" Which one would YOU use? "

As a former sales professional I have high standards for customer service.  I typically don't even ask for help in stores anymore because inevitability the staff will come up short of my expectations.  However the past few times I've really needed help,  I've used the phrase "Which would you use? ", and it's really paid off.

Today's really good idea is TWO good ideas!  I recently went to the Home Depot to get something for my ever-plugged shower drain.  As I was preparing myself to spend $30 on a fancy CO2 snake,  a salesperson asked if he could help.  Instead of my usual "no thanks,  just looking",  I asked for his opinion on the options I was considering.  Instead of selling me the more expensive tool, he suggested a $3 pokey stick with flange-y grabbers which I'm sure is on an As Seen on TV special somewhere.....

Well guess what?  The Zip-It stick worked! It's flexible and designed for clogs that are within the the first meter of the pipe; something I learned from my Home Depot guy. It was simple to figure out what to do with it, and easy to use. Had I gone with the more expensive option, I know that would have worked too but it would have taken me longer to figure out.  It's the holidays, and we all know time and money is limited, so I'm even more grateful for the help I received.  And as a bonus, next time my shower drain clogs, I don't have to pour chemicals, and more money, down the drain.

So be sure to use salespeople for advice.  You don't have to take it, and you might be surprised at the help they can offer. Ask specific questions to help them help you. There is a lot of bad service out there (don't even get me started on my credit union), but every once in awhile you will find a gem.

Really Good Kitchen Ideas Part One

Kitchen Gadgets that Really Work!

I've spent more time in the kitchen in the past six months that I have in the last 10 years. I've learned that if you want to eat healthy on a budget, you're gonna have to prepare your own food 90% of the time. I wouldn't consider myself lazy, but if there is an easier way to to do something I'm all for it. It's all about efficiency!

Today's really good idea is to share the kitchen gadgets that have become invaluable to me this year so you might get some great gift ideas for the efficient person in your life.

Immersion Blender: You can likely replace that big bulky normal blender with one of these (unless you like to chop ice a lot- wouldn't recommend it with the stick blenders). I got mine at Kohl's. It came with a wisk attachment that I never use and a tall container to blend in which I couldn't photograph because it's dirty. I make a batch of smoothies every day and so far my stick blender has held up to the task.

Citrus Squeezer: Yes, these really work and they are actually quite fun to use. You will get so much more juice out of your citrus! It's a very quick way to lightly season your fresh veggies, and add that essential lime juice to your guacamole. I've discovered that I have a knack for making very good guac, and I don't ever want to put ketchup or mustard on my veggie burgers again. The citrus squeezer has changed my life in many ways. Can't tell you where my model came from; it was a gift from the very smart friend of course. These things are everywhere.

Silicone Egg Cup Thing: My mom makes great eggs, and recently gave me her original set of egg coddlers. I used them for a bit but couldn't ever get the egg just right, never just like mom's.  Always watery or over-cooked, not qualities I was seeking in my morning egg. So I came across these modern versions which really work great!

Simply spray the inside of the cup with just a bit of your oil of choice, crack the egg in, and set in a shallow pan of boiling water. You will have to experiment with the amount of cooking time. If you like your whites cooked and your yolks a bit "loose", cook your first egg for as long as it takes your sprouted bread to toast and get "buttered".  That's my recipe for the perfect egg.  I found my silicone egg cups at my favorite local kitchen shop that I can't remember the name of but they are now dead to me anyway because they moved from their convenient location on Willy St. to the Capitol Square.

What's the best way to spray the inside of your egg cup? With a Misto of course! I have two of them, one for olive oil and one for the inevitable canola oil. I could use two more as my sister gave me some much-coveted avocado oil and a few flavored oils from Fustini's. Oil misters are great because they don't need propellents to spread just a light mist of oil on your pan or baking sheet. Plus, you will use a lot less oil. When you are shopping for one you will see some negative reviews about clogging. Those negative people did not read the instructions or just don't care; if you clean your mister out every once in a while you won't have a problem. Get a multi-pack; trust me.

