Useful Accidents.

On Monday afternoons, my daughter has gymnastics. That evening, I planned to make flatbreads for dinner but in order for that to happen on a gymnastics night, I needed to make the flatbreads the day before or the morning of, which I didn't. So after gymnastics, we made a quick stop at the store to pick up a pizza crust. I grabbed a package of thin crusts, and headed to the check-out with the kids. As I put our items on the belt, I realized that I had inadvertently grabbed two packages! I thought about putting the extra one back, but then decided I could just throw it in the freezer to have for next time.
Fast forward to dinner prep and I opened one of the packages of pizza crust. To my annoyance, it was moldy! As I opened the second one, I prayed it would be edible. And it was. The irony was not lost on me--if I hadn't accidentally grabbed that second package, and decided to keep it anyway, we'd be having a dinner crisis. And if I hadn't opened the moldy one first, it would be in the freezer right now, waiting to give me an unpleasant surprise the next time I decided to make a pizza!

So, what do you make of it? I always say: everything happens for a reason! (Needless to say, I made a quick run to the store this morning before work to return the moldy pizza crust...)

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Lessons of Adulthood

If you've ever read Gretchen Rubin, you are familiar with her Secrets of Adulthood--the seemingly small lessons we learn in the process of becoming an "adult." When I was a kid, or even in college, it seemed like my parents had a manual for dealing with life. In my ripe old age (not really--I'm only 36!), I realized that the manual is self-written. Every day, you learn a new rule when dealt a new challenge.

Here's what I learned yesterday, and don't laugh!

The dishwasher has a filter that can be removed and cleaned. 

Okay, so it's not a major revelation, but in some ways, it's a game-changer. My dishwasher hasn't been behaving efficiently. I thought it was just because it's not really a top-of-the-line dishwasher. But when I noticed some food stuck to the bottom of the dishwasher, I leaned in to remove it and noticed that it was actually stuck to the rim of something that had arrows indicating Open and Close. It was slick with grease, so I grabbed a towel and turned the rim. Out came a filter, the mesh coated with a thin layer of white grease and some soggy greens stuck to the inside. If ever there was a moment when you expect to see a light bulb literally appear over someone's head, this would've been the moment!

I gave it a rinse under the tap, and replaced the filter. I turned the dishwasher on this morning before I left the house, so we'll see if there's anything to be gained from this lesson!

Secret of Adulthood: Most appliances have mechanisms that allow for simple home maintenance to keep them running smoothly.

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