Sunday, August 2, 2020

Trying To Be Resourceful

In case you were wondering, yes, the beep beep beep continues.  I decided to rummage through my toolboxes and see if I could find the magic screwdriver to remove those screws on the beeping machine.  I was hoping it would eventually die, but that doesn't appear to be happening!!

At long last, and with much force, I was able to remove the screws.   Hey .... there are only two wires and they used the same connectors I used on the drip irrigation system.  I think I can DO this!!  I'm pretty sure that will save me $75 ... if I can find the right monitor, which shouldn't be a problem.  Yay ... I'm actually being resourceful!

I even spent a good part of the day fixing up my REPAIR book.  Should I ever decide to sell this beast, it's a very good feature to have.  Dan says it's what sold his rig.  I bought the binder and dividers and gathered up all my papers.

Oops ... while scrounging in the drawers, I found the FIRST binder I made for the exact same reason. Half my work was already done!!  I have kept every receipt from warranty and repair work (surprisingly there are not many) AND all the maintenance invoices.  100% of the credit for making this book goes to Dan Chance.
With the book done, I figured I should be a little more resourceful and start cooking more of my own meals.  Try as I might to find the required kitchen utensils, I had come up with nothing.  Time to hit the internet for a restaurant supply store.  It was deep in the heart of Tucson, but I didn't have anything else to do.

The store was practically empty.  I wandered through the trash cans, kitchen wash stations and shelves full of glassware looking for just one small pot.  Here is what I discovered about this restaurant supply business.  Literally EVERYTHING comes from China.  

Update:  I really can't say everything came from China, but everything I picked up did.

I've been to China not once, but TWICE.  We were taken to lots of silk and jade factories, but never once did we see anyone making pots.  So here's my final stash.  One small pot for egg boiling, $5.97. Mini pie pans for 11 cents each, just to see if I can beat Walmart's price of 50 cents.  

I even got a wok ... made in the USA ... and a magnetic knife holder to keep my knives out of the silverware drawer.  The entire pile came to under $50.  It was NOT a good thing to realize that it SEEMED practically everything used in the restaurant kitchens of America are made in China.  I'm hoping this really isn't true.  There must be American manufacturers somewhere.
Back to looking out the glass door ... the hummingbird feeders are inundated with customers.  It looks like the new crop of babies have all taken flight.  These guys are tiny!!!
In the end, I did not use one single kitchen item I purchased when making dinner.  What I HAD was a box of soon-to-be spoiled mushrooms.  Although I didn't have ALL the ingredients, I tried to be resourceful in making this chicken marsala.  
It actually turned out quite tasty, alongside some squash with cheese and thyme.  Everything tastes better with cheese!!  Notice it's placed upon my $25 plastic plates, now available at TJ Maxx for $2.  You may remember that day I was trying to use up $100 at Williams Sonoma and needed a body guard to get to the Jeep.
So that was my rather boring day, although I did spend some time in the sewing room.  I was so happy to start a new project until I went to put the first piece up on my board, only to discover I still had an entire quilt with 88 pieces that needed to be sewn together first.

In the meantime, there were more critters that posed for me.  Pictures tomorrow!!






20 comments:

  1. Do you not do boiled eggs in the Instant Pot? It may take a few minutes longer but they peel SO easy every time. 5 minutes pressure, 5 minutes natural release, 5 minutes in ice water. Peel. I don't think I'll ever make them on the stovetop again.

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    1. One cup of water in the Instant Pot and use the trivet.

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    2. I do not use my IP for eggs, because I only do 3 or 4 at a time, mostly for the puppies. It's actually faster to use the pot.

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  2. Nice to do your own RV Maintenance. Good idea for the Book.
    At William's Restaurant Supply in Windsor there is nothing made in China. If you ask for something cheaper they just point at the door.
    Be Safe and Enjoy your quilt.

    It's about time.

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    1. That's awesome!! I shouldn't assume everything was made in China, but everything I picked up was.

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  3. I believe you can purchase the detector on Amazon.

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  4. What a shame it's so hard to buy American! We're looking at EZ UPs one called the Patriot..even has a little American flag on it..EZ UP answered a ? Made in China, but shipped from CA ..haha. WE like EZ up but am looking to see if there are any American made. Your dinner looks so awesome! Good job!

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    1. Be prepared to pay more for American made. I never really paid attention before!!

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  5. I've been using Kenji Lopez-Alt's method on the stovetop for hard cooked eggs for a couple of years & it's worked perfectly for me every time so far. He doesn't recommend an InstantPot because it's not any easier or quicker & he thinks (& apparently his blindfolded testers agreed) that the texture of the white suffers. He also doesn't recommend the ice water shock. He's the Serious Eats & Food Lab guru & now New York Times columnist & has been working on his method & testing extensively for many years.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/dining/how-to-hard-boil-eggs.html

    Link to recipe/method itself is at the bottom. Here's a cached version of it for those reading this who don't subscribe to the NYT & can't retrieve it.

    https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ppnbG6oCthwJ:https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020468-perfect-boiled-eggs+&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d

    If that doesn't work for you either, tell me & I'll copy & paste it in here.

    (But right now I have to go research a recipe for Chicken Marsala. After seeing the tantalizing photo here, I'm pretty sure I'll not stop drooling about it til I make it.)

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    1. The marsala chicken is definitely a keeper. As to the eggs, since I only do 3 or 4 at a time for the puppies, it's just faster to use a pot. I've never made them in my IP.

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    2. I'm going to look up your guru ... maybe I can do the eggs even better!!!

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  6. A wok.. cool... set another place at the table
    If you like stirfry find an Asian market You'll have tons of choices of foods and sauces to choose from I'm definitely a big fan of Vietnamese or Thai food after eating the two Chinese food is just plain Bland. No flavors The only advantage is Chinese food is cheap.. were as Vietnamese and Thai food are more expensive to take out
    If you like Pho you can get the small packets ( asian market )of sauce and then use whatever you have in the refrigerator and angel hair pasta
    As for pots and pans I've always done good in T.J. Maxx and IKEA The heavier the pot the better the heat distribution is

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    1. I have to say I DO love Asian food. Thai food in particular. Now I need recipes!! LOL

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  7. Thanks to Leilani for sharing the info on cooking eggs. I learned something new. Good for you for cooking at home. The chicken looked delicious.

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  8. Nancy, is this 'kitchen store' you mentioned in the blog, is it the building that faces Interstate 10 in Tucson? While in Quartzsite in January 2020, I mentioned 'knives' to the ladies sitting around the Escapee campfire. Two from our park in Benson mentioned 'Rada cutlery' made in USA...actually Iowa. I bought the knives at the kitchen store on Kuehn in Quartzsite...one of my 'to go to' places in the area during January. So I purchased several different knives and very happy. They have a website so you can order online. I am pleased with my purchase.

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    1. No, that's not the store. That's probably where I SHOULD have gone!! Nice to know about the cutlery. Thanks Lynn!!

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  9. Ah geez. That photo of the chicken marsala suggests that your existence is totally justified today, even without the accomplishment of many other tasks. If I lived next door.....I'd be looking pathetic and hungry....just hoping.

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    1. Hahaha Judith. It really is delicious ... super easy to fix. Don't know why I don't make it more often. Next time you're invited to dinner!!

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