Tid-Bits #3

Homemade “Emergency Only” Water Filter and Purifier Using (Black Berkey Purification Elements) Specs.

           http://life-linewaterpurifiers.com/homemade-water-filter-and-purifier/

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Potato / Cheddar Cheese Filled Pierogi

Ingredients:

5 cups flour

5 tablespoons of melted butter or 6 tablespoons od vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of sour cream

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 lukewarm water

 

Prep Work:

 

In a small bowl, beat 2 whole eggs and egg yolk, and set aside.

Melt the butter and set aside.

Mix salt and lukewarm water and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 4 cups of flour with melted butter and sour cream, add beaten eggs and mix the ingredients with the warm water, stirring constantly so that the ingredients can mix properly.

Place dough on table and knead with remaining 1 cup of flour into smooth and soft pastry.

Divide the dough in half and cover with warm bowl or warm pot. Let the dough stand for about 15 minutes before working with it   While dough rises, prepare your filling and set aside   Cut the large peace of dough and on a floured surface roll it out into a thin circle, about 1/4-inch thick.

Cut the dough using a 2-1/2 or 3-inch circle cutter.

Filling:

4 cups mashed potatoes

4 to 5 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese

3 tablespoons of butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped and sautéed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To Prepare Potato Filling:

Sauté chopped onions in butter until soft and transparent (for about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat), do not brown the the onions. Combine onions with warm (not hot) mashed potatoes and farmers cheese. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.   Putting them all together:   Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle of dough and fold over. Press and seal into half-moon shapes. Use a little water to seal pierogi. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pierogi for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until they float. Remove from the water and drain.  (Knobby's Acres optional extra method - pan fry them lighty in butter until golden brown) Place them in serving dish and garnish with bacon crumbs, finely chopped fresh parsley leaves or finely chopped fresh chives (if desired) and serve with sour cream.
 



The Pinnebog General Store Community Bulletin Board

Welcome back to our little store and Happy Fall to everyone!  Have you all been out picking apples, making them Halloween costumes, baking that pumpkin bread, gone on a hayride, cutting them saved T-shirts into loops for pot holder making this Winter, have you made a Pinecone bird feeder, make and eat edible eyeballs, etc. etc.

Well it's been a while since we took the time to see what's hanging on the Ol' Community Bulletin Board, so what you all say we catch up and take a look see...

First thing that hits the eye is a big piece of paper hanging there from Paul our local propane man,  reminding everyone that improving your home's insulation and sealing air leaks can save you up to $350 a year on fuel costs. I have a sneaky suspicion he did that 'cause he notice my hole in the roof that Teddy the raccoon uses to come and go as he pleases...

Hanging in the upper corner is a yellow post-em that says, to keep your can of varnish from hardening after you opened it, just drop clean, smooth, hard stones into it until varnish comes up to the rim, then put the lid back on...  Sounds reasonable

I see we got something up here from Miriam and Soloma on making easy and delicious tomato soup. Lets see, you take a quart of canned tomatoes, half a teaspoon of baking soda, two teaspoons of butter and a quart of whole milk. heat it slowly to a boil, remove from heat and enjoy a bowl full... Yum, that does sound good. Now where did I put them 'maters we canned.........

Jeb just came in and wanted to know if I carried sheets of bubble wrap or had any laying around from packages. Of course knowing Jeb and his ways, my curiosity got the best of me and I just had to ask what he needed bubble wrap for?  Seems his misses says the bathroom window shade makes the bathroom to dark when she pulls it down.

So Ol' Jeb starting pondering. He soon came up with the idea of putting some bubble wrap over the window.  It would give plenty of light, provide enough privacy for the misses and add a little insulation come winter...  Ol' Jeb always thinking... 

Well back to the Old grindstone and remember take some time to have fun, enjoy yourselves and Live - Simple!

I'll be seeing you...

Kielbasa Stew (Kielbasa Gulasz)

Here is a preview recipe from my up and coming new Knobby's Acres Polish cookbook - 


Kielbasa Stew


Some oil or spray oil

1 (16 ounces) package kielbasa, sliced 1/2 inch

2 cups fresh sliced carrots

1 cup fresh sliced celery

1 cup fresh chopped onions

4 cups fresh chopped cabbage

1 cup apple juice

1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes

1 (10.75 ounces) can condensed tomato soup

Some parsley, salt and pepper

Oil sides and bottom of slow cooker

add all the ingredients EXCEPT the parsley, salt and pepper to slow cooker

Cover and turn on low for about 2 hrs or until vegetables are tender

serve in bowls and sprinkle parsley, salt and pepper to top to each individuals taste...
 
 
Makes about 4-6 servings depending on size of bowls
 
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Remember also you can enjoy other receipes in my A Man & His Slow Cooker cookbook -
 
Paperback edition   -
 
Kindle edition   -
 
Or for an autograph copy send $5.00 with your name and address to:
 
Tom Kaminski
P.O. Box 711
Hamburg, MI. 48139
 
Be seeing you...

Nickels from the Sky (Black Walnut Harvesting)

Black walnuts are used in a variety of baked goods from cookies, bread, cakes, etc. and the nutmeats are often expensive (like $3.29 for 6oz bag in grocery store) so finding some or a tree or several trees can be a real find for some.

For those who don't know what black walnuts look like - they're about 2 to 3 inches round and green, and actually look kind of like a tennis ball. If you don't have a tree near you then most of the time you will see black walnuts laying in streets, or on trails, etc. while you're out walking or riding.

To harvest you can either climb the tree, knock them from the branches with a pole/stick or wait until they fall to the ground (much easier) but make sure you only gather the ones that are solid green to a light yellowish green. If they're black forget about them, they're rotten already... MAKE SURE YOU WEAR GOOD PAIR OF GLOVES BECAUSE THEY CAN STAIN YOUR HANDS! Press on the skin of the walnut with your thumb; ripe nuts will show an indentation, most of the walnuts I have gathered that were on the ground are ripe already and ready to be de-hulled.

So now that you have your ripe walnuts you have to prepare them for proper curing and storage, which will require the removing of the green colored hulls. I have always just threw them down on a tarp and placed another tarp over them and just ran over them with my truck until all broken open. Of course they are other ways such as grinders, hammers, stirring them up in a mixture of water and gravel or some have even used them ol' fashined corn shellers.

Once hulled, the unshelled nuts need to be washed and while at the same time checked for goodness/insects. Place the unshelled nuts in a tub/bucket of water, the good nuts will sink to the bottom. The floating nuts you can discard. Wash the good nuts to remove the hull waste from them, might have to use a stiff brush on some. After washing spread the cleaned nuts out to dry so that they are not touching. If you are doing this outdoors, you need to be sure they are in a sunny spot, protected from them darn squirrels and chipmunks...

