Today I have been going through a plastic box containing odds and ends of spices. You know the sort of thing – the ones you used once for a specific recipe, or the ones you bought because you forgot that you already had some in the plastic box of spices you hardly ever think about. That’s why I have two lots of juniper berries and a jar of star anise.
I’m now in a quandary. Do I use them, even though they may have lost their flavour, to spice up a stew, or do I just cut my losses and throw them out? What I have done in the past is to find a recipe that uses some of them and then buy extra spices because the recipe needs them. At least I have learned to avoid that trap. That’s why recipes demanding nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger end up with mixed spice and black pepper. It’s not, I admit, the same, but it’s an attempt.
Squirrel in MENCAP gardens, Wilford
The good news is that I now have a number of useful jars to put things in. Unfortunately I lack a selection of things to put in jars. Given time, I’m sure I can find some.
This is, of course, a well-known marketing trick. Mr Colman, of Colman’s Mustard used to say that he made his money from the mustard that people left on the side of their plate.
While I was washing up I was able to see a number of birds on the feeder, though a lot of time was taken up with the Big Squirrel. He struts round like he owns the place, but I have plans for him. Some of them involve the mixture of spices I have found in the bottom of the various jars I mentioned above. They may not be strong enough, or reliable enough, for cookery, but I’m sure they are still pungent enough to disturb an animal with an acute sense of smell.
Squirrel in MENCAP gardens, Wilford
What a good use for the spent spices. When Jackie took over the cooking she chucked out all the various vinegars bought for rarely used individual recipes – and the recipe books
Yes, vinegars . . .
Another area where I employ the principle of casual interchageability. If it’s OK on chips it’s OK anywhere else.
I went through a phase of buying recipe books from charity shops. Average price £3. Average number of recipes used from the book – 1. Beautiful books, great photos, a mix of wisdom and anecdote – always a pleasure to read but not needed for curry, stew and soup – my default settings in the kitchen.
I look forward to hearing about the results of your discouraging a squirrel scheme.
I’m fairly sure it will follow the normal path of me being outwitted by the tree rat, but there’s always a chance I might win this time.
A very faint chance if I believe what I hear from other squirrel hosts.
🙂 I think that sums it up. However, I am applying my thoughts to solutions.
I try to use up spices but I gotten tougher at buying things I might not use again
I now substitute what I have if I don’t have the right spice and avoid anything needing unusual ingredients. Life may be less interesting, but the guilt is also lessened. 🙂
I’m the same way. I also bought a seasoning blend recently. It was cheaper than buying the individual ingredients that I’ll rarely use individually and when my husband cooks he’ll totally pick up and use the blend
Men are simple souls. If we can shake one thing into a recipe instead of measuring three, we will do it. 🙂
That’s my husband perfectly
And me! 🙂
I love squirrels, but also realize they can do a lot of damage, too, and not just bird feeders.
A bit of squirrel trivia you may not know, Wendy O of the punk group Plasmatics was a was a wildlife rehabilitationist and loved squirrels. She was known as they squirrel lady of Storrs, Connecticut.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_O._Williams
A musician I know turned a squirrel over to her for rehab a long time ago. Another musician I know wrote a song about her, the other side of Wendy O no one knew.
After reading that I’m amazed I have never heard of her. To say she had an interesting life would be one of the biggest understatements I have ever written.
The tribute song is “Wendy O” by Donna Martin, on her “Ghost” CD. I remember one of the lines “Who leaps like fire can fall like rain”.
I had a problem like that. I got an empty spices jar and wrote ‘IT’LL Do” on it and put all the herbs and spices that were almost empty and now when I make a simple stew or such like I just throw in a bit from that jar and say ITLLDO.
Sounds like a good plan. 🙂