April 6-April 14, 2010
We are camped at the Horseshoe Bend Recreational area on Beaver Lake at Rogers/Monte Ne, AR. It is an absolutely lovely area. The woods are glorious with the bright colors of redbuds, dogwoods and other wild flowering trees. As you wind down the road to enter the recreation area the view is breath taking. You occasionally catch glimpses of the lake through the trees with its high cliffs, and heavily wooded islands in the middle.
As you come out to Rogers into Monte Ne you can kiss your Sprint cell phone service good-bye. It’s spotty at best as you ride the curves, climb the hills and drop into the valleys and climb back up again for about four beautiful miles. You pass large homes with glorious views of the lake and then suddenly you find yourself at the Corps of Engineers campground.
When we pulled up to the booth we were greeted by a pleasant couple. It turned out she once lived in the same small town we live in. It is a small world after all. They seemed surprised when we said we wanted to camp for a week. I guess because it was so early in the season.
The female booth attendant asked if we had an America the Beautiful Park Pass, then went on to explain that this was one of the Corps of Engineers parks that gave a 50% discount for camping. We had already included in this season’s travel budget to pay the $10 fee for one, but had not purchased it yet. When we asked if we could purchase it at the booth we were sadly told no. We could, however, pay for one night and then go over to Pea Ridge Military Park, a short distance away, and purchase one for the rest of the nights. This was the option we choose.
Because it was mid-week we pretty much had our choice of campsites. Gary had done his research when choosing this campground and knew from studying the Sprint service area map that the campsites on the tip of the peninsula would have service. So that is where we headed. Sure enough, campsite 36 had a 3 bar service, so that’s where we choose to camp. It was an easy parking job.
The campsites here have a level paved area that held our 30 ft camper, and the pick-up with ease. It took only seconds to park the camper. The site is gorgeous. Looking out the living room windows of the camper we have a great view of the lake and the cliffs on the other side. Our closest neighbors are a flock of Canadian geese that wander through during the day. They are often accompanied by a decent size herd of deer as well. We hear the geese periodically throughout the night softly calling to each other.
What time we are at the camper we have enjoyed sitting outside watching the geese as they wander around peacefully grazing. We saw little of them over the weekend when the campground partially filled up. As soon as the main group of campers left on Sunday the flock was back. They brought with them some beautiful hawks, ravens and miscellaneous small water fowl. Occasionally a large blue heron will sweep past as well. Overhead four or five large birds that were bigger than buzzards, but not marked quite right to be golden eagles rode the air currents as graceful as the lightest of ballet dancers. All this beauty played to music of frogs singing their spring song as evening approached.
As we sat we looked around for beavers. We could see numerous trees bearing the results of their need to chew, but we never did catch sight of them. Each evening we’d hear loud splashing of water that at first we thought to be really large fish jumping, but the more I think about it the more I think it might have been beavers slapping their tails against the water.
By the way the trees here are a combination of tall straight lodge pole pines, stately oaks, and of course redbuds and dogwoods.
Our campsite has electric only. It is normally $19 per night, but with the America the Beautiful card it is $9.50 per night. A huge savings. There is a water hydrant just across from our campsite, so if we should run low in our holding tank we could hook up the hose and refill. However, they are under a “boil” notification right now because they had a water main break. So we are doing without putting their water in our tank for now. The main has been repaired and they expect the boil notice to end today or tomorrow.
There is a free dump station for campers near the entrance booth, with a $5 fee for non-campers. It has been blocked off while they worked on the water main, but we noticed they were taking the barricades down as we were leaving today.
If you come here for daily use the entrance fee is $4 and there is a deadline for you to vacate the area. It has a designated swim area as well as a nice boat dock and then there is a marina in another area.
Most of the toilets are vault toilets and port-a-johns, however a few single stall flush toilets do dot the area. The one near our campsite has one toilet and two showers in each of the two sides.
The window is missing in the men’s shower house. Gary said that makes for a breezy shower this time of year. He said the scalding shower quickly made you forget about the breeze though. Once again the shower head is high on the wall and it is a non-adjustable push the button type set-up. I choose to do fast showers in the camper rather than drown showering.
The next morning we went to Pea Ridge before doing any mystery shops and purchased the National Parks Pass. Because Gary is now 62 he qualifies for the senior citizen version of it. It was a one time purchase price of $10 and is good for the rest of his life. With the amount of travel we do that is going to be a huge money saver for us. It has already saved us a total of $76 on camping and entrance into Pea Ridge to tour the park last Saturday.
If you are not familiar with this pass I suggest you go to http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm and check it out. You can purchase one if you are not a senior citizen as well, but it’s $80 annually. Basically it includes discounts for all national parks, and corps of engineers, locations, as well as some state parks for anything that has a fee. Many entrance fees for the museums and such are free to the pass holder and three other adults in their party. It can add up to some major savings if you travel very much at all.
Speaking of Pea Ridge Military Park, located at Pea Ridge Arkansas, we went there to tour the museum and battlefield on Saturday. It is one of the numerous civil War battlefields that dot the United States. This one is of particular interest to my husband and myself because in all likelihood we both had great grandfathers that fought there on both sides of the conflict.
The information center, from what I was told, has recently undergone a renovation. It is modern, clean and well done. There are the usual uniform reproductions, cannons, cannon balls and such located throughout the two main areas of the building.
The third area has a movie theater, complete with comfortable cinema seats that shows a well produced movie that follows the battles of the area up to and including the one at Elkhorn Tavern. The movie is approximately 30 minutes long. If you don’t have the America the Beautiful pass visiting this battle site will cost you $10 a carload. The movie and museum are included.
The fourth area of the building is of course the gift store. It is mainly books on the Civil War and the Trail of Tears, which came through Pea Ridge, with the usual gift store type pricing.
They close access to the seven mile driving tour at 4:30 pm, it has approximately 10 stops along the way, so allow plenty of time in your schedule to take the tour. Once again we were treated to the beautiful spring scenery that this part of Arkansas has to offer in mid April.
We had been told we could gain access to the Elk Horn Tavern until 4:30, but when we arrived at just after four we found it locked up tight and no caretaker around. However, the curtains were conveniently pulled to the side to allow us to look in to at least the lower level.
Throughout our driving tour I thought of those brave soldiers on both sides that fought there for a principle each believed to be just. The movie had depicted the hard march they had participated in to come and fight. I looked at the steep hills they had to climb in the snow to fight and knew in my heart that my ancestors were of far sterner stuff than I am.
The park is a simple affair, but it is well maintained. It includes special horseback riding areas as well as hiking trails, picnic areas, and biking trails. It is truly a place you could spend a lovely day enjoying. I know we did.
We leave this area for Branson, Missouri on Wednesday morning. We haven’t decided yet how long we’ll stay there or for certain where we’ll go next. Because I have a good chunk of jobs waiting for me at home we might swing by there for a few days, do laundry and head out again. It just all depends on what work we find where.
Jan who is enjoying spring in the Ozarks away from OK
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!
April 6, 2010
The computer bounces on my lap as we head down highway 412 in northeast Oklahoma. It’s the Dan P. Holmes Expressway leaving Tulsa. I actually remember Dan P. Holmes. To me he was just a face on the television. He was a gentleman who was always complaining about the horrible condition of highway 412. He constantly campaigned to get that little two lane road that lead from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Arkansas repaired and widened. As a kid growing up I had no real grasp of why this interstate road was so important, or why the man was constantly campaigning to get it improved.
Now as I type I appreciate Mr. Holmes. It’s a nice divided highway that allows you to move safely and freely from Oklahoma to Arkansas and back again. Sadly the highway was completed after Mr. Holmes passed, but I like to think he’s up there somewhere smiling, knowing all the good he did for all the travelers.
In the two weeks we’ve been home from Davis the world flying by my truck window has turned from winter brown to varying shades of spring green. The landscape is dotted with colorful redbuds and stark white wild plum trees. As we drive through the towns on our way to Springdale, AR I see jonquils blooming in the yards. Spring has finally come to the area.
Pastures along the roads are filled with new calves, lambs and kid goats. Easter was last weekend and we’ve been blessed with a nearly storm free spring so far. I hope it stays that way. Tornadoes are very scary things.
I’ve actually been in about six and would prefer to never be in one again. I’ll do a blast from the past post soon about one such tornado when I was rendezvousing fulltime. It was an experience that is funny now, but back then it was really pretty scary.
Right now I’m simply enjoying the spring day.
At home Sean is taking care of the gifts of spring we’ve recently received. Easter night Gary had gone out to do some late chores when in the pitch dark he heard the sounds of new life. The sounds of a tiny chick strayed from its mother. He called into the house and told us what he was hearing.
Sean grabbed up a flashlight and headed into the woods where the sound was coming from. He soon realized it was more than one. Climbing through the underbrush he found two tiny chicks. One was white and the other was brown, plus a nest of pipping eggs. No mama chicken to be seen.
