Category: Kitchen

Heatproof a Pot with Sugru


Sugru is very soft, like a cross between Play-Doh and cookie dough. It comes in a range of colors, so you can mix them together if you like, or create interesting marbled effects.

First, I rolled some out and smooshed it over the lid handle… If I’d been thinking, I’d have pressed something flat over the whole thing once it was covered.

Then, I made some covers for the side handles. And then, I let the whole thing sit. It takes about 24 hours for the clay to fully cure. There are some fumes while you’re working with it, so use a well-ventilated area. But they dissipate pretty quickly and didn’t bother me at all during the dry time. OK, then it was time to put this bad-boy to the test… So I boiled some water. I let it boil for fifteen minutes or so, letting the pot get good and hot.

And you know what? Those Sugru-ed handles are now nice and heatproof! I can grab right onto them and they aren’t even warm.

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Fruit Butterfly

The picture at right taken from a teacher’s lesson plan book inspired an idea. Take a zip lock bag and loosely fill with cut-up fruit and grapes. Cinch the center with a black or green ribbon or chenille stem for a cute fruit butterfly for a lunch box.

Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

  • 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cooked and cubed (see tips for buying a rotisserie chicken below)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 (2 ounce) bottle hot sauce
  • 1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese salad dressing
  • 1 (16 inch) prepared pizza crust
  • 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread whole bottle of salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
  3. Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let set a few minutes before slicing, and serve.                via

 

Tips when buying a rotisserie chicken:

  • If there’s a choice, opt for plain instead of flavored. Although most of the flavoring is concentrated on the skin, which you’ll probably discard, it does inordinately perfume the meat and accumulated chicken juices (which you may want to use if the recipe calls for broth).
     
  • Look for a large, full-breasted chicken. It has more meat, of course, but it also has less waste and is less likely to dry out under a heat lamp or in a hot box. 
  • Pull the chicken from the bone as soon as you get home. It’s easier to separate while warm, it saves room in the fridge, and you can start your recipe without delay.
  • If you have time, dump the bones, skin and accumulated juices into a soup kettle, barely cover with water, and bring to a simmer. In 30 minutes, you’ll have a pot of stock that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. 
  • Use shredded chicken to top pizzas, flavor pasta and rice, toss in salads, or beef up soups. I especially like it for curry and enchiladas – dishes I might not have time to make from scratch.
  • At the checkout, double-bag the bird in plastic and keep it upright–a cardboard box is even better. It’s no fun cleaning chicken juice off car seats.     via