This week started out with Donna working the bar Monday night and me saying I would take a couple to Cheyenne to get a car. Donna not a happy camper over me not asking her about it, but she was right there and she knows I don't always have my head on straight. Anyway, I took Steve and Gina to Cheyenne to get a car. Drove up there and let them out on this lot. I then went to Tandy Leather and Hobby Lobby, got what I wanted an went back to the Lot. They were just taking a car for a test drive, so I rode along. A Gran Prix SE, pretty nice car. Got back and they started paper work. I had forgot a couple things, so off I go across Cheyenne a way I hadn't ever went. Did OK till I thought I knew were I was so I turned left and then right--onto a one way street. Thank God I didn't have far to go till there was a turn off. Ended up west of the Air Force field but right on Dell Range. Went to Target and got the insert for my coffee machine and stopped at Petco and got some dog bones for Poco and Buster for Xmas. Met Steve and Gina at Sapp's truck stop, for lunch. (Gas in Wyoming was 2.95, in Nebraska 3.36).
Thursday I seemed to be catching Donna's cold, Dale was doing bids and told me to go home and take it easy. I went to Safeway and bought meds. Tinkered in garage and cut some wood for the fire. Then on Friday we started the job for Connie at Jimmie's. Did the tear down and then yesterday we finished with the beams. We did a rather good job I thought, Only problem was I backed into one of the supports and broke it. Of course there is no place open on Saturday so we now have to fix it on a day next week. We believe that we have a bathroom job next week for Julie.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Aftermath
Well, I am back infront of the computer again and I've had so much that I was going to write and now I'm brain dead. Still dealing with mom dying. It all seems so surreal. It is almost scarey. Not that I wanted her to pass but there was so much stuff that I had always wanted and she had always said, "You can have it when I die".
Well here I am 62 years old, and now I have this stuff. What am I ever going to do with it, now? There is a beautiful set of Bavarian china that was my Great Aunt Stella's. I have wanted that set of china for 40 years now. Now I got it and will I ever use it? I don't think so, but I would have 40 years ago. 3o years ago, I got Great Aunt Vera's Candlewick goblets and sherberts. Along with a set of china that is called "Mountain Bell" have heard two different stories on them. One that they were premium for buying so much at Safeway, and that they were a gift from one of her relatives. Either way I have used them at Thanksgiving and Christmas when I was here. Most of the time I have been back home for those holidays. But am guessing those days are gone.
Well here I am 62 years old, and now I have this stuff. What am I ever going to do with it, now? There is a beautiful set of Bavarian china that was my Great Aunt Stella's. I have wanted that set of china for 40 years now. Now I got it and will I ever use it? I don't think so, but I would have 40 years ago. 3o years ago, I got Great Aunt Vera's Candlewick goblets and sherberts. Along with a set of china that is called "Mountain Bell" have heard two different stories on them. One that they were premium for buying so much at Safeway, and that they were a gift from one of her relatives. Either way I have used them at Thanksgiving and Christmas when I was here. Most of the time I have been back home for those holidays. But am guessing those days are gone.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Wine Day
Awoke this morning to a snowy, windy, cold day. Well I knew that I had to charge the battery on Jules car as we cleaned the battery posts yesterday and then I left the keys in it and must have not gotten it turned off. Well it was the battery. I drug the extension cord out and the battery charger. Hooked it up and charged the battery. It started and all is OK. I also got her two tires for her car at the junk yard or recycler as it is known now. I started a fire in the stove for the dog. Poor puppy!
Now I am in the basement and decided to make a couple batches of wine. I had some grape juice that is just getting old. So "30 Day Wine" I call it "Hillbilly Wine" as the recipe is from Tennessee. Drinkable in 30 days.
Makes 1 gallon.
24 oz. welch's frozen concentrated grape juice, thawed
3 Cups granulated sugar
1 package Wine Yeast
enough water to make up one gallon
Mix all ingredients together well with water fill jug about an inch below the shoulders. Cover with a clean rag secured with a rubber band. (I use an air lock) Keep in a dark place about 70 degrees. About 2 weeks later replace the rag with a good thick piece of plastic wrap. After 30 days from the start date, siphon wine off from the sediment in the bottom and drink. For a good old "Mad Dog 20/20" type wine, add a pint of cheap blackberry brandy to the mix before drinking.
This is a simple recipe for 30 day wine. Many old hillbillies in Tennessee still use this one, and wouldn't have it any other way.