He knew that this late at night if the hen wasn’t on the nest she was permanently gone. Gary verified this later when he told us he had found the Mama dead not far away. The chicks were gathered first and placed in Sean’s shirt tail to keep them warm until he could pass them off to Gary, who then passed them off to me.
I took them into the house and warmed them up while the two men gathered the ten chirping eggs from the nest. All were far enough along in their hatch there was no sense in firing up one of the two incubators we still owned. Instead a cardboard box was setup in Sean’s bathroom vanity with a 100 watt light bulb.
By morning we were up to five healthy chicks, by bedtime last night only three eggs remained unhatched. One of them was nearly finished hatching, the 9th one is rocking and rolling but no cracks in the shell as yet. We feel no life in the 10th egg. Sean will candle it tonight to see if anyone is home and still alive. Sometimes there is one chick that hatches as much as 48 hours after the rest of a clutch.
We had not even set up brooders yet for the season, so that’s on the top of Sean’s to do list today. That way the birds can be raised properly and not stink up the bathroom.
When we last spoke with him he hadn’t decided if he was going to work on the small pen or the garden roof today. Fairy goose, Elf’s mother, is sharing a nest with a banty turken in the small pen coop. Which is very comical to see the turken trying to warm the five goose eggs along with her own tiny eggs when Fairy is off the nest.
The pen needs some major repair due to the big tree, of the emergency room fame, fell on part of the pen. The guys removed the tree Sunday, but Sean will need to do some fence and roof repair to make the pen safe for the little ones when they hatch. So he’ll probably do the pen.
The garden roof may sound strange to some of those who haven’t heard me speak of this before. My poultry all free range, so my garden is caged, complete with a chick wire roof. The repetitive snow and ice storms of this last winter knocked the roof down, as well as taking down many limbs of nearby trees.
We’ve been cleaning that up and doing the repairs ever since we’ve been home. All the limbs are now either firewood for next winter, or have been burned as brush. New saplings have been cut as uprights and the two men have restrung the chick wire.
The roof is essential because most of my birds can fly right over the fence and take up garden seeds as fast as we put them in without it. Only a small amount of work is left to complete it. Sean has plans on finishing it this week.
He’ll then start putting in his “first” garden. I had planned on getting it all planted, but life happens, so he’s decided to do it since he was “downsized” three weeks ago out of a job. He’s hoping to be employed again quickly. However, in the meantime he’s going to intensely plant the garden. The seeds are all sorted and ready. I have told him the choice of what and where is his. I’ll be curious as to what he does plant.
The fish we placed in the rain water harvesting pool (yet another post I need to write) have over doubled in size in the last two weeks. We actually thought the ducks had eaten them all. So imagine Sean’s excitement when he realized he was looking at a four inch long goldfish late last night and three three and half inch long ones today. More on this version of aquaponics another time.
Right now I’m just enjoying the bright greens of spring and the warm day.
Jan who is thankful winter is finally over in OK
The computer bounces on my lap as we head down highway 412 in northeast Oklahoma. It’s the Dan P. Holmes Expressway leaving Tulsa. I actually remember Dan P. Holmes. To me he was just a face on the television. He was a gentleman who was always complaining about the horrible condition of highway 412. He constantly campaigned to get that little two lane road that lead from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Arkansas repaired and widened. As a kid growing up I had no real grasp of why this interstate road was so important, or why the man was constantly campaigning to get it improved.
Now as I type I appreciate Mr. Holmes. It’s a nice divided highway that allows you to move safely and freely from Oklahoma to Arkansas and back again. Sadly the highway was completed after Mr. Holmes passed, but I like to think he’s up there somewhere smiling, knowing all the good he did for all the travelers.
In the two weeks we’ve been home from Davis the world flying by my truck window has turned from winter brown to varying shades of spring green. The landscape is dotted with colorful redbuds and stark white wild plum trees. As we drive through the towns on our way to Springdale, AR I see jonquils blooming in the yards. Spring has finally come to the area.
Pastures along the roads are filled with new calves, lambs and kid goats. Easter was last weekend and we’ve been blessed with a nearly storm free spring so far. I hope it stays that way. Tornadoes are very scary things.
I’ve actually been in about six and would prefer to never be in one again. I’ll do a blast from the past post soon about one such tornado when I was rendezvousing fulltime. It was an experience that is funny now, but back then it was really pretty scary.
Right now I’m simply enjoying the spring day.
At home Sean is taking care of the gifts of spring we’ve recently received. Easter night Gary had gone out to do some late chores when in the pitch dark he heard the sounds of new life. The sounds of a tiny chick strayed from its mother. He called into the house and told us what he was hearing.
Sean grabbed up a flashlight and headed into the woods where the sound was coming from. He soon realized it was more than one. Climbing through the underbrush he found two tiny chicks. One was white and the other was brown, plus a nest of pipping eggs. No mama chicken to be seen.
He knew that this late at night if the hen wasn’t on the nest she was permanently gone. Gary verified this later when he told us he had found the Mama dead not far away. The chicks were gathered first and placed in Sean’s shirt tail to keep them warm until he could pass them off to Gary, who then passed them off to me.
I took them into the house and warmed them up while the two men gathered the ten chirping eggs from the nest. All were far enough along in their hatch there was no sense in firing up one of the two incubators we still owned. Instead a cardboard box was setup in Sean’s bathroom vanity with a 100 watt light bulb.
By morning we were up to five healthy chicks, by bedtime last night only three eggs remained unhatched. One of them was nearly finished hatching, the 9th one is rocking and rolling but no cracks in the shell as yet. We feel no life in the 10th egg. Sean will candle it tonight to see if anyone is home and still alive. Sometimes there is one chick that hatches as much as 48 hours after the rest of a clutch.
We had not even set up brooders yet for the season, so that’s on the top of Sean’s to do list today. That way the birds can be raised properly and not stink up the bathroom.
When we last spoke with him he hadn’t decided if he was going to work on the small pen or the garden roof today. Fairy goose, Elf’s mother, is sharing a nest with a banty turken in the small pen coop. Which is very comical to see the turken trying to warm the five goose eggs along with her own tiny eggs when Fairy is off the nest.
The pen needs some major repair due to the big tree, of the emergency room fame, fell on part of the pen. The guys removed the tree Sunday, but Sean will need to do some fence and roof repair to make the pen safe for the little ones when they hatch. So he’ll probably do the pen.
The garden roof may sound strange to some of those who haven’t heard me speak of this before. My poultry all free range, so my garden is caged, complete with a chick wire roof. The repetitive snow and ice storms of this last winter knocked the roof down, as well as taking down many limbs of nearby trees.
We’ve been cleaning that up and doing the repairs ever since we’ve been home. All the limbs are now either firewood for next winter, or have been burned as brush. New saplings have been cut as uprights and the two men have restrung the chick wire.
The roof is essential because most of my birds can fly right over the fence and take up garden seeds as fast as we put them in without it. Only a small amount of work is left to complete it. Sean has plans on finishing it this week.
He’ll then start putting in his “first” garden. I had planned on getting it all planted, but life happens, so he’s decided to do it since he was “downsized” three weeks ago out of a job. He’s hoping to be employed again quickly. However, in the meantime he’s going to intensely plant the garden. The seeds are all sorted and ready. I have told him the choice of what and where is his. I’ll be curious as to what he does plant.
The fish we placed in the rain water harvesting pool (yet another post I need to write) have over doubled in size in the last two weeks. We actually thought the ducks had eaten them all. So imagine Sean’s excitement when he realized he was looking at a four inch long goldfish late last night and three three and half inch long ones today. More on this version of aquaponics another time.
Right now I’m just enjoying the bright greens of spring and the warm day.
Jan who is thankful winter is finally over in OK
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A PEACEABLE KINGDOM?
As some of you already know my ds got laid off yesterday due to budget cutbacks. We were all pretty blue yesterday, but in our world you don’t have time to throw pity parties for long. So last night ds filed for unemployment then went to bed at his normal work day time.
He has been a very busy fellow today. He went back by the office and picked up his stuff he forgot to get after receiving the stunning news, then on to run some minor errands. Once home he gathered up big logs he and dh had cut up before we left town—since there is suppose to be a cold front coming through this weekend he thought he might want to be warm. LOL!
He spent the rest of the afternoon splitting firewood. He called during one of his breaks with the following happeninga on the ranch.
He had gone in for a drink of water and left the front door open to allow the cats to come and go as they wished, this is something new for the cats. They’ve always been totally house kitties, but the kitties have been fighting a lot so we decided to see how letting them get some fresh air would work. He said he might have been napping a bit when all the sudden he felt movement on the love seat next to him. Opening his eyes he looked right into the brown eyes of Misty Georgia, our middle child dog. Now to some of you this might not seem strange, but in the 7 years Georgie has been a family member she has never been in the main house. She shares the sunroom with her two sibling Jolie Marie and Drifter Moon. She politely laid her head down in Sean’s lap and sighed as if she’d been waiting to do this for a long time.
