I have this weird quirk where I act like I did in my last week of pregnancy whenever we go on a trip or there's a surgery.
I can't stop cleaning.
So in honor of my surgery tomorrow, I spent the day cleaning. Not normal, daily cleaning, though. Well, some of it was - like mopping the floors and making sure the dishes were all done, so it will be easier for Hubster since he'll be handling meals for the first couple of days. But who feels it's necessary to clean under the stove and refrigerator right before surgery???
Apparently me.
:::insert eye roll here:::
I tell myself I'm doing it to make things easier for Hubster, but if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that I do it, so I can relax and not have it hanging over my head while I'm recuperating. In reality, I should probably have gotten a bit more rest today or at least stopped a little earlier than I did. I'm wired and might have a little bit of a problem sleeping, although the way this heating pad is starting to relax me, I should be fine.
I figured that, if I got enough rest today or went to bed early enough I wouldn't have to fight quite as hard to wake up after surgery. I know that I've been looking forward to catching up on my sleep as I recover, but I don't want to do it at the hospital. The sooner I wake up and can function, the sooner I can go home. And I really want to be at home with my family.
So I'm going to go crawl into bed and hope to nod off quickly. Zero dark thirty is going to come soon enough!
Showing posts with label refrigerator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label refrigerator. Show all posts
Monday, February 4, 2013
Saturday, February 25, 2012
How to burn boiled eggs.
The refrigerator has been driving me crazy lately. I have been wanting to clean it thoroughly since before Christmas. And while there was nothing growing in there and it looked clean at a quick glance, I wanted to get into all the nooks and crannies and get it really clean. Every six weeks to two months or so, I tear it apart and thoroughly scrub it, but life happened, and I got behind.
One thing about this refrigerator that I really struggled with was that the glass shelf above the crisper drawers doesn't come apart from the frame. But some gunk had gotten between the frame and the glass, and I was bound and determined to get it out of there. Yuck! I can't stand that sort of thing! Thankfully, it's not like there's been food under there for years and years, (we've only had the fridge a little over 2 years, and I've kept it very clean), but it still grossed me out. So I started looking around and noticed that there was a little square plastic clip on the back two corners where the glass met the frame.
I figured I'd pop them out, wash the glass and frame, and then put everything back together. Then...I broke one of the clips.
My initial thought was one of very mild panic. Where would I get a replacement? In my mind, I started thinking of where to look for a new one. Do I maybe have something in my craft supplies that would work? If I found something, would I be able to find two, or would it bother me if they were mismatched? What about the hardware store? Would they have anything? Would I have to actually contact the manufacturer to get a new one? I wonder how much it would cost.
Then, I took a deep breath, assessed the situation, and considered my options.
I still had one clip in perfect condition. I could just use it on the one side. It wouldn't really show that there was only one, and I'd be the only one that knew about it unless I pointed it out to someone. I could try to replace it, but was it really worth the trouble? And then I realized there was another option that I would have never even considered a couple of years ago.
I could just... throw the clips away.
Hmm.
What a novel idea.
What would happen, if I threw them away? Well, I wouldn't have them anymore. But realistically, the world wouldn't come to an end. It wouldn't hurt me. It wouldn't hurt the refrigerator. In fact, there's a chance that the clips were put in there only for moving the refrigerator across country or from the appliance store to the home to keep the glass from falling out and breaking. But we aren't going to be moving the refrigerator anytime soon, except to clean under it. It's not going to be moved to the garage or downstairs or across town. It's staying right where it is.
It would be difficult for the girls to dislodge the glass, because of the way it fits into the frame, so that shouldn't be a problem. Even if Hubster or I put something in there in a hurry, it's still not going to move the shelf. It's secure. And if we sell the fridge, we can always just use tape to secure the glass. That's what we've done in the past, and the world didn't come to an end.
I did consider keeping the clip that was still intact, but I realized it would just take up room in the drawer, and it would possibly get broken in there anyway. Plus, by the time we would need it, I probably wouldn't be able to find it. So I threw them in the trash. Even the good one.