Originally I thought I had just a few good ideas of kitchen gadgets, but as I was grabbing my citrus squeezer for tonight's guacamole batch I came across a few more 2011 acquisitions that just can't be overlooked. I probably should have done the Twelve Days of Kitchen Gadgets, but that really good idea will have to wait until next year... oh dear Lord someone has already done it.

Got a kitchen gadget that has changed your life?  Share it with the rest of us!

The Recipe for "Who Hash" Revealed?!?

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.  But I would still touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot-pole for the inspiration.  Today's really good idea is to make sure you have some fun with your recipe mistakes!

I was looking for a good way to use up my leftover turkey and remembered this awesome recipe:
Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey- I used cooked leftovers
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg- nah, just a can of black beans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar- for the topping (I skipped this part)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce- for the topping (I skipped this part)
• 1 teaspoon water- for the topping (I skipped this part)

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf, if you are in the mood.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink (for uncooked turkey) in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

My turkey was already cooked and therefore I would not achieve "the mixture will be very moist". I just chopped it up into small bits. I also didn't want to add an egg but as luck would have it, I had a can of organic black beans for added protein and moisture. I followed the recipe other than those modifications, and doubled the hot sauce for an extra kick. It really seemed to be moist enough so I shaped into two loaves and cooked and cooked, and cooked.  An hour and 10 minutes later I had a nice crumbly pile of Turkey Loaf Stuff, which my very smart friend promptly named "Who Hash"!  The flavor is great and I will likely serve it over cauliflower (like I did with my polenta-gone-wrong!).  Cauliflower fixes everything, and I will most likely make Who Hash again. As an added benefit, Who Hash is so dry it makes you crave water!

Dining "Out" on a Budget

Are you having a craving for your favorite local restaurant but you want to stay home? Think of one of your go-to favorites and google it, you will likely find the actual recipe or something very close!  Try the Great Dane's Inner Warmth Peanut Stew and Panera's Black Bean Soup to get started; both of these recipes have been sampled at home by my very smart friend and they are very good!

The next time I'm craving cheese but simply can't drive to Chicago, I'll try this Pizza Pot Pie from the Chicago Pizza Oven.  Naughty, indeed. Now if only there was a recipe for the entire menu at Shaw's Crab House....

Lastly, try this great site if you want to browse for ideas.

Happy eating!

Drawing Straws

I consume a lot of smoothies, often in the car on my half-hour commute to work. I typically leave my smoothie cup in the car to wash when I return home and it's been a chore to get the straw properly cleaned out before the next smoothie round. One really good idea would be to take the cup into work and rinse it out. Too practical!

Today's REALLY good idea came to me by accident. My smoothie cups and straws were soaking in the sink and I discovered that the smaller bendy one had found its was inside the bigger one! The bendy one was the perfect size to scrub out the big one which cut my soaking time way down, allowing me to consume my dinner smoothie much sooner. And I probably saved the environment by one little baby step.  I wonder what else bendy straws are good for....?

Chia Peanut Butter

I have a peanut butter problem; I love it a little too much. I constantly try to find ways to justify its ever-present existence in my daily diet. Just a year ago I ate Jif, then reduced fat Jif, then I learned a few things about processed foods and switched to natural peanut butters that contain just peanuts and salt. All these butters have been creamy, but in the last few months I've played with crunchy butters. It seems more hearty and meal-like. Much like a crack addict, I've also had different vehicles on which to get the peanut butter to my mouth. With the Jif I used either a slice of toast (maybe not even whole-grain bread), or a big spoon. Lately I've either had peanut butter on sprouted bread or on a low-glycemic index cracker.

I think about peanut butter all the time. I hoard it. Especially now, with the peanut shortage affecting my supply. My local grocery store has been out of my favorite brands for 10 days. I'm freaking out.

