Greek Hoagies - Game Meat Recipe

Nature Guy is sharing a photo of the innards of an Elk Greek Hoagie sandwich we created the other night. You could use burger, but we had elk, thanks to a dear friend, and decided to try something different. I browned the burger in a tad bit of olive oil because the meat was so lean, but just enough to keep the meat from sticking. I added a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and a bit of salt and pepper while it was cooking.
As toppings we used julienned cucumber and carrot mixed with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper. We also thinly sliced purple onion and red bell pepper.
To build the sandwich we used stadium style hot dog buns which we slathered with mayonnaise. cover one side with some of the ground meat. Top that with Feta cheese, the veggies and close. That's it! Easy and delicious!
What you will need

Greek Hoagies
1 lb. ground burger cooked and seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning
1 pkg. stadium style hot dog buns
1/2 cucumber and carrot julienne sliced, marinated in a splash of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a dash of salt and pepper
thinly sliced purple onion and red bell pepper
mayonnaise
Feta cheese

Rewiring an Antique Lamp

 I picked up this gorgeous lamp at a yard sale years ago, minus the shade. I found the shade at another sale and am loving the two together. The lamp had old wiring that was crumbling and in much need of replacement.

I finally decided to tackle this job so we could actually use the lamp, instead of just looking at it. It's really not that hard to do if you know some basics. Here are some things I learned in doing this project.
1. You can buy lamp cord at a hardware or home improvement store. Make sure you get the right cord for the job, as in the right size. I had to get a smaller cord as I found out quickly that the other I had purchased was just a tad too big.
2. light sockets come apart so you can rewire if necessary. There are two screws that will hold the wire in place. Lamp cords are made of two bundles of copper wire. You can cut down the center to the right length needed and strip each end only enough to be able to wrap each side around the little bracket that holds the screw to tighten down and hold the wire in place. I found out the hard way that you should only strip the wire about 5/8 of an inch, otherwise you will have exposed wire that can touch each other and blow a fuse as well as ruin a plug. My hubby kept saying that I should take the lamp to a local electrician, but that would have cost a pretty penny I bet so my stubborn, do-it-yourselfness came out in full force...lol.
3. You can also buy the pronged plug  and wire them the same way. I knew this as I fixed my old sewing machine by replacing the pronged plug because the wire had been tweaked so long the plug no longer worked right.
4. Fixing a lamp or appliance this way saves not only money but landfill.

Next time you are out and about a spy an old something that needs new wiring, something you could put to good use, take it home and see what you can do. You may find it as easy as pie, and gain a new skill in the process. 

What Independence Day Means to Me

Not just a day to picnic or play at the beach, today is the day to remember the great men and women who made it possible for us to live in a free country. Were they perfect? No, but they were far better than we credit them for today. That's a different topic for a different day though. It's also a day to remember the blessings we all have the opportunity to enjoy.

There are many countries in the world today where people live in fear of bombing attacks, famine, or natural disasters, all while struggling to make a living for them and their families. Their lives are in constant turmoil due to political unrest, the greed of their countrie's leaders, and restrictions placed upon them by their government. We in America have the privilege to go to school, succeed or fail, speak freely, and live in relative ease compared to most people in the world. Before you start throwing numbers at me telling me how awful this country is to our poor, let me remind you that our "poor" are far richer than even our neighbors to the south of us who live in cardboard and tin shacks with no plumbing. Plus, if you did some research you would find that the number of truly poor people in the US are by far fewer than the government tells us.

Let's think about this on a daily routine basis. You get up, head toward the kitchen and perhaps plug in your coffee maker. You open the cupboard and have a choice on what you might want for breakfast. Or you head to the fridge and do the same. After breakfast you might put your dishes in the dishwasher before heading off to a shower with hot and cold running water. In the bedroom you open the closet where there are multiple articles of clothing to choose from and since today is your day off you pick out something casual and comfy. Today you are going to a movie with friends, or to that intriguing antique mall you drove by the other day. Right now though, your favorite radio station is offering a hundred dollars if you can call in with the answer to their quiz question.

