Coconut Cream Pie

In a discussion with friends, we were talking about coconut cream pie and how it was a childhood favorite. Recently I read about vintage recipes from the 1940's and saw this recipe for coconut cream pie. It was from Taste of Home magazine and they said it was easy and worth making again. Many recipes from our youth are meant to stay there but this one is an exception. Enjoy!

Easy Coconut Cream Pie

This is my own recipe for a pie that I make often. It's been a family-favorite dessert since the '40s,
when I made several of these pies to serve a threshing crew of 21 men!
—Vera Moffitt, Oskaloosa, Kansas
Total Time Prep: 20 min. + chilling Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
3 large eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in milk;
cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly.
Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
Remove from the heat; gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into beaten eggs.
Return all to saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until nearly boiling. Reduce heat;
cook and stir about 2 minutes more (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup coconut, butter,
and vanilla.
Pour into pie shell; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill for several hours before serving.

Test Kitchen Tips
This filling is super easy and delicious in a graham cracker crust.
Nutrition Facts
1 piece: 376 calories, 18g fat (11g saturated fat), 84mg cholesterol, 249mg sodium,
47g carbohydrate (32g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

Enough already!!

We have had enough rain to last a whole year as far as I'm concerned. We are on day 14. There are pools in our yard and now we have to wonder if we can get the moho out of the alley without getting stuck!
Friday is the day we will find out and we are promised 1 1/2 days of no rain before take off. That is not much time for the puddles to disappear and the mud to crust up. That is the sum of our angst before take-off.
Today I went to J.I.G.s. I haven't gone to one of those gatherings all summer. It seemed there was always something getting in the way. Doctor appts mostly. It was fun touching base with some of my classmates I have not seen in a while.

Being in the motorhome puts us closer to nature. Unfortunately, now it is creating more dismay than elation. Definitely, time to head south.

Goodbye Gathering

Leo and Keri hosted a party for us as a going away party and a christening of her new kitchen.  I think it was a roaring success on all counts AND I got some really good pictures of beautiful people.

Oldest son Rich and his wife Donna

 Youngest son Jason and his wife Laura- Laura said I think I blinked so we did a do-over. I liked both pictures

 Jason and Laura

Devon and his mom Karla- Grand-nephew and niece. Karla looks like her Mom.

Larry Jackson, a friend of old and new-Deja Vu

Pete and Jerilynn-We share our love of going south in the winter. They go to Florida.

Jack Harmer-a friend of old and new-Deja Vu

 Dee and Jack-a friend of old and new-Deja Vu

 Mickey- My oldest friend. I think we met in 3rd or 4th grade

These next 3 pictures made me laugh. Butch and Leo. I have no idea what the conversation was about. Butch tells stories about his mother not being able to talk without her hands. Hmmm, Imagine that?

 Keri and part of Sue Durlam Lucht

Toward the end of the evening- winding down.

Putting Jefferson on the Map

Very interesting article and good news for many. I think perhaps our property value might increase considerably if it all comes to pass as expected.

How young Iowans in one small town could land jobs paying $75,000

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2018/10/05/des-moines-jefferson-pillar-technology-software-high-paying-jobs-paychecks-rural-iowa/1495555002/

Tomorrow's Child

 These poems moved me.

Ray Anderson's 2009 TED talk about his mission for his company, Interface Carpets, to climb Mt Sustainability towards mission zero - zero environmental impact by 2020. Ray sadly died just recently, but he shared in his quietly inspiring talk a poem by Interface employee Glenn Thomas about the person who will suffer unless we are responsible for our actions today.

 Tomorrow's Child

Without a name, an unseen face,
and knowing not your time or place,
Tomorrow's child, though yet unborn,
I met you first last Tuesday morn.

A wise friend introduced us two.
And through his somber point of view
I saw a day that you would see,
a day for you but not for me.

Knowing you has changed my thinking.
For I never had an inkling
that perhaps the things I do
might someday, somehow threaten you.