Since Georgie is our dog that absolutely loves to roll in anything stinky Sean decided that it might be best if the two of them moved to the porch. So he coaxed her outside with him and they sat in a sunbeam enjoying a light breeze. After a bit he heard whining where Georgia had been. Only it didn’t sound like Georgie. Opening his eyes again he looked around to see Drifter Moon, the big black mutt that is the youngest of the three dogs, looking VERY DISTRESSED. Sean said so much white of Moonie’s eyes was showing you could barely see the brown of the iris. He said Drifter would whine and then cut his eyes to the side and then whine again.
Looking around to see what the problem was Sean said he had to burst out laughing. Amy Jo, our fat grey and white tabby cat was giving Drifter Kitty Hugs, rubbing her head against him and purring to beat the band. Since this was Drifter’s first contact ever with Amy he was freaking out. Amy apparently thought Drifter was her new best friend. Drifter on the other paw wasn’t sure what was happening. Remember Drifter is not our brightest animal on the farm, so any change in his world is distressing to him.
A short while later Sean had Murray, his Tuxedo cat following him around as he pumped water out of the pool we now collect rainwater in. He watched as the big black and white cat moved confidently through the large flock of milling birds. For the most part the birds ignored him. Three guineas charged at him, but Murcat stood his ground and the goofy birds grew tired of the game quickly. He moved all around sniffing everything—this outdoor stuff was great! That was until, he got to close to Melanie, a dainty brown Chinese goose. Sean said Mel-Mel didn’t hiss or anything, but her mate-Magellan, a big white Embden gander, did. Gel-gel grabbed Murcat’s handsome tail and yanked it as only a goose can.
Sean said Murray went 16 directions at once! He went looking for him since the cat hit the ground running after such a rude maneuver on the goose’s part. Sean finally found him in the house frantically clawing at their bedroom door trying to get in with the kitten—who is not being let out until she’s spayed (MY ORDERS).
So it sounds like life is going back to normal at the Rock ‘n Tree Ranch.
Jan who says aren’t spring days and farm animals enough to bring a smile to your face?
He has been a very busy fellow today. He went back by the office and picked up his stuff he forgot to get after receiving the stunning news, then on to run some minor errands. Once home he gathered up big logs he and dh had cut up before we left town—since there is suppose to be a cold front coming through this weekend he thought he might want to be warm. LOL!
He spent the rest of the afternoon splitting firewood. He called during one of his breaks with the following happeninga on the ranch.
He had gone in for a drink of water and left the front door open to allow the cats to come and go as they wished, this is something new for the cats. They’ve always been totally house kitties, but the kitties have been fighting a lot so we decided to see how letting them get some fresh air would work. He said he might have been napping a bit when all the sudden he felt movement on the love seat next to him. Opening his eyes he looked right into the brown eyes of Misty Georgia, our middle child dog. Now to some of you this might not seem strange, but in the 7 years Georgie has been a family member she has never been in the main house. She shares the sunroom with her two sibling Jolie Marie and Drifter Moon. She politely laid her head down in Sean’s lap and sighed as if she’d been waiting to do this for a long time.
Since Georgie is our dog that absolutely loves to roll in anything stinky Sean decided that it might be best if the two of them moved to the porch. So he coaxed her outside with him and they sat in a sunbeam enjoying a light breeze. After a bit he heard whining where Georgia had been. Only it didn’t sound like Georgie. Opening his eyes again he looked around to see Drifter Moon, the big black mutt that is the youngest of the three dogs, looking VERY DISTRESSED. Sean said so much white of Moonie’s eyes was showing you could barely see the brown of the iris. He said Drifter would whine and then cut his eyes to the side and then whine again.
Looking around to see what the problem was Sean said he had to burst out laughing. Amy Jo, our fat grey and white tabby cat was giving Drifter Kitty Hugs, rubbing her head against him and purring to beat the band. Since this was Drifter’s first contact ever with Amy he was freaking out. Amy apparently thought Drifter was her new best friend. Drifter on the other paw wasn’t sure what was happening. Remember Drifter is not our brightest animal on the farm, so any change in his world is distressing to him.
A short while later Sean had Murray, his Tuxedo cat following him around as he pumped water out of the pool we now collect rainwater in. He watched as the big black and white cat moved confidently through the large flock of milling birds. For the most part the birds ignored him. Three guineas charged at him, but Murcat stood his ground and the goofy birds grew tired of the game quickly. He moved all around sniffing everything—this outdoor stuff was great! That was until, he got to close to Melanie, a dainty brown Chinese goose. Sean said Mel-Mel didn’t hiss or anything, but her mate-Magellan, a big white Embden gander, did. Gel-gel grabbed Murcat’s handsome tail and yanked it as only a goose can.
Sean said Murray went 16 directions at once! He went looking for him since the cat hit the ground running after such a rude maneuver on the goose’s part. Sean finally found him in the house frantically clawing at their bedroom door trying to get in with the kitten—who is not being let out until she’s spayed (MY ORDERS).
So it sounds like life is going back to normal at the Rock ‘n Tree Ranch.
Jan who says aren’t spring days and farm animals enough to bring a smile to your face?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
ON THE ROAD AGAIN! YEAR 2
Monday, March 8, 2010 10:00 pm
Outside the rain is falling fairly heavily. Inside stacks of baskets, bags and boxes are waiting for it to slack up some so we can take another load out to the camper.
The recent warm weather seems to have finally thawed out the mystery shopping opportunities. All of the sudden there is an abundance of them in the Oklahoma City, OK area. So I locked in as many as I could and we are now doing last minute packing.
This year will be slightly different, we learned a lot last year on what to do and not to do. We are starting earlier in the year, this is a good thing. Another good thing is because Gary’s unemployment is running out just as his Social Security checks are starting we are no longer tied to being a one day’s drive from home. The world is our oyster now. Once all the paperwork is finished and he’s officially off of unemployment he will start mystery shopping too.
I’ll still do the majority of the shops, but where certain shops are concerned I can only do them a certain number of times a year. That limited us greatly last year. Now Gary will be able to do them the same number of times.
There are also shops that only men can do. So that is another plus. The more shops we can do in each area, the better off we are. Many campgrounds offer discounts if you stay over a certain number of nights. So if we can mystery shop an area longer, then we qualify for those discounts. Saving us money on not only camping fees but fuel as well.
Speaking of camping fees. A huge plus of Gary becoming an official senior citizen is the great discounts available on campgrounds, especially National and state parks. We will be getting an America the Beautiful Parks Pass.
For those of you that don’t know about this pass I highly recommend you check it and other national park passes at http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
This pass will cost of a one time fee of $10 for a lifetime pass for senior citizen. They also have passes for non-senior citizens, but the rate is much higher. $10 is a very good thing on our limited budget. There are great discounts available using this pass including admissions, camping and much more. This year we are hoping to return to the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore and many other great sites. The $10 will be a great investment.
So if the rain lets up enough that we can get the camper out first thing in the morning we are on the road again. Be prepared.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I’m sitting in the parking lot of the Cowpoke’s Café in Weleetka, OK. Outside the truck Gary is busily anchoring down the spare empty gas cans we have brought along for future shops. They had been trying to jump out of the truck bed for the last few miles.
People might be wondering about now why we would have several empty gas and one large diesel can with us. The answer is simple, Mystery Shopping. Many petroleum shops require you purchase fuel. Only not all stations carry diesel. So when we do shops at those stations we purchase fuel in a gas can and then take it home to put in my son’s truck or the ranch equipment. The diesel can is for when they do have diesel and our fuel tank is already full.
Gary is back behind the wheel and the gas cans are starting to boogie again. He’s definitely going to have to build a carry crate for these cans on the next trip home. Another pit stop to try and corral the pesky cans. This time we are at Wetumka, OK. You gotta love these good old Native American named towns here in Oklahoma!
Back to my narrative. The rain ceased around midnight last night. We quickly hustled all the gathered items to the camper and did a slap dash storage of a lot of it. This is definitely not the clean, well organized packing job I had hoped for this getaway,
I’ve been restocking the camper for a week now. As anyone who has a camper knows in the late fall/early winter you “winterize” the trailer. This means anything that can and WILL freeze has to be removed from the camper. It also means that the first trip out the next year you have to completely restock the camper.. I mean COMPLETELY. Everything from dish soap to food. I keep a master list in my computer of items we normally pack, yet there we were at 7:00 am this morning still crossing things off the list and of course adding just one more thing. We figure we will find a dozen or more things we forgot.
Another hiccup in leaving was our emotions. We both LOVE to travel, there is so much in this world to see and do, but each trip out leaving home is hard. We are emotionally tied to our animals. We speak to our son daily while traveling, so leaving him at home is far easier than leaving the critters.
