Summertime sewing
I find sewing on hot summer afternoons a relaxing and fun activity to do with my kids. They are motivated because they would like some new shorts or t-shirts and I feel it is important for them to develop some basic sewing skills.
Boxer style shorts are easy, quick and rewarding because the child can wear them immediately. One year we used unbleached cotton to tie-dye shorts and matching t-shirts. This year the shorts are for basketball camp so they are made from a sport knit and have a drawstring or elastic waist.
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Novelty print and cotton flannel boxer shorts are also on the list and are popular with many teens. With some basic instruction, patience and encouragement, it can be a fun, constructive way to spend some time with middle-years children and teens. An added plus in doing this type of activity together is the opportunity to have some interesting conversations.
Thread quality
The quality of thread you use when sewing, I feel, has a direct relationship to the enjoyment of the sewing experience and quality of the end product. Recently I was working with some poor quality serger thread. It broke, tangled, knotted and raveled, causing many moments of frustration in ripping seams and rethreading machines. With thread, price has a direct relationship to quality. Spend the few extra cents to ensure a quality sewing project.
Home meal replacements
In the July issue of the Beef Information Centre Report, an article focused on home meal replacements for consumers. Often consumers tend to be activity-rich and time-poor and they are saying, “I don’t feel like eating out and I don’t feel like cooking at home.”
At Showcase 2000, a beef industry conference held in Toronto, May 29-30, Colin West from Movenpick Restaurants of Toronto said: “People are wanting to buy fully prepared meals. Busy lifestyles have driven people away from the preparation of food. We no longer see the traditional shopping basket full of unprepared meals intended for the week to come. This shift has driven the need for a home meal replacement. Current Canadian data confirms this trend in that 23 percent of households plan meals on the way home from work or just before the meal. This represents 2.3 million Canadian households.
“There is a need for products in the supermarket that have the restaurant taste, the restaurant look, and are put together in suitable containers. The consumer wants to have a meal that looks like a meal but is appealing, appetizing, and tastes good.”
Examples of home meal replacements are seasoned and marinated meats, stir-fry cut strips of beef, washed, precut and packaged stir-fry vegetables and salads. Some retailers are now featuring “oven ready” and “gourmet to go” lines of semi and fully prepared meals. For the convenience the consumer pays.
Perfect hard cooked eggs
Hard cooked eggs are a versatile summertime food to eat alone, in sandwiches or added to salads. There are several tricks to producing a perfect egg which should be just tender cooked, without a dark ring around the yolk and easy to peel.
Start with eggs that are several days old. The white of a freshly laid egg adheres to its shell. It begins to detach itself within three or four days. That’s why older eggs, once cooked, are easier to shell.
Another method of loosening the white from the shell is to pierce the large end of the egg with a tack, before cooking. Piercing also prevents the egg from cracking or leaking.
The second trick is to cook the egg rather than boiling it. Choose one of the following tried and true methods:
- Cold water method – Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold water to a depth of one inch (2.5 centimetres) over the top of the eggs. Bring just to a boil then remove pan from heat. Let eggs stand in hot water until cooked as desired: two to five minutes for soft cooked; 15-20 minutes for hard cooked.
- Hot water method – Lower eggs into a pan of boiling water and remove pan from heat (water should cover eggs by one inch (2.5 cm). Cover tightly and let stand until eggs are cooked as desired: six to eight minutes for soft cooked; 20-25 minutes for hard cooked.
Whichever method you choose, be sure to cool both soft and hard cooked eggs thoroughly in cool water immediately after cooking. If you forget to pierce the shell and they are hard to peel, place the cooked, unpeeled eggs in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes (no longer), remove and dip in warm water, then continue peeling.
Information from the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency.