Tomorrow's child, my daughter, son,
I'm afraid I've just begun
to think of you and of your good,
though always having known I should.

Begin, I will, to weigh the cost
of what I squander, what is lost,
if ever I forget that you
will someday come and live here too.
- Glenn Thomas

I also stumbled upon a recent tribute to Ray Anderson, also by Glenn Thomas, as a view back from the future from Tomorrow's Child.

When Love and Common Sense Combined
A Poem From Tomorrow’s Child

Because you cared so long ago
although you know you’d never know
If anything you’d do or say
would make a difference here today.

Though you saw you’d never see,
yet you cared so much for me;
An unknown name, a hidden face,
a future time and secret place.

And when you threw away your fear
like a tired souvenir,
And learned that being strong
meant admitting you were wrong

I marked that day with humankind
when love and common sense combined,
And to my benefit unfurled
a rich endowment for the world.
- Glenn Thomas

Leave Something Of Yourself Behind

I did not write this but I could have. I have given some thought to this subject, perhaps because of age. Yes, it is only a number however it is a number you cannot even fathom when you are 30 but whacks you in the face every time you turn around when you are 75. I say that with a smile. I feel fine and I do believe I have left plenty of myself behind. For how long? Well, who could possibly know?
Barb Brooker

 Leave Something Of Yourself Behind
http://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/leave-something-of-yourself-behind/

This may seem morose to you, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the world will be when I’m not here anymore. The world will go on and take no notice of my demise. So, that got me thinking: What will I leave behind when I leave this world?  It’s important to me to know that I will leave behind something or a lot of something that would not have been if I had never walked upon this lovely blue planet, Earth.

I see so many people saving money, accumulating wealth, saving for retirement or to leave money to their children and grandchildren. But I can’t believe that’s all our lives are meant to be. Is that all we really want to leave behind? Money? Property?

Money was here before we were born, and it will certainly be around, in some form, for a long time after all of us are gone. So, leaving wealth behind is not leaving something of ourselves behind. We didn’t really make it – it just changed hands. I want to leave something behind that wasn’t here on the day I was born; something that wouldn’t have been here if I had not been born.

I certainly have not lived a perfect life; I’m pretty sure some will be glad to see me gone – and many others won’t care. That is how it is with many of us, I’m afraid. But one thing I know for sure: I’m leaving behind a lot of things that were not here before I was born.

Anyone who, like me, has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren…should endeavor to leave behind something that would have never been here had we not been born. So if you have children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, you are leaving something of yourself behind.

I have children and grandchildren and I love them all very much. I will leave them behind when I die; they are all part of me. So in that way, I’ve changed the world because I was here.

Billions of people change the world by having children, but may far fewer change the world by leaving a part of themselves behind.

I’ve written over 100 songs, dozens of poems, hundreds of essays and short stories. I’ve saved a lot of them and they’ll survive me. Someday, after I’ve passed away, my kids will read some of the things I’ve written and in so doing they will have a look inside my head. And reading what I’ve written or listening to the songs I wrote will remind them of me and of the good things about me, or the silly things about me. Maybe they will see some of the things I’ve written as my successes and others as failures. What I hope most of all is that what I’ve left behind reminds them that the world is a little different place because I was here. And also maybe encourage them to leave something of themselves behind also.

To me, it’s important all of us try to change the world, even if only a little bit. If we do not, I’m afraid it will be as if we were never born. Even if we leave children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren behind, we still need to leave another piece of ourselves behind so that those who survive us can know us better.

It doesn’t really take much to leave something of yourself behind. You don’t need to be a great writer or painter, you don’t need to be handy with your hands, you don’t even need to be creative.

You can write a letter and keep it hidden so someday someone will find it and know you better. Just write down your thoughts on a piece of paper and then keep it safe and do your best to make sure no one sees it until you want them to see it. See? You don’t have to be an artist or a writer or a poet or a craftsman to leave something of yourself behind. Remember anything and everything you leave behind changes the world, even if only just a tiny bit.