Jolie, our Aussie Collie mix, sat outside the camper at one this morning whining, it broke my heart. She knew we were leaving, she use to travel with us, but that was when she was an only doggie child. Now she has two siblings that don’t travel well, plus her old hips keep her from climbing the steps into the camper. Her whining broke my heart. So of course I spent a lot of time outside the camper just loving on her, then Misty Georgia and the boy Drifter Moon—no one could be left out.
Inside the house the new kitten, Gypsy Skeeter, yowled for Gary. She has became his and wants very little to do with either Sean or I. We’ve never left her before, but she knew something was going on and latched on to Gary’s neck to suckle as she does whenever she’s stressed.
Gary kept threatening to take her with us. He cuddled her and kept telling her he’d be back and then would look at me. But she doesn’t like the truck at all and I feel she’d be far better off at home with Sean. Not to mention she is technically Sean’s cat and he said we could NOT take her.
So finishing up the packing progressed slow as one after another of our animals came demanding extra attention. Even the geese came to have their chests rubbed and demand extra feed.
Finally at 10:30 am, two and half hours late we were finally ready to depart. I handed out meaty leg bones to the three dogs to distract them from following the trailer as we left. Then we pulled out ready to go singing at the top of our lungs. “C is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.” As our family tradition, demands.
It’s now nearly lunch time and we are back on the road. Next stop will be the Shawnee, OK rest area for a quick sandwich in the camper and then on to Arcadia, OK.
We’ve got four shops scheduled for later today. I personally hope they go quickly and that we can go to bed early tonight. I’m pooped!
OOOPS! What did that sign say? Missed the rest area for lunch. We were both listening intently to Dave Ramsey on the XM radio and didn’t realize how close we were to the rest area. So now we are trying to get into the Wal-Mart parking lot at Shawnee OK exit, and someone needs to bless the little old lady who pulled her granny mobile up in the middle of the drive where we could not enter it with the trailer. CheeZ lady, do you not SEE how big this rig is and how much it could dent your tiny car? Hubby was nice though and cancelled the turn in he had waited through one light for rather than hit her.
I think I’m getting cranky and need a nap!
I’ll post this segment for now and go have lunch. Bologna sandwich anyone?
Outside the rain is falling fairly heavily. Inside stacks of baskets, bags and boxes are waiting for it to slack up some so we can take another load out to the camper.
The recent warm weather seems to have finally thawed out the mystery shopping opportunities. All of the sudden there is an abundance of them in the Oklahoma City, OK area. So I locked in as many as I could and we are now doing last minute packing.
This year will be slightly different, we learned a lot last year on what to do and not to do. We are starting earlier in the year, this is a good thing. Another good thing is because Gary’s unemployment is running out just as his Social Security checks are starting we are no longer tied to being a one day’s drive from home. The world is our oyster now. Once all the paperwork is finished and he’s officially off of unemployment he will start mystery shopping too.
I’ll still do the majority of the shops, but where certain shops are concerned I can only do them a certain number of times a year. That limited us greatly last year. Now Gary will be able to do them the same number of times.
There are also shops that only men can do. So that is another plus. The more shops we can do in each area, the better off we are. Many campgrounds offer discounts if you stay over a certain number of nights. So if we can mystery shop an area longer, then we qualify for those discounts. Saving us money on not only camping fees but fuel as well.
Speaking of camping fees. A huge plus of Gary becoming an official senior citizen is the great discounts available on campgrounds, especially National and state parks. We will be getting an America the Beautiful Parks Pass.
For those of you that don’t know about this pass I highly recommend you check it and other national park passes at http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
This pass will cost of a one time fee of $10 for a lifetime pass for senior citizen. They also have passes for non-senior citizens, but the rate is much higher. $10 is a very good thing on our limited budget. There are great discounts available using this pass including admissions, camping and much more. This year we are hoping to return to the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore and many other great sites. The $10 will be a great investment.
So if the rain lets up enough that we can get the camper out first thing in the morning we are on the road again. Be prepared.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I’m sitting in the parking lot of the Cowpoke’s Café in Weleetka, OK. Outside the truck Gary is busily anchoring down the spare empty gas cans we have brought along for future shops. They had been trying to jump out of the truck bed for the last few miles.
People might be wondering about now why we would have several empty gas and one large diesel can with us. The answer is simple, Mystery Shopping. Many petroleum shops require you purchase fuel. Only not all stations carry diesel. So when we do shops at those stations we purchase fuel in a gas can and then take it home to put in my son’s truck or the ranch equipment. The diesel can is for when they do have diesel and our fuel tank is already full.
Gary is back behind the wheel and the gas cans are starting to boogie again. He’s definitely going to have to build a carry crate for these cans on the next trip home. Another pit stop to try and corral the pesky cans. This time we are at Wetumka, OK. You gotta love these good old Native American named towns here in Oklahoma!
Back to my narrative. The rain ceased around midnight last night. We quickly hustled all the gathered items to the camper and did a slap dash storage of a lot of it. This is definitely not the clean, well organized packing job I had hoped for this getaway,
I’ve been restocking the camper for a week now. As anyone who has a camper knows in the late fall/early winter you “winterize” the trailer. This means anything that can and WILL freeze has to be removed from the camper. It also means that the first trip out the next year you have to completely restock the camper.. I mean COMPLETELY. Everything from dish soap to food. I keep a master list in my computer of items we normally pack, yet there we were at 7:00 am this morning still crossing things off the list and of course adding just one more thing. We figure we will find a dozen or more things we forgot.
Another hiccup in leaving was our emotions. We both LOVE to travel, there is so much in this world to see and do, but each trip out leaving home is hard. We are emotionally tied to our animals. We speak to our son daily while traveling, so leaving him at home is far easier than leaving the critters.
Jolie, our Aussie Collie mix, sat outside the camper at one this morning whining, it broke my heart. She knew we were leaving, she use to travel with us, but that was when she was an only doggie child. Now she has two siblings that don’t travel well, plus her old hips keep her from climbing the steps into the camper. Her whining broke my heart. So of course I spent a lot of time outside the camper just loving on her, then Misty Georgia and the boy Drifter Moon—no one could be left out.
Inside the house the new kitten, Gypsy Skeeter, yowled for Gary. She has became his and wants very little to do with either Sean or I. We’ve never left her before, but she knew something was going on and latched on to Gary’s neck to suckle as she does whenever she’s stressed.
Gary kept threatening to take her with us. He cuddled her and kept telling her he’d be back and then would look at me. But she doesn’t like the truck at all and I feel she’d be far better off at home with Sean. Not to mention she is technically Sean’s cat and he said we could NOT take her.
So finishing up the packing progressed slow as one after another of our animals came demanding extra attention. Even the geese came to have their chests rubbed and demand extra feed.
Finally at 10:30 am, two and half hours late we were finally ready to depart. I handed out meaty leg bones to the three dogs to distract them from following the trailer as we left. Then we pulled out ready to go singing at the top of our lungs. “C is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.” As our family tradition, demands.
It’s now nearly lunch time and we are back on the road. Next stop will be the Shawnee, OK rest area for a quick sandwich in the camper and then on to Arcadia, OK.
We’ve got four shops scheduled for later today. I personally hope they go quickly and that we can go to bed early tonight. I’m pooped!
OOOPS! What did that sign say? Missed the rest area for lunch. We were both listening intently to Dave Ramsey on the XM radio and didn’t realize how close we were to the rest area. So now we are trying to get into the Wal-Mart parking lot at Shawnee OK exit, and someone needs to bless the little old lady who pulled her granny mobile up in the middle of the drive where we could not enter it with the trailer. CheeZ lady, do you not SEE how big this rig is and how much it could dent your tiny car? Hubby was nice though and cancelled the turn in he had waited through one light for rather than hit her.
I think I’m getting cranky and need a nap!
I’ll post this segment for now and go have lunch. Bologna sandwich anyone?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
ARE REIMBURSEMENT ONLY MYSTERY SHOPS WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
There has been a trend lately that more and more of the mystery shops are strictly reimbursement only. For those of you that don’t mystery shop yet this means you spend your time, fuel and yes money to go do a shop for a company. So how can this earn you money? It’s not going to pay your bills. So where’s the incentive.
Quite frankly it depends on the shop and you. A shop that requires you to make a special trip to do it and nets you only a hamburger meal is not going to be a money maker for you. However if you are in the area any way and need lunch or dinner then it’s a lunch or dinner you do not have to pack from your food stuffs at home.
Where you come out ahead on such shops are the bigger reimbursement shops. If you say truly NEED a pair of shoes, then a shoe shop that reimburses you $30 for a required purchase for a pair of shoes then you are $30 ahead. If you don’t need the shoes then it’s not a good deal. Despite what some may tell you, or you may think you cannot return the purchase for the cash back if the rules say you can’t. You will get caught returning them and you will lose your mystery shopping opportunities for that and maybe other companies.
For my family the better reimbursement only shops are the larger reimbursement dinner shops. Take the $70 reimbursement only dinner for two at a local restaurant my husband and I recently did. The meal was to include a minimum of one alcoholic beverage at the bar, either an appetizer or dessert, two different entrees, two additional beverages (no water) and tips up to 15% for both the bartender and the server.
