First thing I want to tell you about is a WOW!  David got an email from a friend with pictures attached.  Seems Texas might have a Bigfoot running around.  At least you might come to that conclusion from looking at the size of that footprint. 

The photos were taken on their property in central Texas (after a rain) and not only is the print HUGE – yes, that is a yard stick being used for measuring – but would seem that whoever or whatever might also have  six toes.  After looking at those pictures did a search on the Net to see what other information I could find about Texas having a  Bigfoot and was surprised to find a website dedicated to sightings and other ‘pertinent’ information www.texasbigfoot.com – just copy and paste in the address bar if you want to read more.    I’ll be curious to hear if they have more sightings on their property.  If so, I’ll be sure to pass along the details.

Haven’t been outside much – but have been watching with astonishment the gopher or mole that has been wrecking my flower bed.  Seems he has decided to make himself a home right under one of my Nandina plants.   That pesky rascal has almost covered the plant with dirt – not once but three times this week!  I have no idea where all the dirt is coming from or why the ground hasn’t collapsed underneath the plant.  During the past week David has gone out and stomped the dirt back down twice but the gopher?  just keeps coming back.  Guess I’ll  have to get my garden book out and see if there is anything I can do to make him go away – something using household agents.

You’ve heard me say that on Sunday mornings we like a quick breakfast of coffee cake or muffins.  On occasion we’ve had the cinnamon rolls ‘in the can’ – the ones you buy in the dairy section -  and while we’ve enjoy them to a certain degree, they don’t have a home-baked flavor.  So I set out to see what I could do to make them taste better.   Tried cutting them up in pieces then baking them in a pan so they would be similar to ‘monkey bread’ – adding brown sugar and butter to the pieces.  Didn’t really care for that – bottom pieces were too brown (almost burnt) and the center pieces  weren’t cooked enough.   On hindsight – probably should have used a tube pan to help even out the heat …. but  don’t think I’ll try fixing them like that again because my second try was much better.

Took the dough and placed it in a well buttered glass pie plate with the cinnamon side up.  I then cut an ‘ X ‘ across the top of  each cinnamon bun about 1/4 inch deep.  Next placed a thin slice of butter in the middle of each ‘ X ‘.  Next finely chopped  about 1/8 cup pecans and sprinkled them over the tops.  Next sprinkled streusel (recipe below)  over the chopped pecans and baked according to directions.  When the rolls come out I have some frosting ready (optional)  – but don’t put it on the hot cinnamon rolls until we’re ready to eat.  If you put the frosting on as soon as they come out of the oven,  the frosting  will melt and disappear into the roll never to be seen  . . . meaning we’ll have to smear more on when we sit down to eat them . . .  and that is just too much sugar for us.   

Streusel is  a crumbly mixture of regular flour, granulated sugar and butter.  I don’t have a recipe for this but just mix the ingredients in a bowl with a fork until it is the texture and has the taste I like.  We prefer our streusel a little more sweet and buttery.   Typically I use about  1 tablespoon of butter, 2-3 tablespoons of flour and 3-4 tablespoons of sugar.  Adjusting butter as needed.  You want enough butter so that the mixture is pea-sized crumbles.  

Frosting for cinnamon rolls -  1 tablespoon butter softened (or melted), 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, powdered sugar and water.  Again no recipe – just add everything together until I get the consistency and taste wanted.  You would probably not want to use over 1 cup powdered sugar and 1+ tablespoon of water or you’ll have too much frosting leftover.  You don’t want the rolls smothered in frosting – just a taste because the streusel already makes them sweet – just not sweet enough for David!

Read about the ‘other’ golds, i.e., how much gold is really in ‘rolled gold’, etc. and what you need to know before buying ‘other’ gold jewelry. Click here to read more.  And to follow the market value of gold and calculate how much gold is in your 14K, 18K other K jewelry – visit this link - for online tools and more.  And finally….. if you have checked out our new online antique store – please take a minute to see what we’ve been up to.  We’ve got over 600 items in dozens of categories – adding new items weekly – and of course, shipping is Free!