If you’re good with your hands, make a quilt, or make some pottery or build something. Anything you leave behind is part of you because it would have never existed unless you made it, and it would have never existed had you never lived.

Most of us do not think our existence will change the world at all. Most of us who are not rich and powerful do not expect that the world will even know that we existed. Sometimes it seems we do not have the power to change the world at all – but we all do.

If you leave just one thing behind that you made yourself, then you’ve changed the world. Maybe only a little bit, but you’ve changed it by adding something to this world. And that makes a difference.

You can do a lot of other things to leave your mark on the world. Just think of all the things you could do to make the world a little different, even a little better.  Even leaving a letter behind lets others share your thoughts. And it will bring back memories to those who love you.

You can start a tradition of giving, or you can paint, write a book, an essay, a short story, or a poem. You can write a song, or make pottery or build something.  Or, you can just take time out to write a special letter about yourself and how you feel about things. Write something from your heart that will live on. Write about things you accomplished, things you did, places you visited, your favorite memories. Share the dreams, both the ones that came true and the ones that didn’t. Write down how you feel about anything, what you think about when you look back on your life.

Leave something behind, and we all change the world if only a little bit.  What a shame it would be to leave the world without leaving something of ourselves behind.

Think about that… today is a good day to leave something of yourself behind, isn’t it?

On the Move

Butch and I got serious about getting moved into the moho this week. We had to wait for some decent weather what with rain and temps dipping into the 30's but things looked up enough to get the job done. So as I write we are settled into the moho with periodic ventures into the house for forgotten items or to take back items we do not need to take with us. I have really pared down this year and feel like we are traveling lighter than ever. I must give the old guy credit as he has also pared down a bit too. Costco no longer sells his favorite beer so he has decided to travel light and buy what he wants in Texas. By the time we are too old to do this anymore, we may get it all figured out.
This coming week will be about saying goodbye to friends and family for the winter. And in fact, it would be nice if some of them decided to come our way for the Grand tour of sunny (we hope) South Texas.
It will be a very different season for us as we will be in a different park this year after 18 years in Magnolia. The park we are headed for (Trophy Gardens)  is only 7 miles from the old one. Butch is looking forward to playing golf whenever the mood strikes as he will have free access to a par 3 course connected to the park as one of the amenities for staying there. I told him I would give it a try after not playing at all for several years. I am taking 3 clubs which might tell you how seriously I plan to take it. The park we are going to has a trivia night and I will take part in it if for no other reason than to see how they have theirs set up and if all goes well I will put trivia in my schedule regularly. We are looking forward to the change, however, we do plan to stay in touch and visit with the many friends we have in Magnolia.
Our Grandaughter Amanda, her husband Brad and the two Teeter tots are moving this weekend too. They have purchased an acreage in Harrisonville Mo. So we will be anxious to see it. And we are excited and happy for them.

Butch's "hitch itch" is getting stronger by the day. This happens both Spring and Fall and I haven't noticed it abating in any way. So we have one more very busy week ahead of us before the big wheels start turning.

Happiness is a matter of attitude

This was in our RV newsletter this morning and aligns with our way of thinking. We have thought about downsizing at some point, however, it can be costly to change even if it is up, down, or sideways. So, for now, there will not be a change for us in the RV end of things or in the tiny house end either.
Happiness is a matter of attitude
And if you think about it, you have complete control over your attitude (or at least you should have). Many people love small RVs. I know a lot more people who have sold their big RV and bought a smaller one, and I also know people who have sold their small RV and gone with a larger one. Keeping up with the Joneses is basically non-existent in the RV world. More than likely most of your life you were always wanting a bigger house, a nicer car, and more of the latest “stuff.” The advertising media have done a good job of making us unhappy with what we have, and of convincing us to always want more. Most RVers (at least the ones who are the happiest) have learned that in many cases having less makes them happier than having more. —From “RVing: Less Hassle—More Joy: Secrets of Having More Fun with Your RV—Even on a Limited Budget.”

