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I bought a Pampered Chef ice cream maker a few years ago.
I usually get it out every fall to make peach ice cream. I am still experimenting with different types of ice cream recipes. I made black cherry last year. This year I wanted to make peanut butter ice cream. There’s a little market nearby that sells hand dipped ice creams. Peanut butter with its big chunks of peanut butter became one of my favorites.
So today I got everything ready. Ice cream freezer tub frozen in the freezer overnight. Simple recipe:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
3/4 cup of peanut butter melted in microwave
Mix the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla and put in refrigerator for twenty minutes. Then put the beaters in the frozen ice cream tub. Pour the cream mixture down the spout of the ice cream tub.
What could go wrong? Everything went wrong.
First I left the cream mixture in the freezer too long. Thought I could hurry the process along but I forgot and left the mixture in the freezer too long. I put it directly in the ice cream tub instead of using the spout. Big mistake. The mixture started freezing as soon as it went in the tub. Then I couldn’t get the mixer blades in the already getting hard ice cream. That required getting the ice cream out of the tub so I could get the mixer blades in the tub. The only problem was the tub was so frozen the ice cream wouldn’t let loose. And the tub was slowly getting warmer.
Finally got all the mixture out of the tub with some big hard clumps of already hardened ice cream. Now I tried to pour it back in the tub. I thought a funnel might help. It didn’t. In fact, the funnel got backed up with the hard clumps, fell over and the mixture went all over the floor. I had just scrubbed that floor.
In the meantime, spoons and bowls are leaking mixture everywhere. What a mess.
I got the ice cream started and added the peanut butter. Ice cream finished. Now it’s like milkshake quality. I don’t think you add the melted peanut butter till the ice cream is almost finished. But I don’t know because I was experimenting.
I put the ice cream in containers to put in the freezer. Wouldn’t you know that one of those containers would tip over and spill in the freezer.
Done for the day except for cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and scrubbing the floor again. And enjoying the ice cream later.
Hurricanes have always been a part of history. Hurricanes are severe storms of high winds and rain. They can be deadly and at best are destructive storms. Hurricanes like Katrina and the 1900 Galveston hurricane will forever live in the history of deadly hurricanes.
Hurricane Carol 1954
Hurricane Season Has Started
Hurricanes can be very dangerous and can often be deadly. This is why it is important to plan ahead and be well prepared. Planning ahead for a hurricane can help to save lives. It can reduce potential damage to valuable property. It can also reduce the stress of surviving a hurricane. On average, five hurricanes strike the United States coastline every three years. This period is known as the hurricane season.
I lived in a hurricane area for several years. During those years, I was very lucky to experience only one major hurricane, Hurricane Ivan. But those years did teach me that being prepared was essential for those living in hurricane zones.
Before Hurricane Season
If there is anything good about hurricanes, it’s that they can usually be tracked with great accuracy. Residents living in hurricane areas will have several days to prepare and to evacuate if necessary. There are even some things you can do to prepare well before hurricane season begins. Here is a list of things you can do to get ready long before there’s any threat of a hurricane.
Important Things to Do When Living in Hurricane Zones
Make sure that all your trees and shrubbery are kept well trimmed.
Make sure the outside of your home is clear of clutter. This clutter will need to be put away in case of a hurricane. Outdoor furniture (such as patio sets, chairs and umbrellas) and garbage cans will need to be easily placed inside. Prepare room indoors for these items. Doing this ensures they can be quickly moved inside if there’s a possibility of a hurricane occurs.
During a hurricane, you will want your windows boarded with plywood to protect them from flying objects. Plywood should be purchased in advance and then cut to fit each window. Mark the plywood so you know which window each piece of plywood fits. These should then be stored in a safe place for the next hurricane because eventually there will be another hurricane.
Chances are good that after a hurricane your home will have at least some roof damage. It is a good idea to buy tarps and store them with the plywood for the windows. After a hurricane, tarps are in great demand. Tarps will be needed to protect your home from further damage due to rain.
If you can afford to buy one, get a generator. A good generator can run a few lights, the refrigerator, and the freezer which will save your frozen foods.
One of the most important things you should do is make sure your home insurance is adequate. Check to be certain that it will cover your home and exterior buildings, structures and fences.
Be Aware Of Where The Hurricane Is Headed
I remember watching hurricane coverage for days. If there was a hurricane prediction we stayed tuned to the news. Even workplaces had the news on and we all spent as much time watching the news as we did working.