So, if you think you’d be interested or if you’d just like to read more, please visit our Texas Antique Mall blog.

I think the only thing that keeps us from packing on the pounds is that we have our large meal in the middle of the day and a very small evening meal – and we don’t allow ourselves to eat anything after 8:00 – and that really should be moved up to 7:00.

Creature of Habit

Being a creature of habit, it took me a few months to get used to having to cook the ‘big’ meal in the middle of the day after a lifetime of eating a sandwich or something light for lunch and having the ‘big’ meal at night. Not only did this switch interrupt my work schedule on the computer – but also I found it hard to ‘not eat’ in the evening.   But we like our routine now and it does seem to help with weight control.

After that – feels like all I’ve been doing lately is cooking. Tried a different PF Chang frozen dinner, fixed a very large pot of soup and baked a sugar-free cake (the left over portion from my previous Pillsbury   post) – all with varying degrees of success.

PF Chang

While we  loved the PF Chang Orange Chicken frozen entree, the Shrimp Lo Mien leaves much to be desired. It’s missing that ‘Lo Mien’ flavor you get at the Chinese restaurants and the shrimp are microscopic in size. In fact I had to search through the noodles after everything was cooked just to find them.   So – before serving that up to David, I ended up hurriedly cooking some extra shrimp to add in so he’d feel like he was actually eating shrimp.  (BTW – the shrimp on the right is the PF Chang shrimp; the one on the left is my medium-sized shrimp.) 

Of course, there were enough leftovers, which I served the next day – with some fried rice and dumplings.   Only this time I sauteed shrimp in a little olive oil and some Teriyaki sauce and then mixed them into the left-over noodles while re-heating.  Much better – but not good enough that I’d buy it again. Think we’ll just stick to the Orange Chicken.

Sugar Free Cake, Again

I like preparing only half of a cake mix because we can’t – and don’t need to – eat a whole cake by ourselves. So, since I still had the remainder of the sugarfree cake mix and the rest of the sugar free frosting leftover – whipped up a cake yesterday.

You may or may not recall – there were some issues with the cake and frosting. So this time I knew better. For the cake pan made sure it was totally sprayed with oil, then added an extra egg into the mix along with 1/2 teaspoon of almond flavoring. Made sure  the batter and my extra additions were beat with the mixer for the full two minutes (plus a little for good measure) and baked it per box directions.

While the cake was baking I took the frosting out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature – making sure it would stir easily. I then added in 1/2 teaspoon of almond flavor and a scant 1 teaspoon of vanilla – then stirred it all together. This helped a lot with getting rid of the ‘processed’  flavor and made it a little easier to spread. It was still sticky, so I had a tall glass of hot water near by to dip the knife in when I was ready to frost the cooled cake.

Since I don’t like eating the same thing all the time – we’ve enjoyed some of the cake served with a little BB vanilla ice cream with a teaspoon of sugarfree caramel topping drizzled over the top. Scrumptious!

Around the House

Not much going on outside but inside is another story.  I’ve been working all day – every day – on the computer putting up some new blogs.  Both are related to other websites we have up but since it seems Goolge is favoring blogs – thought I’d better get busy.  One is on breast forms and fashion lingerie  which ties in to our Nearly Mine   site.  Visit  Breast Forms Online  for information on breast cancer, mastectomy prostheses and general health, fashion ligerie and beauty info.

The other blog ties to our original Texas Antique Mall site.  The Texas Antique Mall blog  has the same name – just a different spelling for the domain.  It’s going to be full of our antiquing ’secrets’  and helpful tips we’ve learned over the years while in the antique business.   

For those that may not know – David and I have been working – selling – on the Internet since 1997. We’ve seen a lot of changes and seems more are on the way.

I don’t know if any of you have ever entertained the idea of having an Internet business (blog or otherwise) – but if you’ve ever thought about having your own blog for business or just for fun – I’ve put up a post on our PowerToEarnMoney  blog that shows you how to configure a blog - step-by-step. You’ll find a lot more free information as well about how to make money online – and just about anything else you might need to know to get an online business going.

