This Years Holiday Deals

The weather here in our part of Wisconsin has moderated a little.  It has actually been quite pleasant even though the full moon tonight is called the Cold Moon.   The past week or so, my husband and I have taken the opportunity to bum around to stores we usually don't go to and track down thrift stores we haven't gone to in a long time.  We have eaten out and had a lot of fun.  As a result I have gotten some very good deals for Christmas presents and things for us.

December 6, 2014 full moon is called the "Cold Moon"

It's sunny, bright and the snow is melting.

I have written about this topic before, but for those who didn't see it here is the link.
http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/04/cash-back-shopping.html

I will give you some examples of the games I play with getting good deals.  I can't tell you what I bought because certain people may read this blog.  I can say that I was shopping online for a certain item.  $70 was the lowest price I could find.  Then on the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I went online.  I found the item, which retailed for $110 was sold for $99, on sale in the store for $49 but for that day was $29.99.  I ordered two through ebates so I got another 6% back, free shipping and $15 in a cash coupon.  I won't mention the store, but I think everyone knows who gives $15 cash.  Then as we were shopping at this store on Friday, I found something else I wanted on sale for $13.00.  I ended up getting it free and I still had $2.00 left over.  It makes shopping a fun game.  I don't usually like games but this one gives me something in return.  Kind of like winning at gambling.  I figure I saved $80 times 2 = $160 plus $3.60 plus $13 plus shipping.  I don't know what that is because I rarely pay shipping costs.  I just know I got a really good deal.

Next I ordered an item for my granddaughter.  It came in record time.  It came in just a few days, but the top I ordered was very very small.  I ordered a medium and it looked like an extra small.  I was so disappointed so I emailed their customer service department.  I got an answer back in just a few hours.  They told me they were sorry for the problem, and they would gladly order me another at no cost.  They said I didn't have to return the original item or incur shipping costs.  I ordered a bigger size and will be able to donate the smaller set.  Someone else will go to a thrift store some day and be thrilled with this item.  Nice.

Another example of online shopping that worked out well was last week.  The credit card I use gives reward points. I only use this card from home for my online purchases because it has protection and safety features.   I use ebates, shop at home or mrrebates for all my online purchases.  I have all my  rebates transferred to my account and save them for the holidays.   I ordered a $50 toy and only paid $8.  Yippee!

 I also went to a store that gives reward points.  I bought $60 worth of stocking stuffers.  I got $15 off the total bill and $10 more in reward points added back.

I did lots and lots of other online shopping and used codes for discounts and shipping.  Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all of this, but it is so worth it in the long run.

Then I went to St. Vincent du Paul.  I always look for items that fit with my collections.  Many years ago my mom gave me the start to a collection called All Through The House.  It was retired and the pieces couldn't be purchased in stores any longer.  Last year I found three pieces.  Yesterday I found a Christmas Tree from the Department 56 All Through The House collection.  I paid $4.  I looked it up when I got home.  It is a retired item that can be purchased through a reseller for $44.

This is the tree I found this year.

There are two trees in this collection.  The one is this picture I also found at a St. Vincent du Paul thrift store.

We also found a brand new pair of Nike shoes for my husband.  If you watch carefully, places like Kohls and Target donate to these stores.  The style of the shoes are still being sold.  I saw the exact shoe for $55 and we paid $10.

If you are patient, eventually good deals can come your way.  I don't like shopping so this makes it a little more fun.

Memories of Gifts Gone By

My mom was a great gift giver.  She would always try to find something unique to give my sister and me for Christmas.  She would take a family item and do something to make it special, or try to find limited edition items.  She would drag my dad all over the state looking for one certain thing.

This is a special Santa dressed in Green Bay Packer colors.  This is #90 of 150 that were made.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus made by the same lady as Packer Santa.

When my parents purchased my dad's Uncle Bill's house, they found these stools in the garage.  Printed underneath was his name.  Uncle Bill used them for ice fishing and my mom had them rosemaled for us.  We lived in Stoughton Wisconsin at the time and Norwegian heritage is a big part of that  community.

Ice fishing stool used by my dad's Uncle Bill

Mom and dad had some friends who lived in Northern Wisconsin.  Every year they would vacation there and visit these people.  They had a little business where the husband would cut the wooden blanks and the wife would carve and paint Father Christmas's.  Mom bought one in 1987 and the other in 1990.

