Who knew?!?

I have just been obliviously unaware of some of the things that are going on in this country. I think the less I know the better it is for me and my family. I tend to jump on the panic bandwagon. I don't do it on purpose, but I take my job as the responsible adult of 3 kids, helpmate to my DH and barometer for the sheeple of the family, very seriously.

What has me in an uproar this time.... LOL! There is apparently a shortage of canned pumpkin. All over the country the slots on the grocery store shelves are bear. Those who knew of this disaster are freaking out. How will they have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving?!? Last year, about 1/3 of the pumpkin crops were wiped out due to the weather, hence the shortage this year.

I'm feeling good about this one thou. I have like 10 cans on the shelf and last year I froze 2 gallon size bags of pumpkin (fresh cooked down). I know that we will have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

But, this brings me to another thought (as it usually does). What did the weather wreck havoc on this year? I know tomatoes and potatoes were hit with blight. Possibly peppers also were hit. Did grain suffer? What is still available to get and put up. I know I will be doing way more squashes for the freezer this year then I did last year. As they can be made into soup, ravioli, breads, and even made into a sauce. I'm just learning how versatile squash's really are. I will be getting 100 pounds of potatoes to carry us over for the winter. Normally, I get 50 pounds and it gets us to about March. And that's just with them sitting in the pantry. I canned up 22 pounds from my own garden and the second 50 pound bag will be canned also. That way I won't have to spend $2 a pound for potatoes....(hypothetical dollar amount, don't want to freak anyone one out!). I already have lots of tomatoes. And I still have a bushel that will be made into spaghetti sauce. If I have to I will bite the bullet and buy a couple more for sauce.

Two years ago I found out the same way that rice was in short supply and the demand was huge. Everyone was in a panic. I had enough to get us through. But that is what it means to have a well stocked pantry. I know that some try to have any where from a 3 month to a year supply. I really don't know how long we could last on what I have put up.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Busy Weekend

I got a bushel of beefsteak and 1/2 a bushel of banana peppers. I went to a u pick that I didn't know was there until the other night. Good prices too. I got the peppers done 15 pints. I also purchased a 1/2 bushel of roma's at a farm stand. They were made into 20 - 1/2 pints of pizza sauce and I got 4 quarts of italian liquid canned up as well. I got through the first half of the McIntosh apples. 6 quarts of cinnamon applesauce are cooling as I type.The peels and cores from the apples were cooked down with water and then drained in cheesecloth. I don't know what to do with the liquid but the internet will help with that. Also got 2 acorn squash baked and frozen. Still have 2 more to do. Over the next week, on the agenda is, spaghetti sauce from the beefsteak tomatoes, apple pie filling, carmel apple butter, and plain applesauce. The 2 jumbo zucchini still need to be shredded and the sauerkraut still needs to be put in jars and processed.

I also snuck a peek at the garden today. I think that it really needs to be put to bed this week. I have a bag of grass clippings that needs to be placed in there and I'm sure the grass needs to be cut one more time before the snow flies.

I have been working on a knitted pair of slippers. The first yarn that I bought sucked. So I went to the yarn store in town and bought the most delightful yarn. Of course I can't remember and it's upstairs. I am 1/2 way done with the first slipper. DH picked out a color so that I can make him a pair too. I like being able to make wearables. I have come to a conclusion. I need to sell my afghans. I will be setting up an etsy account. Once I do I will post here if anyone is interested.
Tons to do.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Quick Update

I finally got the purple hardneck garlic in the ground. 33 cloves, I am hoping that they come up next year. So that is what I put into my fall garden, I also found a couple of onions that I missed. So in the garden they will stay until spring.

DH and I took a drive last night. First time we have gone out like that in awhile. I wanted to go out to this little run down place that sells onion sets in the spring. Well, low and behold they are now a U-Pick. We didn't have the time or the patience last night to pick but I will be going back before the season is over. We also found a house that was for sale. I called on it and it is way out of range but it has a 3 bedroom house with a natural fireplace, 3 car garage and a barn..... oh and 6 acres.... 6 acres can you imagine the farming dilemmas I could get myself into with that much land. So needless to say I went to bed last night praying to the credit fairy and the lotto gods.

