Don't Scratch Your Non-Stick Pots & Pans!!!

    If you've ever spent your hard-earned dollars on non-stick pans, you know how easy it is to scratch one. Once scratched, they become trash. It isn't safe to continue to use them -- especially Teflon-coated pots and pans. Ingesting the coating can be really bad for you. I've ruined a few in my day. I know you can go to a big box store and buy a whole set of cheap pans for $20.00, but for well-made heavy ones it's really sad to see them go in the trash -- and I use them a lot, especially for my "One Pan" meals. So, how do you scrape out a nasty mess from the bottom of the pan? Easy...get a tough little silicone scraper.

I used to use a wooden spatula or a plain plastic one when I needed to scrape out some gunk at the bottom of a pan. The wooden ones work pretty well, but don't have quite a sharp enough edge to really get underneath anything left on the bottom. The plastic ones do have an edge, but you can't really use them on hot pots. Just off the stove is the best time to remove leftover food bits. Try that with a plastic spatula and you have a black (usually, unless you have another color!) gooey mess to deal with. I've left melted black lines on my skillets with the cheaper plastic spatulas...nasty. When they cool off, it's really tough to get them off.

You can already buy silicone bowl scrapers. They've been around a long time and work great when you are attempting to get every last bit out of your bowl. I use it all the time when making my "Mock Almost-Mousse" dessert. It's good till the last...umm...drop or, more accurately, bit. But they are way too soft to use to scrape at food residue, especially baked-on or cooked-on pieces. Now you can buy ones that are cleverly designed with a plastic support for the heavy silicone blade. Simply put, they work. I have scraped off overcooked egg chunks and brittle, cooked-on cheese bits with ease. All done in a still-hot skillet, without any damage to the non-stick coating.

I cook often in my RV, on the road, so anything that makes cleaning easier is always going to be tops in my book. Add to that fact it's small and easy to store and you have an RV utensil drawer keeper. They come in various colors and styles, but I liked this one. Small enough to store easily in a small space and large enough to scrape a lot of stuff in a short period of time.

Of course, with my new non-stick CERAMIC frying pan, I may not even need one. But for my Teflon coated pots...it's a MUST!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

FOUND IT! - Powered Whisk That Requires NO Power! (With Recipes!)

    A while ago, I wrote an article about a miraculous powered frother I'd found. I was hopeful that it would be able to make fresh whipped cream. It did...well, sort of. It really works amazingly to froth my favorite coffee beverages, but as a cream whipper, well, not so much. It was a bit of a bummer, but I have been using it daily to put a beautiful froth on my coffee and other beverages both hot, cold and "adult." I was still on the lookout for a powered whisk that would make whipped cream and NOT use too much power. I believe I've found one! With some reservations.

At home, in my sticks and bricks house, I have a really nice stick/immersion blender that has a whisk attachment. It makes short work of turning heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla into perfect fresh whipped cream. I wanted to be able to do that on the road as well. While shopping around a local liquidator shop, I spotted one of those "as seen on TV" sections. Sitting on the shelf was a "powered" whisk that said, right on the box, that it would make whipped cream. There was even a picture! Normally I don't go for this stuff. Especially if I hadn't even seen the infomercial. But at $2 for TWO of them, why not give it a whirl?

See It's On The Box!

I admit, after seeing the picture of lovely whipped cream on the box, and looking at the handle shape of the devices, it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't take batteries. I mean there was no indication of a electrical cord or plug....Hmmm. Well, as soon as I opened the box it became obvious. They aren't powered by electricity at all. You use good, old fashioned, muscle power. First, let me tell you it does work, It makes whipped cream just like it shows on the box. How? Well you put the ingredients in the bowl, place the whisk at the bottom, and push. Then release. Then push again. faster and faster. As the handle travels up and down, the end of the whisk spins at a fairly brisk clip. Mixing lots of air into the mix and creating whipped cream.

MMMMMmmmm...Mousse!

Now the down side. It's work. Not a huge amount of work, mind you. But work nonetheless. It's great that you don't need any type of electrical power. But you do lose a bit of convenience. I'm still going to bring it on the road with me to see if I can generate the gumption to actually USE the thing. Now, I do have a significant incentive. There's this very basic dessert, kind of like a Mousse that you can make from the basic whipped cream recipe. Get yourself some Dark Chocolate (or Milk Chocolate if you wish) cocoa powder. NOT sweetened!! Mix in about 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder per pint of heavy cream. Whip the mixture until you get thick, heavy chocolate-y goodness. You can chill it in the fridge for a while to get it more solid, but it's not really necessary, especially if you want it NOW! Add some of your home made whipped cream on top (Again, heavy cream, vanilla and sugar) and enjoy.

Sometimes the simplest things make us happy. Now, even with no power at all, I will have the ability to make one of my favorite non-guilty dessert pleasures. Try it....you'll like it!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com

Even The Simple Things - A Better Self Closing Mesh Screen Soft Door

NOT Current. It's Still Covered In SNOW!

    A few years ago, when I first bought my RV, I was very surprised it didn't come equipped with a screen door. Most RV's I had been looking at had the typical dual door setup. The main exterior door and an inner framed screen door. Well, mine didn't. I really wanted one. It's great to be able to leave the main door open and have some cross ventilation and not be completely closed in. Especially when cooking inside with friends outside. Yes, I know, I have a kitchen/galley window that opens...but it's just not the same. Back then , I found a mesh screen door that rolled/folded up into a tiny package and was easy to velcro to the carpet that's on the walls all around my door (and on the ceiling.) It worked OK, but I had to re-velcro it each time I went in or out. Not all that bad, but with plates of food in each hand...it could be a problem. Then I stumbled upon a new kind of soft mesh door. With Magnets! Read on.

This essentially attached the same way the one I had before did. It used velcro to secure the edges around the outside of the door opening, but was split in the middle with strong magnets placed every 12 inches or so on each side. The idea was you pushed through the magnets to exit and they would re-close the screen after you passed through. Sure you lose a tiny bit of see through visibility since it has a seam in the middle, but it appeared to be a MUCH more convenient closing method. Or is it? Seems like it could be a much better solution.

The real question is, "When installed in the RV door frame, will it actually close completely and tightly keeping insects and debris out?"

Excellent question! (If I do say so myself!) I can only answer....I don't know. I tested the opening and closing on the floor and in a house sized inside doorway. They do work. The magnets are strong and do pull the two sides of the screen together. Sometimes it's a little bit off kilter. As soon as I can open my RV door, I will be testing it there. I am truly hoping this works well. The one I have now often leaves large gaps on the sides as you go in and out.

Yet another project I'd really like to do NOW, that is slowed down by the pace of the weather. I am beginning to sound like a broken record....there are so many RV items by the door, they're beginning to block access! I know, think positive thoughts we are almost to the Spring...wait...according to my calendar it IS Spring. What a rip-off.....there's still snow on the ground.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"

www.thewanderman.com