Wartmann WM-1507 SV Sous Vide Stick

Until last Tuesday I had never heard of sous vide cooking. Probably most readers here don't have a clue either. Well it simply means putting food in a sealed or even vacuum sealed plastic bag, then cooking or precooking it in water of a certain but constant (under boiling) temperature. Apparently the technique has existed for decades and has been used by professional cooks, only more recently devices were developed to make it accessible for private homes. What this looks like to me is just a highly improved immersion heater with a temperature controller that on top makes the water swirl around. What the last adds to the cooking is beyond me, as the food is in plastic anyway. Plastic floating balls prevent too much evaporating of the water.

And I just can't believe it! Here we are in 2025 and we want to move towards a plastic free world, but now we have to cook in plastic bags to preserve vitamines or to keep meet more succulent! Well, one, there are other ways to cook veggies preserving all nutrition. How about braising? And if you don't know how to properly fry meat perhaps you should take a class...

Anyway long story short. I went cycling around a bit, on my way to something anyway, but keeping my eyes open for textiles, plastic and electrical stuff for recycling. Afternoon before trash night. Well, so many people these days days don't wait for it. Had to make a detour because my usual route was blocked by a moving truck. Found the box neatly placed by the underground dumpster with the bag of isolation balls next to it. I still had no clue what it all was but loaded it up and came to the conclusion above after internet research.

After a quick but thorough test I was convinced the shiny brand new looking thing was not a Monday morning product so I photographed it on Wednesday morning, listed it in the evening at €50, but bids open from 40. Within two hours first reaction, possible buyer asked for guarantee which I didn't have of course. Hour later he payed the 50, using the direct buy option of the site. Shipped yesterday morning, arrived this afternoon. By now he must have tried out the thing. Though no confirmation about that yet I had no complaints, so I take it it works all right for him. I'm just weary of products, even though shiny new, with so much computer chip electronics in them.

So I made a great sale on something I don't approve of. It's hard to change the world and in the mean time I can use the money. At least it found a destination, and where I don't even want to use use plastic bowls in my microwave because of the possible issueing of Pfas in my food anyone else is free too choose how and with what they cook.

Make-Up

A few weeks ago I took home a small plastic bag with textiles to sell at kilo price at the recycling center. Found various empty medicine or vitamine pots on the bottom. Good for the plastic recycling. Plus one full pot of vitamine/energy pills, not expired, that I'm using up. I don't really believe in it, but it looked trustworthy so a least it won't harm.

And further there was this small lot of make-up.

I understand the attraction of cosmetics to women, as I have been a victim of it in the past. But not for that long and never did I have to throw away anything totally untouched like these. As I see at least three foundation powders I wonder why you'd buy the new box before even touching the old one... I would have used up the blusher and eye-shadow to the last grain in my time! Shimmer sheets didn't exist back then so I have no clue what they are good for but the plastic wrap is unsealed.

The boxes seem old and were dusty and I just wiped them off lightly. Since not selling on the markets anymore these went to thrift shop today and I didn't care to do more work. Powders don't decay and I'm sure priced at €1 each they'll be gone soon.

Today I made a very nice sale on a piece of electrical equipment that I picked up yesterday. But as I still have to ship it and wait for customer satisfaction I'll show it later on.

Planters and Plant Boxes Part 2

My garden needs some work, but so far outdoor temperatures have not been constant so it's a challenge to get really started. Now not really in short of a lot of good pots, coming home two days ago from work around 8.30 pm, still light, I found these next to the underground dumpsters a few streets away. And all packed up in a large thin plastic bag with handles, so easy to transport home on my bike (though having to push it, walking).

But in the mean time I sowed more vegetables than past years and I don't know yet where all the little sprouts coming up in my indoor grow boxes shall go. So it is nice to have a bit more stock to choose from.

The tin bowls will make great bird and bee baths, replacing messy and smaller plastic ones that are less suitable for the purpose.

This weekend promises very agreeable weather and I'm off Saturday. That and the 'new' stuff should get me going.

And sure my mint plant could use a replacement. It came up spontaneously a few years ago and has thrived since in the same pot. But I'm thinking about giving it the larger grey one left side in the picture, so it will thrive more.

If you're curious about part 1 curb found planters read it here. 

Tea Cozies Part 2

Today I felt very lucky because I sold one of my old hand crafted pieces.

