So, what did I get from Santa this year?
What IS that big blue box, Santa??
Oh My Goodness! It's the SoyaPower Plus Soy Milk (or any bean milk, grain milk or nut milk) Maker!
Looks like I got me Jan Plan Project#1: Home Made Soy (and Almond and Oat!) Milk!
But, wait! What did Santa Dad get me for Christmas?
A ton of his time and effort, that's what! Sheesh! What the hell? It took about forever to disassemble my little refrigerator, and it took both my dad and me to figure it out. Look at all those holes in the back of it, hardware was screwed into every one of them, I ended up with a HUGE bag of stuff, the fans, main board, on and on, all the electrical bits and pieces of a small refrigerator were really something to behold! We were going to wire up a baseboard thermostat to the existing wiring as the thermostat for my desired project, but it just got too complicated, so we ended up getting a plug in thermostat instead. Anyway, we did this all to turn my now empty and unobstructed mini fridge into...drum roll please...a TEMPEH INCUBATOR! Huzzah!
Jan Plan Project #2: I'm going to MAKE MY OWN TEMPEH. Oh, yes.
Once I get me some tempeh spores, I'll be in business. (You actually have to write to this company to order them, how quaint!) It pains me to add tempeh to my grocery list at this point, but I'll only have to be buying it from the store for just a little while longer...
And, the pièce de résistance, a Griswold #10 Cast Iron Fry Pan given to me by my Mom B. The pan is from my husband's great grandmother! Oh, momma!!
Here is the original Griswold marking on the back of the pan. Below it, you can just make out the mark, "Erie," which, along with the Griswold "cross" design, indicates the pan was manufactured between 1906 and 1912, which makes perfect sense given that it was my husband's great grandmother's pan, reportedly used for making some kind of delicious, old-fashioned maple candy...mmmmmm!
Jan Plan Project #3: Recondition heirloom cast iron pan. Oh joy!! So excited. I have never done a reconditioning project with cast iron, since I use modern, Lodge cast iron, pictured here (and in many of my on-the-stove shots all throughout my blog! It gets a lot of use):
You can see the subtle differences in the styling between the modern Lodge pan here and the heirloom Griswold pan above. I really, really want to get that Griswold up and running on my stove top! I think The Pan Man can help me!
Oh, and of course, some of you may be familiar with my last post which involves...
Jan Plan Project #4: Grow a disgusting pet for my son (T. longicaudatis, aka, "Triops"). I already have three hatchlings this time around, and no, I don't plan to cook them, though some people want to! Check out the "fan mail" on the Triops site, scroll about 14 Fan Letters down, it's the one in the large font. Exotic, indeed! They probably taste like shrimp, lady, but don't do it! ;-)
I have to plan my garden, too, Jan Plan #5: Gardening Stuff. More to come on that one. In the meantime, start seed shopping!
What do you all have planned for the winter months??
The Jan Plan...awesome. :) That's really sweet about the DIY tempeh incubator - tempeh is frakkin' expensive! But it would be hella cheap to make, since soybeans cost practically nothing. This winter, my band is recording an album (starting tomorrow!) and Logan and I are moving, so that's about as much busy as I can handle for the next month. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, congrats on your album and the move, Allysia! Those are BIG items for the winter, for sure.
ReplyDeleteYeah, tempeh is RIDICULOUSLY expensive for what it is. Can't wait to make a ton of it cheap!
XOXO
Oh, and don't worry, I'm not crazy, I do not plan to do all of this in January!
ReplyDelete"The Jan Plan" is an outline for projects for the whole winter and more likely, the whole year!
Oh I am jealous of that beautiful cast iron skillet! Think of how many meals have been made in it! Think of all the hands that have lovingly held that handle! Hey, I tried your Oatmeal Bake and I loved it!
ReplyDeleteTracy, I know, I am so lucky to have that pan! It's amazing to think about all the hands and meals (though it was probably in my husband's family for its whole life, I think, if his great grandmother got it new, which if the dates are right, she probably did). I adore heirloom anything, and as a therapist, I am always thinking of the relationships between and betwixt people and their things :-)
DeleteSO psyched you tried the Oatmeal Bake! I ate the whole thing almost by myself because it was so good and now I want to make another one asap.
But, I'll probably have to make a few dinners first (I am always tempted to eat breakfast things or treats for dinner :-)
XOXO
Soymilk maker and a tempeh incubator? You are in the money!
ReplyDeleteThe cast iron skillet is gorgeous, really. I hope it isn't too heavy!
Totally scored this year, as I did last year! It's funny because everything I got last year I have used so much I didn't remember it was all only a year old! http://veganfazool.blogspot.com/2011/01/elementary-school-essay-anyone.html
DeleteThe funny thing is that the old Griswold #10 is relatively light, my Lodge is much heavier. I'm going to be on the lookout for more Griswold pieces if I can successfully recondition this one!