This isn’t as good as their 101 salads, but the NYTimes has an articles detailing 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling. Lots of good barbecue ideas here:

2. Best grilled artichokes: Cut artichokes in half, scoop out the choke, parboil until tender. Grill, cut-side down, until lightly browned; grill a couple of halved lemons, too. Combine the juice from the grilled lemons with melted butter and spoon over the artichokes. Finish with parsley.

7. For perfectly ripe tomatoes only: Grill tomatoes, any size, until hot and lightly charred but not bursting. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with fresh mozzarella (or, even better, burrata) and grilled bread.

22. Cut a slit in as many ripe figs as you like; stuff with herbed goat cheese (or cream cheese mixed with chopped nuts) and grill slowly. Appetizer or dessert? Your call.

32. Crisp (and better) duck à l’orange: Score the skin of duck breasts and press rosemary leaves, salt and pepper into both sides. Grill skin-side down over low-ish heat until crackly, then turn and grill briefly. Serve with grilled orange halves.

41. Bacon-wrapped hot dog. You know you want one.

And so on. Read the rest here.

In my garden, the zucchini is starting to come in. I always end up with more zucchini than I can eat, and one of my favorite ways to use it up is to make my mom’s zucchini muffins.

This recipe takes 2 cups of zucchini, which is a lot, and because of this, it’s probably fairly healthy, as far as cakes and muffins go. If you are the type to trick your kid into eating vegetables through baking them into sweets, this is a good way to go. And anyway, these muffins taste great with coffee in the morning.

Also, this is a fairly versatile recipe. For example, you can use this same batter to make zucchini bread. All you have to do is pour it into a loaf pan and cook it a bit longer–see note at the end of the entry. Or you can use other types of squash in this recipe. I have tried it with pattypan squash and it came out great. It tasted basically the same, just a bit more tender.

Here’s the recipe:

Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:

2 c grated zucchini, about 2-3 zucchinis
3 eggs
1 c oil
1 1/2 c sugar
1 Tbs vanilla
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1 Tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Grate the zucchini using a food processor or box grater. I leave the skin on, since it has extra nutrients in it. Once you grate the zucchini, put it in a strainer over the sink and massage it so that the water drains out. Since squash has a lot of water, this step will keep the muffins from getting mushy.

Leave the zucchini in the sink to drain. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and oil in a bowl. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and zucchini. Mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix together until you have a batter.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a muffin pan. With an ice cream scoop or spoon, fill the muffin pan with the batter. Bake until you can insert a knife into a muffin and it comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Makes about 12-16 muffins, depending on size.

Enjoy!

* Alternately, if you want to make this into zucchini bread, pour the batter into two greased 9″X5″ loaf pans and cook at 325 degrees for about an hour.

** Some people like nuts in zucchini muffins. I don’t. However, if you do, add 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans right before you pour the batter into the pan.

When I first saw this Trio lasagna pan, I thought it was kind of cool. But then I thought about my lasagna pan and how I use it for many more purposes than making lasagna. It is one of the most useful things in my kitchen. If I had the Trio lasagna pan instead, it might be a little easier to make lasagna, but I wouldn’t be able to use it in all those other ways.

That is the problem with unitaskers–devices that can be used only one way. When we are not using them for their specific purpose, they are just taking up space. That’s why unitaskers are the first thing to go to the thrift store. When we stop doing whatever it is they do, they become useless.

By contrast, multitaskers–devices that are used multiple ways–take up less space and are used frequently. If you are concerned about having a more efficient kitchen and cleaner cupboards, try to only own multitaskers.

The best multitasker I can think of is a knife. One knife can replace a host of gadgets–apple corers, vegetable choppers, mushroom slicers, garlic presses, and so on. For each of these unitaskers, a knife does the job just as well and takes up less space. On top of that, by not buying the other gadgets, you are saving money.

Here is another unitasker I was tempted by, but didn’t get: the baker’s edge brownie pan.

I like the idea of brownies that are all edges (the edges are the best part), but how often do I really bake brownies? What other uses could this pan have? Is it going to end up being used, or is it going to end up in the back of the cupboard?

Alas, I think the baker’s edge brownie pan is a unitasker of the worst sort.

But sometimes we need unitaskers, right? What about ice cream makers? Waffle irons? Popcorn poppers?

This is true. I am not sure how to replace my waffle iron… yet. But sometimes you can replace a unitasker by finding a better way to do whatever it is it does. For example, I used an oil-popper for popcorn until I discovered how to make microwavable popcorn using only a paper bag. It works just as well and takes up no space in the kitchen, so I donated the oil popper to the thrift store. By thinking the process through and using resources at hand, I found a better way to do it, and it rendered the unitasker useless.