Important Documents
Store all important documents in plastic in a fireproof and waterproof safe. If you need to evacuate, you can simply grab this quickly and have your important documents with you. It may be wise to make copies of important documents. Keeping them in a bank or with relatives who are outside the hurricane area is a good idea. Documents that you should keep in a safe place include the following:
All insurance policies
Birth certificates
Marriage Certificates
Property deeds
Credit Card Information
Medical Information
Social Security Cards
Vehicle Information
Health Information
All financial paperwork, checks and all savings and investment records
Make Sure Your Car Is Ready
Make sure your car is well maintained. Ensure it has a full tank of gas in the event that you will have to leave the area. Those that do have gas will also have a long line of people waiting to fill their cars. If possible, try to buy several five gallon cans of extra gas. After the hurricane, gas stations will take some time to fully function. You will need that extra gas for the car. If you have a garage, put your car in it. This will protect it from flying objects. You can even use your car to brace the garage doors. Park it as tight to the garage door as possible.
Supplies You Will Need
As previously mentioned, you should have a generator. It is more than likely you will not have power for several days after the hurricane. A generator can keep your refrigerator and lights working as well as some small appliances such as the coffee pot.
You should also have a supply of canned foods, bread, and various drinks including bottled water. A radio or battery-operated television is essential to stay updated on events. Ensure you have all different types of batteries available. Flashlights are essential, so make sure they are in working order with good batteries. You can also purchase headlamps which you can wear on your head while keeping your hands free. These lights can also let you read, play cards or games when there is no television. Kerosene lights and kerosene may be kept on hand or battery powered lanterns.
A grill or a camp stove is important. These will allow you to use any meat in your freezer. Otherwise, the meat may spoil. Without electric, you will need an alternative way of cooking. You will also need to keep several bottles of propane for the gas grill.
As I mentioned, you will need a good supply of water on hand, both for drinking and for washing. Before a hurricane hits, it is a good idea to fill as many containers of water as possible. Filling the bathtub is also a good idea. For drinking water, have several gallons for each person. It is important to ensure there’s enough on hand.
Money Matters
Having cash on hand after a hurricane is something you might not think about till later. Many of us have gotten used to carrying very little cash on us. We just pull out that convenient little plastic bank card. But after a hurricane, banks are not going to be operating for a few days till the power is restored. The same thing goes for most places where you might use your bank card. So it is important to have a fair amount of cash on hand. So don’t forget to visit your bank before a hurricane closes down everything.
Essential Food Supplies
The following items are often items you might already have in your cupboards. However, check to make sure you will have enough food on hand for at least a week. Before and after a hurricane the shelves in most stores will be empty so stock up early.
Canned items
Crackers and cereal bars
Pudding cups and fruit cups
Dried fruits
Nuts
Anything that is easy to open and won’t perish
Bread
Peanut Butter
Canned milk or dried milk
Bread and lunch meats
Manual can opener
Additional Precautions to Stay Safe and Healthy
Anyone who is taking medications on a daily basis should have at least a week’s supply. Also make certain to check your first aid kit to make certain you have first aid cream, bandages and antiseptics.
It would be a wise idea to discuss your hurricane plans with your family. Everyone should know what the plan is. If you plan to evacuate, each person should know what items they will be allowed to take with them. They should each know the destination you will be heading for. This will help if anyone gets separated along the way. You will need to make sure everyone has a fully charged cell phone. This ensures all family members are able to stay in touch at all times.
These are some of the major things that you will need to do. These are items you should purchase to be prepared for a hurricane. You should also listen to your local Emergency Management office for local information. They can keep you informed where local shelters will be located, emergency evacuation routes and other safety issues.
Nothing can stop the stress, loss and heartbreak that hurricanes can cause. Lost personal items such as photos can never be replaced. But hurricanes can be survived by preparing in advance.
I’ve never been a person to have wild, noisy holidays.
When the new year begins, I usually am spending that day with family, or at least part of the day. I generally cook the traditional pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes for lunch. Pork and sauerkraut is supposed to bring you good luck and good fortune in the new year. Well this year, it certainly has brought me very little good fortune. Hopefully, next year will be better.
Then comes Valentines Day in February. This holiday is usually ignored. Sometimes, I may get together with other seniors at the senior center and have a good meal.
Saint Patrick’s Day comes in March. I get out the crock pot and cook a corned beef brisket. I add chopped potatoes and cabbage to the crock pot. Two of my children show up for that holiday. They like corned beef and cabbage.
Easter can come in either March or April. Then I cook turkey or ham with everything included. The whole works. The aromas of turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, side dishes fill the house. One of my favorite dishes to go with ham is baked pineapple. Depending on their spouses most of the children come for Easter. In the future I plan on going to church for Easter services.
