Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Spring Cleaning

This is the time of year to get in those storage areas and edit.  We've started on the apartment storage area and Mike has taken two loads to the dump and one load Beth took to Good Will.  I would love to have a yard sale, but I am afraid of causing an accident on Cooke.  People are so litigious now days that it takes all the fun out of everything. Next we start on the basement.  Beth doesn't know what she's in for there. One good thing is we uncovered my memory box of Andy's love letters to me from Otterbein, and pictures of my high school and college friends, many of whom have died. Varsity letters for Andy, Cheer leading letters for me, what on earth do you do with those? I am sure some clever 'crafter' could give me hints, but we have now arranged everything in two silver trunks, empty  from the many antiques they carried from London and Paris over the years.  We are redoing the apartment adding a bit, doing the floors and another closet. That is only part of the building that we are considering...I can't seem to let Mayo Construction retire.  Ray has done all the building here on Cooke and we have always been pleased with the results.

I have been making one- dish meals for us since we are running around here like ants.  Today it was beef stew.  Yesterday  red beans and rice since it was crock pot Tuesday for the kids.  Mike says Skyline Cincinnati chili is their favorite followed closely by the meal from yesterday, red beans and rice with ham.

Here is the secret to perfect sweet tea for a respite from cleaning.


              Perfect Sweet Tea. (makes 1 gallon)
(Adapted from the Lone Star Steak House)


Ingredients -
5 - 8  Family size Tea Bags. (or 12 regular Tea Bags) 
                    ( I prefer  #1 Luzianne or  #2 Liptons Brand Teas.)
1 Quart  (4 Cups) - Boiling Water
3 Quarts (12 cups) - Cool Water
1 1/2 - 2 (one & a half) - Cups Sugar. 
1/4 teaspoon - Baking Soda (this IS the SECRET Ingredient!!)


Today, Friday, the one dish meal is Rachel Ray's cheeseburger casserole. It is really delicious.  I will have to fix it for the Tuesday kids. It is not beautiful, but the taste is right on target. Actually I changed it so much you can't even call it

Rachel's.

Cheeseburger Casserole:

1 box cavatappi pasta cooked about 4 minutes in boiling water with salt (it will finish cooking in the oven, so don't over do it.)

Ingredients


  • 1 box macaroni Cavatappi
  • 1 pound pound ground beef and 1 roll of Bob Evans zesty sausage or two pounds ground chuck ; brown with leeks or onions of choice,
  • 1 onion, chopped (I used 3 leeks)
  • Salt and pepper to taste as you go
  • 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup small curd cottage cheese or ricotta
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • parsley
  • other peppers of choice which is an option
  • Put it all together in a baking dish and cover in oven at 325 for about 45 minutes or until the pasta is where you want it to be.
  



I am off to do more stimulating editing.  Good Will is making out like bandits today.


No comments:

Post a Comment

To the doctor

We are off to the doctor to have Andy checked out since he has had two falls.  We thought to wait until his appointment on the 20th, but aft...