My new mantra "Chickens & Goats & Bees, Oh my" I figure if I say it enough some will get tired of hearing it and grant me a farm... LOL! It doesn't hurt to try!

I have tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic cooking down on the stove right now. I finally found a food mill at the resale shop so I am going to puree it. Then put it in jars and can them. I will add salt and lemon juice to each jar to make sure there is enough acid, so I can water bath the jars.

Still have 2 jumbo zucchini to do some thing with. I think that I am just going to shred and freeze in recipe size bags. But that will have to wait till next week and so it might change. DH took me to one of the orchards around here. We got a bushel of McIntosh and a bushel of Wolf apples. This weekend I will be making apple sauce and apple pie filling. I get to use my clear jel! Yeah! I also have to can up the sauerkraut this weekend.

Well, now the tomato concoction is done and gone through the food mill. I am waiting for my canner to heat up.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Walnut Bread 1 cup of walnuts 4 eggs 2 cups of granulated sugar* 1 cup of vegetable oil 3 1/2 cups of un-sifted all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder 2 cups of grated zucchini 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon of vanilla

* you may use 3/4 cup of honey instead of sugar. You may also use whole wheat flour. Chop the walnuts into medium size pieces. Beat the eggs. Gradually beat in the sugar or honey, then oil. Combine the dry ingredients. Add to the first mixture, alternately with zucchini. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and vanilla. Turn into 2 greased and lightly floured loaf pans 9 x 5 x 2 3/4 inches. Bake on lowest rack at 350ºF. for about 55 minutes, until loaves test done. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, turn out onto wire rack to cool. This bread also freezes well.

I got this recipe from Basic-Recipes.com

Gotta Run
Yart

Quick Note

I am back! I know your wondering where I went. Well, no where really. One of the demon cats peed all over my keyboard. So then I lost lots of letters. But I was able to go yesterday to the handy dandy computer repair and buy a used one for $5. Dude, its a DELL.

I volunteered to help do paperwork at Marching Monsters "Rehersa-Thon". So that is why I am up at this ungodly hour on a Saturday! But I don't have to be there all day so that is ok. I'm not liking band right now but I don't have time to go it to that right now. That is a story for another day.

I was able to get 8 - 9x5x2" zucchini nut bread made from one of the giant zucchini. I still have 2 more to use up. So I think I should get another 16 loaves of bread in the freezer for Christmas/Yule.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Mary Travers

AP - Mary Travers, who as one-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio
Peter, Paul and Mary helped popularize such tunes as "Puff (The Magic Dragon)"
and "If I Had a Hammer," died in a Connecticut hospital Wednesday after battl...ing
leukemia for several years. She was 72.

"Puff" is shedding dragon tears for Miss Mary

Sinus Pressure

Like I said yesterday I was in the garden. I really had neglected pulling some of the weeds that were in behind the beds, the ones that were up against the house or the fence. Not sure what some of them where but that and having the fan on last night (56 degrees), my head is so stuffed up. I took one of those wonderful herbal histamine blockers this morning. But it has yet to kick in.

I have a ton of stuff to do today. I have more laundry to do. I got two loads done yesterday but I want to get more outside on the line. I have 3 humongous zucchini to process and make bread for the freezer. Yep, I'm working on Christmas early this year. DH and I need to go to the herbal store to see if they can artichoke extract. Since he doesn't like the way the cholesterol medications make him feel, this is our next option. I read an article in "Woman's World" August 31, 2009 edition, that says that "in one study, artichoke extract cut cholesterol levels by 19% and reduced LDL --or "bad" --cholesterol by 23% in just six weeks." The article even goes on to say that the extract is just as effective as a prescription but with out the side effects. If your going to try this make sure you check with your doctor first.

Then dinner and practice and on and on.... LOL! Oh, I almost forgot I need to go to the yarn store and talk to the owner. Diana, is the wonderful woman that taught me to knit. Since I still don't know how to read a pattern, I need to take in one that I want to do so she can help me. Well, I'm hoping, since I will be buying the yarn from her. But I don't know if I will have time for that today.

