Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Tuesday's Tip ~ How to care for a wood cutting board

 Hey y'all!  I haven't given you a tip in a while and I thought this would be a great one to share.

~How to care for a wood cutting board~

Everyone has their own opinion and method when it comes to cleaning, especially in the kitchen.  This is my version on how I clean and condition my wood cutting board.

As you can see in this picture, the wood is very dry.  You really don't want a dry board.  Why? Because it will begin to crack.  Cracks are areas where food can get in and create bacteria.  YUCK!



After each use, I clean my board.  You can see how I have the board leaning on the side of the sink.  I don't want my board soaking in water because wood is very porous.  I'm using hot water and dish detergent. Never put your board in the dishwasher.      



 Rinse your board thoroughly with hot water.  Again, not soaking in water.



Allow your board to dry upright for several hours.  I normally just leave mine out overnight. 


This last step is something I only do once per month (or more if the board looks dry).

This is where opinions will differ.  I use vegetable oil or canola, which ever I have on hand.   Some will say that using those types of oils will leave a rancid smell on your board or even 'gum up'.  I have had this cutting board for over 3 years, and I've never had that problem.  Never use olive oil or an oil that has a taste or smell.  This will get into your food that you are cutting.


 

 I start with a small amount of oil on my board.  Probably 1/4 of a cup, depending on the size of your board.  You can always go back and add more, but you can't take it away once it's there.



You can use a dry cloth or a paper towel to rub over the board.  Once this is complete, let the board sit for a while before adding more oil (if necessary).



Following these steps, you will be able to keep your board for years.

Monday, January 06, 2014

December recap

Hey y'all! Holy Moly!  

Where did December go?  I'm not sure we stopped to 'smell the roses', let alone, enjoy Christmas!

I will try to recap our entire month in this one post. 

Let's see.  Nina and Papa came to visit for our annual trip to see the Christmas lights.  We rode the train, saw the lights, visited Santa, and of course loaded up on candy!



 







Mason was sick, and out of school one week out of December.  We watched movies, and as you can see, he lined up his cars.  

I did a lot of online shopping! 






We made lots of homemade goodies!  This dish below....  OH MY GOODNESS!!  Apple dumplings. A dish full of heaven.  

Here is the recipe!

 
We also made our white chocolate party mix.  AKA Christmas Crack!  HA!


 Someone couldn't wait!  Yes, it's that good!






We wrapped gifts.  Mason loves to help with the tape!  This pretty green chevron paper came from Hobby Lobby.  I love it!  I wanted to do more with ribbon this year, but just didn't have time to fit in everything.  



 Take a look at this pretty little bag.  I sold several of these for Christmas and purchased a few myself.  It's a perfect bottle thermal and Thirty-One now has 4 styles available.

You can check them out here.






The weekend before Christmas, we went to a wedding in Elkin.  Let me tell you...  this hotel went all out with Christmas decorations.  I think we all walked around taking pictures for at least an hour before we even went to our room.  There were over 70 Christmas trees in the hotel.  They were all beautiful!





 
Mason had a great time at the wedding.  His best bud, Papa, was there and he got to dance with the 'princess' (bride).  



 What a cute cake!  Someone did a fabulous job!






Look at Kevin and his brother, Jeff!  Good grief!  They look so much alike and even wore the same color shirt.  

By the way, doesn't Ali look thrilled!  HA!  I think she was exhausted! And she was ready to get out of that dress!  HA!


Looks like I'll continue to the next post to update about our Christmas!