Organizing The Spices

We've been looking to improve the organization of our spices.  Most of the time, we're pulling jars and cans out until we can finally spot the one we want.  Gourmet Chef Elaine bought a 5-piece Seville Classics Acacia Storage Bin Set during a recent trip to Costco, and we're using the three 6" (wide) by 11.25" (deep) by 3" (tall) you see in the top picture below.  The one on the left has the tallest jars, the one in the middle has the half-size jars (with their labels facing up!), and the one on the right has the medium-sized jars.  In the final picture, the tallest box is on the left, and the medium box sits on top of the half-sized box.  We'll see how we like it, but early indications are that we'll love it.

https://www.costco.com/p/-/seville-classics-acacia-storage-bin-set-5-piece/4000415316

Easter Jumping Popper Toys

It's not too late to order a set of the twenty-four Easter Jumping Popper Toys you see below in time to put a few in every Easter basket.  The eggs, bunnies, and bears are as cute as can be, and you just press the head down to the bottom, then wait 3-10 seconds (or a bit more), and it will jump up to 12" - 20" high.  There are eight designs, and you get three of each one, all for $14.  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN917PN3

A Time That Does Not Exist

If you ask me to meet you on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:30 am, I would have to tell you that time does not exist.  Ask me to meet you on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 1:30 am, I would have to ask you, "Which one?'  Of course, I'm talking about the effect of starting and ending Daylight Saving Time.  But time itself doesn't leap forward or fall back; it's just the way we humans want to label time.  Because of that and a few other factors, like the Earth's rotation continuing to slow down, keeping track of time is difficult, particularly for computers, where it's really important.

For those non-techies, you can stop reading now.

The programming language of the Internet is JavaScript, and it was modeled on Java.  Java had a flawed "Date" function, and in the haste to get JavaScript completed, those flaws got included.  That's been (finally) fixed with the introduction of a new JavaScript time function called Temporal, which provides a more reliable and feature-rich way to handle dates and times compared to the legacy Date object. It includes support for time zones, calendars, and immutable date-time representations, making date management simpler and less error-prone.  More details can be found at the following link.

https://dev.to/pritampatil/introducing-the-temporal-object-a-game-changer-for-javascript-date-handling-3n1b

Using AI To Colorize Photos

The first picture below is an original photo of Gourmet Chef Elaine (with the ribbon in her hair) and her siblings.  I asked the Google Gemini chatbot to colorize the photo, and you see that in the second picture.  

Along with the picture, Gemini responded, "I have colorized and enhanced your photo, focusing on bringing natural skin tones and fabric colors to life. I also restored the details and texture to the clothing, such as the boy's plaid blazer and the various ties, and removed the gold studio signature for a cleaner finish."

Gemini made up all the colors, including Elaine's red hair (which it's not), and it's nowhere near what they actually wore, but it's kinda cool to see what it could have looked like.

https://gemini.google.com

Pepperoni Roll

We went to Jimmy's Italian Kitchen on our once-a-month, eat-lunch-out dates.  I had the yummy Pepperoni Roll, which you see below, one of six New York Rolls on the menu.  They have quite the menu, including pizza, salad, calzone, ravioli, ziti, lasagna, and luxurious desserts.  You can check out the menu at the link below.

https://jimmysitaliancuisine.com

Flavortown Sauces

We watch Guy Fieri (pronounced guy fee-ED-ee) 's competition cooking shows all the time, and when he began marketing sauces, rubs, and wing sauces, we had to give them a try.  The Smokin' Hickory BBQ sauce, on the left below, is great and rivals the best ones on the market.  The other one is his unique Donkey Sauce, featuring a combination of lots of garlic, EV olive oil, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.  You'll notice the top of the lid is different than other bottles, and it's a great feature that allows you to open the top using one hand.  Pretty clever!

https://www.flavortownsauces.com

Cat Houses

It looks like a high-density feline metropolis has sprouted right in front of the picture window.

I often wonder what people are thinking, and that certainly applies to the front porch you see below, which, unfortunately, is at the west end of the street we live on.  Is the purpose of all the cat houses and platforms to provide a home for stray cats, or perhaps they think this is decorating at its finest?  At the top, you'll see their Christmas lights are still strung, and the sign to the right of the picture window says "Home Sweet Haunted Home."  Sigh...

