How could it not be good?

"Use It!"
* two of the eight packages of organic basil purchased for a $1 (total for all packages, not each individual one) when my Jewel closed last week.

* food processor -- worth noting because I keep forgetting I know how to use it now and store it in a hard-to-access place, making it even less likely to get used

* cookbook entitled Joy in Simplicity: Creative Cooking with Artist Nancy Noel -- made Basil Butter (see above). The verdict: see title.


Cookbook Challenge Stats: 13 down/40 to go

Don't count me out yet.

To all seven or so of my loyal Just Use It or Lose It Readers,

I am not giving up on my using and losing endeavor. Please stay tuned!

Thanks,
MEP

Off Target

"Lose It!"
* floor lamp-- yes, it provides light, but it also tilts constantly to one side and looks like crap -- at one point it had a faux stained glass shade, but that broke off . . . that's what $49.99 could get you at Target in 2003.

Foiled!

"Use It!"
* miniature cookie sheet thing
Before our wedding, my husband and I registered for a toaster oven. "We" also registered for two miniature cookie sheet type pans that fit inside the toaster oven. I think someone had told me, "Oh, they're great. You can use them to bake just a few cookies in the toaster oven." Um, I don't have the foresight to have cookie dough just waiting in my fridge or freezer, and I certainly don't have the willpower to limit myself to a few cookies if I've gone to the trouble of making some cookie dough. Anyway, I have pretty much ignored those miniature pans.

We ran out of foil yesterday, and so when I started making my pizza bagel for breakfast this morning, I was like, "Damn, no foil. I'm foiled. Now, the cheese will fall off and burn and the toaster oven will start smoking." But then, I thought about that little cookie sheet, placed my bagel on it, and was good to go. In fact, I don't think I'll need to use foil in the toaster oven anymore. I can use this little pan instead. Woo hoo.

"Lose It!"
* one orange platter -- lovely, but not mine
Speaking of bridal registries, I attended a shower on Saturday. Along with my gift, I brought the bride-to-be a platter that she left at my house two years ago and that I have had ever since in spite of having it washed and on the counter on at least three occasions when she has been at my house and in spite of seeing her person many other times in the past two years.

Garage Barrage

"Lose It!"

Hubby cleaned the garage today and the end result is just beautiful. Parking spots for the strollers and the wagon. All the balls in the box. A special spot for the tailgating chairs. All the fast food bags in the trash.

* many items were lost in the process, and though hubby gave me a yes/no vote on a handful of things, he mostly made command decisions. He tossed more things than I would have but I won't miss a single thing that he tossed. And so, I think he needs to become a more active partner in the JUIorLI project. Sure, most of the crap around here is mine or the kids, but I could use a little push letting go sometimes.

Eat Clean Plate Club

"Use It!"
* Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook -- not sure why I purchased this cookbook, a woman who drinks a minimum of three Diet Cokes a day is not really a clean eater . . . but I used the cookbook to make Herbed Spinach Yogurt Cheese Dip. The end result was pretty tasty, though next time I will learn how to read so that I use lowfat yogurt (as called for) instead of nonfat (what was I thinking? I was thinking that the recipe called for nonfat yogurt).

* cheesecloth, fresh basil, a tub of plain nonfat yogurt, defrosted package of frozen spinach -- these are items I obtained with this recipe in mind, and I am pleased that I actually followed through and used them.

Cookbook Challenge Stats: 12 down/41 to go

Little Bit's Little Bites

"Lose It!"
* toy eighteen wheeler -- the tires for this truck can be removed and Bub has removed them all. Once removed, the tires are called "wedding rings" by Bub. I call them choking hazards as Little Bit loves to put them in his mouth when he finds them. I've been tossing the tires one by one for weeks and now the truck itself is going too.

"Use/Lose It!"
* yellow styrofoam blocks leftover from Stanley Steemer visit to our place to clean carpets -- after the carpet dried, Bub and I gathered the blocks and painted them, an activity that offered a solid twenty-five minutes of fun. Bub has now lost interest, but Little Bit sometimes finds one and tries to take a bite. They're off the buffet now.

Little Bundles

"Lose It!"
* approximately 25 pieces of baby boy clothing -- I hope there's another baby in our future, but he/she won't be wearing the items I just added to the donate pile, though the items are clean and in good shape. Sorting through the piles of baby clothes is an ongoing project around here.

I'm not in college anymore. . .

. . . and no longer need hang on to those in-case-I-am-desperate-before-I-have-enough-time-or-quarters-to-do laundry-pairs of socks and underwear.

"Lose It!"
* many pair of underwear-- tossed, not donated, in case you are curious
* socks -- the decent, but rarely worn socks are being donated, but what does one do with all those socks who have lost their mates?
* two pair of jeans -- suspect when they do fit again, I won't want to wear them
* two pair of lounging pants -- sadly, not enough lounging time in my life
* pair of work out pants -- somehow these became flood pants which are for me, as for most tall girls, totally unacceptable
* green fleece -- really enjoy the color and feel of this fleece, but I have finally faced up the fact that the sleeves are a good two inches too short and the length is not doing my high-waisted self any favors
* green blouse -- coincidentally, this green garment is also too short (note to self: continue personal boycott of Ann Taylor Loft).

I don't want to work . . .

"Lose It!"
* loud and dangerous children's toy -- if they're not risking their lives by making music at deafening volume, they are doing so by fighting over/poking each other with the sticks