Old Goat Lifestyle

This section will be concerned with cuisine and interior decorating. Goats are more concerned with eating than interior design so the emphasis will probably be on easy recipes.

A goat will munch on the occasional Tab or Sprite can but we at the center know that would have a very limited appeal so don’t expect to see much of that kind of thing.

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FAKE CLEAN

When the word goat is mentioned, operating room cleanliness does not immediately spring to mind. That said, we at the goat center are not entirely unconcerned with tidiness. The next short piece is condensed from a larger sharing in the magazine SIMPLE LIVING. The center members have employed some of the tips offered to good effect.

The Living Room
•    Reserve one side of sofa cushions to be shown to guests. Before company arrives, flip over the cushions to reveal good-as-new fabric. When guests are gone, flip them back.
•    Rid the sofa of pet hair by wetting the fingertips of rubber gloves and gliding your hand over the sofa. The hair will stick to the rubber.
•    Stack books, catalogs, and magazines in neat piles on the floor or arrange them in a deep decorative basket.
•    Fold a clean blanket or throw neatly and drape it over a stained sofa. Strategically placed throw pillows can also camouflage soiled upholstery.

The Kitchen
•    When the dishwasher is full and the sink is overflowing, stow dirty dishes and silverware in a stockpot and pull them out later to be cleaned.
•    Cover up the lingering aroma of last night’s supper by boiling nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon and orange peels in a sauce-pan on the stove.
•    Declutter the refrigerator by taking down notes, drawings, and magnets and throwing them in a plastic bag. Sort through it later.
•    Fold hand towels to hide stains. Two tips: Hang the clean side over the oven handle (with the stains in the back), or roll towels in neat spirals and stack them pyramid-style next to the sink.

The Bathroom
•    Glide a sticky lint roller over the bath mat to pick up hair.
•    Light a candle. Everything looks better (and cleaner) by candlelight.
•    Hang a fluffy bathrobe on top of damp towels dangling from the hooks on the back of the door.
•    Store a rattan or canvas basket on top of the toilet and throw in stray cosmetic brushes.
•    Hang fresh guest towels. The humidity in this room makes textiles look droopy, even after a recent machine washing.

The Home Office
•    Stash stray office supplies, like pencils and pens, in decorative stationery boxes or filing containers on your desk.
•    Stow the keyboard and the mouse in a drawer so only the computer monitor tops the desk.

The Kids’ Room
•    Stash scattered puzzle pieces in a drawer; stack the boards on a shelf.
•    Stow pajamas under the pillow. This way, they’re off the floor and ready for later.
•    Put blocks in a handled shopping bag and hang it on a hanger or a doorknob inside the closet.
•    Put homeless stuffed animals in extra pillowcases. Or prop them up behind shams.
•    Pile books neatly on the floor, largest to smallest, next to a chair or a desk.

The Laundry Room
•    Fold clean towels neatly on the drying rack. Rope lingerie items on hangers, then place them in the bedroom closet, away from prying eyes.
•    Pile any laundry that needs to be folded in baskets or storage containers and lay them on the washing machine to be sorted through later.
•    As for dirty clothes awaiting washing, simply toss them in the washer.

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CHESS PIE

When I lived in Nashville I had Chess Pie many times. I think it is a southern thing. As best as I can tell the name has nothing to do with the cerebral board game. May instead refer to a fellow named Chesterfield … or it may refer to a piece of furniture. Screened free standing cupboards were called “pie safes.” They were also called pie “chests.” This pie may have saved well in such a place and got the name Chest Pie that devolved to Chess Pie. Best story to me is one that says a woman served pie to her hubbie after dinner. He says, “What kind of pie is this?” She replies, “It’s jest pie.”  Jest pie … jess pie ,,, chess pie …. ?????

Ingredients
•          2 cups white sugar
•          2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•          5 eggs
•          2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Notes – I used about 1/8 cup less sugar than shown and added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is quite the sweet pie and will remain so with my alterations.

I also used two store bought Marie Callender frozen pie crusts. Turns out that the above recipe makes enough filling for both crusts. The pies are not too thick but as it is a rich dessert you will not feel calorically deprived.

I baked for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Pies illustrated are the ones I made.