A Day In My Life

It is almost impossible to find things to write about on these long winter days.   Today was a good example of how uneventful a lot of these days are.  I won't bore you will an hour by hour account.  It is get up, make coffee, turn on the news, watch the birds, wait for my dad to get up, give him his coffee, watch more news, blah, blah, blah.

It snowed a little today and the birds were very busy at the feeders.  I take pictures through the window.  So far I have so many pictures of birds, I will have to start deleting them very soon.  How many pictures does a person need of the same birds.

 

We did go to the feed mill to buy more shelled corn for the deer.  We bought 100 pounds so that should last for a while.

I imagine they thought this was really funny.

We went to the local Piggly Wiggly and bought the special deals.  Regular priced items, from the only grocery store within many miles, are very expensive.  Our store has a carry out lady that is at least our age or older.  I always feel weird when she puts on her Babushka to carry out our groceries.  Today we declined and said we could handle them ourselves.

Later this afternoon we went to the school to walk.  Tonight we did 18 trips around the school and I got over 4000 steps.   That was good considering I was down on my steps today.  We are usually the only community people walking.  That surprises me especially when the sidewalks and roads are so icy.

 

That's it for today.  Kind of boring but that's my everyday life.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Soup

This Tuesday's recipe is Slow Cooker Pot Roast Soup

 
Today was another one of those polar vortex days.  When I got up this morning the thermometer registered minus 18 without the wind chill.  It has warmed up to 8 degrees this afternoon, but it is still very cold.

We definitely need comfort food today.  At least it is sunny, so looking outside doesn't seem so cold.  It is actually bright and beautiful.

Although he is hunkered down slightly, this squirrel is just hanging out in the sunshine.

Despite the minus 18 temperature, the spring fed pond has not frozen over.

My recipe today came from the Wisconsin Beef Council.  It is called a Slow Cooker Soup but it is pretty thick and is more like a stew.  I used extra beef broth to make it more like soup.  This soup can also be made on the stove top and simmered until the meat is tender.  I made it in the Pressure Cooker and it only took 30 minutes to get the meat tender.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Soup

Beef Shoulder Roast Boneless (2-1/2 pounds) 

2 cups chopped onions  (I used 1 cup)

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained 

1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes (cubes) 

1 cup beef broth  (I used 2 cups)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used a fresh garlic clove, chopped)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 

1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon pepper 

2 cups broccoli slaw 

1/2 cup frozen peas

1. Cut beef roast into 12 equal pieces. I thought these pieces were too big so I cut them into much smaller bite sized pieces.  Place in 4-1/2 to 5-1/2-quart slow cooker. Add onions, tomatoes, potatoes, broth, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 to 6 hours, or on LOW 8 to 9 hours, or until beef is fork-tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.) 
2. Stir in broccoli slaw; continue cooking, covered, 30 minutes or until broccoli slaw is crisp-tender. Turn off slow cooker. Stir in peas; let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Basket Weave Fingerless Gloves

Fingerless gloves are really popular right now.  I made a pair for my daughter for Christmas a year ago.  My other daughter also wanted me to knit her a pair, and I finally did.   They would not be warm enough in this bitter cold weather we are having, but I noticed my daughter layered them over another pair of gloves for warmth.  There is a basket weave pattern in these.

The pattern for these basket weave fingerless gloves is a free Ravelry download.  If you aren't familiar with Ravelry, it is social networking site for knitting, crocheting, weaving and  spinning.  If you go to Ravelry.com, it is easy to sign up.  It is a very useful site for those interested in this type of thing.  You can find almost any type of project and answers to questions related to fiber arts. 

This is the link for the free pattern.  You can also see pictures of this project that others have knit.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basket-weave-fingerless-gloves

Baked Taco Bowls

Yesterday we decided to go out for some things we needed.  We knew it was going to snow and get very cold again later in the weekend.  It was a pretty nice winter day.  The first place we went was Menards.  For those who aren't familiar with this store, it is based in Central Wisconsin and throughout the years has grown into many many stores throughout Wisconsin and at least 14 other states.  I think they built their first home improvement store in the early 1970's and have been very successful.  They always have a gimmick to bring people in.  This weekend it was 14% off everything you can fit in a paper grocery bag.  We had fun filling it with stuff.  We bought mouse traps.  Yes even though I'm a wild animal lover, I do not like mice and don't feel bad when we kill them.  We bought suet cakes for the birds,  and we even bought 3 slabs of barbeque ribs.

