Shirleys Cottage

Cook & Chat from Shirley's Cottage... Get a glimpse of small town living on the lake. Weekly I will share my stories and recipes with you. Yes, you will get to know my family and even some of the towns people, and maybe even a little about me. Well, maybe alot about me! So grab your cup of coffee or tea, be sure to have your favorite mug, and relax while I share my life with you...from Shirley's Cottage.

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Location: Cambridge, Wisconsin

There is an old German saying: "We grow too soon old, and too late smart." I am trying to prove it wrong. I'd rather go with the saying: "It's never too late." I heard 70 is the new 50 with us 'oldsters' living longer. I certainly hope so. I can use the extra twenty years to go with my hopes, dreams, and ambitions. The first being my writing. I have written things here and there over the years. I was even inspired to write a poem or two. Two years ago I got up my nerve , went to the local newspaper and started a Cook & Chat column, titled "From Shirley's Cottage. With this blog, I hope to share with you some of my recipes, hopes, and dreams. Thanks for coming along. Let's go relax on the lake... from Shirley's Cottage.

  • Kelly's Blog
  • Paula Deen
  • Tuesday, May 20, 2008

    flylady

    Not Today, Fly Lady
    Flylady.net is a website that is loaded with tips, advice, and support for people like me: unorganized and not a wit of talent for keeping a neat, organized home.
    When my kids were growing up I solved my lack of skills with a sign I kept in my kitchen: "My home is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy." It worked when they were little. I blamed them for everything that was messed up and out of place.
    Funny, though, they are all grown up now and I still could use that sign. My mom used to say-"A place for everything and everything in its place." My problem is there is a different place every time.
    My family has said at times, many times, you are never too old to change. So as I looked at my two and a half pair of shoes in the living room, and searched for my purse, I decided to try flylady again.
    There is such a wealth of information on that website, I get palpitations. The subject for the day was-"Are you in chaos? Take an hour and bless your house." Her advice is that you can do any one task for fifteen minutes. Make a list and stick to it. Don’t deviate or lose your focus.
    I was ready. I put the dishes away in order, fitting into each other instead of the bowls wobbling on top of a smaller one. The small frying pan was on top-the lids all in one place. This wasn’t going bad at all.
    I would just go down my list, not taking on more than I could handle. Bless my house!
    Then I heard a car pull up. It was my granddaughter with her new puppy.. She was missing her life-long buddy, Brando. I was glad to see she had a new dog to love.
    She brought Pearl over to get acquainted with Sundance, the lab, and Nookers, the cat. She was going to take a walk down to the lake.
    It was a perfect day, lake smooth, sun shining on it. The lilac bushes gave the whole yard the fragrance of spring..A great day to be outside. But I had a list.
    She didn’t ask me, but I told her I was sorry, I just did not have time to walk with her. I said I was trying to stay on a schedule and get organized. .
    She and Pearl started down to the lake. I took my list and marked off the next thing-clean out the middle desk drawer. I dumped everything into a box and started sorting.
    I glanced out the window and saw the two of them coming up from the lake. I had an epiphany right then. I thought, in less than six months Jade will be of age, the pup will be a dog. This moment will not come again.
    By the time I got outside, they were on the deck. We sat there enjoying the sun, looking at the lake and laughing at the antics of the puppy.
    My schedule bit the dust. That desk drawer will still be there in six months, in six years.
    I really don’t care.
    Times when I sit in my rocking chair, remembering good times, my fondest memories will not be of my clean desk drawer.
    Maybe someday, Fly Lady. But not today.
    There is not a whole lot of system in the kitchen, either. But people seem to get fed and on time. I watch the food channel, maybe too much. Paula and Rachel sometimes get on my last nerve, but they have such good recipes, I have to forgive.
    Rachel had a kind of do it yourself spread, Ritz has baked cracker chips out that are good to go with the spread of your choice. Her program that week was stressing healthy eating.
    Rachel’s Cream Cheese Spread (Healthy and low fat)
    you will need:
    one 8 ounce low fat cream cheese, softened
    4 ounces light sour cream
    any kind of veggies, diced small
    I used chives, one small clove garlic
    zucchini, orange pepper
    ( 2-3 T of each. The idea being more veggies than cream cheese.)
    mix with the cream cheese. Put on cracker of your choice
    Enjoy

