Grandma's Recipe Box

After my grandma passed away some years back, I kept her recipe box, mostly just for sentimental reasons. But also, she use to make this homemade bread that was soo good. It was just a little bit sweet, dense, and was so good with her homemade jelly on it and I just remember loving it. I found the recipe in the box, it was apparently a recipe that she cut out of the newspaper. I haven't tried making it yet, but I am anxious to try it. 

 She had written most of her recipes on index cards with dates and sometimes comments on how good it was or wasn't.  In the back of the small box are blank cards. As I was looking through the box the other day I noticed that in back of the blank cards there were quite a few cards with "household tips" written on them. As I was reading through them, they sounded so quaint and somewhat old fashioned and I loved them. I am going to share some of them with you. You might even learn a thing or two.

Notice the date. I just think that this is so cute. I am going to have to try this tip. Sometimes the old-fashioned remedies are the best.

I'm sure this tip was born from living during the depression, never waste anything. Waste not..want not. I remember when having your rooms wallpapered was the thing to do. Lordy, I remember some of the "floweredy" designs.

I can't imagine how this would "renew" a safety pin, other than to grease it up so it will go in better. But I just thought it was kind of cute.

Not many people have plaster walls anymore except in some older homes. Two of my rooms have plaster walls, so this tip might just come in handy.

I

I'm going to definitly try this, especially when I keep a cut up onion in a plastic bowl overnight. It takes forever to get the onion smell out, so this tip will come in handy.


I hope you have enjoyed these little old school tips from 50 plus years ago. I'll post some more of these tips in the future. I just love them. They really do remind me of my grandma.



RECIPE OF THE DAY:

Here is the bread recipe I was talking about, if you make it let me know how it turns out. I will eventually get around to trying it.

Kathy

5 Things.......That I Believe In

I know I have been MIA for the past week. Between the last days of school and getting ready for my son to graduate from high school, a couple of evening programs at school, a graduation dinner at my brother and sis-in-laws house, I have been stressed out and worn out. But in an exciting kind of way. I have barely had time to get on Facebook and keep up with my scrabble and words with friends games. Things will calm down for a few days until the actual graduation this Friday. More on that later.

5 Things I Believe In.....

1. I believe in good over evil. I know that seems like a simple concept, but really it's not. I have always believed that if you do good, act good, be good, then good will come back to you. But in reality, it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes you can do all the good in the world and it won't seem to make a bit of difference. Bad things still happen all around you and to you. Bad things, evil things, seem to sometimes happen no matter what you do. But the rub here is that you have to keep trying to be good, because if you know you have done the right thing, you have tried your best, you've done all you can do, then you can truthfully know that you, personally, have conquered evil because you didn't let evil sway you.

2. I believe in miracles. I think there are too many unexplained things that happen to not believe in them. I can say that I have never had a miracle happen to me, but is that true? Every morning when I wake up to a new day, is that a miracle? When I have a near miss driving a car, is that a miracle or just luck? When I return home in the evening, have there been a sequence of small miracles throughout the day that has brought me home safely? It's hard to say, but I do believe miracles, big or small do happen and probably more than we realize.

3. I believe in ghosts. Maybe I have watched too many episodes of Ghosthunter, but I believed in ghosts way before that show was ever on. I have had several things happen to me over the years that I believe were paranormal, small things, but instances that really made me take notice. Whose to say that after your life on earth is over that there is not a way for people to communicate. To me, it isn't too far a stretch. 

4. I believe that one day I will win the lottery. I have always felt that with certainty. Don't ask me why because I have never had much luck in games of chance, but I just know it, as sure as I am sitting here. I have even watched some the those shows that tell what has happened to past lottery winners, people who have spent their money on foolish things, giving money away to every "friend" that has asked for it, made bad investments and ended up bankrupt. So I know that WHEN I win the lottery, I will first change my phone number, get a lawyer and a financial adviser. I want to buy another house, doesn't have to be a mansion, new furniture, get a brand new car. I will pay for my son's college education, help my mom and immediate family members. And the rest will be saved and invested so it will last the rest of my life. Of course, I will quite working!!!! Oh, I will give to some charities that I believe strongly in.

