commonsense

I can’t help thinking that there is some commonsense knowledge that should be so well well-known that it becomes a regular part of pop culture. It should find its way into movies, books, television, coloring books, everywhere.

Things like…

• how to properly dispose of batteries
• how to dispose of used cooking oil
• how to put out an oil fire (seriously, in the instances of someone handling an oil fire in the kitchen on like TV, it’s usually someone freaking out as fire bursts out of a pan, and then it either cuts to a hospital scene or they freak out and spray water, resulting in them later sitting on the steps of the burnt house with a sooty face and hands)
• why people wash their hands
• why people pasteurize milk (like, a scene of someone buying raw milk while on a tour or something, then later they’re in their bathroom with the door closed, completely DESTROYING the throne inside (And I know, I hated that one scene in that kdrama where she has extreme diarrhea in the gas station bathroom only to have a customer show up and they yell-talk through the bathroom door for way too long while she continues to have a bad time on the toilet. Ugh. TMI.))
• that cats are very sensitive to certain smells and substances and should be protected from them (Your essential oil diffuser should not be a danger to others.)
• what the electorate does
• how to file taxes
• how to use a calculator
• reasons why it’s a good idea to regularly practice your signature
• how to use a blender/soy milk machine/bread maker/microwave/oven/DVD player
• the ingredients in bread, pasta, mayonnaise, rice pudding, vanilla pudding
• how to make vegetable broth from kitchen scraps

I get that there’s a recycling center. I get that batteries or whatever should be taken there.

But sometimes, like around here, there’s a recycling center for trash like cans, food boxes, jars, toothpaste tubes, that is tied to the garbage company. The recycling centers for OTHER stuff, like batteries, are spread around the area. And they don’t make pickups.

Which is like, a completely different but equally important issue: Why isn’t there readily available contact information for a one-stop service that offers to pick up recyclable things like dead batteries?

There are so many public services that should be available and that just aren’t. Jobs waiting to be filled by trustworthy individuals willing to drive around to peoples’ houses (via appointment) or to gathering centers where they can collect the batteries or whatever and drive them to the recycling center. (It honestly sounds like a job for one of those miniature trucks they’ve got in Asia. Just saying. They use a lot less gas or electric. They’re easier to park and steer around. They have the same carrying capacity of some full-sized trucks.)

~Harper Kingsley

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PUDDING

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together in a saucepan until blended.

Heat the saucepan over medium heat and slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly until fully mixed. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often with a metal spoon until the pudding becomes thicker and begins clinging to the spoon.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Then divide the pudding between 4 small bowls and either serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

SOY MILK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1-1/2 cups soy milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until a paste is formed.

Combine soy milk, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Stir in cornstarch paste until well blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Continue to cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Then pour into bowls. The pudding will thicken as it stands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours until completely cool.

COCONUT MILK AND AVOCADO CHOCOLATE PUDDING

• 2 large avocados, peeled and pitted and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Blend avocados, cocoa, brown sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a blender until smooth. Pour into a container with an airtight lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

VANILLA PUDDING

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp butter

Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form at the edges.

In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the mixture to the hot milk a little at a time, stirring until thick enough to cling to the back of the spoon.

Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.

Split into serving dishes, then chill in refrigerator

RICE PUDDING

• 1-1/2 cups cold water
• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice, washed
• 2 cups milk, divided into 1-1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the rice then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let simmer for 20 minutes until rice is tender and water has been absorbed.

Combine the cooked rice with 1-1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a clean saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until thick and creamy.

Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, beaten egg, and golden raisins. Then, while stirring constantly, cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until combined.

Serve warm.

BROWN RICE PUDDING

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice, washed
• 2 cups low-fat milk, divided into 1-1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine water and rice in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering until tender, about 45 minutes.

Combine cooked rice, 1-1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a clean saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of milk, beaten egg, and raisins. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Serve warm.

SUBSTITUTION: Use sugar-like sweeteners (ex. Splenda) instead of sugar by reducing 1/3 of the amount. (1/3 cups = 5 U.S. tablespoons and 1 U.S. teaspoon OR 16 U.S. teaspoons.) So around 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp of sweetener in place of the 1/3 cup white sugar.