It's like Christmas all over again!

[spacealien_vamp]

I added a bunch of new friends over the past couple days. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to everyone.

Today I worked a little more on my yukata page, adding a section with more details on how to alter the basic pattern to make a man's yukata.

I would also like to mention that the extra basket on my bike makes it *loads* easier to carry my groceries back from the store. I don't have to dangle the bags precariously from my handlebars anymore.

Today I succumbed to temptation and bought a food mill. I want to make some things like curry paste that simply don't work in my blender. They cling to the sides and refuse to mix. So I thought maybe a mill would work better. As soon as I brought it home, I decided to make some walnut/strawberry cupcakes to take into work tomorrow. The recipe called for chopped walnuts, so I thought I'd try the mill out. I poured in the walnut halves.

It made walnut butter in three seconds flat. That is one powerful machine. Ah, how I love my appliances.

Tomorrow is my first day of work after winter break. I don't have any classes though. After tomorrow there's a three-day weekend, and classes actually start next Tuesday.

Comments

Memories of ketchup making?

[megory.livejournal.com]

Food mill...Is this anything like the one we used to make tomato sauce and ketchup with--only electric? Is it more like the Champion juicer that we used to use to make frozen banana custards?

The ones we have worked very well, but took a while to assemble, disassemble and clean.

I'm glad you love it; I can hardly wait to hear about all the great things you make with it.

Re: Memories of ketchup making?

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

It's not at all like either of those. It looks like a miniature blender. The difference is that the blade screws on the *top* instead of the bottom of the cup you put the food into, then you flip it upside down to screw it onto the base. The blade looks like a blender blade with the difference that one part of it scrapes along the bottom to make sure it gets every last piece.

It's particularly designed for turning green tea leaves into powder, making health drinks, or blending dips/sauces. I saw a different brand of mill advertising that you can make instant soup stock with it by sticking in dried shiitake and kombu and powdering it. (Of course, a Japanese person would add dried fish, too.)

The odd thing about it is that there is no "start" button. It's like a popcorn maker--when you plug it in, it's automatically on. You set the cup/blade into the socket, and as soon as you twist it into place it starts up. You have to twist it back to make it stop.

Re: Memories of ketchup making?

[megory.livejournal.com]

It sounds great. I'll bet it would make great popcorn salt, too. We usually make it in the blender with regular salt, but this sounds as though it might be better for it.

Re: Memories of ketchup making?

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

That's one of the things I want to try. I have to get another salt shaker first, though.