Now lets look at someone who is truly in poverty, someone in a tin shack on the outskirts of a town say in Mexico. They get up and the first thing they have to do is take the bucket to the town well and get some water for drinking and washing. A fire has to be built to cook with, if they are lucky enough to have food. After a meager breakfast he has to decide where to go to find work so he can have money to buy food. His wife stays with the little ones, sweeping her dirt floor and sewing patches on the holes in their one set of clothing to make them last a little bit longer. He is gone for 16 hours and comes home with a handful of masa and a bone that can be simmered to get some broth and perhaps a tiny bit of meat.

In thinking about what we have, it occurred to me that even in the worst of disasters most people in our country can bounce back because we have insurance, and a government willing to step in and help, among some great church and civic organizations. Other countries aren't so lucky.

I believe that our country has been blessed by God, and will continue to be so if we do our part in showing gratitude for the blessings we truly have here. Gratitude is shown by how we treat others, by the way we care for what we have, and share what we have. Gratitude is shown in our willingness to get down on our knees and thank Him for what we do have, and then getting off our knees and making life better for someone else. We show our gratitude by working hard, and teaching, yes expecting others to work if they can. That we have the freedom to work and play is such a gift! So today, would you please take a moment and talk to your children, grandchildren and loved ones about what the US means to you?

May we all have a safe and Happy Independence Day.

Sometimes Running Is For the Birds....

This happens to me quite often as I'm out for an early morning run or bike ride. I will be trudging along, minding my own business, enjoying the cool morning air and quiet when all of a sudden little black birds are flying over head, dipping towards me in an effort to send me on my way quickly. ( Little do they know that I am practically disabled this morning after yesterdays bike ride)They make the same bird noises the black birds in the movie do, although they haven't actually attacked me yet, they get pretty darn close sometimes. I suspect their nests are tucked away in the tall grasses or shrubs in the ditches and they are afraid I'm going to raid them. I thought they had gone away after I made my way up to the lake and headed back down the hill. I got pretty close to the area they first started squawking at me and thought, hmmmm maybe they have gone hunting for food, when they swarmed out of nowhere to hover over my head again. A bit unnerving in light of having seen the Hitchcock movie more than once. I imagine this will not be the case when the fledglings are out of the nest, but for now I get to wonder when and where the birds will be waiting for me.... I wonder if running up the other side of the road would work......

Cottage Chic for Wedding Gifts

It's that time of year again, when unique and meaningful wedding gifts can be somewhat hard to find. With re-purposing and up-cycling such a popular trend, why not give a gift with purpose, style and charm. These pedestal style dishes are very useful for soaps in the bathroom. They keep the muck off the counter, eliminate plastic bottles on the counter, and look stylish. Or, you can use these for jewelry and rings, even candy. There are many possibilities! Visit Simply Sheryl's for more gift ideas.

What Happens When You Drop a Dish..... Whaalaa! Artisan Jewelry!

True story...... I found a lovely little saucer at a yard sale in Wallowa, Oregon along with some other treasures I can't even remember. I had tucked the saucer up against my chest, so it was hidden from view after I found more lovelies to take home. I get up to the sales table and start taking things out of my bundle one by one. I moved the arm that had the saucer tucked in it and eeek! it crashed to the porch, shattering in several pieces. The nice lady wasn't going to charge me, but it was my mistake so I paid her anyway. I had planned on using the saucer for a pedestal dish, so that wasn't going to work. Thank goodness I had started using broken china to make pendants and dangles for jewelry.
I found gorgeous midnight blue glass rondell beads so a necklace idea was born!

You can find this at Simply Sheryl's etsy

Monday and Lilacs ....

A lilac scented breeze tickled my cheeks as I meandered up the road this morning. The promise of a hot day was felt in the cool, then warm wisps of air brushing my arms. The sun hadn't quite come up yet, although an azure tinge sent shadows over Deseret peak, stroking the last of the snow dotting the mountain range in purple and blue hues. I marvel at the goodness of God in the beauty He sends us each day.