Product Review: Back to Basics Apple Peeler

Recently, CSNStores generously offered to provide me a product to review. I was happy to search their many online stores to find just the right product for our kitchen.

It was hard to decide, but here's what I came up with:

It looks like a medieval torture device, but it's much more useful than that. (And less messy.) Meet the Back to Basics Peel Away apple peeler.

The lever on the bottom is a suction base that attaches securely to your kitchen counter. Retract the arm, impale an apple onto the pronged bit, and start cranking that handle.

 

 It peels the apple...

slices it...

and cores it. Pretty darn cool, huh?

It's safe enough for a child to use! (See crock pot in the background--we're prepping a batch of crock pot apple butter.)

Do you feel like you're watching a Ginsu knife commercial yet? Thankfully, the Peel Away is much more effective than that. We prepped a couple of pounds of apples in just a few minutes.

It cuts the apples into a neat spiral that's great for snacking.

It would be great for cutting potatoes (we tried cutting a carrot with it, but that didn't work so well). Knowing us, we'll try many other spherical/cylindrical food items to see how they do. We give it a thumbs up! Thanks to CSNstores for asking me to review.

Disclosure: CSNstores provided me the Back to Basics apple peeler to try. My opinions are my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!" 

The weather's getting colder and that means it's time to check your doors and windows to ensure they aren't letting cold air in or heated air out. (Insert Dad's voice here: "Do you think I want to heat the whole outside?!?")

Here's something you may not have considered. Insulate your switchplates and electrical outlets on exterior walls to save energy and money. You can get pre-cut foam sheets to fit behind the plates and all you need is a screwdriver. To keep ants away, put a few drops of peppermint oil on the foam before installing it.

Sports Events on the Cheap

We are big baseball fans here in the BrownThumb house (you’ll see how crazy we are in a bit). We love going to live games, but the ticket prices make this an occasional treat. We recently had the opportunity to attend a San Francisco Giants playoff game. Here’s how we got the most out of our trip for the least amount of money.

Dress for less.

I don’t own any Giants shirts, team jerseys, or fan gear. But I couldn’t imagine going to the game without rockin’ the orange and black. Thanks to my friendly neighborhood Target, I got this great orange tee for $7. It’s nice enough to wear under a suit jacket at work too—and I couldn’t do that with a Lincecum jersey.

Pack your snacks.

I checked the website and AT&T Park allows small, soft-sided containers with your own food and drink. Our local ballpark requires bottled water to be factory-sealed, which is why we didn’t pack our Camelbaks. (I see that horrified look on your face! “Bottled water? What was she thinking?”) We brought water, sunflower seeds, and baby carrots to munch on during the game.

Eat before entering.
Ballpark food is delicious, but oh-so-expensive. We saw a crab sandwich for $15 and a soda for $6! Sandwiches from home are the cheapest way to go, but a fast-food dinner or local eatery will be less than what you’d pay at the game. Extra bonus: you don’t have to balance the food on your lap while eating.

Skip the drinks.

I’m not talking about water--buying a beer at the park will bankrupt you! AT&T Park has a designated driver program that gives you a free soda if you pledge not to drink during the game. The wristband identifies you to the concessionaires, and you turn in a ticket to get your soda. Although neither of us drinks, it seemed ethical to only name one designated driver. We rode in one car, after all.

Win your way.

The best way to go on the cheap is to win your tickets! Although this isn’t possible all the time, we were lucky enough to be chosen as “Sacramento’s Biggest Giants Fans” by a local radio station. See how BrownThumbPapa has his Giants hat on in this wedding picture from long, long ago? That sealed the deal and won us the tickets.

How do you "do sports"? On the cheap or the sky's the limit? Tell us in the comments!

Blog Action Day: Different Ways to Save Water

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. This year's topic is water, so I'm republishing my "Different Ways to Save Water" post from last year. Enjoy!

This came in the mail yesterday.

Water meters will be installed in our neighborhood this fall, to be be activated in 2010. [scary organ music plays as I look at the 25,000 gallon pool]

Since I have no idea how this will affect the budget, we're ramping up our conservation efforts now.

Everybody knows to turn off the water while brushing teeth, to take showers instead of baths, and so on. Here are some different ideas that you might want to try:

Don’t flush kleenex, smooshed bugs, or deceased aquarium fish. The outside trash will do just fine for all of these.

