Reclaiming Wrinkled Ribbon for Use Again and Other Stuff

I finished the bulk of December's grocery shopping on Thursday, with a stop at Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice. I bought everything that was priced on my list from earlier this week, adding 4 additional quarts of almond milk that were near expiry, so marked down to 50 cents each. There were actually several quarts marked down, but I figured 4 would be plenty for me. I poured off a bit from each carton into my current container, then froze the remaining in the cartons. I estimate that I now have enough non-dairy milk for my own use to last into March. 

For the month of December, I have spent $120.07 on food. I'll still need a ham, more oranges, and maybe another bag of tangerines.

I didn't take photos of our meals this past week. I was just plain old tired for several days. But I can tell you that we had lots of turkey, the accompanying leftovers, a large pot of vegetarian chili, a vegetarian pasta salad with eggs on the side, a pizza brought in by one daughter (Little Caesars), and a fried rice dish with garden kale (yep, still using fresh kale from the garden) and tofu.

Another tip, this time one that is useful for decorating and gift-wrapping -- using your iron to make used ribbon look presentable. 

Yes, you can iron some types of ribbon. There's the satin ribbon that is sold in fabric and craft stores that seems obviously iron-able. But also, there's a type of ribbon made from acetate. This ribbon is like a very stiff fabric made from plastic-like threads. It is woven and frays along the cut edge. (Diagonal cuts help considerably.) However, the side edges have been heat-fused to prevent fraying. 

Acetate ribbon is what many florists use because it s so easy to work with, holds beautiful, large loops in bows, and is water-resistant. Craft stores sell this kind of ribbon in rolls to use in crafting and gift-wrapping. It's often cheaper than wire-edge ribbon, so it's been a favorite for holiday decorating for me.

I needed 5 short lengths of red and green plaid ribbon for the light fixture that hangs over the kitchen table. The only plaid ribbon that I could find in my stash was previously used for what looks like a variety of purposes (1 large puffy bow and several odd lengths of crumpled ribbon). All of it was squashed at the bottom of a trunk of Christmas decorations.

I knew from previous experience that this ribbon would iron up nicely. I used the setting on my iron that was mid-way between nylon and polyester, so not too hot. 

Within just a few minutes, I had a nice selection of flat ribbon with which to work, tying nice bows onto the arms of our light fixture.

The other kind of ribbon with which most of us are familiar is that truly plastic, inexpensive ribbon that is also the stuff from which stick-on bows are often made. This type of ribbon melts unevenly when ironed, leaving ripples up and down its length. However, I've had some luck with flattening this ribbon using a pair of scissors in a similar way as curling ribbon. I pull the ribbon across one blade on the scissors, then flip the ribbon over and pull it across the blade again. Doing this curls the ribbon, then uncurls it, leaving it at least somewhat smoother for use on a new package.

My week has been filled with clean up from Thanksgiving, Christmas preparations, and grocery shopping. This is a busy time of year, for sure. What's been on your calendar this past week? Are you in the midst of holiday preparations, or is that for next week and beyond?

Wishing you all a lovely December weekend!!

Rehydrating Dried-Out Fruitcake Fruit

I've been trying to do just a little bit of holiday work every day. When I'm upstairs, I grab a handful of Christmas decorations from the holiday trunk and bring them downstairs to put out. Today, I baked a couple of loaves of almond and fruit bread for Christmas morning, which I'll store in the freezer until the 25th.

dried out fruitcake fruit

I didn't buy fruitcake fruit this year or last, but have continued to use up some that I bought 3 Christmas's ago. If refrigerated, fruitcake fruit doesn't spoil. And since it's so heavily candied, it also doesn't develop mold. The only evidence of its aging is that it gets dried out. That syrupy coating dries to crystals, and the fruit itself becomes tough and a bit leathery.

after 30 minutes

To fix my fruitcake fruit, I rehydrated the portion that I needed for my recipe in a bowl, with a tablespoon of boiling water added, and covered for an hour. I stirred the fruit from time to time, to make sure all of it came in contact with the water. 

left: dried out, right: rehydrated 1 hour

After about an hour, the fruit was mostly rehydrated, at least enough for baking purposes. The fruit soaked up the liquid, leaving just a trace of moisture at the bottom of the bowl.

This works with rock-hard raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit that is no longer palatable due to their texture -- tooth-breakers I call 'em. For about 1/2 to 1 cup of dried fruit, steam with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of boiling water, covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. This should bring the fruit back to a "normal" dried fruit texture, useful for baking.