We're Smokin'

My hubby finally got his new electric smoker up and running the other day.  He's a guy who really researches a new purchase and wants to be fully prepared.  I was going to get a whole chicken out the night before and have it ready for the smoker but I forgot.  So the day we decided to cook I took out a couple packs of pork chops we thought would be a small project to smoke.  When all was said and done we decided to go "whole hog" so to speak and fill the smoker with similar sized pieces.  We had 6 pork chops, 4 lengths of cajun sausage, 4 split chicken breasts and 4 chicken thighs.  They cooked up really well in an afternoon and taste delicious.  I think our favorites are the sausage and chicken which stayed moist with a nice smokey flavor.  I just put salt and pepper on the chops and I was disappointed in their taste which was kind of bland.  They weren't as dry as I had expected though.  I was amazed at the chicken breasts and how moist they were.  I used some in a salad last night and the smoke flavor was definitely apparent.  So all in all I'd say our first attempt was a success.  Now we're looking forward to smoking bigger and better things.

Be Careful What You Wish For

I finally got my oven fixed last week but just turned it on to bake cookies on Tues.  It was probably going to be the coolest day of the week so I planned on making sugar cookies with some frozen dough and a fresh batch of chocolate chippers.  I was excited to say the least and followed the recipe exactly which was the first time in a while.  The first sheet of chocolate chip cookies came out too brown so I started cutting back on the time.  And so it went until I eventually brought the temperature down 25 degrees.  Does this sound familiar???  So now it's too hot!!!  I feel like I am back to square one with this thing.  At least I'm not standing over an oven that won't cook and that I have to waste time on.  Everything moved really quick and I was done by lunch.  I am thankful I tried it out on chocolate chippers which are easy enough to make more of and we're eating the browner ones.  It is just exasperating to pay over $300 to do the same thing I did before but only in reverse.  Oh, well!

Better Late Than Never

Why does it take me so long to try something new out?  I'm talking about this Side Cutter sewing machine presser foot that I bought with my Necchi sewing machine years ago.  I remember watching the guy demonstrate it and thought what a great idea so I wouldn't have to buy a serger.   But then I never used it until yesterday.  I wanted to make scarves for the bridesmaids and figured it was time to try it out.  It works fairly well on a nice long straight seam but the problem is on the corners.  The cutter goes kind of crazy and it's been eating up the material.  Thank goodness I started with a bigger piece of material.  What this does exactly is cut the edge of the material,  roll the seam over and  work a zig-zag stitch over it.  It's perfect for the scarves.  I still have to touch up the spots where the cutter went wild though.  I think I would still like to get a rolled seam presser foot and then I wouldn't need to have the cutter.  I'm sorry to say my presser feet with both machines are underutilized.  I'll have to do something about that. 

What's Up With The Birds?

What a mess we have here because of these birds.  What's up with them?  Last year right after we stained the deck we noticed a lot of bird poop around the pool.  I bought a bag of plastic snakes and that seemed to do the trick.  This year we noticed the same thing happening on the deck at the cabin, especially the front porch where it looked as if they were roosting on the railing.  We've also had problems with the nests, at home and the cabin, and as much as we hate to do it, some had to be removed.  My hubby even went so far as buying a big plastic owl to put on the deck to keep them away but he has to keep moving it so it continues to be effective.  So the last straw was this morning as I went out to get the paper and there was bird poop on the edge of the paper and therefore on my hand.  Yuk!!!Over the weekend I saw what looked like a swarm of birds with the end of our driveway as a target that dumped their mess.  No, I didn't actually see them in the act, but you get the picture.  Is the weather affecting them too?  Are they mad at us about something and is this an act of revenge?  Maybe it's too much of a good thing that acts like a laxative?  Don't get me wrong  -  I love the birds but no one wants to wade through poop on a deck, driveway or their morning paper.

Another Bathroom Dilemma

I've written about bathroom etiquette before but this one is a little different.  This involves the seat itself.  I like Sheetz because you can always find seat liners in there.  This to me is the best way to put that barrier between you and whatever anyone else that sat before may have left.  If no seat liners are available I usually put down paper even though I realize that can be messy.  At times I will hover but I do not prefer that option.  Lately I've been encountering a new solution that I emphatically refuse  -  using toilet paper and a dispenser of disinfectant to clean my own toilet seat.  Now mind you I did this job for 13 years and have no problem with cleaning toilets but when I did it I used a johnny mop so I didn't have to put my hands on the seat.  Most people I worked with used gloves when they cleaned the bathrooms.  So these people are asking us to use our bare hands to clean the seat!!!!  Then there's the problem with most disinfectants requiring the surface stay wet for at least 5-15 minutes to assure killing the germs.  Do they expect us to wait and then dry it off so we can go?  Who's idea was this anyway and was it meant to keep from throwing away the paper liners  or lighten the load of the employees who are supposed to clean the restrooms.  And we all know most of these restrooms are not really cleaned all that well and  we are taking our chance with them anyway.  I personally think I do my part, mainly because I've  worked in that field, to maintain a bathroom when I use it by picking up any toilet paper that falls on the floor, flushing the toilet, sometimes even wiping excess water from the counter and above all making sure that my paper towel makes it in the wastebasket.  But cleaning my own toilet seat is more than I will do, thank you very much.  Remember I'm retired!

