Posts from — September 2009

Simon Harris writes on fireplaces at: http://www.fireplace-expert.com.

Cooking of Grains
All grains, with the exception of rice, and the various grain meals, require prolonged cooking with gentle and continuous heat, in order to so disintegrate their tissues and change their starch into dextrine as to render them easy of digestion. Even the so-called “steam-cooked” grains, advertised to be ready for use in five or ten minutes, require a much longer cooking to properly fit them for digestion. These so-called quickly prepared grains are simply steamed before grinding, which has the effect to destroy any low organisms contained in the grain. They are then crushed and shredded. Bicarbonate of soda and lime is added to help dissolve the albuminoids, and sometimes diastase to aid the conversion of the starch into sugar; but there is nothing in this preparatory process that so alters the chemical nature of the grain as to make it possible to cook it ready for easy digestion in five or ten minutes. An insufficiently cooked grain, although it may be palatable, is not in a condition to be readily acted upon by the digestive fluids, and is in consequence left undigested to act as a mechanical irritant.

Water is the liquid usually employed for cooking grains, but many of them are richer and finer flavored when milk is mixed with the water, one part to two of water. Especially is this true of rice, hominy, and farina. When water is used, soft water is preferable to hard. No salt is necessary, but if used at all, it is generally added to the water before stirring in the grain or meal.

The quantity of liquid required varies with the different grains, the manner in which they are milled, the method by which they are cooked, and the consistency desired for the cooked grain, more liquid being required for a porridge than for a mush.

All grains should be carefully looked over before being put to cook.

In the cooking of grains, the following points should be observed:

1. Measure both liquid and grain accurately with the same utensil, or with two of equal size.

2. Have the water boiling when the grain is introduced, but do not allow it to boil for a long time previous, until it is considerably evaporated, as that will change the proportion of water and grain sufficiently to alter the consistency of the mush when cooked. Introduce the grain slowly, so as not to stop the sinking to the bottom, and the whole becomes thickened.

3. Stir the grain continuously until it has set, but not at all afterward. Grains are much more appetizing if, while properly softened, they can still be made to retain their original form. Stirring renders the preparation pasty, and destroys its appearance.

In the preparation of all mushes with meal or flour, it is a good plan to make the material into a batter with a portion of the liquid retained from the quantity given, before introducing it into the boiling water. This prevents the tendency to cook in lumps, so frequent when dry meal is scattered into boiling liquid. Care must be taken, however, to add the moistened portion very slowly, stirring vigorously meantime, so that the boiling will not be checked. Use warm water for moistening. The other directions given for the whole or broken grains are applicable to the ground products.

Place the grain, when sufficiently cooked, in the refrigerator or in some place where it will cool quickly (as slow cooling might cause fermentation), to remain overnight.

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In the computer age, you should realize that there is software out there to help you do virtually anything, even organize your closet! This type of software is very simple to use. It will allow you to enter information including the dimensions of your closet. You can then choose from various layouts and materials to get a visual picture of exactly how your closet area can look. Most closet organizer software will also give you information on the exact materials needed to complete the project as it is layed out and an estimate of the costs.

More advanced closet organizer software will keep a complete inventory of your closet for you. This is a great way to always know what you have in there. You can also store the clothing and shoe size of all your family members in there. This makes it a very good reference when you are considering purchasing any items of clothing for them. This is also an excellent way to keep track of household items in the event you need them for insurance purposes.

Not all closet organizer software is designed the same. You need to check the level of expertise needed to operate particular types of closet organizing software. Some features to look for in such software include the click and drag method to add and remove items from your virtual closet design. You should also only purchase closet organizer software that offers excellent customer support services at no charge. Of course the price of the software should be taken into consideration as well.

You can purchase closet organizing software beginning at $25 up to $200 from retailers, home improvement stores, and the internet. Online auction sites including Ebay and Yahoo Auctions are great places to find closet organizer software that is used. This is a great way to get the close organizing software you want at a lower price. Just make sure the software you purchase is compatible with your computer and that it comes will all the instruction manuals.

If you want great ideas for organizing the closets in your home or if you are in the business of organizing closets for other people, then purchasing closet organizer software is a good investment. Look for software that is compatible with your computer, easy to install, and very simple to navigate. If you can’t operate the software then it isn’t going to work well for you.

If you plan to use it to help other people organize their closets then you should look for software with all the options to meet the different needs of individuals. If you will be for your own personal use then you are better off only getting closet organizer software with the features you need to get the job accomplished.

Investing in closet organizer software will allow you to create original layouts for all the closets in your home regardless of their size. This is a great resource for getting your home organized. You will be able to find anything. The issue with most home storage space isn’t a lack of it, just that it isn’t being used to its pull potential. Closets have a great deal of unused space when you consider the amount of room under your hanging items. Put that space to work for you with the help of closet organizing software.

