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This policy is valid from October 15, 2010

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact  unwashedcreativity@gmail.com.

This blog does not accept any form of compensation for any reviews or comments made concerning any product or service mentioned.

The owner of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites or any various other topics. I will always strive to give my honest assessment and opinion on every post. All findings, beliefs, experiences on topics posted here are mine alone and are not influenced by any other person unless otherwise noted in the post.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

Whole Wheat Crepes and Cherry Compote

I woke up this morning wanting crepes. Never made them before. They turned out delicious. I used Krusteaz Wheat & Honey pancake mix and frozen cherries. When you live within a budget you make the best of what you have.

The wheat pancake mix was thinned out as much as I dared make it without it being completely watery. When I poured it onto the hot skillet, I tilted the skillet to allow the mix to spread out to form a larger thinner pancake. I was so afraid of burning the first one that I flipped it a little before its time, but after that I exercised a bit more patience and they came out remarkably well.

The compote was made by using frozen cherries, 3/4 cup water, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup lime juice (RealLime worked great). Bring to a boil, reduce heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasional. In a separate bowl I mixed together 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and orange juice. After removing the cherries from the heat and mixed the cornstarch/orange juice mixture in and placed the pan back to boil for one minute. After boiling for another minute, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes to thicken.

This was a really great tasting breakfast. Things tend to get a bit hectic while making the cakes but they were well worth it.

I thought the compote was a tad bit too sweet so will cut back a little on the sigar next time.

The whipped cream on top was a wonderful touch. We had Cool Whip and Ready Whip so I used a little of each for comparison and found the Ready Whip much better. After all it is a real dairy product whereas Cool Whip is not.

Note: I did not get paid in anyway for mentioning any brand name mentioned here. The mix has been a favorite of our family for a very long time. The juice was easier than squeezing a bunch of limes.

Sustainable Home Design

Architect Kendricks Bangs Kellogg designed this home of gracefully arranged, gently curved concrete forms, all resting on cantilevered, shaped, concrete platforms, that span up to fifty feet and ten feet across. This home is designed for energy gains from the thermal mass.

More at materialicious

Safe Chicken Handling Practices

I was recently asked how long cooked chicken will keep in a refrigerator and remain safe to eat. I did a little digging and found the general guideline is four to seven days. And this advice is good only if it has been handled, packaged and stored properly. It will keep slightly longer if you freeze it.

The health department recommends keeping meat no longer than seven days after the purchase date. This is true if your fridge holds food at 41F. If the temperature is higher then no longer than three days.

There is no definitive method for the detection of bacteria without bacteriological and chemical tests, so the best we can do is follow these guidelines:

• Handle food in a sanitary manner - wash hands, clean and sanitize food contact surfaces, protect from cross-contamination, package and store properly.
• Keep potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone (140F to 40F). Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• Reheat leftover cooked foods thoroughly (to 165F).
• Use food within a reasonable time.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

While we are on the topic of chicken safety and storage, here are a few guidelines and information:

It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any bacteria which might be present are destroyed by cooking.

Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant.

Chicken is kept cold during distribution to retail stored to prevent the growth of bacteria and to increase its shelf life. Chicken should be cold to to the touch and placed in a disposable plastic bag, get one from the produce section if they are not available in the meat department.

At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains 40F and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0F.  If freezing for longer than two months overwrap the store package with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place inside a freezer bag.

Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn", which appears as grayish brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before of after cooking the chicken.

When purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at time of purchase. Use within two hours or cut into several pieces and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to 4 days, either cold or reheated to 165F (hot and steaming).

Never defrost a chicken by leaving it on the counter. You can safely defrost frozen chicken by setting it in the refrigerator, or placing it in cold water (in a leak proof bag fully covered), or by using the microwave defrost settings.

In Celebration of St Brigid and Candlemas

Halfway point to Spring, Groundhogs Day. Yea! This is one of three celebrations taking place on this honored day, February 2^nd. The other two are religious in nature, The Christian holiday, Candlemas and the Pagan holiday, Imbolic

Photo: celtic symbol Imbolic.jpg

"Imbolc" is derived from the Gaelic “oimele” which means “ewes milk.” This major Sabbat lies opposite Lammas, and represents the very beginning of spring. This festival is for the Maiden, her renewal, and has strong roots with the festivals for the Irish goddess Brigid. The ancient Celtic goddess Brigid was honored on this day, and even after she was absorbed into the Church as St. Brigid, celebrations for her changed very little from their Pagan roots. A traditional plated St Brigid’s Cross.

“Candlemas” is from the adaptations of rites for the Virgin Mary that the European churches held at the same time of year. Candlemas is a celebration of light, the day of candles, but in many parts of the world it is thought of by both young and old as pancake day!

The plow is an integral part of Imbolc ritual, this being the earliest time of year in Europe to begin ground breaking or preparations for spring planting. Some cultural groups decorated plows or held processions around the fields. Seedlings for early spring planting can be started indoors at this time.

On the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc is celebrated on February 1st and belongs to Brighid, Brigid or Bride, a goddess who in later times became revered as a Christian saint.

Candlemas: A Pagan Festival of Lights.

In celebration of Candlemas the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In celebration of Imbolic. Imbolc is when the first spring cleaning can be done. Having hunkered down for the winter, what can go to make room for the growth of spring? Brigid has many associations with healing. Spend some time with activities for yourself and your own health, either to warm the chill of winter or to ready yourself for the coming spring.

How Candlemas/Imbolic gave birth to Groundhog Day

Like other cross-quarter days, Imbolc is associated with divination, being perceived as a time when the veils between worlds are thinner. One of the more common winter/spring divination rituals is Ground Hog Day. On February 2nd, it is said that a ground hog that comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow foretells six more weeks of winter weather. No shadow on this day and spring is right around the corner.

Most Americans are only familiar with the media glare cast on “Punxsutawney Phil” and a small Pennsylvania town each year, not realizing the more complex European roots of this rite. This practice came with German settlers, the Pennsylvania Dutch, who adapted their own hedgehog observations to a close American native.