My Love affair with silicone baking mats!

 Hello!  How is everything!  Take a load off and sit a spell.  That's what I'm doing.  I've been baking again and am down to the last cookie sheet going in the oven.  That means I get to sit!  

Tonight I cleaned out the fridge and as a result made some odds and ends to either use something up, or fill something in.  I had about 3 oz of cream cheese to use up, so I made cream cheese brownies.  YUM!  I also have mint jelly and hot pepper jelly in the fridge.  My son likes them on crackers so I needed to make crackers so those items get used.  So the last sheet of crackers has gone into the oven.  Tomorrow will be bread and mayo.

While baking these crackers, I marveled again how easy it is because of my silicone baking mats.  These are the modern marvels of the age!  

1)  They keep my cookie sheets from getting too hot and thus burning my cookies, granola, or crackers.  

2)  They are non stick!  In addition you can skip the step of greasing a cookie sheet.

3)  When the cookies, crackers are done, I can slide the baking mat off the cookie sheet with the baked item on it and then slide the next one on.  

4)  I can roll out my cookies/crackers on the mat, directly on the counter, then transfer easily to the cookie sheet by picking up the whole thing and transferring it to the cookie sheet.  

5)  They are easy to clean, and since they are floppy and such, they are easy to store.  

I've tried wax paper, floured surfaces, etc.  Wax paper moves around too much, and it doesn't matter how much flour I use, it still sticks.  Floured surfaces are fine for kneading, but rolling out very thin crackers really needs something different.  Enter silicone baking mats.  

They really don't cost too much.  You can usually get 2 for about $10.  Since they're reusable, they pay for themselves in no time.  Much cheaper than continued use of wax paper.  You can also get them in whatever size you need to fit your baking sheet.

These things are awesome.  I just thought I wanted to share.  

Tales of Nooks and Crannies

 1863 sq feet.  That's the size of our house.  No basement.  We do have a 8x8 shed outside.  Aside from that I have 1863 sq feet for living and storage space.  

Now I can hear people saying there are folks who live in much less space, and I totally agree.  I am not complaining.  I'm stating a fact.  This post is for those who live in small spaces.  

To those who live in small spaces

So, with limited space to work with, organized storage has to go up not out.  Every square inch of available space has to be utilized in a way to where it's available easily, but out of the way.  That's been my undertaking over the last few weeks; since right after Christmas.  It's amazing to me how just a few changes make such a difference.  I thought I would share some of the things I've done for storage.  Yes this required some outlay of funds, but nothing too expensive.  Most of it was just rethinking how I used the space I had.  It's a work in progress. but it's getting there. 

1)  Purge baby purge!  Especially in my kitchen.  There were things I was holding onto, not because I used them, but because I liked the idea of having them in my kitchen.  Some of these items had been my grandmothers, and some I had acquired in a box of things I purchased at a yard sale.  The box was $5 and the actual item I wanted was worth more than that.  The other items in the box were ancillary.  I had a canister set that I loved, but it took up so much space on my counter.  They all had to go.  I offered them to my daughter and some friends first.  Once they took out what they wanted, the rest went to Good Will.  

2)  Adding a shelf.  This is where I did have an outlay of funds, but I kept it small.  My sewing area is currently in our bedroom.  My dolls were in the dining room.  I use them as models for the doll outfits I make.  Having them close is important.  I added a 4 ft shelf over my work space for the dolls to reside. 

 That brought them out of my china cabinet, which allowed me to move my China into my china cabinet, which allowed me to consolidate my baking items, glasses, and dinnerware in 2 cabinets. 

 

My spices went into the now empty double cabinets, and what used to be my spice cabinet became "The coffee corner".  Counter space is a must!  I do a lot of baking and cooking.  I spend most of that time trying to find a spot to work.  I wanted items I used frequently to be readily accessible, but I need counter space.  One of the things I purged was a canister set I love.  It has the rare ability to hold a 5 lb bag of flour and sugar.  Problem is it's base is wide and so it takes a lot of space on the counter; especially when there are three of them on the counter.  In trade, I purchased, very cheaply, 4 plastic cereal containers that also hold a 5 lb bag of flour and sugar; plus came with their own labels.  These now hold my dry goods in my spice cabinet which freed up valuable counter space.  From bottom to top; spices I use most often; next mixes, dry goods, and lastly are the spices or items I use rarely.  I'm making good use of canning jars! 

