My day started at Walmart and will end with yogurt.

I know, I shouldn't go to Walmart, especially if it makes me mad.  But I did.  I wanted to look at a Virgin Mobile phone that I saw was highly recommended.  My experience in their electronics department made a very bad start to the day.  Let's just say it included not being able to actually look at the phone outside of a box clamped into the bottom shelf, an employee that told me that my research about their plans were wrong because 'some guy came in and told her', and I left after being handed a pamphlet and with no questions being answered. Then a lady came at me with her cart and I walked into a display sign, causing quite a bit of amusement for the young man behind me.

*face palm*

So I am at the point where I might give up cell phones entirely.  I'll see.

The rest of the day hasn't been much better.  The bunnies got sick from the spinach I gave them...for no reason than probably I gave it to them out of their usual eating schedule.  They are like piglets, and don't know when to stop.  As I cleaned them up, and my jeans and sweatshirt got covered in bunny sick-poo, they were NOT happy about what I was doing, so they scratched up my hands and wrists like kittens.  To the point of drawing blood.  I got them calmed down, we cuddled (after we all were clean again), and they are now happily bouncing around the cage.  I took pictures of the two does to sell on craigslist.

Pretty bunbuns!

Then my band aid came off.  I had sliced my finger and nail open with a carving tool, and a few days ago half of my nail fell off...so doing the dishes and making food is slightly painful right now (it needs to breathe anyways)...

I tried making yogurt in my mom's yogurt maker from the year I was born- 1987.

 I started as usual, and got everything ready to incubate.

But the machine didn't seem to be heating up.  The cover would NOT fit on properly, either.  After pinching my finger and getting a blood blister (*sigh*), I decided to scrap the machine entirely and just put the little jars into the oven with the pilot light on again.  They are doing well and are at the proper temperature.  Should be done around 9pm.  I also made some tomato sauce to keep in the freezer for future pasta.

Now I am making turtle bean soup with some ham thrown in to satisfy Jon.  I am exhausted.  The apartment building electrician is here, again, this time drilling the wall outside the kitchen.

But I am proud that I made it through Walmart without buying any chips.  Or blue cheese- even though I had it in my hand for a while.

___________________________

Earlier this week, I made the world's best bagels, substituting all of the flour for whole wheat and I added 1 Tbsp flax seed.

Before boiling.

*Love my Le Creuset pot!

Out of the oven...and one already eaten!

Really pretty with the flax seeds =)

The raisins also came out wonderfully!  They are tart, a little more chewy, and look a lot different than the store ones.  The fruit leather is AWESOME.  The best I've ever had, and Jon agrees with me, so there's none left to photograph.  Next time!

I give up for today.  I'm going to go hug some rabbits.

Potato chips and dehydrating fruit.

I am a potato chip addict.  I could and have eaten an entire family sized bag of Lays chips.  Full sized Pringles cans are gone in 5 minutes.  It is a problem.  Back when I was single, I was on a bag a day habit.  I kept them by my bed, in my car, in my work bag...anyways, I am really trying to cut back now.  Of course, it isn't working.  They are just too gosh darn good.  In my quest to quit buying processed food, I needed to figure something out, today.  So, I made my own potato chips.

Sea salt and curry, seasoned sea salt and pepper

I utterly failed my first attempt.  I used a slicer, and the slices were way too thick.  I ended up with overly done and strange looking fries.

I ate them anyways, with mayonnaise.

I next tried slicing them by hand really really thin.  It worked, but with soggy results.

Jon ate ALL of them.

I used vegetable oil, which I know is gross, but honestly, I didn't care.  I needed my fix, and if it wasn't with this, I would have just gone to the pizza place across the bridge and gotten some buffalo tenders and blue cheese dressing, which I have been craving for four days.

Today's attempt was more successful- the chips were darker, but more crunchy.  Next time, I will try a baking method.  If anyone wants to try the frying method, heat some veggie oil in a heavy pan on high.  Cut potatoes thinly after washing them, them soak in cold water for 1/2 an hour.  Fry in batches until they are as crispy/dark as you want.  Cool on wire rack with towel underneath.  Season while still warm.

To return more to a healthier point of view, I broke out the food dehydrator!  My mother has lent me her Nesco model, as well as her yogurt maker- but that's another day.  

SO PRETTY.

I used the instructions to prepare grapes, and now I have green and red ones going.  It should take about a day to make raisins!  There was a fruit leather sheet in with it, so I put some pear sauce in to see how that would work.

The machine is noisier than I would like, but it is an older model.  I calculated the cost of electricity to use it, and it should come out to about $3.38 for it to run 24 hours in Massachusetts.  Not too bad for some extra grapes hanging around.

Back to being unhealthy, I made Monkey Ginger Bread last night.  It is like monkey bread, but with ginger bread-y spices and molasses.  This is one of the best dessert recipes I have ever made.  Don't take it to a party, though!  I find that it is perfect to share with a husband while watching a movie on a cold night.

Really good after a meal of lentil soup!