Some New Ideas

Four new ideas, two related to food, one to housekeeping, have made an impact recently.

I received my degree in journalism and I love reading the newspaper, especially on Sunday.  I don't get to do that very often anymore, since we don't live in the same place for long.  The exception is our time here in Mesa, where I subscribe to the Arizona Republic Sunday and Wednesday.  Those are the days of the grocery ads and the grocery coupons.  That is where I learn about new products available at the store.

A couple of years ago, we tried Philadelphia Cooking Cream and loved it.  Unfortunately, we can't find it on the shelves anymore.  But last week I used a coupon for Saute Express saute starter.  It is a winner!



You just melt it in the skillet, then saute pork, chicken or fish in it. I used pork tenderloin and we both loved it. Since it is a refrigerated product and one package has six cubes for 2 servings, each, we will be eating this a lot in the next few weeks. Which is fine with me. It's an easy and tasty meal.

We rarely go out to eat and we have both been thinking about eating prime rib. That is not something easy to cook for just two people. Prime rib roasts tend to be too big. I have a book of recipes for just two people and found a way to try to approximate prime rib. It calls for rib eye steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick. Look at these.



You sear them in a hot skillet till very brown, then roast in the oven till they reach 125 degrees for rare. Then slice them diagonally. The meat really does have the taste and texture of prime rib. And, would you believe, those two steaks were too much for us to eat in one meal? We have left-overs for another day.

The third new idea is for the shower. For years, we have kept a squeegee in the shower to clean the glass. In our new RV, the round shower has glass panels too narrow for a squeegee. Now what? It is clear glass and every dry water spot shows. The solution was very simple--a micro fiber cloth. We wipe down the glass after each shower and it works so well, I may never have to give the shower doors a separate cleaning. Yea!

Idea number 4:  borrow Kindle books from your library.  We have library cards with the Mesa Public Library and that allows us to borrow books from the Greater Phoenix Digital Library.  I have only tried it with one book--something I wanted to look at but surely didn't want to buy.  I borrowed it, read a couple of pages and it will be returned after 14 days.  I can check out up to 10 books at a time.  I'll never get that many.  But since all of it is done over the internet, I can check out these books even when we aren't in Mesa.  Good deal.

Reading the Newspaper

Growing up in Denver, I remember my parents subscribing to the Denver Post. It was an evening paper and every night after dinner, my mom and dad would sit at the table and read the paper. Sometimes they would talk about what they were reading.

My own interest in newspapers began in 9th grade when my English teacher, Miss Mapelli, had me help produce the Byers Juniior High student newspaper. In high school, I was on the staff of the South High School newspaper. I went on to the University of Colorado, where I majored in journalism and was on the staff of the Colorado Daily.

I worked for a couple of newspapers and in the CU News Service during and after college. But I really don't remember much about reading the daily papers until after our two sons grew up. John and I subscribed to both the Post and the Rocky Mountain News. By then, the Post had become a morning paper, so John read the News and I read the Post. I enjoyed reading the paper in the morning while I ate my breakfast before I went to work.

Our gypsy lifestyle doesn't lend itself to subscribing to a local newspaper most of the time. Even though we were in Colorado all summer, the Post is no longer circulated throughout the state, except by mail. So we didn't see it. Add to that the fact that many newspapers are going out of print. The Rocky Mountain News is one of those. However, it is possible to get home delivery of the Arizona Republic while we are here at Valle del Oro. I subscribed for Sunday and Wednesday delivery and today we received our first copy.

For over an hour before we got ready for church, we both happily sat and read the paper. What a treat! Reading the news on my computer just isn't the same. No way could I sit for an hour or more, savoring stories that begin on page 1, continue on page 12 and 13. So we will enjoy this while we can.

Sorry, no pictures today. I have been too busy reading.