Spring Plumbing Tips!

With Spring just around the corner now is a great time to give your house a look over. With Spring comes rain (and usually the snow melt) and possible pipe leaks. Think of this as an extension of your spring cleaning project (from a plumbers viewpoint). Some areas to check include bathrooms,kitchen, appliances, and other general locations as outlined below.

For the kitchen and bathrooms check all faucets for any leaks. Repairing these will help save water and money. Make sure you have strainers on each of your drains. Strainers prevent the buildup of hair and soap which can clog your drains. Check your toilets for leaks. A fast, inexpensive way to do this is to put a few drops of food coloring into your toilet tank. If there are leaks the food coloring will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. Turn your water supply valves off and on periodically. This will prevent them from getting stuck. Check your toilets to make sure they flush properly. If you have to hold down or jiggle the knob you should replace the parts of the toilet which are responsible for flushing. they don't cost much and you will save water and money. Clean your shower head using vinegar. this will remove mineral deposits and improve the flow of water.

Check the temperature of your water heater. Keep it at no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent burning. This will also help control your gas or electric bill. drain a few gallons of water from your water heater. This will remove any sediment buildup. If your water heater is greater than 15 years old you may want to replace it. New water heaters are very energy efficient. Check the water supply hoses on your dishwasher, ice maker and washing machine for any leaks or signs of wear or failure. As a precaution, replace them if they are older than 10 years. Check pipes under your sink for leaks. Make sure your sump pump is working properly if you have one. Install a back flow valve under your floor drain in order to prevent backups if you have a sewer where you live.

HAPPY PLUMBING!!

Chinese Scallion Pancake / Spring Onion Pancake

Whenever I visit Indian shops, I find these scallion pancakes in the frozen section. Once, I bought them along with flaky paratha(which I used for making vegetable kothu paratto) and found the procedure for making it is almost similar to flaky paratha.



After knowing this, I prepared them at home using all purpose flour and wheat flour. The authentic recipe calls only all purpose flour. but, you can use only wheat flour for making it. The taste willbe more or less same.



Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Idle Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 6 

Ingredients:



All purpose flour/ Plain flour/ Maida - 1 cup

Wheat flour/ Atta - 1 cup

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Hot Water - 3/4 cup - 1 cup

Oil - 2-4 tablespoons

Spring onion - 1 cup, finely chopped

Method:



1) In a mixing bowl, mix all purpose flour, wheat flour and salt.

2) Add water little at a time and make a soft dough. Knead it for 10 minutes to make smooth dough. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.

3) After 30 minutes, divide the dough into equal size balls.

4) Take one ball in a floured kitchen surface and roll it to approx.20 CM wide. Make sure the dough is not sticking with the surface.

5) Apply a teaspoon or 2 in the rolled dough's surface using a brush.

6) Sprinkle a tablespoon of spring onion in the oiled surface.

7) Then, fold it in a zigzag manner(like a chinese fan) and as shown in the picture. You can also roll it like a cigar/rug.

8) At the end, make swirl/snail form as shown in the picture. Press down lightly using your fingers.

9) Gently roll it to 1/8th thickness with 10CM wide.

10) Heat the skillet. When it is hot, place the rolled pancake to it.

11) When one side is cooked, flip to cook other side. Make sure the flame is low to avoid burning outside. Use oil to cook if necessary.

12) When both the sides are cooked, cut into wedges and serve hot with any of your favourite sauce.

Happy 7th Anniversary to Kitchen Exchange!

I have been spending quite a bit of time lately flat on my back...Impatiently recovering from knee surgery (a meniscus repair). There's nothing like extended sack time to give you time to ruminate on life, work and such, especially when the final outcome is not clear.

I don't think I've slept so much since I had the Hong Kong Flu at 15. Wild and crazy dreams too! Very unusual for me. I haven't regularly remembered my dreams in many years. They're quite entertaining. Must be the drugs.

Anyway, so here I am celebrating my 7th year doing this blog. Contemplating retirement and what comes after.

I have an invention idea I need to patent. It will revolutionize kitchen cleanup. I've had it stashed in the back of my mind for many years. I'm amazed that nobody else has thought of it in the interim.

Then there's my Top 10 Cabinet list idea. Really need to get on that too. So many of you keep asking when I will.

Thank you to all of you who keep reading Kitchen Exchange. Here's a toast to many more years of blogging for you.

Peggy