It's line drying weather here once again, and I couldn't be happier after a winter of using electricity to dry our washing. As I pulled my clothespins out of storage, I was reminded of how the quality of modern goods continues to decline... have a look at these clothespins! The top one is from a large bag of old clothespins that I found at the thrift store recently for all of $2 or $3. It's so hard to find these nice old ones and they last forever so I snap them up whenever I see them. The newer versions are completely useless and fall apart constantly. The metal spring mechanism is FAR too weak to hold any kind of weight and the wood is weak and thin - the ends snap all the time, unceremoniously dumping clean laundry onto the ground... so frustrating! They are cheap and shoddy so I've tossed all of them out now that I have enough of these nice old ones (LOVE them).
In kitchen news, I've been busy making several new ferments in an effort to boost our probiotic intake but the beet kvass pictured below was an epic fail - the taste was TERRIBLE! If you have a good recipe for Kvass that DOESN'T take like drinking dirty sea water - let me know :)
Ginger Carrots are the opposite of the kvass and are absolutely delicious! I'll be making them again very soon (recipe courtesy of Nourishing Traditions). I know they look like mush, but they really aren't - it's simply grated carrot with ginger, whey and salt (a very tasty way to boost your gut health).
In baking news, I finally used some coconut flour that I had on hand to make up this batch of coconut chocolate chip cookies. They turned out quite tasty, but are distinctly coconut"y" so a few of my family members aren't exactly thrilled with them. Oh well - change is good and there's no harm done trying something new, is there?
I've also been busy planning the 2015 garden and will be soon seeding some cold hardy crops in the greenhouse. First, we need to run the hens in there to clear up the weed seeds and (hopefully) deal with the mice! That's for another post :)
I agree about the clothes pins, we call them pegs. The older ones are a heck of a lot better. Your cookies look good.
ReplyDeleteThose old ones are worth gold, aren't they?
DeleteSame here! I must say though, i do love the ones i have now, they are called Cyclone pegs as where we live is sooo windy you have to have a strong peg so al of your laundry doesn't fly away!haha :D
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you think about it, the more family who don't like your cookies, the more that are left for you! :) xx
LOL about the cookies :) I'll have to look into cyclone pegs...
DeleteThey are great! They have an amazing grip too, you can find them here, 'm not sure if they ship to America but you can always try :) xx http://www.amazon.co.uk/SHM-Cyclone-Pegs/dp/B006B64IF0
DeleteI am so with you on the clothes pins!! I only have a few old, sturdy ones - no luck at the thrift stores yet here :/ Can't wait to see your garden this year :) I moved a cold frame into my garden today - going to try planting some cold tolerant greens and peas in there this weekend to kick off planting season. So excited!
ReplyDelete-Jaime
That's the first stop, Jaime! Moving the cold frame into place ... very promising! You have 3 VERY young children so don't push yourself too hard XOXOX
DeleteYou can tell by the lack of thickness on the pins that the new ones are weak, it's so frustrating to have so many inferior products being manufactured!
ReplyDeleteI've made the ginger carrots from nourishing traditions, and they are lovely, were the beets from the same book? because I was interested in trying them, but may be not now!
Yes, the beet kvass is from Nourishing Traditions.... I WANTED to like them, I really did! LOL
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