Ants in his pants

The weather is icky-cold, dreary and rain, lots of rain. And Butch is having a hard time keeping his head together. We are wanting to move into the MoHo and plan to do so today. It will be the first day for a while that might be rain free. As in the past, we like to move in ahead of when we plan to leave so we can cut down on things we may have forgotten. So it is time to move on out.
One advantage to this year is that we are both healthy and feeling good so the moving part should not be a hardship on either of us. Oddly, I am feeling energetic and organized much more than in years passed. Hope it lasts! Last year at this time I was recovering from surgery so this year lies in sharp contrast. It has taken nearly a year for me to say that I feel complete and back to normal. Thank God they do not tell you that before going into those long procedures.
In 15 minutes I will be meeting Virginia for one of our last walks on the trail in the early morning. It is still dark out. And 49 degrees. There are many signs telling us to head south.

WHITE QUESO

We can always use another queso recipe? Yes?



5-INGREDIENT WHITE QUESO (NO VELVEETA!)
1 lb pepper jack cheese
8 oz full-fat cream cheese
8 oz full-fat sour cream
¾ cup whole milk
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies, drained
*NOTE: mixed feedback about using low-fat substitutions so use full-fat dairy for best results!*

An Adventure with Karla

Our boy Devon had a busy weekend as he is racking up his first memories of high school. Friday was Homecoming parade and dance. Butch and I went to Ogden for lunch and the parade.
This is a very busy picture of people waiting for the parade.

Lunch at the Lucky Pig, a well known and perhaps the only eating place in Ogden.

 Devon looks tired and his Mom said he was tired.

Homecoming dance

Then on Saturday, we went to Urbandale for a band contest...in the rain. This is where the adventure part came in. We thought we had a bit of extra time so we stopped at McDonald's in Grimes for a treat before heading to the football field. We did not count on having to wait for a light to change that took at least 10 minutes! Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but not by much! Butch let us out and we ran to get there on time while he parked the car. We made it! Afterward, we could not believe where he parked by necessity! 5 blocks away!

Here are the best of the band contest pics.

Random thoughts

I was watching a show on PBS Create, my favorite station, and they were teaching low-income children how to cook among other things. After preparing a meal, they would sit at a table that they had set, with a mixed group of people eating this meal they had prepared. One girl who was perhaps 10 was talking about preparing the meal and she said "whoopin' cream". It stuck with me. She did an excellent job of whoopin' the cream. I imagine she had been "whooped" a time or two herself.
The many lessons that are learned in the kitchen, at the table will stay with you throughout your life. I know they have for me.

Went up to HyVee this morning for our Flu shot. Now we have 40 cents off our next fill up of gas. We followed this up with a trip to the courthouse to vote. In Iowa, they have shortened the number of days you can vote early so we cannot vote in the Mid-terms until October 8th. We will be there bright and early with bells on October 8th!

Worth Pondering

“A desire to be in charge of our own lives, a need for control, is born in each of us. It is essential to our mental health, and our success, that we take control.” —Robert Foster Bennett

And this is indeed stronger in some people.--Barb

Shoe Tips

Wish I had known this sooner.

 I hate not wearing socks because in short order the shoes start to stink. I am excited about this tip.

With some shoes, it is not practical or stylish to wear socks.

Use panty liners to absorb sweat

It may sound like a weird thought, but panty liners are great at absorbing sweat. 

Less sweat in your shoes equals less smelly odors, 

and it’ll naturally keep your shoes fresher longer. 

Simply put them in the soles, and you’re all done.

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And here is another tip for those of us whose feet are almost as wide as they are long.

In my family, you know who you are!

Widen shoe toes in the freezer

There’s a great method to loosen up the tip of your shoe, which is often the one spot where footwear is too tight. Grab an airtight bag filled with a little bit of water, and stick it in the toe area. Let your shoes rest in the freezer overnight. Because water expands when it becomes ice, the shoe toes will be a little bit wider than before.

