GROSS!

Did the previous owners of this house use the Jacuzzi tub as an aquarium?  Or had the house sat vacant so long the residual water in the tub’s pipes just mildewed? Or what? Maybe I don’t want to know! 

What I do know, is that we emptied our hot water heater into that tub six times trying to clean it! I followed directions of using Cascade and bleach mixed in the water as I ran the jets to clean out the pipes.  

Running jets with Cascade to clean out the pipes

We finally decided that the gunk was being re-circulated and deposited in the pump and pipes each time.  But, there were fewer gunk particles each time I cleaned it, especially after I started using a fine mesh dip net to scoop out that "stuff".  

Thin cloth to cover filter.

But the real brainstorm came when JoPapa thought about covering the water intake with a filter! So…using a piece of tea towel and a rubber band to hold it in place, the particles are finally got filtered out of the water!  

Captured particles.

So, I let it rest a bit before adding the bleach to sanitize it for the last time, I hope!  We are looking forward to enjoying the hot water and jets on those poor sore muscles! Now, if you've seen all the projects JoPapa has finished around here, you know he has earned a nice soak!

One more thing... I know I promised to write about all fun things, and for me, the sense of accomplishment in cleaning is fun! 

Now you know way too much about me, right? My hope is that if you are having trouble cleaning your jetted tub, JoPapa's idea of putting a filter over the intake will make your cleaning more fun too!

BOOK READING FUN TURNS INTO COOKIES

Me and My Shadow have been enjoying our volunteer time at the middle school.  JoPapa was able to start volunteering weeks ago.  I had been delayed in joining this worthy cause due to my fall from Grace (my pet name for my step ladder).  But now that I’m recovered enough to sit for an hour or so with my foot on the ground, I get to join the fun of listening to these students read to us. Sharon Fairlie from Smithville United Methodist Church asked for volunteers from the church and we accepted the invitation.  That was about the time I fell from Grace. In the past weeks, the volunteers who have been there every day have made believers of the administrators there. The reading tests showed the 6th grade students’ reading skills have improved.  So the program was expanded to also include the 7th grade reading class. 

So here’s where reading turns into cookies. One of  the students I have been reading with did not grasp the significance of the passage in Touching Spirit Bear, the book we were reading.  The parole officer in this story had the adolescent taste flour, salt, soda, molasses, egg, and water.  Each ingredient was not especially tasty but some were even down right bitter tasting. But when combined…a delicious molasses cake resulted.  It was a metaphor for life! We have to take the bitter with the sweet. When I explained it like that, her “light bulb” came on and she comprehended.  Which bitter ingredient should we leave out? Each ingredient is a necessary component to making the end product - even a fall from Grace!

This story  inspired me to make these molasses cookies. 


MOLASSES COOKIES

1/3 cup Crisco
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ cup water
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon

Beat shortening, sugar, egg, molasses and water. Blend in dry ingredients. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched with finger.

Almost no imprint remains

Remove from cookie sheet and cool. When cookies are completely cool frost each cookie with:

Butter Cream Frosting

3 Tbl. soft butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
about 1 ½ Tbl. milk

Blend powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until frosting is smooth.

Cooled cookies with butter cream frosting

I don't think these cookies will ship very well with the frosting, but I could be convinced to ship some sans frosting. Or maybe you'll make some for your family tonight? They are light, cake like, sweet and spicy! 

Enjoy!

POTATO CASSEROLE

I am able to stand! I can be in the kitchen preparing dishes for my family and friends to enjoy! I get to do fun stuff and blog again! Lucky you! You get to read what’s going on in Peg’s Pantry!

This potato casserole is a favorite dish that is often requested for family gatherings.  We crave this cheesy potato casserole every holiday and of course this Easter was no exception.  I tasted this dish for the first time at a Dinner-for-Eight get together more than 20 years ago and it made a lasting impression. (Interesting side note, these hash browns used to come in a 32 oz bag. So depending on the crowd I'm expecting, I either use just 28 ounces or I buy two bags and add more potatoes.  Either way, I don't alter the rest of the recipe.) This is a wonderful side dish that can be prepared ahead of time and then baked when needed. It feeds a crowd and for that reason I don’t make it when it is just for Me and My Shadow.  

You'll notice that I substituted crushed Corn Chex for the cornflake topping.  That's due to poor planning on my part for not having the listed ingredients on hand, but it was very tasty and crunchy. I think I'll make it with Corn Chex next time too. We eat Corn Chex, especially when I make it in Puppy Chow, but that's another day's blog!


POTATO CASSEROLE

28 oz bag hash browns (potatoes O’Brian already have the onion included)
½ cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. grated cheddar
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
½ small onion diced (skip if using O’Brian style)

Topping – mix together
2 cups crushed corn flake crumbs
¼  cup melted butter

Place thawed potatoes in 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix other ingredients except topping and pour over potatoes. Cover with corn flake crumb topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until heated through

Maybe next fall, I will experiment by putting this casserole up in several smaller containers to freeze for the future so we can take out just what we need instead of freezing the leftovers. To make it in smaller portions, I won’t thaw the potatoes, instead I’ll pour the toppings over the frozen hash browns, seal each baking dish tightly and freeze.  I would then need to thaw it in the refrigerator before baking. I’ll let you know if I follow through on that project.  Or maybe you will try this recipe and let me know if it works to put it in smaller portions.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I discovered the most delicious and simple way to make muffins! Sunday morning, I often bake something special for breakfast.  This week, I decided to experiment with my blueberry yogurt. I think I get a bit more protein and calcium in the end product by using yogurt instead of milk.

