Raige Creations

This year, we had the mangos come a wee bit earlier than last year. And (thankfully) not quite as many mangos. This year, I wasn't sure how I would be able to keep up with the mangos. Working full time doesn't leave much time for jam during the week, and mangos don't wait until the weekend to be ready. So that is why this year I am thankful we are getting them off at a more mangeable rate. About 1 - 3 every day or so. An amount I can deal with, even with the gifted Carrie Mangos from my SIL. Then, yesterday, my sister-in-law gave us a bag full of Carrie Mangos . I had a slight panic moment. How am I going to use all these mangos?? Ours are Valencia Pride mangos, my favortie for just pealing and eating. Carries I have to figure out what to put in, because I don't like eating them outright much. A slightly different flavor, and texture. Still good mangos, don't get me wrong! But I will use them in something, just have to decide what that will be. I hav...

Along the lines of healthy eating, fresh herbs from the garden , and keeping busy in the kitchen, I am sharing some further busyness I have had in the kitchen. First, we found these GREAT herb cutting scissors . If anyone shares my dislike of chopping fresh herbs, these are for you. Lots of cutting edges with one cut. THE BEST herb chopping scissors I always had rosemary pop across the counter when I chopped it with a knife, and it felt like it took forever to chop the mint and basil, and to get the leaves in line for cutting a whole other struggle. These scissors make it, dare I say, fun to chop up, or cut up, the herbs. Gather herbs and put on the scissor blades and cut. Then keep cutting. I lay the scissors on their side and keep cutting the pile of herbs until it gets the desired chopped-ness. I think I go a little crazy these days with using the herbs and cutting them up. I do it nearly every other day. But what yummy results! Tomato Cucumber Salad, with fresh cut he...

I have been so lazy this weekend. Some would say that is what weekends are for, but after two days of lazing about - I took Friday off to get a good long weekend in with Monday being a holiday - this morning I was feeling like I HAD to do something. I decided I just had to get a little bit busy in the kitchen. Hot pepper vinegar ingredients, vinegar not pictured. I got to cutting up some carrots and onions for our long planned hot pepper vinegar. We have been planning it for weeks. We have what are supposed to be ghost peppers   - my MIL planted and then left with us to tend while she is away. They have been getting bigger and turning from green, to orange, to a deep hot red color. Watching the hot peppers get redder and redder We have watched as day by day the get redder and redder, somewhat anxiously. Ghost peppers are supposed to be the 2nd hottest peppers on earth. The  deep burning red hot color perhaps an indication that these things are dangerously hot. Th...

source: Thoughts of Raige Some days, the days when I wake up less than chipper, when I haven't yet found my positive thinking and hope or a good day, I am thankful for the views from my kitchen. Out past the tree line, there is a mountain I can see most days. There are lots of trees and nature is evident all around us. It almost feels like we are out in the country, away from noise and developments and crowding.  But in reality, a main road is on the other side of the house, we can hear traffic. We are down the street from several housing developments, and we hear dogs barking day and night. Our closest neighbor is pretty close actually.  We are within walking distance to Main St, a small village street with restaurants and shops and even a local mechanic's garage.  Though we still have plans for our dream house, our perfect place, the means to do only what we love, this is good enough for now. For this is all we can do right now. We can only dream of a better...

How frustrating is it when you see a package of Oreo's, or any chocolatey goodness cookie, in the cupboard, get a glass of milk, and sit down to enjoy a nice afternoon milk and cookies session, only to find one lone cookie in the package? One Damn Cookie Left photo courtesy of Raige Creations Or how about getting that package of cookies, then going to get the milk only to find out there is barely a half glass of milk left? A while back, my oldest son was home from college on break, and this is exactly what happened. The rant that came out of his mouth was like one I haven't heard since he was a toddler and the lizards didn't stop long enough for him to grab one.  "Why do you people ALWAYS leave ONE thing left in the package?! Seriously, every time I come home I see this crap." Wha?  "Yes, every time I come home and get something out of the cupboard, there is only one left in the package! Why can't you people just finish the last one?" ...