I did hesitate for just a moment and felt my pulse quicken ever so slightly, as I tossed them in the trash. But I did toss them, and I didn't look back once they were gone. It was a relief to have made a decision and be totally comfortable with the decision I made. No second-guessing. No looking back. No self-criticism. Just relief.
So I finished cleaning out the refrigerator from top to bottom, and I'll work on the freezer later this week. My back couldn't take anymore stooping today, so it didn't get done, but I got quite a bit done in the kitchen that I'd been putting off. Got the dishes caught up and deep scrubbed the stove. I even checked the eggs in the fridge to make sure I only had fresh ones in there.
I put them in a gallon bucket of cold water and waited to see, if any floated. I took the three that floated, wrapped them in a grocery bag, tied it shut, and threw it in the trash. I dried off the ones that were the freshest and put them back in the egg container in the refrigerator. Then I took the 5 that were starting to bob in the water just a little bit and decided to boil them, so I could make potato salad. I put them on low heat and started making lunch.
I got the onions, peppers and cheese out and made quesadillas for lunch and sat down to eat with the family. We took our time eating, visited for awhile and just enjoyed one another's company. Then I went downstairs for about ten minutes to work on something, and when I came back up, I smelled something. I wasn't sure what it was. And suddenly it dawned on me that I'd left the eggs on the back burner on low! Sure enough. I'd boiled them dry.
I added a bit of hot water out of the tap, and the pot and eggs were so hot that the water started boiling immediately. I was shocked it happened so quickly! After the eggs had cooled enough to peel, I decided to check one to see how bad they were. Sure enough, it was a dark, dark brown. I didn't even know it was possible until today, but now you know how to burn boiled eggs.
You're welcome.
One thing about this refrigerator that I really struggled with was that the glass shelf above the crisper drawers doesn't come apart from the frame. But some gunk had gotten between the frame and the glass, and I was bound and determined to get it out of there. Yuck! I can't stand that sort of thing! Thankfully, it's not like there's been food under there for years and years, (we've only had the fridge a little over 2 years, and I've kept it very clean), but it still grossed me out. So I started looking around and noticed that there was a little square plastic clip on the back two corners where the glass met the frame.
I figured I'd pop them out, wash the glass and frame, and then put everything back together. Then...I broke one of the clips.
My initial thought was one of very mild panic. Where would I get a replacement? In my mind, I started thinking of where to look for a new one. Do I maybe have something in my craft supplies that would work? If I found something, would I be able to find two, or would it bother me if they were mismatched? What about the hardware store? Would they have anything? Would I have to actually contact the manufacturer to get a new one? I wonder how much it would cost.
Then, I took a deep breath, assessed the situation, and considered my options.
I still had one clip in perfect condition. I could just use it on the one side. It wouldn't really show that there was only one, and I'd be the only one that knew about it unless I pointed it out to someone. I could try to replace it, but was it really worth the trouble? And then I realized there was another option that I would have never even considered a couple of years ago.
I could just... throw the clips away.
Hmm.
What a novel idea.
What would happen, if I threw them away? Well, I wouldn't have them anymore. But realistically, the world wouldn't come to an end. It wouldn't hurt me. It wouldn't hurt the refrigerator. In fact, there's a chance that the clips were put in there only for moving the refrigerator across country or from the appliance store to the home to keep the glass from falling out and breaking. But we aren't going to be moving the refrigerator anytime soon, except to clean under it. It's not going to be moved to the garage or downstairs or across town. It's staying right where it is.
It would be difficult for the girls to dislodge the glass, because of the way it fits into the frame, so that shouldn't be a problem. Even if Hubster or I put something in there in a hurry, it's still not going to move the shelf. It's secure. And if we sell the fridge, we can always just use tape to secure the glass. That's what we've done in the past, and the world didn't come to an end.
