Coconut in the Country

Most of us like coconut in just about any shape and form. Toasted, shredded coconut is divine! 

There's no need to heat up the oven and the entire house to toast coconut. Here's how:

Grab you favorite non-stick skillet. In this instance, I recommend AGAINST using your favorite cast iron pan.  My favorite non-stick for toasting coconut is my green, ceramic-coated skillet

1 cup coconut

1. Turn your stove burner on to HIGH

2. When hot, put shredded coconut into non-stick skillet, spread around and place on hot burner.

3. Lower heat to a medium. high.

4. Sir and turn constantly so as not to burn...I used a silicon spatula for this process.

5. When toasted to suit you, remove from heat and poor into a dish to cool.

Sweetened coconut will toast more quickly.

Now, use your imagination in using this delicious treat.

See "CAT FOOD" above, scroll down for 'Aunt Cat's Tumbleweeds' ... replace regular coconut with toasted coconut. Yummy.

© 2015 Cat Brennan

Country Kitty-Litter

If you're a true fabric-holic, you hesitate to throw out even the tiniest piece of fabric; I'm talkin' less than a two-inch scrap. There's a solution for us!

Keep a small box or a (true) thread catcher at your sewing machine to collect all of your snippings and clippings; even those short threads cut off at the beginning and end of a seam. These "valuable" bits are called "kitty litter". As your small catcher fills, transfer these bits into a larger vessel to save for later.

There are many, many uses for this soft kitty litter such as, tightly stitched pet chew toys, soft and small "bean" bags for the little people to toss around, and my favorite, pet beds.  

I don't have any house pets, but there are any number of shelters for pets that can ALWAYS use more bedding. Make the bed ''cases'' out of old curtains, jeans, upholstery fabric or blankets. Don't worry if you don't have large pieces to make the cases - sew some together like a crazy quilt, then stuff and sew shut. Be use to use thread appropriate to your bedding case, use small stitches and even double stitch.

These beds are washable and once they are worn out, can be thrown away with a clear conscience.

Remember to re-purpose, reuse and recycle. 

© 2015 Cat Brennan