I'm a lid influencer
Hi guys! Happy Monday to you!
We're gonna do a little miscellany to start off the week.
I'm a lid influencer
I'm doing influencing in real life. 😉 In an unplanned and sporadic campaign, I have been spreading the word on my hospital unit about the silicone Sophico lids for Pyrex containers. I told a fellow nurse about them months ago, she ordered some right there in the lunchroom, and she's been loving them ever since.
I told my nurse friend Brittany about them, and now she and her mom both have some.
Last week, I was sitting next to one of our nurse practitioners when I happened to spy her very cracked rectangular Pyrex lid, and I was like, "OHHHHHHH, I know just what you need!" She placed an order on the spot.
These lids are seriously so, so good; I will never go back. And I will never need to go back, because these lids last and last and last. Once you buy them, you are good to go, probably for life.
In fact, I've had my oldest ones since 2020, and they still look brand new. This is a case where spending a little more pays off in the long run.
Also for you thrifters: You know how lidless Pyrex containers are often on the shelves? You can pick those up, get some silicone lids, and you're all set.
(I always assume the lidless Pyrex is there because the donor's original lids cracked. And I am probably right. 😉 )
There are a bunch of shapes and sizes available, but here's an example of the round ones. Plus, you can even get the rectangular ones now.
Why I'm going part-time
Jana asked about this recently, so here's why in bullets:
- I'm tired! Full-time work plus school plus running a blog is a lot for one person
- Two shifts a week vs. three shifts still gives me plenty of opportunities to be a nurse
- I can still keep my health insurance benefits at two shifts a week
- I have to do some extra classes this fall to meet my scheduled graduation goal
- One less shift each week = less likelihood I will burn out on the nursing profession
- I do not need the full-time income to survive financially; I have my blog, and I am grateful!
Nursing is very flexible, and nothing is set in stone. I can always pick up more shifts if I want to, and I can always go back to full-time after I graduate if I want to.
But at least for right now, part-time is the right decision.
Four more weeks! 🙂
Tomato Soup: a non-recipe
Lots of you asked for my tomato soup recipe, and I am sorry to say that I do not have one!
I casually scrolled through some roasted tomato soup recipes online, got the basic gist, and then I tried it on my own.
I quartered some tomatoes and onions, tossed them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, put them on my toaster oven baking sheet, and roasted them until they were a little bit browned and very soft, maybe 25 minutes.
I should have thought to add some garlic cloves, but I didn't!
After the roasting, I blended them up with some chicken broth, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and called it good.
You could also mix in some cream or half-and-half at the end. And if you have a good blender (such as my Vitamix!), there's no need to peel the tomatoes; the roasted skins disappear with a good blending.
That's good to know about the lids! My mom still had a muted orange Tupperware set from the 70s or 80s and it's going strong. What a great idea to buy the lidless pyrex at the thrift store!
I am utterly confused by all the hating on the Pyrex lids. I've had several Pyrex cooking/storage sets of all shapes and sizes for more than 20 years and have never had a problem with the lids. Are people putting the lids in their dishwashers? The glass containers do fine in the dishwasher, but I've always hand washed and dried the lids.
I have faithfully hand washed and dried my lids, and STILL they all eventually cracked.
If your lids are the very old kind, you are probably having better luck with them because I believe the newer BPA-free ones are less resilient. But trust me, your no-cracking experience is definitely an exception!
Same here - I hand wash them and they crack anyway. Kristen, do you know if the silicone lids are freezer safe?
They definitely are freezer safe. Tried and tested here!
Yes, we put our Pyrex lids in the dishwasher. About the only thing that gets hand washed in our house is the Vitamix. We have the attitude of "let's see what happens." Maybe that's not the most frugal, but it saves us some time and energy.
I have bought replacement Pyrex lids a few times and they last for a few years. I haven't tried the ones Kristen recommends, but I probably will the next time I need to.
