kappydell

My mother used to say that instead of cussing. But good gravy is more than an expression. It can hold a meal together. I did not realize that until my hyusbane, a gravy lover, told me so. And when I say gravy lover, well, he would eat the stuff with a spoon. That is when I decided i would have to learn how to make good, tasty, un-lumpy gravy. The first thing I learned is that I cant do roux at all. so that kind of gravy (with the flour worked into fat) would not work for me. OK, fat free gravy made our doctors happier anyway and did not trigger his IBS. Here is the recipe, by the numbers. 1. 1 level TB of flour is used for each 1/2 cup water. I prefer flour, because it is cheaper, it thickens nicely, and when it cools, it does not gel to a solid mass, making leftover gravy much easier to re-heat and re-use. However, some folks prefer cornstarch; the proportions there are 1 level TB per 1 cup water (hallf as much as flour). I have never tried arrowroot, it is out of my budget, but have fond out that it uses 1 level tablespoon arrowroot powder per 1 cup liquid, for those who are grain-free. 2. Measure the liquid, and put it in your shaker jar first, then add the flour. It dissolves better that way. My shaker jar is a clean miracle whip jar, but I also like the wasp waisted pace picante jars. You have to have a fairly large jar to get a good sloshing going when you shake. /the better the slosh the better the dissolving of the flour into the liquid. 3. Once the liquid is totally mixed, pour the liquid into a saucepan. Over medium high heat, stirring constantly to keep from scorching, bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to simmer and simmer for 10 minutes to cook the flour thoroughly. You can stir less often with the lower heat. That is all there is to making a smooth fat free gravy. The fun part, is all the flavors you can make! For chicken gravy use chicken cooking liqid, adding a bouillon cube if the flavor is a little weak. Season with one or more of the following seasonings: sage, savory, basil, thyme, marjoram, paprika, poultry seasonings, lemon opepper, onions or garlic powder; or add minced chives, celery bits or mushrooms. Add a bit of wine as part of the liquid if desired. For beef gravy use beef cooking water, adding a bouilon cube if needed. Season with one or mor of the following: marjoram, rosemary, savory, basil, oregano, onion or garlic powder, or minced mushrooms, cardamom powder, catsup, worcestershire sauce, fresh ground pepper or even a bit of beer as part of the liquid! Pork gravy takes well to seasoning wih sage, savory, basil, thyme, chives, chervil, parsley, onion powder, or mustard. I like to add a dash of barbecue sauce once in a while. Tomato gravy is made from tomato juice, tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes in their liquid (canned is fine) seasoned with basil, oregano, Italian seasoning blends, chili powder, cumin and a bit of sugar to cut any acidity. Turkey gravy benefits from chicken seasonings, but also a pinch of nutmeg with lemon peel. Milk (Country) gravy uses milk as the liquid. It is seasoned with pepper (freshly ground is best) but also can be seasoned with onion powder, parsley minced celery and salt. Chocolate gravy just wowed me, especially on biscuits for breakfast! Pour 2 cups milk into the shaker jar. Separately whisk together in a bowl the thickening and flavorings: 4 TB cocoa, 3 TB flour, 3/4 cup sugar. Pour into milk, shake like crazy to mix, then pour into a saucepan to heat and stir. It is cooked 8-10 minutes just like meat gravy. When thick, stir in 1 TB butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla until blended. Serve warm. The nice thing about gravy is that it gives me a chance to use those liquids that would otherwise go into soup or go to waste, like the draining from that evenings' can of corn or beans, along with the meat cooking liquid or the liquid I poured into the meat pan to stir and scrape up the yummy bits. I like soup, but using them for gravy is more immediate and is one more option for those bits that would otherwise go to waste. So bone up on your gravy making and watch your gravy-loving diners' eyes light up!

Now that animals are being diagnosed with Covid, scientists have discovered the reason why ants do not get Covid, or any kind of disease....it is because they all have little anty-bodies! (groooan0

Looked up Niegerian Dwarf Goats & Mary fell in love, but she is adamant they are pets, not meat animals. She is ambivalent about milking, but would not mind that per se. I explained to her that they need to be freshened for milk and have multiple births, and we would have to do SOMETHING with the surplus goats. M is not happy with the idea of raising meat critters. Oh well. Hafta work on that, I guess. She says chickens are OK, she does not see those as pets (at least so far....) I think I had better be the one that feeds & culls the livestock if we go that route. But darn, those dwarfs are sooooooo cute!

Hooray! We FINALLY fishished the temporry garage (with our short working periods it only took a couple weeks. LOL) Learned a lot along the way, so if we get a greenhouse kit we will look for the dome type. This one was a bear to put up - parts missing, instructions & pics did not go together (what else is new, LOL) and the insturction writer obviouslly was a man with a 7 foot reach. But we figured it out and got it done. Improved on it some - ground was too uneven & rock to put on ground so we built a deck and set it up on that. The cats love it, LOL. We wanted something with more concealment than a tarp to move some items from the carport (which is open for the world to see and covet) so we can sort and thin out what we moved in such a rush and organize what we want to keep....and not.....We are only allowed 4 buildings per lot, and we already have 3 so we opted for a temp one, it does not "count". 2 nights ago we had small arms fire from behind the house, and when Mary went out to lock the red truck she heard a shot whiz by her. Dunno if it was poachers on the lumber company land, or our drunken neighbor behind us, but either way....not nice. Nobody has tried to shoot the deer we feed....yet....we have a 6 point buck and a couple smaller ones, plus a doe with babies. They are our wild pets, kinda. We are debating adding livestock if things continue to get wierd....we figure chickens or geese, goats, and bees for eggs, milk & honey to supplement our garden, foraging, fish and game. There were pigmy goats for sale this week locally but $50 for one male and we are not sure whether that price is good or not. We want to start with females anyway. Maybe some of you ladies have an idea as to what would be a good price for some pigmy goats? That way if the zoning folks object we can stress that they are "pets". I have already scoped out some beehives with half-size supers (the honey holding part) since the full size ones run 60 lbs when full and we are both not eager to lift those! There are several beekeepers nearby who sll queens and hive "nucs" (nucleus) as they are called so no worries getting started there. But we would have to build a good STRONG chicken area to keep the coyotes at bay.....unless they are dumb enough to trap. Generally the local hunting club with rights to hunt the lumber company land keep them thinned down nicely. One nearby (well a couple miles away) couple has chickens and sell their spare eggs for $3.50/dozen. One thing at time though! Fiinances are not all THAT, dontcha know? The prep-stead starts to shape up...... We could hold a picnic in here! Tucked near the house for protection.

You might look into the ham flavored bouillon powder as well. It has a nice flavor and really punches up the flavor of a pot of beans. Orrington Farms is the brand; I got mine at Walmart and I notice it is still available in some places....like on their web site. Im getting another 6 jars to replace those I gave to a prepping friend. The shopping reports are helpful, they encourage me to get up early for the granny shopping hours (right at store opening' 0530 at my favorite store (yikes) but worth it. I was really angry when the media started playing all those clips of folks saying "there will be food shortages". nothing creates a food shortage like making people fear a food shortage. Talk about a slef-fulfilling prophecy! Today we struggled with air conditioning. This is the 2nd year in a row with AC issues - and our unit is only 2 years old! Today we got with a paralegal friend and are looking into a civil suit against the mobile home contractors that botched our homes' sale and installation so badly that it is coming apart at the center seam (it is a double wide). The AC was the last straw. Our friend thinks we have recourse to force them to make things right plus pay us for the horrors they put us through whle trying to move down here while juggling chemotherapy and various other catastrophes they created with constant delays and changes. Plus when we checked our financials it looks like they took us for a considerable sum of money as well. It costs nothing to try I guess. Meanwhile, we set up our window AC units yet again that we got last year when the AC died in July. Of course, it HAS to be at least 95 degrees and 100% humidity when it cuts out, dontcha know? Stormy here tonight. I was out feeding the outside kitties when it hit with a lot of loud thunder and a sluicing rain so bad it scared the cats. I had just called them into the car port for dinner (I knew the rain was coming, and they woud be sheltered that way) when it hit. So I sat with them for a while and petted (and talked) to them (yes they are spoiled) until things eased up a bit. It was an impressive storm.

