FAQ

People like to come to me with questions, mostly because I love to answer them. Sharing facts with others is one of life's greatest pleasures for me. Most of these have nothing to do with the blog, myself, or the shop, but if you would like to see a question answered here shoot me an email!

Is this a cooking blog?

No.
This is a blog about life. Any thoughts, tips or stories I want to share with my friends, family and readers may show up here because I love to share interesting bits; good food just happens to be a recurring theme in my life. If I had to choose a category I would call this an Environmental/Sustainability blog, but part of the reason it is called Harmless Color is because I think every piece of your life should be something you love and that doesn't weigh you (or others) down.

Can I make buttermilk?

You can...kind of. For baking you can put 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) into a liquid measuring cup and then add enough milk to make one cup. For uncooked recipes such as frozen treats or salad dressings, this method doesn't work quite as well. Also, you will not be introducing any bacterial cultures by adding vinegar, so if cultured buttermilk is what you need, go ahead and buy it.

Do you compost?

Yes.
We try to stick with low-waste practices where we can, and minimize purchases we consider disposable (avoiding paper towels, swiffers, plastic cups, and plastic in general where glass or wood can be used). All non-meat/dairy food waste is composted in a galvanized bucket with a little dirt in the bottom and the lid askew for air circulation. When we go to our garden we bring it along and empty it into a compost pile. Our city has a single stream recycling program, and our "other garbage" amounts to one small bag every week and a half or so.

How can I get rid of these hiccups?

Someone told me that if you have someone hold your ears shut while you drinking a glass of water it will get rid of your hiccups, and it is the first remedy I have found that has worked every time I've tried it. The easiest way to perform this task is with a straw, or an assistant to hold your ears.

What kind of camera do you use?

Pre-Febuary 2011, most pictures were taken with my Kodak Easy Share v530. Some pictures are occasionally taken with Nathanael's camera, which is a FujiFinePix S6000xd, but most are now taken with my Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS. I attempt to take all pictures in natural light, but the fact that life takes place at all hours of the day (as does cooking), occasionally makes it necessary to capture photos under florescent lights. I know using an SLR would be great, but having something super portable and being frugal are both very important to me.

If you were marooned on an island and could only bring one color, which would you choose?

That is quite an imaginative scenario really. I once had a dream in which the land I walked in was entirely made up of shades of red, and everything was composed of giant rectangular pixels. It was kind of fun, but I wouldn't choose red. All of my favorite colors are item specific. So, despite having slightly more leaning toward orange and yellow in general, I more often wear blue and brown. I think God did pretty well making most things green. Plus, green is calming. So if it were just me, green, and an island, I think that would be ok. Though I would get hungry pretty quick...