Homemade Pillows

Now that we have a newly painted living room I needed some fresh new pillows to go with it.  I started making these pillows before the decision to paint and finished them up yesterday as I put the room back together.  I can't believe I still have jean squares hanging around but what better to do with them than make pillows.  We are hard on our couch pillows so I needed something I could wash and that would wear like all get out.  I put a bunch of fabric together and made more rag stuff.  This time I used the jeans, flannel, plaid homespun and an old red and white checked tablecloth  -  what a combination!  The tablecloth was one of my favorites and someone left an ink stain on it so I retired it from the table but couldn't part with it.  I've since made some curtains for the kitchen with it.  I think I've successfully used it up now.  Anyway, back to the pillows  -  they are bigger than before and have an opening in  the back so I can remove and wash them.  I made the pillow form by using some bandana scarves that I've had for years and stuffing from one of the old pillows plus extra batting.  The other pillow was fiberfil that I had leftover, too.  I got rid of a lot of stuff with these pillows and I think they'll last a while, too.   Believe it or not I still have a few squares of jeans  left.  They seem to be multiplying or something.  At the cabin I'm making one last rag quilt out of the jeans, flannel and homespun but I'm not sure yet what I'll do with it. How's that for repurposing?

Painting - Again

Yes, that's right, I'm painting again.  After doing the bathroom I had no intention of painting again.  I thought I probably deserved a break and would hire a professional to do it the next time.  Then my hubby was fixing a spot near the ceiling and we were discussing what to use to cover it up.  I knew I had bought enough paint to do the living room before I started painting the bedroom then I broke my knee and it never got done.  I just figured before we decided to move to the cabin, I would have someone come in and do the ceiling and walls in the living room.  We debated whether to just touch up the spot with the paint I had, which was just a little different from the original or heaven help us, repaint the walls.  We were definitely not up to the ceiling and I thought as long as I had some help from him, we could do it.  In my younger days doing this all myself would never have been a problem but now the thought of that step stool makes my knees wobble.  I did too much myself yesterday and almost had another incident with the stool so today I handed the high jobs to the hubby and we got the hallway done.  There's a lot of work that goes into painting even before you open the can of paint and that can be hard on anyone with a bum knee.  Now only one wall, with little prepping, and an archway that we can finish by tomorrow.  But for today a little time off to do other things and let our bodies recoup.  And I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm thinking about using the rest of the paint in the family room.

Revelation about Housewives

Yea, here it comes, my revelation about the housewives.  I've been watching these shows and I do mean all the housewives since the second season.  The only one I didn't watch was the first OC and I rented that one on Netflix so I could catch up.  I've been a loyal fan all these years and it even spread to other Bravo shows such as Flipping Out and Project Runway but I've come to a crossroad.  It's kind of like a friend that you're not best friends with but after a few years you know what to expect from that person and it's just not fun anymore.  It's the same old same old.  I first realized it with Bethenny and how this season is all about fighting with Jason.  It can be uncomfortable to say the least.  Sometimes it's about the girls branching out and doing other things such as NeNe on Glee, Theresa on Celebrity Apprentice and Kim on her spin-off.  They are only half there sometimes.  I think it's taking its toll.  Marriages are falling apart and lives are being disrupted by all this.  It doesn't have to be this way but that's what reality tv comes down to.  I still watch these shows but I'm getting involved in other shows and Bravo just doesn't seem as important as it once was.  I still like to talk about these shows so I'm thinking about going to some forums and see what others think.  I realized that I wasn't the only one who disliked the Biggest Loser this year, based on the forums I saw. 

Apprentice Predictions

Time for my predictions as to who will be the finalists on Celebrity Apprentice.  I will try not to pick just the ones that I like but who will pass the interviews to be finalists.  This is very interesting because we have seen these people throughout the season and they are interviewed for a short period of time.  Watching Apprentice for years, I kind of know what or who Trump is looking for.  He wants someone who can be creative, tough but still have a certain charisma or ability to get along with people.  It's funny but sometimes he isn't at all like that, ha, ha.  My favorite on the show has to be Clay Aiken  -  I never would have thought it but it's true.  He's all that above and can be very truthful about people and I think Trump will appreciate that.  Is he enough of a leader  -  time will tell.  I also like Arsenio Hall except for his meltdown a few weeks ago.  That was not his most impressive showing.  Aubrey O'Day is certainly creative but I think Trump and his kids know that she is sneaky and underhanded in her dealings.  I'm not sure that will all come out in the interviews because she has a strong personality that might win them over.  Then there's Lisa Lampenelli  -  a loose cannon if I ever saw one.  Her blow-ups show that when things don't go her way she resorts to foul language and temper tantrums.  I see her not even making it to the interviews but definitely not past those.  I'm very surprised that Theresa has made it this far.  She's managed to stay under the radar and even win a few challenges but like Dayana, she doesn't have the knowledge, backbone, or intelligence to make it to the finale.  At least she was much better than NeNe and I give her a lot of credit for hanging in there like she has.  Good Job, Theresa!  So my picks are Clay, Arsenio and Aubrey but I'm not sure who they will choose, Arsenio or Aubrey.  To make the show more interesting, Aubrey would be the likely candidate but I'm not sure.  Anyway, it's been a good season with lots of drama.  The ultimate factor in the decision might be who comes back to help them.  Keep watching.