Such has been the case the last 2 weeks here on top of the hill. Plumbing problems are bad anytime – even a leaky faucet is irritating . . . but when the ‘thrones’ go south – you’ve got real trouble. Our porcelain thrones had been operating (barely) for the last 10 days or so  – and after David did everything he could think of from using a plunger (the obvious) to ‘roto-rooting’ the lines – ‘we’ finally gave in and called an expert.  I might add not only was it inconvenient – but it also caused me to miss my favorite auction in Reagan, Texas – Johnny Norman’s.   His auctions are always fun with lots of good stuff.

Luckily for us our neighbor (Sam Bradshaw) – who has a business installing septic systems – made time in his busy schedule to drop by and help us out. Since David had already dug the dirt off the tanks in the backyard and removed a 3′ portion of the raised wooden walkway – Sam was able to check on the problem (broken pipe) and offer a fix. We needed a new line! If – I’d been a little smarter and thought about it – I should have snapped that the periodic bubbling in the ‘modes (much like a huge belch) was air . . . and how else could air get in except for a break in a line somewhere. Duh!

At any rate Sam and his crew came out – equipment in tow and proceeded to dig up the rest of the back yard over the tanks. (Note…before all this happened – I made sure David knew exactly where my blueberry plants were so – hopefully – no one would step on them. Those little plants don’t look much better than a twig right now.) It was short of a miracle that they could get the piece of equipment they needed to use into the back yard – through the side gate – and between the fence and trees . . . they maybe had an inch on each side to spare. It was some sort of trench digger (David called it a Ditch-Witch) with a ‘mini-back hoe’ on the other end. I have to say – they didn’t hurt a thing and were careful to move my cypress tree limbs out of the way too! Red operated that piece of equipment much like a surgeon operates – carefully but with assurance.

The whole process took about 3 days and without going into all the details of this mess – you wouldn’t want to know anyway – we ended up getting a new line, having the tanks pumped clean and reburied. We’re almost back to normal outside – just need to spread some good dirt over the clay and plant some grass. I’m not complaining – we were afraid we’d have to dig up the whole system which would have meant tearing down fences and wiping out the garden. Those guys worked wonders and what with feeling like things are back to normal – I’m happy again.

Of course, it’s tax time …..again – so most of the weekend was dedicated to getting papers together. Just about have it all sorted out – so it’s off to the CPA next.

After reviewing last year’s numbers and this year’s numbers it would seem that everything is getting more expensive. What else is new??!!  And, what with the way the overall economy is going, looks like we’re all going to need to find a way to earn a few extra $$$. That being said, we’ve been really busy working on our outside Internet projects trying to see what works best for generating some additional income. We’re rarely not doing something on the computer – but have found that monetizing our websites seems to be working…. slowly. We’re definitely not getting rich – but if we continue to build on what we’re doing – we can at least help offset some of the rising prices.

We’re very much encouraged with a new program we’ve found out of New Zealand. The guy that runs it (Mark) – so far seems to be the most realistic about what to expect, and very up front about how and what to do. We’ve dealt with a lot of these guys in our search for the ’silver bullet’ – and unfortunately not all have their member’s best interests at heart. Mark’s got loads of free tools to download for use and always good info. If any of you think you might like to try Internet Marketing – give a look at www.powertoearnmoney.com – and from that page click on the Affilorama link (right side bar). If you’d like to see a website that’s been built based on what we’ve learned from Mark – visit BodyBuildingFitnessProgram.com

For those that may be interested in doing some sort of on line business – or have questions and want to know how to go about getting up online either with a business or blog, we’ve developed PowerToEarnMoney.com as a learning tool. You’ll pretty much find everything you need to get know to get you started  – including a lot of the basic do’s and don’ts of having a website. Best thing – the information is Free and in very simple to understand language.   Fact is I’ve put this blog on line based on everything I wanted and needed to know when I first got started but had a hard time finding and understanding.   PowerToEarnMoney is my way of  trying to help  others find the information they need  – without it taking them as long as it did me to ferret out all the info and explanations.  

And for those of you that may not be into building websites or blogs - but still want to try earning a few dollars, check out www.oodle.com. It’s a ‘classified ad site’ where you can sell just about anything for free. I haven’t tried it so can’t offer any help – but I’d be sure and read all the Terms before listing anything.  And while you’re at it – if you have something to sell, a service to offer, etc. check out the FREE listings on www.txantiquemall.com. Look for the Marketplace on the home page – right side towards the ‘bottom’.