Here’s what we had: my husband had a beer at the bar and I had a Pepsi. At this particular restaurant the designated driver gets soda pop for free. So our tab there showed the Pepsi as complimentary, but it did show I drank the soda pop so I had made my requirements in that section. We left the bartender a 15% tip.
For the appetizer we purchased chips, queso and salsa along with one ice tea and one Pepsi. This was a bottomless appetizer and we ate all we wanted until our meals came. When the meal arrived the server automatically refilled our appetizer completely, as well as our beverages.
My husband purchased a full rack of ribs with sides for his meal and I had ½ chicken and ½ rack ribs with sides. This was a tremendous amount of food. We knew we could not possibly eat that much food, but we had chosen meals we both like that when the tip was added in would come to almost exactly the remaining amount of the $70 we would be reimbursed.
We each ate our fill, eating all of the vegetables and little of the meat, then requested to go boxes for everything left on the table that we had purchased. That was a full order of the appetizer, nearly a rack of ribs and 99% of the chicken, plus our salads (we had ordered the dressing on the side), as well as the bones from the ribs we had eaten.
This we took home for future meals. From these leftovers I made the following meals for three:
1. Ribs, combined with macaroni and cheese and veggies.
2. Chicken salad sandwiches
3. Chicken and dumplings (twice so 3 x 2)
4. Taco salad
5. The salad items that had wilted went to feed our poultry.
6. The bones went to our dogs for a treat over a period of four days.
7. I used the single drumstick and wing for a lunch for just me one day.
8. The bones of the chicken were boiled after I deboned them to make broth.
9. After the chicken bones were boiled they were put in the maggot bucket to help feed the birds in the future.
So for that $70 investment I used the ingredients to combine with foods we had on hand to feed 18 meals to the humans (or an average of little less than $4 each for main meat meals) and three different treats for my animals. Plus left tips for two people working hard to pay their bills as well. Plus it was all reimbursed. So all of the above was eventually free.
Considering this shop was across the street from one that I was not out any extra fuel to go do it. In our book this shop was worth it. So it’s all in how you handle the reimbursement only shops.
I’ve turned down many such shops because they aren’t worth it. Some might even include a small fee as well in the reimbursement and I still turn them down. An example is a local carry out pizza shop and here is why.
First it pays $4 plus the reimbursement and there are none of this pizza company near my home, so it is generally a drive to do it, $4 will not even begin to cover my fuel costs. Even if it turns out near where I’ll be I will still turn them down because this is what you have to do.
1. Call in the order using a specific dialing system. This is no big deal except you are expected to record EXACTLY what is said and you are recorded while you do the shop. So if you don’t get it exact the company can refuse to pay you. I mean verbatim. Often the person on the other end of the phone speaks so fast or soft you cannot make it out exactly. So there is problem #1.
2. You are to arrive exactly on time. No big deal again, unless you get hung up in traffic. Be late, be disqualified. The few times I have done this job I made the call from a parking lot right next to the location to avoid being late.
3. Pick up the pizza exactly on time and remember a series of things exactly, including what is said at the register, again this is recorded and you can be disqualified. Not a problem, if you can listen that closely while also looking around for a series of other items you are suppose to check on in the less than five minutes you are in the pickup area.
4. Now for the fun part. As soon as you are out of sight of the pick-up area you are to stop and take photos of the pizza. The photos must be done exactly as the instructions show (they have photos to help you do it right) or you will be disqualified.
5. Then you let it cool 15 minutes—yep you don’t even get to eat the pizza hot. More photos, same rules.
6. Then you have to cut up the slices and take more photos. You must use a specific cutter that you must purchase to do this as well. You are NOT reimbursed for the cutter, but you can use it for more than one shop.
7. So now after you have photographed this more than a super model, handled it, butchered it and played with it you can eat it. If you still find it appetizing.
We seldom if ever do this shop. Especially since it is one of pizza places that is not one of our favorites and one family member doesn’t like his food handled in such a manner. The rules for their delivery are the same, only it arrives even colder and you have to tip the delivery person—hey they are working hard for a living they deserve a tip!
The company that hires you to do this job wonders why they have trouble getting them done each month. When asked I tell them it’s because the pay is too low for what is required. The few times I have done this job it has been with a bonus pay out because the company has needed it done and done NOW.
So as I said earlier it depends on the job and you. If you love that particular pizza brand, don’t mind it has to be cut and handled a lot, then reheated. This job would be fine, especially if you live next door to it.
You might not want to mess with meal leftovers the way I did on the sit down meal, so the $70 layout wouldn’t be for you. Don’t need a pair sneakers, then don’t do the shoe shop. It’s all in evaluating what all is involved.
Another BIG thing to consider is some of the companies take up to 90 days to send your reimbursement check. Can you afford to wait for that $70 to come back in 90 days? What if you don’t get the bartender’s name, or do the write up properly. Can you afford to be completely out the $70? There is much to be considered.
Jan who prefers straight up mystery shops and merchandising in OK
Quite frankly it depends on the shop and you. A shop that requires you to make a special trip to do it and nets you only a hamburger meal is not going to be a money maker for you. However if you are in the area any way and need lunch or dinner then it’s a lunch or dinner you do not have to pack from your food stuffs at home.
Where you come out ahead on such shops are the bigger reimbursement shops. If you say truly NEED a pair of shoes, then a shoe shop that reimburses you $30 for a required purchase for a pair of shoes then you are $30 ahead. If you don’t need the shoes then it’s not a good deal. Despite what some may tell you, or you may think you cannot return the purchase for the cash back if the rules say you can’t. You will get caught returning them and you will lose your mystery shopping opportunities for that and maybe other companies.
For my family the better reimbursement only shops are the larger reimbursement dinner shops. Take the $70 reimbursement only dinner for two at a local restaurant my husband and I recently did. The meal was to include a minimum of one alcoholic beverage at the bar, either an appetizer or dessert, two different entrees, two additional beverages (no water) and tips up to 15% for both the bartender and the server.
Here’s what we had: my husband had a beer at the bar and I had a Pepsi. At this particular restaurant the designated driver gets soda pop for free. So our tab there showed the Pepsi as complimentary, but it did show I drank the soda pop so I had made my requirements in that section. We left the bartender a 15% tip.
For the appetizer we purchased chips, queso and salsa along with one ice tea and one Pepsi. This was a bottomless appetizer and we ate all we wanted until our meals came. When the meal arrived the server automatically refilled our appetizer completely, as well as our beverages.
My husband purchased a full rack of ribs with sides for his meal and I had ½ chicken and ½ rack ribs with sides. This was a tremendous amount of food. We knew we could not possibly eat that much food, but we had chosen meals we both like that when the tip was added in would come to almost exactly the remaining amount of the $70 we would be reimbursed.
We each ate our fill, eating all of the vegetables and little of the meat, then requested to go boxes for everything left on the table that we had purchased. That was a full order of the appetizer, nearly a rack of ribs and 99% of the chicken, plus our salads (we had ordered the dressing on the side), as well as the bones from the ribs we had eaten.
This we took home for future meals. From these leftovers I made the following meals for three:
1. Ribs, combined with macaroni and cheese and veggies.
2. Chicken salad sandwiches
3. Chicken and dumplings (twice so 3 x 2)
4. Taco salad
5. The salad items that had wilted went to feed our poultry.
6. The bones went to our dogs for a treat over a period of four days.
7. I used the single drumstick and wing for a lunch for just me one day.
8. The bones of the chicken were boiled after I deboned them to make broth.
9. After the chicken bones were boiled they were put in the maggot bucket to help feed the birds in the future.
So for that $70 investment I used the ingredients to combine with foods we had on hand to feed 18 meals to the humans (or an average of little less than $4 each for main meat meals) and three different treats for my animals. Plus left tips for two people working hard to pay their bills as well. Plus it was all reimbursed. So all of the above was eventually free.
Considering this shop was across the street from one that I was not out any extra fuel to go do it. In our book this shop was worth it. So it’s all in how you handle the reimbursement only shops.
I’ve turned down many such shops because they aren’t worth it. Some might even include a small fee as well in the reimbursement and I still turn them down. An example is a local carry out pizza shop and here is why.
First it pays $4 plus the reimbursement and there are none of this pizza company near my home, so it is generally a drive to do it, $4 will not even begin to cover my fuel costs. Even if it turns out near where I’ll be I will still turn them down because this is what you have to do.
1. Call in the order using a specific dialing system. This is no big deal except you are expected to record EXACTLY what is said and you are recorded while you do the shop. So if you don’t get it exact the company can refuse to pay you. I mean verbatim. Often the person on the other end of the phone speaks so fast or soft you cannot make it out exactly. So there is problem #1.
2. You are to arrive exactly on time. No big deal again, unless you get hung up in traffic. Be late, be disqualified. The few times I have done this job I made the call from a parking lot right next to the location to avoid being late.
