German Cold Cuts Lunch

 
When we moved to Colorado Springs 6 years ago, we had no idea how many retired military lived here.  Being raised in a German household and family I was also pleasantly surprised how many German folks live here. too.  

The benefit of that is there and several German restaurants and delis.

One of the newest is Schnitzel Fritz.  Not only do they serve hot meals, but have a small selection of German products and also have a large selection of German meats and cheese. 

We had out of town guests for lunch and wanted to serve something out of the ordinary, so we did a platter of assorted cold cuts and cheese, along with real German rye bread & pumpernickel  Yummy!!!

Have I Told You Lately How Much I Love VENDIO

Well I do.  I have been a subscriber for over 10 years when back in the day, listings and photo uploads were difficult for this eBay seller.

Vendio is an eBay 3rd party provider for listing and post sale chores.  Plus lots of other tools, including image hosting, watermarking, customer follow up, inventory tracking and oh so much more.  

A few of my most favorites are:-

Listing Form & Template - Once the template is created, new listings only require info specific to that item. 


Scrolling Gallery - Has individual listings scrolling across the top of my listings to show all the varied items we sell.

Image Hosting - After I edit photos in Picassa, I upload to Vendio in just a few clicks.  No fuss, no muss!!

Watermarking - Each photo has my info placed where I choose.

Customer List - Can be sorted in many ways.  I like sorting by category so I can target certain customers for sales and notices.

Vendio Store - Free with subscription.  With just a few clicks new listings can be added to the Vendio store too.

Submits listings to the Search Engines


Customer Support - Several ways to contact them and they reply immediately or will call back shortly.  They are fantastic.


and for those who need it Product Sourcing where you can search by country. 

Vendio Home Page 

 

Black Hawk, CO

This last weekend we drove up to Allenspark, which is just south of Estes Park. My daughters wedding is coming up at Wild Basin Lodge on 7/3. Since they live in Chicago we went to check out a few things for them. 

There is still a lot of snow in the high country.  This is Meeker Peak and we were over 8000 feet above sea level along this road. 

On the way home we stayed overnight at the new Ameristar Hotel in Black Hawk, one of 3 gambling towns in Colorado.  

All 3 towns were mining towns back in the day and still have the old west feel. 




We played the penny slots at the Ameristar, Isle of Capri and Fortune Valley in Central City which is just a mile from Black Hawk. The only real new machine we found at all of them was a community Wizard of Oz.  Most of the others are not anything very new or different.  The penny machines minimum bet is 30 cents or more.  

 The hotel room was one of the nicest we have ever stayed in.  Especially nice when we had a coupon for a drastically reduced room rate.  ;-))


We walked away with enough to pay for our trip, hotel, food and had left over too!! So we will be looking for more of those machines next time we go up there or to Cripple Creek which is only an hour from our house. 

We put in a huge garden for the 1st time. 5/22/11

When we moved into the house the yard was all grass except around the borders.  After we put the shed in we had a big pile of dirt, so we thought the area in front of the shed would make a perfect garden.  Last summer Gene started removing all the sod and spreading the dirt.  He covered it all with a large tarp to prevent any weeds from growing.  

Actually I was taking photo of the deer but the garden area and dirt pile is in the photo  yippee!  That day there were 9 deer in the yard - see that buck on the far left?!

Way in back next to the lilacs are 3 hills of pumpkin from seed, in front of them is 6 corn we started inside and in front of them is a row of corn seed.  Then staggered is 8 tomatoes - including 3 heirlooms!  And in front of them is 1 medium hot chile pepper and 3 mild Anaheims. Next are 1/2 rows of carrots and scallions then a row of radishes and mesclun, a row of onion starts, 4 leaf lettuce plants and finally a row of marigolds along the edge. 

 In back is 3 cukes we started inside, then an acorn squash.  Along side fence is a row of zucchini (a whole packet of seeds, and as prolific as they are we may be sorry - so I am thinking we will be stuffing a lot of blossoms).  hee hee. 

We also have 3 sections of green beans, 6 peas in little peat pots and a row from seed, 2 fennel, 4 Brussel sprouts started inside and 1 soy bean plant. 

I also have an herb garden - bottom left going clockwise is Rosemary, row of oregano seeds & basil seeds, oregano plants, dill seed row, large yarrow, basil plants, thyme plants, & cilantro.  Scattered are 2 dill plants and pots of dill and basil, we started in March. That is St. Francis in the middle. 

 

 This plot is at the bottom of our back steps.  Bottom section is curly leaf parsely and chives (in bloom).  Plus some scattered garlic.  Top sections is 3 different kids of strawberries. 

