Tips For Homemakers

Okay, I don’t remember the recipe for making homemade pretzels (I will have to find one to share) but I have photographs and pictures in my mind of the day we made pretzels. It was on our dairy farm in Missouri. Come to think of it. I don’t know why we didn’t do it more often. It was so much fun.

I made the dough, the kids rolled it out and made the dough into the shape of a pretzel. I put the pretzels in the oven and then when they were done, we sprinkled sea salt on them. I remember they were yummy.

My daughters were so cute. They had little scarves on their head like their mommy. I really have to dig out those pictures and share them with you.

I think it really helps to get your kids into the kitchen and instill some interest in baking/cooking. Brian seems to like to grill out a lot. He is 36 now.

Brian was my first child and unfortunately, he ate a lot of over-cooked meals as I learned to cook. I wasn’t really allowed in the kitchen much when I was a kid. Mom was so particular about sanitary/cleanliness kind of stuff. So, I didn’t know much about cooking when I got married.  When Brian got to be a teenager, I noticed he liked everything on the burnt side.

Speaking of food, if you want a great cake in Raleigh, NC…go to www.pipacakes.com.   You can order a cake and it will be beautiful and delicious.

When we lived in Missouri, it was about l5 miles to the nearest small town. So, there was no quick trips to Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme when your sweet tooth called out to you.

I made donuts out of canned biscuits. I would poke a hole in the center and stretch the biscuit out. Heat one inch deep vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. The biscuits/donuts will swell. I had a gas stove so I just put it on a medium flame. Drop carefully into oil and then flip over once the first side browns.

Now, due to the whole hot oil thing, my kids got to decorate/coat the donuts and of course, eat them.

Place the donuts on a paper towel to drain. Let them cool for a couple minutes. Put powdered sugar in a bag…paper or plastic… and drop a couple donuts in and shake until donuts are covered with powdered sugar. Or cinnamon sugar. Or you can make a powdered sugar/butter glaze and spread it on. You can even add sprinkles. They stick better when the glaze is wet.

Speaking of donuts…I have to tell this story about my grand daughter, Madison. My son, Brian and his wife, Jen were in the van grabbing a quick donut before heading to my parents home for a visit. Maddy (3years old) dropped her donut and it hit the floor of the van but my son quickly picked it up, blew it off and wiped it off with a napkin just to make sure it was clean. He handed it to Maddy and said, its okay, you can eat it. Maddy, knowing she had always been told not to eat food that touches the floor, looked at her Dad and said “If you say so.”

I have recently heard this in a number of places but I wanted to share it anyway….in case you didn’t hear it.

Take a small amount of shaving cream and rub onto your bathroom mirror and keep rubbing until it is clean and shiny.

Then when you shower, no foggy mirrors. I really appreciate this because I use to dry my mirror with my hair dryer so I could see.

When your mirror starts to fog again, which I think took a month or so, just re-apply a small amount of shaving cream again.

I know there are crock pots out there and you can put a roast on before you leave for work but I think this is even easier because you do the work before you go to bed. I would always get busy in the morning and forget to put the stupid roast on anyway.

When working as a General Manager for Golden Coral, we made roasts and turkeys for Sunday lunch and we used a tall cooking oven where you could put a number of turkeys and roasts in to cook. What we did was cook them all night at l80 degrees. So from that, I decided I could do the same for my roast at home.

So, before I head for bed I put a London Broil in the oven. I spice it with worcheshire sauce, garlic salt and Nature’s Seasoning or sometimes I open a packet of Lipton’s onion dry soup mix and put on it. Then I add about an inch of water in the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Put the oven on low or around 180/200. Cook in the oven all night. The roast will be so tender. You will love it.

Then in the morning, I take it out of the refrigerator and sit it on top of the counter to let it cool for about an hour before I put it into the refrigerator. Do not leave it sitting out all day to cool.

When I get home, I put the roast in a deep frying pan on the stove and add hot water (one inch deep around roast). Cover and warm on medium/high heat. I usually let it warm up for 20 minutes or so while I finish up the rest of the dinner. I like to grill some onions in a separate pan and add to the roast while it is reheating. You could put potatoes in, too but it may take a little longer to get dinner on the table. If you cut the potatoes smaller….the meal will be ready faster.

If you like a more beefy flavor for your broth, you can add a bouillion cube or two or even a packet of au juis.

