Clean the kitchen week

No, you won't find it on any calendar, but I'm declaring this as "Clean the kitchen week." Pretend your mother is visiting; or that you are moving to a new place and you don't want to take anything you won't use.

Monday: Refrigerator; toss the frosty frozen stuff; make vegetable soup from the tired left overs. The photo above is chicken broth, tomatoes left from summer (peeled), a quarter of a green pepper, some celery tops, chopped onion, and some left over brown rice. Consolidate or pitch. Wipe down the shelves. Clean the cabinet above (if you have one) and the floor below. Don't forget to vacuum the dust.

Tuesday: Gunky, sticky stuff--Stove top, oven and microwave.

Wednesday: Hard to reach stuff--get out a step stool. Shelves in cabinets, both wall and base; pantry if you have one; bookshelves if you have one in the kithen. Look at past due dates on staples; resort your can goods so you know what you have; toss discolored or old food items.

Thursday: Hidden away stuff--Drawers, including that junk drawer where you toss everything you don't know what to do with.

Friday: Shiny stuff--Counter tops, sink, faucets, pictures and mirrors (if you have them) floor.

Saturday: If you're employed, I guess you have to do Monday-Friday all in one day. Otherwise, take the day off.

Coffee Frappe

I don't care for cold coffee, and rarely make coffee at home, but this one I might try. It's from my new Desperate Housewives Cookbook, p. 200.

If you have left over coffee, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer the frozen cubes to a sealable bag and keep in the freezer.

3 coffee ice cubes
1/2 cup milk (or soy milk or skim milk)
1/4 cup reduced-fat evaporated milk
1 packet artificial sweetener or 1 tablespoon superfine sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and run at high speed until smooth. Pour into a tall chilled glass.

The story in the book is that Lynette seems to have a caffeine addiction.

A fun cookbook--Desperate Housewives

Yesterday at Marc's I found this cookbook for $2.00. I glanced through it wondering why in the world I needed yet another cookbook I probably wouldn't use, and then saw two pudding recipes! That's all it took.

I think I've only seen this show once, but I think I got a hint of the story line by following the different chapters with the characters and their recipes in this 2007 title.

Bree: Basil Purée Soup, Braised Duck, and Chicken Cutlets Saltimbocca. Lynette: French Toast for Breakfast (or Dinner) with Blueberry Syrup; Warm Turkey, Muenster, and Coleslaw Wraps; and Potato Casserole. Susan: a Salad of Roasted Peppers, Fresh Mozzarella, and Arugula; Foolproof Macaroni and Cheese; Chocolate Butterscotch Bars; and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Gabrielle: Shrimp with Chorizo and Red Pepper, Guacamole with Warm Chips, and Pineapple-Peach Smoothies. Edie: Oysters Poached in Champagne and Cream, Sausage Puttanesca, and Ambrosia.

Then there's also recipes by the neighbors like Mike, Felicia and Mrs. Huber. The formatting is elegant, the text delightful, and the recipes look devine. The recipes are by Christopher Styler and the text by Scott S. Tobis. The final section tells how food is presented on TV by April Falzone Garen, a food stylist, and Melody Miller-Melton, the property master. And for the character (Susan) who is a bad cook, they actually have to simulate poorly prepared or burned food!

For those of you who live in towns that don't have a Marc's, well, too bad. It's such a fun store.

Beyond tacky

"Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones are offering Internet viewers the lurid details of encounters they claim they had with former President Clinton _ for $1.99 a pop." My news page.