    sesame

    Open Sesame
    I was trying to open a box of cereal. The direction on top of the box said: to open slide finger under arrows to left and right. To close, push tab under here. There were four arrows showing the way. My finger didn’t fit under the tab. The box tore, so forget keeping it closed.
    Inside the box was the bag with the cereal. The cereal guys must have thought if I got the box open, I should be smart enough to open the inner bag.
    I tried to pull it open. It wouldn’t pull. I went for the kitchen scissors. Wouldn’t cut. (Then I remembered I had cut some carpet with them, and they wouldn’t cut anything anymore.)
    I tried to pull it with my teeth (smart move) but couldn’t tear it.
    I was so frustrated by then, I just said out loud, "Open Sesame.!" I had recently read a piece about The Arabian Nights. Alibaba and the forty thieves must have still been in the back of my mind.
    .Alibaba was a poor woodcutter. He heard the thieves, forty in all, boasting about their treasure in a cave. The cave could only be opened by the magic words, "Open Sesame" and closed by the magic command of "Close Sesame. " So one day when he knew the thieves were not there, he went to the cave, said, "Open Sesame", and sure enought the cave opened. He took some of the treasure, closed the cave, and the thieves were not the wiser. And the story continues.
    Sometimes I think it takes magic to open anc close some of the packages that come into my kitchen:
    Besides the cereal boxes, some of my unfavorite things to open are;
    ,:
    the dog food bag. The string either breaks off in midstream or won’t pull at all.
    This one usually gets the knife or the scissors, whenever I get a new pair.
    the bathroom disinfectant. The "push down and turn toward arrow " means several tries. After sore fingers and a red palm, it finally gives up and opens.
    cheese. The ones with the zipper are the best. Otherwise, I have to start the "pull here with the trusty scissors or a knife. Then try to get the little plastic rails to connect.
    jars. Especially pickle jars. They go through everything from a hot water bath, to banging on the lid. After it takes its raps, it gets covered with a towel, held against the belly, twist and finally open. I don’t eat too many pickles. Too much work.


    After opening, there is the job of keeping things closed. Pickle jars are good. Crackers, cookies, and pasta are bad..
    I’m not too good at making sure the sleeves of the crackers and cookies are air-tight.
    Too many times I have stale crackers and soggy cookies. I hate when that happens.
    My pasta does not have a tab to keep the box closed. The pasta guys must just trust you to have enough sense to store it right side up right side up after opening. When in a hurry, taking it out of the cupboard upside down, gives you pasta all over the floor. I hate when that happens, too.
    I have hesitated to complain about the things I can’t open or keep closed . I don’t hear anyone else complaining, so maybe I am the only one that needs magic to open and close.
    On the other hand if opening my new jar of Jif is my biggest complaint, I’m having a good day.
    As long as the peanut butter jar is open—
    Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
    you will need:
    ½ cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy)
    13 cup softened butter
    3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    3/4 cup granulated sugar
    2 eggs
    2 t vanilla
    1 cup flour
    1 t baking powder
    1/4 t salt
    1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet real chocolate morsels
    In large bowl, beat until creamy the peanut butter, butter, and sugars
    beat in eggs and vanilla
    Mix baking powder, salt and flour.
    Blend into peanut butter mixture
    Spread in greased 9x13 baking pan
    sprinkle chocolate morsels over top
    Put in 350 degree oven for five minutes
    remove from oven and run knife through to marbleize
    Bake for 30 more minutes
    These bars are worth the effort
    Enjoy