How to Play Nertz

How to play Nertz
  

Okay, okay, I know, Nertz is a northerner's game, but, hey, it's FUN! In a nut-shell, Nertz is a fast paced game of Solitaire. In Nertz you must think, see, move, act, and react quick. I don't know of any other card game besides Slap-Jack that you have to move so fast in. My family, friends, and I get so wound up in this game we always end up shouting and laughing to beat the band. How many players and teams doesn't really matter, as long as you have at least two people. You can play one-on-one, in teams of two, or seven people can play each other. We usually don't do teams of two, we just play "one-player teams" where it's 3 people playing against each other because we don't have enough people in our family, but you can do it whatever way or style you want. So without further ado, here is how you play Nertz. . .

 

First, get your players together. I'm going to tell you how to play with two teams of two, then after you've got the hang of it you can mix it up however you want. Each team will need a deck of cards. All the decks must have a different design or color (you'll see why soon). Each team shuffles a deck of cards, then passes it to the team to their right. Once you have your deck of cards, lay down five cards face-up in front of you and your teammate, then count out eleven cards and lay them face up in a stack beside your five face-up cards. The stack of eleven cards will be your Nertz stack. Then you have the rest of the cards left. One teammate will play the stack of left-over cards, and the other the Nertz pile. The point of the game is to be the first person to play out all of your Nertz stack first.


Next, once everyone has their cards laid out correctly and their teammates together, the game begins. It's a race against the other team(s). One teammate will flip out cards (three at a time) and look for places to play his/her cards while the other teammate watched the Nertz stack for places to play cards. Once a space has been cleared, where your stack of five face up cards lay (which by now is probably a long pile (i.e. 5,6,7,8) ), the Nertz stack can be played anywhere, but ONLY CARDS FROM THE NERTZ DECK can be placed in empty spaces, like in Solitaire only King's can be placed on empty spaces.

(Place the 6 on the 7, the 5 on the 6, and the 4 on the 5, then play cards from your Nertz stack into the empty spaces.)

In the game Solitaire Ace's go above your cards and you stack them A - K, well in this game it's the same thing, except everyone is placing their cards up there and you have to be quick to put your cards up their first or else the other team will. If your team puts an Ace up there, then it game for anyone to lay their Two on top, and so on.

 

Once a team has played out all of their Nertz stack, that team yells "Nertz" and the game ends. They won that round. (Here is where the different color and design cards come in) Then all the cards in the middle are gathered together and passed out to the team who has those kind of cards. Before each team wipes their board, whoever had any cards left in their Nertz pile must subtract that from their cards in the middle. The winning team, the team that says "Nertz" first, adds ten points to their collected cards. Each card counts as one point. If keeping score, at the end of the game the team with the most points wins.

(Separate the cards and pass them out.)

(Count your cards and the team who won adds ten points to their number of cards.)

 

So, there you have it. A fun game for you and your friends or family to play! Have any questions or comments about the game or how to play? Ask away!

 

Have Fun,

 

 

Organizing Yarn

Organize Your Yarn

Everyone who knits or crochets know that sometimes yarn can be a pain in the butt to keep organized, right? I can't even count how many different ways I've tried to organize my yarn and it always seems to get all tangled up again and again. I've always thought it was just me, then I realized other people have the same problem, too! Imagine that, I'm not the only one who is struggling with the revenge of the yarn monster. So, here are some simple and cheap ways to keep all those balls and skeins of yarn organized.

• Yarn can be placed in baskets (the kind you can buy from the Dollar Tree with holes all around them) and thread your yarn through each hole.

•  There are metal rolling carts that skeins of yarn can lay long-ways in, but if you have animals or small children, this might not be the best idea since there aren't lids or anything to keep them from being pulled out.

•  A shelf of the wall with baskets for each color would awesome, but you must have a wall with nothing on it for this.

• Clear plastic storage drawers are wonderful for this, though they do take up a little bit of space. I use these myself and, so far, they have worked the best for me. You can see them here.

Here is my newly organized yarn.

 



So there you have it, a few yarn organizing tips to get you started. Just be creative, and you'll think of new and cool ways to keep your yarn looking neat and tidy. Do you have a different way you organize your yarn? Tell us about it.

Happy Organizing,

"The Postcard" by Beverly Lewis

Book Review of "The Postcard" by Beverly Lewis

Please note: this review is ONLY MY THOUGHTS and OPINIONS on the book. Feel free to leave a comment if there is something you would like to add or tell your opinion but please do not leave a comment criticizing my review.

 

 

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 "This is a tender novel about redemption and discovery as two people from different worlds are forced to rely on one another to uncover a long kept secret.

 

Rachel Yoder, a New Order Amish woman, lost her husband, son, and unborn child in a tragic accident two years ago. Now, returning to her aging parents with her young daughter, she has resigned herself to the life of a widow. With a subdued but cheerful heart she helps her family run a bed-and-breakfast in a quaint Lancaster county town.