AGAIN ALWAYS WEAR GOOD PAIR OF GLOVES THROUGH OUT THE HULLING AND WASHING PROCESS

Now once all of that is done it's time for curing which takes about 4 to 6 weeks. I have always use onion bags but any simular type bag will do also as long as it permits air movement around the nuts. Fill the bag about half way and hang from a bar of sorts so as not to let the darn S & Cs get them...

After curing, store unshelled nuts in a well-ventilated area at 60°F or less. Cloth bags or wire baskets allow adequate air circulation and discourage development of mold, or you can begin to crack them open to eat or sell.

Before cracking, inspect the shells to make sure that there are no fissures or cracks in the shell. Walnuts with cracked shells are often infected with microorganisms and should be discarded. Bright yellow, blue streaked, or black kernels should not be consumed.To be certain nuts have cured adequately, break open a sample nut. When the nut is dry enough to store, its kernel will break crisply, with a sharp snap. If cured improperly, nuts will mold.

To crack them open some have soak the nuts in water for a day to soften them, I have always just cracked them with a hammer or get yourself one of them fancy nut cracker things >> Hardshell Nutcracker

After cracking the nutmeat can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator ( nutmeats will last about 9 months) or they can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 years. Or if selling them I usually fill a plastic sandwich bag up about half way ( equals right around a cup) and label them and sell them at flea markets, in front of your house, craigslist, etc. for about $2 to 3 dollars each baggy...

If you don't want to go to all that trouble you can still make a few bucks if you live close by a Hammons hulling outlet, last time I check a few years ago the price their were buying the green balls for was $13.00 for a 100 pounds.

Follow these links: www.hammonsproducts.com

Click on Growing, Harvesting, & Hulling

Click on Hulling Locations

Enter your zip code and select the miles acceptable from the drop down list.

So there you have it good people, with a little work and time you can have freash black walnuts and maybe some pocket change to boot...

For Black Walnuts Recipes click here - Get Recipes

For thiose who want to grow their own Black walnut trees click here - Get Tree

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Part 2

Running behind again on posts -

Here is some more on the 3 R's

H

Hangers (plastic): These are not widely accepted at recycling centers, because there aren’t enough of them coming through to make it worthwhile. However, some cities, such as Los Angeles, are equipped to recycle them. You might consider donating them to a thrift store.

Hangers (wire): Some dry cleaners and Laundromats will reuse them. Otherwise, they can be recycled with other household metals. But be sure to remove any attached paper or cardboard first.

Hearing aids: The Starkey Hearing Foundation (starkeyhearingfoundation.org) recycles used hearing aids, any make or model, no matter how old. Lions Clubs also accept hearing aids (as well as eyeglasses) for reuse; log on to donateglasses.org to find designated collection centers near you.

Holiday cards: After they’ve lined your mantel for two months, you could throw them into the recycling bin, or you could give them a whole new life. St. Jude’s Ranch for Children (stjudesranch.org), a nonprofit home for abused and neglected youths, runs a holiday-card reuse program in which the kids cut off the front covers, glue them onto new cards, and sell the result―earning them money and confidence.


I

iPods: Bring in an old iPod to an Apple store and get 10 percent off a new one. Your out-of-date iPod will be broken down and properly disposed of. The catch? The discount is valid only that day, so be prepared to buy your new iPod.


J

Jam jars: Wherever there is container-glass recycling (meaning glass jars and bottles), jam jars are eligible. It helps if you remove any remaining jam, but no need to get obsessive―they don’t have to be squeaky clean. Before putting them in the bin, remove their metal lids and recycle those with other metals.

Juice bags: Because most are a combination of a plastic polymer and aluminum, these are not recyclable. But TerraCycle will donate 2 cents for each Honest Kids, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid Drink pouch and 1 cent for any other brand you collect and send in to the charity of your choice. The organization provides free shipping, too. What does TerraCycle do with all those pouches? Turns them into colorful purses, totes, and pencil cases that are sold at Target and Walgreens stores throughout the country. To get started, go to terracycle.net.


K

Keys and nail clippers: For many recycling centers, any metal that isn’t a can is considered scrap metal and can be recycled. “There’s not a whole lot of scrap metal we wouldn’t take,” says Kite. “It’s a huge market now.”


L

Leather accessories: If your leather goods are more than gently worn, take them to be fixed. If they’re beyond repair, they have to be thrown in the trash―there’s no recycling option. (A product labeled “recycled leather” is often made from scraps left over from the manufacturing process, which is technically considered recycling.) Donate shoes in decent condition to solesforsouls.org, a nonprofit that collects used footwear and distributes it to needy communities.


M

Makeup: Makeup can expire and is none too pretty for the earth when you throw it in the trash (chemicals abound in most makeup). Some manufacturers are making progress on this front. People who turn in six or more empty MAC containers, for example, will receive a free lipstick from the company in return; SpaRitual nail polishes come in reusable, recyclable glass; and Josie Maran Cosmetics sells biodegradable plastic compacts made with a corn-based resin―just remove the mirror and put the case in your compost heap.

Mattresses and box springs: Mattresses are made of recyclable materials, such as wire, paper, and cloth, but not all cities accept them for recycling. (Go to earth911.org to find out if yours does.)

Metal flatware: If it’s time to retire your old forks, knives, and spoons, you can usually recycle them with other scrap metal.

Milk cartons with plastic spouts and caps: Take off and throw away the cap (don’t worry about the spout―it will be filtered out during the recycling process). As for the carton, check your local recycling rules to see whether you should toss it with plastics and metals or with paper.

Mirrors: These aren’t recyclable through most municipal recyclers, because the chemicals on the glass can’t be mixed with glass bottles and jars. You can donate them to secondhand stores, of course. Or if the mirror is broken, put it in a paper bag for the safety of your trash collectors. To find out what your municipality recycles, call 800-CLEANUP or visit recyclingcenters.org.


N

Nikes and other sneakers: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program (nikereuseashoe.com) accepts old sneakers (any brand) and recycles them into courts for various sports so kids around the world have a place to play. You can drop them off at a Nike store, other participating retailers, athletic clubs, and schools around the country (check the website for locations), or mail them to Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-a-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Avenue, Wilsonville OR 97070. If your sneakers are still in reasonable shape, donate them to needy athletes in the United States and around the world through oneworldrunning.com. Mail them to One World Running, P.O. Box 2223, Boulder CO 80306.

Notebooks (spiral): It may seem weird to toss a metal-bound notebook into the paper recycling, but worry not―the machinery will pull out smaller nonpaper items. One caveat: If the cover is plastic, rip that off, says Matsch. “It’s a larger contaminant.”