5. I firmly believe that George Clooney and I will someday get married, he just has to find me first. HERE I AM!!!!!



RECIPE OF THE DAY:

I really don't have a recipe but I do have to talk about what I bought at the farmer's market this weekend. I bought the best strawberries in the world. If you think you like strawberries and buy them from the supermarket and think they are good, you have a thing or two to learn. The strawberries at the farmer's market actually smell like strawberries, where the ones in the supermarket don't smell like anything. Strawberry season is almost over but it is worth waiting all year for the next season for the taste of these sweet little treasures. Last week I bought 3qts. I froze half for smoothies later and ate the other half iin two days, there were so good.  This week I did the same things. If you've never bought strawberries from a local farmer you are surely missing somethings.


Kathy

What's Your Cause?

A lot of people feel strongly about different causes. Some people work for veteran's affairs, while others stand up for abused children. Some work for the homeless or MADD, breast cancer, food banks, the handicap and the list goes on. All are very worthy causes and the people who work and volunteer for them are very passionate about what they believe. A lot of times people choose the cause they believe in because of something that has happened to them, their family or someone they know, they feel a personal connection to it.

My cause is animals, stopping the abuse and making people aware of what we as human beings are doing to the different species on this earth before they become extinct. For as long as I can remember I have had an affinity for animals, I love being around them, caring for them, and just sitting on the deck and watching the birds and squirrels and the occasional hawk fly over. A couple of months ago as I was looking out my office window to the wooded area across the street I saw two deer munching on the grass, I LOVED it. I'm always watching nature shows and I am appalled how we treat our pets, our food animals and the wildlife whose habitat we are destroying. This is what I am passionate about.

We got our first dog when I was about 5 yrs. old, and I was hooked from there. As I said, lots of times there is a personal reason that people choose the cause they are interested in. My earliest memory of helping an animal in distress was when I was a child and the people that lived next door to us for a while were in a motorcycle "club" (hmmm) and they had a dog they kept in their garage and rarely fed and took him out with them every so often and then bring him back and put him back in the garage. I use to wait until it was dark and they were gone and I would climb the fence, my mom would dump some tuna fish in my hand and I would stick my hand in the garage and feed the dog. Dangerous, maybe, but I wasn't aware of that at the time, I just had to help him.

I have been feeding strays ever since, lost dogs seem to always just show up on my doorstep. And I am not afraid to say that I have called on people who I have seen were mistreating their animals. I post stories, pictures and videos sometimes on facebook showing some of the incredibly cruel things people can do to animals, I don't post these things all the time, just every now and then. I have a friend at work who after seeing a post like that always asks my why. She says she can't stand to watch that kind of stuff, it's too horrible and sad. My answer is always the same.... people need to know about these things, knowledge is power, otherwise no one pays attention.

So while I am in favor of many other causes out there, animals will always be my passion. What is your passion, what cause is at the top of your list?


Kathy

Motherhood......A Perspective

Motherhood has to be one of the hardest jobs in the world. I know parenting in general, whether it is by a mother or father is hard, but mothers generally have to juggle many more things than just being a parent. Mothers tend to not only be a parent but also may be holding down an outside job. And of course just the parenting part of motherhood tends to entail lots of other "jobs", chef, chauffer, community organizer, nurse, doctor, counselor, jailor, teacher and lots of other "jobs" that may pop up on a daily basis.

My perspective on motherhood comes from the experience of single motherhood. So not only do you have to do a mother's job, but also take on some of the father's duties. It is hard being both mother and father, especially to a son. I hope I have done a good job. I always made sure my son played sports and I was right there going to practices, games, banquets. I went with him to scout meetings, camping, and when he developed an interest in skateboarding, I bought the skateboards and equipment and took him every weekend to the skatepark and sat in the shade so he could skate for a couple of hours. I have taught him how to tie a tie, drive a car and talked to him about drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and the facts of life.

I don't want this to sound like I am bragging, I'm not, for every single parent out there has to do the same thing, it is just a fact. One of my favorite quotes is from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and to paraphrase, she said that "if you mess up raising your children, not much else matters", and I think that is so true.

I never wanted to be a single parent. Growing up all I really ever wanted was to marry, have 4 or 5 kids, and be a stay at home mom, white picket fence and all. Well, I guess it was never meant to be. I thought my son's father and I would stay together and we did for the first 7 or 8yrs. of my son's life. But he had too many of his own problems to deal with and it just was better for me not to expose my child to it anymore. Depending on the circumstances, it is not always better to stay together for the child's sake, there are times that it can do more harm than good and this was such a case. My son was relieved that the chaos was over. His father and I are still friends, but my son has a reserved relationship with him, which is a shame, but his father is still fighting his own demons.

