quick bathroom renovation

The half-bath needs much more work -- a complete rehab. We are annoyed by this, since it's a tiny room. We spent all of last week renovating what we could. We patched holes and the horrible gaps around the sink plumbing, prepped and painted the walls, and replaced the bathroom hardware, toilet seat, curtains and medicine cabinet. Here's a before and after shot:


As with everything in this house, nothing was salvagable. I still need to paint the inside of the floor to ceiling cupboard (directly across from the toilet, so you have to sit diagonally to use it), as well as replace the sink, sink hardware, toilet, and floor. In short, everything we didn't replace needs to be replaced. The sink was hung by its plumbing, and is now bending downward from the wall. The toilet is old and wastes water, plus it is mildewy and full of rusty parts. The window is also mildewy and needs minor repair where the POs installed three sets of blinds, and more major repair where the weather has swollen and skewed the mechanisms to open the window. Sigh.

fortification fridays - mediterranean sea bass

Hi! I've been having some computer problems, so I've not been able to post about the bathroom spruce up or kitchen painting, not to mention the yard projects, but I had this written and I think my computer is OK now, so more soon.

Mediterranean Sea Bass

Serves: 4
Kitchen Needs: Oven

This is really a left-overs dish. Well, a left-overs dish with a very nice piece of fish. We bought a hunk of seabass (about 1.5 pounds or so) from our local fish market on a week night. Just as quick as you can say 'delicious fishilicious' I had slicked the fish with olive oil, then added the following on top:

1/2 preserved lemon, chopped (or 1 full lemon's worth of juice and a teaspoon or two of salt)
a handful of good black olives
1 T. capers
1 clove garlic
chopped parsley
1/2 cup vermouth (a great substitute for white wine when you don't have it)
ground black pepper
1/2-1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups green beans, chopped into 2-inch lengths

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast fish uncovered in an 8x8 Pyrex dish until opaque in the center at 350 degrees (about 30 minutes for my piece, but check yours). Green beans will soften and soak up the sauce. WARNING: Do not add cold liquids to hot Pyrex dishes. Been there, had to clean up the glass explosion in my fish. Serve with rice pilaf.

That's it!

tiptoe

The only ones I planted were the fringed burgundy and yellow ones. The rest were here.

painting

...really does suck. I'm doing the half-bath, one of the ugliest rooms of the house. It was converted, or at least mucked-with, by the previous owners. The sink was hung by its plumbing, so it's now tilting, and there is so little clearance between the toilet and the rather large built-in storage cabinet that to use the toilet, one needs to sit diagonally. The molding is installed in a lopsided way, and the medicine cabinet has got to be the cheapest thing I've ever seen. Plus, it's freezing because there is no heat in the room. Sigh.

fortification fridays - thai gardener's salad

This salad is a delicious mix of herbs, thin rice noodles, ground chicken, and a slightly sour/slightly sweet dressing. It's not by any means traditional, but it takes its cues from the Thai salad called "larb" or "laap," a mix of ground meat, lemongrass, cilantro, mint and garlic, all bound by toasted ground rice powder. I see it as a celebration of gardening -- little sticks, bits of leaves, chunks of dirt. OK, maybe that's gross, but I like the image. You can usually buy most of the specialized ingredients (rice noodles, fresh lemongrass, fish sauce) at regular grocery stores these days, but you might have trouble finding galanga if you don't have an Asian market in your town. Substitute fresh ginger (not dried ginger) if you can't find it.

Thai Gardener's Salad

Serves: 4
Kitchen Needs: Stove burner

1 hank of dried rice noodles (they usually come in portion-sized chunks. You want a good handful)
1 lb. ground chicken, ground pork, or very thinly sliced beef
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, white part only, chopped finely
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 t. dried galanga powder (try penzeys.com for galanga powder) or 1 T. fresh galanga, grated (or 1 T. fresh ginger, grated)
some chili heat: 1 chopped jalapeno or 1 t. red pepper flakes, to taste
optional: ground peanuts or several large, beautiful cooked and peeled shrimp for garnish

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of boiling water while preparing the other ingredients. The noodles should soften considerably so they are "al dente." Use the thinnest ones you can find for this recipe. Brown the meat and garlic, and place in another bowl with dressing ingredients: fish sauce and sugar. Mix well. Add the rest of the herbs and spices, and correct seasoning if necessary.

