The first tip is from a cadet: . . .
Poor Dr. Pepper or Coke over raw hamburger patties on the grill. Flip the burgers when they are brown and pour Dr. Pepper over them again. The final product is one juicy burger. The cadet said the secret is in the soda's sodium solution. I believe him. He’s grilled hundreds of burgers and a cadet does not lie, steal, or cheat or tolerate those who do.
The second tip is from a 90 year old farmer’s market shopper . . .
Don’t peel your pears before you bottle them. Really. That’s what she said. She said after 35 years she got tired of peeling them and left them on. I must not have looked entirely convinced because she said, “Try it on a bottle or two honey, and then you’ll know for yourself.”
The third tip is from me:
After caulking around the baseboards, screw a screw into the tip of the caulk tube to keep it from drying out. Also, old flannel-backed, oil-cloth tablecloths make the best drop cloths. This leaf one has made it through several projects - it has a tiche of black, brown, green, and yellow on it.
And this last thing is just a tidbit, not a tip.
Saturday Calvin saw a hurt bird on the road. He stopped and brought it home for Cali to nurse. They put it in a quail cage and waited for it to get better. After a few hours of water, feed, rest, and sunshine the little finch looked stronger so they turned him loose and he hopped away.
Dan found him. Dan ate him in one gulp.
Some days are like that I guess.
21 comments:
oh, dan. what a face!
some days ARE like that ;)
Haha. That last picture was the best. Normally I would say good job Dan, but I'm so sad for the little finch!
I don't know if I should laugh or cry?
I guess some days are like that.
So are you going to try bottling pears with the skins? I'm so curious. They are so much work otherwise. I have a friend that blanches them like peaches and the skins slip off. I haven't been convinced to try that either. I'm probably missing the whole boat!
Oh Dan, was it worth it?
Dear Dan - I hope that little finch was a tasty morsel and worth it!It probably looked as good to him as the chocolate pieces the Relief Society sprinkles on their tables at every meeting it seems. Just too much to resist!
p.s. if you do can your pears with skins on, please report back. I've tried blanching them as Melanie mentioned but they didn't seem very pretty that way. Perhaps with the skins on would work.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo Melanie, don’t fall for blanching pears. I thought it was a mess. The skins didn’t slip like peaches and then you have brown mushy pears when they’re bottled. I don’t know if I’ll try my farmer's market friend's way or not. What’s a few more peels to peel when they’re so much work anyway? On the other hand, I eat the peels when I eat them raw so maybe she’s got something.
Oh, Dan! What a capture.
I'm curious about the pears, too. I never peel them when I eat them, so... maybe it's a good idea!
I'm with you Jane. Remember when I canned pears that ONE time, and I blanched them, and they were like mush, and no one ate them, and they were soooo much work, and no one ate them? I'm never doing that again.
Dan looks guilty, doesn't he?
I couldn't do the hamburger tip. I'm a recovering Pepper-aholic, and it would be just too tempting! ;)
Hahahaa. That's funny. Poor bird.
I'm game for not peeling pears. I like the texture of the skin. There is some technical name for the gritty little parts in the skin, and I'm pretty sure it dulls a peeler. But then again, last time I canned pears it was a sun-up to sun-down mass canning adventure with Mom & a sister. What's peeling when you're already hot and sticky?
I thought the bird was in a dishwasher and was a bit concerned about what was going on! I can't imagine swallowing feathers. Ick!
I love these tips and will definitely be trying the burger/soda tip.
Oh that poor bird. Dan must have thought it was a gift for him.
I am totally going to try that soda tip. Thanks!
I actually like all the peeling and pitting of the pears. It is such a great repetative motion and I get into a real groove. Suddenly I look up, and the jars are filled and it is time to put them in the canner. Then you get to label them, date them, and slide them onto the pantry shelf where they stand at attention, just waiting to be tasted. I love canning. (Can you tell?)
I am laughing and cringing at the same time! Hilarious! :)
Love all the homemaking tips too. That 90-year-old is darling...
All of those years I'd run down to the fruit room and choose a bottle of white fruit or yellow fruit from the shelves and I never realized the toil that went into each bottle. And I know those pears were skinless. And good.
I'm totally going to try that with my burgers. Yum.
I'm laughing about Dan because that's obviously not how you thought the story would turn out after taking all of those pictures pre-swallow.
That pear tip is the best tip of all. I'm going to try that and then make sure every daughter and daughter-in-law knows it. I wasted years of my life standing at a sink dripping pear juice to my elbows. Give that farmer's market shopper a raise!
I am soooo doing that hamburger thing - I'm sure it will make my lazy, frozen patties taste much better!
Love the pic of Dan. What a face!
Ha! I love it. I don't love the fact that your dog ate that poor bird. But I love the surprise ending. :)
Bahahahahaha!!! So did you try the pear trick?? I think we are going to have to come meet Dan.
We are so doing the burgers that way. I wish I knew how to can. I am so glad I have no calking projects in my near future. Oh! What a good day for Dan, but sad day for everyone else. I hope my projects don't get spoiled by a metaphorical dan today. It was so good to see you for even a second. And I love GRACE!
I know someone who swears by using pepsi/coke in their stir-fry's.
Post a Comment