O

Office envelopes
Envelopes with plastic windows: Recycle them with regular office paper. The filters will sieve out the plastic, and they’ll even take out the glue strip on the envelope flaps.

FedEx: Paper FedEx envelopes can be recycled, and there’s no need to pull off the plastic sleeve. FedEx Paks made of Tyvek are also recyclable (see below).

Goldenrod: Those ubiquitous mustard-colored envelopes are not recyclable, because goldenrod paper (as well as dark or fluorescent paper) is saturated with hard-to-remove dyes. “It’s what we call ‘designing for the dump,’ not the environment,” says Matsch.

Jiffy Paks: Many Jiffy envelopes―even the paper-padded ones filled with that material resembling dryer lint―are recyclable with other mixed papers, like cereal boxes. The exception: Goldenrod-colored envelopes must be tossed.

Padded envelopes with Bubble Wrap: These can’t be recycled. The best thing you can do is reuse them.

Tyvek: DuPont, the maker of Tyvek, takes these envelopes back and recycles them into plastic lumber. Turn one envelope inside out and stuff others inside it. Mail them to Tyvek Recycle, Attention: Shirley B. Wright, 2400 Elliham Avenue #A, Richmond VA 23237. If you have large quantities (200 to 500), call 866-338-9835 to order a free pouch.


Recipe for the day:


TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MESS

1 - package chocolate cake mix(any)
1 - pint sour cream
1 - pkg. instant chocolate pudding(any size)
1 - 6oz. bag chocolate chips
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs
1 cup water
Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Cook on low for 6-
8 hours Try not to lift the lid.
Serve with ice cream.

Very rich and a little gos a long way. Keeps in fridge for about a week, just heat and serve
NOTE: you can use low fat cake mix, sour cream and fat free pudding if so desired

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Here at Knobby's Acres I'm wanting to reduce the amount of trash generated around the homestead and thus reduce the amount of trash that we put out in the world environment, so for this week I will be posting things about the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)

First few posts will be kinda like a guide about how one gos about Recycling anything - -

A

Aerosol cans: These can usually be recycled with other cans, as long as you pull off the plastic cap and empty the canister completely.

Antiperspirant and deodorant sticks: Many brands have a dial on the bottom that is made of a plastic polymer that’s different from the plastic used for the container, so your center might not be able to recycle the whole thing (look on the bottom to find out). Tom’s of Maine makes a deodorant stick composed solely of plastic No. 5.


B

Backpacks: The American Birding Association accepts donated backpacks, which its scientists use while tracking neotropical birds (americanbirding.org).

Batteries: Recycling batteries keeps hazardous metals out of landfills. Many stores, like RadioShack and Office Depot, accept reusable ones, as does the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (rbrc.org/call2recycle). Car batteries contain lead and can’t go in landfills, because toxic metals can leach into groundwater, but almost any retailer selling them will also collect and recycle them.

Beach balls: They may be made of plastic, but there aren’t enough beach balls being thrown away to make them a profitable item to recycle. If a beach ball is still usable, donate it to a thrift store or a children’s hospital.

Books: “Hard covers are too rigid to recycle, so we ask people to remove them and recycle just the pages,” says Sarah Kite, recycling manager of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, in Johnston. In many areas, paperbacks can be tossed in with other paper.


C

Carpeting (nylon fiber): Go to carpetrecovery.org and click on “What can I do with my old carpet?” to find a carpet-reclamation facility near you, or check with your carpet’s manufacturer. Some carpet makers, like Milliken (millikencarpet.com), Shaw (shawfloors.com), and Flor (flor.com), have recycling programs.

Cars, Jet Skis, boats, trailers, RVs, and motorcycles: Even if these are unusable―totaled, rusted―they still have metal and other components that can be recycled. Call junkyards in your area, or go to junkmycar.com, which will pick up and remove cars, trailers, motorcycles, and other heavy equipment for free.

Cell phones: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fewer than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled each year, and most people don’t know where to recycle them. The Wireless Foundation refurbishes old phones to give to domestic-violence survivor calltoprotect.org. For information on other cell-phone charities, log on to recyclewirelessphones.com. In some states, like California and New York, retailers must accept and recycle old cell phones at no charge. There are also companies out there that will buy cell phones from you, which is great if you want to raise a little extra money - PhoneIsCash

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs: CFLs contain mercury and shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. Ikea and the Home Depot operate CFL recycling programs; you can also check with your local hardware store or recycling center to see if it offers recycling services.

Computers: You can return used computers to their manufacturers for recycling (check mygreenelectronics.com for a list of vendors) or donate them to a charitable organization (log on to sharetechnology.org or cristina.org). Nextsteprecycling.org repairs your broken computers and gives them to underfunded schools, needy families, and nonprofits.

Crayons: Send them to the National Crayon Recycle Program (crazycrayons.com, which melts down crayons and reforms them into new ones. Leave the wrappers on: “When you have black, blue, and purple crayons together without wrappers, it’s hard to tell them apart,” says the program’s founder, LuAnn Foty, a.k.a. the Crazy Crayon Lady.

Crocs: The manufacturer recycles used Crocs into new shoes and donates them to underprivileged families. Mail them to: Crocs Recycling West, 3375 Enterprise Avenue, Bloomington CA 92316.


D

DVDs, CDs, and jewel cases: If you want to get rid of that Lionel Richie CD because “Dancing on the Ceiling” doesn’t do it for you anymore, you can swap it for a disc from another music lover at zunafish.com. But if you just want to let it go and not worry about it ending up in a landfill, send it (along with DVDs and jewel cases) to greendisk.com for recycling.


E

Empty metal cans (cleaning products): Cut off the metal ends of cans containing powdered cleansers, such as Ajax and Bon Ami, and put them in with other household metals. (Use care when cutting them.) Recycle the tubes as you would any other cardboard.

Empty metal cans (food products): Many towns recycle food cans. If yours doesn’t, you can find the nearest steel-can recycling spot at recycle-steel.org. Rinse out cans, but don’t worry about removing the labels. “Leaving them on doesn’t do any harm,” says Marti Matsch, the communications director of Eco-Cycle, one of the nation’s oldest and largest recyclers, in Boulder, Colorado. “When the metal is melted,” she says, “the paper burns up. If you want to recycle the label with other paper, that’s great, but it’s not necessary.”

Eyeglasses: Plastic frames can’t be recycled, but metal ones can. Just drop them into the scrap-metal bin. However, given the millions of people who need glasses but can’t afford them, your frames, broken or not, will go to better use if you donate them to neweyesfortheneedy.com (sunglasses and plastic frames in good condition can also be donated). Or drop off old pairs of glasses at LensCrafters, Target Optical, or other participating stores and doctors’ offices, which will send them to onesight.org.


