There is a cabin in my dreams, to which I often go
Sometimes amid the autumn leaves or nestled in the snow.
It's close beside a crystal stream, where I often swim.
And there are deer, that never mind , when I'm watching them,
There is a cabin in my dreams, rustic, quaint,and small.
And yet I feel when I am there, I surely have it all.
It has two windows, through which the sunlight streams.
And when the dusk falls, the honeysuckle drifts into my dreams.
There is no need to lock the door, No one lives out this far.
And I do very well without a bus or a car.
I've spent some happy hours on that bench beneath the trees.
My homemade bread is sweetened with wild honey from the bees,
Because one cannot see it , doesn't mean it isn't there.
It is my secret refuge, from a world so full of care, within it's walls an atmosphere, of true simplicity.and we all are one , who dwell , within.
My little black dog and me.
A child's eagerness to assist in any project varies in inverse proportion to his ability to actually do the work involved
Leftovers always expand to fill all available containers plus one
A newly washed window gathers dirt at twice the speed of an unwashed one
The availability of a ball-point pen is
inversely proportional to how badly it is needed
The same clutter that will fill a one-car garage will fill a two-car garage
Three children plus two cookies equals a fight
The potential for disaster is in direct proportion to the number of TV remote-controls divided by the number of viewers
The number of doors left open varies inversely with the outside temperature
The capacity of any water-heater is equal to one and a half sibling showers
What goes up must come down, except bubble gum and slightly used cereal
Fast and easy way to peel tomatoes, put in boiled water for 1 minute take out and put in cold. The skins will slip off.
To keep cookies fresh and crisp in the cookie jar, is to add a crumbled up tissue paper in the bottom of the jar.
Keep a toothbrush around the kitchen sink, it will come in handy to clean, rotary beaters, graters, choppers, strainers, any many more objects.
When your hands are stained from gardening, add a tsp. of sugar to the soapy lather you wash them in.
Just before you empty the bag in your vacuum cleaner, sprinkle or spray water on the newspaper into which it is emptied, and there will be no scattering of dust.
To whiten lace, wash them in sour milk,
To remove burned on starch from your iron, sprinkle salt on a piece of wax paper and run iron back and forth over it.
Dip a new broom in hot salt water before using, it will toughen the brisitles and make it last alot longer.
Try waxing your ashtrays.Ashes will not cling, oders won't linger, and all you have to do is wipe them out with a tissue.
Plant a few sprigs of dill near your tomatoe plants to prevent tomatoe worms on your plants
Marigolds will prevent rodents
Spray garbage sacks with ammonia to prevent dogs and animals from tearing into the sacks.
You can clean those darkened aluminum pans by boiling 2 tsp.of cream of tarter mixed in a quart of water. 10 minutes will do it.
Fresh lemon will take away onion smell from your hands.
Wash old powder puffs in soap and water, dry and then they can be used to polish,silverware,copper,and brass.
Soak new colored cottons in salt water over night and then they will not fade.
To drip -dry garmets faster and with less wrinkles,hang over the top of a dry cleaners plastic bag
If a cracked dish is boiled for 45 minutes in sweet milk the crack will be weld together and will hardly be visible, and will be as stong as new.
Peel onions under the exhust fan over the stove to prevent the tears.
When cleaning strawberries use a straw to poke the green stems in and out the other ends and then wash.You have the perfect berry with no stems.
Prevent wilting and sogginess by drying the greens being used in the salads.
A large roast can be carved easier after it stands for about 30 minutes,
To preserve left over egg yokes for future use put in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of salad oil. and place in the refrigerator to keep them soft and fresh
To keep the eggs from crumbling when slicing hard boiled eggs, wet the knife before each slice.
A tablespoon of vinegar added to the water when poaching eggs will help set the whites so they will not spread.
When cooking eggs it helps to prevent cracking if you wet the shells in cold water before placing them in boiling water.
Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg crackes during boiling. It will seal the egg.
When you boil eggs put a big tablespoon of salt to the water and the eggs will not crack.
Set eggs in a pan of warm water before peeling them as this will releases all white from the shells.
If you want to make a pecan pie and you have no nuts, add crushed cornflakes. They will rise to the top the same as nuts and have a delicious flavor and crunchy surface.