I did consider keeping the clip that was still intact, but I realized it would just take up room in the drawer, and it would possibly get broken in there anyway. Plus, by the time we would need it, I probably wouldn't be able to find it. So I threw them in the trash. Even the good one.
I did hesitate for just a moment and felt my pulse quicken ever so slightly, as I tossed them in the trash. But I did toss them, and I didn't look back once they were gone. It was a relief to have made a decision and be totally comfortable with the decision I made. No second-guessing. No looking back. No self-criticism. Just relief.
So I finished cleaning out the refrigerator from top to bottom, and I'll work on the freezer later this week. My back couldn't take anymore stooping today, so it didn't get done, but I got quite a bit done in the kitchen that I'd been putting off. Got the dishes caught up and deep scrubbed the stove. I even checked the eggs in the fridge to make sure I only had fresh ones in there.
I put them in a gallon bucket of cold water and waited to see, if any floated. I took the three that floated, wrapped them in a grocery bag, tied it shut, and threw it in the trash. I dried off the ones that were the freshest and put them back in the egg container in the refrigerator. Then I took the 5 that were starting to bob in the water just a little bit and decided to boil them, so I could make potato salad. I put them on low heat and started making lunch.
I got the onions, peppers and cheese out and made quesadillas for lunch and sat down to eat with the family. We took our time eating, visited for awhile and just enjoyed one another's company. Then I went downstairs for about ten minutes to work on something, and when I came back up, I smelled something. I wasn't sure what it was. And suddenly it dawned on me that I'd left the eggs on the back burner on low! Sure enough. I'd boiled them dry.
I added a bit of hot water out of the tap, and the pot and eggs were so hot that the water started boiling immediately. I was shocked it happened so quickly! After the eggs had cooled enough to peel, I decided to check one to see how bad they were. Sure enough, it was a dark, dark brown. I didn't even know it was possible until today, but now you know how to burn boiled eggs.
You're welcome.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
You know, it's harder to build a box than it might seem
We had to replace our refrigerator and stove about a year ago. Before we could put the new refrigerator in, we had to tear out the cabinets that were above the stove and refrigerator. The new refrigerator was so tall it wouldn't fit under the cabinets that were already up there. For the last year, the space above the stove and refrigerator has been empty and barren and ugly, and we've had boxes that have moved from room to room that held the small appliances that we'd stored up there.
Our kitchen and dining room are really small. Actually, I suppose the dining room isn't all that small, but the kitchen is tiny. The stove and dishwasher are on opposite sides of the kitchen, but they can't be opened at the same time, because there's not quite enough clearance. Given that the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher take up floor space, we have are sorely lacking base cabinets.
We have the one under the sink with extra storage to the right of it, but the only way it's accessible, is if we pull stuff out of the cabinet under the sink. I finally put an under the bed storage box in there and filled it with quart and pint canning jars, so I can pull it out when I need to get to them, but they're also not something I use much. It's a good storage area for stuff that's not needed often, but that's about all it's good for.
To the left of the sink, we have a skinny little door where we can slide cookie sheets, but that's about it. However, on the other side of the peninsula that contains the dishwasher and this little door, is the dining room. And there are two doors that open to the storage area that is to the left of the sink, but they're in the dining room. And while it's nice that we have access to the storage, it's inconvenient that we can't use access it from the kitchen and that it's basically just for storage and not for functional use.
We don't have much for upper cabinets either. We have one double cabinet over the dishwasher, a double to the left of the sink, and a single and a half to the right of the sink. So even though the cabinets over the stove and refrigerator were only half the height of the other upper cabinets, they were vital to the kitchen, and let's just say it's been a really long year without them!
When replaced the stove and refrigerator a year ago, we also bought four 1"x12"x6' pine shelves to make into cubbies to put above the appliances for a replacement solution. We went out and boughtt baskets to put in the cubbies, and I even began painting the shelving. Then everything sat. For a year.