I also use a LOT more cottage cheese this time of year....add to mac & cheese for "two cheese" version; to mac salad to power boost the protein; over toast sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar (a very old Weight Watchers recipe) for breakfast; stuffed into baked potatoes; made into mock sour cream; mashed with yolks for deviled eggs; mixed with some pineapple; in the center of a 'flower sliced' tomato (my moms favorite diet lunch); etc, etc, etc. Quick, lowfat (if you buy it that way), protein packed, and COLD. i even sprinkle on some Mrs Dash garlic & herb salt free blend and it tastes like ranch cottage cheese to me. To think, I used to hate the stuff!

On 8/3/2020 at 11:12 AM, out_of_the_ordinary said: Don't get one with the PUL backing...those slide. We have a flat crib mattress pad cover (supposed to go under the fitted crib sheet) that worked well. That company has since made them much thinner and the newer ones slide around. I can't find the site now, but there's a company that makes washable chux-type pads. They are heavy and looked quilted. Some hospitals use them under mothers in the days after childbirth. Think as wide as a twin bed, but not as long. I had it bookmarked on my old computer, but I can't find it now. They were made in the USA. Something similar to these https://www.northshorecare.com/incontinence-products/incontinence-bed-pads/washable-bed-pads '= = = = = I can recommend these; got them when my husband was very ill and they worked well when I developed urge incontenence, until I finally gave up & used diapers. Sticks in my craw, but nothing I can do about it, LOL. These stay in place well and are easily washed. I still have 3. in my sick room preps. This is from the current dr leonard's catalog (yes it is on the internet, too) which has the best aids for various medical issues (prices are not bad either......one 10th what the insurance company wanted for a co-pay for a product nowhere as nice.) My hubby did not like to lay on them directly so I put them under the top sheet for him, but I did not find them too uncomfortable when I tried them. Home > Health & Beauty > Incontinence Products Roll over image to zoom in Quilted Waterproof Bed Pad 4.7 (71 reviews) Twin Bed Pad (Item # 22867) Price: $16.99 Quantity Full/Queen Bed Pad (Item # 22875) Price: $22.99 Quantity King Bed Pad (Item # 37452) Price: $29.99 For a DIY version, quilt a couple pieces of flannel (old sheets) over an old piece of vinyl tablecloth (fuzzy side down). The fuzzy side of the tablecloth helps with slippage; the vinyl stops the liquids, and the flannel topping makes it more comfortble to lie upon. Its a little hot in the summer but does work. That came from an old book called "aids to make you able" on how to make your own mobility and other aids. Very educational.....lots of good ideas. Moving along.....first time Mama lost 2 of her 5 babies, do not know why. Others are starting to open eyes and run around "their" room. The earlier batch are old enough (12 weeks) to move outdoors with their mama (or give to anyone looking for a pet). Cute little fluff balls. The local pet shops do not accept babies from non-breeders. too bad, ours were very popular in Wis because we socialized them well and when picked up they would purr and kiss you instead of hissing & scratching. Their loss. Butterscotch (occasional visitor) seems to be female; saw her drop in for a cold drink when it was 102 degrees, and almost did not recognize her because she was un-pregnant. Our training of Jack continues; he is doing better with his aggression issues. Took him down to the lake today to swim with us. One happy and tired pup! We have been more attentive to Jack's triggers and are working to de-sensitize him on those (food, and "his space"). We are currently struggling to put up a temporary garage - a tubular frame covered with heavy vinyl - everwhere in the yard is slanting, so we are building a level platform for a base/floor, and will bolt it down to that instead of setting on the ground. Our gravelly clay soil breaks those cheapo augers they provide for tie downs anyway, so we figure a floor will work better. Mary got some spray on grass/mulch for our hillside once it is up, to try to hold some of the little rain we get in the yard rather than simply running down the hill so quickly. She made a nice burn pit from cinder blocks for paper garbage burning, and I will add a composting area this fall for compostable stuff. Why waste it? I'll just make a compost pail for the kitchen, and lug it out in the morning when I check the gaden to see what is ready each day. I guess you could say we have become accustomed to our new hotter summers; we work in the morning, take frequent breaks, and a siesta from 1300 to 1500 for both people and critters seems to work best. Now if I could just get my arthritis to calm down in this humidity.....Im back on the cane again since it flared up. Oh well, it is what it is. Happy August.

With states being shut down yet again, and the heat of summer upon us, I thought I might share some of the summer heat recipes I use a lot....keeping the kitchen a bit cooler to lessen the strain on our old air conditioner is a priority for us when the temps get over 85 degrees! Im sure I am not the only one that grew up pre-air-conditioning and learned to cook this way as a matter of course....(remember sleeping on the porch??) So for those of us not lucky enough to have a summer kitchen here are the things I do: BASIC TENETS 1. Use the grill as much as possible (naturally) 2. Cook in the morning when it is cooler, and refrigerate until dinner time 3. Keep iced water & treats (freezer pops are cheap) on hand for cooling snacks 4. Crock pot recipes really shine in the summer....as do recipes for electric frypans. This way you heat the pan, not the room! SOME OF MY BASIC GO-TOS 1. Macaroni Salad: mine is a basic one, cooked macroni elbows, miracle whip, minded green peppers, celery, onions, and pickle relish if you have it (or chop up a pickle) Add whatever you like to jazz it up - leftover cooked meats are great. 2. Potato Salad: potatoes, dressing of choice (I like hald sour cream, half miracle whip or mayo) chopped celery & onions. Add eggs for protein. The men I make this for on occasion like chopped bacon (for them bacon is a separate food group!) or bacon bits. This is sturdy enough to satisfy as a main dish 3. Baked beans, chili, butter beans, etc in the crock pot. Hot or cold these are relished (yes even cold chili). 5. Cooler corn: Husk corn, boil up a large pot of water. Do this in the morning. Put the corn and the boiling water in a cooler (Make sure it will not be ruined by the hot water, styrofoam might not work, but an igloo type should). Close it up. It will cook and be ready in a couple of hours, for lunch. You might have to reheat the water if waiting for dinner, depending on how much the cooler cooled down. This is a variation of haybox cooking (older than dirt) popular for large corn feasts, as a cooler can hold a lot of corn. Again I remember eating corn as a main meal, with sides of baked beans and pickles. We ate what was plentiful in the garden, and this time of year it was....corn, with watermelopn iced down in a washtub for dessert. If tomatoes were overrunning the kitchen a "fire and ice" salad (tomatoes, sliced onions, dressing). Good for large family reunions. 6. Soft tacos or quesadillas: put whatever you like in it. Grill the quesadillas on the grill. For soft tacos, just fold over (easier than wraps) and chow down. 7. Cold cut roll ups: nice for those watching their carbs. Lay out slices of cold meat, layer with cheese slices, smear with mayo if you like it in there. Some folks use a pickle spear to roll around in the middle, others don''t. Pretty on a cold cut tray with pickles. 8. Grilled cheese sandwiches (with whatever you have around to put inside). With an electric frypan the heat is more direct, like on a grill, and the kitchen does not heat so bad. (heck, take it outside with an extension cord & cook on the picnic table!) We use grilled cheese with ham, or bacon, or chiken cold cuts, or even fried eggs. Nice with fresh tomatoes, but a little messy to eat. 9. Pizza on the grill. 10. Devilled egg plate (my DHs favorite in the summer): devilled eggs, well chilled, with cheese fingers, and assorted garden veggies cut for eating by hand, with a dressing to dip in (he loved ranch). Arrange restaurant style in a circle on a plate. (Add a hot cup of coffee if you are one of those folks like me who does not feel they "ate" without something hot, LOL. ) Im sure there are many more hot weather meals I have not thought of. But with our wonky economy right now, keeping the air conditioning bills down is a real help with stretched budgets, and the old timey summer recipes are helpful once again.

