Bonaire 2020: Acclimating

For our first day on the Island we planned an easy dive at Buddy's Reef. Our pre-dive check revealed a couple of problems with Ron's (brand new) gear. One issue was resolved with a quick switch of BCD hoses between Ron and his wife Connie. The 2nd issue, a missing O-ring on his BC, could not be mended before the dive. Connie, Fred and I made the dive without him and he snorkelers on top.

Like lots of other activities, diving requires a minimum of technical equipment. The safety check before a dive is critical to everyone's safety. The equipment and knowing how it works is part of the fun. Some folks get into it more than others and its amusing to watch the real "gear heads" suit up before a dive.

The minimum needed is a BCD (buoyancy control device,) a regulator (to get air from the tank to you,) weights and a mask. We also always dive with a wet suit and booties. 

Blended Whiskey Sours

Our family has a holiday tradition of serving a whiskey sour "slush" before dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is the recipe, courtesy of my brother Bert who is (mostly) in charge of this now.

Ingredients:

12 oz. can frozen concentrate orange juice.

big heaping spoonful of frozen limeade concentrate.

10 oz. of whiskey (more or less.)

ice

7-up

Adjust all the ingredients to your own taste and preference. Put everything in a blender and mix it to a slushie consistency! Enjoy!

Recycled Christmas Cards

Did you receive a nice stack of beautiful Christmas cards last year? Are you still hanging onto them?

Rather than throw them away, recycle them as gift decorations and tags this Christmas!  Cut the front (picture) off the card and place it on brown paper bags or plainly wrapped gift boxes.

You can also use the card to cover up store logos on the bags and boxes so that you can recycle paper products you might otherwise throw away.  Write the recipient's name on the card so that the decoration doubles as a gift tag.

Add tissue paper and ribbon to match the cards.

Choose cards that fit the size of your package or cut the cards to fit.

Use several cards as a collage to cover up a large imprint on a retailer's bag or box.

Cards can be cut into smaller pieces to use as hanging gift tags. Just punch a hole in one end and thread a ribbon or string through it. Fill in the back with your recipient's name and voila!

Keep your eyes open throughout the year for boxes and bags to use with this recycling project. Designate a box or tub in your storage unit to hold all the supplies until the next Christmas season arrives!

A Neti Pot Made Simple

With cold and flu season upon us, this would be a great time to start using your Neti Pot on a regular basis. Flushing your sinuses will help cleanse bacteria from them as well as making it difficult for new bacteria or viruses to lodge and thrive in your system.

There are numerous posts and videos on the internet with instructions on how to use your neti pot, so I won't provide the basics here. What I do want to offer are some ideas and tips beyond the basics.

I try to use my neti pot at least once a week and more often if I feel stuffed up or like I might be fighting off an infection of some sort. A neti pot is just one more tool in your arsenal to help your body fight off viruses and bacteria. It helps your body do what it is designed to do naturally: fight off illness.

1. Gather your materials before starting. You'll need your neti pot, your water source, baking soda and or salt, a spoon and a hankerchief all within easy reach.
2. There is a long learning curve to neti pot use. You get better every time you use it. Give yourself plenty of tries to get it right. You really have to lean way over the sink - it's a little different for everyone.
3. Don't use water that is too warm. If your flush stings or is uncomfortable, you may need cooler water. 
4. Try baking soda instead of or in addition to salt. Baking soda has an alkalizing effect which makes it difficult for bacteria and viruses to survive. It also has a buffering effect which makes the flush a little easier on your sinuses.
5. Expel the solution from your nose by blowing down into the sink. If you need to blow more, do it gently and expel from both nostrils at the same time. Blowing too aggressively or one side at a time forces the liquid into your Eustachian tubes. You might have a little drip minutes after you finish so keep your hanky handy.
6. Use a cloth hanky instead of tissues. You'll go through a lot of paper tissues due to the amount of solution. A hanky is a more absorbant option and it's easier on your skin.

A plastic neti pot for travel

Those are my best practices for neti pot use. Don't give up! You'll be glad you worked this into your normal health routine. In addition to fending off illness you'll probably find that you breath easier and your sense of smell is improved after a nasal flush.