Our newest yard project is to put a walkway along side the deck. The area is too narrow for much of anything else and we don’t want to have to deal with any plants or grass there. David built a raised boardwalk and covered it with outdoor plywood. He is going to paint it with Olympic ‘Cape Code Gray’ Translucent Stain and once that has dried, we are going to put a faux brick design on top. We’ve used the Olympic stain for many other outdoor projects and have found it to be the most durable with the best protection for the wood.

Many years ago when we were living in Houston – David built a potting table for me . . . I call it my birdhouse table. We used the Olympic stain on all the surface wood including the picket fence back – and it looks as good today as it did when he finished it. (All the wood stacked on it is for another ‘David’ project.)

Had decided to take some things in on Wednesday so over the weekend went ‘shopping’ in the garage. Was delighted to find the silver and turquoise bracelet pictured. It appears to be handmade and set with turquoise inlay. It was black when I found it so I did a delicate cleaning job on it. Just enough to clean the silver but not damage the inlay.

I used some jewelry cleaning paste that is not harsh but had it been completely silver – no inlay or other stones – I would have used my quick-fix cleaning method that works like a charm every time. Uses only boiling water, baking soda and aluminum foil.

If you have any silver – plate or sterling – give it a try. I do not recommend using this method on any item – jewelry or anything else that has other components like bone, wood, or is set with stones, pearls, etc. I also recommend testing this method first before using on something that is expensive or has significant sentimental value. And, if you have any doubts or concerns about it causing damage – don’t use it. I’ve never had any trouble but I’m very selective about what I ‘boil’.

First get a container (glass, corning ware, or aluminum) that is large enough to accommodate the item to be cleaned. Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of the container – large enough to cover the bottom and go up the sides a bit. On the stove, bring enough water to boil that will submerge the item. Place the item to be cleaned into the container so that is is on top of the aluminum foil. (If you are cleaning more than 1 item, ie., silverware – do not allow the items to touch.)

Slowly pour the boiling water over the item. Sprinkle a minimum of 1 tablespoon of baking soda over the item. It will foam up so be sure you have enough room in the container to allow for foaming and that you are working in an area that cannot be damaged if the foam over flows. You can make a judgement call on how much baking soda to put into the water. If the item is large – use more. You can’t put in too much. The most I’ve ever used was 4-5 heaping tablespoons to clean a large silver-plated teapot.

You will probably notice a mild sulphur smell caused by the chemical reaction. This is normal. Let the item sit in the ‘baking soda water’ until the water is cool or you can remove the item comfortably. Once the item is removed, rinse it with cool water and dry with a soft cloth. If the item needs additional polishing – use a mild commercial polish. This will make it look shiney and you won’t wear your arm out rubbing since the majority of the tarnish will be gone.  

For more useful information on the cleaning, care and identifying of antiques visit the Texas Antique Mall Compendium.

Follow up to ‘Grandma’s’ plate.  Took the plate out of the soak yesterday. It had been soaking in the Hydrogen Peroxide ever since my post of July 17 – so that’s just a little over 4 weeks. I didn’t do anything special – just let it sit. Gave the pan a little shake about once a week to dislodge the air bubbles. Was very pleased the way it turned out – really nice and clean. Even the chips and cracks look white. The ‘after’ picture is just like it came out of the soak – no touch-ups. I don’t think I’ll ever use it as it does have a pretty severe crack and a couple of major chips but – I do enjoy having it. Every time I look at it – I can just smell Grandma’s homemade chicken noodle soup and taste those delicious kolaches we used to snitch out of the old pie safe.

