internet pointed us to Cook's. Their cider is wonderful.
Progress on the laundry room continues, albeit a bit slowly. The painters came last week, so the ceiling is white and the walls "Antique".
I had some paint from last year's construction project, enough for the trim ("Architectural Off White") and the door ("Oatmeal"), and I thought the third leftover can contained "Khaki" to clean up the old laundry area, but no. I got a little panicky because I did not have the paint sample for that color anymore, but my SO and I canvassed Home Depot and Lowe's, and found it. Whew!
Of course, there are still problems, the current (HA) one being the outlet in the above photo. It is a GFI outlet that is tied into the same circuit as the laundry room light and fan, but it keeps tripping. This is particularly troublesome because I plan to plug in a freezer there. Freezers work best if they have an uninterrupted source of power, so this definitely needs to be rectified.
Tuesday the floor is to be laid, then the trim installed, then more painting. And then? Final inspections. (Cue ominous music.)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
If I will cook, they will come
Our traditional T-day menu:
Crudites (that's fancy-talk for carrot and celery sticks)
Roast turkey (duh)
Gravy (from a jar)
Mashed potatoes
Sweet and sour green beans
Stuffing (Stove Top)
Deviled eggs
Crescent rolls (Pillsbury)
Pecan pie
Not very original, but no one complains.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Crudites (that's fancy-talk for carrot and celery sticks)
Roast turkey (duh)
Gravy (from a jar)
Mashed potatoes
Sweet and sour green beans
Stuffing (Stove Top)
Deviled eggs
Crescent rolls (Pillsbury)
Pecan pie
Not very original, but no one complains.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
And we have Spanish lace
It has yet to be painted, but at least it is up.
For comparison purposes, here is the popcorn ceiling:
It's difficult to take meaningful photos of flat surfaces, but take my word for it, the Spanish lace looks much nicer.
Seed catalog number THREE arrived yesterday: Totally Tomatoes. I want to grow enough tomatoes to can sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato juice. I'm tempted to get at least one open-pollinated variety and try saving the seeds, just for grins and giggles.
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