If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Monday, August 10, 2020

August #3- answers to questions, new recipes, an easy child mask

Good morning, 
There is no to do list this week as some of my grands are here and I plan on enjoying this time with them.  
I am concerned as schools are opening that we could have another big Covid spread and then more quarantines,  but I’m not a prophet and hopefully all will just get back to normal. 
Anyway, after we watched church yesterday morning,  I cleaned our house so we are ready for the week.  

They aren’t all here today but all 8 grands were together for an outdoor family  brunch this weekend.  They all look so big,  don’t they? 
They are ages 4 to 11.  
All are healthy and have big personalities.  


I sewed child sized masks to help outfit grands going to school.  
This is the simplest mask I’ve sewn



Use 2 pieces of fabric,  about 8 inches by 6 1/2 inches.  
Put them right sides together and pin in the elastic.  I used 6 1/2 inches elastic and that fits my grands. 
Sew around the edge but leave as space to turn it.  
I rounded the corners as I sewed but you could make right angle corners if you chose.  
Then turn the mask right side out,  iron and iron in 2 pleats.  Just eyeball them.  
Top stitch around the edge and that will close the opening where it was turned right side out.  
And I reinforced the elastic with some back stitching.  





During these hot days,  we’ve mostly had very easy meals like the one above.  Those are Pillsbury crescent rolls

But yesterday I was in a cooking mood and made this recipe I found on Instagram.  I don’t know who to credit it to as I took a screenshot but it was really good.  

If your family doesn’t like spicy, you substitute plain canned diced tomatoes and I’m sure it would still be delicious.  

I also baked a dessert with my husband’s homegrown blackberries and this is a keeper recipe too

➡️➡️   wild blackberry pie recipe link ⬅️⬅️



My recipe copy with notes 


How I make pimento cheese 
I grated cheddar cheese,  maybe 1/2-3/4 pounds
Then I add a drained 4 ounce jar of diced pimentos and a squirt of yellow mustard.  
Stir that up and then add just enough mayonnaise to have it all hold together.  
My pimento cheese is not as mayo-e as commercial pimento cheese.  
Sometimes I add diced jalapeño or dill pickle relish.  
We like it on celery or club crackers.  

Our son likes it on his Dad’s fresh jalapeños,  and don’t worry. These are not crazy hot peppers 


Keeping Produce in the fridge 

I do prep produce almost every week and it keeps just fine for us. 
I think cut up or whole produce lasts much longer in a closed container like Tupperware type containers or zipper bags or glass jars,  with all them sealed up and closed as well as possible. 
Salad usually lasts about 3 days,  if we don’t eat it first. 
Carrots and onions both last a couple weeks or more.  
Tomatoes don’t keep as long and neither does fruit but I think most everything keeps better sealed up in the fridge.  

Way back when we had 4 children at home,  a tiny budget and I had a job,  the main vegetables we ate were potatoes and carrots.  I would peel loads of them and keep them in water in the fridge until I needed them to cook.  This was way before “meal prepping” was all the rage.  I think I usually stored them in gallon jars that I got from the kid’s school cafeteria.  As long as the potatoes and carrots were in water,  they kept until I used them.  


About Jane at Hope and Thrift 
I hope she opens her blog back up but I think for now she is just being quiet and maybe fed up with all the yuck going on.  
Maybe she will leave a comment here.  



Hope you all are fine 
❤️Rhonda 🇺🇸
























12 comments:

  1. What a lovely group of "Grands"!!!!!

    And you are hosting some of them!!!!

    Here, our *Emperor*... Errr... Governor, is allowing schools to open, but children can op-out to take lessons at home.

    Oh thank you for the advice on how to keep veggies in the frig!!!!!! It is so difficult. Will try your way, the cutting up and sealing way.

    Still wondering about lettuce? Does sealing it, actually make it last longer? Lettuce seems to wilt. And we can't make our refrigerator any "warmer." ~sigh~

    Enjoy your "Grand Time"!

    'Miss BB'🐝🐝
    "Beside a babbling brook" blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Children in Oklahoma can take classes online too but I think all our school age grands will be going to their local public schools.

      About lettuce- iceberg, Romaine, any head lettuce, keeps much better for me when it’s sealed in a bag with the air squeezed out or a plastic container. Remember the green lettuce keepers Tupperware made way back when? They were on to something! Uncut lettuce keeps at least a week for me when I keep it sealed up and make sure it’s dry before I seal it up, hope it works for you

      Delete
    2. I wash and spin lettuce and keep it in a Rubbermaid produce keeper. It will keep for at least ten days that way if I keep a dry paper towel on top to absorb moisture.

      Delete
    3. Thank you Rhonda and Lana...

      'Miss BB'🐝🐝
      "Beside a babbling brook" blog

      Delete
  2. Your grands sure are growing up! The girls look so much like their pretty grandmother. I am making the pasta this week- I have everything for it. It looks so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I do think Andie with her long dark hair looks like me. I think Elizabeth looks like her mom and Charlie looks just like her Aunt that is her mom’s sister.
      Hope you enjoy the pasta, we sure did.

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  3. Man the grands are growing fast. What a good looking group! They are going to love those masks at school. Going to try my hand at making your pimento cheese soon. Thanks for the recipe.

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  4. Those grands sure are getting big! Our six are 3 to 12 and a baby girl is due in November. You are blessed to have them nearby! I love the tip on the potatoes. I often cook lots of cubes if mashed potatoes are on the menu and use the extra for a few days but never considered keeping them in water in a jar. I do produce prep too because otherwise things tend to get wasted. If it is ready to eat then we eat it.

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  5. Your grandkids are adorable. The masks are so cute.
    I have noticed several people have quit blogging lately - some You Tube channels just shut down. I think there have been a lot of trolls lately - too bad people don't have better things to do with their time than cause trouble.
    Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great family picture! I know you are proud of all of them.
    Thanks for the info about masks. We have been blowing through my disposable masks, and my daughter put the cloth masks in the dryer and they shrunk a bit.
    Students started moving back to our local college the first of August, and our virus cases have doubled. My son starts college classes tomorrow. :(
    Stay well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The mask are darling. Sweet grandkids! Delicious dishes you have made. Pimento Cheese is a favorite of mine. Yours looks delicious. I haven't made my own before.
    Blessings,
    d

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  8. Her blog is privet ,I tried to access it but have to be invited.here was one of my favorite blogs,so many have closed them so sad😓

    ReplyDelete

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