F

Fake plastic credit cards: They’re not recyclable, so you can’t just toss them along with their paper junk-mail solicitations. Remove them first and throw them in the trash.

Film canisters: Check with your local recycling center to find out if it takes gray film-container lids (No. 4) and black bases (No. 2). If not, many photo labs will accept them.

Fire extinguishers: There are two types of extinguishers. For a dry-chemical extinguisher, safely relieve the remaining pressure, remove the head from the container, and place it with your bulk-metal items (check with your local recycler first). Alternatively, call fire-equipment companies and request that they dispose of your extinguisher. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are refillable after each use.

Food processors. Some communities accept small household appliances for recycling―if not in curbside collection, then in drop-off locations. (New York City will even pick up appliances left on the sidewalk.) “If an appliance is more than 50 percent metal, it is recyclable,” says Kathy Dawkins, director of public information for New York City’s Department of Sanitation. Most appliances are about 75 percent steel, according to the Steel Recycling Institute. So unless you know something is mostly plastic, it will probably qualify.

Formal wear: Finally, a use for that mauve prom or bridesmaid dress: Give it to a girl who can’t afford one (go to operationfairydust.org or catherinescloset.org).


G

Gadgets: There are many ways to recycle PDAs, MP3 players, and other devices so that any money earned from the parts goes to worthy causes―a win, win, win scenario (for you, the environment, and charity). Recycleforbreastcancer.org, for example, will send you prepaid shipping labels, recycle your gadgets, then donate the proceeds to breast cancer charities.

Glue: Many schools have recycling programs for empty containers of Elmer’s glue and glue sticks. Students and teachers rinse out the bottles, which are then sent to Wal-Mart for recycling. Find out more at elmersgluecrew.com.

Glue strips and inserts in magazines: Lotion samples and nonpaper promotional items affixed to glue strips in magazines should be removed because they can jam up recycling equipment (scented perfume strips, on the other hand, are fine). “One of the biggest challenges we get is pages of promotional stickers and stamps,” says Matsch, “which can adhere to the machinery and tear yards of new paper fiber.”

DINNER; while you're figuring out all your recycling stuff you can put these in the crock pot for dinner:


STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can ( 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese, divided
6 green peppers. tops removed & seeded

Combine all ingredients, except 1/4 cup cheese and green peppers.
Stuff peppers. Arrange peppers in Crock Pot. Cover, cook on low 6 - 8
hours (high 3 - 4 hours) Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese during the last
30 minutes. - - Makes 6 servings

NOTE: for you meat eaters, you can also add some ground beef to above ingredient mixture

Quick and Easy Week Cooking

Fruity Barbecued Chicken Casserole

1 can Pork and beans (16oz)
4 Chicken Breast pieces
1/4 c Catsup
2 tablespoons Peach preserves
2 teaspoons Onion,instant minced
1/4 teaspoon Soy sauce
1/4 cup Brown sugar

Place beans in a 2-quart casserole; top with chicken breasts. Mix together remaining ingredients; pour over chicken and beans.
Cover and bake in preheated 325 deg.F. oven for 1 and 3/4 hours.


Knobby's Acres Chicken Rolls

1 container of Crescent Rolls (8 rolls)
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup Pizza Quick Sauce
8 slices of cheese of your flavor

Boil the chicken breasts for 20 minutes, let cool a little and than cut up in small pieces. Separate the 8 crescent roll triangles. Mix the sauce and the chicken, and divide the mixture equally among the triangles. Pinch closed the triangles so that chicken filling is completely surrounded. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Top with cheese slices during the last few minutes of baking.


Easy Make Chili

1 can Kidney beans
1/2 lb Hamburger
1 can Tomato soup
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1 sm Onion, chopped
Dump all into a pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer about 30 minutes.


Easy Knobby's Acres Soup

1 lb Hamburger (this is optional)
1 Chopped onion
Salt and pepper
1 can (10.75-oz) tomato soup
1 can (16-oz) mixed vegetables (drained) or use 1 pkg of frozen variety
1 can (16-oz) kidney beans
1 Box (14.75-oz) spaghetti (Three quarters of the way cooked)

Brown hamburger and onions, drain excess grease and transfer mixture into large saucepan. Add tomato soup and half a can of water. Stir in vegetables. Chop spaghetti up into like 3 or 4 inch pieces and add to soup mixture. Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Add water as needed to make more liquid


Quick Chocolate/Peanut Butter Fudge

1 Bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 Jar smooth or crunchy peanut butter (12 oz)
1 can Sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

In a 1-1/2 quart microwave-proof bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter on HIGH (1000 watt units) for about 3 minutes. Remove from microwave; stir will. Add condensed milk, stirring until well blended. Pour mixture into 8 x 8 inch cake pan, lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate to chill

You all have fun now!

Thursday Tid-bits from the ol' farmstead

Came across a few things on the ol' web that I thought I would throw out at ya all...

#1 - Canada Becomes First Nation to Officially List BPA as Toxic - Poisoning ourselves left and right or letting others do it to us...

#2 - Is Urban Gardening Getting More Creative? From Vertical Spirals to Lampposts, to Facebook - Gardeners everywhere, will we even need big mega farms 20 years from now?

#3 - Seed Sprouters: Easy to Use & Simple Designs - Cute!

And as usual one of Knobby's Acres recipes -

Knobby's Acres Breakfast Stir-All

Makes enough for 7 to 9 people

Main Ingredients:

8-10 eggs
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese (your choice of whether you use Sharp, Mild or Medium)
6 slices white bread, cubed into like 1 or 2 inch pieces
2 cups milk

Optional Additions: add what you like

1 cup corn (fresh, cooked or frozen)
1/2 cup chopped broccoli (cooked or raw )
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup cubed ham and/or cooked/browned Polish/Smoked sausage
A few slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 TBSP of chopped chives

Instructions:

1 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 - Beat eggs in large bowl and then mix in milk and cheese.

3 - Add any additions you want.

4 - Carefully stir in the bread cubes until just moistened (don't over stir)

5 - Oil (preferably some good olive oil) a 13 x 9 inch glass casserole dish and pour your mixture in.

6 - Bake in oven for 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is browned and the center springs back when touched.

7 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The World is rushing by

Everywhere I go lately people are rushing - rushing while driving down the street, rushing in stores, rushing at work, etc. It's like some of them are thinking to themselves; My life is totally messed up and I need to rush all my everyday mundane stuff so to have time to un-mess it later.