That looks wonderful! Outdoor kitchens are all the rage nowdays and having a covered one, well, that looks terriffic. Please put up a pic when it is set up for us all to ooooh and aaaah (and drool) over! What a sweet husband! Wish mine was handy like that...Im still trying to figure out the gearing to convert a ceiling fan to turn with a chain and sash weight system, kinda like the old cuckoo clocks. I got the picture in my head, just cant figure out how to DO it.....

After a couple days of not eating, our oldest chihuahua (Snickers) ate breakfast. He was missing his long time pal. He will probably be next to go he is almost as old. I am researching training options for Jack. We narrowed down his problem....he is possesive and aggressive against the shep-malnois and our ex-fight dog chihuhua. (Of course it does not help that the chihuahua is also jealous and looks daggers at Jack every chance he gets. Unfortunately there are a couple things he is possessive of....food (that is easy to handle) and ME (not so easy to handle). I fear that disciplining him after an outburst results in the attention he craves, albeit negative. So tomorrow we go back to daily obedience training practice, with an emphasis on "down", "settle", and "kennel". Im hoping that getting positive attention for good performance will result in less desire for negative attention for naughtiness. I have not tigured out how to get him to be quiet yet. First we tackle the aggression, next the noise. I really do not want to give him up, he is a good boy....MOST of the time. So I will devise a "job" for him - going to training - hope it helps. The garden is suffering in this long heat wave. We finally had a decent rain - about 1 inch - usually it misses us. Our water bill is going thru the roof but we are determined to save the garden. Supposedly we are getting another stimulus check...we are going to have to put in a greenhouse over our raised beds, and get a shade for the sun. Researching our prices & options for that too. Who says retirement is boring????? Not I!

Rain! We FINALLY got some rain! How awful though that others have to get clobbered by a huge storm for us to get a decent rainfall. And the heat wave has decided to give us reprieves at night, so we can turn off the air conditioning and keep the units from icing up due to the humidity. Good thing all around. Our elder Aussie is gone. His tremors got worse, he could not hold his urine and could not eat without us holding the dish in a particular manner, and then only a little. He was frustrated and gave up. But we did get him to eat some of his favorite - chicken - and take a good drink of cool water. He especially hated not being able to get outside before peeing. He cried. So Mary & I took him to the vet, wondering if he had a stroke. No stroke, just advanced age and unlikely to improve. More likely to worsen. So vet gave him some sedation and we loved on him until he fell asleep, then the euthenasia solution. Tears all around. He was 16 years old - very advanced for an aussie, and we are in mourning, as are his closest doggie buddies. His oldest friend, Snickers, would not eat for 2 days, but today had something. The others keep looking for him. Mary wants another Aussie....I was hesitant, asking if we did not have enough dogs (6) but she wants one very much. So....we will probably get another aussie. Aussie Jack is calming down a bit (either that or we are learning his triggers and managing them better) but either way he is improved. He takes his pills like a champ - I dont think he even knows they are in those goodies he relishes so much! Mama kitty and babies all doing nicely. They look like mini-holstein cattle - black and white - but are marked quite attractively. Some are LOUD when Mama washes them up but if I had that rough tounge on my tender parts, my gosh, I''d probably yell too! Went to the doc, she changed my bloos pressure meds to a lower dosage - my blood pressure was running too low (I did not know there was such a thing as too low, lol). I take my BP several times aa day and keep a chart for her - I noticed years ago that doctors love those long term blood pressure records, it helps them to see what is going on day to day, rather than guessing based on a single reading ot two at the office. Its just one more thing in my going to bed and waking up routine, so no biggie.

Another day. Mama and kittens are doing fine. Our oldest aussie, Max is starting to fade - he is 15 - and he has been blind & deaf for about 6 months, but was chugging along working on scent. Last night we noticed he is starting to stumble, and this morning he is very restless and unsteady on his feet. We are expecting him to pass on today, but opted not to go to vet for the euthenasia, as he does not seem to be in pain. Instead we are petting him, making him corfortable, and simply waiting. Chainsaw Mary wanted the shot, but i asked her why, if he is not in pain, should he not go comfortably at home instead of in a scary setting of the vet (though he does like the vet). Some dogs are special and Max is one, so he deserves to just slip away among friends and family. He will be cremated and hi memory honored. Sovial Seurity day today. Paid up the last of the month's bills. Not much left, but then again, it is enough, aand it is all I ask....enough for bills and food for me and mine and I am content. No good sales on groceries, so we will see what develops for Pension day. Yep, we named those days....our mini=holidays...kinda like Thanksgiving, we give thanks for making it another mile down the road, LOL.

Well, brand new mama kitty decided to have her litter last night. Under the front steps where nobody can reach them. Where it bakes in the 110 degree sun afternoons and water rushes in when it rains (both of which we were supposed to have today). They caught her unaware - first time mother & Im not sure she knew what was happening for baby #1 - I found him screaming on the concrete driveway pad where she likes to lie down in the cool evenings. Rescured him. Hunted for and heard her under the front steps. Got a crowbar, pried off 1 board and got her and 2 more little ones out into a prepared bed (she was familiar with it because it was under the shed where the kitties sleep). Because we handle & pet our outside kitties a lot, she trusted me and did not fight when everybody got boxed, taken indoors and put in the bathroom tub (safe, dry, climate controlled). For a first timer she was doing well - cleaning and nursing the new babies, even the one she had lost getting to her under-porch place (I was relieved, they are too little to hand feed so young). Shut the door so she could have privacy, after making sure she had fresh food & water where she could reach it). Left a note for mary about the booby trapped front step and went to sleep. Surprise! woke up and Mama has 5 little ones (no wonder she was so miserable)! All looking like strong little wiggly peanuts, pushing in to nurse. Mary fixed the step (I had pried it up carefully, not even bending the nails, so we could just pound it into place, which she did while I made our breakfast pancakes). Mama is tending the babies, eating canned cat food (extra rations because she is nursing) and loving it. She loves being petted when we look in on her. Yay! It looks like she will be a good calm mama.

found another one.... UKGuy October 5, 2005 Sour Wiener Gravy ( recipe by DomesticGoddess ) This is an unusual kind of gravy, made with sliced wieners, served over mashed potatoes. The first time I had this, was at my sister-in-laws over twenty years ago. I've changed a few of the ingredients just abit, but since then, it's become a family favorite. Our daughter Jenny prepares this for her husband, who loves it. 5 3/4 cups cold water 1 medium onion, finely chopped salt and pepper, to taste 30 store bought gingersnap cookies ( I used the Ripp in Good Brand. Do not use home baked gingersnaps. ) 1 1/2 cups 5% white vinegar 2 lbs. thinly sliced hot dogs hot-cooked mashed potatoes In a large deep 12-inch skillet, combine water, onion, salt, pepper and gingersnaps. Let sit for a minute or two. Stir until cookies have dissolved. Add the vinegar and sliced wieners. Heat over medium-low heat, until it almost boils and is some-what thick. Serve over the hot mashed cooked potatoes. Serves 8-10. Note: I butter my potatoes first, before spreading on the sour wiener gravy. Ingredients to this recipe use to be: 6 cups cold water 1 small onion 20 gingersnaps 1 1/2 cups 5% white vinegar 1 lb. sliced wieners I thought the gravy was a bit too runny, and there weren't enough sliced wieners. I think my modifications to this recipe made it even better.