I admit I have a problem. But it has been tempered some by a few tricks I've learned along the way.  Onto the really good ideas! I wanted to increase the health benefits of my peanut butter by adding chia seeds so I was sprinkling it into the divots of my Ry-Krisp crackers.  The little seeds fell out, and I never seemed to get enough chia. So lately I've been mixing the seeds directly into the jar as I'm mixing the oil with the butter.

Really Good Idea bonus #1: See the container next to the larger bag of chia?  Makes it a heck of a lot easier to control the flow of the slippery seeds when it comes from something smaller.

Now that I've added more protein and essential Omega-3's to my beloved snack, it's time to address the salt issue. You can buy buy all-natural peanut butter at your local co-op; that's next on my list.  You can also buy peanut butter with no salt added; the ingredients are just peanuts. You can make your own, which is probably the best option in controlling what you ingest. If you aren't quite there yet (like me), you might head to the store to discover that the shortage still prevails and the only feasible options either contain maltodextrin, or don't contain salt. I love salted peanut butter, but I love my health a little more so opted for the no-matodextrin, no-salt option. But it didn't taste quite right, so I added my own salt.

This is NOT a really good idea, but I'm a big fan of enjoying the food I allow myself so I went ahead and tossed some in. The really good idea that come from this is that I am controlling the amount of salt in my food. It's all about choices and options.

Yield: It's up to you.  I mix as much chia (3T at least) into a jar of peanut butter.

Really good idea bonus #2: Store your stirred peanut butter in the refrigerator and you won't have to stir every day!

What's your favorite healthy guilty pleasure?


I thought of this really good idea all by myself, but it really wasn't that much of a stretch as chia is everywhere now. A simple google search brought up a plethora of options.

Make Your Own Frozen Spinach

Here's a bit of rocket science- Spinach is mostly water and freezes nicely! Spinach can get expensive, and it's on the Dirty Dozen list of organic produce to buy organic. If you are using a lot of spinach in your Green Monster smoothies but still not using it all up before the expiration date, try this:
-Wash your pre-washed organic spinach you bought in bulk. Better yet, buy a big head of organic spinach (yes you can eat the stems!), wash it.

 -Put a whole bunch in a food processor. You might need to cut yours up a little bit first. Hint: if you put too much in you'll end up with spinach puree at the bottom and whole leaves at the top. Be smart about this, people.

-Chop to a nice, fine consistency.  I have a pulse option on my food processor and I pulsed it on and off for about a minute. 
-Spoon the spinach into clean ice cube trays. Use a small spatula or your fingers to mash it down in there!

-Cover as tightly as possible with plastic wrap or other freezer-burn-proof substance of your choice.

-Freeze it! When it's completely frozen, you have several compact spinach cubes to throw into your smoothie (I use four to six per batch). You can also toss your cubes into soups or other hot dishes. I wouldn't plan on eating this "fresh" again. You can also pop your spinach cubes out of the trays and store them in a freezer bag if that set-up saves you valuable space.

Yield: One pound of organic spinach fit nicely into two ice cube trays.  I'm sorry my ice cube trays do not match. Sometimes it's a really good idea to use what you have instead of buying new for appearances.

I've done this freezer tray method with my fall pesto-palooza as well.  What other veggies or condiments would this work with?  Chime in!

This tip was shared with me by my very smart friend.

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog post! "Really Good Ideas" is the result of three years of overhauling my life. From technology to finances to health and wellness, I've gathered some great tips along the way that I want to share.

How many times have you heard "that's a really good idea!" and haven't followed up on it? About five years ago, a friend "invented" the Google Box; a simple box in some room that you could speak to and conduct a quick google search in plain english. Smartphones have come a long way, but it wasn't until Siri on the iphone that the Google Box really came into fruition. I only wish my friend had been the one to develop it! Point is, all kinds of ideas float around out there. I hope to harness the ones I've learned, and provide a forum for everyone to share.

Enjoy!