The noodles should be ready when you are finished with the above. Using clean kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, carefully cut the noodles while in the bowl into bite-sized lengths, about 2 inches long. Drain noodles well, then add to salad. Mix and enjoy!

red bathroom regret

What I'm curious about is how many people out there regret painting their guest bathroom red? Anyone? Anyone?

We're painting again. We have a stubby, homely little half bath that needs some pizazz. Worse yet, I bought a roman shade off ebay that turned out not to match my curtains in the guest bedroom, so we're putting it in the half bath. It is OLIVE DRAB (not tan/brown, as indicated). So I'm thinking either green up the whole room, or do red and olive. The floors are black and white checked linoleum for now, and probably will be for at least another year. What to do, what to do.

Photo of Paula apple courtesy of the New York Apple Association.

fortification fridays - berry surprises

It's too early for berries, you exclaim. Why yes, indeed, it is. But the stores insist on selling those huge, sour, bright red things they call "California strawberries." Mine even say "Crown Jewels," referring, obviously, to the fact that they are as hard and inedible as a diamond. So I bring you two recipes for berries: one for right now, and one for later. The one for right now is perfect for the homeowner who's been out in the dirt. It celebrates spring, mud, and making the most of a subpar foundation. The one for later is for dreamers and planners: imagine yourself out on your new patio, your new garden in bloom, your new roof eliminating all the worries in the world, sipping a delicious cocktail full of summery goodness. You (will) deserve it. Without further ado, I bring you Spring Strawberry Mud Mask and Summer Blueberry Liqueur.

Strawberry Mud Mask

Without fail, I do this mask every spring, before the strawberries start to taste good. It really does feel nice, making your skin tingle and glow pinkly. Apparently, strawberries are full of not only Vitamin C, but salicyclic acid, which freshens the skin by removing dead cells.


Take three or four fresh berries, chop them, and then puree them in the food processor with about 2 tablespoons of a pre-prepared mud mask. I use the basic supermarket brand, but you could get fancy and make your own with rhassoul mud, yogurt, and/or honey. You just need something to bind the berries. Go for it. And let me know your recipe! You can also grind down the berries by hand, but it's important to completely smash them, or else you will have large berry bits on your face, to wit:

Spread mud mask on your face, chest, feet, wherever you need it, and leave on for 15-20 minutes. It will dry a bit, but not completely. I advise doing this before a shower, because you will get strawberries in your hair, no matter how hard you try. Wipe off mask with a clean, warm, washcloth, and rinse in kitchen sink.

Summer Blueberry Liqueur

You will need several months processing time to make and age this liqueur. Ideally, use blueberries you picked last summer and froze whole. If this isn't possible, use organic frozen blueberries.

2 cups frozen blueberries
1.5 cups vodka
zest from one organic lemon, in long strips (use vegetable peeler, making sure to get only yellow part)
.75 cups simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)


Don't worry about the simple syrup yet. Let blueberries thaw, mush them up well to release juices. You are using frozen berries because they are much juicier than fresh ones. In a quart jar with a tight-fitting, removable lid, add the blueberries, the vodka, and the lemon peel. Steep for at least one month, shaking gently every couple of days.

Now worry about the simple syrup. Boil two cups sugar to one cup water. Watch carefully once it starts boiling, because there will be a point where the liquid will suddenly go from cloudy to clear. When this happens, and the liquid is completely clear, you have succeeded in making simple syrup. Let cool, then use 3/4 cup for this recipe and the rest for your iced tea or lime rickeys. Can be stored in the refrigerator in a clean bottle.

Open the blueberry jar, and strain the liquid from the berries. Filter the liquid through a coffee filter fitted atop a large funnel, pressing down on the berries as much as you can to get out all the tasty berriness. Put berry residue in the freezer and use as alcoholic topping for ice cream or something (I haven't used mine yet). Place liquid in a clean quart jar, then add 3/4 cup syrup to liqueur, shake well, and age for another month or two in a dark place.

I have to say that this is the first time I've made this liqueur, so I'm not sure how it will turn out. It smells heavenly, though, and my plan is to serve blueberry gimlets (liqueur, soda water, and some lime) to celebrate the arrival of the 2007 blueberry crop. Many of the recipes online will tell you to add cloves or coriander -- I prefer a clean blueberry taste, but you might like something spicier.