I love my hot dogs! especially when they go on sale under $1 a pound. Even the food bank has a freezer for hot dogs & bologna.

our prodical cat returned - i heard him calling at the door the 2nd night after he disappeared and he happily came in and headed for the waterer. Not surprising, he had been outdoors in 100+ heat and a thunderstorm. IDK why he tried to run out the door when he does, but the last 2 times he has ended up outside in downpours. You think he'd learn. He is very lovey dovey, glad to be home I think. Lost another kitten to a recliner fatality. I use a hassock as I am afraid of hurting our smaller critters, but CM does not, and she forgets to check before slamming the leg rest down. Very sad, but at least it was fast (broken neck). She is heartbroken, she liked that little one. Another outdoor kitty is getting bigger & bigger....trying to keep an eye on her in case she needs help as it will be her first litter. Also steeling myself for a high loss rate, first timers are not always good mothers. Oh well, cant tell a cat what to do any more than some people. The okra is starting up - I have been waiting with bated breath for fresh okra. Now I have to teach CM that bigger is NOT better with okra....she brought some in that would have made good daggers, they were so large & hard! But oh, the smaller ones....delicious! Now the beans & tomatoes are starting to go on strike due to the high temps. CM wants to pull, I say wait until you have a replacement ready, they may perk up when the hot spell passes. Peppers are showing calcium deficiency so we will give them antacid watering a couple times to stop that nonsense. We are also waiting on finishing up our construction projects until the temps get below 95 degrees, and are trying to keep the air conditioning from icing up due to the high humidity. Ahhh....summer.....I keep telling CM it is over-rated, LOL. She says shut up and lets go swimming. Good idea. '

yes it shows what the mainstream media is putting out on the international wire for other countries perusal. No wonder they think we are nuts. Disinformation used to be a bad thing, back when it was called propaganda, and the OTHER guy was doing it. Now our press is doing it, and not even trying to disguise it. No facts, just political agenda......

Note to self...Mr Murphy is alive and well, and a PITA as usual. We are trying to assemble a 10x13 foot temp garage as a storage shed. Not going according to plan. Chainsaw Mary (says Hi, BTW to all you here at Mrs S) is not one for following directions, and is prone to just up and start working while she has the energy and the day is {relatiely" cool, which sometimes makes our projects more involved. So far we assembled the framing, then discovered that the place we wanted it was not level.....so we DISassembled the framing and started again. We tried putting it on concrete blocks, after hauliing several loads of them from an abandoned pile we spotted. Put them in place, ahd...yep, still needed leveling, so had to move them all over again. Finally the directions were referred to. Oooops, we cant even use those blocks, as then there is no way to anchor the shed against wind without major and questionable modifications. Oh well, now we have a nice big fire pit. Heck, several of them. Ok, got out the tiller and a shovel. Till, till, till, rake, rake, dig, dig....not enough. Repeat two more times. One side done (only took all day, lol). Three more to go. Knocked off for a siesta, as it was 96 in the shade where we were working (thank goodness for that nice breeze!). Sometime during all this M laid her hand open working by herself. She is not as careful when working alone, and she was too impatient to get going to wait for me to finish loading the dishwasher so it could run as we worked. Fortunately no stitches. Slapped on some triple anti-biotic and a stretchable bandage big enough to cover. Now she is working Michael Jackson style (one glove) to protect it. M is watching You Tube videos of men putting together the same kind of temp garage. They do not follow directions either, which encourages even more variations (and do overs). But we are still working away at it. The directions say it will go up in one day. BALDERDASH! is all I can say to that one. AND one of our cats was gone a-wandering. Hope he comes back, he was a sweetie and I fret about my critters. The latest kittens are at the scurrying around getting underfoot stage, he may have left for some peace and quiet, LOL.