For crispy french fries let the raw potatoes soak in cold water for half hour before you fry.They will not get mushey.
When cooking cabbage place a small tin cup of vinegar in the center of the pan of cabbage and there will be no oders.
You will get more juice from lemons if you soak them in boiled water for 5 minutes before you squeeze it.
For pretty fruits deserts dip your banannas and apples in lemon juice before hand, they will not turn dark and the faint lemon flavor adds to it.
A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the tops of soups and stews. Remove and throw away right away.
When measuring oil and butter run the spoon under hot water first and it will not stick onto spoon for a more accurate measure,
Chill cheese to grate easier.
A small flat can like tuna comes in , if opened from both ends makes a perfect mold for poaching eggs.
Use the divider from the ice tray to cut biscuits in a hurry.Shape dough to conform with the size of the divider and cut.After baking biscuits will seperate at dividing lines.
Try using thread when slicing hot cake instead of a knife.
Experience is the best teacher in choosing quality ,but here are a few pointers when buying
Asparagus-Stalks should be tender and firm, tips should be close and compact.Choose the stalks with very little white,these are more tender.The longer you wait and store them the more tough they get.
Beans-Snap-Those with small seeds insides the pods are best.Avoid any bean with dry looking pods.
Berries-Pick the plump, solid berries with good color.Berries such as blackberries and raspberries with clinging caps may be under ripe. Strawberries with no caps may be too ripe.
Broccoli,Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower-Flower clusters should be tight and close together. Sprouts should be firm and compact. Smudgy, dirty spots indicate insects.
Cabbage and Head Lettuce-Choose the heads heavy for size.Avoid cabbage with worm holes , lettuce with discoloration or soft rot.
Cucumbers-Choose long slender cucumbers for best quality. May be dark or medium green but yellowed ones are not good.
Melons-In cantalopes, thick close netting on the rind indicates best quality. Cantaloupes are ripe when the stem scar is smooth and space between the netting is yellow or yellow green . They are best to eat when fully ripe with a fruity odor. Honeydews are ripe when the rind has a creamy to yellowish color . Immature honeydews are whitish green.Ripe Watermelons have some yellow color on one side .If melons are white or pale green on one side , they are not ripe.
Oranges, Grapefruit, and Lemons-Choose those heavy for their size.Smoother , thinner skins indicates more juice. Oranges with a slight greenish tinge may be just as ripe as a fully colored one. Light or greenish -yellow lemons are more tart than deep yellow ones.Avoid citrus fruits showing withered , sunken, or soft areas.
Peas and Lima Beans-Select pods that are well filled . Avoid dried, spotted, yellowed, or flabby pods.
Rooted Vegetables- Should be firm and smooth. Fresh carrots tops mean fresh carrots.
Sweet Potatoes- Porto Rico and Nancy Hall varieties with bronze to rosy skins are soft and sweet when cooked. Yellow and light brown ones of the Jersey types are more firm and moist.
Seven-Up Cake
1 box lemon supreme cake mix
1 box pineapple or vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1, 7 oz. seven up pop
combine all ingredients, bake at 375° for 40 minutes in a tube pan.
Topping for the cake:
1 can crushed pineapple not drained
1½ cup sugar
2 eggs beaten 1 stick butter
2 tablespoon flour
combine all ingredients
cook over low heat, cool,
add 1 cup coconut.
mix well spread all over a hot cake
CROCKPOT PORK CHOPS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE
(makes 6 to 8 servings)
Ingredients:
8 to 10 small, thick porkchops
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp sage
1 can (12 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
Instructions:
Trim the excess fat from the chops and use it to grease a large skillet.
Over high heat, brown each chop lightly on both sides.
Salt and pepper each as it finishes and place it in the crockpot.
Add the sage. Turn the soup (undiluted) and the onion flakes into the still hot skillet.
Scrape the pan juices and turn them into the cooker.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours.
Ingredients:
1 chicken cut up, or your favorite pieces (I use thighs and legs -- about 2 pounds worth)
1 jar anybody's spaghetti sauce
dried oregano, garlic salt, or other additives
1 crock pot
1 full working day
Instructions:
1.Cut chicken into pieces, if needed.
2.Dump chicken pieces into crock pot.
3.Dump 1 jar spaghetti sauce over chicken.