The ones that get me laughing the most are the ones that speed around me driving and then at the stop light I end up right behind them, but I guess in their thinking they won something, HaHaHaHa...what a wacky society we have become


Time to kick back, do a little laundry, read a book and let some modern conveniences do the cooking...


Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup

Directions:

1. Steam broccoli and cauliflower over boiling water for ten minutes, or
until just tender. Drain thoroughly, if required, and place in a baking
dish.
2. Combine mayonnaise, cheese and soup and spoon over vegetables.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 F for 45 minutes or until nicely browned on
top.
Serves 6


CHICKEN A LA KING

* 1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
* 1 to 1 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
* 1 bunch green onions (scallions) sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 jar Kraft pimiento or pimiento & olive process cheese spread (5oz) (optional)
* 1 can 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
* salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in the slow cooker/Crock Pot (3 1/2-quart or larger)and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Serve over rice, toast, or biscuits.
Serves 6 to 8.

Have a great day and remember, keep your planter lubed...

Slow, dumpy week recipe

Been a slow dumpy week, as my head cold gos back and forth, one day I'm pretty good and then 2 days I'm miserable, etc. etc.. I hate being sick!

but I did find this amonst my some 4 million recipes i have -----

PUMPKIN BREAD in a Crock Pot

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2 Tb vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
* 4 Tb raisins or dried currants, finely chopped

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice;
set aside.

In med. mixing bowl combine brown sugar and oil; beat till well
combined.

Beat in eggs. Add pumpkin; mix well. Add flour mixture.
Beat just until combined. Stir in raisins.

Pour pumpkin mixture into 2
well-greased and floured 1/2-pint straight-sided canning jars. Cover
jars tightly with greased foil.

Place a piece of crumpled foil in 3-1/2 or
4 qt. crockery cooker with liner in place. Place jars atop crumpled foil.
Cover; cook on high setting for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until a wooden
toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.

Remove jars from
cooker; cool 10 minutes in jars. Remove bread from jars. Cool
thoroughly on wire rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Anyone who tries this let us know how it turns out, thanks...

Have a good one my friends...

Sunday Head Cold Recipes

Somewhere over night I picked up a super head cold and feels like my head is in middle of ocean, sloshing around in a life raft..

Here's something all of you might try;

Crock-Pot Baked Caramel Apples -

using a 6 qt oval crock pot/slow cooker you should be able to fit in 4/5/6 medium sized apples, Granny Smiths work real good.

Ingredients;

2 t vanilla
1/2 cup water

Stuffing items -

Caramel cubes
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries or chopped up dates
1/2 cup walnut/pecan halves or pieces

Brown sugar

Directions;

Pour the water into the bottom of your crock pot & stir in the vanilla.

Wash and core your apples and maybe using a knife make the core a little larger

Put the apples into the vanilla water.

Stuff the apples with 1 cube of caramel and some of the stuffing items and shove a bit of brown sugar into each core also.

any extra stuffing items and sugar can be used to top off the apples.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-7, just make sure the apples don't get to soggy to handle.

And while all that is cooking you can put together this main dish -


Cottage Cheese Manicotti

"Simple to fix - the manicotti shells do not need to be precooked!"

Tomato Sauce:

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 (8 oz) cans unsalted tomato sauce
2 (16 oz) cans unsalted tomatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Filling:

2 cups non-fat cottage cheese OR
1 cup non-fat cottage cheese and 1 can drained cooked spinach
3 tablespoons freshly grated non-fat cheese
2 egg whites
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Dash pepper
8 oz uncooked manicotti shells (15 pieces)
1 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Sauté garlic in olive oil. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes; stir in oregano and parsley.
Bring to a boil and simmer covered for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to 2 hours, stirring
occasionally. Makes 5 cups of sauce.

Combine filling ingredients and stuff uncooked manicotti shells using a small butter
knife or a spoon.

Fill bottom of a 9"x13" casserole dish with 2 cups of tomato sauce.

Arrange stuffed manicotti shells in a single layer over sauce, side by side.

Cover shells with remaining 3 cups of sauce and pour 1 cup of water over all.

Tightly cover dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes.

Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Makes 5-6 servings.

Dreams and Live - Simple -- Part 1

"People like to dream of escapes they won't ever live" - KK


We all have dreams and most of us have dreams of doing something spectacular with our lives away from the normal everyday existence.

Here's a tip --the whole purpose behind simplifying your life is so you can live your dream... you have to arrange your life and clear out its clutter, so that your dream can have room to live and grow.

Do you know what your dream is? What would you love to do with your life if you had the time and resources? Travel? Volunteer work? A craft or hobby? Become a Movie star? Play Professional sports? Be a Musician? Do you secretly want to be with someone? etc.etc...

Problem is most people do not know what their dream is and when I say dream what I am referring to, is your heart's desire--what you truly want to do in the short time frame we are allowed here on Earth. So, first step is to discover and find your TRUE dream/heart's desire.

One way is to asked yourself what you would honestly and truly do in the case of certain supposed happenings;

Like what would you truthfully do with your life if by chance, you won $3 million dollars? or $500 a week for the rest of your life? How about if you woke one morning and had a disability that prevented you from walking? What if you actually only had ten months to live? Or if you had a the chance to get a masters degree, would you do it? and what would you get it in? etc.etc...

By answering these questions you should see a pattern/ outline of what your true hidden motivation in life is. You have to dig deep though to do so and possibly end up asking yourself other deeper sub-questions.

Another way I have found is to take a long, hard look back in your life and remember all the things you have done (work, fun, friends, school,lifestyle,etc.) and see if you can spot a pattern in some area that you always seemed to return to again and again.

Another process is to look at your priorities; an example would you be like, are you willing to skimp, save and struggle with very little money or material things to pursue a dream? Or would you rather just work in a dead - end job that means nothing to you in order to have all kinds of material and pleasureful comforts? Do you let others influence your thoughts and actions everyday? Can you or are you willing to put partner and/or children aside for the moment in order to pursue your dream? Would you change your career/job if that new career/job had to with part of your hearts desire?

The answers to these questions should reveal more about what you want to do or are best suited for. Your answer also should tell you if you are willing to sacrifice? or how you are willing to live in order to follow your dream?

Part 2 coming Sunday

In the mean time enjoy this;


CHEESE AND POTATO CASSEROLE

2 lb. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes (partially thawed) or fresh
2 (10 oz.) cans cheddar cheese soup
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 can French fried onion rings, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine potatoes, soup, milk, and half the can of onion rings; pour
into greased slow cooker/Crock Pot and add salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 4 hours. Sprinkle the rest
of the onion rings of top before serving.