I don't put cooks knives or non- stick cookware in the dishwasher. It ruins knives and makes the cookware unsafe.
We've had one crack, and I replaced it with another Pyrex lid I bought on Amazon, but now I'll use the Sophico because they look easier to use--more flexible.
The Pyrex lids get brittle over time. We never put ours in the dishwasher, but we've had them at least 20 years, probably 30 or more! The one that cracked was the one that most often goes in the fridge--I think the cold has something to do with it cracking.
I had to replace one of the bowls when it got dropped and broke. I love this set, use it all the time!
I've handwashed mine and they've still split on sides for all sizes of my pyrex. I have been waiting to order the "new" better lids but will probably be ordering in the autumn. I'm so frustrated with the other kids because I'd ordered replacements a few times until I read of this option. I wonder if the ones you've had, JDinNM, were much better quality to start with and then they realized we need to join the whole planned obsolescence movement. Who knows! But I do know mine have been disappointing.
I don't have a dishwasher and mine cracked too..I had gotten thrifted bowls with cracked lids replaced them with new lids from Amazon and they cracked in about 2 1/2 yrs ("Anchor Hocking 30% Stronger Replacement Lid 2 x 7 Cup / 1.7 L / 1.75 qt, Red, Round, Improved").
I think silicone sounds like a great next solution!
I have not tried the lids but I need some so I may have to buy a couple.
I can our tomato soup in Sept. We use the Ball Zesty Tomato Soup recipe. It is a little on the sweeter side but it is the only one that I've found that you can can without adding extra acid to so that's the one we go with. If we are making it on the spot (which we rarely do), I just find one on-line that looks good. Usually, either way, we add cream to it as growing up I added milk to my Campbell's instead of water.
I have the Sophico lids for the 2 cup Pyrex bowls and I don't love them. I prefer Snap Ware but those lids take special bowls. I Pyrex bowls that are at least 35 years old. The lids for those (blue) do not fit tightly but they have not cracked whereas the newer lids (mostly red) fit better but crack. I think the Sophico lids are okay.
I am happy for you that you will be able to work your nursing job part time.
We bought the lids because of you! We also love them! They are wonderful. And I was just telling someone about them yesterday. My few old ones (that haven’t cracked) have started to smell funny. I even replaced my square baking dish ones with these lids. I wish they made a large one for my largest glass bowl.
I wonder if the silicone is not stiff enough to make a huge bowl lid...like maybe it would sag?
That’s probably true.
I love my Anchor Hocking Trueseal lids (interchangeable with Pyrex) - I've had them for at least a decade, with my husband using at least 3 a day, and none have ever broken. They're sort of bulkier, which might be what's helping them. However when I just went to google them, all that comes up are your Sophico-type lids - I wonder if these old school type Trueseals are still out there! I'm glad to know about the Sophicos if I need to get some extra lids - they look easier to store too.
I'll have to try your method for the soup. Thanks. (My walk through the garden/jungle yesterday showed that, if all goes well, we should have quite a few tomatoes to use up/can soon.)
I purchased those lids after you posted about them, I LOVE them! I have two sizes! and if I ever need anymore i will just order! I should order for my 1 cup ones.~
Congrats on going part-time! That will make things far, far less overwhelming and as you say, other than a lower income from that stream - obviously - it will not impact your longer term goals in any way!
Such freedom!
I checked out the lids when Kristen mentioned them before. My issue with them is that they cost more than a new set of containers with lids. Since they seem to last forever, that may change my mind about buying them over buying a new set.
They are not cheap, that is for sure. But they prevent you from buying new containers over and over, so they're less wasteful.
Pyrenees glass has changed over years, too. Newer is not oven safe. I can't remember we're the different names of Pyrex. So I'd keep your set!
I also bought the lids because you recommended them! 🙂
I am so glad your life is going well. No one deserves happiness more than you do. The soup sounds delicious. But I like TJ's tomato soup. And TJ's is a one block walk from my apt.