4.Shake dried oregano and garlic salt (or your other favorite additives to spaghetti sauce), to taste.
5.Put lid on crock pot and turn the pot on LOW.
6.Have a nice day, don't worry, be happy.
7.Come home, fix a pot of rice or pasta, maybe a salad, and a loaf of french bread.
8.CAREFULLY remove the chicken from the crock pot to a serving platter (it's tender and will fall apart at the slightest provocation),
Then spoon the leftover liquid into a gravy boat or whatever you serve spaghetti sauce in.
9.Fight over who gets the top pieces with all the oregano and garlic salt piled on top.
LAYERED VEGGIE DISH
(Servings: 8)
Ingredients:
6 potatoes -- sliced
1 large onion -- sliced
2 carrots -- sliced
1 green pepper -- sliced
1 zucchini -- sliced
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
Optional Vegetables:
mushrooms
broccoli
green beans
Sauce:
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup tamari, low-sodium
1 tsp thyme -- ground
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp basil
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sage
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
Instructions:
Layer vegetables in large casserole in order given.
Mix together ingredients for sauce and pour over vegetables.
Cook six hours at high or 12 at low.
(makes 6 servings)
Ingredients:
6 medium tart red apples
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup golden seedless raisins
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1/4 cup soft butter
2 cups very hot water
3 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
Instructions:
Wash, core and stem the apples, but don't peel them.
Stand them in a buttered mold and stuff them with 2/3 cup of the brown sugar, the raisins and the orange peel.
Fill the tops of the core cavities with butter and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops.
Place the mold in the slow cooker and pour the hot water into the cooker.
Sprinkle the orange juice concentrate over the apples.
Cover the cooker and cook on Low for 3 to 5 hours, or until the apples are tender.
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups well mashed, overripe banana (2 or 3 bananas)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
With the electric beater on low, fluff the shortening in a small bowl, until soft and creamy.
Add the sugar gradually.
Beat in the eggs in a slow stream.
With a fork, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture,
1/2 the bananas
another 1/3 of the flour mixture,
The rest of the bananas
then the last of the flour mixture.
Fold in the walnuts.
Turn into a greased and floured baking unit or a 2 1/2 quart mold and cover.
Place on a rack in the slow cooker.
Cover the cooker, but prop the lid open with a toothpick or a twist of foil to let the excess steam excape.
Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Serve Warm.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
This combination of ham, potatoes, cheese and corn is wonderful, plus it's a great way to use leftover ham.
5 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
In a 3-1/2 to 4 quart crockpot slow cooker, combine potatoes, ham, corn, pepper and onion; mix well.
In small bowl, combine soup, milk and flour; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix.
Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Makes 6 (1-1/2 cup) servings. This classic cooks unattended in the crockpot and freezes beautifully.
1 1/2 pounds stew beef -- cubed
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups hot water
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 each onion -- coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 each bay leaf
2 each potatoes -- cubed
3 each carrots -- sliced
2 each celery ribs -- sliced
Place flour, salt and pepper in a paper bag. Add beef cubes, a few at a time, and shake until coated. Brown meat, in batches, in oil in a large, heavy dutch oven. Place meat cubes in a crockpot as they are browned. Add all remaining ingredients to crockpot, stir, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (Note: if doubling recipe, use a large 5 quart crockpot) This is not really a main dish, but a painless way to obtain cooked chicken for salads, casseroles, etc. An added bonus is the several cups of double strength chicken broth. Juicy, tender, flavorful chicken and a very rich broth for very little of your time.
1 Onion, sliced
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Celery rib, sliced
1 large Chicken, 5 lbs or more
1/2 c Chicken broth or water
Place sliced vegetables in the bottom of the crockpot. Sit cleaned chicken on top, neck up. If you wish you may season with herbs, pepper, etc, but this is not necessary. Pour broth over, cover and cook on low 8 or 9 hours.
Remove chicken from pot and let cool until easy to handle. Meanwhile, strain stock and defat. This stock is double strength, so mix with equal parts water for use. Remove chicken from bones and cut into pieces sized appropriately for your recipe.
Yield: about 4 - 6 cups of chicken and 3+ cups double strength chicken stock
Favorite Beef Stew
Crockpot All-Purpose Chicken & Broth