I made awhile ago spinach roll ups with Swiss chard and froze a whole pan of it. That is what we are going to have for dinner tonight. I need to go and get some more meat for the freezer. I have a turkey and a couple of hams. Those I was saving for Thanksgiving and Christmas/Yule, if we didn't have the money to buy more. I do this every year. I buy several when they go on sale at the appropriate holiday and use them later. Like last year I think turkeys were on sale for .59 a pound I bought 3. One was used at Christmas and one for New Years day and the third is for this year's Thanksgiving. Same with the ham, one for Christmas and the other is put away for the following Easter.

Oh, I forgot to thank Melonie for your offer of help. Right now I am still trying and learning, I have no particular style. But thank you very much for your offer of help. Right now I have been doing the night time relaxation. It has helped me sleep really well. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about it is the free podcasts over at Yoga Journal.

Laundry is done,
Gotta Run,
Yart

Tuesday's Musings

I worked Bingo last night the progressive was $25K. We were so jam packed it wasn't funny. The hall was full and they were spending money like crazy. The band program can sure use the money we made last night. So all in all it was a good night.

I got up this morning and headed out to my garden. It was time to start pulling out the corn stumps. Got those two beds all cleaned out. Also got some of the other beds tidied up. Watered and wondered when I should pull up the rest. We have the hay that we are going to use to help the beds winter over. I still have to get compost to mix in.

DH was able to get the front brakes done on his truck. Gotta love lifetime warranties! So now all he needs is an oil change and he will be set for winter. My truck just had its oil changed so I'm good there.

But with all this vehicle maintenance we are doing here is a winter checklist that you might want to consider looking into.

Check your Anti-freeze
Check your Wipers
Check your Wiper Fluid
Check your Tires

Also some other things to start thinking about now are do you have a road side emergency kit in your car. I have one that I'm adding to all the time. It has blankets, water, snacks, flashlight, first aid kit & ice scraper.

I know fall isn't here yet it's still summer (well, sort of) and I'm talking about winter. But with the summer that we have faced here, I think winter is going to come a whole lot faster then any us wants. The farmer's almanac is calling for a bitter / dry winter for my region. Know matter how you look at it winter is going to be to long this year. LOL! I have enjoyed my time outside this summer. I look forward to fall. I love wearing my leather jacket and jeans.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Yoga Journal Freebie

Melonie over at Wandering Quail Road let me in on this great opprotunity. If you head over to Yoga Journal you can download podcasts. Some of which include Strengthing you Core, Morning wake up routine, & Evening relaxation Sequence. They even have playlists to listen to while you relax.

I have been doing yoga on and off for almost a year. My SIL got me started with it. She is so into it she went through all the classes and is now a teacher. I haven't been able to go yet. I am hoping that in 2 weeks I will be able to attend her class. I think that it is wonderful! She is doing something she enjoys.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Kettle Corn

I haven't tried this but it does sound yummy!

Kettle Corn
A sweet popcorn treat :-)

Ingredients:


1/4 cup vegetable oil (peanut oil or canola oil works too)
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp. White granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
Coarse salt (to taste)
Large pot with a lid
Directions:


Place the large pot on stove and turn the heat on high, add the oil to the pot. Heat oil till it gets very hot (not smoking). Ripples and veins will start to appear in the oil.

When the oil is hot, add the popcorn kernels then cover with lid. Watch for kernels to pop, once they start popping, turn the heat down to medium.

Carefully shake the pot occasionally to shake the unpopped popcorn kernels to the bottom of the pot and also helps prevent the popcorn from burning.

When the popcorn stops popping, remove pot from heat. Carefully remove the lid so you don't get hit with hot popping popcorn.

Pour the powdered sugar over top. Cover with lid and give the pot a shake to distribute the sugar.

Remove lid, add the both the brown and white sugars to the popcorn, cover with lid and shake it up again.

Put pot on stove again, low heat, to melt the sugar a bit, shake often. Cover with salt (to taste), shake pot again.

Pour popcorn into large serving bowl and sprinkle a bit more salt over top.

Friday Already?!?