The purchase that I wasn't so sure about was the Baked Taco Maker.  My husband thought this was a necessary gadget.  It was $3.99 minus the 14% equaling $3.43.   He likes taco salads but the calories in a fried taco shell bowl is almost 400 calories.  He thought that baking the shell would save a lot of calories.  So today for lunch we tried baking a flour tortilla and a low carb tortilla.

We baked them according to the directions in the package.  They said to bake them at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  We liked how they looked when they came out of the oven.

They turned out great and looked very good.

The salad looked even better.

As we all know, looks can be deceiving.  They tasted like baked cardboard.  I guess all the that fat is what makes those taco bowls so tasty.  I wasn't going to give up.  Next I sprayed both sides of a tortilla with Olive Oil spray.  I figured that wouldn't add very many calories, and it might make it taste better.  I also baked them a little longer.  It did make it slightly better.  In fact, I broke it into pieces and it tasted good with salsa.   I still prefer a tortilla in a wrap.  I think I will have to find another use for those cute pans.  At least we didn't pay a fortune for them, and it gave me a topic to blog about.  There is always a silver lining.

Pinterest Idea To Clean Your Tub or Shower

I know most of you who read this blog have joined Pinterest.  I know that many of you have tried this technique for cleaning the tub and shower because it has been posted on Pinterest many times.  For those who haven't, I want to say how great it works.  All you need is white vinegar and dish soap in equal proportions.  I usually measure out a half a cup of white vinegar and heat it in the microwave.  Then I add 1/2 cup of dish soap.  This small batch does a large walk in shower floor.   The recipe calls for using Dawn detergent but I used another grease cutting dish soap, and it worked just fine. 

12 ounces white vinegar (I used 1/2 cup or 4 oz.)
12 ounces liquid, blue dawn detergent (I used 1/2 cup or 4 oz.)

Directions:

Heat vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into squirt bottle.

Add the Dawn soap. Put the lid on and gently shake to incorporate.

You now have a powerful cleaning product that will melt soap scum and tub and shower buildup, clean sinks, appliances and just about anything. Just spray it on, scrub, rinse and be amazed. For tough soap scum build-up, spray the mixture on and allow it to sit as long as overnight. Then, scrub and rinse.

The solution is slightly thick so it clings and stays put.  

I use one of my hand crocheted scrubbies to scrub it clean.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/10/nylon-net-scrubbies.html

Watch The Calories In Those Mini Muffins

In the month of January you will see a common theme threaded through my blogs.  It is diet and exercise.  Every year I get focused in January and then forget it the next eleven months of the year.  It is obvious that I have lost the same ten pounds over and over again.  It is such a fine line between having enough calories and going over just a little.  If you have too few calories, the metabolism slows down and it goes into starvation mode.  It happened to me yesterday.  Myfitnesspal.com told me that I hadn't eaten enough to lose weight.  This is a foreign concept to me.  On the other side of the coin, just going over a few calories can put weight on.  It only takes 3600 extra calories to gain a pound.  This brings me to my point.  Yesterday I made mini muffins.  My dad has to have his sweets and at his age he should.  At age 89 you should be able to eat anything you are hungry for.  I got out a boxed Double Chocolate Muffin Mix.  It wasn't a good choice to even have it in the cupboard, but I had bought it on one of my "off" moments.  Instead of making a dozen big muffins, I got out the mini cupcake maker.  I purchased this mini baker at Goodwill before they got popular.  I wonder if the person who donated it, regretted it.  The stores were full of this type baker over the holidays.

Super easy way to make cupcakes or muffins.

I quickly mixed them up.  All it took was the mix and one egg.  How bad could that be?  I got forty little muffins out of the recipe.

I put them into a plastic bag to grab when we wanted a little snack.

Fortunately I decided to figure the calorie count before I ate one or two or more.  I did the math several times because it just didn't seem right.  Can you believe that these tiny little mini muffins have 53 calories each?  They are one bite.  It would be very easy to eat six of them in less than a minute.  I will still eat them, but not as many as I thought I could.

This is a snack plate and the muffin still looks little on it.

Exercise Wherever You Can

Sometimes it is really hard to get exercise.  Except for feeding the birds and walking to the mailbox, we don't get enough exercise.  We joined a fitness center once but it was 20 miles away.  It was like having a full time job.  We would get ready, drive for a half hour, exercise for an hour, get hungry, stop and eat more calories than we burned and then drive back home.  That only lasted a month.  We are eligible to use the equipment at our senior center, but walking on a treadmill or doing wii bowling just didn't cut it for me.  Plus they keep inviting us to the pot luck meal.  My husband plays cards there, but I'm not ready for that.  The best thing for us is just taking a walk.  It works great for most of the year, but not in the winter.  We can handle the cold, but the icy roads are a different story.  Today we found a solution to our walking dilemma.  We went to the school and walked the halls for 30 minutes.  I can see how it would get boring doing it everyday, but two or three times a week is going to be great.  So until the weather gets better, that's what we will be doing.  It's an easy way to add an extra 3600 steps to our usual day.  I'm still 70,000 steps behind both of our daughters for the week, but at least we are trying.