10 low-carb soups

For all my friends who are doing Low-Carb right now and there are quite a few of you, here are 10 low carb soup recipes you can try. I have followed and been a fan of Kalyn since way back when Butch and I did the South Beach diet. She has oodles of low carb recipes. Many of these soup recipes sound really good to me now that the weather has cooled off.
https://kalynskitchen.com/ten-tasty-low-carb-soups-with-ground-beef/

Those of us that cook are usually asking our friends for recipes of food they have prepared and was a hit, or tickled your taste buds in just the right way. Many times these recipes will get copied down on a scrap of paper and tucked away in a drawer. I find them all the time. Sometimes I will remember who I received it from and sometimes I will only remember the recipe and why I liked it. I am going to label these Scratchpaper recipes in the future and put them in a folder. Here is one of the Scratchpaper recipes I came across yesterday.

Autumn Apple Salad

Ingredients

 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

 2/3 cup sugar

 1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin

 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

 1 cup diced unpeeled apples

 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts

 1 cup chopped celery

 1 cup whipped topping

 Lettuce leaves

Nutritional Facts

1 serving (1 piece) equals 219 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Directions

In a saucepan, combine pineapple and sugar; bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Add cream cheese; stir until mixture is thoroughly combined. Cool.

Fold in apples, nuts, celery and whipped topping. Pour into a 9-in. square baking pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares and serve on lettuce leaves.

Yield: 9-12 servings.

Originally published as Autumn Apple Salad in Country Woman May/June 1993, p33

Provided by Janice Cooke

*An Affair of the Lungs*

Not many of my friends, family or acquaintances smoke cigarettes any longer. This was written in a college class I took after moving to Cumberland Iowa. I have kept it all these years and every now and then I would run across it and wish it was on the computer so I could share it. But let's face it, it is LONG! And I would have had to type it all and typing is not one of the things in my repertoire of talent despite the amount of it I do. But now I have the Voice to Text thingy in Google Docs and I am able to make it work to my satisfaction so when I ran across this paper I wrote in 1988 I decided to give it a go.

Barbara Brooker                                       A+
English Comp. 1
J. VanDusen
November 2,1988

An Affair of the Lungs

For 28 years he was my constant companion. Neither my husband nor my children commanded as much of my time and attention as Mr. Tobacco (Toby for short) Nicotine.


At the vulnerable age of 13, I became acquainted with Toby through my friends. Some adults said he was a bad-news character, but I was morbidly fascinated. It wasn't love at first sight; he really choked me up in the beginning. We quickly established our relationship, and before long, I saw him on a daily basis; in a few short years, he was with me every hour of every day with a large share of my money going toward his support. I liked Toby; he made me feel grown-up, relaxed and at ease.


For many years I didn't consider Toby a problem as most of my friends and relatives had relationships with him as well, in one brand or another. My husband harbored no jealousy as he also had a kinship with him.


When the first Surgeon General's report emerged, linking Toby with the big C (Cancer), it was met with disdain and derision. Not my Toby-he wasn't a troublemaker! How could they say those absurd things about my friend?


As time passed the evidence mounted as more and more people are dying of lung cancer, and the finger of death was being pointed at Toby. There were even those who blatantly labeled him a murderer. It began to be an embarrassment to be seen with him.


I was a raging bundle of conflict and turmoil. I was beginning to want to be rid of Toby; but the mere thought of pushing him out of my life precipitated a deluge of emotions. I was consorting with a known criminal and the guilt was a heavy burden: after all, Toby had been a bosom buddy for 28 years. Could I get on with my life without him? The slightest consideration brought about perspiration and palpitations because I depended deeply on Toby. What if there were a storm and I couldn't get to him? Worse yet, what if he were wiped off the face of the Earth and I could never be near him again?