My specialty is Rhubarb Wine this was the first wine I ever made and it has always turned out very good. The secret is not to break open that bottle for a year, to a year and a half. It only gets better with age.
Rhubarb Wine
3 lbs. Rhubarb sliced up and frozen
1 -4 inch Cinnamon stick (optional)
15 0z. Golden Raisins (optional)
7 Cups granulated sugar
2 campden tablets, crushed
1 tsp. nutrients
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 pkg. Wine yeast
1 gallon Water
Put water in primary fermentor:(I use either a large stainless steel pot or a clean wastebasket I bought for just this purpose.) Add pectic enzyme and campden tablets, Stir well. Add rhubarb and raisins, Stir well and let sit 2 days, stirring regularly.(best to put somewhere, where it is around 70 degrees)
After 2 days, strain, but DO NOT squeeze.
Return liquid to primary fermentor. Dissolve sugar and nutrients in the liquid. Check Specific Gravity. It should be between 1.100 and 1.11o. Add yeast and mix well. Cover primary fermentor. Let sit overnight.
Siphon into secondary fermentor, add cinnamon stick(if using) and attach airlock.
Dry Wine: Rack in 3 weeks, again in 3 months and every 3 months until 1 year old. Bottle
Sweet Wine: Rack in 3 weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup of wine. Stir gently. Repeat this process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every 3 months up to a year. Bottle
(I don't necessarily wait a year to bottle my wine. If it has cleared sufficiently, I will bottle it anywhere from the first 3 months, on.)
This is also very good using brown sugar in the place of the granulated sugar. I am going to add some cloves along with the cinnamon stick this time. It's always fun to do variations and see what it comes out like.
I have found that you can make wine making as easy or as complicated as you like. I am a believer in the "KISS" method in both my wine and my life. (KISS - Keep it simple stupid)
Now I am in the basement and decided to make a couple batches of wine. I had some grape juice that is just getting old. So "30 Day Wine" I call it "Hillbilly Wine" as the recipe is from Tennessee. Drinkable in 30 days.
Makes 1 gallon.
24 oz. welch's frozen concentrated grape juice, thawed
3 Cups granulated sugar
1 package Wine Yeast
enough water to make up one gallon
Mix all ingredients together well with water fill jug about an inch below the shoulders. Cover with a clean rag secured with a rubber band. (I use an air lock) Keep in a dark place about 70 degrees. About 2 weeks later replace the rag with a good thick piece of plastic wrap. After 30 days from the start date, siphon wine off from the sediment in the bottom and drink. For a good old "Mad Dog 20/20" type wine, add a pint of cheap blackberry brandy to the mix before drinking.
This is a simple recipe for 30 day wine. Many old hillbillies in Tennessee still use this one, and wouldn't have it any other way.
My specialty is Rhubarb Wine this was the first wine I ever made and it has always turned out very good. The secret is not to break open that bottle for a year, to a year and a half. It only gets better with age.
Rhubarb Wine
3 lbs. Rhubarb sliced up and frozen
1 -4 inch Cinnamon stick (optional)
15 0z. Golden Raisins (optional)
7 Cups granulated sugar
2 campden tablets, crushed
1 tsp. nutrients
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 pkg. Wine yeast
1 gallon Water
Put water in primary fermentor:(I use either a large stainless steel pot or a clean wastebasket I bought for just this purpose.) Add pectic enzyme and campden tablets, Stir well. Add rhubarb and raisins, Stir well and let sit 2 days, stirring regularly.(best to put somewhere, where it is around 70 degrees)
After 2 days, strain, but DO NOT squeeze.
Return liquid to primary fermentor. Dissolve sugar and nutrients in the liquid. Check Specific Gravity. It should be between 1.100 and 1.11o. Add yeast and mix well. Cover primary fermentor. Let sit overnight.
Siphon into secondary fermentor, add cinnamon stick(if using) and attach airlock.
Dry Wine: Rack in 3 weeks, again in 3 months and every 3 months until 1 year old. Bottle
Sweet Wine: Rack in 3 weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup of wine. Stir gently. Repeat this process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every 3 months up to a year. Bottle
(I don't necessarily wait a year to bottle my wine. If it has cleared sufficiently, I will bottle it anywhere from the first 3 months, on.)
This is also very good using brown sugar in the place of the granulated sugar. I am going to add some cloves along with the cinnamon stick this time. It's always fun to do variations and see what it comes out like.
I have found that you can make wine making as easy or as complicated as you like. I am a believer in the "KISS" method in both my wine and my life. (KISS - Keep it simple stupid)
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