Bananas – take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

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Peppers – with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

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Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

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To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in, then beat them up.

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For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

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Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

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Leftover snickers bars makes a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream..Yummm!

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Reheat Pizza – heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs – put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done Easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting – when you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread – to warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away – start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass – use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can’t see easily.

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No More Mosquitoes – place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

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Squirrel Away! – to keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it. (I’ve found sprinkling cayenne pepper anywhere or around anything you don’t want animals bothered will keep just about any animal away)

Flexible vacuum – to get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling – pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and … ta da! … static is gone.

Measuring Cups – before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield? – Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope – If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner – Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies – To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2′ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants – Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it ‘home,’ can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!  (Really thought this was a good hint . . . no poison)

With everyone watching every penny these days - and looking for ‘green’ options – if you have a good hint pass it along via the ‘comments’ and I’ll put them up for others to use.

“Photography in 1885 was closer to science than art, and by connecting a bellows camera to a microscope to capture the tiny beauty of the flake, Wilson Bentley pushed the bounds of both.”, Fox News

I found it curious that they come in all manner of styles – some appear to be almost solid while others are delicate and lacey.  But regardless of how they look -  it would appear that all have 6 sides.  I’ve uploaded a few of the images for you to see. Click once on the image  to make it larger, click twice to return it to smaller size.

David is a real photo-hound and must have taken about 20 or so pictures before we’d even gotten off the property. And while he does enjoy taking pictures – I have to admit he is very good at it and has taken some beautiful pictures over the years. The pics here are either of our property or the surrounding area. My two favorites are the ones of the mother cow and her calf – looks so typically Texas, and the pond with the ’square’ cloud.

If you click once on the each picture it will enlarge, click twice to return it to smaller size.

By the time we got back home the power was back on so we sat down in front of the fireplace to steaming mugs of our version of Irish Cream Coffee. It’s a favorite and we enjoy it at night as well – but with decaff! If you’d like to try it here’s our recipe:

• 1 Cup brewed coffee (in over-sized cup)
• Sweeten to taste
• 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup
• 3 teaspoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
• Enough whipped cream to fill to top
• Stir and enjoy!

They say each snowflake is unique – hard to imagine when you see so many of them – but I saw some photos the other day taken of snowflakes and will try to get those posted a little later this week – depending on when we do grocery shopping.    The pictures are absolutely amazing!

You will need:

• 2 carrots sliced in the round
• 2 onions sliced in rings
• 1 jalapeno pepper sliced in rounds
• 2 garlic cloves – sliced
• Salt, ground black pepper and 1 bay leaf
• White vinegar (45-grain strength,i.e. 4.5 – 5% acidity)

Place the sliced carrots on the bottom of a saucepan; next place the sliced onions, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf on top. Add enough of the vinegar to just cover. Bring to a boil the reduce the heat, simmering over low heat until the vegetables are cooked (but not mushy – you want them to be a little crisp). Store in a glass container with a screw on lid. Refrigerate.

In addition to an appetizer, it is good mixed with boiled shrimp or sandwich relish.

Note – cut the jalapeno pepper with caution; do not rub your eyes until you have washed your hands thoroughly; and remember if you want the relish a little less hot – remove the seeds.

Pear tree update – they seem to be doing fine and are starting to put out little leaf buds. When the rain stops we’ll need to put up a wire fence around them to keep the deer from eating all the new growth off.

The pictures have been down-sized, but click on them once to enlarge for the full effect. To reduce the size back down click twice on the large image (left mouse button).

If you’d like to see the other illusions visit this link  http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2010/01/29/mind-bending-optical-illusions?test=faces.   The original source for these was Unreality Magazine.com

