Drying Herbs

 It is getting to the time of the year when I begin drying and preserving my herbs. I am trying  a different   method this year.  It is using the microwave to dry my herbs.  I can do a small batch  . You do have to be careful . I start with washing my herbs and letting them dry.

  Then what I do this is:  Depending on the size of the herb, I start with 5 to 10 seconds on high. You do have to be careful that the leaves do not burn.  If I get a few , then I just toss them out.

  When the leaves look mostly dry then I just set them out and let them air dry some.  I can tell when they are ready to be stored . For this year  so far I am  storing these in marked plastic bags in a large  mason jar.

Easy Magnets for your Refrigator

  While making pizza, Bob remembered making little magnets when he was a kid. So he quickly made a few.

  

Take a can with a decorative or plain edge.  Here Bob has an olive can!







Remove the top- use a can opener that does not leave rough edges.







Cut a small pierce of magnetic tape.

Put the tape on the back

Here it is on the Fridge!  Now be creative- take your favorite photo of your kid , your pet  ,or a favorite  vacation spot.   Make gifts for the aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Have Fun!

New page-Book Reviews

A new page has been added and I hope I did it correctly. I will post book reviews of recent books that I think are worth reading!  So follow along and enjoy some summer reading with me.

 Of course , as a librarian, any season and time is a good time to read!

Easy Pizza

 Bob made Pizza last week.  We usually make it about the same way.  It is easy and quick.
We made 'French Bread Pizza"  but we do not use french bread.   On a trip to our local store we  got ciabatta bread.  This was $1.99 .( on mark down!)

 

 

We have found that ciabatta works really well!   The next step is the sauce!  And then he began to pile on the toppings. You could really do anything here.  Here he is doing mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, and  black olives.  He made each one a little different.

Sauce goes on first

Toppings are added

 

   He added the cheese and then some pepperoni and prosciutto.  Pop them in the oven  at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes . Add a green salad and a glass of red wine  and you have a winner of a dinner!

Ham Fried Rice

  When you have leftovers of rice , a little meat, and some basic vegetables-  Make Fried Rice!  It is easy and filling and it cleans out your refrigerator. It works great for working  people because you can prep the night before . Then when you get home from work, dinner is just minutes away!

  We had leftover rice ( brown) but not a lot , so I made another half cup of rice.  Then I chopped up onions , carrots, celery, and garlic and put it in containers.  I chopped up ham and put that in another container.

      Recipe: Adapted from many cookbooks

  Heat  oil in a wok or large skillet.   Throw in onions and garlic and stir. Stir every-once in a while until softened.  Then add in  the rest of the vegetables: I used carrots and celery, but really you can use any raw or crisp cooked vegetable.  Saute and stir  until soft.  Then add the rice and also some soy sauce or stir fry sauce.  Also toss in your meat ( I used leftover ham) But you could also use pork , chicken, or beef.  

  I did not do this  but sometimes I scramble an egg or two before I put the onions in.   All will be done  when it is hot through.  If you have them you can add sprouts.

Sorry I can not show you a photo !!  We ate most of it and Bob took the rest for his lunch!

Herbs- waiting to go outside!

  All winter I have been carefully tending my herb plants that I had from last summer.  Most of them I already had in containers. Some of them I pulled out of the ground and put in pots.

  I some time will investigate which ones I could really leave in the ground . Some of them will winter over I think.

  I am hoping that they will begin to expand and revive . My rosemary looks a little worse for wear with a few yellow spikes , 

 But they have been in the sun and I have  been using some of  them throughout the winter in recipes.  I have a spearmint,  a parsley, a rosemary, thyme, and oregano.

Cinco De Mayo

 Hola!  Happy Cinco de May

  Bob did a great little project for Cinco de Mayo ( a day early)  . We had a big aloe plant which I took to work and of course it grew a lot of little plants. So he pulled them out and brought them home.

  We got some miscellaneous containers ( yogurt, pringles) and he planted them in the cups. So now we will have some more to keep or to give!  They are so much fun. And so easy to grow!

  When he was done , he put some decorative stone  to hold in the water.  Actually , he got it from Salvation Army. It is  rocks for aquariums, but we thought it looked decorative !

  A little historical note :  Cinco  de Mayo celebrates the Battle of Puebla , at which the Mexican Army defeated a larger , better trained French Army.  Oddly enough , it is not celebrated all that much in Mexico itself.  Rather , it was brought to California by Mexican Settlers. Today Mexican Americans celebrate their heritage.

 Life's  always a holiday on  Shady Lane!

!