recipes, resources, and information

Here are just some fun recipes, resources, and information.

Soup or Sauce (SOS)

Ingredient Substitutions and Equivalents

Lemon or Lime Curd

Freezer Meal Planning

WATER: Storage and Emergency Use

Food Preservation

The above resources are from Utah State University.   They have a number of wonderful publications available for download.

Painless Preservation

Green Beans are a great candidate for the dehydrator.  They are a low acid so to be home canned they must be pressured canned.  Which is wonderful but a bit more time consuming than I want today.  I have lots to do on my day off so saving time is important to me.

I picked our beans this morning and got about 2 gallons.

Then straight in to the house for a 'bath'.

Then into the steam blanch.  For our altitude 4 minutes did the trick.

From the steam blanch...

... right to the drying trays.

Dry green beans until brittle.

For more information on drying fruits and vegetables go to:

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/PNW/PNW0397.pdf

Thrift Store - Fun Find

Okay I need to say right up front, "I really enjoy thrift stores".  I like to wander through looking for a 'fun find'.  Well yesterday I found one.

This Coleman lantern 

We have a Coleman stove and love it.  I have wanted a lantern, but never found a deal - but - yesterday I did.  I need to buy new mantles (it's a two mantle lantern) but those are readily available.  

This is a 220F this model was made from 1964 - 1971.   Ours is dated 1964.   Just a fun find that we will use when camping.

RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.

This is a bit disconcerting to say the very least.  And not for young children it would scare them.  As a parent you could share this information by talking and/or role playing.

All of that said this is good information.  I pray none of us ever finds ourselves in a situation that we would need it.

Prices on the Rise?

I am hearing this from everywhere.  Due to the drought... Due to the price of corn... Due to ...  Ad infinitum

I hope you are working on your food storage now so if the food prices do indeed go up you will be prepared.  I'm looking forward to the fall case lot sales.  I missed the spring sales (we were in Michigan visiting family).  So my stores are getting low.  I'm down to my last few cans of evaporated milk.  Coffee just isn't the same without my evaporated milk.  That is spoiled I know but it's the truth.  If there is something you  use a lot of buy it on sale!!  And if you can, buy enough to get you through to the next sale.

 I don't think we need to fret we just need to pay attention and prepare ahead of time.

Proverbs 22:3

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. New Living Translation

Routine

I haven't posted a thing.  I really don't even have any ideas regarding a post.  I guess I'm still getting back into routine.  Saturday morning I picked green beans, probably about 1.5 gallons.  We ate half of them yesterday and will eat the other half with supper tonight.  Yum!!

The cabbage are starting to make nice heads.  DH was worried they were behind.  It is better to make sauerkraut when it's cooler so I think they are right on schedule.

DH is starting to talk about trips to the mountains for wood.  :-)  This is very normal.  In the hottest part of the year he is planning for the cold winter and wants us to be warm and toasty.  That's a good thing!

There must have been a range fire somewhere last night because the air was really smokey last night.  I had to shut the bedroom window it was too much smoke for me...

I better get off and finish getting ready for work but wanted to stop and do a quick up-date.  Have a great day!

Back to Work

I am back to work -  I like my job which is a good thing because I spend a good portion of my wakeful hours there.  :-)

I'm getting back in to routine.  Up early - ready for the day - out the door - 9+ hours - home again - start supper (or dinner depending on your local dialect) - enjoy the evening and early to bed (early to bed is my goal anyway...)

Hope you're having a great week!

Best Ever Laundry Soap

(this is 2 tablespoons - enough for a large load)

I'm sure you have all seen the 'home made laundry soap' recipes on the web... Well I really enjoy the blog 'A Prudent Homemaker'.  She has a recipe for powdered laundry soap that sounded worth a try.

As is so many times the case I had to change it a bit... :D  Her recipe calls for Oil of Olay bar soap but I bought a large bar of Zout, as it is for laundry.

1 bar Zote, grated (I used my food processor but you could grate it by hand too) This bar grated to 4 cups
4 cups Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
4 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2 cups Oxiclean

Mix well and store.  I put mine in glass jars it made about  3 1/2 quarts.  I have a front loading HE washer.  2 tablespoons is what I need to use per large load.   Yes, 2 tablespoons is all!!! WOW


I have to say that I will make this from now on.  My husband works hard and his clothes get dirty and yes, smelly.  I ran a load of his laundry and it came out clean, soft and it smelled - clean.  There was no perfume smell it was just clean clothes.  I even had him do the 'smell test', he has a very discerning nose, and he too gave them the stamp of approval. 

So if you too have been wanting to try the home made laundry soap I would highly recommend the above recipe.
a little bird


  
  

Advice from a Singer Sewing Manual from 1949:

Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. . . never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.

Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing. . .When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on . . .[If] you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should. .

Canner's Guide Two

Ball Blue Book 1969

Kerr Home Canning Book 1942

I enjoy canning - does it show?

I enjoy old canning books not to follow their process but for the glimpse into the time and era.

Much of the information is still true today "You can supply your family with food of much greater nutritive value at less cost and greater savings, by canning at home. Fresh fruits, vegetables and meats retain the vitamins, minerals and other health-giving properties so essential to your well-being, when canned by modern methods ..."

http://nchfp.uga.edu/