This might me a bit controversial, but I always go with the motto: Trust But Verify. I talked last week about "tweeting". At the time I didn't know my son was on twitter, but I looked him up and he was there, so I read some of his tweets and the mind of an 18yr. old is a confusing thing. Of course he doesn't know I am checking up on him and if I were to find something on there that concerned me, I would just wait a few days and casually bring up something in conversation and feel him out and give some advice without him ever knowing that I saw his tweet. I think I would make a good spy!

But when I checked this morning he had tweeted how being a single parent is a hard job and that he wouldn't be where he was today without his mom and someday he wants to be able to give me everything I ever wanted.  Needless to say I cried, it couldn't have been more perfect, of course, I have to keep that to myself. I love my son more than words can say and, whether by luck or environment, he has grown into a fine young man.

And to my Mom, Happy Mothers Day, you are the best and I love you very much.



RECIPE OF THE DAY

Actually it's not a "recipe" but a way of cooking greens. I don't like the mushy, boiled greens that some people insist on cooking for hours. I like to cook spinach, swiss chard and even kale in a little olive oil on top of the stove in a skillet.  I just heat up the skillet, add some olive oil and add whichever greens you are cooking. Also add a little salt, pepper, garlic and pepper flakes if you are so inclined. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients and cook til wilted. That's all, takes about 10 minutes or so. They taste better and hold on to more of their vitamins when there are not cooked to death.


Happy Mother's Day to all

Kathy

Bible Lessons

When I am at work, I listen to a couple of local talk radio shows, one in the morning, another in the afternoon. I listen partly because I enjoy them, even if I don't always agree and also because I work in a building made of concrete and radio reception is not always easy to pick up.

For the past couple of days the subject has been on a rather divisive issue, with people on both sides very vehement about their opinions. One of the common arguments on one side of the issue is that the Bible preaches against it. And of course the argument on the other side refutes those claims.

So my real question here has nothing to do with the issue being argued but with the interpretation of the Bible and, is it open for interpretation? Many devout Christians live their life according to the words of the Bible. They believe every word is a direct command from God. The Bible is their rule of law, the book that influences their lives, letting them know what is right and what is wrong. They believe that every word is the word of God. Their faith tells them that everything that is written about in the Bible happened exactly like it is written, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Now the other school of thought is that the Bible is more like a guide book, guiding us through the trials and tribulations of our lives. Although the stories in the Bible were written down on paper long after Jesus rose back to heaven, they were written with divine guidance, but they were written by mere men who maybe embellished stories, got some facts wrong, forgot some details. Some people believe the Bible is more like a book of morality tales, giving us the tools to figure out how to do the right thing, but not telling us every move to make. Are the people and stories in the Bible metaphors, giving us clues on the direction we should take our lives?

Maybe it all comes down to faith. Faith is a mysterious thing, it makes you believe in things you've never seen or heard before. It can make you live your life a certain way, and it can be there for you in some of the worse moments of your life. Does your faith tell you that the Bible is a book of laws and rules to be followed precisely to the letter or does your faith tell you the Bible is here to guide you through your life by giving examples of how you should live your life.

Lots of times the people on each side of this arguement cannot see eye to eye, each thinking the other is wrong. Faith and spirituality are very personal things and what you have to ask yourself is, what does the Bible mean to you?


Kathy

Tweet Tweet

I have never fully understood Twitter. I hear people talking about it all the time, newspeople, celebrities, authors, friends and family. It's kind of like when, a few years ago, everyone was talking about Facebook. I remember asking someone why do you want to tell everyone what you're doing and thinking all the time. But I did get on Facebook, looking for a good friend that I hadn't seen in about 15 yrs. Well, lo and behold, I signed up and the first thing I did was put her name in and there she was!! Then I started getting more friends and seeing what everyone was doing and I was hooked. I have made new friends, got to do new things and reconnect with old friends and family.

Well, I've thought the same thing about Twitter, what is the point of making short comments to people all the time? Well, I've decided to try it. I opened a Twitter account this afternoon and have been kind of messing around with it a little bit. I'm still not too sure about it, trying to figure out who to "follow" is tough. I am following a few local celebrities, a few family members, a couple of friends, and some authors and chefs. I'm still not sure if I can do this on my phone, although it's not a smart phone, or do I have to use my laptop to keep in the loop, or both. Ah, this might force me to get a smart phone! (just what I need, something else I have to learn how to use).

I guess if you are "following" the right people and something interesting happens while you're out, something newsworthy, it would come in handy to let people know. Are people tuned into it all the time, are do they just check it like they do Facebook? Do you get alerts when someone tweets? But then it almost seems like text messaging would work just as well. I'm not really understanding the need for Twitter when you can text or Facebook, but there must be something to it since so many do it. I have noticed that blogs can somehow be linked to Twitter, I think, and so I thought maybe it would be a good way for me to get my blog out to more people.