Father Christmas 1987

Father Christmas 1990

We have received a lot of other items but what we got the most often was The Original Snow Village by Department 56.  The first item I got in 1989 was a train station.  My mom's family were railroad people, so it was what she chose.  Back then they cost a lot of money.  One piece could cost $75 to $100.

So plain and basic compared to today's villages.

They were truly special when we received them, and they still are, but now Christmas villages are everywhere.  Now they are very inexpensive.  Every year I set out a village.  It is a lot of work, but I love them when they are finished.  I have purchased some of my own so I can't use every piece every year.  I try to change the theme every few years to make use of them.   Today was full of good memories. 

 

Dill Pickle and Ham Dip

On November 14, we celebrated my dad's 90th birthday.  I blogged about it and what a good time we had at his open house party.  I made too much food, so one of my favorites wasn't eaten by very many people.  I had a lot left over, which we enjoyed for quite a while afterward.  It was simple to make and can be eaten on crackers or with chips.  This recipe makes a big batch so it can easily be cut in half.  If you don't eat meat, just leave out the ham.  Dill pickle spread is delicious.

Dill Pickle and Ham Dip

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 ounces of Buddig beef or ham
16 ounces of dill pickles, drained and diced

I used my vidalia chop wizard for dicing.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2012/12/a-day-of-recovery.html

Directions:
Combine softened cream cheese, chopped ham and diced dill pickles and mix well.

This dip keeps for a long time.

Boot Cuffs

A few days ago it was Thanksgiving Day.  We were invited out this year.  My son-in-law's parents were kind enough to include us in their family meal.  It was a wonderful time.  My daughter's mother-in-law has recently retired.  She has learned how to knit, so we had fun talking about knitting.  She showed me some of her new projects.  One thing she made were Boot Cuffs.  I am so out of touch, I didn't know what they were.  When we got home, I looked on ravelry.com and discovered they are very popular.  I found many styles and patterns.  So this past weekend, I pulled out some yarn and started knitting just to see how they looked.  I basically cast 56 stitches on a size 8 circular needle.  It was a 12 inch circular needle.  I did the knit 2, purl 2 ribbing stitch for 4 inches.  I would make it 6 inches long next time.  It is just a ribbed tube and took no time at all to make.  This is the final product.

Twelve inch circular knitting needle in a size 8.

It looks like I have a wool sock under my boot.

These turned out pretty well so I tried another style.  These are a little fancier.  They are done in crochet.  These took even less time.  I made them during the Green Bay Packer game yesterday.

For those who crochet, here is the free pattern.  It is called the Belmont Boot Topper.  It is on ravelry.com.  If you knit or crochet, it is a wonderful website.  If you can't find a pattern there, you may not find it anywhere.  I plan on making more and trying some different styles. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/belmont-boot-toppers

I think I am a little old to wear this trendy style, but the ribbed style does add warmth.  Today we certainly needed all the warmth we could get.

Fox On The Trail Camera

It is almost two years since I started blogging.  Living where we do in Wisconsin,  the seasons and wildlife have a way of repeating themselves.  Sometimes it is difficult to find new things to blog about.  Although this life may not be appealing to most people, it works for us.  We have to entertain ourselves at times.  In January of 2013 I had another slow blogging week without much to talk about.  In the blog I showed photos from our trail camera.  I discovered for the first time a headless creature in big boots.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/01/critters-of-night.html

Well the Big Boot creature is back and in living color.  She is even brave enough to appear in broad daylight without the cover of darkness.

Last night we had the usual animals appear on camera, but in addition, there were these photos.  We usually don't see the fox during spring, summer or fall.  They appear regularly after a good snow cover.   I imagine they have to broaden their hunting area to survive.  These appeared last night.

Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce

Thanksgiving is in a couple days.  When we think of Thanksgiving in the United States, we think of turkey, stuffing and cranberries.  Wisconsin is one of the biggest producers of cranberries.  Last year I made a very good jellied cranberry sauce for those who like cranberries in the shape of a can.  In my opinion cranberries in a can aren't the real thing, but it is all some people will eat.  This recipe doesn't have high fructose corn syrup so it is a better option.  You can use a jello mold or pour it in an empty can to gel.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2013/11/jellied-cranberry-sauce.html

This year I decided to make my mom's Cranberry Desert Cake.  I thought I had blogged this recipe before, but I haven't.  My mom had this desert for the first time at a coffee klatch when I was in elementary school.   Someone in the family has made it almost every year since.  The butter sauce that goes on top has a most amazing taste.  If you don't like cranberries, the sauce alone could be eaten with a spoon.  No kidding.

This is the original recipe.  It makes a 9 inch square pan.  I doubled the recipe and put it in a silicone bundt pan.  It took much longer to bake.  Mine took 60-70 minutes.  Keep testing until the testing stick comes out clean.   I also used cranberries that I had in the freezer.  I thawed them under running water and drained them well.  Then I shook them in a little flour to absorb some of the moisture.  It also helps the wet cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan. 

I doubled the recipe and baked in a bundt pan.

Cranberry Desert Cake 

1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whole cranberries

Mix sugar and butter together with a mixer until light and fluffy.   Add the milk and combine.  Then add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Add the cranberries and stir them in with a spoon.  The dough is fairly stiff.

Prepare a pan by spraying with cooking spray and then dust with flour.  Spoon the batter into the 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve with butter sauce. 

Butter Sauce

Melt 1/2 cup butter
Add 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup heavy cream
Bring to a boil and boil for eight minutes.
It will thicken up.  Watch it carefully because it burns easily

Happy Thanksgiving 

Yearlings Looking For Mom

It is Monday, November 24th, 2014.  It's only a few days until Thanksgiving.  It has been a crazy day as far as the weather goes.  The last couple days have been quite mild.  Yesterday we had temperatures in the 50's.  It felt very seasonable for November in Wisconsin.  When I got up this morning, it was dark and dreary.  It was misting a little, but the temperature remained mild.

We helped our daughter out today and stayed at her house to let some delivery people in.  While we were waiting, the weather took a turn.  It started to snow slightly.  The temperature dropped to 37 degrees.  When the young men came with the delivery, it was snowing quite hard.  Afterward we quickly headed home, but not before the roads became slippery and the temperature dropped again to 34 degrees.  We made our way slowly and turned into our driveway just as the temperature dropped to 30.  We were very happy to walk into a warm house.  Actually looking out at the weather, it is quite pretty.

As we were sitting trying to decide what to make for dinner, we had deer visitors.  Two little yearlings came over to the window.  They stopped at the birdfeeder but couldn't get up that high.  I didn't see anything of their mom.  I hope we didn't lose her to deer hunters.  Every night she would come with her twins.  Now the twins are on their own.  Either she sent them off or something happened to her.

The twins are looking for corn.

One checking out the bird feeder.

Making eye contact,

and asking for food.

I went outside at this point.  They ran a short distance away until I put out some corn.  It's dark now, but I'm sure they are back filling their bellies.  I will find out tomorrow when I check the trail camera.  It will be fun to see how quickly they return.  I'm hoping mommy deer will show up on the camera, but I don't have a good feeling about that.

*I am happy to report that I was wrong.  Twelve hours after I posted this blog, I spotted Mama deer with her twins.  She was hiding in the woods, but safe and sound. 

We also had a buck munching on the pumpkins this morning.

Feeding Pumpkins to the Animals

Wisconsin, along with much of the country, has had unseasonable weather.  The temperatures have been below freezing for the past ten days.  Usually we wait until Thanksgiving is over to deal with the decoration pumpkins.  Then, before the Christmas decorations go up, we break up the pumpkins.  The deer and the squirrels love to eat them.  This year was different.  The pumpkins froze solid.  My friend suggested that I throw them on the sidewalk to break them up.  Most years we hit them with an ax or sledge hammer, and they crack into pieces.  It was a funny sight to see me on the top step throwing pumpkins as hard as I could.  They just rolled down the sidewalk like a bowling balls.  I didn't even put a dent in the pumpkins.

The pumpkins were frozen so solid they just rolled down the sidewalk.  I see two bite marks from squirrels before the frost.