  

Along both sides of the driveway are these planters.  This one has 2 rhubarb, 1 red current bush & 2 red raspberries.  We have also planted 2 blackberries and 1 gooseberry bush in one the the border areas in the back yard - after we removed all the red landscaping stone.  yikes! 

There are also 40 onion sets scattered all over plus 20+ garlic cloves. 

As I write this on 6/3 - less than 2 weeks  since we planted - we have 10 corn seeds sprouted, 1 zucchini, 3 green beans, a lot of peas + the radishes, mescalin, carrots, oregano, dill and basil.  Plus lots of garlic and most of the onions are standing up big and tall.

Gene will not allow me to go to the garden center anymore this year (lol), so I have started a list of plants for next year. We are removing all the red rock along all the fence lines so we will have tons more places to plant.  Oh what to plant - what to plant! 

Now our big obsticle right now is protecting the plants from the deer and later this summer hail. Hoping having stretched some 6' wire fencing around the 2 sides of the garden to help keep the deer out.

So with everything hopefully we will have lots of herbs & veggies to give as gifts and to make crafts with.

Wow we made position # 1 on EntreCard/Travel 5/29/11

EntreCard is a way to promote a blog and eBay listings.  If you look on the right side of this page, you see a box with a photo and it says 'drop'.  For members of EntreCard you visit others sites, drop and hopefully they will drop back on you.  The more you drop the better.  We are averaging 220 -225 drops a day.


Gene has only wanted to play CLUB POGO on the computer and a little while ago he offered to help me drop,  So every night he does 100 or so and I finish the next day.  What a sweetheart he is to help me like that!!


There are over 1200 blogs in the travel category and I am so over exited we made it to #1 for however long. Just knowing it is possible is so rewarding.


The advantage of all the drops is that it tells Google we are a viable blog and that a lot  of people visit it and thereby moving it up in the rankings. 


We learned how do to EntreCard from Danna Crawford in a webinar for members at Virtual Online Learning.


If you join EntreCard (it is free) let me know and we will drop on you too!!

Icebergs off Newfoundland, Canada

A friend sent me these photos on May 18, 2008.  I just came across them and was awe struck again, just like I was the 1st time I saw them.  Imagine seeing those huge blocks of ice, just gently floating by in the wild North Atlantic Ocean? 

Notice a 2nd one way out in the distance! And so close to the shore.

 Thanks to my friend Marjorie for sending me these photos.  I have yet to see a glacier or iceberg.  Note to self - add to bucket list!!!

What is this used for?

We want to list this on eBay but am wondering if it a tea pot shaped sugar bowl or ? It is a souvenir from Dibgy NS (Nova Scotia) - Canada.  There is a design of a Clipper Ship (Tall Sails) on the side. Bottom says England!

My grandmother always kept a little pot with mustard that she mixed from dry mustard. But since this is in the shape of a tea pot I am thinking it is from back in the day when artificial sweetener was served at the table without the little paper packets. 

 

This has a small plastic liner and spoon. 

Only 2" tall & 3 1/4" from spout to handle

 

With the help of Lynn Dralle and the members of her Queen's Court, we are calling it a sugar bowl.  Here is the listing 

Our 70 Foot Colorado Spruce Tree Got a Make Over

 

Our house guarded by 2 70' Colorado Spruce trees.  They are about 50 years old and have been trimmed every 5 years or so when they were younger.  According to the aborist (who we consulted with a few weeks ago) - they are the prettiest trees in all of Colorado Springs. 

The last few years we have noticed the top of the south tree was starting to separate. 

  

 When we looked close we could see that there were 2 trunks - called co dominant trunks.

 I called Tall Timbers Tree Co. here in Colorado Springs for a consult.  He said that the best thing to do is to cable the two trunks, pull the cable tight which will bring them together.  He also said that with the winds we had this winter, we were lucky one half didn't blow/fall off. (That is Pikes Peak in the background!)

They brought the bucket truck and he got out of the bucket and climbed around the branches to get the cable around the two trunks, pretty close to the top of the tree.

And now our beautiful tree after it's make over. The top is all closed and looking grand again!!

If You Can't Join Them, Then BEAT Them

The end of last year I bought 2 batches of beads that were shipped from China.  Normally I avoid any product from China but these beads were something I had been looking for.  Supposedly they shipped right away but it took over 3 weeks to arrive.  

And when they did finally get here, they were not anything I could use.  I had to make the decision to try and communicate with them in China,  to send them back or to just keep them and try to resell them.  

Another sore spot that I hear alot about is drop shipping.  Many buyers have been burned by drop ship companies and alot of sellers have suffered even more. 

So that got me to thinking about my eBay listings.  eBay allows us to add Custom Item Specifics so I thought that I can let folks know that we are in the US and  and ship all our items ourselves.  