For other simple tips to avoid getting sick this winter, check out my list at https://practicallymargaret.blogspot.com/2018/06/strengthen-your-immune-system.html

Simple Fruit Fly Trap

This fruit fly trap works so well and costs almost nothing!

Fruit fly season is in full swing during the summer at my house.  If you eat and cook with fresh fruits and vegetables, you may be doing battle with them as well!  This simple to make trap will solve your problem!

You'll Need:

A wide mouth quart jar

A sheet of white paper

Tape

Bait - Almost anything that the flies are attracted to will work for bait. Wine, vinegar, fruit, etc. (Just use leftover items if they are available; no need to expend fresh resources on such pesky insects!)

Instructions:

1. Form a sheet of white paper into a cone shape.  Leave the small end open no larger than the size of a pencil.  Tape in place.
2. Place your bait in the bottom of the jar.
3. Place the paper cone in the jar.  Be sure the bottom of the cone does not touch the fruit or liquid in the bottom.
4. Place your trap in the location where you have the most fruit flies.  Flies will be attracted to the bright white paper and the smell of your bait.  When they make their way down through the cone they won't be able to find their way back out.

If you add a liquid to the jar rather than solid fruit, many of the fruit flies will drown in the jar. Either way, step outside before removing the cone from the jar so as not to release the flies back into your house!

Bone Broth Made Easy

Homemade bone broth is so satisfying and healthy. It is full of minerals and gelatin and flavor! - You can read all about that on other sites. - Bone broth (or stock) can also be a great way to use up scraps and leftovers. Here is a simple method that can be altered as you like:

Ingredients

Bones and meat scraps
Chicken feet
Vegetable scraps
Onion, Celery and Carrots
Apple Cider Vinegar
Slow cooker

Planning Ahead

1.) When you eat meat that has bones in it, save all the bones and put them in a container in the freezer. As you go through more bone-in foods, just keep adding the bones to your stash. If people have chewed on them, don't worry. They will be frozen and then cooked long so no contaminates will transfer to your broth.

Also, save any trimmings that you cut off meat: skin, fat, parts and pieces and add this to your freezer container.

2.) When you see a great sale on chicken, buy a few pieces of the cheapest cut (wings or legs) to add extra flavor to your broth. You can just reserve these in the freezer until broth cooking time. Also, pick up a package of chicken feet when you see them. You won't need many and usually a package will last for 4-5 batches.

3.) A week or so before making your bone broth, start saving the scraps and ends of vegetables that you might otherwise compost or throw away. I save almost everything except cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower) as I don't like the flavor these impart to my stock. Keep these in a container in the refrigerator. If you are making bone broth pretty regularly you can just have an ongoing supply of these additions.

Making the Broth

 When you have plenty of bones, it's time to turn them into liquid gold! Place them in your slow cooker. Add 2-4 chicken feet, a couple of wings or legs and all your reserved vegetable scraps. Go through the refrigerator and find any leftovers that might be a good addition to the stock: green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, parsley or cilantro... almost anything that needs to be used up can go into the pot! If you add something that is highly seasoned, that will of course transfer to your bone broth so just be aware. Add some extra chunks of onion, carrot and celery.

Now cover the bones and vegetables with water. Don't add too much or your broth won't be very tasty. Just barely cover the majority of what's in the pot. Add 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. This helps leach all the minerals out of the bones. Let this all sit for 30 minutes to an hour to give the vinegar time to get working.

Turn the slow cooker on high until things get good and heated up then turn down to low and cook for about 8 hours. You can cook it all day or start the slow cooker before bed and let it simmer through the night.

Strain out all of the chunks and your broth is ready to eat or store! That's it!

Variations

One of the great things about homemade bone broth is that the variations are endless. You can use chicken, beef or pork bones or any combination. Did you forget to pick up celery? No problem, just leave it out. Do you like garlic flavor? Put a few cloves or a whole head in.

If you make a big batch, you can freeze the extra broth for future use. Just be sure to label it well. It's difficult to distinguish different stocks in the freezer!