Today, The Hubster and I finally got the cubbies made. And it was hard to think straight enough to figure out how to cut things just right and assemble it, so the baskets would fit properly and it would fit above the refrigerator. Now that we've done it once, we'd be able to do it again without as much trouble. It would be on the verge of easy, even. Today? Notsomuch. They definitely make it seem a heck of a lot easier on TV than it was for us, but we did eventually get it.
I'm going to get the painting finished on the cubbies this week and we'll hopefully be able to get them installed next weekend.
I can't wait. It's been a really long year!
Our kitchen and dining room are really small. Actually, I suppose the dining room isn't all that small, but the kitchen is tiny. The stove and dishwasher are on opposite sides of the kitchen, but they can't be opened at the same time, because there's not quite enough clearance. Given that the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher take up floor space, we have are sorely lacking base cabinets.
We have the one under the sink with extra storage to the right of it, but the only way it's accessible, is if we pull stuff out of the cabinet under the sink. I finally put an under the bed storage box in there and filled it with quart and pint canning jars, so I can pull it out when I need to get to them, but they're also not something I use much. It's a good storage area for stuff that's not needed often, but that's about all it's good for.
To the left of the sink, we have a skinny little door where we can slide cookie sheets, but that's about it. However, on the other side of the peninsula that contains the dishwasher and this little door, is the dining room. And there are two doors that open to the storage area that is to the left of the sink, but they're in the dining room. And while it's nice that we have access to the storage, it's inconvenient that we can't use access it from the kitchen and that it's basically just for storage and not for functional use.
We don't have much for upper cabinets either. We have one double cabinet over the dishwasher, a double to the left of the sink, and a single and a half to the right of the sink. So even though the cabinets over the stove and refrigerator were only half the height of the other upper cabinets, they were vital to the kitchen, and let's just say it's been a really long year without them!
When replaced the stove and refrigerator a year ago, we also bought four 1"x12"x6' pine shelves to make into cubbies to put above the appliances for a replacement solution. We went out and boughtt baskets to put in the cubbies, and I even began painting the shelving. Then everything sat. For a year.
Today, The Hubster and I finally got the cubbies made. And it was hard to think straight enough to figure out how to cut things just right and assemble it, so the baskets would fit properly and it would fit above the refrigerator. Now that we've done it once, we'd be able to do it again without as much trouble. It would be on the verge of easy, even. Today? Notsomuch. They definitely make it seem a heck of a lot easier on TV than it was for us, but we did eventually get it.
I'm going to get the painting finished on the cubbies this week and we'll hopefully be able to get them installed next weekend.
I can't wait. It's been a really long year!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
My husband ran out on me....
....but he came back.
A few months after we started renovating after the basement flooded last year, we bought new doors to replace the ones downstairs. The doors we had were in pretty rough shape with little chunks out of them in different places and in desperate need of paint jobs, so we decided to replace them. We got the door blanks without the holes pre-drilled and just got a kit to put the hole for the door handles and hinges in ourselves. The doors were about half price of the ones that came with the holes already drilled out, so it only made sense.
The only problem is that they've been dutifully waiting for us to finish them. For over a year. So today, we got the kit out and decided to figure it out. We lined up an old door alongside a new door to make sure the holes would be in the exact same place, so they'll hang correctly. It took quite awhile for us to finish the first door, because we had to keep reading the instructions on how to work the elements of the kit. When we finished the first door, we had to stop, because The Hubster had to go for his run before darkness set in. So we had to leave the rest for tomorrow, but they shouldn't take that long now that we know what we're doing.
I look forward to getting them hung. I think it will totally change the look of the basement. It won't feel as much like a basement. They will be brighter and that's always good. We'll hopefully have all of them hung by next weekend. A couple of them still need a little more paint. I'll be working on that this week when the girls are at school.
