NEEDING A BREAK

Have you ever had so much on your plate that you would just like to take a break from everything in life and have some quite time by yourself like a small child has. I think if anyone does it is me. lol. Between help moving my daughter and now my son is needing mom in the fall for the same thing. I just need that break. My mother-in-law broke her foot and is very sick and we have to help take care of her and now all the garden is in to take care of it just seems like you never have time to get everything done that needs to be done on a certain day.
With the heat being so hot in Ky. you about have to stay inside all day and when you are used to getting out working around the yard it makes you say hay the house if for winter not summer to. lol.
Would you like to have a hospital stay at your home and just lay in the bed for two or three days and watch t.v. or read a good book. I sure would. But life had to go on no matter how tired you are. It's babysitting time this week for me and corn to be taken care of so I guess the only time for oneself is in your sleep and then you have so much on your mind that you need to get done that you can't relax and go to sleep until the early morning hours. Oh well it is just summer time blues. Then we get the winter time cabin fever blues and say help when is Spring getting here. Life is just a big rush for everyone now that we just don't have time anymore for one another or go check on the sick folk and visit awhile or even go to church like you should. I guess we all just need to slow down and smell the roses.......

THE CREAMEST EVER MACARONI AND CHEESE

1Lb. Box Dried Elbow Macaroni

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

4 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Dry Mustard

2 Cups Milk

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Put a large pot on the stove and fill half full with water and bring to a boil using high heat. Add the macaroni. Let cook. In another kettle on low heat melt the butter. While the butter is melting, measure out and combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and dry mustard in a small dish or bowl. When butter has melted, add the flour mixture to the butter and use a whisk to combine to make your roux. Continue whisking and slowly add the milk, wisking to combine all the ings. Turn up the heat just a little and wisking often, thicken the mixture. It might bubble but don't let it boil just thicken. When thickened, remove from the heat and add the shredded cheese using the wisk to combine and break up the cheese.

Drain the macaroni but do not rinse as the starch helps the cheese stick to the noodles. Place in a large bowl and pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat well. Serve while this is hot. Can use american cheese, cheddar or swiss cheese for the sauce. I like to use the american cheese.

 

 

ALMOST LIKE KFC COLESLAW

DRESSING:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

SLAW:
1 head of cabbage
1 medium carrot (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons minced onion

Chop cabbage into chunks and run through your food processor, or chop fine.
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, whisk well.
Combine cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss well. Pour dressing over the slaw and turn to coat well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the cabbage to soak up the marinade. Overnight is best.
Serves 10 to 12.

UPSIDE DOWN BANANA CARMEL MUFFINS

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
4 Ripe Bananas    
Cooking Spray

Muffins:

1 Cup All-purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
Small Pinch of Salt

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1/3 Cup Canola Oil
2 Large Eggs, room temp.

3 Tablespoon Whole Milk

3 Tablespoons Dark Rum

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

 

Put a oven  rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 F. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. To prepare the pans, place 2 teaspoons of the butter and 2 teaspoons of the brown sugar in each muffin cup. Then bake the mixture in each cup until melted and bubbly, around 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Peel the bananas and cut them on a diagonal into 48 thin slices. In each muffin cup, place two banana slices on the bottom and two banana slices along the sides. For the muffin batter, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, rum and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ings and add the egg mixture and stir just until this is blended. Do not over beat this. Divide evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them as full as possible or about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake until the center of a muffin springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 18 minutes. Immediately invert and unmold the muffins onto a wire rack. Cool briefly and serve. Serve with whipped cream on top.

ORANGE CRUSH CUPCAKES

1 Cup Butter, softened
11/4 Cup Sugar
5 Eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Oranges, zested
3 Cups Self-rising Flour
1/2 Cup Milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and zest of 2 oranges.Add flour and milk.  Fill cupcake lines 2/3 cup full. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.



FROSTING:

1 Cup Butter, softened
5 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Orange Crush Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Orange Extract

 Beat the butter until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, orange Crush and orange extract. Beat for about 4-5 minutes. Frost cupcakes when cooled.

WHAT A 4TH OF JULY

This is one 4th of July that will take a time to forget. lol. We had our family reunion and glad that all was there and no one had died this year. But then my motherinlaw struck sick and had to be taken to Sommerset to be put in the ICU. Her kidneys almost shut down to a posion she got from some meds.
We wanted to watch some fireworks Sunday night and was trying to find the place in the dark and wound up out in the boonies and like to never found our way back with no cell phone and the gpx only half way working but we were blessed it was a winding crooked road and we never wreck and came out near a hospital lol. So at least none of us had a heartattact getting out of there but we were near that hospital lol. Then with my daughter moving and loading load after load and none of it looking like it has not even been touched we have really had one bummed up weekend. So here it is the 4th of July day and no watermelon or ice cream. Boo hoo. It has poured the rain and cannot have a grill out but at least some good has came out of that. Our gardens got watered good.
Last of all they had to put my granddog down on Friday. He had a brain tumor, blind and could not eat. He was a little black toy poodle and was 21 years old. Not many poodles live to be that old. But it hurts so bad to know that it had to die. The vet. said he only had just a few days and when he got to where he could not eat they just had him put to sleep. At least he is now in dog heaven. So this has really been a mixed up 2011, 4th of July for us. lol. But the good thing is we are all alive. Just hope my son don't wreck going back to Nashville. He sprung his ankle and cannot walk hardly at all. I just hope he can drive and it is 5 hours to his house.

PEST CONTROL FOR GARDEN

We all love Coke, but did you know that it is good to use in the garden for pests. You can spray regular Coke on plants for different types of bugs. I would do this at night tho to make sure it will not burn the plants.
Epson Salts is also good for the garden. Take 2 oz. and mix with 2 gallon of water. Shake good and use on rust, black spots, mildew and wilt.
Also plant some radishes for help with cucumber beetles.
Summer savory is good planted near beans for bean bugs.
The orange anitbac. soap is good for bugs on potatoes. Just add 1 tablespoon to a spray bottle of water and shake well. Or make up in a milk jug about 1/2 gallon water to 1 to 2 tablespoons soap. Spray on plants for tomato beetles and potato and bean bugs.