How do I do it specifically?  I use 2 blank Custom Item Specifics slots.  In 1 I put "In Stock" and then in the adjoining slot "Ships Immediately from CO, USA"

The 2nd line says "Pay Before 12N Mt Time" and adjoining "Sent same business day".

Both these custom boxes show up at the top of the listing and are searchable and they are something a potential buyer sees first in the item description. Hopefully both these little details will help buyers make a decision favorable to one of my listings. .

How to Make BROWNED FLOUR for Gravy and Sauces

While we were living in New York several years ago, I was interviewed and featured on the cooking page of the Sunday Newsday newspaper.  The recipe was for New New Mexico Red Chile (sauce). The reporter tests every recipe and for the life of her could not get the flour to brown - a key element in my Chile sauce and gravy.

Browned flour is nothing more than toasted flour. I start with several cups of plain, white, all purpose flour in a large skillet or stove top wok.  The pan will need be very dry and on medium high heat.

Using a rubber spatula, I stir the flour every few seconds - not constantly but often.  As it heats up it will start to stick to the bottom of the pan.  At this point you may want to turn the heat down alittle and stir more often.  As it starts 'toasting' it will be turning a pretty tan color. The flour may form little balls too, so just crush them with the back of the spatula.  

Take it off the heat just before the burn point.  It will really be wanting to cling to the pan on the bottom toward the end. Some really dark crust will be OK, but not too much.

Immediately remove it from the heat and keep stirring because the pan is hot and it will keep cooking. 

I put a strainer (not colander ) over a large bowl and start straining the flour into it.  Since there could be alot of flour dust, be careful when you breathe in!  There will be some pellets left in the strainer. 

 

I find I can press some of them through but for the most part they could be burned bits and bitter tasting. 

Once it is all strained I store it in an airtight canister / jar and use it as necessary. 

The cooked flour not only gives a more rounded taste to the gravy or sauce but it also gives it a deep rich brown color.

 

SCARVES - Our Story on How we Got Started Selling them

After my Mom passed in June of 2001, I took over her "job" as vice president of the St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church's Rosary Altar Society.

Part of the duties included chairing the St. Patrick's Day card party. There are 15 -20 tables where the ladies play different card games, Pokeno or whatever.  Whomever finishes with the highest score gets a gift = "Table Prize".

So with that in mind I was constantly looking for an appropriate St. Patrick's gift to give the ladies.  One day when we were walking into a large store there was a lady outside selling scarves as a fund raiser for a Children's Hospital. 

Lo and Behold she had scarves with green shamrocks.  I thought I hit the lottery.  She agreed to sell them to me in bulk and she would bring them back with her the next time she came.  We went back several times but she was a no show.  The Christmas holidays came and still nothing. 

At this point I had me heart set on giving these scarves so I started an internet search.  That was so many years ago the internet was not the same as it is today and I came up empty handed. 

We were living on Long Island - just a 35 minute train ride to midtown Manhattan.  One day when we were in the city we came across a wholesale seller of the scarves.  I told them I needed 40 scarves and they sorta laughed and said their minimum order was $500.00.

Oh dear Lord, my balloon got so deflated.  We walked away to talk about it.  I explained to Gene that I had searched and searched the internet for these scarves and came up empty, so certainly we should be able to sell them on eBay. 

Needless to say we went back to them and came away with my 40 Shamrock scarves plus many, many more.  LOL

While we were still living there we would go to the warehouse in the Garment District of New York City. They would take me back into the storage area where I was able to pull packages right off the shelves. I was like a kid in a candy store.

 

That was 9 years ago and almost 2000 scarves ago.  Now I believe we have the largest selection of over 80 different designs on eBay and perhaps the Net. 

They are 13" x 60" and so light and silky for under a collar in spring and summer, but do offer warmth in the fall and winter when worn around the neck.  We also have some little 21" square neckerchiefs and 40" large squares / shawls.

We have had ladies use them as a belt / sash or as a head wrap or just over the shoulders to keep off the draft from an air conditioner or fan besides wearing them in the more traditional ways.  

The material is called stain stripe.  It is all polyester with a stripe of see through and an alternating stripe of satin.  The design is printed on the whole scarf.  I was also thrilled to learn they are made in Korea and are all brand new, not seconds with their little tag in tact.

There are so many designs  - animals; flowers; American flags; pink ribbons; red hats; music; Picasso; solid colors; all holidays; squares, swirls and many, many designs in every color imaginable.

The beauty of this fabric is that it comes out of the washer and dryer looking brand new.  

I am noticing on TV that scarves are really becoming popular again and do add so much versatility to just a few basic outfits. 

 All our scarf listings on eBay.