Now if you have time, you can put it back into the oven instead of on top of the stove. You can add potatoes and onions if you have an hour or so before you want to eat. I would put the oven on at least 375/400 degrees.

We seldom ever finish a roast unless we have company for dinner so I make french dip sandwiches with the rest.

I buy Italian bread/loaf and slice down the center, horizonally. I add the heated meat and grilled onions with a slice or two of provolone cheese. I then heat the sandwich open-faced in the microwave on medium until the cheese melts. It takes just a minute. I buy the little packet of au juis for dipping. Sometimes there is enough broth left over from the roast. Then I serve the sandwich with a salad and sometimes homemade french fries.

Have you ever paid attention to how grouchy people get when there is a full moon? Well, it is true. My sister worked in an emergency room at a hospital and she told me there were always more stabbings and shootings on a full moon.

I work part-time for an older man — cleaning his house, running his errands, and helping him clean and repair his rental properties. He is a very active senior citizen. He bowls, golfs twice a week, and still shots pistols in matches. His house if full of trophies from his Army career as a marksman/sharpshooter or whatever. All I know is, he has at least l00 trophies, all of which I have to dust.

It was a full moon and my boss was definitely in a grouchy mood. Now, I can only say that because he is 75 and does not have a computer so he will never read what I am about to write. lol

He is a widower and always wants some company for lunch. When I go to his house to work, I always stop whatever I am doing to go to lunch with him. It has become a routine. I know that a clean house is secondary to his need for companionship while he eats.

Every time we eat at this particular restaurant, he wants me to park on the left side of the building. I always do but occasionally there are no parking spaces and we end up parking in the tire store parking lot next door. So today, it was drizzling rain and I could see there were no parks on the left side so as I pulled in, I mentioned I don’t see any parks over there so I will just park right here (as I pulled in on the right side). He grumbled that I could have always parked over in the tire store parking lot. Now, does that make sense to you? I have to go back out on the busy boulevard to go into another parking lot which is further to walk plus, remember it is now drizzling rain.

So, I ignored him and got out of the car. I will never do that again. During our meal, I could tell there was something bothering him. About two hours later, at his house while I am continuing to gather his trash and newspapers to take to the dump (I did say I live in the country, right?), he asked me if I believed in traditions. He told me it is his tradition to park on the left side. Well, I won’t tell you what all I said to that because it is a full moon and my husband says I am definitely a different person when there is a full moon. Actually, I was nice…but, I did let him know I didn’t want to walk in the rain (which he told me there was an umbrella in the car). I knew I couldn’t win.

My husband is so sweet, one night I was obviously being grouchy because my husband opened the back door and looked up in the sky. I asked what he was doing and he said he was checking to see if there was a full moon. His point was taken and I laughed and apologized for being ill with him.

I showed my husband my quick way to clean shoes and he loves it. Much faster than shoe polish and cheaper.

First, wipe any loose dirt or debris from your shoes. Then dip a paper towel into petroleum jelly and get a “small” dab. Rub it onto your shoes. After shining your shoes with the petroleum jelly, use a clean paper towel to give it a quick wipe down to remove any excess petroleum jelly. Use the Vaseline sparingly because you don’t want sticky shoes.

My husband keeps a small jar of Vaseline in his desk. If he forgets to clean his shoes or there is an important meeting that day, he gives his shoes a quick wipe. He can do it at his desk without even removing his shoes.

I seldom get sick but the last few days…yuk. This morning I woke up and no nausea, no pain and wow, I think I am well.

You know the saying, “you don’t know what you have till you lose it.” That is appropriate for good health, too.

I would consider myself very healthy…for my age. The only medication I take is a prevacid and I don’t really take that unless I end up snacking before bedtime. So, it is easy to just take it for granted that I can get up and work all day. I expect my body to allow me to do all the things I plan to do for the day. Whether it is mowing the lawn, weedeating and pulling weeds from my flowerbeds, painting the outside of a house, putting up fence with my husband, or taking a l0 hour trip….I expect to do it and not have any pain afterwards. Well, I do occasionally have a few aches and pains which reminds me that I am not 20 anymore. But, I am a strong person so I keep going.

The last couple days, I stayed inside my home and it drove me crazy. I wanted to get outside and work. This morning, I woke up realizing that I am back to normal and thankful for my good health. If I hadn’t gotten sick, I wouldn’t realize how great it is to feel “normal”.

