serving and shelving

I went out earlier today for some bank transactions, to get a chest x-ray and find a notary public. A few hours later, I walked home with four huge bags from home and decor stores, a refrigerator catalog and an appliances pricelist. Plus the notarized documents. But no x-ray.

It is a mistake to step inside of a shopping mall after getting some money from the bank. I was only supposed to purchase a gift for my secret santa in an upcoming (but very much delayed) christmas party. But I had to pass through the lane of home stores, alone, and with some money. And I was just too weak.

I’ve long been wanting to get some baskets to make sorting and storing the boys’ toys easier. I keep saying I’ll get some woven baskets in Samar but those I found look too native and doesn’t seem appropriate to store kids’ toys. An ideal toy cabinet for me should have large, open baskets in bright, cheery colors.

At home, we have this huge open cabinet with large square-ish shelves that serves as the TV and DVD rack and toy cabinet at the same time. My mother once mentioned she would be handing this down to me when we move out. When it’s officially mine, I’ll be painting it white so the colors of the newly-purchased toy baskets will be brighter.

Another noteworthy purchase from today’s unplanned shopping spree is inspired by decorative metal trays–perfect servingware for small parties or a great accent to a breakfast table.

I am so very lucky to find something so much like these from Papemelroti, very cheap too. And there were two pieces left I had to buy both. I can imagine this as our bread basket, lined with handwoven cloth, beside a bottle of jam or honey and a tub of butter or cheese!

 

the local food project

I had been mulling over this local food project for quite a time now. This project is one gigantic habit-breaking attempt to reduce our household’s “food miles“–the distance that food travels from the source (usually a farm) to our refrigerator, plates and eventually our stomachs. This really is a meager attempt at reducing carbon footprint in our daily lives, considering how much traveling our family does in a year. But while we cannot afford to cut back on our leisure trips, we can at least take conscious effort to reduce carbon footprint in the food we eat.

unique ceramic designs from dwell

Dwell is my new home store discovery. (I still have no idea how it’s connected to Dwell the magazine, which by the way is my favorite architectural mag.) It’s in this store that I found some relatively affordable retro-inspired vinyl chairs, which I thought I’d only see in magazines. Dwell carries the usual brands that can be found in most specialty stores and a number of department stores. But what I found unique in Dwell is their line of ceramic and porcelain wares.

gadgets galore

I’m no techie and when I talk gadgets I mean kitchen gadgets. Not those electric types that Rosebud Benitez use in her MSG-laden show. But those traditional yet currently practical tools that everyday cooks could use to make cooking quick and fun.

clockwise from left: cyclone whisk, citrus zester, jar lifter

Finally, I have a wire whisk. Since I’m not a very good baker, I never saw the need for one in my kitchen. I’m content with using a fork for egg beating. But now that I plan to experiment more on salad dressings and sauces I think having a wire whisk + osterizer could temporarily take the place of a food processor in my kitchen–something I’m saving up for along with an immersion blender. This is a Wilton cyclone whisk. The red spiral in the middle is supposed to help aerate mixtures more.

I also bought a citrus zester because I tend to waste a lot of citrus peel everytime I juice lemons and oranges, which we do quite often. The outer layer of citrus fruits contain high amounts of aromatic oils and flavor that can add an instant kick to your recipe. While a vegetable peeler or a box grater can also be used to zest, a citrus zester will yield the best possible results. If you want finer shreds, you can also use a microplane grater. Unfortunately this is way out of my budget.

My current favorite is the jar lifter. I’ve been studying home canning methods for a while now. As a working mother learning food preservation techniques is important if you want to save time and money by cooking ahead, but do not want to compromise the nutritional content of the food you serve your family. If only I had the time, I’d like to take classes on food technology and preservation. There is a science behind kitchen works and it’s something I would eagerly want to learn.

The jar lifter I bought was from a brand called Antique Gadgets. The company specializes in making everyday helpful kitchen gadgets that have been out of production or replaced by electronic devices. I wish they had more products available here. But for now this cool tool that will allow me to pull out hot jars without having to dip my potholder in boiling water.

Now I’m really excited to use my new gadgets. So I’m off this early to the wet market to do a little shopping and whip up a few bottles of my specialty sauces, preserved in the traditional way, despite this day and age of vacuum sealing and microwave reheating.

condiment-als

I always associate saucers with a cup. I remember in grade school english such pairings, eg. cup and saucer, bacon and eggs, are even considered as a singular unit as far as subject-verb agreement is concerned. Or am I wrong? Whatever.

Anyhow, when I tried to look up the etymology of the word saucer, I ended up realizing that its main purpose is to be a receptacle of condiments, from the word sauce, hence the word sauce-er. Duh?!

I hope this is just stress, or am I getting stupid. I can almost hear my family say, “you already are.” (Matalinong tanga is my family’s best description of me.) Ouch! But at least there seems to be some smartness involved. LOL

little shopping pleasures

When almost everything comes with a price tag, and when almost everything that comes with a price tag is getting less affordable, it’s a pleasant surprise to find stuff that are worth more than what they cost.