My husband also brought the 2nd set of sawhorses up from the basement, and we got another work station set up on the porch for me to use. I was able to finish putting the last of the primer on the bookshelf thing we'll be using as an entertainment center, and I was able to get the first coat of paint on several pieces as well. It looks like each piece will only need 2 coats of paint, which is good. It is going to really look nice once it's done. It should be done by next weekend as well.
I also worked for several hours in the kitchen today. It's amazing how far behind things can get when you're laid up. Hopper had gotten in her birthday cake, and while I don't mind her getting into her cake, I was a bit frustrated with the mess. There was frosting smeared all over inside the refrigerator, on the stove and in the silverware drawer, and there were crumbs everywhere. I ended up having to take everything out of the silverware drawer and wash it as well as scrub the frosting out of the drawer itself. I cleaned the refrigerator out, too, so it's nice and shiny clean once again. I'd put cleaning the cake up for a couple of days, because I just got busy with other things, so I'm glad it's out of the way.
We also had several bags of cereal stuffed into the cupboards and on the stove and counter top. Hopper has a tendency to stuff bags back in the cupboard even when they're for all intents and purposes empty. Normally when we get cereal, I put them in some plastic cereal keepers. We started using them when we lived in the South and bugs were a potential problem. They kept the cereal fresh in the humidity for much longer than it would without. They're really handy to keep the cereal in, if things come up, and we don't get to the cereal quick enough to eat it before it goes bad. With the cereal keepers, cereal retains it's freshness for much longer than in a box. It's a win/win situation.
However, one of the main reasons we had cereal bags shoved in the cupboards was my fault. It's been awhile since I washed the keepers, and I don't like to put fresh cereal in the containers, if the cereal or cereal crumbs in the keeper have been in there for a couple of months. So I took them out and washed them by hand, and I was able to put away the 2 bags of cereal that actually had anything in them once the keepers were clean and dry. And it may seem like it doesn't take long to do these, but it takes longer than I'd like.
I also got the stove and counter cleaned off, ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and did several hand wash dishes before I was done. I hate when the kitchen is dirty. I hate having dishes piled up, because I've given other things a higher priority. It's just nice to have the kitchen clean and not hanging over my head. I'm not sure how long it will last, but at least I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing it's done.
Speaking of which...
A few months after we started renovating after the basement flooded last year, we bought new doors to replace the ones downstairs. The doors we had were in pretty rough shape with little chunks out of them in different places and in desperate need of paint jobs, so we decided to replace them. We got the door blanks without the holes pre-drilled and just got a kit to put the hole for the door handles and hinges in ourselves. The doors were about half price of the ones that came with the holes already drilled out, so it only made sense.
The only problem is that they've been dutifully waiting for us to finish them. For over a year. So today, we got the kit out and decided to figure it out. We lined up an old door alongside a new door to make sure the holes would be in the exact same place, so they'll hang correctly. It took quite awhile for us to finish the first door, because we had to keep reading the instructions on how to work the elements of the kit. When we finished the first door, we had to stop, because The Hubster had to go for his run before darkness set in. So we had to leave the rest for tomorrow, but they shouldn't take that long now that we know what we're doing.
I look forward to getting them hung. I think it will totally change the look of the basement. It won't feel as much like a basement. They will be brighter and that's always good. We'll hopefully have all of them hung by next weekend. A couple of them still need a little more paint. I'll be working on that this week when the girls are at school.
My husband also brought the 2nd set of sawhorses up from the basement, and we got another work station set up on the porch for me to use. I was able to finish putting the last of the primer on the bookshelf thing we'll be using as an entertainment center, and I was able to get the first coat of paint on several pieces as well. It looks like each piece will only need 2 coats of paint, which is good. It is going to really look nice once it's done. It should be done by next weekend as well.
I also worked for several hours in the kitchen today. It's amazing how far behind things can get when you're laid up. Hopper had gotten in her birthday cake, and while I don't mind her getting into her cake, I was a bit frustrated with the mess. There was frosting smeared all over inside the refrigerator, on the stove and in the silverware drawer, and there were crumbs everywhere. I ended up having to take everything out of the silverware drawer and wash it as well as scrub the frosting out of the drawer itself. I cleaned the refrigerator out, too, so it's nice and shiny clean once again. I'd put cleaning the cake up for a couple of days, because I just got busy with other things, so I'm glad it's out of the way.