We took a drive down some East Texas country roads until we found a nursery (recommended by Cousin Joe) that sold fruit trees suited to this area. The old gentleman running it had all kinds of trees – pear, plum, peach and apple. I didn’t know you could grow apples here in Texas. He took us out into the ‘patch’ where he had them growing. Coming from the city, I’m used to buying my trees, plants, etc. from the nurseries there in pots – big pots! Not here. These trees appeared to be growing right in the ground. Hmmmmm…surely they MUST be in pots in the ground, I just couldn’t see the pots….right? Nope. When we picked our trees he yanked them right up – roots and all! I was stunned. There was a little dirt hanging on to the roots – but he make quick work of that and washed it right off!! OK, so now we’ve got pear trees with no limbs and naked roots. They look like walking sticks that need to be trimmed. The whole time I’m wondering…’can these things survive?!’ The old gentleman running the shop – seemed confident they would – so we brought them home. On getting home (power is back on – yeah!!) we immediately set out to plant our two stick pear trees. It is supposed to start raining and getting really, really cold, and I’m not letting those roots be exposed to any more air than necessary. We put them in the orchard area and planted them according to Mr. Russel’s directions. So right now my pear trees are planted per instructions, getting soaked in the rain and likely to freeze tonight. I have high hopes for them though. When they start producing they’ll have crisp pears (don’t like those mushy ones) and be good for eating or cooking.

This link is for a good half-sugar free recipe for a pear crisp. Pears are also good when used in pies with apples, plums and peaches.

And if, you’re looking for an alternative pear recipe, we like upside-down pear cake. Using a store bought cake mix makes it easy. My version is to use only half of the cake mix (per box directions), 2-3 sliced pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.

Mix up half (or less) of the cake mix (my secret to a better boxed cake is to add an extra egg, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla and use real butter instead of oil).

In a round baking dish or flan pan, place 1 tablespoon of thin butter slices on the bottom. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over the butter, shake a little cinnamon over the brown sugar and then lay the pear slices on top in a circle.

Pour the cake batter over the top and bake at 325-330 degrees until done. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes and then turn cake out onto a flat plate and enjoy!

They are on the order of a ‘fried pie’ except these are baked – not fried, the fruit mixture was put in the dough pocket uncooked vs. cooked for a fried pie. After baking them for about 20 minutes or so – they came out of the oven toasty brown and delicious. Since this experiment was a success – in our opinion – I’m passing it on to you. While the recipe I made was sugar free – you can easily replace the Splenda and powdered sugar with regular sugars if you’re not looking for it to be sugar free.

Ingredients:

• 1 Apple! (medium sized)
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
• 1 recipe of pie dough or 1 sleeve of Pillsbury uncooked pie dough

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel and thinly slice the apple. In a medium sized bowl combine the sliced apple, blueberries, Splenda, cinnamon, and corn starch. Mix together until the pieces of fruit are coated with the corn starch and Splenda. Set aside.

On a floured area roll out the dough to a square shape – it will seem thin. Cut into 4 equal sizes. Place 1/4 of the fruit mixture on the lower half of the pie dough square. Fold over the top and use a fork to crimp the 3 sides sealing them to form a ‘pocket’ for the fruit. Repeat process for remainder of fruit and dough squares. Place completed pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet. Do not make any vent cuts. Brush top with a little butter (I used Parkay non-fat spray instead – worked just as well and no calories) and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove to a platter and dust with Splenda powdered sugar. Serve with a little sugar free ice cream on the side for an extra yummy dessert.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean ground hamburger (more if you like lots of meat)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dry Taco Seasoning (your favorite brand)
• 5 corn tortillas (they work best)
• 1 small can chopped green chilies (I used only half the can)
• 1 can of enchilada sauce (red kind)
• 1 tablespoon oil (Olive, of course)
• 4 ounces coarsely grated Cheddar or Mexican cheese
• 2 ounces Pepper Jack cheese grated (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom of a 2-quart casserole.

In a medium sized sauce pan (over medium heat) heat the oil and then add in the chopped onions and garlic. Saute for about 1-2 minutes. Add in the ground hamburger meat and cook until crumbly. Pour off any excess oil if present before adding in the taco seasoning, green chilies, and about 2/3’s of the can of enchilada sauce. Stir until well mixed, remove from heat.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce into a separate bowl. Cut the tortillas into quarters and have the grated cheddar cheese handy. You now want to layer the ingredients in the casserole dish. Start with about 1/3 of the meat mixture, next dip the corn tortilla quarters in the enchilada sauce and place them on top of the meat covering it completely (use about 6 quarters per layer). Next  put about 1/3 of the grated Cheddar or Mexican cheese on top of the tortillas. Repeat the process until all the meat, tortillas and cheese have been used. If there is any enchilada sauce remaining  in the bowl you dipped the tortilla pieces in – pour it over the top of the finished casserole. If you are using Pepper Jack,  spread it around on top of the final layer of  Cheddar/Mexican cheese for the last layer.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly then serve. 

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did and ‘thanks’ Jerry for sharing this recipe with me.