It is Memorial weekend. Picnics, parades, families, our military, cemeteries, and honoring are all a part of the package. Thanks to all of those who served or are serving and to the families that support them with their love and concern while they serve our country.
There’s an update on the plastic wrap around the banana stems from the last post. It has been over a week and they are not too ripe to eat. I would say it definitely does prolong the life of the fruit.
I have an over the door shoe organizer that I have used for years to serve a unique purpose. My house is an older home, which I love, but storage in the kitchen is limited and I have a lot of “stuff”. You can just ask my kids if you doubt me. Therefore, I had to get creative with storing and organizing techniques in the kitchen. The organizer is hung on the cellar door leading from my kitchen. This is very convenient and at a glance I can see what I need to use.
It isn’t pretty, I realize, but it is functional and allows me to see exactly what I have.
Yesterday, I was having company for dinner and while deciding on my menu I was doing some reading online. I love baked chicken. It is quite possibly my favorite protein. The leftovers are great too because I always have them in a salad the next day. (Let’s pause a sec while I salivate!) Okay, anyway, I wanted to bake chicken breast but was wondering how to make it even more juicy and better than I usually do. I happened to stumble upon an article about brining the chicken before baking. I was intrigued. I had only heard of brining turkey. I’m always one for a new adventure. Some say not to try a new recipe when having company but that’s when I always do. Hey, I push the envelope. I live on the edge, as it were!
I put 3 chicken breast in warm but not hot water to which I had added some salt. I let the chicken brine for 15 minutes. I could tell something had happened the moment I took the chicken out of the bowl. It even felt different. I rinsed them off and patted them dry. After that, I rubbed them with olive oil and then with my seasonings. I used Onion, Onion and Garlic, Garlic from Tastefully Simple, salt, pepper and Spanish paprika.
I also read information on the pros and cons of cooking chicken low and slow or high and fast. I decided to do the high and fast technique. I baked the chicken at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. The result was awesome!! They were fork tender and juicy! I will definitely be preparing chicken this way again.
My latest projects are two old chairs. I can never have just one project going!
The first chair is one I was given by a friend when she was clearing out a storage unit. It looked to be possibly a dressing table chair. I thought this due to the low back it has.
The chair was painted a colonial blue. Digging in my spray paint supply I found 2 nearly full cans of red paint. First, I cleaned the chair and then set about spray painting it. I usually have a run or two in the paint but not this time!
Once the chair was painted I hunted around the house for anything patriotic that I could use for a display. There was a spot next to my front steps that needed this chair and a holiday vignette!
I am super pleased with the result. A special thank you to Linda for the chair.
The second chair is a Civil War campaign chair that I bought from another friend, Geri, before she moved. After buying it I did some research. It was an enlisted man’s chair. The officers’ chairs were a little grander. During the Civil War many portable furniture items were manufactured such as dining tables and the folding campaign chairs. The chair is much shorter than our chairs today which makes sense since men were shorter in 1865 than they are now. You can find pictures online of the men sitting on these chairs. Don’t you just love History!!
The first thing I did was take the fabric seat off and saved it for a pattern to make a new one. I don’t think the seat was the original one. The picture below is of the chair before I started sanding. Someone had painted the chair white and then red at some later point. My intent is to sand as much with my electric sander as I can and then finish up by hand. Then I will stain and coat the chair with polyurethane. Lastly, I will make the seat and find a sweet place to display my treasure.
Have any of you ever explored ideas for work at home or work that allowed you to create your own schedule? I have! A lot! For several years I did mystery shopper work. In case you don’t know what that is here are a few examples of the tasks I performed and was paid for.
Counting patrons at a movie theater.
Buying a meal at McDonald’s.
Shopping at a Lane Bryant store.
Visiting a car dealership for an oil change.
Eating at a restaurant.
Shopping at an Aldi’s.
As an example, at McDonald’s I was asked to evaluate the service I received, how long it took to obtain my order, what the employee did or didn’t do, the taste and appearance of the food, the food packaging, the appearance of the inside and outside of the restaurant, and the condition of the restroom. Each job was like that. Specific things I was to listen for, view, assess and report back to the company. This company, Market Force, was hired by the various businesses to check on various stores. Market Force is reputable and always paid promptly. If a mystery shopper company wants money from you first to start work with them, run away!!!! They do ask for you social security number to be able to pay you but it is all legit! The whole thing is really kind of fun. I downloaded an app on my phone with a stop watch to time things that needed to be timed. Check into it, if you’re so inclined and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Salivating at the thought of doing my chicken that way!
I’m digging the civil war chair. I saw an old chair at the local reuse center and it was quite expensive. It looked weathered and had a unique design but nothing as interesting as your piece. I had no idea these seemingly average pieces of furniture could be so valuable. I assume the chair you worked on is MUCH older!
It really is a neat piece and you know how I love history. If only this chair could talk!