The Two-Holer

Oh, his old two-holer sat back from the house

On a holly hock hill of its own

And the big blow-flies and the catalog sheets

Are something we all have known.

As long as the summer breezes played

And the wind its direction held

The hours spent in idle content

Are more than a man could tell.

Just to set and watch through the open door

As a car passed down the road

Or to review again the “undies” page

Of the good old Dears and Roe-

These things he recalled with a vivid glow

And a warm spot came to his heart

Then he thought of the way that progress came

And the two-holer and he did part.

But his old two-holer lived again

As a fish house out on the ice

The one hold held a fishing pole

The other hole-was nice.

He’d set and fish and often wish

Of the sun-filled days of yore

And like a kid again he was locked in

When the law stepped up to his door.

He could tell by the knock and the sound of the voice

That his time had come at last

So he flipped the patch and the law walked in

And to him this summons passed.

This fifteen dollar fine is for

That lock a-hanging on the door

You had me fooled for quite a spell

You just forgot to bring the smell.

                                    Source Unknown

To easily and quickly frost cupcakes, put a marshmallow on the top of reach and a couple minutes before you take them out of the oven.

To substitute for cake flour, use 1 cup of sifted all-purpose flour, minus 2 level tablespoons for each cup of cake flour called for in the recipe.

Uses For Baby Powder

-Squeaky floorboards don’t have to drive your crazy. Sprinkle some baby powder over your wood floors and sweep it back and forth working it into the cracks. Sweep away any excess and the squeaks will be silenced.

- Another use, if you have a knot in a necklace put it on a plate and sprinkle some baby powder over the chain. Then use two needles to work the knot apart. The powder works as a lubricant.

-Musty books? Sprinkle baby powder between the pages and let it sit for a few hours to a few days depending upon how musty they are. Then simply sweep out the powder with a soft paintbrush.

Apple and Lemon Jello Salad

3 oz. package lemon Jello

1-1/2 cup hot water

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup celery, chopped

3/4 cup unpeeled red apples, chopped

1/2 cup nuts, chopped

1/2 cup cabbage, chopped or shredded

            Dissolve the Jello in the hot water, add the salt and vinegar. Stir until well mixed. Add the apples, celery, nuts and cabbage. Pour into an 8 x 8 inch square pan or glass pan. Chill until set.

To make quick dumplings, simply drop corn chips into the oiling broth. Let boil gently until they fluff up and thicken the broth. You can also use a package of refrigerator buttermilk biscuits. Just take them apart and break as many as you want in small pieces and add this to your broth. Bake the rest to have has hot  biscuits with your meal.

Grime Buster

            Hate scrubbing the pesky stuck-on food that is always hardened on the bottom of a cooking pan. A great trick is to fill the pan with warm water; then add a fabric softener sheet. After an hour of soaking the bottom of the pan easily rises clean.

Six steps to Great Souffles

1.   Use soufflé dishes with tail, straight sides. A powerful stand mixer with a whisk attachment will incorporate the most air into egg whites; use a rubber or silicone spatula to fold the egg whites into the base.

2.   Lightly coat the entire soufflé dish with cooking spray. Add breadcrumbs or sugar, and roll the dish around until its completely covered.

3.   The base gives the soufflé its characteristic flavor. After the base is cooked and cooled, egg yolks and flavoring, such as vanilla or lemon juice, are added to enrich the dish.

4.  Whip the egg whites to stiff satiny peaks, but do not overbeat them. Egg whites have reached the stiff peak stage when they stand up. Overbeaten egg whites look dry and grainy.

5.   Gently fold the egg whites into the base; incorporating as much air as possible. “Cut” down the center and up the sides of the bowl, making an S motion with a spatula, rotating the bowl as you go.

Delicious Pork Chops

6 pork chops

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup beer

2 tablespoons brown sugar

            Sear chops on both sides until brown. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chops. Reduce heat, cover and cook slowly until tender, at least 1 hour. The longer these simmer, the better. Easy if you just use your electric fry pan.

For a quick and easy lunch, grind up that left over beef roast, pork roast, ham or other meat and heat with barbecue sauce and onions. Serve on buns or bread with chips and a cold drink.

Add color and flavor to salads with onion rings marinated in leftover green pickle or beet pickle juice. Chill onion rings in liquid for 24 hours or more before using.

Add a little French onion sour cream dip to the dressing of your potato salad. It’s delicious without chopping onion.

Spaghetti                                                                                                         

1 (7 oz.) package thin spaghetti

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon butter

2 cans tomato sauce-8 ounces each

1 tablespoon minced green pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 pound cottage cheese

8 oz. package cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

salt and pepper

Creamy Banana Pudding

1 can sweetened condensed milk-14 oz.

2 cups Cool Whip

36 vanilla wafers

1-1/2 cups cold water

1-3 !/2 ounces package instant vanilla pudding mix

3 medium banana’s (sliced and dipped in lemon juice)

             In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix and beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon 1 cup pudding  mixture into 2-1/2 quart round glass serving bowl. Top each with 1/3 each of vanilla wafers, bananas and pudding. Repeat layering twice ending with pudding mixture. Chill thoroughly. Garnish with wafers and bananas.

            When you bake a cake and have little time to make a frosting, here is a simple way  to frost your cake. While the cake is still warm, spread it with molasses, and sprinkle with coconut and/or nuts. This makes your cake tasty, looks frosted and save and saves time.

Sour Cream Pie

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup raisins, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cloves

            Mix all together and pour into a pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees until you think it is done. Test with a knife and if it comes out clear it is done. If desired make a meringue for the top or serve as is.

The best way to clean blinds is to spray a soft cloth with household cleaner. Close the blinds and run the cloth over the surface of the slats all at once. Pull the bottom rail away from the window and clean the underside. Close the blinds in the other direction and wipe both sides again.