Memorial Day weekend is at the end of May. We used to always have a big family gathering with everyone bringing food. Always a lot of great food and family. Games are played for the young and the adults. Sometimes it’s volleyball or croquet. Other times it’s corn hole, or wiffle ball. One thing the young ones love to do is play in the creek nearby. And you will hear their parents remembering their younger days when they played in the creek.
July 4th as its name says comes in July. This holiday is spent celebrating in different ways. As a child were always excited for the July 4th parade. Sometimes, we participated in the parade in one way or another. One time my son and his cousin dressed up as Betsy Ross and Uncle Sam. Another time he marched with his cub scout group. Times have changed over the years. The parade is still held on the 4th of July but I rarely get there. Now the small town where I live has yard sales that weekend all over town. So I either have a yard sale or I go browsing other yard sales. Then in the evening there are fire works held at the dirt racing track.
The next few months are quiet summer months with no holidays. Just hot summer months for beach vacations, swimming and trying to stay cool.
Halloween is the end of October when the weather has cooled down. I do almost nothing to celebrate Halloween. I am usually staying with an elderly lady who was a former teacher. She wants to see the dressed up kids. So I am the one who answers the door for her. I bring them inside to visit with her while handing out candy.
Thanksgiving comes in November. This is the day like Easter that I cook the big meal with everything and the kids come home. But it’s usually a nice quiet day.
Christmas as everyone knows comes in December. I used to try to do the whole bit: decorating, making cookies, presents. Now I celebrate in a much quieter manner. I have never been a big decorator. You have to drag everything out and a few weeks later put everything away. I will put up a small tree and that about does it. I came to the conclusion a few years back that Christmas is not about decorating cookies, shopping or even gifts. It’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus.
New Years Eve is also in December. It ends the old year and begins the new year. We always hope that the new year will be a good year. To celebrate, I go to a gathering of friends, old and new friends. We have a good supper with everyone contributing food. Then we play card games or other favorite games.
So, how do I celebrate holidays?? Each holiday is different so they are celebrated differently. But the major way that I celebrate most holidays, is with family, friends, and always, lots of good food and fun.
Chocolate and sweets is my favorite types of food. I know. They are all bad for you but they taste much better than broccoli. I overheard a doctor telling people in a restaurant “that if it tastes good, spit it out”. Of course he was joking. He had a good sense of humor. When promise margarine was popular, I heard him also telling people to “eat that promise.” He would joke that they could enjoy a few extra years in a nursing home.
I love chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No, I don’t eat chocolate for meals. I do try to follow a more healthy diet and lifestyle. I feel better when I eat better and exercise regularly. But I do still treat myself to chocolate candy. After all, life is short and we should enjoy the things we like to eat.
But is chocolate good or bad for you? According to Harvard Medical School chocolate has some good benefits. Their report listed the following possible good health benefits:
better brain functions
lower blood pressure
increase the flow of blood throughout the body
lower bad cholesterol
Increase good cholesterol
The report does add that milk and sugar used to make chocolate increase the calorie content. These ingredients do not provide a good benefit to cocoa.
So after reading that report, I love chocolate even more. Who else loves chocolate?
This is a true story. The story of the dead woman in the bathroom. Two of the ladies who were there told it to me. Years later all but one of these women have passed on.
In our small town, just about everyone knew each other. They worked together, went to church together, or had some social events they were involved in. This led to close friendships for these four women, Gertie, Maggie, Ginny, and Martha. All of them were retired. Their friendship included afternoons of getting together and playing cards. All of them had been married, raised children, and assisted each other when they lost their husbands.
Martha was a retired elementary school teacher, greatly loved by her former students and the community. She was in her seventies but continued to be very active and healthy. She still continued donating a lot of her time to church activities and helped any children with schoolwork difficulties. She had recently started a part-time job in a small restaurant. This helped fill her time after her husband’s death.
Maggie had worked as a secretary and clerk until retirement. She was the one who was full of laughs and told some off color jokes in private. She usually kept the card group laughing at some of her stories she liked to tell. She also was still active in church and community activities.
Ginny was the quiet serious one. But like Maggie she had a few good stories of her own. She had worked for the local doctor for years and still occasionally filled in when he needed her. She was the oldest member of the ladies card club, but still stayed busy with various activities.
Gertrude (Gertie) was a combination of all the ladies. She had been quite popular with the gentlemen in her youth and she had some wild tales of her own. Gertie had been a nurse at the nearby hospital. After retiring she had worked as a private nurse in some of the wealthiest homes in the surrounding area. When anyone really needed her help she would still step up and help.