Take care and Live - Simple!

Knobby

Couple of Live - Simple recipes

Here are a couple of recipes I came across that will make for some easy day to day healthy snacking.

Marinated Vegetables (Serves 4)

2/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon – juice only
2 tsp sea salt
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, zucchini, carrots and/or green beans)

Blend olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to make a marinade. Toss with cut-up veggies. Marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours before eating. Cover real well and they will last about 3 days, good for them in between meal snacks.

Stewed Peaches (Serves 5)

4 pounds fresh peaches
Water to cover
2 tsp vanilla
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Wash peaches and halve them lengthwise, removing pits. Cut each half in three slices. Place peaches in saucepan, cover with water, and add vanilla and lemon rind. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Cool and refrigerate in well covered bowl. You're all set for a couple of days of healthy dessert snack.


Enjoy and Live - Simple my friends...

Vegan Crock-Pot Apple Butter

Time to make some apple butter, so I am sharing this apple butter recipe with you all that was sent to me from Amanda Reynolds who's a fan of KA's FB page and blog... Thank You, Amanda!

Vegan Crock-Pot Apple Butter

5.5 quart crock-pot
8-9 lbs of apples
2 c of unrefined dark brown sugar or dark brown beet sugar*
1 T fresh ginger (or 1 t ground powdered ginger, but I highly recommend fresh)
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground nutmeg
3 T fresh ground cinnamon
½ t salt
½ c apple cider vinegar

You can use any variety of apples that you wish.

Peel, core, and chop the apples finely. Transfer the apples from the chopping board into the crock pot.

Mix the sugar, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the apples 1/3 at a time and mix until the apples are coated in the sugar mixture.

Pour the apple cider vinegar over the top.

Cook on high the first hour, then turn to low and let cook for at least 12 hours, stirring every 4 hours or so.

I do this overnight and just get up and stir it once (note: tradition in our household mandates that we make oatmeal with the half cooked apple butter in the morning).

Depending on the kind of apples and how hot your crock-pot gets start checking after 12 hours.

You are looking for the apples to cook down by about half and become a mush. I usually let them cook for 14 hours. After the apples have cooked for 12-16 hours, turn the crock-pot up to high, and take the lid off. Let the liquid cook out for 2+ hours.

At this point, I love the slightly chunky texture, but if you want a creamy apple butter you can blend some of it in a blender or in the crock-pot with an immersion blender.

I freeze the apple butter in 2 c batches in ziplock freezer bags, flat, for up to one year. 1 lb of apples equals about 1 c of apple butter.

Apple butter takes a long time to make, but it’s nice to make it in the crock-pot because you can leave the house with it cooking and not worry about it. Making it on the stove requires a lot more time and attention then the crock-pot method.

*normal refined cane sugar is not vegan as animal bone char is used in the refinement process

Clutter and De-cluttering – Part 4

OK, you have started, you have de-cluttered, you have cleaned/painted, you have donated/garage sale/etc. what you wanted. Your house should now be in decent livable condition, now what?

Now comes the hard part, keeping it un-cluttered. A lot of times people who de-clutter have moments of panic, because they have had all this stuff around them and now they wake up and ‘their stuff is gone’ that is when lots of people start the Re-cluttering stage.

You have to get past that, you have to constantly keep thinking to yourself, “this is a new beginning” for yourself and family. Move past the past and move on with the new, don’t re-fill…

One method is trying the “new in – old out” approach, whenever you acquire a new item, an old one has to go. This allows you to focus on quality upgrading rather than accumulating tons of mediocre dollar stuff.

Also don’t expect things to go smoothly, I have de-cluttered dozens of times, only for the fact that as mine and the family interests, needs and lifes have changed, so has what items are clutter. It happens - families grow, lose, changed, move, etc.,etc… and that’s alright.

Eventually you will begin to see how wonderful things are after de-cluttering and to appreciate how much easier life is when you have less stuff.

You spend less time and effort on maintenance. You spend less time and effort moving, trying to find bills, or the chess set, etc.

You spend less time and effort organizing your stuff and cleaning.

What you’re left with is more time and energy and financial resources to actually enjoy life. It’s much easier now to find an hour to practice that hobby skill, or other more enjoyable activities if you’re not spending all your time cleaning and putting things away and finding room for just one more thing in that closet.

It’s much easier to save for the future if you're not in a non-stop race to see who has the most stuff. Live –Simple and life will be simple…


Now that you have time on your hands, you might want to try this great dish:


Baked Spinach -

1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
2 pkg frozen spinach or the equivalent of that with fresh
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix

Directions:

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add the spinach. Break up
and stir. Add cream cheese and onion soup mix. Stir well. Place in
casserole dish and bake at 300°F for 45 minutes.


Be seeing you, Knobby...

Clutter & De-cluttering - Part 3

Diving in..............

Now that you are stepping into the Twilight Zone of Clutter - what is the best way to decide what to get rid of and what to keep??????? What do you do with the stuff that you no longer want or need???

Lets start with the clothing rule - If it hasn't been out of the drawer or closet in the past 6 months, get rid of it. There are certain exception to this though, especially for a man. Some men today do not wear suits a lot except to funerals or weddings, so if you haven't taken one of your suits out of the closet in past 6 months then consider yourself lucky to still have your family and friends around... Although if you have 12 suits hanging in the back of the closet, then that might be another story...

As for other items - Ask yourself this -

• Do I really love this item or just pretend to because it came from Shirley and Stan?
• Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it? This one is the most dangerous! One way to to work around this is to have someone else (whom you trust!) help you go through things. They don’t have the (sometime’s irrational) emotional attachment that you might have, but can still recognize if something should be kept.
• 
  Have I used it in the past year? or even the past 6 months?
• 
  Is it really garbage? Does it need fixing? Do I actually have time or the money to repair it?
• 
  Do I have another one that is better?
• 
  Should I really keep two?

You also can have the 6-month box; Take all your items that you unsure about getting rid of (e.g. “I might need this someday…”), put them in a box, seal it and date it. When you come across it 6 months from now and you still haven't opened it to get anything, donate the box WITHOUT OPENING IT. You probably won’t even remember what there was in the box.

One of the key things though is to take the pile of stuff you are not keeping out of the house as soon as possible, take it to a staging area in the garage or shed if you're going to sell it or the back seat/trunk of you vehicle if you're going to donate it...