The depth of my devotion may be difficult to understand for those who don't know Toby, but I once gave up a job for him. I was a chiropractic assistant and Toby's presence was strictly forbidden in the office.  Needless to say, I didn't stay for lunch. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and my relationship with Toby took on an even greater significance. Daily, I was reminded of how heavy my dependency had grown. Openly admitting that Toby was the cause was out of the question, but in my heart of hearts, I knew it to be true.


Trying to denounce my relationship with Toby was not an easy task: if I ignored him or suppressed him too long he would nag at me incessantly. He refused to be denied, so I'd relent and take him deep within my lungs to quiet him.

Gradually, I became more and more disillusioned with Toby.  One Monday morning my husband suggested we eject him from the house and not support him any longer.  Although the same thoughts had been in my mind, fear of failure and retribution by Toby were very prevalent so I remained silent. The following Monday, July 23rd, 1984 my husband once again broached the subject of deep-sixing old Toby. With my trip-hammer heart drumming away, I said: ”Yes, let's do it.”
I was convinced it if I could disregard his nagging pleas for 24 hours, I would emerge the victor. Aside from 8 hours sleep every night, four hours had been the maximum amount of time I had spent without Toby and those weren't easy hours.  24 hours loomed like a mountain. At this point I wasn't at all confident of my success; verbalizing my attempt was a prodigious effort. If I give voice to a commitment, it's as good as done, which indicates the gravity of my predicament. Although I had predestined myself to succeed I had also programmed my brain for 24 hours of extreme unpleasantness and I suffered miserably every waking minute of it. I knew about deep-breathing exercises to get through stressful times and they helped, but Toby was still uppermost on my mind. When the 24 hours had passed, I could smell the sweet air of success; I had shaken Toby's hold on me.

In retrospect, the worst of the ordeal was fear of the unknown; it was much greater than the act of purging Toby from my mind and body. The 13 years of my life preceding Toby were too short a yardstick to measure the effects of life without him. An uninformed child made a decision that influenced me for 28 years; but as each minute, hour, day, week, month and year passed, I became more solid in my conviction to be free of Toby forever.

Some startling discoveries appeared as life after Toby progressed: I could visualize my lungs returning to the pristine condition of my youth. I enjoyed a dramatic decrease in sinus problems while my blood circulation increased, making cold hands and feet an infrequent occurrence. New smells overwhelmed me; as I brought a Coke to my lips to drink, I realized I had not experienced that particular aroma since childhood. Fresh laundry hanging in the closet had the same “April-fresh” scent even hours after being placed there. In the fall, when I unpacked our winter clothes the acrid stench of stale cigarette smoke hit me in the face. Once liberating themselves from Toby, some people notice the taste of food to a stronger degree, but that wasn't true for me. The financial aspect of not supporting him any longer was noticeable at first but the extra cash seems to quickly blend in with other expenditures. The freedom I've been given was an unexpected gift; I could stay involved with a project for hours without Toby interrupting. My concentration improved and I didn't have to skulk into the bathroom or hallway during meetings to rendezvous with Toby.

In general, I'm not easily persuaded so it would not have been possible to push me into turning my back on Toby. I feel I made my own decision on my own terms and in my own time with many factors playing a part; not now or ever will I regret my decision.

Toby is a sneaky, nasty sort; he fools you into thinking he's pleasant and agreeable while raping your lungs. As an informed adult constructing an intelligent conclusion, I know it's a life-or-death matter. If you don't kill him, he'll kill you. He's the worst kind of enemy- one who poses as a friend.

Fall for us

Butch and I are taking baby steps toward takeoff for Texas. After all, it is mere days away.
The motorhome itself has had periodic maintenance throughout the summer so it is ready to roll. We once again are moving into the MoHo 10-14 days prior to take-off, cutting down on forgotten items. At the same time, we are wanting to leave everything here in tip-top shape to make our homecoming easier. It was more trouble free as full-timers and sometimes we wish we still were. Mainly when we are packing or unpacking.