It doesn't look like I will get to 10,000 again today.

Make Your Own Vanilla

Yesterday in my blog I talked about wanting to make Vanilla Extract.  I didn't have the proper ingredients at the time, but today I found some vanilla beans for the recipe.  My daughter makes this vanilla extract so I know it works great.  Just make sure your vanilla beans are pliable and not all dried out.  They also need to be split so all the flavor inside the bean can come out.

All the ingredients necessary to make Vanilla Extract.

Vanilla Extract

2-3 Vanilla Beans
1 cup Vodka
Glass jar with tight fitting cover

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise down one side.  Leave it connected on the end.

Put the beans into a glass jar and cover completely with the vodka.  Make sure the beans are covered.

Store it in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months.  Shake it once in a while when you think of it.

After you start using the vanilla and need more, you can top it off with more vodka.  Shake it when you add the new vodka.  It can last for many years.  There are cute colored bottles available to buy to store the vanilla in.  It shouldn't be stored in a clear bottle unless it is kept in a dark cabinet.

My daughter is also trying to make vanilla sugar for the first time.  She buys vanilla sugar at Penzey spices, but it costs about $8.00 for a small amount.  Apparently you can put a split vanilla bean in a container of granulated sugar to make your own.  The vanilla bean will infuse the sugar with vanilla flavoring.  She will check it soon to see how intense the flavor is.  I will update this blog when I find out how well it works.

*The following link makes vanilla with Brandy.  It may be worth trying.

http://www.thedarlingbakers.com/homemade-vanilla-extract-with-brandy/

It Was A Long Day

Everyone has heard of the dog days of August, but they don't compare to the long days of January.  Yesterday I talked about embracing the winter and enjoying it.  Today I did not practice what I preached.  It was a miserable day.  I got to start it out with giving haircuts to my husband and my dad.  Next and the part I hate the most was toe nail clipping.  Yes I said it.  I have to clip my dad's toe nails.  It ranks right up there with life's most gagging moments. 

My husband is also obviously bored with winter.  The last two weeks he found things to do that usually get overlooked.   He cleaned the freezer we have in the basement.  He found a lot of stuff that was not usable anymore, and reorganized what was left.  He has cataloged every item and wants me to check off the items when I use them.  This way we can keep track of what we have, and what we need to buy.  I'm not sure how diligent I will be at doing it.  We have a lot more room in the freezer now because he took out many many cold packs.  Why we have so many is one of those questions with no answer.

Next thing on the list was organizing tax papers.  It is a job that needs to be done but it makes a big mess.  Of course, my husband has everything organized by date and type.  He has spreadsheets and plastic boxes with everything labeled.  That's the good part.  Everything else is still sitting on the dining room table and needs to be dealt with soon.

I made chili today, went to Dollar General for some new socks and otherwise I was just lazy today.  I was going to make perpetual vanilla extract.  My daughter never buys vanilla because she makes it herself.  All you do is put 3 vanilla beans into a cup of vodka.  You store it in a glass jar for a couple months and then it's ready to use.  I didn't have any vodka or vanilla beans so that stopped that project.  We went to the store to buy the ingredients but vanilla beans are too fancy to sell in my town.  I picked up some other groceries and when we began checking out I saw a gigantic bottle of vodka my husband had put in the cart.  He asked the check out kids if they needed to see his ID.  They said "uh, NO".  I only need a cup and since we don't drink, I will have to make a lot of vanilla.  We aren't teetotalers but we just don't like the taste of booze. 

Thank goodness it is almost bedtime.  Hopefully tomorrow will be more exciting. 

Enjoy the Winter Instead of Complaining

We live in Wisconsin.  There is no escaping winter.  Sometimes it is mild and sometimes it is long, snowy and cold.  We live here because we love all four of the seasons.  People complain all the time about the cold, but it isn't something new and there is nothing to do about it but enjoy it.  You have heard the term, "if your handed lemons, you make lemonade".  That is what we do.  It makes the winter more enjoyable.  Instead of wishing your life away, have fun.

Today we stopped at my daughters house.  They were outside playing in the snow.

It's nice to have a sledding hill in your own backyard

Dylan working on the snow fort.

Heather having just as much fun as her boys Ewan and Dylan.

Piper too.

Snowmobiles going up and down the river.