Thanks to some command strips, I'm able to store some of my utensils on the doors of my cabinets.  This freed up valuable drawer space.

I know, this is kinda like the house that Jack built!  I moved 2 white 6ft wall shelves we had in our closet.  They were really too short to use in the closet, but fit on a wall in my husband's man cave/gym.  Those now hold all of his sports memorabilia, and movies/games.  

I replaced those two 6ft shelves that were in my closet, with two 1x12x8 pine boards and simple wall brackets.  This gave me extra storage, currently for empty canning jars.  

I have an armoire that really wasn't deep enough to hold regular hangers.  I added 2  2ft long wire shelves.  Shirts that have to be on hangers are in my closet.  They are few.  My jeans, sweaters, t shirts, shoes, and purses are now in my armoire.  Lastly I added another 4 ft wire shelf under the wall mounted TV in hubby's man cave.  This now holds all of the electronics associated with said TV.  Not very pretty, but it's a gym so...  

Adding this shelf under the TV freed up a book shelf my grandfather made.  It now sits in my dining room and holds a good bit of my canned garden produce.  

Like I mentioned before, while I did spend some money, a lot of this was rethinking; repurposing, and doing away with things.  I'd say I spent about $100 on shelves and command strips.  Well worth the money, and much cheaper than a room addition or another shed!

Have you been bitten by the organization bug?  What have you been doing?  I'm always up for more ideas!

 

Yeah, no more chicken broth in my potato soup

 Gooood Morning!

I have another post I'm working on, but it's not ready yet.  However, I wanted to throw this one in here cause it's a recipe.  Good recipe.  

I love soups in winter.  Who doesn't.  I like potato soup, but all of the recipes I've found had chicken broth or bouillon in it.  Makes it kinda...eh.  My family is also kinda eh when it came to my potato soup.  

So yesterday I made my own and it turned out WONDERFUL!  My youngest son went back for seconds!  Sure sign of success!  I wanted to share my new recipe with you, dear readers.  Plus it helps me have it recorded somewhere.  

So here tis:

Bacon and Cheddar potato soup

6-8 slices of bacon

6 cups chunked raw potatoes

1 large onion chopped

4 cups water

1 cup celery

1 can evaporated milk (or you can use the equivalent in whole milk)

1-1.5 cups cheddar cheese

1.5-2 tsp salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Fry your bacon up in a pan.  Remove the bacon from the pan, but leave the drippings.  If you're leery about the amount of bacon fat in the pan, you can pour some off, but keep at least 4 TBS.  Add the chopped onion and celery to the drippings in the pan.  Cook until soft.  While that's cooking the bacon should have cooled.  Crumble it up til it looks like bacon bits.  Once the onion/celery mixture is soft, add the water.  Get a spatula and stir, scraping the pan to get all the bits from the drippings.  Add your potatoes.  If you need to add a little water, you can, just to cover.  Add salt.  The lesser amount first.  You can adjust the seasons to taste once everything is together and simmering.  Let the potatoes and everything cook until the potatoes are soft.  Run it all thru a blender.  I added my milk in the blender to help it blend well.  It took two blenders full.  Return all to the pan and add whatever milk you have left.  If it is still thick, you can add water til it is the consistency you want.  Add the cheese and stir.  Keep an eye on it as it simmers to make sure it doesn't stick.  Now is the time to adjust the seasonings.  Taste it and add what you want.  We topped with sour cream and had with toast.  I know,  CARBS!  But it was filling and good.  

Variations:  You can add hot sauce as a topping.  This would have been my choice, but I was out.  I did opt to not have sour cream on mine.  Also, top with chives, red pepper flakes, or whatever else strikes your fancy.  