Can’t believe it’s Friday already. The week seems to have flown by.  David and I may go to ‘my favorite country auction’ on Saturday – IF it isn’t too hot.  There are a few things there I know he would like to bid on.  A small trailer, lawn mower and some other assorted ‘guy’ stuff that falls into the category of nuts, bolts and screws. I have learned that a guy can never have too many tools, nut, bolts and screws. This auction is an onsite auction – which means we have to pack as if taking a trip. We’ll have to take lawn chairs, food, water, drinks, boxes, packing material, snacks for David, and some sort of cover ( like a large umbrella) in case it rains so we don’t get too wet – and in case it doesn’t rain we’ll need it so we don’t bake  in the sun. Nothing there I want and even if there were – knowing I would have to make a special trip to carry it back to the truck is a major deterrent when it comes to bidding.  If my purchases can’t  fit into a file box so I can carry them back at the end of the auction all at one time - I don’t bid.

Since we’ve been living in the country, people often ask, ‘do you have any pets?’.   No, we don’t have any pets – not because we don’t want them – we just like the freedom of being able to get up and go when we feel like it at a moments notice.   But – IF I did have a pet – it would be a wiener dog. I just love wiener dogs. They have such an intelligent look and the ones I’ve been around are such fun. I’ve even got a name picked out for when I get my wiener dog. . . . Cornnut.   Now that being said, I thought I’d share one of my favorite YouTube videos with you. Can’t you guess…. it’s about a weiner dog. Enjoy!!

Linda and Kathleen – 2 of my cousins –  have been clearing out my Uncle George’s house  since his death and I had asked them if they came across a plate with a Mexican scene on it – would they save it for me.  This had been my favorite plate to eat off of at my Grandma’s house.    Luckily for me – not only did they find a plate but a wonderful oval platter to match - both  with the Mexican scene of the little boy sitting under the palm tree with all the pots and jugs around him.  Holding  that old, chipped plate brought back such wonderful  memories of  my Grandma’s house.  All of us cousins - seems there were 5 or 6 of us at the dining table –  all scrunched-up  sitting on the old wooden bench.    I never wanted to be the first one in – because you  had  to go all the way to the end of the bench  and then couldn’t get out until all the other kids were through eating as  the table and bench were set  in a corner against 2 walls leaving only the 1 exit.    Can you say ‘claustrophobia‘?  

Now that I have my treasure, I’m going to freshen-up it up as much as possible by soaking it in a solution of  Hydrogen-Peroxide (3%)  - like you buy at the store.  To whiten it, I’ll completely submerge the plate  in container containing the HP solution, cover the container to prevent the HP solution from evaporating and then just let it sit.  Probably for at least 2-3 weeks.  Old china will clean faster in a stronger solution of  HP (50%) but it is dangerous to work with – so I prefer the weaker HP you get at the store.  Same results – just longer wait.  This process will work on almost any china, ironstone, etc. that is stained.  For more info on cleaning china visit  Texas Antique Mall Compendium.  One last caution  - NEVER  soak  dishes in bleach – it can leach in through the hairline cracks, chips, etc.  leaving an ugly yellow color under  the finish. 

Left Old Henry Farm and checked out the La Bahia show just up the road. Rows and rows of tents plus a couple of old buildings full of stuff. There were a lot of garden type antiques, i.e., chairs, chase loungers, tables – so if you have an old iron patio set hang on to it – they were selling for over $500! There are a lot of shows between Round Top and Warrenton that run for about 10 days. Not all shows have the same schedule. If you are looking for information, visit Texas Antique Mall Show Calendar.

We headed back to the car so we would have enough time to take a leisurely trip home as we wanted to get some pictures of the bluebonnets that were in full bloom. Of course the kolaches we had bought that morning in Caldwell had warmed up sitting in the car so that when we opened the door we were hit in the face with the tantalizing smell of yeast and assorted fruits – apple, pineapple, raspberry, and peach – and we just had to eat a few of those on the drive home. So much for putting some in the freezer.

If you have time in the next couple of weeks, take a day to see some of the Texas countryside that is in bloom. You’ll find useful information about wildflower events on This is Our Texas, Events page.

There are some beautiful drives between Sommerville and Round Top off Texas 390 as well as in the Brenham, Chappel Hill area. I’ve been enjoying the wildflowers here in Texas for as long as I can remember, but the flowers this year seem to be more plentiful with a more intense in color.