 

Philip Bradley, a world-weary journalist from New York City on assignment in Lancaster to write an article on the Amish community, is a lodger at the Yoder's B&B. A chance discovery by Philip of a postcard written in illegible Pennsylvania Dutch in the dresser of his room sets off a series of events that leads him into the heart of the Amish life and to the bedside of a mysterious woman known as "The Storyteller."

 

With the postcard as a link to a haunted past, the woman gradually weaves a riveting tale as old as herself about a community shuttered in secrecy, shattered by betrayal.

Fascinated by the story, Philip's and Rachel's lives become inevitably intertwined despite the attempts of the community to protect her from the outsider. Torn by devotion to the people she loves and the awakening feelings in her heart, Rachel searches her past to restore old wounds in order than new love might grow."
Description from www.amazon.com



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Ok, so yesterday I read "The Postcard" (Amish Country Crossroads #1) by Beverly Lewis. If you like "The Shunning" by Beverly Lewis you'll love this book. Almost from the beginning I was hooked. Mainly because I like Amish books, and I like mystery books. Though, this book isn't your average mystery. It's about a mysterious postcard an "Englischer" finds in an old desk at an Amish Bed & Breakfast.

I thought Beverly Lewis did a good job with this book. There weren't many dull moments to it and there weren't any places where she was just trying to add words. She kept you guessing for sure. There was a good twist that kind of shocked you at the end.

I loved the characters of Philip, Rachel, and Annie. And she described the perspective of a magazine reporter/writer very well, I thought. She done a very good job of keeping the readers interest. I was excited to hurry and finish this book so that I can read the next one "The Crossroads".

I loved the fact that even though Annie's mother, Rachel, was blind she more than willing to help out her mother, describing everything she saw for her. Helping Rachel to see the world through her eyes.

There is talk throughout the book of powwow doctors. That may be offensive to those of you who do not agree with the practice. There are some characters through the book who are struggling within themselves as to whether or not the practice of powwow doctors are gifts or if they are a curse. Obviously, Gabe thought the practice is wrong and, in result of that, was shunned. Rachel is following in her uncle's footsteps and believe that it is, as the book says, "workings of the kingdom of darkness". The community is divided on this subject. Rachel is firm against it (in the end), and her mother and father, throughout the book, are head-over-heels for it.

The book is a good book, I enjoyed the reading. There weren't any 'inappropriate' scenes i.e. drugs, sex scenes, language, smoking, drinking, etc. It wasn't overly long but it definitely left room for something more to happen between Rachel and Philip, hence book #2 "The Crossroads". If you would like to purchase this book for yourself you can do that here.

My rating:

(3 out of 5)

 

Note: I do not own any rights nor do I have any type of affiliations with author or publishing company.

  

Happy reading,

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

　
For all of us who want to know what's going into our food and be a little more healthy here are two recipes (powdered milk version & non-powdered milk version) for Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk as well as a "quickie".

For this recipe you will need just a few simple ingredients.

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/3 cup non-fat milk powder

3/4 cup of sugar (I use Evaporated Cane Juice or Raw Sugar)

1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve milk powder in water then all sugar and simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens slightly. Stir in vanilla, remove from heat, cool completely (it will thicken more as it cools).

Store in air-tight container in refrigerator. I can't tell you how long it will last since I usually use mine up within a day or so.

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Non-Powdered Milk version

For this version you will need...

1 1/2 cups milk

2/3 cups sugar (again I use Evaporated Cane Juice or Raw Sugar)

2 TBSP butter

1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar and milk together in a pan, bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. As soon as steam starts coming up off the milk reduce the heat even more. Once sugar is completely dissolved turn the heat down to as low as it can go.

The goal here is to reduce the contents of the pan (the milk and sugar) by half of its current measurements (which is about 1 3/4 cup), which would be approx. 1 cup. Simmer on low for 1-2 hours to reduce. You could speed it up by turning the heat up a bit, but make sure you are stirring it often, so as to prevent scorching.

Once reduced, whisk in the butter and vanilla. The ending result is equal to just less than one can of "store bought" sweetened condensed milk.

Store in air tight container.

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Okay, now for the quickie recipe. This version is soo super easy and fast.
Are you ready? You will be blown away with how east this seriously is. . .

Mix 2/3 cup sugar with one can of Evaporated Milk. You may need to heat in a saucepan to fully dissolve the sugar. That's it. See how easy???

Even though this version is so easy and quick, I prefer the homemade version because if you make it this way you still have the unhealthy can lining and whatever other artificial ingredients and preservatives they added to the Evaporated milk to make the milk shelf stable.

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Now you can enjoy all your many recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk without the guilt of all the unhealthy things that may or may not be in the store bought brands.

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Have fun cooking,

Homemade Coffee Creamer

Homemade French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

 

 

I don't know about you but my cup of coffee isn't complete without a bit of French Vanilla coffee creamer. . .but have you seen the list of ingredients not to mention the price of coffee cream these days?! I can't even pronounce half of the stuff in it and my wallet doesn't like spending that much money on a single item that will be gone in NO TIME. So my solution? Make my own!! Oh, yeah. Not only is it inexpensive but I know and can say all the ingredients in it! So here you go.

