Dirty Little Secret {Fruit Fly Trap}

So, there has been a battle raging in my home over the course of the last month or so. Me vs. the fruit flies. I'm not exactly sure where they came from, but we've noticed a few of the annoying little flies here and there in the kitchen. Annoying and impossible to smash (for something so small they are shockingly agile and anticipatory.), we've  just been dealing with them. However, yesterday, when I went to move the pineapple that was sitting on my counter ripening up a bit and a giant cloud of about 20 fruit flies went flying, I'd had it.  Apparently, these recent pineapple purchases have been the source of this nuisance (I know. It's what I get for buying non-local, out of season, fruit - a message from the universe, I guess.) 

Various retailers sell fruit fly traps and that's fabulous, but until Amazon.com can get something to my house in under an hour with one of their proposed drone delivery contraptions, it wasn't going to help the battle. I needed immediate action. A little research uncovered a completely easy and super safe and natural fix: apple cider vinegar and household dish soap. Yup, that's it. 

To create a trap, place a half inch or so of apple cider vinegar in a shallow container. This is the attractant for the fruit flies and will act as the agent of their ultimate demise. However, this liquid alone is not enough as the flies are light enough to sit on the surface of the vinegar without succumbing and ultimately drowning in the vinegar. To break that surface tension and make this vinegar a deadly trap, add one squirt/ pump of dish soap. Then, set this out and wait. Within 30 minutes of setting it on the counter, I'd captured 10 flies. Overnight, there were about 5 more caught. As of this morning, there were 3 of the best and brightest flies who were not enchanted by the tantalizing scent of apple cider vinegar. After a bit of work with the swatter, those 3 have also met their demise. I'm happy to say that we are fruit fly free!

File under good to know!

Happy Hunting!
sld

Easy as 1-2-3 {Shredded Chicken}

Fair reader, you may have already figured this out, but just in case you haven't, I'm fairly traditional when it comes to most things cookery-related. I like to cut up my own vegetables. I make my own crusts (okay, most of the time). I like to cook my own chicken for use in things like chicken salad or soups, etc. I like to make things from start to finish as much as I possibly can. Most of the time, I do these things without complaint as I see it is just part of the process.

In addition to a "do it my own damn self" attitude, add to that a healthy heap of "I'll believe it when I see it." So, when I heard faint whispers that there was an easier way to shred cooked chicken meat than my traditional, old school, two-forks-in-opposition method, I was skeptical. 

I decided to try out this rumored easy method that entails freshly cooked chicken breast meat, a Kitchenaid stand mixer with standard paddle attachment and about...oh....3 minutes of your time.

Here's what I did and what I will do forever more:

1. Cook your chicken breasts however you prefer: roasted in the oven, steamed, simmered in water, your choice. If skinless and boneless, you're good to go. If not, skin and pull meat from the bone.
2. Place still warm, cooked meat in the bowl of your mixer.
3. Drop paddle attachment and "mix" on about speed 2 for about 2 minutes. Pay attention because this happens very quickly and you can end up with "chicken pate" pretty darn quick. Stop mixer and voila!

I can say with complete confidence that I am a mixer-shred convert and you will never hear the tell-tale signs (nor the curse words) associated with the 2 fork method again. 

While I didn't try it myself, if you don't have a stand mixer, I'd be willing to guess that this would work (albeit a bit slower) with a hand mixer and beaters. I'll give that a whirl next go 'round and let you know. Or, maybe someone out there will test it out for us and report back.

Happy Cooking!

sld