Odds & Ends

Taking Time To Re-inventory My Freezers

I inventoried and reorganized both of our freezers (refrigerator one and the deep freeze in the basement) the other day, which was great because I knew I had been throwing things in without writing them down.  I knew the inventory sheet didn't match what was in there, so I had to take stock before my next grocery trip so I had a better idea of what to buy.  Check out my original post about doing a freezer inventory and to download a copy of my freezer inventory printable.

It took me about an hour to inventory both freezers. Husband Jeff and Sonny D entertained themselves by playing Hide & Seek nearby in the basement. Toddlers Preschoolers (I think at 3 they're called preschoolers?) aren't the best at Hide & Seek.  He knew enough to hide, but as soon as Jeff went to look for him, he would pop out and announce himself.  Adorable! 

Ok, back to my freezers.  The bad thing was I found two medium-size Pyrex containers with unknown contents.  One definitely smells like a Mexican dish and looks like some sort of casserole, the other looks like it contains a casserole of meat along with red bell peppers.  I'm totally stumped on what both are!  Hopefully we'll be brave enough to defrost them and try them out some day.

So um, the moral of the story is always label everything you throw in the freezer!  It might seem obvious at the time what it is, but later when you try to determine what that frozen lump is by smelling, you probably won't figure it out.  Save yourself the time and frustration by labeling it, unless you like a good mystery....

Knife Skills Class

The January 14 knife skills class at Wisconsin Cutlery and Kitchen Supply is now full and another class was added for Tuesday, January 21. I highly recommend it! At this class I learned I shouldn't hold the knife with my finger down the spine of the blade, but should be pinching the sides of the blade for stability.

COST:      $30 per person, which includes supplies
WHEN:    Tuesday, January 21, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Wisconsin Cutlery & Kitchen Supply, 3236 B University Avenue, Madison (across from Whole Foods)
RSVP:    Call (608) 204-0560 to reserve your spot

Classes are limited to 16 people and always fill up quickly, so call soon!

If you can't make it to the knife skills class, I recommend stopping by any time to have your knives sharpened.  Bill does a great job and he's quick, he can sharpen while you shop.  They've also got quite a few other kitchen supplies tucked into that tiny store, so you'll definitely find some tempting things to spend your money on.  And while you're at that little strip mall, stop by Penzey's for spices and Vom Fass for oils and vinegars, two of my favorite stores in Madison! 

Yay!  I'm Not A Grinch

Two wonderful smells in our house right now. 

1. My Meyer lemon tree is in bloom and the thick, fragrant scent of the blossoms is great! Maybe this year the little fruit buds will stay on long enough to actually grow into fruit.  We've had the tree several years and only one year has produced a fruit large enough to use.  A few years back it gave us a single lemon that we squeezed on some fish.
2. We bought our Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving and this weekend Husband Jeff finally brought it inside and the fresh pine aroma is so nice.  I wouldn't call myself a Grinch, but I'm not normally a sentimental holiday person, so this is the first time I've ever really noticed our Christmas tree to smell good and enjoy it.  

Local Soda

I chipped in some money towards the Kickstarter campaign for Wisco Pop to set up a bottling operation. Right now their soda is only available on tap or in a mini keg.

I haven't drank soda in years because I avoid caffeine and I don't like the empty calories, but I tasted their soda one day and really liked it.  I appreciate that they make with real ingredients and it's local.  Typically the brew of choice is beer, which I don't like, so it's nice to be able to find another local beverage that I would drink.

Their website is acting up, but I was able to load a list of the places around Madison where it's available. 

• Bloom
• Brasserie V
• Brocach on Monroe
• Crossroads Coffeehouse (Cross Plains)
• El Dorado Grill
• Grampa's Pizzeria
• Heritage Tavern
• Humble Pie
• L'Etoile
• Madison Sourdough
• Pig in a Fur Coat
• Pizza Brutta
• Salvatore's Tomato Pies (Sun Prairie)
• Spring Green General Store (Spring Green)
• The Old Fashioned
• The Wise@HotelRED
• Willy Street Co-op Juice Bars (East & West)
• UW Slow Food Cafe

I would definitely make an exception on my soda ban if I can find it out at a restaurant.  The couple places I would be likely to go next are Pizza Brutta or Salvatore's Tomato Pies.