Now that you are all done sorting, the stuff you're not keeping can be:

• Donated to charities
• List your clutter on craigslist
• Sell it on Ebay
• Have a garage sale and then anything that didn't sell donate it...
• or even as I have done with many things - put at the side of the road in front of your house with a free sign on it...
• OR Gift Everything to all your family & friends, LOL

Now I'll end part 3 with this caution - You really should stop for the day even if you are not done:

# 1 - If you find yourself hitting a “brain fog” where nothing makes sense or you find yourself holding on to everything you are reviewing - and/or #2 - If you hit a hysterical state of mind and start tossing everything without looking at it.

Of course before starting on your De-cluttering for the day make sure you put a nice crock-pot of this dessert on for your reward later, for a job well done;

- Apple Sauce -

--4 large apples, skinned ,cored, and cut in quarters
--juice from 1 lemon
--1/4 cup water
--1 teaspoon vanilla
--1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
--1 Tablespoon brown sugar

makes enough for about 4/5 people

Skin, core, and cut your apples into quarters. Plop the pieces into your crock pot. Add the juice from the lemon, and the water. Pour in the vanilla ( imitation or real), add the cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When the apples are super tender, mash with a potato masher or large fork. Serve up in bowls with some whip cream on top and maybe some warm cinnamon sugar donuts on the side...

Friday from the Ol' Pinnebog General Store

Apples, cooler temperatures, leaves changing color, corn mazes, cider mills, warm donuts, fires, pumpkins, farmers markets, Fall festivals, Chili cook -offs, De-cluttering, etc. etc. What a wonderful time fall is!


The big news of the week around town was that the actor Sean Penn was up in the Bad Axe area filming a movie 'This Must Be the Place.' Now I have to admit I don't know much about his movies, but from all the chatter about, it seems like he has played in some good roles... See picture gallery here: MOVIE

If that wasn't enough, after they all get done, another movie crew will be coming to town to film 'Real Steel' that supposedly will be Starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly and the Executive producer is Steven Spielberg.

Well anytime they need a break, they are always welcomed to the Ol' general store here for a glazed donut & an Orange Crush...

Of course all that excitement can't top the balloons and party favors that flowed around town here 'bout 2 weeks ago when ol' Lydia celebrated her 99th birthday. Here tell that there was over 60 friends, family attending and the birthday cake was as big as Paul Bunyan's blue ox, Babe...

Then again even that might have been topped by all the police and fire squads rushing to the local senior center where it was reported a HOT,HOT bridge game was taking place and apparently was so hot that the sprinkler system went off. Never knew that the kindly ladies down at the senior center still had a bit of rowdiness in their bonnets after all these years, lol

Noticed this piece of notepaper with 2 recipes on it tacked to the community board here from that wonderful Amish lady Mrs. Byler down the way, always thinking of others, she is;

SNACK CAKE MIX -

12 CUPS FLOUR
1/3 CUP BAKING POWDER
8 CUPS SUGAR
3 CUPS SHORTENING
4 TEASPOONS SALT

combine dry ingredients; cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place.

APPLE CAKE -

1 MEDIUM TO LARGE APPLE
2 TABLESPOONS OF SUGAR
1/4 TEASPOON OF CINNAMON
2 CUPS OF ABOVE SNACK CAKE MIX
1/3 CUP MILK
2 TEASPOONS OF LEMON JUICE
1/4 TEASPOON OF NUTMEG
1 EGG

Toss apple with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix cake mix, egg and milk. Put into 8 inch pan. Press apple slices into batter. Drizzle any remaining sugar mixture over apples. Bake at 350º till done. MY NOTE: (by done I am thinking she means about 30 minutes)


Well, got to run, but here's a poem to remind all of the main pursuit of Live - Simple -

Lord, Let me take time to see the flowers, that grow beside the dusty road.

Let me take time to lend a helping hand, to lighten someone's weary load.

Let me take time to hear the sounds, of happy children at their play.

Let me take time to visit friends, family who might be lonely today but most of all, let me take time for quiet hours, alone with Thee...


You all take care and I'll be seeing you, Knobby

Clutter & De-cluttering - Part Two

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall that is coming upon us, with its Pumpkin pies, Corn mazes, Apple Cider and warm cinnamon-sugar coated donuts? While all that is going on lets get started on part two of de-cluttering...

Part Two of the De-cluttering process:

First off you can't go into de-cluttering willy - nilly and start throwing things away here and there. I've learned from experience that that doesn't work; 9 out of 10 times you end up with a bigger mess than when you started and you get frustrated and quit the whole process... De-cluttering is like the old joke question 'how do you eat an elephant?' answer: 'one bite at a time' and for some it takes awhile... My one big tip though is not to wait until you think it's a perfect time to do it, I have done that countless times myself and guess what, I never got started. The best time is just like the commercial says - "Just Do It"

OK, so you have decided to de-clutter an area, first thing to do is to get together boxes, garbage bags, cleaning supplies (yes, you will be cleaning also) and if your going to paint get them supplies too.

Second thing is to look at that room or area and image to yourself how you would want the room to look if you were trying to sell it. That includes each piece of furniture in it. You would not try and sell a room with stains on the carpet and boogers on the walls. You also would not try to sell a nightstand that was stuffed with papers, magazines, used Kleenex, chocolate wrappers and Pepsi spills on it. Hold on to that selling image during the de-cluttering process, it’s very important to do so… if you can’t hold an image then look at some magazines like Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens, etc. and cut a living room, bedroom, bathroom picture out that closely resembles what you image and look at that

Third thing is to make a promise to your self that 1/3 or ¼ or even ½ of the room or area you picked will be done by such and such time. Like “I want to clean up the desk and its drawers and the book shelves by the time the kids come home from school”

Fourth thing is MUSIC! Everyone works better with music, it brightens the soul, gets your feet moving and keeps you company. Get some favorite cds together or favorite radio station or your ipod and listen and work. For me the best music was pumped up songs from oldies, like Beatles, Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, etc.

Fifth thing is to take action – I have found that if I start on one side of room, near the entrance and work my way around back to the beginning I can accomplished more in a more organized path. I’m not bouncing back and forth between what ever item catches my eye at any given moment. I do what ever comes next down that path I started.

In part 3 we’ll talked about how to sort and how to part away with things during the action stage…

Of course you're going to have to eat too, so here's something for all to enjoy;

Broccoli & Cheese Soup

2 c. cooked noodles of any kind
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli,thawed or as usual use fresh
3 tbsp. chopped onions
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
2 cups shredded American cheese
Salt to taste
5 1/2 c. milk
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on low for 4
hours.
8 servings.

Live - Simple my friends, Live - Simple...

Knobby

Clutter & De-cluttering - Part One

Most everyone knows about or has watched the TV show 'Hoarders' where it shows people living in EXTREME gross clutter. IMO some of it I think is made up for TV purposes only but, that's just my opinion.

