Living in a Mess

Another week has passed me by, and I still haven't been able to do any housework. In fact, it's gotten to the point that once I do find the time I won't know where to start. Does anyone else face this? It seems as though everything needs to be done at once, and so it's easier to put it all off even longer. There are so many other things I'd rather be doing. What I really need is a self-cleaning house - or a maid.

We should finish our wheat harvest today, Monday. Do you think I'll be tackling some vacuuming Tuesday? No, I'll be on my way back to Billings for a follow-up appointment, the timing of which will require an overnight stay. I know I'm not capable of safely driving there and back on the same day. I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on some yarns. I have several crochet projects lined up. The stash of yarns I've accumulated just won't cover them all.

Last week, I told you about putting cayenne pepper on my corn to thwart the raccoon raiders of my crop. It does seem to help as I haven't seen more ears shredded or torn down. However, I have caught two more raccoons in the live trap. I'd baited the trap with the partially eaten ears that were on the ground. I didn't put pepper on those. Success the first night. The next night I used the cobs from the corn we'd eaten that evening. Those netted me one of the fox pups that have been cavorting on our deck each night. He'd consumed the cobs during his captivity. He was released to continue his cavorting. When he first got out of the trap, he only ran off about ten feet, then turned to stare confused at me. I said, "Run," so he did.

The next night I baited the trap with a couple of small, over-ripe ears, and caught another raccoon. He was quickly dispatched, and the trap was then baited with colored marshmallows along with the over-ripe ears. Sunday morning I found another fox pup in the trap. Both the marshmallows and the corn were gone. That fox pup was also released unharmed. As I noted on Facebook, I hope he was the other fox pup, because if I'd trapped the same one twice I feared he wouldn't be bright enough to survive. When you roll our live trap over, the door opens on its own. That second pup backed out, and as soon as he realized he was free, he raced away into the trees.

There hasn't been any cavorting on our deck during the night, although one of the pups did run by the deck about two a.m. last night. I'd hoped the trapping would keep them away. And the trap was empty this morning, so I re-baited it with more colored marshmallows. In the past, when we had cats, I would use some of their dry food. But that would catch skunks as well as raccoons, and the occasional house cat. I don't recommend using cat food.

Long before harvest hit, I'd done enough baking to have many sweets in the freezer. We've enjoyed a Starbucks Lemon Loaf knockoff, chocolate chip cookies, ginger snaps, and no-roll sugar cookies along with fresh fruit for our desserts and afternoon snacks. I'll share the sugar cookie recipe. I like this one because it doesn't require rolling out or the use of cookie cutters.

Soft Sugar Cookies - No-roll

2/3 C shortening

2/3 C butter

1 1/2 C white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 C granular sugar for rolling

Oven at 350°. In a medium bowl, cream the first three ingredients. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients (don't include the 1/3 C sugar). Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, until the dough comes together. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. Press the tops into the granular sugar. Place 2" apart on baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.

I roll the entire ball in the granular sugar in a small bowl. Be sure to place them that far apart as they will expand. Usually I also press the balls down using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped into the sugar between each press. You could frost these with icing, but they really don't need added frosting. But sometimes I will put frosting on the bottom of one, and sandwich that with another cookie on the bottom - like white Oreos.

I hope by next week's column I will be able to report I had a clean house-at least for a day!