I've never been in a home that has cloth napkins (or at least that were out and being used). It never occurred to me that they were a thing outside of a restaurants (stupid I know). But now I want to get some, because I know we'd cut down on our paper towel use.
I have a hard time getting people to use my cloth napkins. They tend to search around looking for paper ones, and then end up not using anything.
It absolutely kills my MIL that we have neither paper napkins not paper towels in our house
People freak out at my house because there are no paper plates, paper napkins, and paper towels. Dude use what I have and get over it. I don't go to your house and comment on all your paper products.
Post by downtoearth on Mar 4, 2015 11:21:57 GMT -5
We use a lot of napkins - sometimes I have to use a napkin and wet wipe on the toddler to clean his messy eating. So I try to use cloth napkins at most dinners and we have a lot (most don't match anymore) and we use one set of nice ones for dinner parties. But that doesn't mean we don't have paper napkins around from parties or b/c my mom always gives me holiday themed ones.
ETA: What surprises me is that people comment on cloth or paper? I don't think anyone has commented on that. I think most of my friends (granted, a majority are environmentalist hippies) and both our parents use cloth the majority of the time. But most everyone I know has some paper products on holidays or big events.
But I do get a little miffed about Solo cups for parties, but I've never said anything. For some reason all the plastic cups that people use DO bug me b/c cleaning glasses in a dishwasher is easy - plus we can't recycle those in our area, so it seems like a bigger waste and plastic is way less sustainable than forest/tree products.
It (weirdly) never occurred to me to use cloth napkins outside of restaurants and holidays until my MIL bought me a bunch of vintage Vera Neumann tablecloths and napkin sets--still in the original packages--at a garage sale several years ago. There's nothing holiday-ish about them and I wanted to use them, so they became every day table linens and I love them.
That and keeping a ton of cleaning rags around helped us all but break the paper towel/napkin habit; we pretty much only use paper towels for bacon and the most egregiously bad pet messes now.
Post by tacosforlife on Mar 4, 2015 11:37:18 GMT -5
We have cloth napkins, but I mostly bust them out for company. I don't use them daily.
My dad has this weird thing about wanting to use paper plates for just a sandwich or a snack or something. When he visited, we made sandwiches one day, and he kept saying, "Do you have any paper plates? No need to dirty up dishes." DUDE. It's a sandwich. I will put the plate in the dishwasher. Easy peasy. Why is that so hard?
We have paper plates, but we use them for parties like election night and Super Bowl, where I know I'm going to end the night exhausted and drunk and not wanting to clean. Not because it's 3pm and I find putting a plate in the dishwasher to be taxing.
And I'm with @majorwife on pancakes cooked in bacon grease, but I'll cop to microwaving the bacon sometimes on a weekday just for speed.
dont use paper towels for bacon. bake the bacon in the oven (and save the grease)
we have this and let tacosforlife back me up here in the amazingness of bacon grease cooked pancakes
I prefer bacon baked, but sometimes it's not practical. I don't use the oven in the summer. And with it just being the two of us, sometimes I just don't want heat up the house for four pieces of bacon, kwim?
ETA: don't limit your bacon grease usage to pancakes! That shit is fucking awesome for pretty much everything. Browning stew meat, Mexican rice (which is a flaming pain in the ass to do properly, but totally worth the effort), sauteing vegetables, so on and etc.
speaking of magical bacon grease, can you make roux with it instead of butter? Anyone? tacosforlife
OF COURSE.
How do you think I make sausage gravy when the sausage is too lean to give off enough fat?
I was thinking about macaroni and cheese. Made with bacon roux. I might have to try that this weekend; H is smoking ribs, so I'm practically obligated to make mac & cheese.
How do you think I make sausage gravy when the sausage is too lean to give off enough fat?
I was thinking about macaroni and cheese. Made with bacon roux. I might have to try that this weekend; H is smoking ribs, so I'm practically obligated to make mac & cheese.
We use cloth napkins and rags. I buy a roll of paper towels maybe twice a year for the really filthy stuff. I honestly can't remember the last time I bought napkins. Occasionally people will utterly refuse to take the cloth I am handing them and go for the paper towel instead. Drives me bonkers.
Does anyone have cloth napkins that they'd recommend? The ones I bought ended up having so many wrinkles when I washed them.
We use a lot of scrub towels. We have a ton of them and they serve as napkins, placemats, cleaning rags, dish towels, etc.
My mom recently bought me some that are meant to be wrinkled. They come with a tie and you just sort of twist and tie them after you wash and don't worry about the wrinkles. They actually look cute on the table too.
I have cloth napkins, but I made the mistake of buying white ones so they are stained and hideous. I feel my guests are much more appreciative of paper ones on the rare occasions they're needed.
That's what bleach is for.
We normally use cloth napkins unless it's a big get together and then we'll just throw regular paper napkins out just to make it easier.
This thread inspired me to throw some cloth napkins into my amazon cart. i am such a follower.
Speaking of being a follower, I started keeping bacon grease in a mason jar because of tacosforlife. I love it for sauteeing brussels sprouts. We eat them 1-2 times per week so I've essentially switched from sausage to bacon with our weekend eggs to keep the supply rolling.
This thread inspired me to throw some cloth napkins into my amazon cart. i am such a follower.
Speaking of being a follower, I started keeping bacon grease in a mason jar because of tacosforlife. I love it for sauteeing brussels sprouts. We eat them 1-2 times per week so I've essentially switched from sausage to bacon with our weekend eggs to keep the supply rolling.
Post by Velvetshady on Mar 4, 2015 11:59:01 GMT -5
I grew up always using cloth napkins. DH grew up using paper the majority of the time (except when the good china came out basically). He now using paper towels. I've gotten him to use cloth if we're sitting at the table to eat, but otherwise, he reaches for paper towels (while he almost exclusively uses rags for cleaning and I'll reach for the paper towels to clean).
Post by Scout'sHonor on Mar 4, 2015 12:00:25 GMT -5
I need to get some everyday ones so H and I cut down on the paper towel usage. And now I'm thinking ohow to explain to H that I want to start saving bacon grease...