One day in early September the four friends gathered in Martha’s spacious dining room. The house smelled of freshly baked bread, and cookies. Moreover, each of the other three women had brought food and snacks for lunch. The smells gave the promise of an awesome lunch. Good food was as important as friendship, gossip and card games.
The four women quickly settled in the dining room. They began playing cards. They laughed and caught up with the latest news and gossip around town. There wasn’t much news or gossip and the conversation lagged as each lady focused on winning the card game. After the first game had been completed they took a break.
Maggie announced that she was going to use the bathroom and disappeared down the hallway. The other three ladies continued chatting and shuffling the cards, getting ready for the next game. Ten minutes passed and still Maggie hadn’t returned from the bathroom. Gertie, Martha, and Ginny looked at each other and wondered what was keeping Maggie so long in the bathroom. They patiently waited another five minutes, then Martha was sent to check on Maggie. The others were getting anxious to start the new game.
Suddenly Martha came rushing back into the dining room. She said there was something wrong with Maggie in the bathroom. Maggie wasn’t responding when Martha attempted to wake her. Maggie was just sitting on the toilet with her head resting on her chest. They needed to call the doctor right away. Gertie, the nurse, promptly went to check on Maggie while Martha made the call to the doctor.
Several minutes later Gertie returned. The other three women were stunned and unbelieving as Gertie said that Maggie had died in the bathroom. Martha and Ginny were confused and frightened by the sudden death of their good friend, Maggie. They clung to each other, cried and grappled to understand how this happened. It just wasn’t possible they said, Maggie had just been sitting at the table with them. They found this too hard to be believable.
The doctor’s office was close by and he arrived within a short time. After a quick examination he confirmed Gertie”s verdict that Maggie was indeed dead. She had suffered a massive heart attack. The funeral director was called, who also lived a short distance away. He arrived and transported Maggie to the funeral home, leaving behind three very shocked and shaken card players.
This story sounds like it could have been an episode of (The Golden Girls). I assure you this is a true story.
Maggie’s death ended the card game that day for the women. It would be some time before any of them recovered from the shocking death of their friend. As they say, life does go on. In the small town where the four friends lived, life went on. However, not one of them ever forgot the day that a friend died in one of their bathrooms.
I love mornings when I don’t have to rush getting out of bed. I don’t have to rush off to do a million things that need to be done. But every day I look ahead to when the craziness of each day turns into enjoying a relaxing evening.
But my favorite time of the day is evenings. Supper has been enjoyed, kitchen cleaned up and dishes put away. Then it’s time to sit with a cup of tea or a soda on the front porch. In the summer, the heat lifts a little bit and children are sometimes catching lighting bugs. I relax to the sound of the birds doing their evening serenades. I enjoy talking with the neighbors if they happen to be outside. It’s also a great time to relax with my favorite book until dark forces me to take the book inside.
Then it’s time for pajamas and maybe some television if I am lucky enough to find something worth watching. And it’s snack time. Time for the goodies to come out. Popcorn, chips, or some chocolate make evenings my favorite time of the day.
Being as I am a single person, I often have half a loaf of stale bread lying around. Other than feeding it to the birds or other animals, I have found many ways to use up the stale bread. First it can go into the freezer until I decide what to do with it. Then I can take it out and use it in many different ways. Then it’s time to be creative with that loaf of stale bread.
Ways To Use Up That Bread
How about some French toast for breakfast
Make some stuffing. Add some celery, onions, lots of butter, salt and Pepper. Serve with chicken, beef or your choice of meat
Make bread pudding (not that I know how to do that
Make garlic bread to go with spaghetti
Use as topping for casseroles
Use in meatloaf or salmon cakes
As I made my breakfast this morning I realized I was using a slice of stale bread. Here’s the recipe for using stale bread for a great breakfast dish. This is a favorite breakfast of mine.
Use leftover fried potatoes or freshly fried potatoes. Add these ingredients: chopped onion. Use as much as you like and fry with the potatoes. Breakup a slice or two of stale bread and add two eggs, scrambling everything together. Green peppers can also be added if you like green peppers. You can also add already cooked sausage to the mixture.
I am sure there’s many other uses for stale bread and I would like to know how others use leftover stale bread.
Baked Pineapple
Baked pineapple is a side dish that goes well with ham, pork or just about anything if you like pineapple. This is an old recipe given to me by an elderly friend and is a favorite dish of mine for the holidays.
1 stick of soft butter or margarine
Cream the softened butter with 1 cup of sugar Add 3 eggs beaten, Tear up 10 slices of bread then pour 1/2 cup milk over the bread,
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