Okay, can't let you go with out adding my latest redo!

I just listed her in my shop.  UPDATED:  SHE SOLD!  YAY!

Here is the link if anyone is interested : 1960's Horseman doll  

Your Choice. As it Should Be

 First a disclaimer:  Most of the time my posts will deal with daily living, healthy stuff, my faith...everyday things.  Once in a blue moon, I'll feel the need to express opinion about a current event.  This is such a time.   You, as the reader, have the right to read or not.  You have the right to agree or disagree.  You have the right to never read my stuff again, or come back to visit again.  You have the right to believe I'm lying or telling the truth.  You have the right to comment; agreeing or not, on my posts; respectfully.  As the writer, I should have the right to express my opinion; my opinion without being told what that opinion should be.  Which leads us to my topic at hand.  

You'd have to live under a rock to not hear about all the craziness in the world today; Covid, the election, the protests and riots over the summer, and the protest and riots recently.  

Full disclosure:  I am a Christian.  I am Pro-Life.  I am conservative both fiscally and socially.  That being said, I am Libertarian politically.  I believe in personal responsibility, and I don't want "Help" from Uncle Sam.  I have learned the hard way how that "help" can be extremely unhelpful.  I personally think masks are to protection from Covid what a school desk was to a nuclear bomb during the cold war.  I believe there is a lot of panic over a virus with a 99% survival rate.  I do not in any way, diminish those whose lives have been lost this past year, thru Covid, or any other way.  Life is precious.  All life is precious.  Good hand washing, keep your distance.  Steer clear of your loved ones who are compromised.  

Are you mad yet?  Offended?  

Everything I just typed, from the beginning of my disclaimer to the last word of my disclosure are deemed offensive in today's society.  Facebook has been so helpful in the past, by taking down my posts similar to the above with helpful tips like " go to the WHO website for appropriate information to post".   Soooo anyone else have a problem with being told what opinion you can and can't have?  

I finally left Facebook last week.  No I wasn't in facebook jail, and ironically, before all the hullaballo at the capital.  

Here's what scares me, and regardless of political persuasion, should scare you too.  I have watched over the weekend as Google App store, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter, seemingly worked together to silence first President Trump, then other conservative people and finally every conservative voice; famous or not, in Parlor.  I went to Parlor once.  Was kind of underwhelmed, but probably because it was just starting off and so there wasn't a whole lot to do.  But over the weekend, conservatives began leaving other social media platforms for Parlor; thousands.  The by the end of the weekend, however, Parlor was lights out due to it's app being pulled from Amazon and Google App store.  

Now some of you may be thinking "Well Parlor wasn't policing their site well" (Policing?  How does that really sound?).  They do have measures in place, but they don't "Police"." Trump was inciting violence".  He wasn't.   Watch the whole speech.  I found it on YouTube.  Not sure how long it will stay, but I'll provide a link.  here

Free Speech isn't free because it's acceptable.  Free Speech is free whether we agree or not.  In fact sometimes free speech can be really hard to hear.  

You may lean more progressive, and that's fine.  You may disagree with everything I've just written, but I want to you to think of these things:

1)  The policies used by one party in power, can be used by the other party when they are in power.  

2)  First it will be conservative ideals.  What is next on the list?  What will be dangerous when conservatives are no longer there to get the brunt of the powers that be? Who will they set their sights on?  Because, believe me, there will be a next one.  Fight for the rights of all and you are fighting for your rights too.  You can't assume you will never be in the line of fire. 

In my opinion, social media has way to much power.  I don't like the fact that I can look for towels to buy, then go to facebook and get towel ads.  Or worse yet, to be discussing a 40 year old sit com with my son in the car, not even on my computer (but my phone was on) and come home to ads on my lap top advertising episodes for said sitcom on Youtube.  But for Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Twitter to be silencing conservative voices, scares the starch out of me. 

 If you're smart, you'll sit up and take notice.