I say, keep eating the soup you like! I just made this version because I had a bunch of tomatoes that I needed to use up. 🙂
I also tried the lids based on your recommendation after multiple orders of Pyrex replacement lids resulted in more cracked lids. We actually use these things, people! I purchased a few Sophico lids to try out and we like them. The new ones I ordered for my daughter’s thrifted Pyrex are even sturdier than my old ones, not as floppy, which is nice for stacking dishes in the fridge. I would say Sophico has improved on an already great product!
Yup! I was so tired of my Pyrex replacement lids cracking, even when I babied them by consistently hand washing them.
Anyone know if these would work with Corning bowls? Those white serving/storage bowls lids have cracked, thankfully I still have the glass lids so I haven’t given them away.
Random stuff for me. I got a good sized loan on Friday and paid off all my credit cards, Michael's card, Norco, electric bill, and anything else that needed to be paid.
Grateful for the job that allowed me to improve my credit score and get the loan.
My pureed tomato soup is really simple; just onion, garlic, celery, carrots, canned tomatoes, water, and a bay leaf, salt, and pepper. I sometimes add basil and oregano, but I go light to avoid feeling like I'm eating a bowl of tomato sauce. I added a handful of red lentils last time, which frankly didn't blend well with my hand-blender.
Our "house recipe" for tomato soup is a non-blended tomato-lentil. It's vegetarian and is hearty from dried mushrooms and lentils and I eat it all fall and winter :)--
You know what? I need to try making lentil soup. I used to be married to a legume-hater, so my lentil soup skills are very not up to snuff.
Welcome to legume-land! Here are my two favourite lentil soups, for your consideration:
Tomato-lentil:
Soak a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water, set aside. Saute one onion, one carrot, 2 stalks of celery until soft, with salt. Add one large can of diced tomatoes (or pureed, if that's your preference,) plus the water from the mushrooms. Chop up and add the mushrooms, discarding the toughest stems. Add one bay leaf, ground black pepper, and about 1/2-1 cup dried green or brown lentils (NOT the red ones.) Add 2-4 cups of water. Simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20-30 minutes.
Middle-eastern-style lentil:
Saute one onion, one carrot, 2 stalks celery, and 1-2 cloves of garlic, with salt. Add 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. coriander, 1/2 tsp. paprika, and ground black pepper. Add 4 cups of water, 1 cup red lentils (or green or brown, but red is nicest here,) 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. oregano. Simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle on parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
I make these on repeat in the cold weather. Fantastic for taking for lunch with some bread, and an excellent candidate for batch-cooking and freezing in portions.
Thank you!
Does anyone have suggestions for snapware lid replacements? For me, those lids break sooner than Pyrex, and a single replacement costs almost as much as the original set. I’d rather do silicone but not sure if that would work with the snapware containers.
I just googled it, as the tabs on one of my lids are broken. Pyrex does have a limited warranty on the Snapware lids. From the website: “Corelle Brands LLC promises to replace this SNAPWARE® plastic lid and vessel if it is found to have a defect in materials or workmanship during the LIFETIME of the product. The foregoing warranties apply only to products damaged during normal household use.” It looks like you need to upload specific photos. If they qualify, they’ll send replacements. Good luck!
I'm not terribly proud of this but I ordered some similar lids years ago and they ended up sitting in the cupboard; I either use a plate on a bowl or foil for storing leftovers or put lunch in a specific pyrex box with a lid or a lunchbox. However, I'm thinking of mixing lunch up a bit so maybe I'll use some of them for smaller boxes.
Going part time makes perfect sense!
Re: containers and lids: Call me old-fashioned, which I certainly am, but I'm loyal to my collection of Corning Ware in various sizes--rattly glass lids and all. When I'm taking something in Corning Ware to a dinner with the Bestest Neighbors or NDN1's CF, I use some blue masking tape to secure the lids.