Wow, were has this week gone? It seems like just yesterday the kids were talking about not wanting to go and now this is the first Friday. Our schedule has been full this week. First we had a half day on Tuesday, then helped DH work on his truck ( blew a caliper in the back wheel and do the brakes since we were there), marching practice and then dinner late ( not my plan but the work on the truck took longer then expected) then I canned up 9 quarts of stewed tomatoes. I didn't get to bed until after 1am. Then up Wednesday to take the monsters to school, full day! I was able to go through all 1000 of my emails and make several posts here and at one of the forums I belong to. Made hambuger helper for dinner before we had to run to get the rest of her uniform and go to practice. Was in bed by 10:30, boy was I tired. I got to sleep in on Thursday, DH took them to school. It was a lazy day. I played around with the computer and dehydrated some Swiss Chard. We had pork steaks in tomato/BBQ sauce for dinner. I also had to run up to the post as there was an activities meeting that I needed to attend. I watched the first episode of Supernatural, when I got home. Then was in bed by midnight. Now I am up with the sun, playing with the computer and paying bills online... Yuck! I have some errands to run today, then tonight DH and I are going to a football game. We are going to see Marching Monster March! Woo Hoo!

Then on to the weekend. Think it will be all rest and peaceful. Nope! We have to be up in the morning as there is an all day practice. Then Picky monster has a steak dinner to help out at the post. And if I'm lucky we still have to finish going through all of the old clothes some time on Saturday. Then we can maybe have some jammy time on Sunday. Over the next couple of months with practice and school, plus whatever else comes up we are going to be super busy. Winter will be a nice reprieve.

Before I leave for the day, I want to share a couple of sites.

Making Ginger Beer

Ultimate Guide to Drying Hot Peppers

Gotta Run,
Yart

Mexican Bean Soup Mix In A Jar

This would make a great Christmas / Yule gift!

Mexican Bean Soup Mix In A Jar

3/4 c. each dried pinto and red kidney beans

Flavor Packet:

2 T. dried onion flakes
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1 T. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 c. uncooked white rice
1 c. small-cut pasta

Put beans in a 1 qt. jar with lid. Put flavor packet ingredients in a
sandwich-size plastic bag. Seal bag with tie or ribbon. Do the same
with the rice and pasta. Place in jar with beans.

Type or print neatly the Cooking Directions on a small card, punch a
hole in the corner, and attach with a ribbon to the jar.

Mexican Bean Soup

Rinse and pick over beans. Put into a 4-5 qt. heavy pot with 4 c.
water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 1 hr.

Drain beans and return to pot. Add 8 c. water and contents of flavor
packet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hr., or
until beans are firm-tender (time will vary depending on age of
beans). Stir in rice and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 15 mins.

Uncover, stir in pasta and 1/2 c. water. Simmer 10 mins., or until
pasta is tender.

　
Recipe source: Gift-In-A-Jar-Recipes yahoo group, submitted by *name removed for security reasons*

4 Bread Recipes

Lemon Yogurt Bread

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup blanched almonds
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 pint lemon yogurt
1 tbsp lemon extract

Sift flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Stir in nuts and set aside.
Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil and sugar. Cream well. Add lemon yogurt and extract. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Beat thoroughly.
Bake 1 hour in large bundt pan at 350 degrees. Test with toothpick. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before taking out of pan.

Easy Four-Grain Bread - makes 1 loaf

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup buttermilk, warmed to 110 F
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp safflower oil
1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour
2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup rye flour
1/2 cup masa harina
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt

Pour yeast into a small bowl and stir in buttermilk, honey, and oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until it swells and bubbles, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flours, masa harina, oats, and salt. When yeast mixture is ready pour it into flour mixture and use a large rubber spatula to combine. When it gets too sticky, begin to use your hands to combine and gradually work the dough into a ball. Knead for 10 minutes.
Set dough in an oiled bowl and turn so its surface is lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
Oil an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.
Punch dough down with your fist, then form it into a loaf and set it in the loaf pan. Let dough rise again for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Spray the top of dough with water, then bake for about 35 minutes. Remove bread from the pan and set it directly on the oven rack. Spray again with water and continue to bake until done, about another 5 minutes.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Grease loaf pans. Cream margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, then bananas, nuts and sour cream. Mix well.
Bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour. Small loaves should be backed for 45 minutes.