Naturally Fermented Sour Kraut

Sour Kraut

If you are thinking of fermenting your own sour kraut, you probably already know all about the beneficial pro biotics and you might know how great it tastes. It's easy to make if you follow my practical instructions!

For 1 quart of kraut you'll need:

1 small to medium cabbage (the fresher the better.)
1 wide mouth quart jar
1 1/2 pint jar with lid for weight
Large mixing bowl
salt with no additives

Optional Equipment:

Kitchen scale
Electric Slicer
Fermenting Crock

Start by peeling off the outer leaves of your cabbage just to clean it up. Save the nicest piece of leaf to lay on top of your ferment. Cut out the cabbage core. Don't worry if you can't get it all.

Weigh the bowl you will be using to toss the cabbage and salt together. If your scale can measure in grams, use this setting. You can be a little more accurate with small measurements in grams. Write this number down.

Slice or chop the cabbage. The size is totally your own preference. I often slice mine with a kitchen knife but an electric slicer can save you time if you are processing 2 or more cabbages. When using an electric slicer, you will still need to chop some of the uneven pieces with a chef's knife.

Place all the cut cabbage into your mixing bowl and weigh it. Now subtract the weight of your bowl. The resulting number is the weight of your cabbage. Divide the cabbage weight by 50. This final number is the amount of salt you need to add to the bowl. This can be calculated in grams or ounces; just be sure you stay consistent! Here is the formula:

Grams of cabbage / 50 = grams of salt to add

Leave your bowl of cabbage on the scale and add salt slowly until the scale shows the grams needed. A word about salt here: most salt has additives to keep it from caking. Read your label carefully. Kosher salt, canning salt, table salt and some sea salt are all no-no's for sour kraut.

If you don't have a scale, you can still make sour kraut. A small head of cabbage takes about a Tablespoon of salt; a medium head, about 1 1/2 Tablespoons.

Once your salt is added, stir it in well. You can use a big spoon or just use your hand. Once the salt is incorporated well, you will feel that the cabbage is starting to sweat a little. Add the salted cabbage to your quart jar (or crock) one handful at a time, packing down each layer firmly. There is no need to pound the cabbage; just press down with the back of your hand or a wooden spoon. The goal is to leave no air space. A small to medium head of cabbage with fit in a quart jar. It looks like a lot after it's chopped but if you pack it in as you go, it will all fit!

You can use any glass or crock container for sour kraut. In these photos I'm using an antique crock that my mother in law gave me. (If you use something besides canning jars be sure to test them for lead with a test kit you can order online or pick up at some hardware stores.) You can also purchase special fermenting containers that have air-locks to help keep contaminants out of your sour kraut. Kraut is pretty forgiving so I encourage you to start with supplies you most likely already own before jumping into some high dollar equipment.

Once the jar is loaded, lay the reserved outer cabbage leaf on top. Press it down so it is snug on top of the chopped cabbage. (In these photos I have used a saucer that fits nicely inside my crock.) Fill your 1/2 pint jar with water and screw the lid on. This fits right into the mouth of the quart jar to weight down the fermenting cabbage. Place the fermenting jar in a pie pan or baking dish. Sometimes the water buildup is so great it overflows!

I like to leave my fermenting sour kraut in my kitchen until I see the water level rising above the chopped cabbage. This can happen right away or may take several hours. Once I see that it is well underway, I move it to a cooler location. My kitchen tends to be a little too warm for vegetable ferments. The refrigerator would be too cool to get the lacto-bacilli moving! A temperature range of 65-71 degrees is what you want. Also, keep your fermenting kraut out of sunlight.

I check my kraut about every 3 days. You can start to sample it after a week or so. When it reaches the flavor you like, just refrigerate it. It's that simple! I usually plan about 10 days to 2 weeks for mine.

If you find that your water level is decreasing, you will need to add a brine to keep the cabbage covered and out of the air. To make a brine, add 19 grams of salt to 1 qt. of non-chlorinated water. Add just enough of this solution to your jar to keep the cabbage submerged.