And re: Kristen's going part-time with nursing: You go, girl! Your reasons are excellent.
Oh yes, I love the vintage all-glass containers!
I am old-fashioned as well as I have a nice collection of old original Corning Ware. I love that they can be used stovetop/oven/broiler/microwave. The same cannot be said for newer pieces. I use them for everything.
You are a lid influencer in my life! I find the Pyrex containers in the free box all the time. Those lids are wonderful.
If you evaluate your life using the Holmes-Rahe stress test from the '60s, you life events, not taking in acct the years long effects of those stressors, your number is high. I'm aware that this cursory look at someone's life stressors does not take in account a person's measures to reduce stress such as Thankful Thursdays, forest bathing, exercise, yoga, journaling, blogging... I am so proud of you in stepping back. So smart!
I do exactly what you do for roasted tomato soup, only I add a chopped carrot and small beet, when they are done roasting I add a pile of parsley, spinach or kale that wilts while they are cooling before adding to the blender. I do add 1/2 & 1/2, a broth block and chili pepper flakes. So good cold on hot days! Go to Priscilla and Chelsea's yard sauce YouTube video. Just search for "yard sauce recipe".
Thank you for answering about going part time! All your reasons make excellent sense. This is another unspoken benefit to frugal living, living within (or below) one’s means—no need to push ourselves to exhaustion and burnout in order to keep up with lavish lifestyles.
I agree with Jana. Life is too short. Being able to go part time is a giant victory and great example to all that frugality is not just about saving money. Frugality gives you freedom and the choice to focus on what is important. As a teacher, I was able to work 3 days a week for 14 years to spend more time with my growing son.
You influenced me! I am in this moment reading and eating my breakfast out of a Pyrex with a Sophico lid! I have also bought some for my mom and sisters. I have only replaced my 2 cup containers (used the most) and need to do some larger ones when I see a sale. Thank you!!
I actually bookmarked a post of yours about the silicone lids over a year ago to be ready when my original lids began to crack and I ended up buying some a couple of months ago. I love these silicone lids!
I have some stretchy silicone lids I bought at an estate sale years ago. I love them, and they’ve saved me from using plastic wrap. I’ll follow your link to see if there are any lids that will fit my square Pyrex baking dishes. I also have quite a few flat disk type bowl covers that fit a variety of bowls, and even my square Pyrex (if I don’t mind the round edges hanging over).
As a kid, my family were masterminds at avoiding the use of plastic wrap, and we used plates over bowls, or bowls over plates, or cutting boards over casserole dishes. You get the idea. My dh comes from a plastic wrap family. (So you can see what is in the dish.) His mother was rather persnickety about the matter, and this was a point of strife in our early marriage! DH’s family thought I was raised by barbarians. Hehe.
I want to be influenced, but it looks like they don't make lids for the size I need! Are there any other brands that make good silicone lids for smaller rectangular Pyrex containers?
I like your tomato soup recipe! Mine is similar. My husband is always amazed at how we can go from having "nothing" in the fridge to a healthy, hot meal.
For mine, I am more likely to have canned tomatoes in the pantry or frozen tomatoes in the freezer. I saute together onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and any other odds and ends in the produce drawer that need using up (tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms . . .). Then I add seasonings, canned or frozen tomatoes, and chicken broth and pulverize it all with my emersion blender. Some times I add milk or cream to finish it off. De-lish!
This is a really good tomato soup recipe, if you’re looking for an actual recipe; plus, it’s vegan. I’ve used it for years. I’m dairy-free, so I either don’t add anything at the end or stir in some non-dairy cream of some kind… sorta, ala Kristen and her half & half.
https://cowgirlcreamery.com/blogs/our-table/sidekick-tomato-soup?srsltid=AfmBOoqrlh0mNfjE0zNrw00myWC1o4v0ZwgJrNnkcWqGXVSC9Em3rkhM
Thank you for the tomato soup recipe. I wrote it down and will make it.