Whilst reading about how Covid has shaped our food chain (products being dropped and others finding new popularity during quarantines) I noticed that hot dogs have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. And why not, they taste good, are all meat (no sweepings, as they advertised during the 1930s) and best of all CHEAP for quarantine budgets. I had a collection of recipes in my super cheap cookbook, and I found more posted on Mrs S by Dee, way back in April 2003 which combined created quite a collection. I think the time for hot dogs has come again.... HOT DOG MADNESS from MrsSurvival.com Dee April 25, 2003 HOT DOG PROVENCALE 8 Hot Dogs 8 Slices Bacon 1 cup Minced Onion 1 Clove Minced Garlic One 8 oz Can Tomato 1/2 tsp Salt 1 Dash Pepper Fry bacon, onion and garlic until bacon is crisp. Drain most of bacon fat. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Add hot dogs; cover and simmer about 15 min. 7TH INNING HOT DOGS 2 8oz. cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 8 Cheese-filled or regular hot dogs, cut in half Heat oven to 375F. Separate dough into 8 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Cut each rectangle in half lenghwise. Place a hot dog half lengthwise on 1 end of dough strip. Fold dough in half over hot dog. Press short edges to seal, leaving sides open. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 11 - 13 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16. Serve with ketchup, mustard and pickle relish, if desired SPANISH HOT DOGS & RICE 2 - 3 tbsp. melted butter 1/2 lb. hot dogs sliced 1/2" thick 3/4 c. diced green pepper 3/4 c. diced onion 1 diced garlic clove 1 16oz. can plain stewed tomatoes 2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. sweet marjoram 1 tsp. chili powder enough hot cooked rice for 4 people Saute hot dogs, pepper, onion and garlic in the butter. Add tomatoes, salt, marjoram and chili powder. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir to blend. CREOLE HOT DOGS AND RICE 3/4 diced onion 1 tabsp. + 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning 4 diced slices bacon 4 sliced hot dogs 2 c. cooked rice 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice 2 1/4 tsp. dried basil Cook bacon in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat 5 - 6 minutes, or until bacon is slightly crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl. Set aside. Saute onion in bacon drippings 4 - 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Stir in seasoning and sliced hot dogs and cook 2 minutes. Add rice, bacon, and tomatoes and cook 3 – 4 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and serve. ITALIAN TOFU HOT DOGS 4 medium sliced potatoes 1 large thinly sliced onion 1 thinly sliced green pepper 6 sliced fat free tofu hot dogs 2 loaves pizza bread or 4 large pitas, cut into 1/2's Place potatoes in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes or until potatoes are done. Coat a LARGE non stick frying pan with a little cooking spray.Add onions and saute until they begin to turn brown. Add pepper, potatoes and tofu dogs. Cook until all is hot. Stuff into bread or pitas. Serve with some ketchup, mustard or spaghetti sauce, if desired. GLAMOUR DOGS 1/2 c. crushed corn chips 1/2 medium minced onion 1/4 c. tomato sauce 1 c. grated Cheddar cheese 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce 10 hot dogs, split lengthwise Mix all ingredients except hot dogs together. Heat oven to 350. Place the hot dogs into a baking dish and fill each dog with the mixture. Bake about 12 minutes. Serves 10. JOAN LUNDENS PAPRIKASH 1 medium diced onion 2 tbsp. butter 1 sliced green pepper salt, pepper, and paprika to taste 2 or 3 diced potatoes 1 20oz. canwhole tomatoes, chopped, reserving juice water 6 - 8 sliced hot dogs Simmer onion in butter. Add green pepper, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add potatoes. Mix in tomatoes and juice. Add enough water to cover. Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add hot dogs, cook another 8 minutes. Serves 6. HOT DOG RAMEN Boil about 2 cups of water. Throw in a hot dog, some frozen vegetables, and then the noodles. When everything seems done, drain almost all the water. Cut the hot dogs up and add 1/2 of the "seasoning packet." This works best with the "creamy chicken" or "chicken mushroom" varieties. HOT DOG SOUP #1 1 tbsp. Olive oil 1 chopped small onion 2 choppped small carrots 1 chopped small celery stalk 1/4 tsp. thyme 1/4 tsp. oregano 3 1/2 c. chicken broth 1 c. water 6 small red potatoes, cut into cubes 1/4 lb. green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/2 c. frozen whole kernel corn 1/2 c. cooked elbow macaroni 1 tbsp. dried parsley 4 hot dogs, sliced into bite size chunks 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper salt to taste Heat oil in stockpot and saute hot dogs until brown. Remove from heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onion is tender and transparent, just a few minutes. Add broth, water and potatoes. Brng to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add green beans and cook 5 minutes. Add corn and macaroni. Cook another 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, hot dogs, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat through. Add salt to taste. Makes 6 servings. BACON WRAPPED HOT DOGS 8 hot dogs prepared yellow mustard 1/4 c. finely minced raw onion 4 slices American cheese, folded in half separate, and fold in half again (you should have 2 thin slices of 8 piles) 8 slices raw bacon 8 hot dog buns Cut a slit in each hot dog, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place the amount of mustard you desire in the cut. Sprinkle the onion evenly among the dogs, on top of the mustard. Place the cheese on topof the onions. Wrap one slice of bacon diagonally around each hot dog. Place on a baking pan and bake at 350 to desired doneness. Makes 8 servings. HOT DOG RELISH 6 sliced hot dogs oil or butter 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 medium chopped mild onion 1 dash salt and pepper, or to taste 1 dash garlic powder, or to taste Partially boil the potatoes until slightly tender when pierced with a fork. Place just a coating of oil in a frying pan and heat. Add onion, hot dogs and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are golden. Makes 4 servings. POTATO DOGS 2 c. leftover mashed potatoes 1/2 tsp. dry mustard 8 hot dogs paprika grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese Mix the potatoes and mustard together. Split hot dogs the long way not quite all the way through. Fill split with potatoes mixture. Sprinkle tops with paprika. Bake in 375 for about 15 minutes or until heated through and slightly browned on top. Top with some grated cheese. Makes 8 servings. CORN DOGS # 1 1 c. corn meal 1 c. flour 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 slightly beaten egg 1 c. milk 2 tbsp. melted shortening 8 hot dogs wooden skewers Mix corn meal with flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg and milk; blend in melted shortening. Mix well. Skewer hot dogs and dip in batter. Stand skewer side up and fry in deep-fat fryer at 350F (175C) until golden brown, about 2 or 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. Makes 8 servings. HOT DOGS IN BARBECUE 1/4 lbs. ground beef 1/4 c. chopped onion 1 tbsp. brown sugar 2 tsp. vinegar 1 small can tomato paste one can of water 1 tbsp. dry mustard 3/4 tsp. salt 8 hot dogs Brown ground beef and onion. Then all other ingredients and combine. Place in a baking dish and bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes. Makes 8 servings. CROWN OF FRANKS 2 dozen franks large needle threaded with string 1 16oz. can sauerkraut 1 12oz. bag frozen tator tots Lay the franks side by side on a heavy baking sheet or in a baking pan. Sew the franks 1/2 inch from top, and 1/2 inch from bottom, leaving about 2 inches of string on each end. Tie the ends of the strings together. Stand up on one end. Stuff the middle with sauerkraut. Place tator tots around the outside edges of franks. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. BARGECUED HOT DOGS #1 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 chopped onion 8 - 10 hot dogs 1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard 1 10 3/4oz. can condensed tomato soup 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp. molasses 1/2 tsp. vinegar 1/2 soup can water 4 drops hot sauce Melt butter. Cook onion and hot dogs in butter until the onion is cooked and hot dogs are browned. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over the hot dogs and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir often. Serves 8 - 10. This may be made completely on the stovetop, or mix everything together and bake in the oven. CREAMY SKILLET DOGS 1, 10 3/4oz. can condensed cream of celery soup 3/4 c. water 1 tbsp. butter or margarine 1 pound beef franks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 3/4 c. uncooked long grain rice 1 10oz. package frozen peas 1, 4 1/2oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, (4 ounces) In a skillet, combine soup, water and butter; and bring to a boil. Add the franks and rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 - 18 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Stir in peas and mushrooms. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and peas are heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts. Makes 4 - 6 servings. PIZZA DOGS 2 tubes refrigerator roll of pizza dough 1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan (part-skim) cheese Non-stick spray 4 tbsp. pizza sauce or pasta sauce 8 hot dogs Optional pizza toppings: onions, green peppers, olives, etc. 1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning mix (or your own mix of oregano, thyme, parsley, etc.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Open package of pizza dough, gather ingredients, grate cheese, and dice vegetables. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place pizza dough on sheet and cut into 8 squares; press dough thin with fingers. Add pizza sauce to each square. Add hot dogs and other pizza toppings and pizza herbs to taste. Wrap the hot dogs completely in the dough and pinching the ends. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dip. Serves 6. CHEDDAR DOG CHOWDER 2 c. water 2 c. potatoes 1/2 c. carrots 1/2 c. celery 1/4 c. onion Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 c. margarine 1/2 c. flour 2 c. milk 1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese 1 c. chopped hot dogs Dice potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. Combine with water and salt and pepper. Cook together for 10-12 minutes. Make sauce over medium heat with margarine, flour and milk. Add grated Cheddar cheese. Combine sauce with vegetables and add desired meat. Heat until bubbly. Serves 6. HOT DOG NOODLE STEW 1 sm. pkg. noodles 1 pkg. wieners 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, chopped 1 sm. can tomato sauce Margarine Brown wieners in margarine, after slicing crosswise. Cook noodles. Add other ingredients to wieners and simmer. Combine noodles and sauce REUBEN WIENERS 1 pkg. wieners 1 pkg. Swiss cheese Mustard 1 sm. can shredded kraut Rye bread, sliced Warm wieners and kraut, separately. Slice wieners lengthwise. Spread bread with mustard. Add sliced wieners, kraut and Swiss cheese. Grill on both sides until cheese is melted and bread is browned. SKILLET CORN DOGS This recipe is a kids' delight! All the foods kids love and it's so easy to make. Makes 8 servings 1 box (7 1/4 ounces) macaroni and cheese dinner 1 pound hot dogs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 can (15 1/4 ounces) corn or Mexican-style corn, drained 2 TB McCormick® 1 Step Beef Seasoning: Skillet Mac Prepare macaroni and cheese as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown hot dogs in lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add corn, 1 Step, and cooked macaroni and cheese. Cook and stir until heated. And here are my finds.......................... HOT DOG CASSEROLE (8 svgs) 3 tablespoons margarine (9 cents) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (1 cent) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (1 cent) 1/2 teaspoon pepper (1 cent) 1 1/2 cups 2% milk (17 cents) 5 med red potatoes (thin sliced) (90 cents) 1 pound hot dogs (halved lengthwise cut in 1/2-in slices) (88 cents) 1/3 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) (58 cents) 1 medium onion (chopped) (22 cents) In a saucepan, melt margarine and stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 min until thick and bubbly. In a greased 2 ½ qt baking dish, layer 1/3 potatoes, half the hot dogs, and half the onions. Repeat layers. Top with remaining potatoes. Pour white sauce over all, cover, and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven. Bake 10-15 min longer, until potatoes are cooked. 8 servings. Recipe cost $2.95; per serving 37 cents. CHEESY HOT DOG CASSEROLE 1 lb. wieners, sliced (88 cents) 1 (16-oz.) can pork and beans, undrained ($1.40) 1/2 cup chopped onion (12 cents) 1/2 cup ketchup (44 cents) 3 tablespoons brown sugar (7 cents) 1 (7.5-oz.) can Refrig Buttermilk Biscuits ($1.20) 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese ($1.20) Heat oven to 400°F. In medium saucepan, combine wieners, pork and beans, onion, ketchup and brown sugar; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon hot bean mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Arrange biscuits over hot bean mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and no longer doughy. Serves 6. Total recipe $5.31; per serving 89 cents QUICK & CHEAP HOT DOG CASSEROLE 1 pkg. hot dogs (sliced crosswise) (88 cents) 1 med. onion (22 cents) 1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetables ($1.30) 2 tbsp. margarine (6 cents) 1 1/2 c. minute rice ($1.60) 1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (88 cents) Salt & pepper to taste (1 cent) Saute onions and hot dogs in butter. While they saute, cook the vegetables (in 1 1/2 cups of water). Add stewed tomatoes to the onions and hot dogs. Add rice to the hot dogs. Add vegetables and water to the hot dogs. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with biscuits. 