Alternately, sometimes you can turn a unitasker into a multitasker. For example, take the melon baller.

On the surface, the melon baller seems to have only has one use, which is to scoop melons. But a melon baller can be used to scoop ice cream, shape cookie dough, remove seeds from pumpkins, make meatballs, core apples, and so on. With a little creative thinking, a relatively useless item becomes more valuable in the kitchen.

On the other hand, a spoon and your fingers can do all those things too.

My goal is to slowly replace all unitaskers with multitaskers. By doing so, I will have less stuff around and a more organized kitchen. Multiple functions means more efficiency overall.

To tell the difference between a unitasker and a multitasker, ask yourself the following questions about each gadget:

1. How many ways do I use this thing? Clearly, if you can only think of one purpose, you have a unitasker on your hands.

2. If it just has one purpose, how often do I use it for this purpose? If you haven’t used it in 6 months, this is a highly suspicious unitasker and perhaps is only good for taking up space.

3. Is there another way to use this gadget that I haven’t thought of? If you can think of more than one use, you might be able to turn a unitasker into a multitasker.

4. Can I replace this gadget with something else I already have? If the answer is yes, then give the unitasker away–it isn’t any good to you.

What about you? What unitaskers have you replaced with a multitasker?

We have decided to get chickens. I have three reasons for wanting to get chickens. They are:

1. Fresh eggs—Obviously, chickens lay eggs.
2. Free manure for the garden—Chicken manure is the richest in nutrients of the animal manures and is a great fertilizer.
3. Bug control—Chickens eat bugs. If they do their job, I should be able to curtail using pesticide.

However, I will not be eating my chicken. My chickens will be pets.

There are tons of varieties of chickens. So far, I’m leaning toward having two chickens, a Rhode Island Red:

(Courtesy Wikipedia)

And a Silver Laced Wyandotte:

(Image Courtesy Fowl Visions)

So, does having chickens save money? I eat a lot of eggs and I love the idea of having a source of protein in my own backyard, but is it worth all the trouble from a financial point of view? Let’s do a cost analysis.

The Cost of Owning Chickens:

Upfront Costs:

Coop: It depends on the coop—they come in all different sizes and price range. But let’s assume we get this one for $550.
Chicks: $10 for two chickens.

Ongoing Costs:

Food: A 50 lbs bag of chicken scratch costs $10. A chicken eats about 2 pound a week if you don’t supplement its diet with table scraps. (And why wouldn’t you do that?) However, assuming no extra food, that’s about one bag of chicken scratch every three months, or four bags a year.

At $10 a bag, that is $40 a year in food. Assuming both chickens live a full 7 years, that’s $280 total for food, $40 a year.

Water, nesting supplies, etc. are free to cheap, so we’ll ignore them for now.

Total Cost Of Owning Chickens (with fancy coop): $550 + $10 + $280 = $840 total for seven years, or $120 a year.

That is, if you buy a coop. If you make a coop, the cost drops significantly. Let’s say you build a coop for $100 in supplies (a nice round number). That’s $100 for the coop, $280 for food, and $10 for the chickens.

Total Cost of Keeping Chickens (with DIY coop): $390 total for seven years or $56 a year.

Now, let’s look at the cost of things if I don’t get chickens:

Eggs: If you buy organic, local, hormone-free eggs at some place like Whole Foods, they cost $4.50 a carton. My husband and I go through about 10 eggs a week, or 43 cartons a year. That is $193.5 a year. Multiply that by seven years, and we’re talking $1354.5 for eggs, $193.5 a year.

(Of course, I don’t really spend $4.50 eggs. We buy local eggs for $3 a carton, or $129 a year. But since the chickens would be producing something akin to the Whole Food eggs, I am comparing apples to apples.)

Manure: Chicken manure is one of the best fertilizers for your garden. It costs $4 for a bag, which seems to weigh about 25 lbs. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences estimates that each laying hen produces about 20-30 pounds of litter per year. So let’s say the chickens produce 50 pounds of poop, 25 lbs per chicken. That’s a savings of $8.

That’s $56 total for seven years, or $8 a year.

Pesticide: I use insecticide soap. It doesn’t work very well but I am hesitant to try anything stronger. I buy about two bottles a year, so about $16 for pesticides.

That is $112 total for 7 years, or $16 a year.

Totals Cost Without Chickens: $1522.50 total cost for 7 years, or $217.50 a year

Okay, so now it is time for the cost analysis. I will look at the cost of owning chickens compared to the cost of not owning them.