Lidfluencer was right there!
I ordered some of those silicone lids and I may be the exception… 🙁 sadly they do NOT work for me. I have gone back to ordering replacement plastic ones, at least they work for a while.
Oh man, what went wrong with them for you?
I love that fresh tomato soup can be made in so many ways. My method was shared by one of my brothers-in-law, who is a fantastic cook. I don't roast my tomatoes, onions, etc., though I think that sounds good, too. Just chunk up fresh tomatoes, onions, a bell pepper (if I have one; any color works); heat some oil in a big pan (like Dutch oven-size) and cook the chunked up vegs until the onions look soft. and add some minced garlic (fresh or jarred). Add broth (or water, or broth with a dash of wine, or tomato juice, etc), add fresh basil that you've roughly torn up, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want. Heat through, simmer a bit, then use either an immersion blender or a "regular" blender to basically puree the soup. Add cream or half and half, just a little bit, if you want it more creamy. Can eat hot or cold. YUM!
I didn't specify - a largish handful of torn basil leaves. Can add chopped up carrot or celery to the veg mix that is cooked in the big pot.
Congratulations on going part time! As a nurse for the last 25 years going part time is the way to go. It decreases burnout and allows you to be a better nurse.
EXACTLY. A less-burnt-out me will give better care when I am at work. 😉
Yes, 1000% to all of this. I've been a nurse for 20 years (wow, I hadn't done that math before and now I feel old/experienced) and an FNP for 15 years, and I strongly recommend people in healthcare not work full time (if possible financially or otherwise) due to burnout risk. I especially feel that way about the 1.0 FTE jobs I see posted. Even a 0.8 FTE position gives you much more breathing room to have a life outside of work.
I think you are really wise to go part time especially at the beginning of your nursing career. Congrats that it is coming soon-ish!
Thanks for the soup recipe!!
I have a recipe for homemade tomato soup that has you add a teaspoon of baking soda at the end (for a large pot quantity). It foams up and looks like it will explode out of the pot, but it smooths out the flavor without making the soup taste too sweet. My daughter and I have geographic tongues and acidic foods sometimes cause our tongues to hurt, but this really helps.
I am really happy to know your baking soda trick because I don't like adding in sugar to tomato-based soups and often feel like it ends up too sweet. Looking forward to trying this.
You're a lidfluencer!
Hehe, yes I am!
I bought those on your recommendation too!
I dont have the lids but I'm going to order them for my rectangle pyrex. I've them forever but the lids aren't tight anymore. I dont like round for frig storage. Thanks for the info.
I ordered some after you posted about them on your blog, and told my SIL who did the same.
I have those lids and they work great, but I don't use the containers for work as they make my lunch kit fairly heavy and bulky. They are, however, great for reheating leftovers and using in a toaster oven. I haven't made tomato soup recently - maybe in the fall! But I don't follow a recipe either. Soup is so forgiving. When it gets cooler outside (we are into 100 degree days), I am going to make potato soup from memory. (:
On your recommendation, I got Sophico lids. And then more lids, and more! And recently the rectangular lids, because the originals leaked my marinade everywhere. The Sophico rectangles do not leak at all! My new favorites are the two gallon bags, which hold many things. And just got three-gallon bags, which conveniently hold a large Papa Murphy's pizza! I LOVE Sophico!
You *are* a lid influencer! I remember when you first posted about these silicone lids many years ago. I went out and bought replacement lids that very day, and I still use them!
I like to roast tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. I've also added zucchini and/or carrots before. I char mine a little more than you, but even just roasted soft and lightly brown works.
I blend it thick with a little water. I use this like tomato sauce for pasta or in recipes(like chili).
For soup I think it w water or broth.
I'm not a big raw tomato person except for salsa. This was a way to not waste tomatoes. My grandma grows a garden every year and I sometimes get tomatoes in a discount veggie box.