Instead of running the garbage disposal, put veggie peelings in the outside garbage or the compost bin.

Scrape plates instead of rinsing them before loading the dishwasher.

When you change the fishtank water, use the “old” water for the garden. Veggies and flowers love fishy-poo water.

At a restaurant, only ask for water if you’re actually going to drink it.

When you make (or buy) laundry soap or dishwasher soap, use the powdered form. The liquid version is the same thing, just with water added.

Put extra ice cubes in your houseplants instead of dumping them in the sink.

But don’t:
Put your pasta or veggie cooking water on your plants if you put salt in it. Salt is a plant killer!

Put a brick in your toilet tank for water displacement. Any particles that wear off the brick can mess up your plumbing. Use a milk jug filled with rocks or this cool controllable flush doohickey. Is anybody else thirsty?

Sausage Zucchini Gratin

This takes a bit of prep time, but it's an all-in-one dish that beats the socks off any casserole you've ever had. (And isn't Mom and Dad's new granite countertop beautiful?)

Adapted from one of the many delicious recipes at 101cookbooks.


There are a few components to this recipe--zucchini, sausage, potatoes, and herb oil. Since there's a lot going on at once, I've separated everything into steps.

Prep zucchini
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into even, thick slices (I use my mandolineslicer)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Toss and place in a colander to drain off excess water.

Make herb oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
3+ garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Puree into a sauce (I use my immersion blender) and set aside.

Assemble remaining ingredients
1 pound Italian sausage, cooked until browned through
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut very thin with the mandoline
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups bread crumbs

Phew! Now we're ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly oil a 9x9 pan.

Dump the zucchini, potatoes, and 2/3 of the herb oil into a big mixing bowl. Toss everything together until it's well-coated. The potatoes tend to stick together, so separate them while you're mixing.

Combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs and mix well. The breadcrumbs will also clump up, so break up big chunks with a fork. Add half of the breadcrumbs, the cheese, and the sausage to the big bowl and toss again.

Pour the whole shebang into the pan and sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs evenly on top. Bake for 40-50 minutes--if the breadcrumbs get too brown, rake them gently with a fork. Drizzle the rest of the herb oil on top and serve.

Mmmmm...doesn't that look delicious? And if you have leftovers, they crisp up perfectly in the toaster oven.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!"


Save time and space in your backyard by putting worms in your compost bin. The compost will process quicker and the worms will love it (especially if you're like me and the compost never gets hot enough to hurt 'em). You won't end up with pure worm castings, but your compost will be pretty doggone great.

Seed GROW Project: Location Lesson

You'll recall from my last report that my poor nasturtiums were baking in the sun. I'd mulched them with straw and was hoping for a good future.

I'm happy and sad to report that the front yard garden (of which the nasties were a part) has taken a decidedly different turn. We've dreamed of adding on to the house since we moved in 14 years ago and have finally taken the plunge.

As you can see, the yard is completely demolished and the veggies and nasturtiums shown above are no more. I still have quite a few seeds and will plant them again next year in a shadier spot. The Sacramento climate is not to blame, just my choice of location. My friend Carri is just a few miles away and hers went gangbusters!

Once construction is complete, I'll be landscaping the front yard with perennials, veggies, and just a teeny bit of grass. Jackjack suggested that we plant the whole front yard with strawberries and green beans. Now there's a boy who thinks like his mama!

Tune in every first Sunday for updates on my seeds and visit GROW to see reports from across the US and Canada.

I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

Yet ANOTHER Reason Why I Love the Library

I've already listed 15 reasons why I love the library (my top 10 here and 5 more here) and the good folks at the library just coming up with more great stuff.

On Wednesday, Jackjack and I had the pleasure of attending a free concert by Fulton Street Jazz Band (turn your speakers on!).

We started the evening with lemonade and cookies, courtesy of Friends of the Library.

We listened for a few songs and were having a great time.

Our toe-tapping led to chair-dancing, and then we (along with many others) couldn't stop our dancin' feet.

Adults were dancing!

 

Kids were dancing!

 

And Jackjack was dancing, as only five-year-old boys can.

 

The expression on his face says it all. Thanks to the Sacramento Public Library and Fulton Street Jazz Band for a great evening!