From what I have seen the majority of people do not live like that, majority of clutterers live with what I call 'Livable Clutter' which means, in your mind it can be lived with or another word would be it's bearable, after all you still can walk from kitchen to living rm without stepping over too many things and you can still shut the bedroom door when company comes over, LOL.

Well as one can guess clutter and the Live - Simple lifestyle do not go together, clutter gets in the way of a natural, free flowing household, workplace, play area...

Clutter uses up space - Space that for the most part as years go by seems to just keep getting bigger and bigger. A multi-billion dollar industry (rental storage units) has grown up just because of people needing more space for their (STUFF) clutter. Another multi - million dollar industry ( 1-800-GOT-JUNK) has blossomed just to get rid of peoples left-over (STUFF) clutter.

Clutter uses up money - How? because for each piece you have that has been laying in the bottom of a closet or 'stored' out in the garage that you haven't seen or touched in 2 years has for the most part cost you hard-earned money. Even worse how about doubling the cost, because you have no room in your house so you rent out a storage unit for it... Oh and if you're storing things that might be "Useful Someday", realise that while you are storing them and hoarding them, THEY AREN'T BEING USEFUL

Clutter uses up the environment - The more bric brac, nick knacks, flower vases, un-used exercise equipment, talking fish plaques, sweaters, shoes, etc., the bigger the houses, the garages, the trucks, etc. The bigger and more of all that, the more resources are used up.

Worse of all clutter uses up time - Time that could be used for yourself and maybe more profitable endeavors or with family, friends and more recreational activities, etc.

Now I know that some people become attached to 'Their Stuff', it makes them feel comfortable having all that stuff around them and some people actually have a physical, mental and emotional hard time parting with things. So I'm not trying to talk anyone out of getting rid of Grandmas wooden Dutch shoes or Aunt Mable's antique diamond ring which is actually cubic zirconium but no one wanted to tell her... lol, but there is a difference between nostalgia and misaligned intentions...

What I am going to try and do in this 4 part series of posts is explain what clutter is and then try and show you how to de-clutter if you so desire to.

What I think clutter is:

When your miscellaneous kitchen junk drawer, desk drawer, laundry room cupboard, bedroom night stand are all jammed with your papers, appliance manuals, recipes, pizza coupons from 2003, menus from the Chinese restaurant that closed in 2006, broken lighters, stub pencils, harden bottles of Elmer's glue, sunglasses without lenses, marbles, a baggie of broken birthday candles, a head from a barbie doll, etc. - YOU HAVE CLUTTER!

When you’re embarrassed to let someone see some part of your home because of the piles of stuff you have stockpiled and you hide it all behind curtains, or dividers or the closet doors won't shut or all of it is seeping out from underneath your bed so you just shut the bedroom door. - YOU HAVE CLUTTER.

When you take 30 minutes digging through junk drawers or looking through piles of magazines, or moving about all the stored "Useful One day" stuff in the garage looking for the one thing in there you actually have any need for, or thought you did. - YOU HAVE CLUTTER.

Or how about all them shelves that are jammed full of videos or DVDs or CDs or books or video games even after you emptied them same shelves 6 months ago and put all of the old ones into a box out in the garage. - YOU HAVE CLUTTER.

In part 2 we'll see how to get started on the de-cluttering process, in mean time put a crock-pot of the following recipe on and go Live - Simple....

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP -

1 pound ground chuck or stew meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 large (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes (chopped) or the same amount using fresh tomatoes
3 cup diced potatoes
1 (16 oz.) can cut green beans or same amount using fresh green beans
2 teaspoon chili powder
2-3 dashes cayenne pepper sauce
2 (10 1/2 oz.) cans condensed beef bouillon or whatever is equivalent in using the bouillon cubes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Brown meat with onion and celery; drain off fat. Stir in remaining
ingredients and add 1 or 2 cups water. Cover and cook on low for 8-10
hours.

For you vegetarians you can just leave out the beef

Friday from the Ol' Pinnebog General Store

Pinnebog General Store

Well it has been a while since I have put anything up on the Ol' Knobby Acres blog so I figure well shoot lets give it another go round and see what type of beans grow...

Been a very busy, busy week around the ol' general store this week being that new stock came in and of course the usual friends & neighbors stopping by for this or that and telling a tip or two...

Like early in week when Miriam and Soloma were just a chit chatting about kitchen stuff and what not. Like Miriam was saying how she rinses out her empty mustard jar with water and adds a small amount of it to her chili soup. or when fixing up your own flower pot/hanging baskets put a disposable diaper in the bottom to hold moisture longer. Soloma was telling how she carrys her pies to the bake sale by putting them in a 5 gallon bucket stacked with flat plates in betwix them.

Delberts kids came in and was looking for model paint, seems they were making canisters out of gallon glass jars for their mom so she could store rice, popcorn and stuff and they wanted to paint the name of the ingredients on them jars. Smart kids!

Jeb came by not feeling to good and kinda hunched over. he was looking for some Ex-Lax. Course that got all the guys hooping and hollering about everything from WD-40 to big pots of beans to even a formula for cleaning toilets, using 1/4 part bleach and 3/4 parts water, mixed in a spray bottle and applied liberally..

Well got to keep it short this week, got stock to put away and get my football picks in, but before I go someone came in and posted this poem on the community board and I thought I would share it with you all:

I thank Thee, Lord that my feet are sore, and my knees and back hurt even more.

I thank Thee too for the scratches and stings that a day in the summer sometimes brings.

I thank Thee, Lord that my eyes are red and they throb in time with my aching head. That my muscles moan and protest in pain from the weary hours of toil and strain.

Beneath my nails there is garden soil and my hands bear the marks of a gardener's toil. For the fields are ripe and the harvest great and the gathering in of it just can't wait.

So I thank Thee, Lord for it means I'm strong and can work in the garden the whole day long.

Tonight I'm sore and exhausted too, but oh, I'm among the privileged few.

Oh almost forgot, seeing that some apples are falling off the trees already I figured it be a good time to put this crock-pot recipe up that came from Eloise Smothers using some of them their apples...

APPLE PUDDING CAKE

* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg
* 2 cups unpeeled apples, finely chopped
* 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add apples with dry ingredients and
mix well. Spray a two pound coffee can with cooking spray or grease and
flour it well. Pour batter into can, filling no more than 2/3 full.

Place can in Crock Pot. Do not add water. Cover but leave cover ajar so
steam can escape. Cook on high 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Don't peek before the last hour of baking. Cake is done when top is set. Let
stand in can a few minutes before tipping pudding out on a plate.
Serve half-rounds plain, with whipped topping, or with ice cream & hot fudge sauce

Take care and I'll be seeing you, Knobby