We also had several bags of cereal stuffed into the cupboards and on the stove and counter top. Hopper has a tendency to stuff bags back in the cupboard even when they're for all intents and purposes empty. Normally when we get cereal, I put them in some plastic cereal keepers. We started using them when we lived in the South and bugs were a potential problem. They kept the cereal fresh in the humidity for much longer than it would without. They're really handy to keep the cereal in, if things come up, and we don't get to the cereal quick enough to eat it before it goes bad. With the cereal keepers, cereal retains it's freshness for much longer than in a box. It's a win/win situation.
However, one of the main reasons we had cereal bags shoved in the cupboards was my fault. It's been awhile since I washed the keepers, and I don't like to put fresh cereal in the containers, if the cereal or cereal crumbs in the keeper have been in there for a couple of months. So I took them out and washed them by hand, and I was able to put away the 2 bags of cereal that actually had anything in them once the keepers were clean and dry. And it may seem like it doesn't take long to do these, but it takes longer than I'd like.
I also got the stove and counter cleaned off, ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and did several hand wash dishes before I was done. I hate when the kitchen is dirty. I hate having dishes piled up, because I've given other things a higher priority. It's just nice to have the kitchen clean and not hanging over my head. I'm not sure how long it will last, but at least I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing it's done.
Speaking of which...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Eating at the kitchen table. What a concept! It's like eating on the floor - only higher!
The kids were very happy to be able to sit at the table to eat. I feel so bad that it's been as long as it has. It's not like the kids weren't fed. They were. Just not at the table. I will be doing everything in my power to not allow it to get covered again.
I did go through the condiments and got them ready for hubby to take to work on Monday - a full 8 days before my phone will remind me to send them in. I only saved 5 packets of honey from the one box. The rest is going in. I was really sort of grossed out by the 'honey sauce' that was in there. I'd never paid any attention to it before. It's a mixture of honey and high fructose corn syrup. At least honey has some nutritional value, but 'honey sauce'? What's the point?
Got a thick thermal underwear shirt on clearance. I'm hoping it will help keep me warm and keep things a bit more under control with the fibro. Getting winter weather again seems to have an impact on my achiness. I'm hoping it will help.
Working on putting up the cubby above the refrigerator and stove this weekend. We had to tear the old cabinets down several months ago when we bought a new refrigerator. They were so low the new refrigerator wouldn't fit. So we're hoping to get the cubby up this weekend, so we can get the small appliances in the baskets we bought and put them away. That will help tremendously with the clutter in the kitchen area. It's been really frustrating having to work around it all this time.
So. Now you know what we'll be doing this weekend. What are your plans?
I did go through the condiments and got them ready for hubby to take to work on Monday - a full 8 days before my phone will remind me to send them in. I only saved 5 packets of honey from the one box. The rest is going in. I was really sort of grossed out by the 'honey sauce' that was in there. I'd never paid any attention to it before. It's a mixture of honey and high fructose corn syrup. At least honey has some nutritional value, but 'honey sauce'? What's the point?
Got a thick thermal underwear shirt on clearance. I'm hoping it will help keep me warm and keep things a bit more under control with the fibro. Getting winter weather again seems to have an impact on my achiness. I'm hoping it will help.
Working on putting up the cubby above the refrigerator and stove this weekend. We had to tear the old cabinets down several months ago when we bought a new refrigerator. They were so low the new refrigerator wouldn't fit. So we're hoping to get the cubby up this weekend, so we can get the small appliances in the baskets we bought and put them away. That will help tremendously with the clutter in the kitchen area. It's been really frustrating having to work around it all this time.
So. Now you know what we'll be doing this weekend. What are your plans?
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