So here’s what I did:  I mixed two cups of Bisquick, one egg, and two 6 ounce containers of yogurt together, stirred in about a cup of frozen blueberries (no, I didn't wait for them to thaw), and made the best tasting, lovely textured muffins!  I am already missing my blueberry bushes.  Maybe we'll plant new ones here so I can have blueberries on hand next year too?


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2 6 oz. Containers of blueberry yogurt
1 egg
1 cup blueberries

Mix all ingredients together.  Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Serve hot with butter! 

These have tasted very good frozen and reheated too.

Last week, I mixed blueberry yogurt and Bisquick together and made drop biscuits. They were really tasty too! By adding the egg, the texture changes into muffins!

Let me know if you try either of these experiments too.  I imagine any flavor or even non-flavored yogurt would be good! 

WHY ME LORD?

I am so blessed! Why me Lord? I ask that all the time.  I have so much and am so grateful! Days like yesterday, give me pause to give thanks! We are settling into our new home, we have all we need, and the sun is shining! Thank you, Lord!

It was so much fun to enjoy cooking dinner with Dayna last night too! She can easily get here after work and we chatted the hours away! Then she took a plate of food for Travis’ dinner too! 

Yesterday, I saw a FB post about baking garlic biscuits in a ring and they looked like the perfect accompaniment for our baked chicken, potato casserole and green bean dinner (aren't you hungry now?)  The recipe I saw called for canned biscuits and a bundt cake pan, but since I didn't have access to either of those (I don’t keep canned biscuits around and the bundt cake pan is still in a box), we improvised!  I do keep Bisquick baking mix, and Dayna showed me how to use a round cake pan with an inverted bowl in the center for a make-do bundt-ish type pan.  The results were just great!  Next time, I think we'll also mix in a cup of grated cheddar cheese. I need the calcium!

Mixing ingredients

We used the Bisquick recipe for family-sized biscuits, rolled that into a log, and sliced eight biscuits. Then we melted 4 tablespoons of butter and mixed in 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic. She used Pam to spray the baking dish, then dipped each biscuit, and placed them in the pan. 

Clever use of inverted bowl inside the pan to make a ring of biscuits!

 Then she scooped the rest of the garlic and butter over the top of the biscuits.  She put the pan in the oven to bake for 15 minutes and came out beautifully delicious! 

Golden and delicious!

See what I mean? Why me Lord? I get to enjoy dinner while watching the sunset in my new house with my sweet hubby and my dahling daughter, Dayna.  A perfect way to end the day. Thank you Lord!

SPICED TEA

Oh, these chilly winter days make me wish for something to warm me up from the inside out. Today felt like the perfect day to mix up some Spiced Tea. It’s a simple recipe with just a few ingredients and it makes enough that I have plenty to share. And, I can mix it standing on one foot!

I remember a dreary winter day at BPS when so many of us there had the sniffles. I brought in some spiced tea mix and as we sipped this tea, it seemed to soothe those scratchy throats and bolster us just enough so we could get through another day with a smile for those little kiddos!

I use Tang in my Spice Tea mix because it has Vitamin C included. That might be why a cup of this tea makes me feel so much better!

SPICED TEA
3/4 cup instant powdered tea
1 1/2 cup Tang
1 2-quart package of lemonade mix
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

I gather all the ingredients, measure them into a big bowl and stir. I increased the cinnamon to two teaspoons because I like that flavor. You can adjust the spices to suit your tastes too.  Be sure to store the mixture sealed tightly in a couple of glass canning jars.

Gather ingredients, measure, mix and enjoy!

To serve, stir two teaspoons of the mixture into a cup of steaming hot water and then sip and relax! Voila! Warmed from the inside out!

I can be persuaded to make this and ship it to you...for a small shipping and handling fee of course.  Or if you are in the neighborhood, drop by and we'll visit over a couple of cups of tea!

Stay warm!

Pinwheel Biscuits

Sunday morning breakfasts are usually more than just a quick bowl of cereal. These pinwheel biscuits are one of JoPapa's frequent requests.  I've gotten a bit lazy so I use Bisquick instead of making my biscuit dough from scratch. I usually only make a half batch because these are best fresh from the oven.  But I have been known to make extra pinwheels just so we can have a few to nibble on for snacks later in the day too. To make biscuits, follow the mixing directions on the box. Once the dough is kneaded and rolled out, spread some melted butter over the top.

A little butter makes everything better!

Then generously sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over.  I have a sweet tooth and I sprinkle a lot of sugar! There isn't a correct proportion here, you get to make them to taste.  I keep my cinnamon and sugar mixed and ready to go at all times too.  It's handy to have to sprinkle on toast too!

Covered with cinnamon sugar and the melted butter.

Then roll up the dough.  Slice into rolls and place on a cookie sheet to bake.  I use a spatula to carry the rolls to the cookie sheet so my cinnamon sugar won't fall out.  I forgot when I moved the fist one over, so I had some clean up to do!

Rolled up dough.

Here they are ready to bake in a preheated oven according to the directions on the Bisquick box.

Ready for the oven.

It took 10 minutes at 450 and they cooked up beautifully.  Using Bisquick feels like "cheating" but the biscuits are always fluffy and delicious!

Sunday breakfast!

Can't you smell them? These are quick and easy to make so I won't even tease you about mailing them your way.  If you want to come eat breakfast some time, or just have a chat with me, a cup of tea and some pinwheel biscuits let me know! I'd love to see you! Or, I bake lots of things by request so if you aren't hungry for biscuits, I'll cook up something else!

Here's looking forward to 2013. May you have healthy, blessed, HAPPY NEW YEAR!