I asked Butch to trim the tree I look at all the time. It was getting hard to see the birds, squirrels, and other critters so picture taking was getting stifled. The tree is now trimmed and I am once again in the business of observing whatever happens in the backyard.
Here are some recent photos.

Yesterday Butch went with me to the river. 

We are not very good at selfies but thought we needed to try.

Are you wondering?

Are you wondering why every now and then you receive a blog post where the print exceeds the page on the right? Well, every now and then I screw up when I paste it after using the Voice to Text and do not choose the "paste as plain text" or "paste without formatting" option. Then I have to go back and change it. Some of you will know what I mean and many will not care. After all, no one has mentioned it!

Iowa Harvest Moon

Last night I went to the sink to get a drink of water and noticed the moon. It was not this large. I did zoom in on it. But it was this color. I love Moon pictures!

Amish Oatmeal Pie Recipe

OATMEAL PIE RECIPE
Have you ever heard of Amish Oatmeal Pie?  Evidently, during the Civil War, pecans were in short supply in the South, making them very expensive. People would substitute oatmeal for the pecans, resulting in this delicious oatmeal pie that tastes similar to a pecan pie. I’ve only had pecan pie a handful of times in my life and I actually prefer this oatmeal pie over pecan pie. This recipe, however, doesn’t come from a Southern cookbook, but from my Amish cookbook. I’m sure both know how to make a good pie!

This sweet pie bakes up soft and gooey. Every bite brought a different food to mind. A bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar. A cinnamon roll. Oatmeal Cookies.  Pecan pie. Oatmeal is one of those versatile ingredients that is in so many comfort foods of ours. And this pie is one of my new favorites.
Amish Oatmeal Pie Recipe -
HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL PIE
You’ll start with an unbaked pie shell. You’ll find our favorite recipe here, but if you’d like a shortcut, use store-bought pie dough. 
Next comes the filling. This is one of the easiest pie fillings you’ll come across: 3 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 2/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup white sugar, and 1 cup of Domino® Pourable Light Brown Sugar. The brown sugar is what gives this pie an unbelievable taste.

Mix all of the ingredients and pour them into the unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45-50 minutes. The center of the pie should look fully cooked and not seem “jiggly”.The pie will come out soft, but not so soft that it can’t be cut into slices. As you can see from the picture, there will be just a little bit of syrup that oozes out…perfect for spooning over a scoop of ice cream. And the ice cream is a must!

Uncluttering

The last two days I have been decluttering. Decluttering is a wonderful experience. It lifts a weight off your shoulders you can't believe unless you get down to doing it.  Yesterday and today I worked on the small room that serves as Butch's office in our closet and a catch-all for everything that we don't know what to do with. I have two large bags full of stuff to take to give to somebody else. I am taking it uptown to the new place that has recycled stuff. It's where the Ben Franklin store used to be. After getting rid of a whole bunch of excess, I sat down at the computer and happened to land upon Howard and Linda Payne’s journal. We met Howard and Linda in Michigan at the Thunder Bay RV Resort in Hillman Michigan. They are a very interesting couple who took to full-timing in their 40s and found ways to make a living. I am putting a link to their latest journal entry in the blog today and it's worth checking out, especially the video. It's about decluttering your life. It fell right into what I was doing the last few days and the elated feeling it gave me.  We also enjoyed the uncluttered life of full-time RVing. It is so easy to accumulate but you just can't do it when you live in an RV. We have always purged every fall getting ready to go south because we would have a ‘table sale’ in Allen hall in Magnolia Park. We would only do it one month out of the year because garage selling is not our favorite thing to do.  This year is different because we will be in a different park and we don't know the routine. So we'll play it safe and dispose of our excess before we leave Iowa. Yeah!!

http://www.rv-dreams.typepad.com/

In case this link doesn't work I'm going to put a direct link to the YouTube video about uncluttering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=rFvia-EPUhc