Cordless Electric Scissors

It wasn't until the electric scissors you see below went on sale for about $25 that I decided to buy.  While you can use it to cut wrapping paper, fabric, and many other things, there are two things that I'll use it for the most.  First, cardboard boxes.  I recently used a carpet knife to cut down the boxes our new nightstands came in.  Pulling that razor blade towards me over and over to make small enough pieces to fit into the recycle can was both dangerous and exhausting.  Second, plastic clamshell packaging.  Our heavy-duty kitchen scissors can barely cut the stuff, and ripping it apart leads to enough injuries that OSHA releases an annual clamshell packaging injury report.  I haven't tested cutting really heavy-duty plastic yet, but I believe it should work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GD7MF41Z

Using AI To Diagram A Sentence

There seems to be no end to what Chatbots can do, and this example might take you back to the horror (or happiness) of grade-school English class.  Diagramming teaches the logic of language.  It forces you to categorize every word and sharpens your ability to write with more clarity and precision.  I asked a few chatbots to "Diagram the first sentence of the Gettysburg Address," and ChatGPT gave the nicest result, shown below.  I didn't know English could be this complex.

https://chatgpt.com

How the structure works

Main clause

• Subject: our fathers

• Verb: brought forth

• Direct object: a new nation

Verb modifiers

• Four score and seven years ago (time)

• on this continent (place)

Modifiers of “nation”

• conceived in Liberty (participial phrase)

• dedicated to the proposition… (participial phrase)

Object of “to”

• proposition

Clause modifying “proposition”

• that all men are created equal

Beef Barley Soup With Prime Rib

Put leftover prime rib to a delicious use by making a big pot of Beef Barley soup.  Butter, celery, carrots, garlic, and onion are cooked until almost brown.  Add beef broth, prime rib, apple cider vinegar, ground thyme, and barley, and cook over medium heat until the barley is tender.  The recipe at the link below also calls for "broth", but only beef broth was used.

It's more of a cold winter day meal, but it's so good I would never turn a bowl down.  Gourmet Chef Elaine hits another one out of the park.  Lucky me.

https://www.delishscript.com/beef-barley-soup-with-prime-rib-recipe

MyChart End-of-Life Planning

As I blogged a few weeks ago, we updated our end-of-planning documents.  Our lawyer's recommendation was to make a copy for our family doctors so they could scan it into their system.  But I found that the MyChart app, part of the Epic system that all our local health providers use, allows you upload documents in their "End-of-Life Planning" section, including our Living Wills and Health Care Power of Attorney.  We now have access to those documents via our smartphone's MyChart app if they are ever needed.  I think this is a good idea for everyone.  If you have a MyChart account, you can use the following link to find the right section.

https://www.mychart.org/Features

Jar Lifter

The worst part of canning is lifting the jars out of the pot of boiling water.  I've used a variety of methods, including, most recently, a pair of channel lock pliers.  That scared the geebers out of my friend who was watching, and I didn't think much of it either.  The easy-to-grip handles are designed for minimal force and maximum jar security, and its springed hinge pops open for effortless jar placement and removal.

A big shout-out to Dan and Kim for this perfect gift!

https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Secure-Grip-Jar-Lifter/dp/B0107Z5B4C

Weather Apps

I've used The Weather Channel app for many years, and it always had pop-up advertisements, but recently those have become more frequent, full-screen, non-closable videos that roll on up to thirty seconds.  It was time to look for a new app, and for my Pixel 7 phone, I found that Google has its own app, with zero ads.  For our iPads, I found Apple has its own app, again with no ads, and that's what you see in the image below.  To top that, Apple includes that app as part of my Mac.  While I find The Weather Channel to be a notch better, those ads were driving me crazy.

The link to the Apple Weather app for iPhones and iPads is at the link below.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/weather/id1069513131

Mandolin Glove

I watch a fair number of cooking shows, and it drives me crazy to watch a chef use an uber-dangerous mandolin barehanded.  Not us.  We use the NoCry Cut-Resistant Glove, which you see in the picture below, for vegetables too small to use the guard that came with the mandolin.  I use this when I slice jalapeno peppers for Cowboy Candy, and it has saved my index finger a time or two.  A link to the glove is provided below.