3. Pick up the pizza exactly on time and remember a series of things exactly, including what is said at the register, again this is recorded and you can be disqualified. Not a problem, if you can listen that closely while also looking around for a series of other items you are suppose to check on in the less than five minutes you are in the pickup area.
4. Now for the fun part. As soon as you are out of sight of the pick-up area you are to stop and take photos of the pizza. The photos must be done exactly as the instructions show (they have photos to help you do it right) or you will be disqualified.
5. Then you let it cool 15 minutes—yep you don’t even get to eat the pizza hot. More photos, same rules.
6. Then you have to cut up the slices and take more photos. You must use a specific cutter that you must purchase to do this as well. You are NOT reimbursed for the cutter, but you can use it for more than one shop.
7. So now after you have photographed this more than a super model, handled it, butchered it and played with it you can eat it. If you still find it appetizing.
We seldom if ever do this shop. Especially since it is one of pizza places that is not one of our favorites and one family member doesn’t like his food handled in such a manner. The rules for their delivery are the same, only it arrives even colder and you have to tip the delivery person—hey they are working hard for a living they deserve a tip!
The company that hires you to do this job wonders why they have trouble getting them done each month. When asked I tell them it’s because the pay is too low for what is required. The few times I have done this job it has been with a bonus pay out because the company has needed it done and done NOW.
So as I said earlier it depends on the job and you. If you love that particular pizza brand, don’t mind it has to be cut and handled a lot, then reheated. This job would be fine, especially if you live next door to it.
You might not want to mess with meal leftovers the way I did on the sit down meal, so the $70 layout wouldn’t be for you. Don’t need a pair sneakers, then don’t do the shoe shop. It’s all in evaluating what all is involved.
Another BIG thing to consider is some of the companies take up to 90 days to send your reimbursement check. Can you afford to wait for that $70 to come back in 90 days? What if you don’t get the bartender’s name, or do the write up properly. Can you afford to be completely out the $70? There is much to be considered.
Jan who prefers straight up mystery shops and merchandising in OK
Saturday, January 16, 2010
ARE YOU WHAT YOU APPEAR TO BE?
Includes recipes for homemade slice and bake cookies, Asian Marinade, and Marinated Garden Vegetables
Janurary 17, 2010
As I prepared my elegant lunch I laughed a bit. Our finances are at an all time low right now, but I was having what would have been considered a high dollar lunch by some. Butterflied shrimp, marinated vegetables, herbal tea and artisan bread, with hot from the oven plump large oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert was my lunch menu for the day. A $15 lunch easily at your better restaurants, but not here at home.
The four shrimp were from an on sale purchase months before the big lay off. I had vacuum packed them in individual serving bags. I’m the only family member that eats shrimp so when it was purchased I divide it up in 4 shrimp serving sizes. The bulk purchased shrimp, for under $12 made 11 lunches for me over the months that followed.
The marinated vegetables were broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and cucumber that I had put in a jar of bread and butter pickle juice when I finished the jar of home canned pickles. More of those same fresh vegetables would show up that evening to be added to forty-nine cent a pound chicken leg quarters meat that had been cooked and deboned, then mixed with a homemade stir fry marinade to serve over bulk purchased home cooked rice for a fine Chinese meal.
The herbal tea was unfortunately store purchased tea bags, but I am putting in a fine herb garden this year to get past that for next year. Even though it was purchased tea, it had been bought on sale with a coupon.
As I have mentioned before I love the cookbook “Artisan Bread in Less Than Five Minutes a Day”. The bread was leftover from a previous meal. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were homemade slice and bake cookies. It’s so handy to just slice off a few cookies and bake what you want for a hot, fresh treat.
The point to all this is, even when you are down on your finances you can still eat elegantly and well with just a little pre-planning and scratch cooking. The two meals I described could have cost as much as $30 per person in a restaurant, I made both for less than $5 person and as a dear lady I correspond says “have encores.”
As with any S.H.E. (Sidetracked Home Executive) one thought lead to another. I started thinking about how we each go through our lives and sometimes forget how different we look to the outside world in comparison to the reality that is us.
Yesterday is a prime example of this. I did movie theater and restaurant mystery shops all day. I appeared to be a well dressed business woman who had a good lunch at a “sit down” restaurant with her husband, that she cheerfully paid $40 for.
Later that day we saw a movie together then ate a $10 hamburger meal at an upscale burger restaurant. Of course during the day we stopped by a bank to cash a check and chat with the tellers. Anyone following us around would have thought us an affluent couple.
The reality check is this. I was working for about minimum wage after all the expenses were taken out. My fine wardrobe consisted of hand-me-up clothing from my sister-in-law, thrift shop finds, and on sale purchases. The outfit was several years old and had originally cost me less than $10.
I would be reimbursed the entire $40 lunch meal, including tip but would not receive any pay for my report. The company figures the two meals more than pays for your time. I cashed the check while doing a bank shop, and then placed it in my mystery shopping budget envelope as per my monthly budget. If I did not have enough money in my budget for the envelope that shop would not have been accepted.
I got paid a small amount for taking time out of my day to cash that check and then report on the teller’s performance.
The $10 burger meal was paid for by another mystery shopping company, only they generously paid me a small amount for my time as well.
Fantasy vs reality. Today people waded mud to come to my home to purchase items I have up for sale so I might cover my bills. In the aftermath of winter storms, visits from Murphy and mud sucking at our boots we looked like Ma and Pa Kettle I am certain. Yet to us the cut but not stacked firewood, the dead hot water tank sitting on the back deck and the mud all represent a future that looks good.
We will be warm and have hot water to wash that mud off with. The mud is the result of a good solid soaking that will help make our spring gardens rich. Those gardens will produce food to feed our bodies while sharing the adventure of this new chapter of our life will feed our souls. The old hot water tank is waiting for a friend who home processes chickens to pick up to turn into a scalder for that job. A recycling project that is good for the enviroment and helps out a friend with their own family goals.
As I finished cooking my shrimp I thought “My grandmother was right. It is not how others see you that counts. It’s how you truly are that does.
So that this isn’t a total think piece I am including a couple of the recipes that I mentioned earlier for those of you who are following the blog mainly for the recipes.
Oatmeal Raisin ( or any flavor) Slice and Bake Cookies.
Make a double, triple or quadruple batch of your favorite cookie dough. Lay out flat a piece of aluminum foil the length you can comfortably store in your freezer.
Next lay a sheet of waxed paper the same size on top of the foil.
On the wax paper place a solid roll of the cookie dough the size you would like your raw cookies would be. Be sure to mold it smooth and solid.
Roll the dough in the wax paper, twisting the ends shut . Then wrap in the foil. Repeat until you have all the dough packaged up.
I use file folder labels to make my labels for home canned, dried or frozen foods. They stick well and are cheap. Even cheaper is if you have access to the paper discarded from making CD labels it works equally as well, is self adhesive and helps in recycling efforts.
Labeling should include the date made, the cooking time and temperature. Freeze until needed then thaw slightly, slice to the desired thickness and bake. Fast, quick, cheaper than store bought and so delicious!
MARINATED VEGETABLES and PICKLED EGGS
The next time you empty the pickles out of a pickle jar, no matter the flavor slice up any vegetable you like pickled and add them to the jar until the jar is packed and the pickle juice completely covers the vegetables. Keep refrigerated. You can also pickle boiled eggs this way. Pickled beet juice makes for a wonderful pickled egg.
ASIAN STIR FRY MARINADE
I make this up by the big batch and freeze it in 1 cup containers to use with anything I want to add an Asian flair to.
6 TBL cornstarch
¾ tsp garlic powder
2 ¼ tsp instant beef bullion granuals
¾ tsp onion powder
6 tbl wine or rice wine vinegar
6 TBL water
1 ½ tsp grated fresh ginger (JP NOTE: I keep my ginger root in the freezer and it makes grating so much easier)
¾ C low sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes this marinade too salty)
¾ C dark corn syrup
2 2/3 C water
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Using a wire whisk add the vinegar, 6 TBL of water and ginger. Stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Makes approximately 5 Cups marinade. If you are going to use it within 4 weeks in can be stored in a single five cup container in the refrigerator. It also freezes well. I divide it up between 6 containers, date, label and freeze. Once it’s froze rock hard I pop it out of the plastic container I froze it in and place it in a vacuum sealed bag. Label and freeze for long term storage.
USES: JP NOTE; when you use this be sure and stir it well before using as the cornstarch will settle to the bottom of the bowl.
Marinade any meat you would like to broil or grill in it for a great taste.
I marinade meats(either cooked or raw) that I’m going to stir fry in it for about 30 minutes. Stir fry the meat briefly, add the vegetables of choice and the remaining marinade to the skillet and stir fry quickly until marinade has thickened. As always use common sense and caution when using marinades you have had raw meats in. When in doubt throw out the batch you marinated the raw meat in and use a fresh container for cooking.