8 servings. Recipe cost $4.95; per serving 82 cents. CHEESY BISCUIT DOGS 8 hot dogs (88 cents) 4 thin slices cheese (60 cents) 1 tube of large refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ($1.30) 2 TB margarine, melted (6 cents) Make a lengthwise slit ¾ through each hot dog down to within ½ inch of each end. Cut the cheese slices into strips small enough to fit in the slits. Roll each biscuit into a 5-inch circle; wrap one around each hot dog. Brush with butter, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 fir 11-13 min until biscuits are browned. Makes 8 svgs. Recipe cost $2.84; per serving 36 cents. PORTABLE CHILI CHEESE DOGS (8 svgs) 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough $1.40) Cooking spray, for pan (1 cent) 1 can chili, or chili dog sauce (Walmart has cheap 8 hot dogs, sliced (88 cents) chili dog sauce in cans) ($1.05) 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese ($1.11) 1 egg, whisked (15 cents) 1/2 Onion, finely chopped (10 cents) 1 tsp. chives, for garnish (5 cents) Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease 2 muffin trays with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully slice biscuits in half and press into the inside of the muffin cups. Spoon heaping tablespoons of chili into the biscuit cups and top with 4-5 slices hot dog and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Brush overhanging biscuit dough with egg wash and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Top with onion and chives and serve. Recipe cost $3.95; per serving 49 cents. HOT DOG FRIED RICE (4 servings) 1 tbsp. margarine (3 cents) 1/2 Onion, finely chopped (5 cents) 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (52 cents) 2 hot dogs, sliced into coins and halved (22 cents) ¼ tsp garlic powder (1 cent) 1 tbsp. oil (3 cents) 2 1/2 c. cooked white rice ($1..76) 2 eggs, lightly beaten (10 cents) 2/3 c. frozen peas (33 cents) 2 tbsp. soy sauce (12 cents) 1 green onion, sliced thin (6 cents) In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, carrots, and hot dogs and cook until onions become translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sesame oil to the pan and let heat 1 minute add the rice, and let cook for 3 minutes. Push rice to one side of the pan and add the eggs, scrambling them in the pan and incorporating them into the rice when they are fully cooked. Add the peas and the soy sauce and stir to combine. Top with scallions if desired and serve. Total recipe cost $3.23; per serving 41 cents. SLOW COOKER HOT DOGS (for a crowd – 60 hot dogs 60 hot dogs 60 buns Toppings of your choice Place 60 hot dogs standing up straight in your slow cooker. Turn slow cooker to high and cook 1 to 2 hours, until hot dogs are cooked through. Serve in buns with your favorite toppings. Hot dog plus bun = CORN DOG BITES (8 servings) 1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour, divided (11 cents) 1 c. milk (15 cents fresh) 1 c. cornmeal (35 cents) 1/3 c. sugar (7 cents) 1/4 c. melted margarine (12 cents) 1 large egg (5 cents) 2 tsp. baking powder (2 cents) salt & pepper to taste (1 cent) 4 hot dogs, sliced into 1" pieces (44 cents) 2 c. vegetable oil (32 cents) Ketchup, for serving Mustard, for serving In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, milk, cornmeal, sugar, melted butter, egg and baking powder. Stir until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Roll hot dogs in remaining flour and then into the cornbread mixture. In a pot or skillet with high sides, add enough oil to be 2” deep. Heat to 350° and fry bites until they are golden on the outside and cooked on the inside, about 4 minutes. Place on a paper towel to drain. Serve with ketchup and mustard if desired. Total recipe $1.64; per serving 21 cents. PIZZA DOGS (6 servings) 6 hot dog buns (96 cents) 1/4 c. margarine, melted (12 cents) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (1 cent) 6 hot dogs, boiled (66 cents) 1/2 c. pizza sauce (68 cents) 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella ($1.80) 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (4 cents) 1/2 c. mini pepperoni ($2.35) Preheat oven to 350°. Open hot dog buns and brush the inside with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Place on baking sheet and bake until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon a little sauce onto each hot dog bun then place boiled hot dog on top. Top each hot dog with mozzarella, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, then place mini pepperoni on top. Broil until the cheese is melty, about 2 minutes. Total recipe: $4.62; per serving 77 cents QUESADOGAS (6 servings) 8 Small flour tortillas ($1.00) 1 c. shredded Cheddar ($1.20) 1 c. Monterey Jack ($1.20) 1 jalapeño, minced (30 cents) 2 green onions, finely sliced (12 cents) 1 tsp. chili powder (2 cents) 1 c. nacho cheese, plus more for dipping ($2.50) 4 hot dogs (44 cents) 1 tbsp. vegetable oil (6 cents) Sour cream, for drizzling (optional) Top a tortilla with cheddar, Monterey Jack, jalapeño, green onion, and chili powder. Top with another tortilla. Spread the top tortilla with some nacho sauce and set a hot dog at one end. Roll up the tortilla around the hot dog. Repeat with remaining ingredients. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Add quesadogas and cook until golden and crispy all over, about 3 minutes per side. Drizzle with sour cream if desired. Serve warm with more nacho sauce for dipping. Total recipe $6.84; one serving $1.14 CORN DOG FRITTERS (BITE SIZED) canola or vegetable oil for frying 1 c. flour (8 cents) 1 t. baking powder (1 cent) ‘ ½ t. salt (1 cent) ¼ t. white sugar (1 cent) 1 egg (5 cents) ½ c. milk (10 cents) 1 T. margarine (3 cents) 1 c corn, drained if canned (38 cents) 3 hot dogs, chopped into a small dice (33 cents) Heat your vegetable or canola oil in a deep sided pot, filled half way up to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl combine the milk, melted butter and beaten egg. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and then add the corn kernels and the hot dogs. Drop by large tablespoons into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning, until golden brown and cooked through in the center. Drain onto paper towels and season with salt. Recipe cost $1.00 (without ketchup or mustard). Serve with ketchup or mustard for dipping TORTILLA HOT DOG WRAPS 1 small tortilla (12 cents) hot dog (11 cents) 2 TB chopped onion (20 cents) ¼ c shredded cheese (30 cents) salt (1 cent) canola oil (5 cents) Get a pan on medium-low heat, add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. If you want your hot dogs to poke out each end, then slice two of the edge off each tortilla (refer to picture). Place some red onion near bottom of tortilla, then sprinkle cheese on tortilla, and top with hot dog. Roll tightly around hot dog. Place in pan with the end of the tortilla on the bottom, which allows it to fry and stay closed. Rotate as each side becomes golden brown, cooking until the whole tortilla is golden brown. Remove to paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. Per wrap 89 cents. MAC & CHEESE WITH HOT DOGS 1 pound elbow macaroni ($1.00) Salt and pepper to taste (1 cent) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided) (8 cents) 1 pkg beef hot dogs (cut into 1-in. pieces) (88 cents) 1 tablespoon margarine (3 cents) 1 medium onion (finely chopped) (22 cents) 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour (2 cents) 1/2 cup chicken broth (from bouillon cubes (8 cents) 2 cups milk (fresh 25 cents) 1 generous tablespoon spicy mustard (10 cents) 2 generous tablespoons ketchup (12 cents) 3 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded ($3.60) Cook Macaroni according to package instructions for al dente. Preheat broiler for low heat- and set rack 12 inches from heat. While pasta cooks, heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and then add hot dogs and brown on both sides. Remove the hot dogs with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, and the butter. When butter melts, cook onions until translucent, then add flour and cook another minute; add the chicken broth and cook until thickened. Mix in milk and bring to a boil, then season the sauce with salt and pepper, and stir in the mustard, and ketchup. Lower the heat and add 2 cups of the cheese. Stir to melt Drain pasta well. Combine pasta and hot dogs with sauce- then pour into 13 x 9 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Melt and brown cheese under broiler. Serve Hot-feeds 4-6 Recipe cost $6.39; per serving (1/6th recipe) $1.06 CHICAGO STYLE HOT DOG SALAD 1 cup shredded cabbage (16 cents) 2 cups mixed salad greens ($2.00) 1/4 cup white onion, diced (30 cents) 1/4 cup pickles, diced (30 cents) 4-6 guerito or hot banana wax peppers (30 cents) 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges ($1.00) 3 grilled or cooked beef hot dogs, diced (33 cents) 2 tablespoons olive oil (6 cents) 2 tablespoons yellow mustard (5 cents) 2 tablespoons honey (16 cents) 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (for garnish) (8 cents) In a bowl, toss together cabbage and mixed greens. Top with hot dogs, onions, pickles, peppers and tomatoes. Whisk together oil, mustard and honey. Drizzle over the salad. Garnish with poppy seeds. Serve and enjoy! Recipe cost $4.74. POLYNESIAN HOT DOGS OVER RICE (8 servings) 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice ($1.10) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (16 cents) 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (21 cents) 2 tablespoons soy sauce (12 cents) ½ teaspoon garlic powder (2 cents) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (6 cents) 1 pkg (16 oz) hot dogs, sliced diagonally in 1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes(about 1 cup) (50 cents) 1 1/2-in pieces (88 cents) 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons cornstarch (3 cents) (about 1 cup) (50 cents) 2 tablespoons water 8 cups hot cooked white rice ($1.62) Drain pineapple chunks; reserve juice. In medium bowl, stir juice with brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic powder. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook hot dogs in oil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add pineapple juice mixture, drained pineapple chunks and chopped bell peppers to hot skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered 5 to 6 minutes to reduce mixture slightly. In small bowl, beat cornstarch and water with whisk. Add to skillet; stir constantly until mixture is thick and bubbling. Add hot dogs back into skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Whole recipe $5.20; one serving 65 cents HOT DOG BOILED DINNER Cabbage & Potatoes with Leftover Hot Dogs My grandma quartered and boiled cabbage with potatoes, big quarters or big chunks, and seasoned with some salt. When about done she added the hot dogs, cut up or whole, and finished boiling. She served the cabbage & potatoes with a little butter & some pepper and a little mustard on the dogs. Sounds weird but we loved it BOURBON HOT DOGS (8 servings) 2/3 c firmly packed light brown sugar (24 cents) 2/3 c ketchup (54 cents) 1/2 c bourbon (or cola if you don’t have bourbon) ($2.00) 2 TB minced onion (5 cents) Stir together in a large skillet over low heat. Add one pound hot dogs (88 cents), cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve on buns with coleslaw on top. Sauce plus hot dogs total cost $3.81. Per hot dog 49 cents GROUND BEEF CHILI DOG SAUCE 3-4 TB vegetable oil (8 cents) 2 lb ground beef ($5.74) 1/2 tsp garlic powder (2 cents) 1/4 c tomato paste (20 cents) 1 onion, chopped fine (22 cents) 2 c beef broth (from bouillon cube 16 cents) 5 TB chili powder (15 cents) 6 TB corn meal or masa harina (corn meal 15 cents) 2 tsp sugar (2 cents) 2 tsp salt (1 cent) 1 tsp ground cumin (3 cents) 1 bay leaf (5 cents) Heat oil and sauté garlic powder with onion until light golden, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add chili powder, sugar and cumin. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until evenly browned. Stir in remaining ingredients; reduce heat to low and simmer until very thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Whole recipe $6.83 for 4 cups. Allowing 4 TB per serving, serves 16. 43 cents per serving. HOT DOGS WITH GERMAN POTATO SALAD 3 c. cooked potatoes, sliced (50 cents) 1 dozen hot dogs, sliced (88 cents) 12 slices bacon, chopped ($2.16) 1/2 c. pickle juice (20 cents) 1/2 c. vinegar (5 cents) 6 tbsp. sugar (18 cents) 1/2 tsp. dry mustard (3 cents) 1 tsp. salt (1 cents) 1/2 tsp. pepper (1 cent) 3 tbsp. flour (3 cents) 1/2 c. water 1 onion, diced (22 cents) 1/2 c. celery, diced (12 cents) Mix hot dog and potato slices. In oven-proof skillet, sauté bacon until crisp. Add pickle juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Simmer 2 minutes. Mix water and flour until smooth and stir into bacon mixture. Simmer until it thickens. Mix in potatoes, hot dogs, onion and celery. Place in 300-degree oven for 15 minutes. Serves 4-6. Serve with sauerkraut and/or baked beans. NOTE: Any type cooked or smoked sausage can be substituted for hot dogs Total recipe $4.64. 1/6th recipe 78 cents. HOT DOG PASTA SALAD 6 oz macaroni or other small pasta (65 cents) 5 hot dogs, boiled & sliced (or chopped) (55 cents) 1/2 c mayonnaise (90 cents) 1 TB yellow mustard (5 cents) 2 tsp cider vinegar (3 cents) salt and pepper (1 cent) 1/3 c thin sliced sweet pickles (30 cents) 2 green onions, sliced thin, both green & white parts OR 1/8 c chopped big onions (20 cents) Cook macaroni according to package directions, just until tender. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Meanwhile, cook hot dogs as desired- grill'em, boil'em or pan-fry; cool enough to handle, then slice into circles. If small children will be eating this, cut the circles in halves or quarters to avoid choking hazards. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and salt & pepper in small bowl. Place hot dogs and pasta in large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over and toss gently with two spoons until all the bits are coated with dressing. Chill for two hours or longer in refrigerator before serving. (4 servings) Total recipe $2.69; one serving 67 cents. FAKE HAM SALAD Chop hot dogs fine as you can; mix with mayonnaise, minced onions, minced celery, and anything else you would put into ham salad. Serve on buns as ham salad. Mom used to make bologna salad the same way. I never knew you could use ham until I was thirty! MACARONI SALAD WITH HOT DOGS (6 servings) 3/4 cup seashell pasta (78 cents) 4 oz mild cheddar, shredded (1 1/3 cups)( $1.11) 1/2 c salad dressing (Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise)(85 cents) 2 hot dogs, sliced ¾ inch thick (22 cents) 3/4 cup olives, cut in half, either green or black as preferred (68 cents) Cook pasta in water until done to suit, then drain and run under cold water to chill down. Put pasta in salad bowl and combine with remaining ingredients. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Total recipe: $3.64; per serving 60 cents. This salad has room for interesting variations: Add chopped cooked bacon (or bacon bits) and diced tomatoes for a ‘club’ style salad. Use ranch dressing instead of salad dressing. Add pickle relish to taste; or chopped pickled jalapeno peppers Hot dogs! Beyond buns, and beanie-weenies....they are what is for dinner! (and BTW there are 43 ways here....so far......)