Previous: Build a Pantry Behind a Door -1
To make the shelves, measure down from the top of the frame along each side piece and mark the shelf positions-make sure you measure exactly the same on each side. The marked shelf positions do not allow for the thickness of the wood; measure 3/8 inch down from each marked line to mark the tops of the shelf support pieces. Set a 3 ½ -inch 1 x 2 shelf support piece at each marked shelf point, on each 1 x 4 side piece.

To secure the shelf supports, use 7-penny finishing nails and carpenters’ glue. Apply a bead of carpenters’ glue to the face of each shelf support and to the face of the side frame piece, as marked. Set the support flat against the frame, with its top edge exactly flush with the marked support line, and nail through the outside face of the side piece into the face of the 1 x 2 support bracket. Drive two 7-penny finishing nails into each shelf support.

Use the remaining pieces of 20-inch 1 x 4 to make the pantry’s four shelves. For each shelf, apply a bead of carpenters’ glue to the bottom edges of the board’s cut ends, and to the top edge of the two shelf brackets that will support it. Set the shelf into place across the two brackets, and make sure it’s straight and flush against the supports. Secure each end with two 7-penny finishing nails from the top of the shelf into the support and two nails from the outside of the frame into the shelf edge; Stagger the nails so they don’t hit against each other.

To complete the shelf unit, nail 1 x 2 retaining strips across the front of the unit, one strip 2 inches above each shelf. Secure the retaining strips with two 7-penny finishing nails driven through each end. To keep tall things in place on the bottom of the unit, nail two retaining strips across the open area, placed as desired.

To complete the pantry, sand all rough spots and edges with medium and then fine-grit sandpaper. Paint as desired.

Finally, hang the pantry unit on the door, centered on the door’s width and set conveniently on its height. Use three 2-inch angle irons across the top of the unit and three across the bottom; mark the screw holes, and drill, and countersink. Fasten the irons to the door with 1-inch flathead wood screws.

If the door is a hollow-core type, be careful to attach the unit to the solid blocking inside the door-tap on the door to locate the blocking. Hollow-core doors are blocked around the edges, and sometimes also have other blocking. Mark and drill the mounting holes on the top and bottom pieces of the pantry unit, set the unit into place, and secure it with screws driven into the drilled holes.

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Build a Pantry Behind a Door
Kitchen storage space is always at a premium, but there is potential storage behind every closed door-build this simple behind-the-door pantry to take advantage of it. Tools: measuring rule, pencil, carpenters’ square, handsaw or power saw, drill, countersink, screwdriver, hammer, sanding block, paintbrush. Materials: 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 pine stock, 1-inch flathead wood screws, carpenters’ glue, 7-penny finishing nails, medium- and fine-grit sandpaper, paint, 2-inch angle irons. Time: 4 to 6 hours, plus finishing time.

The dimensions used here are for a pantry unit 21½  inches wide and 60 inches high, with four inside shelves. You can adjust these figures for a unit to fit a wide or narrow door, for any height desired. Keep the outside width of the unit at least 7 inches narrower than the door, to allow for the doorknob and provide the necessary clearance when the door is opened and closed.

Build the frame for the pantry of 1 x 4 Pine stock. Measure and mark two pieces of 1 x 4 60 inches long and six pieces 20 inches long; use a carpenters‘ square to keep the ends even. Cut the pieces of 1 x 4 with a handsaw or a power saw.

Put together a rectangular box from the two 60-inch pieces and two of the 20-inch pieces, with the long sides butted over the ends of the short sides at the corners. At each corner, drill two holes for 1-inch flathead wood screws through the face of the long side piece; countersink the screw holes so that the screw heads will lie flush with the surface of the wood. Set the side piece into position over the edge of the cross piece, mark the screw holes, and drill holes into the edge of the cross piece. Apply a bead of carpenters’ glue to the cut edge of the cross piece and to the end of the side piece, join the pieces, and secure the corner with two 1-inch flathead wood screws driven through the drilled holes.

Cut retaining strips and shelf supports from 1 x 2 pine stock. Measure, mark, and cut six pieces of 1 x 2 21½  inches long to hold stored goods on the shelves; measure and cut eight pieces of 1 x 2 3½ inches long for shelf supports. Plan the spacing for the pantry shelves, with tall things on the bottom and four shelves spaced as desired inside the frame. Measure the things you plan to store in the unit to determine the desired shelf spacing-a good spacing might allow 10 inches between the top of the frame and the first shelf, 10 inches from first to second and second to third, 12 inches from third to fourth, and 18 inches from the fourth shelf to the bottom of the frame. Or, if you don’t need such widely spaced shelves, add a shelf to this basic unit.

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