Apple Banana Cinnamon Bread

1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1 small apple, grated
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend shortening, eggs, sugars and fruit together. Mix salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour together; add to fruit mixture. Bake 45 min. in greased and floured loaf pan.

Depre4ssion era living./ DLamb

I borrowed this from Heart for Homesteading Yahoo email group. Thanks Rusty for posting this! I thought that this article had some really great information in it, so I wanted to share.

This information though it came through an email was originially the work of Charlotte at Frugal and Healthy Eating. Thank you Charlotte for allowing me to use your work.... And for anyone else who might be interested in more from Charlotte you can go here to her website.

In the depression, it was common to eat meat no more than once a week, if at all. Some of the kind of meals you might expect were: bread and baked beans, bread and gravy, breaded tomatoes (garden tomato sauce on bread - sugar and butter can be added), buttered noodles, cornbread in buttermilk, creamed eggs on toast, dropped dumplings in broth, fried cornmeal mush (ash cakes), fried egg sandwich (mayo optional), fried egg with a slice of onion, fried eggs on toast, gnocci (pasta made with flour and mashed potatoes), ketchup on egg sandwich, noodles and tomatoes (onions optional), pasta and bean soup (pasta y fagioli, pronounced pasta fazool), potatoes and gravy, potatoes fried in bacon fat, raw onion sandwich [marinated onions recipe below], sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, scrambled egg with potato and onion [recipe below], sour milk pancakes (raw milk sours and does not go bad like pasteurized milk), spaghetti and tomatoes, spaghetti and sauerkraut (depression era spaghetti -- recipe below), tomatoes and onions on toast, tomato sandwiches and tomato and cheese sandwich.

Obviously, different combinations of inexpensive eggs, flour, potatoes, onions, cabbage, beans, corn made up a lot of your diet. You got tomatoes if you grew them in your garden. Rice wasn't popular during the last American Depression, but I think it should be more popular during the next now that there is more US-grown rice available.

If you were lucky, you got meat once a week, usually on Sunday. The menu could be something like:

Fried chicken or bacon, blackeyed pea soup, mashed potatoes and gravy, parsnips. Dessert: bread pudding with cream

The Irish dinner of corned beef, potatoes, cabbage and carrots would also fit in well, but make the cabbage sauerkraut rather than eating it boiled. No mention is made of the traditional cheap dessert, but peach cobbler would be a good choice.

Restaurant meal for the price of a cup of coffee:

Order a cup of coffee, extra light, and a cup of hot water (which should be free). Put ketchup in the hot water to make "tomato soup", and then crumble saltine/crackers into it (assuming restaurant has cracker packets at the counter). Salt and pepper to taste.

Breakfast:

Tear up a slice of bread in a bowl, add sugar and milk.

Comments:

Raw milk
Many depression-era families had access to raw milk from a goat or cow-owner in walking distance who would sell excess milk from the cow inexpensively Many families owned the goat or cow themselves.

Pickles and sour cream
All these carb-heavy menus would be greatly enhanced nutritionally if a raw, lacto-fermented pickle or sauerkraut were added to them. Cucumber and apples can be made into a pickle easily, either sweet or salty.[recipe below] and are inexpensive. All these meals would be better with "a raw, lacto-fermented pickle or pickled fruit or veg and some raw, cultured or clabbered milk or cream."* added to them. (*raw sauerkraut and yogurt basically, but there are many variations once you learn how to make pickles/sauerkraut and culture dairy)

Other sources of food
Many families grew tomatoes, probably because they preserve so well which can then be stored through the winter.

Beans were bought in large quantity (25-50 pounds) from a dry goods store, white flour was bought in 50-pound sacks. White flour doesn't need refrigeration like whole grain flour, can be kept in a cool storage area. That much whole grain flour would have to be kept in the freezer. Whole grains can be kept in a cool storage area if you have a way to mill them into flour when you are ready to use the flour.

Rice was not popular during the last depression but it would make a good addition to the list.