https://www.amazon.com/NoCry-Cut-Resistant-Gloves-Performance/dp/B00MXUHHGK

Hallaca With Chicken Potato Salad

The outside of the large dumpling you see below is folded plantain leaves wrapped around a stew of meats and vegetables.  It's a popular Venezuelan dish known by many Latin American names, such as ayaca, hayaca, guanimo, tamal, and guanime.  It's accompanied by a mound of chicken potato salad and avocado slices.  I'm really taking a liking to Venezuelan food and might have to try out Latin Arepas in Springboro, but Jorrge's will also be my go-to.

https://www.facebook.com/jorrgescantina

Bite-Sized Cucumbers

I like sliced cucumbers in my salad, but I loathe buying a large cucumber and slicing it into bite-sized pieces.  I also end up throwing most of it away.  Recently, at our local Meijer store, I saw packages of tiny cucumbers like the ones below.  I just grab a couple, slice them into tiny rounds, and add them to my salad.  You can also munch on one as a snack or include them in a lunch bag.  I never thought to look for small cucumbers, even though they make pickles the same size.  Duh...

https://www.sunsetgrown.com/sunset-unveils-pop-its-snack-sized-cucumbers

All-Clad Pot Holders

We've had all sorts of pot holders over the years, but we have never had ones that we really liked.  They were either too flimsy, too bulky, too small, or would stain easily.  But after taking a cooking class at Dorothy Lane Market, we spent a few moments going through their cool set of kitchen gadgets and found the perfect pot holders that you see below.  The 100% cotton heavyweight twill is treated with silicone, which makes for a firm grip and can handle temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.  You can find them in an array of colors at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Premium-Heating-Resistant-Barbeque/dp/B00UABQU08

2025 Coin Findings

When I walk outside, I'm constantly looking for money lying on the streets and sidewalks, and in the ponds at the Fraze Pavilion after they drain it for the winter.  I found a total of $7.80 in 2025, and for the first time, kept track of how many coins of each denomination.  I picked up 14 quarters, 27 dimes, 6 nickels, and 130 pennies.  I'm only surprised that I found more quarters than nickels, since they are larger and worth more.  

New for 2026, I'm keeping track of the number of mini-Fireball bottles and rubberbands I find.  My contribution to a cleaner neighborhood.

Using AI To Find Volunteer Opportunities

Internet search engines certainly made finding things much easier, but AI takes that to a new level.  I used this question: "List five volunteer opportunities that are primarily outdoors in montgomery county ohio."  A regular search will return thousands of results that you would have to dig through, hopefully finding something interesting before you give up.  I used five criteria ("five", "volunteer", "outdoors", "montgomery county ohio") to focus the chatbot's answer on things that matched my high-level requirements.  I could easily change that question to add more focus or move it in a different direction.  

https://gemini.google.com

Gemini said

1. Habitat Healers (Aullwood Audubon)

Located on the north side of Dayton, Aullwood’s "Habitat Healers" are the boots-on-the-ground team for land conservation. You’ll work directly in the sanctuary’s 200+ acres of prairies, forests, and marshes.

• What you’ll do: Eradicate invasive plant species, plant native trees and flowers, and maintain over 6 miles of hiking trails.

• Best for: People who enjoy physical work and want to learn about local ecology.

2. Conservation & Trail Work (Five Rivers MetroParks)

Five Rivers MetroParks manages over 16,000 acres of land across Montgomery County. Their outdoor volunteer needs are constant and vary by season.

• What you’ll do: Options include reforestation efforts (planting trees), invasive species removal, and "Trail Work Days" where you help repair and clear paths at parks like Germantown or Sugarcreek MetroPark.

• Best for: Flexible volunteers who want to explore different parks throughout the county.

3. Build Site Volunteer (Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton)

If you prefer construction over conservation, Habitat for Humanity offers a very literal way to build the community.

• What you’ll do: Assist in building safe, affordable housing. Tasks include framing, roofing, siding, and landscaping. No prior construction experience is required, as site leaders provide on-the-spot training.

• Best for: Those who want to learn DIY home repair skills while helping local families.

4. Heritage Gardening & Farm Support (Carriage Hill MetroPark)

For those interested in history and horticulture, Carriage Hill provides a unique outdoor environment focused on 1880s farm life.

• What you’ll do: Assist with heirloom gardening, maintaining the "historic" landscape, or helping with the farm's livestock. They also look for volunteers to help with outdoor public programs and demonstrations.

• Best for: History buffs and people who enjoy working with animals or traditional gardening.

5. SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park

Operated by the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, SunWatch is a reconstructed Native American village and a National Historic Landmark.

• What you’ll do: Outdoor opportunities include site maintenance, assisting with educational "Ancient Studies" programs, and helping maintain the prairie and garden areas that surround the village.

• Best for: Volunteers interested in archaeology, education, and cultural history.

Hamburger Steaks With Onion And Mushroon Gravy

These hamburger "steaks" are pretty good, but the onion-and-mushroom gravy is the star of the show.  You can smother anything (e.g., noodles, mashed potatoes, or French fries) in this flavor bomb of beef broth, baby bella mushrooms, thyme, butter, onion, garlic, flour, and Worcestershire sauce, and serve up a memorable meal.  The gravy takes 20-25 minutes to make, but that's time well spent.  All the recipe details are at the link below.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/hamburger-steaks-with-onion-and-mushroom-gravy-9586467

Lunazul Primero Añejo Cristalino

Lunazul tequila is both very good and moderately priced, and we keep a bottle on hand at all times.  I thought it just came in Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo varieties, but I was recently served a shot of the Lunazul Primero Añejo Cristalino you see below.  It's an añejo tequila that's been aged in American white-oak barrels for 18 months and filtered eight times to achieve a crystal clear color.  "Cristalino" essentially means "Añejo in disguise."  It has the soul and age of a dark tequila but the look of a clear one.  You'll smell sweet vanilla, honey, and white flowersand taste flavors of caramel, toasted oak, and citrus, with surprising fruity notes like green apple or pear.  

https://lunazultequila.com

Two Dogs And Two Cats

Gourmet Chef Elaine refers to me as "the dog whisperer" for my ability to quickly make friends with animals.  But the three stories that I wrote about at the link below are the ones I remember most fondly, as they really shocked their owners.  The last story stars the cute puppy you see in the picture below.

https://lifeexperiences.paulishing.com/2026/02/two-dogs-and-two-cats.html

Power Of Attorney

We've recently updated our Will, Living Will, and General Durable Power of Attorney, and Health Care Power of Attorney, and it got me thinking, why do they call it a Power of Attorney (POA)?  The Power makes sense: you're giving someone else the legal authority, in other words, you are giving them the "power" to be you in the eyes of the law.  To understand "Attorney", you need to travel back in time.

In the past, an "attorney" wasn't just a lawyer. The word comes from the Old French atourné, which simply means "one who is turned to" or "one who is appointed."  Essentially, an attorney is anyone appointed to act in the place of another.  This is who you appoint to represent you in private business or personal matters (the person you name in a POA).

A deeper dive into what a Power of Attorney is can be read at the link below.

https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-is-power-of-attorney

Using AI To Summarize The Weather

The last part of this past January was brutally cold, and it felt like it had been forever since we last had seasonally normal temperatures.  Pulling up my favorite Gemini chatbot, I asked it, "Using the daily high temperatures for January 2026 at the Dayton International Airport, calculate the average high temperature and list each day's high temperature."  

The average was 31.7°F, significantly colder than the mid-30s average.  The table below shows all the highs, and I was surprised that the highest was 61°F on the 13th.  Without the frigid temperatures over the last five days, it would have been a normal January.

I ran the same question a few times, and the Gemini chatbot demonstrated one of AI's big problems: making things up.  It returned totally wrong temperatures that were, fortunately, easy to spot.  I told it the numbers were not correct; it rechecked, told me I was right, then produced the correct numbers.  Computers are good, but never take them as perfect.

https://gemini.google.com/app

Pabellón Criollo Venezolano

The plate you see below is a traditional Venezuelan dish that is considered their national dish.  There are avocado slices, tajadas (fried plantain slices), shredded beef, rice, refried beans, and salsa in the middle.  We are hoping this will become a regular entree at Jorrge's, our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Big shout-out to Janet for making us her authentic and delicious plate!

Jubie's Creamery

Jubie's Creamery has retail locations in Fairborn and Troy, Ohio, but I recently found that our local Dot's Market was carrying pints in various flavors, including the Hot Honeycomb you see below.  This flavor won the 2025 Best Flavor award at the North American Ice Cream Association conference in Palm Beach, Florida.  It's decadent, with swirls of hot honey and pieces of Winans uncoated honeycomb candies.  If you look at the menu at the link below, you will find all their amazing flavors.  Oh dear, what should I try next?  Banana Cream Pie?  Cookie Dough?  Mint Chip?  Coffee?  Might take a while...

https://www.jubiescreamery.com/menu

Eyelashes

The headlight eyelashes you see below are from a car in the parking lot of our local Dot's Market.   I've not seen this before, but given the options at the link below, it appears to be a real thing.  If you ever see me doing anything like this, have me committed asap.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=car+eyelashes+headlight

Lavender Butter

Back in 2010, Gourmet Chef Elaine and I spent a week in Napa Valley.  This was her first time in Napa, and I arranged private wine tastings on Monday and Tuesday at 10:00 am.  Monday's tasting was at Matanzas Creek Winery, for which I had made the reservation over six months before.  She did not know, and I had to strain not to tell her, that Matanzas Creek has a large lavender farm, and a tour of the fields and the barn was included in our private tasting.  Getting settled in, our hostess asked if we were ready for the lavender tour, and Elaine looked at me with a puzzled and hopeful look.  I finally had to fess up and admit I had this planned all along.  The tour was wonderful, and scooping up and smelling handfuls of lavender seeds from a large wine barrel was a sensory overload.

One of the products we brought home was the French Lavender Body Butter you see below.  Elaine is in love with it, and I've reordered jar after jar from their online market (link below).  If you have a lavender fan in your life, add this to their gift list.

https://www.matanzascreek.com/lavender-market

Using AI For Paint Color Recommendations

Below is a picture of our kitchen backsplash, and the missus recently asked if we might ever paint the walls in the adjoining dining room.  My reaction was probably not, since I couldn't think of another color that would work.  Turning to AI, I uploaded the picture and asked, "Recommend paint colors for a dining room that would go with the kitchen backsplash in the picture."  Liking the response, I followed that up with "Create an image in the form of a paint strip with the recommended colors," which you see below the backsplash.  The "Saybouk Sage" is a dead ringer for the color the walls are painted now.  The most intriguing is the suggestion of "Whole Wheat", which I wouldn't have thought of in a million years.  

https://gemini.google.com

Cowboy Chicken Spaghetti

Southern Living is our only paid subscription, and it paid off with this recipe for Cowboy Chicken Spaghetti.  Gourmet Chef Elaine's helper (i.e., me) took a Costco rotisserie chicken and carved it up, which he took half of for this recipe.  Its creamy goodness comes from a combination of Cheddar and Velveeta cheeses, and its spicy kick from Ro-Tel and chopped green chiles.  Add spaghetti and the rest of the ingredients you can find at the link below, and the result was a meal that I couldn't stop shoving into my mouth.  If you have some hungry mouths to feed, this could be your winner.

https://www.southernliving.com/cowboy-chicken-spaghetti-11783881

Water Meter

When I remodeled our basement a few years ago, I installed the grey plank flooring you see below.  I didn't like the concrete around the water meter, so after looking for solutions, I landed on using a piece of black foam board.  I measured carefully and cut out the circle at the bottom-right and another at the top-left.   Finally, I cut a slice (which you can't see) so I could bend the foam board around the pipe.  I think I did a good job of making an unsightly mess into a cool cover.

Thankful

Over on my Life Experiences blog (link below), I wrote about six things I'm thankful for during that dreadful year-and-a-half of COVID craziness.  Reflecting back on bad stuff is depressing, and I prefer to look at the brighter side.  Good memories are so much better than bad ones.

https://lifeexperiences.paulishing.com/2026/02/thankful.html

Loose Door Handle

It took me weeks to figure out how to tighten the doorknob you see in the first picture below.  There are hundreds of YouTube videos that purport to help, but it wasn't until I found the video at the link below that I figured it out.  First, I had to remove the handle using an Allen wrench to turn the little set screw you can barely see in the first picture, but which is very clear in the second.  Then I inserted a slotted screwdriver at two different points along the cap, up against the door, and gently pried it off.  I tightened the two Phillips-head screws and put the cap and handle back on.  Seems so obvious now that I know what to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU1cp0JwAdY

Using AI To Find A Specialty Product

Doing traditional Google searches to find an uncommon product can take forever, particularly if you don't know exactly what to call it.  But AI can reduce that search to a single query, for example, "Where can I buy a custom-made window that has a blind between two panes of glass?"  In the response below, you will find that such a window is called "integrated" or "integral" along with several of the top manufacturers and places to buy them.  

I remember the "good old days" when you had an encyclopedia and a library card, and you really, really wanted to know an answer, to spend an hour or two to find it.  Well, it wasn't really all that "good".

https://gemini.google.com

Pork Chops With Apple Sauce

I was searching for a new way to make pork chops and found Pork Chops with Apple Sauce.  Pork and apples seemed to be the perfect combination, so I gave it a go.

The chops are marinated for an hour, pan-seared on both sides in butter and oil, sprinkled with parsley and thyme, and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Slices of Granny Smith apples are sauteed in more butter and oil, and the pan is deglazed with brandy. Add brown sauce and cider vinegar to create a pan sauce, which is poured over the pork chops.  All the other details I left out can be found at the link below.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pork-chops-with-apple-sauce-recipe-1908736

Drying Mat

The drying mats we bought recently lacked a loop.  Seems pretty obvious that something that gets wet, you would want to hang up to dry.  Fortunately, I had bought a grommet kit years ago, and Gourmet Chef Elaine remembered that I did.  I used it to create a reinforced hole near the top of the mat, and then repurposed the little blue loop to create a solution.  Grommets are really easy to install, as you can see in the YouTube video at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCfQU32JLDo

Turning Windowed Apps Off

Windowed apps is new feature in iOS for iPads, and it was driving me and the Mrs crazy.  When dragging a finger from the bottom of the screen, it would sometimes create a window instead of returning to the main screen. Some folks like windows and working with two or more at a time, but we never do.  But that's easily turned off by bringing up the Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen) and tapping the icon that's pointed to by the white arrow you see in the screenshot below.  You can also turn it off in Settings, which is explained at the link below.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/123635

Beds Not For Us

We went nightstand shopping a few weeks ago at Morris Furniture and ran across the two beds you see below that we'll never buy.  The one on top has a footboard that consists of a pop-up television and a fireplace.  Gourmet Chef Elaine and I agreed long before we got married that we would never have a television in our bedroom, but even that said, this is just ugly.  

The bottom picture really doesn't do this justice.  There are sparkles galore on the headboard, lamps, and dresser that seem to be inspired by a Taylor Swift production.  We just had to ask if people actually buy it, and the salesperson said it was a very popular item.  Sigh.

If you haven't wandered around a furniture store lately, it's eye-opening to see some of these more "creative" selections.  Just be ready for some sticker shock when you see prices nowadays.

Using AI To Create Riddles

You can use AI to make up your own trivia games.  For example, I asked Google Gemini to "Create a riddle whose answer is Griffin," and it provided the clues you see below.  It then asked if I wanted an image.  I responded yes, and it created the cool picture you see below.  For example, to make a state name trivia game, try "create 50 kid-friendly riddles where the answer is the name of a state. Use all 50 states."  Let your imagination run free!

---

I have a lion’s heart and a kingly stride,

But the wings of an eagle are where I hide.

I rule the earth, and I rule the sky,

With a golden beak and a watchful eye.

I guard the treasures of ancient kings,

On four furry paws and two feathered wings.

---

A few of you will understand why I chose Griffin as the example.  For the rest, that's my grandson's name.

Big shout-out to my daughter for bringing riddle-making to my attention!

https://gemini.google.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The smell of homemade chocolate chip cookies filling the house on a chilly December holiday is a memory I like to collect.  The recipe at the link below promises a chewy cookie, and I must have failed at some detail, as they ended up being pretty stiff.  But that really doesn't matter unless you like eating cold cookies.  Me, I pop one in the microwave for 45 seconds, and it comes out warm and chewy.  

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25037/best-big-fat-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookie

Cut The Cheese

One of the habits I got into years ago was buying a block of cheese and cutting it up into bite-sized pieces, as you see below.  I put them into a quart-size, zipped bag and put them front and center in the refrigerator.  Besides liking cheese, I know that most people, and children in particular, will grab the first and easiest thing they see when looking for a snack.  Having a tasty and low-carb option that's ready to eat helps me maintain a good diet.

Cleaning Refrigerator Produce Drawers

The squeaky-clean produce drawer only happened because I YouTube'd how to get the clear plastic front removed to access the trapped crumbs.  I could see that some tabs could be pushed, but the video showed how to wedge a screwdriver to pop it off, something I would be reluctant to try, fearing I would break the drawer.  I guess without YouTube, I would have dirty drawers...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_8DjB2N6e8

Greasy Filter No More

The mesh wire screen on the bottom of the exhaust fan over the stove collects a fair amount of grease.  Gourmet Chef Elaine had a lot of problems trying to get it clean until she thought of spraying it with Dawn Power Wash (obviously, after removing it).  She let it sit for a while to work its magic, then used a scrub brush and rinsed it with water.  According to the website at the link below, "Powerwash has 3 cleaning boosters not found in traditional dish soaps that remove food and grease 5X faster."  We just know it really works.

https://dawn-dish.com/en-us/products/dawn-powerwash-dish-spray

Using AI To Design A Logo

I thought it was high time to create a new logo and update the look on all my blogs.  I asked the Gemini chatbot to "Design a logo for paulishing.com that reflects the word polish."  The "polish" idea came from a play on words that I would polish my boss's PowerPoint presentations.  

Gemini produced the logo below, and I thought it was great.  I updated all my blogs, which you can see at the link below, making all their layouts the same, including standardizing the About Me, adding this logo, moving the search field from the top to the right-hand side, and keeping the Blog Archive at the bottom.  I also changed the color to Dark Slate Gray.  

https://www.paulishing.com

Bento Box

A bento is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal of Japanese origin.  The bento box uses dividers to separate ingredients or dishes, especially those with strong flavors, to avoid them affecting the taste of the rest of the meal.  I had this Thai Basil bento box for lunch at Sky Asian Cuisine, our favorite local Japanese restaurant, and it's a very sizable mid-day meal.  It included shrimp with vegetables and two spring rolls. fried rice, and four sushi rolls with wasabi and ginger.  For $15, it was very budget-friendly as well as delicious.

https://www.skyasiancuisine.com

5-in-1 Wireless Charger

The charger shown below can wirelessly charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, with front-facing USB-A and USB-C ports to accommodate two additional devices.  It's everything Gourmet Chef Elaine needs to handle all her devices and takes up very little of her nightstand space.  At some point in the future, we might consider a second one to pack on our travels, since it neatly folds flat and weighs about eight ounces.  A lot of technical details can be found at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHL1RD2Y

Low Cut Quarter Socks

I needed some new walking socks, and I like ones made out of a wool blend.  I got a good deal on a 3-pack of gray, ONKE brand training socks, which you see in the picture below.  They cost $5 per pair for the gray ones, but 3-packs in other colors can be had for $10.  They are made of extra fine merino wool, arcylic and spandex, with merino being a breed of domestic sheep.  I think they are very well made, and they are super-cushy-comfortable.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GPG8XHF

Song Sung Blue

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I recently saw the movie Song Sung Blue at the movie theater.  It's the story of the life of Mike and Clair Sardina, a Wisconsin couple who performed as the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder, based on the 2008 documentary film of the same name by Greg Kohs.

The lead roles are played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, and they do a great job of singing the Neil songs I know by heart, including the film's title song, Play Me, Holly Holy, I Am...I Said, and, of course, Sweet Caroline.  If you're thinking that Jackman, best known as the character Wolverine that he has played in ten Marvel movies, couldn't possibly be as good as Neil, you're right; that's a high bar, but his singing, and Kate's, is a marvel (pun intended) and is wonderful.  Two thumbs up from this occasional movie critic.

https://www.reelasdirt.com/song-sung-blue

Laundry Basket

One of our highest priorities is not falling.  We see too many people, young and old, who suffer serious injuries from a fall.  The older we get, the more we realize how that could wreck our quality of life.  So we're always on the lookout for tripping or falling hazards, and we identified taking our laundry from the second-floor bedroom to the basement laundry room as something we needed to address.

Our old laundry basket is on the right below.  It takes two hands to carry it, leaving none to hold the banister.  After searching on Amazon, I found a great solution, the laundry basket on the left.  It's made with a sturdy iron wire frame sewn into the top edges, which, when you stretch it out, will stand upright on its own.  The handles make it easy to carry in one hand, leaving the other free to prevent falling.

I got a pack of two baskets for $12, a 40% discount off its normal price, at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7JGC67R

Jalapeno Honey

Like most folk, we don't vary from our list of regular purchases very often, but when Gourmet Chef Elaine spotted the Tillamook Jalapeno Honey cream cheese spread you see below, she made the impulse buy, and we're glad she did.  When you take a bite, the sweetness of the honey is pronounced, but wait a couple of seconds, and the flame of the jalapeno takes over.  If you like hot, this is for you.  Tillamook makes a few other flavored cream cheeses, and their Chive and Onion is next on my list.

https://www.tillamook.com/products/cream-cheese/jalapeno-honey