A Little Time to "Waste"

Hello and welcome to the blog today!  I've got a week off from work and plan to do some fishing and camping around northeast Iowa.  If the time and weather allows, I'm thinking it might be nice to visit a tractor museum.

For now, there's been time to work around the house and make this little wastebasket to bring along on trips.

An easy idea to keep the liner in your trash can...

I saw this idea on Facebook.  It works great for a trash can or a "gut bucket" for those of us who fish. This is just an el cheapo 5 gallon white bucket from Walmart.  Using a couple of "3M Command Strip" hooks, one can affix the hooks upside down to make retainers for the bag.  The sack is from a clothing retailer, but Menards also has some larger bags... as does Walmart.  I'm going to use the same type bucket outside at home where so often fish meet their fate...

Okay, now on to something more appetizing... and very healthy!

Sweet, sour, and fruity...  Rhubarb dishes are a midwest favorite!

In preparation for the upcoming trip, I decided to make some strawberry-rhubarb sauce.  It will be used on pancakes or waffles as a healthy topping.  This version is very low in calories thanks to Splenda, it keeps a while (due to its acid content), and is as delicious as candy!

Rhubarb sauce over low sugar ice cream

So what is rhubarb?  This plant is enjoyed in many parts of the country while other areas have never even heard it.  Rhubarb (sometimes called "pie plant") has stalks that look much like celery.  This very tart plant is used in breads, desserts, even cooked into bratwursts.  It is nearly always sweetened because rhubarb is so very sour.  Based on an internet recipe, I changed the proportions a bit to personal taste (It's quite tart!).  Here is the recipe made tonight... the sauce that will go along on the next outing.


Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

4 cups diced rhubarb
16 medium strawberries sliced
16 packets of Splenda
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, Splenda, and lemon juice.  Reduce heat to very low.. Simmer for 25 minutes until mixture has thickened.  The sauce is very low in carbs - the main source being the berries.  Enjoy as a topping for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, or shortcake.

That's about all for now.  The van is mostly packed and ready for another outing in a few days.  There will be pictures coming later in the week!

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy and safe travels!

Brad, Jesse, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa