The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

Something just so incredibly funny just happened that I HAVE to share it with someone!!!

We live in a fairly small manufacturing/farming town here in Iowa.  My neighborhood is pretty nice and quiet, and we live on a cul-de-sac that has 6 houses on it.  I went outside to check on my daughter, and I saw my elderly neighbor's twin sister parked in front of my next-door neighbor's mailbox.  She had a piece of something in her hand that looked like sandpaper, and she was rubbing at the top of the mailbox.  After a minute or so, she got in her car and drove two houses down, to her sister's house.

I found it peculiar that this lady would be messing with my neighbor's mailbox at all.  The owner of the mailbox is the dietician for our Hyvee grocery store...and this reminded me that I needed to give her a call on some business.  While I was talking to her, I HAD to mention the odd mailbox-sanding incident.  She found it so very weird and peculiar also!  Although her mailbox pole is black and rather modern, the box itself is silver.  I jokingly told her that when she comes home, she might find that her mailbox has been painted for her!

Well, I just went out to get my mail and nearly choked!!  Indeed, the mailbox is now painted black!!!  LMAO...what I want to know is WHO does that?  It was a nice gesture maybe, but I don't think she wanted it painted.  She said she liked the aged patina. 

I was just thinking about all of the events that are lined up for us throughout the year.  Our church and Catholic school is very much intertwined as one, so any type of fundraiser becomes a huge group effort, even to those who no longer have children in the school.

Besides bringing basket items and baked good/appetizers for our Bazaar and Show Boat events, I love to help out in the kitchen.  I am officially a life-time member of the "apple salad team".  This consists of one man who uses a gadget to core/slice the apples, while a bunch of us ladies peel and chop them.  Then goes in the celery, nuts, and mayo-dressing, and large bowls of this are placed on the tables during our Bazaar lunch.  My fingers are so sore after doing this!

And usually before Thanksgiving, there is a large pie event.  Last year, we got together at the school cafeteria and made many, many fruit pies from scratch.  These are frozen and sold as a fundraiser for about $10 each.  Since this is before the Thanksgiving rush, we literally sell OUT.  I am really looking forward to helping with this again this year, probably within a month or so.  It is just a really great, fun time to get together and accomplish something.  And though I tend to be the youngest one, it has helped me to meet people and feel like part of the community.  It has also taught me that there is no shame in wearing an apron... even if mine does say "BAM!" across the front of it ;-) 

This weather we have been having in the Midwest has Fall on my mind, so I guess that is why I am thinking of this stuff.  It is my favorite time of the year.  With the cooler temperatures, there is just a Fall feel to the air.  I am ready to go to the pumpkin patch, freeze apple pie filling, and enjoy bonfires and chili on the cool nights.  Do any of you all have events or traditions that you are looking forward to in the fast-approaching Fall season?

Today our Hy-Vee store is having a big "24-hour Stock-up Sale".  Among other things, split chicken breasts are .78/lb today.  At 8'oclock this morning, I picked up the last two packages.  As I waited for the butcher to bring some more out, I got to talking to another young mom also waiting for the chicken.  She said their favorite recipe was to make "Pepsi chicken."  I asked her if this was like beer-can chicken (which is a favorite in this house), because I know you can also make it with cola.  She said no... you mix together 20 oz. of Pepsi and 1 cup of ketchup, then simmer a package of bone-in chicken in it (3-4 lbs) until it is done. 

So... I have approx 22 lbs of chicken in the fridge and a recipe to try tonight.  (The rest of the chicken will be frozen to make chicken and noodles or chicken and rice later on).  I will let you all know how it turns out!

Delicious combination, no?  I am in need of a couple of good recipes, and I decided to pick the brains of my fellow board-members :-)

 

Does anyone have a homemade ice cream recipe that does NOT call for eggs?  I want to make more of a white, store-bought-like ice cream (rather than tan-colored).  Or even a recipe for ice milk, which I absolutely CAN NOT  find.

 

I am also looking for a good, homemade and can-able spaghetti sauce recipe.  I have played around with this and am still looking for one that I really like.  (The packets of Mrs Wages "Spaghetti Sauce" seasoning don't do it for me, either... the smell when it is cooking is particularly nauseating to me :P )

I love visiting the "Freebies 4 Moms" blog because it is a one-stop shop for really good free samples, coupons, etc.  Today I visited, and I really want to share two of the offers with you all. 

-Visit http://www.breadbreakthrough.com/ to request a free recipe book for no-knead yeast bread recipes.  It is sponsored by Fleishmann's yeast.  Sounds really good to me!

-Visit http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/ to get a FREE package of tomato seeds.  This is sponsored by Campbell's soup.  You have to enter a code found on the bottom of any Campbell's condensed soup can to get it, but who doesn't have a can hanging out in the cupboard?  And they are participating in an initiative to donate seeds to FFA organizations.  Every time someone requests the free packet of seeds, they donate 100 seeds to FFA.  There is also a link on the page you can click to donate 50 seeds to FFA!  How awesome is that?

I thought you all would appriciate these two freebie links since we all seem to be about growing and baking around here