< /sarcasm >Item #3981 on the I-Wish-I'd-Been-
Briefed-On-This-Before-We-Moved-
To-Florida list: Pantry Pests.
Those who know me know that I am equal-opportunity when it comes to insectia. I hate them all. Seriously - I don't hate a lot of things, but I possess an all-consuming hatred for bugs. I never so much as set foot near the Entomology Department back in college (1). So, I'm really tired of throwing out flour, red spices, and chocolate. Turns out weevils have a palate for good dark chocolate and red chiles. Which, by the way, are surprisingly tasty together... We've had very few infestation episodes, if you will, and just thinking about the first (and worst) makes me want to barf. I nearly did while cleaning up after it. Anyhow, the spices went into the freezer after I found a jar of paprika filled with bugs *shudder*. And it's going to be a long time before I can stomach Raisin Bran again *mmmph*. I had to throw out some whole wheat flour and a box of chocolate sprinkles this weekend. I mean, it's just vile. Anyhow, I've had our stuff - flours, sugars - in ziploc bags, which just aren't working. Apparently, polyethylene is a staple of the weevil diet (in addition to my flour); they just bore right through.
Foul foul foul foul foul foul.
So I bought these completely-airtight canisters today, and that should be the end of that! I read loads of positive reviews for them on Chowhound and Epinions, but I was in Target this afternoon, where I discovered that the Michael Graves canisters are retread Click Clack containers. They fit entire bags of flour/sugar with room to spare. They're from New Zealand - admittedly part of their appeal. And - bonus! - they're cheaper than cooking.com's price (and shipping) on the originals, and I can drive them home today. Though I'd like to get more for cornmeal and other specialty flours. Maybe once I get my breadmaker back and have more impetus to replace my flours. By the way, I swear I don't work for this company. I'm just putting a lot of hope in them and their air-tight technology!
(1) where, it should be noted, at the university's annual Spring Fest, they would serve up mealworm stir-fry and chocolate-covered grasshoppers and other assorted six-legged "treats". *gag*
In other news, we're considering abandoning our landline to use our cell phones exclusively. The only people who call our house phone are from the phone company, to try to sell us more services we won't use. So, basically, we're paying $30 a month (mostly in taxes and other wonky fees) to give them this privilege. Is there any reason we shouldn't abandon it? It's just so twenty-first century.
Foul foul foul foul foul foul.
So I bought these completely-airtight canisters today, and that should be the end of that! I read loads of positive reviews for them on Chowhound and Epinions, but I was in Target this afternoon, where I discovered that the Michael Graves canisters are retread Click Clack containers. They fit entire bags of flour/sugar with room to spare. They're from New Zealand - admittedly part of their appeal. And - bonus! - they're cheaper than cooking.com's price (and shipping) on the originals, and I can drive them home today. Though I'd like to get more for cornmeal and other specialty flours. Maybe once I get my breadmaker back and have more impetus to replace my flours. By the way, I swear I don't work for this company. I'm just putting a lot of hope in them and their air-tight technology!
(1) where, it should be noted, at the university's annual Spring Fest, they would serve up mealworm stir-fry and chocolate-covered grasshoppers and other assorted six-legged "treats". *gag*
In other news, we're considering abandoning our landline to use our cell phones exclusively. The only people who call our house phone are from the phone company, to try to sell us more services we won't use. So, basically, we're paying $30 a month (mostly in taxes and other wonky fees) to give them this privilege. Is there any reason we shouldn't abandon it? It's just so twenty-first century.
We are thinking of doing the same thing, although how would we hear about all the free vinyl siding and tv dishes.... When I mentioned getting rid of the land line to my librarian, she suggested making a spread sheet of all the numbers in my cell phone just in case I lost it. Good advice and inter-library loans, who could ask for more?
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