Mice Hate Peppermint*

Mice hate peppermint

I read an RV newsletter entry where they were talking about Electronic Pest Repellent. They were wanting to know if it worked. I, on the other hand, have been using peppermint. My walking partner has a spray that she uses around her garage to keep mice away. She has used it for years and it contains peppermint. I had recently run across an article about using homemade peppermint spray to repel mice and spiders and other insects. I bought a big bottle of pure peppermint oil from Amazon and made this recipe.
Peppermint Mice Repellent 
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon pure peppermint oil
4 or 5 drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid
 Put these things into a spray bottle. Shake slightly and spray away. One other benefit of this spray is that with fruit flies and gnats you can spray them on your kitchen counter and it will not be toxic. You can spray them in mid-air and they drop like a rock. I'm going to keep up the battle of spraying with peppermint oil and hope like heck the answer is true, that mice do not like peppermint.

Voice to typing makes me wordier

I put together a recipe the other day called Crock-Pot spaghetti.  The outcome was a little bit overdone on the spaghetti part. I had a recipe for this years ago and looked for it but couldn't find it. The one I used was not the old one. But what I've discovered is I can modify it and make it work. With all the sauce ingredients pre-cooked or even crockpot cooked except for the spaghetti, you can add 2 cups of water to the crockpot, add the broken up spaghetti and cook it for one hour and it should be fine. I will try this in the future.
Yesterday Butch and I went to Ogden for the football game. Great-nephew Devon is working with the media/tech section of the school. He is one of the people running video and he's also part of the football team's manager crew. So while the game is taking place he is one busy boy. It was definitely football weather last night. The game score was a route. 54 to nothing. Ogden lost. I found out today that they were playing a team rated either third or fourth in the entire state. It looked that uneven. My sister Jayne, Devon's grandmother, would be very proud of him. I am very proud of him. He has been through a lot in his young life and is still a fine young man.

Our thoughts are turning South. It is a short three weeks before we'll be on the road. There is a Par 3 Golf Course connected to the park that we will be in this next season. I am taking a few clubs in case I want to give golf another try. The jury is still out.
A cold front went through yesterday and this morning's temperature was 43 degrees.  That fact is enough to bring on a severe bout of hitch itch. It is supposed to warm up again into the 60s.
 That should be warm enough to make loading the motorhome quite pleasant.
The story of Floyd and Eva Foot.
When we first started going to the park they had to be in their seventies probably late 70s. I remember that Floyd was having trouble with his hip and could not ride a bicycle. He loved riding the bicycle. They lived in Iowa half of the year and when he returned to Iowa he decided to see a doctor about getting his hip fixed. The doctors came to the conclusion that he was too old for the surgery. This was Floyd's estimation. So he returned to Texas and found a doctor there to do the surgery that he wanted. It was successful. At ninety years of age, he was still riding his bicycle. Floyd lived to be well over a hundred. his wife Eva was a very active lady. She took up tidying up Allen Hall after events up till the time she left the park. The most surprising thing about Eva was that she was a pool champion. She was winning the women's tournament at Pool when she was in her 90s. I asked Eva once what she did to remain healthy. She told me she takes a shot of apple cider vinegar every day.

Our son Jason and his wife Laura have recently started the keto diet with great success and they have a metabolism boosting drink that they drink every evening and I decided to give it a try because it contains apple cider vinegar. I have been drinking this every evening now for over a month and although subtle I can tell the difference. I recently had a fasting blood draw and my blood sugar was 106. I have not had one that low for quite a few years. I would not qualify the way I have been eating as a diet. The drink can take a little getting used to but once you do get used to it it's not that bad. I even enjoy it now. I think Eva was onto something.

Here is the recipe if you’re interested.
Metabolising Booster drink
1 teaspoon No Salt brand substitute (It is a source of potassium. They sell it at Fareway)
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt 
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice 
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I use the cheap stuff but the recipe calls for the kind with Mother)
8 ounces of water. (I use sparkling mineral water because I like it.)
Enjoy!!