Monday, March 09, 2009

Breadcrumbs, golf tees and airplanes

Welcome to Monday!

Make-Do-Mondays are hosted by Ann Kroeker. She says -- "It’s a place to celebrate creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. It’s a carnival where we encourage each other not to rush out and get the next new cool thing if something we have on hand can get the job done." Several others are jumping on the Make-Do carnival, so be sure to go see what everyone is doing this week!

This weekend I had several make-do moments. The first was breadcrumbs. I was totally out of them and my husband wanted to have breaded chicken cutlets for dinner. So instead of running next door to the grocery store, I grabbed a few slices of bread and toasted them a few times in the toaster to help dry them out. Then an hour later I put them into the mini chopper to get them into smaller bits. Then I toasted them in a pan to continue the drying process. This would have all been fine and would have worked if I had realized earlier in the day - but the crumbs were still too damp so I needed to make-do another way. (The breadcrumbs were perfect by morning though - so we now have a new stash of breadcrumbs)

Second Make-do was to use quick cooking oats. I whirled them around in the mini chopper a few moments and got a nice crumb out of the oats. That was a lot less work than trying to dry out break quickly lol and the breaded chicken cutlets turned out real nice.

On to Make-Do number three. I was going through boxes that hadn't been opened in a few years and found an envelope with a about 30 colored golf tees. My husband isn't a golfer, so this was not a normal find. We also don't have a place to keep golf tees, since he doesn't have a golf bag or anything. When my husband owned a Lake Amphibian the golf tees were used to put into the weep holes in the airplane when it was parked. This would seem silly except that mud wasps LOVE to build their nests in these tiny holes - so the golf tees plugged the holes and kept the wasps out.

I thought the tees were a pretty bit of color, so I grabbed an empty antique Barbasol jar and put the tees in there. Now I have a colorful accent for my kitchen window.

This is a Lake Amphibian airplane. They are a boat hulled airplane that can land in the water and also land on a runway. My husband has owned one or more of these airplanes since he was 26 years old. Unfortunately he is airplaneless at this time. We had to sell the the last amphibian just before his liver transplant surgery in 2005. I have flown in one of these a few times. I've landed in the water, too. It isn't my thing. :) but I've done it!

I hope you have a wonderful Make Do Monday and that you can find some beauty in some unusual find in your home. (Be sure and visit the MDM carnival to get other great ideas.)

Kristin

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I learned something new with your airplane and the need to plug holes up to keep wasps out!

But I love your make-do ideas--some color and some delicious solutions for your dinner. We've used cornflakes to make crumbs, but you have to have the cornflakes on hand. I never would have thought of oats, but that was a terrific last-minute solution!

country girl said...

I love your idea with the rolled oats. I'm going to have to try that next time. Probably pretty healthy too.

Sharinskishe said...

I love how you did your post!

I get to my computer and can not think of anything I made do with!! I do know that I made-do because I always do. It is so second nature to me that I never think of them as making do. heeee heeee..........

I am working on putting notes in my notebook and I hope this helps me remember.

I think the golf tees plugging wasp holes could be useful in many areas. I am going to keep my eyes open for opportunities to plug those holes and keep us wasp free!!!

Ohhhhhhhh......... noooooo...... I don't know if I have any golf tees, they'd be in a box somewhere.

I'll have to improvise with toothpicks, picks, skewers or something else!!!!

Thanks so much,

Sharinskishe

Anonymous said...

Whew! You are making me tired with your relentless innovation. But I bet the oat coating was a lot more heart-healthy than the bread crumbs!

Kristin - The Goat said...

The oat coating was quite oaty. It no longer tasted like we were eating chicken - but more like we had oats with a chicken flavor lol

I'd do it again, but I like the breadcrumbs better. My husband couldn't tell the difference too much. Maybe it was because I knew what I had done :)

Sharinskishe - OH, I have a terrible time coming up with Make-do's for my posts! I've skipped a few weeks because I couldn't think of anything. This week I wrote down my Make-dos on my calendar in the kitchen as they happened! It was a lot less stressful this morning :) I just went to my notes.

Lynn said...

You have some great make-do ideas here! I'm always thinking I'll whirl up those last couple pieces of bread in the blender and freeze them so I'll have breadcrumbs on hand when I need them, but I rarely remember to do it . . . Love the colorful golf tees in a jar, too! Nifty idea! I just posted about buying seafood -- it's a make-do idea because everything I've read says you can interchange different types of fish in different recipes, depending on whatever's cheapest at the grocery store. Happy Make-Do Monday!

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Cool post!
LOve the tees in the jar....but most of all, I love that plane!

Keetha Broyles said...

I've used rolled oats in meat loaves and meat balls many times.

Also - - - you can lay bread on a rack and place it in a warm oven (150 or so) and it will dry out pretty quickly - - - I think in an hour or so. I USED to do it all the time when I COOKED - - - but that was a LONG time ago.

"J" said...

Cool List of Make Do's!!!!
I would have never thought of the oats for crumbs!!! =)

I would have freaked in that airplane...I don't think I could do the water landing thing...oh heck no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!