The shark may not be happy with the weather, I believe he is frozen solid.

I also heard from my other daughter this morning.  She spent the morning snowshoeing on one of the many trails available to us.  It looks like she had a great time too. 

Fun, fun, fun

Make Your Own Candle Tarts

Recently I wrote about saving our bar soap slivers in a bag to use up the whole bar.  I used acrylic yarn to make the bags, and I wasn't sure about the bag drying well.  I found they dried very well and have worked out great.

 http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/01/knitted-and-crocheted-soap-bags.html

Besides saving all my soap slivers, I don't like to throw away candles that  have burned down to the wick either.  There is a lot of good wax left in the bottom of a candle jar.

It is fun to make scented tarts from the leftover wax.  Tart burners are great because there is no flame to worry about but the little tea light tart burners are pretty safe also.  The first thing you need to do is melt the old wax from the jar.  You can put the jar in really hot water or the microwave.  Just be careful that there is no metal left in the jar or on the label if you put it in the microwave. Melting with hot water in a double boiler or in an electric candle warmer is the safest.

This is an electric jar candle warmer.

When the wax has been melted, it can be carefully poured into a mold.  The best thing to use are the silicone cupcake forms.  When cooled, the tart pops out perfectly.  Metal forms work but they conduct the heat so they are hard to handle until cooled.

A tart warmer using a tea candle.

An electric tart warmer.

You can buy the little individually wrapped tarts, but they cost at least $2.00 each.  With a little effort these can be made for nothing and it's fun too.


*It has come to my attention that using regular paraffin wax could be hazardous to your health.  This is a link that talks about that and tells how to make tarts with Beeswax, coconut oil and natural ingredients.

http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2014/01/diy-scented-wax-melts.html

Repairing a Damaged Hat

Last week my daughter called very upset.  Her darling little puppy had chewed on her favorite hat.  Piper puppy is 4 1/2 months now and is getting better but......she still forgets and chews things she shouldn't.

The hat was not just any hat.  It was one they purchased on a trip to Ireland, and she likes it.  There are many photos of her wearing it.

It's the perfect winter hat for her.

So one day when I was at her house, I saw it laying on the table.  She wondered if I could try to fix it.  I had my doubts because it looked pretty bad, but I said I would try.  It took me a while to find some matching yarn.  It isn't black and it wasn't the gray I had in my stash.  It is a dark charcoal gray which isn't that easy to find.  I took my swatch with me everywhere and finally found something close.  I only needed a few yards, but I had to buy a whole skein.  The good part is that I will have enough leftover to make another headband.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/11/knitted-headband-ear-warmer.html

I wasn't sure if I could make it as good as new.

The first thing I did was take out all the broken threads and unraveled enough to tie off.  Then I threaded and secured the yarn in the part of the hat that was stable.  I began knitting, securing each end by picking up a good solid stitch.  After a few rows, I bound off and sewed to the back.  It's a little bumpy, but I think she will get a little more wear out of it.

What do you think?  Good as new?

An Easy Way To Count Calories

It is recipe day but today I am doing something different.  I have been trying to count my calories.  It always happens in the dead of winter when I can't get out to exercise or get my mind off food.  Then when I can get out, my mind starts thinking about other things and I get past the need to be skinny (or even a little thinner).  I got on the Wii for the first time since last winter.  I got the fat avatar with the music indicating "Overweight".  What's new, I will probably never be "normal".

Seriously, I have found two websites that are really quite good.  The first one is one where you can enter all the ingredients for a recipe and it calculates the calories.  I did it for the Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes that I posted last Tuesday.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/01/cherry-cheesecake-cupcakes.html

You just cut and paste the recipe, put the number of servings in and click analyze.  It is shocking sometimes to see the total calories and how fast they add up.  You have to either save or burn 3600 calories to lose just one pound.  I'm sure there are tons of sites that do the same thing.  I have no investment in any of them, but it really makes things easy.

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

The one I use the most is My Fitness Pal.  It links up wirelessly with the Fitbit I got for Christmas.  The Fitbit counts a persons steps and gives calorie credit for  them, but the fitness pal website can be used on its own.  There is a free app for it so all you do is enter your food, and it keeps track of the calories including the breakdown of carbs, fats, protein, sodium and other things.  We all have our phone with us most of the time, and it only takes a second to do.  If you don't want to use the phone the website does the same thing.  It couldn't be easier, the problem is Not grabbing the donut or cookie.  It is amazing what we eat that we don't even realize we are eating.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com

I have always said that losing weight is easy but keeping it off is the tough part.  Don't ask how I am doing with this.  If I look thinner in the Spring, then I am doing it.  If I don't, then it's my own fault.