My brother-in-law, James is amazing. He can do anything. My sister is probably the brains behind his creativity. She isn’t one to brag so I may never know for sure. This idea they saw somewhere and duplicated so I am now trying it myself.

They took some old wooden chairs, took the seats off and spray painted the chairs (optional) yellow. Then James made a wire basket that is attached inside the chair. It is about six inches deep. Then Sandy took some moss-type bedding and lined the basket before adding topsoil and various plants.

You need to make sure you add various heights to the planter. She has a tall plant (about l2 inches) with four smaller plants (about 8 inches) and then a few small plants with at least one that hangs over the edge of the planter.

Sandy has the chairs sitting on her large covered front porch. It is such a bright spot with the yellow chairs and the colorful plants springing up from the seat of the chairs. I love it.

Our family always winds up on Sandy’s front porch whenever visiting in Newport, NC. Her husband also made chairs and they have a swing and an abundance of plants. It is so comfy with cushions on the seats and the flowers and plants make you feel like you are in a beautiful garden.

My find at the Goodwill this week is three chairs to make into planters. I paid $5.99 each. They are in such good condition that I may not paint them. They make great gifts or you could even sell the planters at the flea market or a yard sale. I am excited about building my planters.

I will need to get more details on how to build that wire basket. I am thinking you measure the inside of the chair (say it is l5 inches x l5 inches) and add 6 inches for each side for the depth of the planter. That would mean you need a piece of wire fencing that is 27×27 inches. Still need to figure out how to cut it and fold it so I will be calling my brother-in-law. More details later.

Instead of spraying bathroom deodorizer into the air after using the toilet, spray it into the toilet as you flush. It covers the smell of the toilet contents and then the deodorizer seems to be flushed down the toilet, too. You are left with a less “overwhelming” smell of deodorizer.

We had six kids at home when I was growing up. Dad was a Marine and mom stayed home with the kids. She kept a meticulous home and still does at 82 years old.

We weren’t allowed to just go into the refrigerator and get something to eat. Do you remember that? Or was it just our family? It was hard to feed and clothe a family of six kids.

Mom fixed a full course breafast every morning before we headed out for school. We had eggs, grits, bacon (or sausage) and homemade biscuits and milk.

Mom fixed lunch for Dad and he came home to a hot cooked meal every day. Sometimes, it would be beans and cornbread. I remember walking home for lunch when we lived close to the school, too. It was great seeing Mom in the middle of the day.

For supper, we had a full course dinner, too. If we were really lucky, on Friday night we could either have hamburgers, hot dogs or sandwiches with a soda.

I see now why Mom doesn’t really like to cook anymore. I figure she must have cooked close to 76,000 meals in her lifetime.

How many meals a week do you cook? Most people eat cereal or something quick and easy for breakfast and grab a burger or salad for lunch. Then if you are too tired, you grab something to take home for dinner or order a pizza. Life has really changed in so many ways.

Someone asked me “With all the traveling you have done, where would you most like to live?” I thought for a moment and then said “at my Mom’s home.” I am very blessed to have a mother who is the closest thing there is to a “saint”. I have no doubt in my mind that she is the best mother in the whole-wide world.

My daughter, Amber told me one day that she was becoming more and more like me. She was talking about cleaning her house, I believe. I told her to look to Grandma because that is your final goal.

My Dad will be 93 in November. He is still a strong, independent marine in my mind and heart. A man who can do anything. But reality is that Mom works very hard to care for him. He has COPD from all the years of smoking. He smoked until 1968. He quit cold turkey. That had to be hard. I never smoked and that is probably why. I was graduating from high school when the doctor told him to quit or he would have emphysema so badly that he wouldn’t be able to walk across the street. That is a reality now. He uses oxygen every night and sometimes during the day. When I see someone smoke, I wish I could find a way to convince them to quit.

Mom and Dad live with my youngest sister now and my oldest sister lives two doors down. I wish I could be there to help out with the numerous doctor appointments and running errands for them. My other sister lives in a nearby town and she is there for them, too. Mom realizes how blessed she is to have children who love her so much and would do anything for her and Dad. What she doesn’t realize is because of her love and devotion to us, she taught us compassion and love and respect.

Someday, my Mom will go to be with the Lord and I will lose my very best friend. But I believe we will all meet again someday.