Total Savings Of Owning Chickens:

With Fancy Coop:

Cost Without Chickens: $1522.50 total for 7 years, or $217.50 a year
MINUS the Cost of Owning Chickens: $840 total for seven years, or $120 a year.
Total Savings: $682.50 or $97.50 a year

With DIY Coop:

Cost Without Chickens: $1522.50 total for 7 years, or $217.50 a year
MINUS the Cost of Owning Chickens: $390 total for seven years or $56 a year.
Total Savings: $1132.50 or $162 a year.

But! There are also insubstantial factors to weigh. For example, if chickens eat as many bugs as I hear they do, then their being in my yard means fewer pests without my having to do anything. This is an organic, chemical-free, and efficient form of pest control. Or–another example–fresh eggs apparently taste better than grocery store eggs, plus they have lower cholesterol and a higher nutritional value. That is another huge benefit of having chickens.

On the other hand, you have to care for chickens by feeding them, cleaning their cages, worrying about their safety, etc. But really I don’t mind, except for the cleaning poop part.

And I can deal with that.

All in all, it looks like you come out on top.

I’m loooving these chicken coops by Chicken Cribs in Oakland, Ca. They come in a DIY kit that you assemble yourself. It can accommodate up to 4 chickens and is supposedly easy to clean. From the FAQ:

“The interior has plastic panels which are easily lifted out and rinsed with a hose or scraped off. The run area needs little maintenance – removal of uneaten compost, and occasional collection of droppings for use in other parts of the garden are all that’s required.”

It keeps the hens safe from predators too, which I understand is one of the major problem with chickens. Best of all, it is actually attractive! The kit costs $550 to $750.

Hmmm 2010… the year I finally get chickens? (Via Sunset Magazine)

(Courtesy Food and Wine)

I was watching Anne of Avonlea yesterday on YouTube, because I’m cool like that, yo. Anne and Marilla, Anne’s adopted mother, kept talking about plum puffs, how Marilla makes amazing plum puffs and how they make everything better, and I was like, what is a plum puff? Because I think I want to have one.

The Anne of Green Gables series always does that to me. I remember that when I first read the book as a kid, I was taken in by the chapter where Anne makes tea for her friend Diana and they eat fruit cake and cookies and “snaps,” whatever they are. Then they think they are drinking raspberry cordial and it ends up being current wine instead–neither of which I have tasted to this day–and then Diana gets drunk and her mother bans her from ever seeing Anne again.

Well this time, I decided to look up what a plum puff is. I came up with a few options (which makes me wonder if LM Montgomery made plum puffs up, but I digress). This site has a plausible recipe (scroll down)–sounds like a puffy cookie with raspberry jam on it. Okay, not bad. Not exciting, but not bad.

Then there is this recipe, which is a cream puff type thing with raspberry jam in the center.

Much better!

Still, the best plum puff recipe I came across was this one Food and Wine, which uses puff pastry and fresh plums to make those delectable things pictured at the top of this post. The recipe:

Plum Puff Dumplings
Courtesy of Food and Wine

Ingredients

Flour for rolling
One 14-ounce package all-butter puff pastry, thawed and cold
5 large purple plums, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 egg
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry 1/8 inch thick. Cut the pastry into six 6-inch squares and transfer to the baking sheet; freeze for 5 minutes.

2. In a bowl, toss the plums with the 1/4 cup of sugar and the cornstarch and cardamom. Spoon the fruit and juices onto the center of each puff pastry square. Working with 1 square at a time, bring up all 4 corners and pinch them together in the center. Pinch the seams closed at the bottom corners to trap any juices, leaving the tops open to vent steam. Brush the pastries with the egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool slightly and serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Now, did they have puff pastry that they could conveniently get from the freezer section in the grocery store in 1909, when Anne of Avonlea was published? No. But this is the kind of plum puff I would find capable of “heartening me up,” like it does to Anne in this chapter of the book. So I figure it has the spirit of the thing right, anyhow. And that’s the important thing.

The Cat Genie claims that it is a self-cleaning toilet for your cat. Using special litter, it scoops the cats poop, flushes it away, and then cleans the litter every time. No mess, no smell, no changing the cat box anymore.

The downsides is that it costs over $300, is kind of ugly, and has to be hooked up to your water. The commercial had the poop draining into your toilet, but I suppose you could have it drain into the sewer. If I could put this thing away in a cabinet that the cats could access so I wouldn’t have to look at it, it might be worth it to get a Cat Genie in the long run. But maybe not?