The Pitter Patter of Little Feet Isn't Always a Good Thing

 Hello all!  Welcome to 2021.  I know I've neglected my blog for the last few months.  I have been trying to keep my head above water with my Etsy shop along with other homestead things here.  This year, I'm taking a slow down on Etsy to address much needed things on the homestead.  Guess what!  My blog is one of those things!  Hurrah!

I have to show this off though.  I found this little girl at an antique shop.  I try to find dolls that are in need of some love, and am reconditioning them or restoring them based on what's needed.   This little girl is a 1955 EeGee Susan stroller/walker doll.  She is capable of standing alone, and when you hold her hands and move, she will "Walk" with you.  When she walks, her little head moves back and forth as well.  She is the latest addition to my Etsy shop.  Here is her before and after pic.  I hope you can tell which is which.  

 

Now onto my topic at hand.  No these are not the pitter pattering feet you're looking for. 

We live next to an open field.  Said field is for sale at the moment, and if we had the money.....ah!  Anyway, I digress.  Because we live next to an open field we gets lots of critters in our yard; anything from deer, coyotes, field mice, bunnies, and rats. Yes, rats.  You would think our having an indoor/outdoor cat would have nixed that problem, but not so much.  Don't get me wrong, he has caught some of them, but he isn't the most enthusiastic hunter.  

A few nights ago I awoke to a scratching in the wall of my kitchen.  Something had gotten into the crawl space under the house.  Whatever it was sounded big.  I heard him finally gain access to the house and bump into one of the bar stools around my counter.  That didn't inspire confidence in his having a tiny stature.  I got up to investigate, but he took off under one of the appliances.  

The next morning I brought the cat in.  He slept in the house all day.  Come night fall he wanted to go outside.  I didn't let him, but my son, not knowing he was needed indoors, let him out.  That night I awoke to the sound of scratching in my bedroom!  NOT COOL!  I heard him gain access to the room and he was on my husbands night table.  I jumped up to see and he bolted.  

So yesterday I made sure everyone knew not to let the cat out.  Fast forward to evening and my hubby and I were watching a movie.  We had just let the dogs in from their potty break.  Our great Pyrenees mix, Sophie walked over to something on the kitchen floor, sniffed it, and grabbed it. 

She immediately dropped it.  It was the rat!  He was just sitting in the floor!  Heavens to Mergatroid! He ran behind the fridge.  Yall this guy was big!  My hubby jumped up, got more rat bait out and started putting it out.  What he had put out a few days ago was gone.  Now we wait.  Neither of us felt like pulling out the fridge to see if he was there.  We figured he had gone under the house again.  About an hour later I got up and started loading up the dinner dishes.  While I'm doing that, I happened to look over at the floor on the other side of the open dishwasher.  He had come out and was lying on the floor.  He was stretched out.  He looked to be about 12 inches long!  He was about 5-6 inches in diameter around the belly.  I about jumped out of my skin.  Hubby got up and tried to get him to go into a bucket we had.  I, however was poised atop the treadmill platform and the cat was pawing the back door to be let out. The rat was lethargic now, but had enough energy to go under my stove.  Drat!  We felt like he was on his way out.  It was just a matter of time.  The plan was to get him out in the morning.  

I woke up this morning around 3:30.  I came out into the kitchen with my phone flashlight on to make sure there wasn't anything waiting on me.  There he was, laying under the cabinet on the kitchen floor.  He was still alive, but the fight was gone.  Using the bucket from last night I rigged up a way to get him into it.  He tried to fight but really didn't have it in him.  Once in the bucket, I was able to put him and the bucket outside.  Secure in the bucket, he can at least die in peace.  He's protected from the rain and any predators.  I don't think the poison is what got him.  I think Sophie's bite did.  Though she didn't break skin, I think she injured him in some way.  I feel bad for him.  Had he stayed outside, away from the chickens, and away from our house, he would still be here, but I can't have him threatening the chickens, the chicks, or bringing in who knows what.  

Needless to say I was mopping the floor this morning at 4 am, and I have learned my cat is useless!  I will probably be doing a major wash down of the kitchen by lunch.