Substitute for teriyaki sauce in any recipe for a slightly different taste.
Jan who should not be left alone with her thoughts too long in OK
Janurary 17, 2010
As I prepared my elegant lunch I laughed a bit. Our finances are at an all time low right now, but I was having what would have been considered a high dollar lunch by some. Butterflied shrimp, marinated vegetables, herbal tea and artisan bread, with hot from the oven plump large oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert was my lunch menu for the day. A $15 lunch easily at your better restaurants, but not here at home.
The four shrimp were from an on sale purchase months before the big lay off. I had vacuum packed them in individual serving bags. I’m the only family member that eats shrimp so when it was purchased I divide it up in 4 shrimp serving sizes. The bulk purchased shrimp, for under $12 made 11 lunches for me over the months that followed.
The marinated vegetables were broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and cucumber that I had put in a jar of bread and butter pickle juice when I finished the jar of home canned pickles. More of those same fresh vegetables would show up that evening to be added to forty-nine cent a pound chicken leg quarters meat that had been cooked and deboned, then mixed with a homemade stir fry marinade to serve over bulk purchased home cooked rice for a fine Chinese meal.
The herbal tea was unfortunately store purchased tea bags, but I am putting in a fine herb garden this year to get past that for next year. Even though it was purchased tea, it had been bought on sale with a coupon.
As I have mentioned before I love the cookbook “Artisan Bread in Less Than Five Minutes a Day”. The bread was leftover from a previous meal. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were homemade slice and bake cookies. It’s so handy to just slice off a few cookies and bake what you want for a hot, fresh treat.
The point to all this is, even when you are down on your finances you can still eat elegantly and well with just a little pre-planning and scratch cooking. The two meals I described could have cost as much as $30 per person in a restaurant, I made both for less than $5 person and as a dear lady I correspond says “have encores.”
As with any S.H.E. (Sidetracked Home Executive) one thought lead to another. I started thinking about how we each go through our lives and sometimes forget how different we look to the outside world in comparison to the reality that is us.
Yesterday is a prime example of this. I did movie theater and restaurant mystery shops all day. I appeared to be a well dressed business woman who had a good lunch at a “sit down” restaurant with her husband, that she cheerfully paid $40 for.
Later that day we saw a movie together then ate a $10 hamburger meal at an upscale burger restaurant. Of course during the day we stopped by a bank to cash a check and chat with the tellers. Anyone following us around would have thought us an affluent couple.
The reality check is this. I was working for about minimum wage after all the expenses were taken out. My fine wardrobe consisted of hand-me-up clothing from my sister-in-law, thrift shop finds, and on sale purchases. The outfit was several years old and had originally cost me less than $10.
I would be reimbursed the entire $40 lunch meal, including tip but would not receive any pay for my report. The company figures the two meals more than pays for your time. I cashed the check while doing a bank shop, and then placed it in my mystery shopping budget envelope as per my monthly budget. If I did not have enough money in my budget for the envelope that shop would not have been accepted.
I got paid a small amount for taking time out of my day to cash that check and then report on the teller’s performance.
The $10 burger meal was paid for by another mystery shopping company, only they generously paid me a small amount for my time as well.
Fantasy vs reality. Today people waded mud to come to my home to purchase items I have up for sale so I might cover my bills. In the aftermath of winter storms, visits from Murphy and mud sucking at our boots we looked like Ma and Pa Kettle I am certain. Yet to us the cut but not stacked firewood, the dead hot water tank sitting on the back deck and the mud all represent a future that looks good.
We will be warm and have hot water to wash that mud off with. The mud is the result of a good solid soaking that will help make our spring gardens rich. Those gardens will produce food to feed our bodies while sharing the adventure of this new chapter of our life will feed our souls. The old hot water tank is waiting for a friend who home processes chickens to pick up to turn into a scalder for that job. A recycling project that is good for the enviroment and helps out a friend with their own family goals.
As I finished cooking my shrimp I thought “My grandmother was right. It is not how others see you that counts. It’s how you truly are that does.
So that this isn’t a total think piece I am including a couple of the recipes that I mentioned earlier for those of you who are following the blog mainly for the recipes.
Oatmeal Raisin ( or any flavor) Slice and Bake Cookies.
Make a double, triple or quadruple batch of your favorite cookie dough. Lay out flat a piece of aluminum foil the length you can comfortably store in your freezer.
Next lay a sheet of waxed paper the same size on top of the foil.
On the wax paper place a solid roll of the cookie dough the size you would like your raw cookies would be. Be sure to mold it smooth and solid.
Roll the dough in the wax paper, twisting the ends shut . Then wrap in the foil. Repeat until you have all the dough packaged up.
I use file folder labels to make my labels for home canned, dried or frozen foods. They stick well and are cheap. Even cheaper is if you have access to the paper discarded from making CD labels it works equally as well, is self adhesive and helps in recycling efforts.
Labeling should include the date made, the cooking time and temperature. Freeze until needed then thaw slightly, slice to the desired thickness and bake. Fast, quick, cheaper than store bought and so delicious!
MARINATED VEGETABLES and PICKLED EGGS
The next time you empty the pickles out of a pickle jar, no matter the flavor slice up any vegetable you like pickled and add them to the jar until the jar is packed and the pickle juice completely covers the vegetables. Keep refrigerated. You can also pickle boiled eggs this way. Pickled beet juice makes for a wonderful pickled egg.
ASIAN STIR FRY MARINADE
I make this up by the big batch and freeze it in 1 cup containers to use with anything I want to add an Asian flair to.
6 TBL cornstarch
¾ tsp garlic powder
2 ¼ tsp instant beef bullion granuals
¾ tsp onion powder
6 tbl wine or rice wine vinegar
6 TBL water
1 ½ tsp grated fresh ginger (JP NOTE: I keep my ginger root in the freezer and it makes grating so much easier)
¾ C low sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes this marinade too salty)
¾ C dark corn syrup
2 2/3 C water
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Using a wire whisk add the vinegar, 6 TBL of water and ginger. Stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Makes approximately 5 Cups marinade. If you are going to use it within 4 weeks in can be stored in a single five cup container in the refrigerator. It also freezes well. I divide it up between 6 containers, date, label and freeze. Once it’s froze rock hard I pop it out of the plastic container I froze it in and place it in a vacuum sealed bag. Label and freeze for long term storage.
USES: JP NOTE; when you use this be sure and stir it well before using as the cornstarch will settle to the bottom of the bowl.
Marinade any meat you would like to broil or grill in it for a great taste.
I marinade meats(either cooked or raw) that I’m going to stir fry in it for about 30 minutes. Stir fry the meat briefly, add the vegetables of choice and the remaining marinade to the skillet and stir fry quickly until marinade has thickened. As always use common sense and caution when using marinades you have had raw meats in. When in doubt throw out the batch you marinated the raw meat in and use a fresh container for cooking.
Substitute for teriyaki sauce in any recipe for a slightly different taste.
Jan who should not be left alone with her thoughts too long in OK
Thursday, January 7, 2010
PUTTING THE BREAD MACHINE THROUGH ITS PACES
Includes recipes for bagels and Almond Poppy Seed Bread
January 7, 2010
I confess, I’m a lazy bread maker. My family loves the goodness of homemade breads, but I’m simply too lazy to knead it out by hand. So I tend to make recipes from the “Artisan Bread in Less Than Five Minutes a Day” cookbook or use my two bread machines. Yep two, one of them is part of my toaster oven, but I often have both of them going at once. This last few days I’ve been using them one at a time, but I’ve still been using that one pretty regularly.
On the fifth I made Almond Poppy Seed Bread, and boy was it good. We ate some of it hot with butter immediately, but it toasted up yummy for breakfast the next day too. The recipe will of course follow. I am also including how I create my own Master Mixes.
I didn’t bake on the sixth because it was my 60th birthday and I had mystery shops to do. Of course Murphy came to wish me a Happy Birthday and killed both of the batteries on our dually truck as a gift. There went the profits from those few shops. OH WELL, this too shall pass.
Today I had a new experience for me. I decided to make bagels. I had always shied away from doing this because they are time eaters to make. While I worked at them for a while the results were well worth the effort and now I’m anxious to come up with variations on them. The recipe for those follow as well.
I’ve got shops to do tomorrow, so there will be no baking tomorrow, but I’m thinking I may try my hand at pita bread during this next week.
Jan who is keeping this post short but sweet in OK
ALMOND POPPY SEED BREAD
(JP NOTE) The recipe I used had it broke down for various size machines in flour equivalents, meaning that if you normally use X cups of flour in your bread machine to make a normal loaf of bread this is what you would use to make the proper size loaf. The 3 sizes it used as a comparison are 2, 2 ½ and 3 cups. For this recipe I will list the ingredient and then in that order (smallest to largest) list the amount for the corresponding size. Pick the column that is right for your machine..