The more I talk about it, the more confused I get. I'm going to keep trying it and tweeting, as they say. Hopefully I won't make a big mess of it but don't put it past me.  If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears and will welcome any help or advice. Sometimes I'm not so sure that I am cut out for the instant information age that we live in, but I'm trying to keep up.


RECIPE (KIND OF)

On one of the cooking show that I watch, she always talks about how she never buys flavored yogurt, she prefers to flavor her own. If you have ever looked at the ingrredient list on a carton of flavored yogurt, it can contain a lot of things, some artificial flavorings and coloring to be specific.

After watching her flavor her yogurt I have been flavoring my own ever since. I just take a serving, about 1/2 cup, of plain greek yogurt, add about a teaspoon of vanilla, about a tablespoon of honey and that is really good just like that. Sometimes in addition to the vanilla and honey I might add, maple syrup, fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, or some cut up fruit for additional flavor. Just put in whatever you like, it is tastier and better for you than artificially flavored yogurts.


Kathy

Focus...Focus...Focus...

I am really having a hard time focusing. Whether it is work, downtime, hobbies, whatever, I cannot stay focused.  Is it spring fever? Is is lack of direction? Is is boredom? Or maybe all of the above.

I like my job. I'm loving that it is spring, I don't particularly feel bored. I may need a new hobby or two. I really think that it is lack of direction, lack of direction in my plan to start writing short stories. I'm not even sure that I have any talent in that area but I think about it all the time and I really, really want to explore it. But everytime I start to work on it there seem to be a million distractions.

I don't usually have time to work on my writing until the evening. After I get home from work, walk the dog, do a few chores, feed the dog, fix dinner, clean up dishes, take a shower and finally sit down, I am whooped!! I can hardly stay awake to watch Real Housewives (teehee). So then I tell myself that I will work on it this weekend. Boy do weekends fly by!! There is always so much to get done, and not enough time, between errands, chores, laundry, maybe some fun.....it's over. Another opportunity to work on my writing is gone. Then there are the times that I just want to sit and not have to think and just veg out, although I don't get to do that very often.

I am afflicted with "one more thing" itis. Everytime I think I am going to sit down and just chill or pull out my laptop to write I feel like I should just get one more thing done before I get started. I can do one more thing before I leave for a walk. I can clean one more thing off before I have to leave for work. It's a sickness I know, but I can't help myself.

 I have set times for going to work everyday, set things I need to accomplish while I'm at work. Sure there are distractions but you deal with them and then get back to work. Everyday when I go to work I already have a plan in my mind of what I want to get achieve that day. There are set times for breaks and for stopping work for the day.

So I have come to the realization that I have to treat my writing like a job. I am going to have to set specific times, whether it is daily or just several times a week and definitely on the weekend. I am going to have to sit at a table not lounge on the couch, have my laptop, assorted notebooks, notes, ideas all right there in front of me. I need to work at it for a specific amount of time and not get up and do "one more thing" that I might think of while I'm sitting there. I will have ignore the distractions, although, I cannot work in complete silence. I have to have some kind of background noise, either the radio or TV with the volume down low. If I have to work in complete silence I tend to get really distracted. When I was in school, I always had to have the radio or TV on in order to concentrate. Weird, I know, but true.

So from now on writing will be my "part-time job". I am very routine oriented so making a working routine will go a long way to helping me. In the summer I always take 10 of my vacation days and use them on 10 Fridays during the summer so that I have 10 three day weekends starting in the middle of June. I'm hoping that will give me some more free time to write. I have all these ideas flying around in my head all the time and I need to get them on paper.

Focus...Focus...Focus...


RECIPE OF THE DAY                       BLACKBERRY COBBLER (Ree Drummond)

1 stick of butter
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1cup of milk
2 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries (or blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.)

Preheat oven 350 and grease a 3 qt. baking dish with butter
Melt the stick of butter in microwave
In a separate bowl whisk 1 cup of sugar with the flour and milk
Whisk in the melted butter
Rinse berries and pat dry
Pour batter into baking dish and sprinkle berries evenly over the top of the batter
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar over the berries
Bake of 1 hr. until golden brown and bubbly
With 10 min. of cooking time left, sprinkle on 2 tbs of sugar
Serve by the spoonfuls and add whipped cream or ice cream if you want!


Kathy