absolutely with a drawl! we got some more tomato plants today from the nursery - they are trying to get rid of them and is giving two for the price of one. Since there is no such thing as too many 'maters, we got some extras to plant now, to bear into autumn and even winter if we cover them in time to keep frosts at bay around December. No seed potatoes there though, so I put some "littles" in the refrigerator to try to fool them with a short "winter" into sprouting for fall planting. Im digging out the mustard seeds for greens now, the collards are getting kinda frail, too. I wonder if there are "summer" versus "winter" collards? Maybe I'll try the cowpeas I have that make good snaps, just to try, since cowpeas thrive in heat while snap beans pout and go on hiatus when it gets over 80 degrees. Mary says she knows where the carrot seeds are and she wants some of those planted for autumn and winter carry-over. Yellow squash are succumbing to vine borers, but that is normal I have read, for this area. You plant short season ones, pick squash while they make them, then when the vine borers hit you are done. I read about one gardener who loves zucchini and she plants two cycles of them each year between vine borer hatches. One cycle is enough for us. Time to start a compost heap, I think.... I am getting requests for sample seeds from other seed savers in hot areas. The latest one lives in Texas, looking for heat tolerant greens & tomatoes. I have some I found that were bred in TX to withstand heat that she has been looking for. Most places that have them only sell to commercial clients; I lucked out and found one that sold to regular folks but they went out of business, so I bought as many as I could afford to get. Tomato seeds store well thank goodness. On the bright side the peppers are beginning to come through, both the green bells and the sweet long yellow ones. Makes for a pretty fire and ice salad.

speaking of haircuts I got one at last! a very short pixie.....i like the low maintenance. My last cut was before back surger back in January! Then covid hit and no haircuts. The bangs would no longer stay combed over to one side, instead getting into my eyes constantly (usually when I had my hands full, naturally) and that was getting really old. Nor could I coax the sides to NOT stick out at strange angles making me look constantly disheveled. So I am tickled. First that I found a place that gives a good cut at a good senior citizens discount, and second that they are open again. Yay!! They had an opening sale going, so when I paid with my usual $20 bill the hairdresser got extra on her tip - a win-win all round! Got it cut extra short because it looks like we will be going into lock-down again (my doc warned me when we took her some fresh tomatoes, peppers, squash and taters). Then we stopped and picked up extra tomato plants on sale (two for the price of one) at the garden center. We will put them in some of the newly emptied garden spots. No such thing as too many tomatoes. They had no more seed potatoes, so we put some of the 'littles' from our plants into the fridge to simulate winter and nudge them into sprouting for fall planting.

We are resting up after our fireworks show on the 4th of July. Chainsaw Mary held a fireworks license and worked part time shooting them off up in Wisconsin....she blew the budget buying fireworks down here in Georgia! Bought $350 worth. Went to our prep-partners' home (the ones that have a boat dock where we keep the boat) and shot them off the dock, which is tradition around these parts. Mr. Prep-partner was skeptical, but CM and I have worked together before and when we got our rythym going he enjoyed the show. There were lots of cheers & clapping over the water as well. People bring their boats up and down the lake to see amateur fireworks displays. Anyway, we had an hours' worth (even moving along briskly) of bending, touching the fuses, then walking away quickly in the opposite direction, so we are still a little sore from all that exertion. It was fun though, and CM is already planning next year's show....more tubes, more multiples, more "cakes" and fewer singles will make it a little less strenuous. Ka-BOOM! Next project is jug fishing, which is legal here.

wierd that nobody has it on the net.... 1. buy (or save) an old water heater tank. Keep the old piping, too that you disconnected when it was taken out. 2. Cut a square hole for a door in one side that will be facing the wall. Preferably where there is a lable so it can disguise the fact it is a door. It ill take a while as it is a double wall with insulation between the walls. Put some magnetic latches on it to hold closed (if it is hidden, you can just put on a padlock & hasp. 3. Remove all the crap inside (hard water leavings, dirt, stuff like that. 4. Save a spot next to the new tank, to set the repurposed one. Put it there, and make sure it is reinforced at the base just as it would be if it were holding lots of water. Turn that door so it is somewhat discreetly positioned - to one side is better than pointing straight out into the room. Reposition the old unused pipes against the working pipes, so it looks like it was designed to hold extra water.... 5. Load it up. while you are at it, why not cut trap doors over the closets to stuff things in the rafters? or maybe an unused "extra" sewage pipe bit enough to stow firearms inside? Set it next to working stack, held in by a discreet bracket. Nobody in their right mind opens one of those stacks up to see what is inside, LOL.

It appears we are entering season 3 with a vengeance.....HOT and dry. Our tomatoes and snap beans are refusing to produce and they are looking rather peaked. (two syllable versioin...peek-ed not as in the top condition, LOL.) Time to start our autumn transplants, under partial shade of course. Se need to find a way to rig some shade (yes I know I sound like a brokoen record). Meanwhile we are replanting areas where squash succumbed to borers and wilt with carrots and onions. We pick squash until they quit, then as they succumb we pull them out. Cabbages are all picked, lettuce is also, so I guess it is mustard's turn. As potato vines dry down we are digging potatoes. They are pretty good this year only about 10% have disease. We are trying to master the tricks for growing them here, and it looks like part of it is to plant short season ones and do multiple plantings. we are also using a sprinkler nightly. Mary likes to hand water, but it is too humid for her to stand out for optimum watering amounts. The okra is starting to bud out, blooming will begin soon; the sweet potatoes are trying for world domination in the garden zone. The lack of rain killed one of our blueberry bushes; hopefully the apple trees will hang in there. The pomegranate needs transplanting, but we are uncertain where to put it. Partial shade or full sun? How much clay soil will it tolerate? and so forth. It seems happy in its pot meanwhile. I don't think it is a wicking pot candidate, as they max out at 50 feet tall. I wonder if a wicking clay hole (huge of course) would work? Hmmmm. I am trying to multiply cuttings from my rosemary bush for landscaping. They seem hardy to our heat and smell soooo good when you brush against them. If corn bore more prolifically I'd put some in to see how it weathers this hot/humid season.

Our favorite caffeine for emergencies is called "water joe" - when we can find it, that is. It is caffeinated water. Tastes like water. Kinda wierd tho, drinking water (hydration) containing caffeine (dehydrating), LOL. But a good option for when you need a little lift without additional sugar, chemicals etc. Like I said though, you have to find it first.....that was one of the things we were going to bring back from Wisconsin.