Buttermilk-- ¾ C, 7/8 C, 1, 1/8 C
Butter—3 TBL, 3 ½ TBL, 4 TBL
Almond Extract—1 TBL, 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL (JP NOTE—we felt the recipe actually needs a little more of this ingredient, but adjust to your tastes)
Brown Sugar-- 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL, 2 TBL
Salt—1/4 tsp, 1/3 tsp. ½ tsp
Poppy Seeds—1 TBL, 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL
Baking Soda—1/4 tsp, 1/3 tsp, ½ tsp
Bread Flour—2 C, 2 ½ C, 3 C
Yeast—1 tsp, 1 ½ tsp, 2 tsp
Chopped Almonds—1/3 C, ½ C, 2/3 C
Put your ingredients in the order your manufacturer recommends. Bake on the white/sweet bread light to medium setting.
IF I were to make this into a Master Mix what I would do would pick the size bread I would be making. Then from that list of ingredients I would decide on how much mix would fit in my biggest mixing bowl (13 cups of mix for the white and green one, 16 cups for my big red one). Since my bread machine is the largest size I would then use the big red bowl and multiply all the dry ingredients (except the yeast) by 4 (which allows for stirring neatly with the wire whisk in that particular bowl). In those dry ingredients I would include using dry buttermilk. Then the proper amount of water for the recipe would be added with the almond extract, butter and yeast on the baking day.
So the ingredient list would then look like:
ALMOND POPPY SEED BREAD MACHINE MASTER MIX
1 C dry buttermilk (JP NOTE: from the package 4 TBL of the mix to make 1 cup of buttermilk 4 TBL = ¼ cup so 4 x ¼ c= 1 cup)
½ C brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. salt
6 TBL poppy seeds
2 tsp baking soda
12 C. Bread Flour
Mix all the ingredients together well. I recommend using a wire whisk to do this. Store in an airtight container, date and label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months.
To make Almond Poppy Seed bread
Use:
2 Cups Mix
1 C warm water
4 TBL butter
1 ½ TBL Almond extract
2 tsp yeast
2/3 C chopped almonds
Place in the machine via the manufacturer’s recommendation, bake on the sweet bread setting.
Now for the bagel recipe.
BAGELS
Again this had 2 sizes 1 ½ pound (9 bagels) and 2 pound (12 bagels), I’ll put the two pound ingredient amount in ().
1 C (1 1/3 C) milk
2 tsp (1 TBL) water
3 C (4 C) bread flour
1 TBL (4 tsp) sugar
¾ tsp (1 tsp) salt
1 tsp (1 ¼ tsp) yeast
1 (1) egg white, slightly beaten
1 (1) TBL water
Poppy Seeds, or Sesame Seeds, optional
Add first 6 ingredients to bread machine per the manufacturer’s recommendation. Use the dough cycle. At the end of the dough cycle remove dough from bread machine and punch down the dough. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. (If your machine has a bagel cycle use that and you don’t need to punch down and rest because the machine will do this for you).
Working quickly divide the dough into 9 (12) equal parts. Shape each into a smooth ball. Punch a hole in the middle of each ball and pull it gently to enlarge the hole to about 2”. Place on a greased large baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes (timing from the forming of the first bagel).
Broil, 5 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes (DO NOT ALLOW TO BROWN—WATCH CLOSELY)
While they are broiling bring 4 C water and 1 TBL sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and add bagels 4 or 5 at a time. Simmer for 7 minutes (turning over once). Drain on toweling. The bagels might fall slightly when doing this, but will rise again during the baking process. Place on a well greased large baking sheet. Mix egg white with water and brush on the top of the bagels. IF desired sprinkle with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from baking sheet, cool on racks.
January 7, 2010
I confess, I’m a lazy bread maker. My family loves the goodness of homemade breads, but I’m simply too lazy to knead it out by hand. So I tend to make recipes from the “Artisan Bread in Less Than Five Minutes a Day” cookbook or use my two bread machines. Yep two, one of them is part of my toaster oven, but I often have both of them going at once. This last few days I’ve been using them one at a time, but I’ve still been using that one pretty regularly.
On the fifth I made Almond Poppy Seed Bread, and boy was it good. We ate some of it hot with butter immediately, but it toasted up yummy for breakfast the next day too. The recipe will of course follow. I am also including how I create my own Master Mixes.
I didn’t bake on the sixth because it was my 60th birthday and I had mystery shops to do. Of course Murphy came to wish me a Happy Birthday and killed both of the batteries on our dually truck as a gift. There went the profits from those few shops. OH WELL, this too shall pass.
Today I had a new experience for me. I decided to make bagels. I had always shied away from doing this because they are time eaters to make. While I worked at them for a while the results were well worth the effort and now I’m anxious to come up with variations on them. The recipe for those follow as well.
I’ve got shops to do tomorrow, so there will be no baking tomorrow, but I’m thinking I may try my hand at pita bread during this next week.
Jan who is keeping this post short but sweet in OK
ALMOND POPPY SEED BREAD
(JP NOTE) The recipe I used had it broke down for various size machines in flour equivalents, meaning that if you normally use X cups of flour in your bread machine to make a normal loaf of bread this is what you would use to make the proper size loaf. The 3 sizes it used as a comparison are 2, 2 ½ and 3 cups. For this recipe I will list the ingredient and then in that order (smallest to largest) list the amount for the corresponding size. Pick the column that is right for your machine..
Buttermilk-- ¾ C, 7/8 C, 1, 1/8 C
Butter—3 TBL, 3 ½ TBL, 4 TBL
Almond Extract—1 TBL, 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL (JP NOTE—we felt the recipe actually needs a little more of this ingredient, but adjust to your tastes)
Brown Sugar-- 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL, 2 TBL
Salt—1/4 tsp, 1/3 tsp. ½ tsp
Poppy Seeds—1 TBL, 1 1/3 TBL, 1 ½ TBL
Baking Soda—1/4 tsp, 1/3 tsp, ½ tsp
Bread Flour—2 C, 2 ½ C, 3 C
Yeast—1 tsp, 1 ½ tsp, 2 tsp
Chopped Almonds—1/3 C, ½ C, 2/3 C
Put your ingredients in the order your manufacturer recommends. Bake on the white/sweet bread light to medium setting.
IF I were to make this into a Master Mix what I would do would pick the size bread I would be making. Then from that list of ingredients I would decide on how much mix would fit in my biggest mixing bowl (13 cups of mix for the white and green one, 16 cups for my big red one). Since my bread machine is the largest size I would then use the big red bowl and multiply all the dry ingredients (except the yeast) by 4 (which allows for stirring neatly with the wire whisk in that particular bowl). In those dry ingredients I would include using dry buttermilk. Then the proper amount of water for the recipe would be added with the almond extract, butter and yeast on the baking day.
So the ingredient list would then look like:
ALMOND POPPY SEED BREAD MACHINE MASTER MIX
1 C dry buttermilk (JP NOTE: from the package 4 TBL of the mix to make 1 cup of buttermilk 4 TBL = ¼ cup so 4 x ¼ c= 1 cup)
½ C brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. salt
6 TBL poppy seeds
2 tsp baking soda
12 C. Bread Flour
Mix all the ingredients together well. I recommend using a wire whisk to do this. Store in an airtight container, date and label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months.
To make Almond Poppy Seed bread
Use:
2 Cups Mix
1 C warm water
4 TBL butter
1 ½ TBL Almond extract
2 tsp yeast
2/3 C chopped almonds
Place in the machine via the manufacturer’s recommendation, bake on the sweet bread setting.
Now for the bagel recipe.
BAGELS
Again this had 2 sizes 1 ½ pound (9 bagels) and 2 pound (12 bagels), I’ll put the two pound ingredient amount in ().
1 C (1 1/3 C) milk
2 tsp (1 TBL) water
3 C (4 C) bread flour
1 TBL (4 tsp) sugar
¾ tsp (1 tsp) salt
1 tsp (1 ¼ tsp) yeast
1 (1) egg white, slightly beaten
1 (1) TBL water
Poppy Seeds, or Sesame Seeds, optional
Add first 6 ingredients to bread machine per the manufacturer’s recommendation. Use the dough cycle. At the end of the dough cycle remove dough from bread machine and punch down the dough. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. (If your machine has a bagel cycle use that and you don’t need to punch down and rest because the machine will do this for you).
Working quickly divide the dough into 9 (12) equal parts. Shape each into a smooth ball. Punch a hole in the middle of each ball and pull it gently to enlarge the hole to about 2”. Place on a greased large baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes (timing from the forming of the first bagel).
Broil, 5 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes (DO NOT ALLOW TO BROWN—WATCH CLOSELY)
While they are broiling bring 4 C water and 1 TBL sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and add bagels 4 or 5 at a time. Simmer for 7 minutes (turning over once). Drain on toweling. The bagels might fall slightly when doing this, but will rise again during the baking process. Place on a well greased large baking sheet. Mix egg white with water and brush on the top of the bagels. IF desired sprinkle with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from baking sheet, cool on racks.
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