Sunday 25 October 2009

the one where I ask for help

*I use Bloglines. Happily. However, my blogroll is taking up too much space on this page and I want to go to a drop-down menu or some such. Anyone know of any way to make that happen?

*Good lentil soup recipe? I have an awesome split-pea and ham (which is really more split-pea w/pig product, since you throw bacon in the water with the peas and boil the flavour out of it, tossing the bacon before you add the peas to the ham)

*A good photo-storing application? I use Picasa and have been very happy with it, but now something is wrong and it keeps re-loading my pictures every time I open it. It's wearying.

*How do you save coloured leaves? B says they used to dip them in melted wax to preserve them. That sounds pretty to me, but all sorts of a fire hazard with small fingers around - we put them in heavy books between sheets of waxed paper. Any other methods?

*Can't think. Mighty Machines (the girl loooves it) is sucking all the intellect out my ears.....

10 comments:

witchypoo said...

I used the waxed paper method for leaves, but wonder about laminating? Think they'd make a pretty arrangement in a frame.

Yo-yo Mama said...

I think schmutzie had a code for that once on her blog. You might want to pop her an email. She's always been very helpful with that kind of stuff.

Oh, and I'm referring to the drop down list of blogs of course.

M&Co. said...

I upload all my photos onto flickr. I pay for the service because it seemed like I was always exceeding the free allotment. Sorry I've got nothing for you for the rest of your questions.

Lala said...

if you put the leaves on the wax paper and then iron them they get coated in wax more safely.

Sweet Coalminer said...

I buy the tiny middle-eastern lentils at a specialty store and use half a bag - a pound, I would guess or a little less. Soak 4 hours. transfer to strainer. pour some olive oil in the bottom of pressure cooker (or pot if you don't have instant gratification issues like I do). Sautee 2 medium onions. throw in 2-3 garlic cloves, 2-3 bay leaves and water about 1/2 cm over the solids. pressure cook for 1.5 minutes on high. (has to be the tiny lentils, though, and they're just more tasty and fun to eat) Stir in tomato puree to taste, between half a cup and a cup probably. I use a palmful of salt and sugar, and probably 1/2 tsp black pepper. Sometimes I throw in carrots or celery, but the troops usually rebel at the sight of vegetables. I also serve with feta cheese and red vinegar, and when it's hot out, I serve it cold as a salad with a little oil. You can add more water if you like it soupy. Oh, and crunchy rustic bread. I could eat this every day! :)

Anonymous said...

I think that is so cool, Rosie and Mighty Machines and not Barbies,Yeah!!!!! Auntie K.

Jenny said...

Here's a link to my Lentil Stew, and here's on for my Split Pea and Barley Soup.
Enjoy! :D

Mike said...

Thanks for the receipe. I love soup and this one will come in handy when it gets cold....

Shinny said...

My mom used to put my lovely leaves between two sheets of wax paper and then iron them together until the leaf was dried out and the leaf covered in wax. Be sure to put paper towel or an old rag down before hitting the wax paper with the iron. I forgot that mom used to do that the first time I tried to iron leaves for Alex. Ruined my new iron. ;)

karengreeners said...

I make lentil soup all the time, and I start with Bob's Red Mill alphabet soup mix. It's mostly lentils, and there is no weird powdery flavour stuff to add. It's one part soup to 4 parts liquid (I use organic chicken or veggie stock), and then I add carrots, parsnips, kale, whatever to it. Sometimes I brown pancetta in the pot first, then add the soup parts to it. mmmmmm.

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