Paula's Done It Again

I have learned a lot from Paula P. over the years. Two things I have used just recently.

Terry and I have mini blinds on the bedroom windows and micro blinds on the bathroom windows. The slats on micro blinds are only a half inch wide making them perfect for small bathroom windows. I purchased ours over a decade ago. Last fall, while pulling the cord on the blind in my bathroom I managed to pull the entire blind off the window. The bright, hot sun had deteriorated the plastic brackets that connect the blind to the window and one little last tug was all it took to completely destroy what was left of it. I decided to take my showers in Terry's bathroom for the remainder of the week and look for a new blind over the weekend. Do you remember how old I said the blinds were? Apparently, they are no longer in style and now no one carries them. The week of using Terry's shower turned into four. However, in October, two boys from the Ranch were coming to spend the weekend and I knew we could not all share one bathroom. What to do? Obviously we are not too concerned about style so we thumb-tacked a big pink beach towel to the window, seen easily by anyone driving by the house. The boys did not mind and the towel served its purpose until this past Saturday afternoon. I got the bright idea to move the blind in Terry's bathroom to mine. His bathroom is on the back of the house, so I figured it would not matter. The blind has been hanging in the window for a long time receiving the occasional wipe down when I cleaned the rest of the bathroom. Gunky is probably the best word to describe the formerly white blind. The Windex and sponge were not cutting through the mess and then I remembered Paula. Years ago she told me she removed her blinds and cleaned them in the bathtub. Great idea! It only took me about fifteen minutes and now I have micro blinds in my bathroom that look like new. Thank you, Paula for sharing your housekeeping tip.

The other thing I have learned from Paula is how to make a delicious roast in the crockpot. I love my crockpot and I am always looking for new ways to use it. Last Tuesday night Terry, Gus and I enjoyed Paula's Crockpot Italian Beef. Gus is the beneficiary of some tasty delight from the cookbook each Tuesday. He and I are taking a Biblical counseling class together along with a couple of other church members. He gets a free delicious meal and I get an expert opinion on the menu of the evening. It is my hope that he will provide a guest blog for us again in the future.

Crockpot Italian Beef

3 to 4 lb boneless beef roast 1 t garlic salt

3 c water 1 t basil

1 t salt 1 pkg. Good Season's Italian salad dressing1 t 1 t pepper mix

1 t onion salt

Place roast in crockpot on low. Mix water and all the seasonings and the dry salad dressing mix. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 12 hours (I did not have 12 hours so I cooked mine on high for 4 and low for 4.) Remove roast; shred beef and return to broth for 15 minutes. Serve on buns, hoagie rolls or over french bread.