A week ago I met a lady at the thrift shop who was asking for a tea cozy. The model that fits over the pot and that you could put on your head as well, haha. The fun is nine out of ten guys that ever looked at my creations wanted to put it on their head. Coming to the point she needed it for a sketch to put on as a hat. Not finding anything anywhere she came to the shop. Well in ten years I've seen maybe two coming in. So I told her about my old hobby and promised to look at home at what I still had. Not really sure. To my surprise I found this one in the first corner I tried, including the pot but without the lid. Can't remember but likely broken at a market or transporting back from one. She came back today and was thrilled! I asked €5 and she offered €7,50. 

I stuck €1 on the pot and left it for the shop to sell.

Not much for my work, (imagine, I used to sell little flowers like this €2,50 a piece as brooches or hair clips) but on the other hand an item 15 years old is financially written off. And the thing is this was really made from unraveled curb found knitwear. 

Then when walking the lady out and wishing her success with the show I spotted the shop/volunteer coordinator and wanted to show him my item. What did he say? 'I want to see how that looks on my head!'

Now read more about my tea cozies here: https://trashcollector.blogspot.com/2010/01/tea-pots-and-tea-cozies.html

How I loved to design and make them. But it's just not a product people want. Sold one on Etsy, custom made. Soooo long ago. The model 'pagode' that I talk about in the post sold to my brother. Photo so old it's not in my laptop. Hopefully maybe still on a diskette. If I find it will show later. This one here I found in an old file called 'sold'. Just can't remember when or where!            

And then to my surprise I found this one. Same model, made for same pot, same material but with a knitted bow. Where did it go? I can't remember. But if file says sold it must have been sold.

Watches

Looking for the old party hats photo's from my last post I stumbled upon these watches that I never showed before. A find from 2016 but I remember it well. In clear day light a young expat leaving the country unplanned (I guess) to go home or move on left some very nice stuff on the curb. I know because while loooking at the music books (that I did post about before) he came back to bring more. One thing I remember was an electric screwdriver, but I let a neighbour also looking have it.

However it's not so easy to sell watches. On the Dutch 'Ebay' you have to pay for the listing and you need to know enough about them. I managed once on anoher selling site where it is without costs, but I think that one came from giveaway shop. Among these I decided in the end only the gold plated Casio would be worth trying (as the silver coloured is incomplete). But I never did. Through the years I sent the other four to the thrift shop. The Casio somehow collected dirt while lying around and when I finally cleaned it the gold plate was slightly damaged. And so that one went to thrift shop as well somewhere last year. Sure fire I made someone very happy.

King's Day Hats

I must have found these somewhere 2016.  In the colours of our Dutch flag, red, white and blue, but with the orange brim they are a typical thing to wear on the national celabration, King's Day. I photographed them in december to sell for the celbration in 2017. Without success. Yet I sold one on a market once, but forgot when or where. It can't have been on the free market on the day itself as shifting a few days earlier after Queens Day April 30since 2013, it had always been too cold for me and my friend to go for it. Sure thing is I got no more than €0,50.

With the day coming up this Saturday I dug up the remaining three and brought them to the thrift shop. Happy to make place. Though from moving around and storage their condition has slightly deteriorated, I saw one regular customer falling for their specialty. It's real straw, hand made, vintage and nothing like Chinese cheap plastic that is sold commercially. He happily walked out with two paying €1 each.

Now I'm going to post a Facebook message for the shop hoping the last one will go tomorrow. If not so be it. But the the sale made my day today.

Aeschynanthus Mona Lisa

Somewhere last summer looking for new vegetable pots I picked up one with a dried out plant from in front of the door just for that. Next day at closer look the pot wasn't that useful but the plant wasn't so dead yet. With two tiny green leaves in between the dry branches I poured some water in and left it in the yard where it was. To my surprise it started to grow quickly. In autumn I took it in in and by then it had grown by at least six centimeters. The munching away from the first growing leave by some insect didn't hurt aparently. Without further care to my surprise a couple of weeks ago I found something red sprouting from the center. Never in my lifetime I managed to grow or regrow flowers on a succulent!

About time to find out more. Lucky the name is on the pot! It turns out Aeschynanthus Mona Lisa does not want too much light, so just perfectly placed by my back window in my groundfloor apartment.

This is how the flowers, now on my plant still in development, in the end will look like.

Later on I will have to give it a bigger pot and fresh earth, but for now I must leave it alone untill it gets stronger. I'll add some soil on top, give plant feed and remove the dry branches. And then hopefully it will become like this: an abuntlantly growing hanging plant.