 

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk - I use 1 1/4 cup Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk (recipe coming soon)

2 cups milk (I use raw unpasteurized)

1 tsp xanthan gum (I prefer tapioca starch)

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Put all ingredients in a medium bowl. As you can see, I just used my 4 cup measuring bowl

 

 

 Whisk, whisk, whisk.

 

And TAA DAA! Your very own coffee creamer.

 

Store in an air tight jar in refrigerator. Will keep for 1 week or more (depending on if you use fresh raw milk or store-bought pasteurized).

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Don't be afraid to experiment with other flavors. I will have a post soon with more flavors you can try but until don't be afraid to experiment with your favorite flavors. And don't forget to leave a comment and let us know how yours turned out.

Enjoy,

A Touch of Grace by Lauraine Snelling

Book review of "A Touch of Grace" (Daughters of Blessing #3) by Lauraine Snelling

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

Please note: this review is ONLY MY THOUGHTS and OPINIONS on the book. Feel free to leave a comment if there is something you would like to add or tell your opinion but please do not leave a comment criticizing my review.

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"She thought she knew what she wanted in life... then Jonathan arrived.

Eighteen-year-old Grace Knutson loves Blessing, North Dakota, and sees no reason to leave. She's more serious-minded than her twin sister, Sophie, and very sensitive to the feelings of others. In spite of her family's disapproval, Grace has always had a soft spot in her heart for Toby Valders, for she's seen the vulnerable side he keeps well hidden.

Jonathan Gould, the handsome scion of a wealthy New York family, creates a flurry of anticipation and speculation when he arrives in Blessing. Jonathan's father wants him to learn the value of manual labor and to appreciate the accomplishments of those not born to wealth. Surprisingly, the "city boy" takes to farm life and actually enjoys working from dawn to dusk alongside the others. Soon he finds himself inexplicably drawn to gentle, courageous Grace.

But Jonathan's affection presents an agonizing dilemma for Grace. Is he truly the one her heart desires?"
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I read an absorbent amount of books and can usually "smell a good book before I even open the cover"*.

Recently I read "A Touch of Grace" and over all it was a really good book. The plot overall was really good. At times I couldn't tell where the book would go, which was good because it kept your attention and kept you guessing. It's a feel good book. One that just makes you want to grab it and get lost in an over-stuffed chair, a blanket, a cup of coffee, and a bar of chocolate. Grace lives in a small town and everyone know everyone. The people work together, friends and families alike. I especially like the fact that one of the main characters is deaf (I have a deaf friend). No one is rude to Grace about her deafness in her town, until she goes to New York City. Most people know how to sign in her town so she always feel included and a part of everything, until she goes to New York.

I noticed that sometimes it seems as if she is just trying fill up the book with words, meaning, that sometimes she goes into too much detail about certain things and writes about stuff that doesn't really have an effect on the book. For example: she goes into way too much detail about a dinner one night.

In the beginning, when the book was reading from Jonathan's perspective, it almost sounded like he was a little kid, just from the small things. Like something he said or the way he said it. Lauraine never gave the age of either of the two main characters in the book, only in the book description did it give Grace's age.

Personally, I don't think the title "A Touch of Grace" matches the book and story. A better fitting title, in my opinion, would be "Pure Grace". The reason being is because that phrase is one of the main things of the book. She was no longer "Grace Always" or "Always Grace", she was "Pure Grace".

She expressed the emotions of the characters well in the book. Though it didn't take long for Jonathan to figure out he was in love with Grace, though it took Grace quite a while to realize her feelings for Jonathan.

I wish the book would have been longer. It ended quite abruptly and didn't give much future insight. Some questions I had when it ended were: did Mrs. Gould finally accept Grace for who she was? What happened with the School for the Deaf in blessings? What about the new store-owner? What was up with him? Did Astrid ever go to school like she wanted? I've yet to read the next books, #4, in this series and all my questions may be answered in that book. I know often authors will reveal bits and pieces of the lives of characters in previous book in the following book.

Overall I enjoyed the book. There weren't any inappropriate parts or words in the books (sex-scenes, drinking, drugs, brutal beatings, cussing, or anything of the kind). Though, there was a bit of. . . what is the word I'm looking for? jealously? anger, maybe? that Grace has for her twin sister, Sophia, but in the end it all worked out. There are very few books out there that I have found that are the perfect books. Most all books are going to have a few flaws in them, but overlooking the flaws they are a good read, like this one. Despite the few flaws, I would recommend this book to anyone to read, young, old, and in between.

My rating of "A Touch of Grace" by Lauraine Snelling

(3 out of 5 stars)

Note: I do not own any rights nor do I have any type of affiliations with author or publishing company.

If you would like to purchase this book for yourself it can be bought here.


Happy Reading!


*quote is by Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables when she is at the publishers office.