Archive for November 13th, 2007

The Benefits of Washing Clothes by Hand

Posted November 13th, 2007 by Pat Veretto

Rapid WasherThere was only a half a load of laundry and I decided to wash it by hand rather than use the washer.

The bathtub was my container of choice, and I decided to use a plunger to work the clothes in the hot water. Now, I’ve washed clothes by hand before – quite a few times, as a matter of fact. I used to own a washboard, a tub and a hand wringer, but when I moved to town, modern conveniences and all that mythology was calling me, so I got rid of both the washboard and wringer.

Anyway… the bathtub worked great, except that I have one of those push in plugs and when I caught it with the plunger, it came loose and the water started draining. The plunger worked fine, too, except that if I wasn’t careful it would stick to the bottom of the tub and I’d have to pry or pull it loose with a mighty splash. (Lehmans has a real laundry plunger called a “Rapid Washer,” and it won’t stick to the bathtub!)
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The Cows Are OUT!!!!

Posted November 13th, 2007 by Sue Steiner

Barn Watercolor There are a few words that are sure to bring on an intense response on the farm.  ‘Fire’ is one.  The report of rain when you have a whole field of hay down ready to be baled is another.  Right up there next to ‘Fire’ is the phrase I yelled to my husband after working all night and just getting into a deep sleep.  ‘Cows are OUT!!!!’  He jumped out of bed, dazed but ready for action when I had to tell him, oops, my mistake.  They just LOOKED like they were out!  Sorry honey. 

To this false alarm we had our share of real bovine on the loose escapades!  A very memorable one is the time the cows got out just after an electrical storm – the boogers knew the electric fence was out.  I was in the barn feeding my horses when I saw out of the corner of my eye a flash of shaggy brown fur.  That could be a moose on the loose but unlikely since we are in Ohio. 
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Snowy White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

Posted November 13th, 2007 by Sarah N

Sugar and SnowflakesWe’ve gotten some recent requests for the following recipe, a holiday tradition in my house since I found it several years ago. For cheesecake novices: this is a very easy and truly mah-velous one to make. Rich, creamy white chocolate cheesecake is studded with crunchy bits of peppermint candy and capped with a bit o’ whipped topping - simply sublime.

Ingredients:

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

3 eggs

4 1-oz squares white baking chocolate

3/4 c. sugar
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