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Administrator on July 29th, 2006
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A few days ago I broiled a couple of lamb chops for our supper and wanted to make use of some of the large amount of fresh peppermint growing in my herb area. We didn’t have any plain yogurt on hand or I’d have used that, but we did have some store-bought hummus in the refrigerator. My husband suggested using that as a base. With some trepidation, I chopped about 1/3 cup of peppermint and added enough of the hummus to serve as a base. The result was really too thick to use as a sauce, so I added some fat-free half and half to thin it down. Voila! I didn’t even have to add salt and pepper as the hummus already contained enough seasoning. My home-made hummus has more flavor than the store-bought, but I think that the sesame, lemon, and garlic would have blended just fine with the mint as well. It was surprisingly good and has the extra benefit of adding a bit more protein to the meal.
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Administrator on July 19th, 2006
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A gemologist that I know once jokingly mentioned his theory that the opal’s “bad luck” reputation was started by a jeweler. I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be all that surprising if that were the actual truth! Opals are relatively soft stones (5 1/2 to 6 1/2 on the Moh’s scale), but that’s just the beginning of the challenges a jeweler faces when working with opals. They are sensitive to pressure, react with both acids and alkalies, and since they may contain as much as 30% water, they are also affected by heat and changes in humidity.
The first step in taking proper care of your opals is determining whether they are solid opal, opal doublets, or opal triplets. The solid type can be immersed in water (as long as it isn’t too hot and doesn’t contain harsh cleaners, etc.), but immersion in water can loosen the glue that holds the other two types together. An opal doublet is made from a thin layer of precious opal bonded to common opal or onyx and a triplet is the same plus the addition of a top layer of rock crystal or glass.
It would be very unwise to attempt to clean opal jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner. Likewise, the use of harsh cleansers would likely do more harm than good. If you have jewelry that combines opals and diamonds, it’s possible to clean it once in a while by using water and dish-washing detergent on a very soft toothbrush. Make sure to clean the back of the piece carefully and your diamonds should regain their sparkle. If your jewelry contains doublets or triplets be sure to limit the time they spend in contact with water —- soaking would definitely be a bad idea!
I have seen some articles advising people to store their opals in cotton treated with mineral oil. This is actually not a good idea as the oil may discolor the stones. If, however, you plan to store your opals for long periods, you may want to store them in sealed plastic bags with cotton moistened in water. Too dry an environment can cause the opals to lose water content and crack. Avoid keeping opals under hot lights or out in hot sunny conditions for extended times. Abrupt changes in temperature and/or humidity are also bad news. One of my customers told me that she once left a party ,walked out into very cold dry weather and saw her opals literally vaporize before her eyes!
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Administrator on July 6th, 2006
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The other day I found myself with a basket of ripe peaches, about a cup of black raspberries from the wild canes around the yard, a handful of blueberries, a few Alpine strawberries, and just over half a honeydew melon that really needed to be used up. It was way too hot to light the oven, so I came up with this recipe for a summer fruit compote. (Feel free to substitute just about any kind of fruit except bananas)
Peel and slice six ripe peaches. Add one and a half cups of mixed berries and about a half a honeydew or cantaloupe prepared with a melon baller or cubed. Pour the juice of one lemon over the fruit and toss lightly.
In a small saucepan combine one cup granulated sugar, one half cup water, and one vanilla bean (if you don’t have a vanilla bean, substitute one teaspoon of vanilla extract added after
syrup has cooled.) Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved. Add the grated or chopped rind of one lemon.* Cool thoroughly. Carefully slit vanilla bean and scrape seeds back into syrup. Discard pod. Add one teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (cinnamon or allspice would also work instead of the nutmeg) and a tiny pinch of salt — you dont want it to taste salty, you just want to bring out the other flavors. Pour syrup over fruit and mix carefully to avoid crushing the berries. Chill.
This looks particularly pretty served in a martini glass or iced tea goblet. Top with a dollop of sour cream or whipped cream if desired.
*make sure that you use only the colored portion of the rind, not the white inner part which has a very bitter taste.