Tomorrow the temperatures are supposed to rise into the 40's.  I know as soon as the pumpkins start to thaw, they will turn into a mushy mess.  We had to deal with them today.  We loaded the smaller pumpkins into our wheelbarrow, and wheeled them out to the edge of the woods.

We did a little brainstorming because hitting these pumpkins with an ax or hammer was not working.  I thought of a Sawzall type reciprocating saw.  Those saws can saw through anything including nails.  I asked my husband to help me.

 

We gave it a try.

 

It went through the frozen pumpkin like a hot knife through butter.

Within a short period of time, we (meaning my husband) were able to cut the pumpkins in half.  They made cute little bowls perfect for the animals to eat out of.

Next we loaded up the big ones.  We knew the smaller pumpkins could easily be cut in half, but we weren't sure about the big ones.  We were able to cut them just as easily.

These were covered with ice and snow.

Yum, I hope the animals enjoy these.

Thawing Frozen Ground Beef In The Microwave

I had my Tuesday recipe all planned today, but then I saw a very interesting tip.  I was watching Living with Amy on our local Green Bay Fox 11 station.  She often has a representative from the Beef Council of Wisconsin.  They make some delicious recipes.  Today they showed how to thaw frozen ground beef in the microwave.  We have all thawed a chunk of hamburger in the microwave and ended up with hard cooked spots and the rest still frozen.  That is why I came up with the method for cooking the ground beef first and then freezing it.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/10/different-technique-for-browning-ground.html

Here is the link from the Wisconsin Beef Council:
http://www.beeftips.com/thawingandfreezinggroundbeef.aspx

I thought I would try this.  I found a couple chunks of frozen hamburger in the freezer.  They recommend taking the flat pieces off the meat tray and freezing it flat.   Mine were lumps, but it is all I could find.  I put the hamburger in a clean plastic bag.  They said it doesn't have to be a freezer bag, just a regular plastic storage bag is fine.  Some people have voiced a concern to me about using plastic and the microwave.  All I can say is that it doesn't get hot or the beef isn't being cooked in the bag.  I wonder if the Beef Council has addressed this concern.  I imagine a vented glass dish would work.  Then chop up the hamburger after 1 minute instead of kneading it.  Eventually I will try that method. 

These are chunkier than they recommend.

Put the plastic bag in the microwave.

Put the bag of frozen burger in the microwave.  Seal the bag leaving one inch open and not sealed.  Cook on high power for 1 minute.  Take the bag out, let it rest for a minute and knead it to break up the frozen hamburger.  Return it to the microwave and cook for 30 more seconds.  The exact instructions are in the chart and on the Beef Council website.

It worked.

Let it rest for 30 seconds and knead the bag again to break up the rest of the pieces.  It worked beautifully.  There were no hot spots or overcooked pieces.  Ground beef thawed and recipe ready.  Who knew?  You learn something new everyday.

Dog Dish Birdbath

Oh my gosh it's cold.  We are having January temperatures in the middle of November.  I can handle a lot of cold.  I actually prefer it, but this is too cold, too fast.  The birds are being very active at the bird feeders, but the bird bath had to be put away for the winter.  The frozen water doesn't do the birds any good, and if water is left to freeze, the bird bath can crack.  My daughter gave me a bird bath heater several years ago.  It worked but the squirrels would always knock it out of the birdbath.  This year I wanted to come up with another plan.  While at the store buying more birdseed, I saw heated dog dishes in the pet department.  They were a lot less expensive than any other options I found.  I bought it and set it up last week.  We filled our fountain base with sand.  Then we set the dog dish on the sand.  I filled it with water and plugged it in.  When the temperatures fell below freezing, the water didn't freeze.  Some birds and squirrels are beginning to use it.  I haven't taken a photo yet, but I have seen critters there.  I was concerned about the birds freezing while bathing in the winter.  I researched it, and it is safe.  The feathers will shed most of the water and insulate the skin from water.  It is small enough so it provides water, but the birds can't submerse themselves.   I would think that is a good thing.  I just have to remember to check the water level everyday.  The downside is that it has to be plugged in so I couldn't put it where I wanted it to be in the yard.  I didn't feel good about running an extension cord far across the yard.  It isn't where I want it, but it is more important for the birds to have water than it is for me to be able to see it easily.