Bad as this diet may sound to people used to meat every day, studies have shown that children fed a depression-era diet were healthier than children fed a modern diet high in processed foods, and many children who were fed these depression-era diets loved them, and grew to have fond food memories when they became prosperous, often having a favorite comfort food being a food from their impoverished past.

The best foods to grow for a depression are tomatoes, cabbages and onions. Buy beans and rice at a dry-goods store, and milk from the nearest cow or goat.

Bacon should not have nitrates in it. If you butcher the pig, have the butcher cut the bacon area of the pig into chunks, it is not necessary to have bacon long and thinly sliced. If you buy bacon from a farm or butcher, be sure to include all the fat and any surrounding areas meat that is otherwise less expensive.

What to expect

If you are a woman with children, you will most likely be living in a house -- someone will take you in -- but it may be as a charity case and you will be expected to appreciate it and contribute to the running of the house.

If you are a man with a family to support, you will be more likely to keep your job, but you will be paid less money.

If you are a single able-bodied man, you may be living in a tent city. You won't do much of your own cooking beyond coffee on a communal campfire, but will get most of your food from the community your tent city is in. There will almost always be a campfire going. If it gets really cold, you'll go sleep in a shelter. At that shelter, if you want coffee and doughnuts in the morning, you'll either have to do some work beforehand like chopping wood or you'll have to listen to a religious-oriented lecture while you get your coffee and doughnuts.

If you live in a house, you will have to provide occasional meals to hungry beggars. Since you're going to have to do it anyway, you may as well believe you're doing it out of christian charity rather than for fear of an unfortunate accident to your property. When your children are old, they'll fondly reminisce how "Mom could never turn away someone hungry."

Hopefully, you have a home and can save your mortgage, but, if worse comes to worst, here are some options to consider.

You can live in a car, so if you have neither job nor income and are running out of money, consider spending the last of dwindling resources to invest in a car. If you get a van or a vehicle that can accomodate a porta-potty, you can "boondock" or camp on any nice-looking land you find and consider your time of homeless destitution as part of an extended vacation. If you can afford to drive it south for the winter, that would be a plus.

Hooverville

In the first Depression, shanty towns were built with tin and wood. Because of the prevalence of old cars, it is likely the next Hoovervilles will inlude a lot of car living. Blue tarps can be spread over a couple cars to make a home plus sheltered area. Lots of blankets or sleeping bags in your car will help keep you warm through all but the coldest (below freezing) temperatures.

Depression era grocery list:
Buy in large quantity:
flour, beans, rice, sugar, cornmeal, potatoes, sea salt
Grow in garden/front lawn:
tomatoes, cabbages, onions
Get from a farmer:
Raw milk and cream, (make your own butter from the cream.), bacon or pork with fat (fatback/back fat), eggs, soup bones

Whole grain/brown flour/rice or white?
The human digestive system needs fiber to move food along. The best source for that tiber is the carcasses of the bacteria and microbial symbionts that digest the food, making its nutrients available to us. The second best source is plant fiber, whole grain flour and brown rice. If you have a superlative digestive system (unlikely in anyone growing up on a modern diet), you could get away with white grains. If not, it is probably better to stick to whole grains. There are some anti-nutrients in the fiber areas of the grains, so whole grain foods should always be soaked overnight before consuming. If pre-soaking is not possible due to the particular recipe involved, then unbleached white is better.

Healthy Depression-Era Style Recipes and Menus

Apple Pickles
Peel apples. Throw away peels and continue peeling apple with potato peeler into thin slices. Put in a glass jar. Add whey from a cultured dairy or liquid from a batch of sauerkraut or previous batch of apple pickles. Add brine to cover (salt water with a ratio of 1 pint water to 1 teaspoon sea salt or other full array salt). Put water into a plastic baggie. Tie or knot baggie so water doesn't leak. Put on top of apple slices to hold apples under water (or see sauerkraut to see how to use leaves to hold fermenting vegetables under water.) Cover with a piece of plastic secured with a rubber band and leave overnight at room temperature (that's about as "instant" as you can get with raw, lacto-fermented food.) In the morning, eat the apples, drink the liquid and reserve about a quarter cup of the liquid as your starter for the next batch. You can also peel and thin slice cucumbers or any other soft fruit or vegetable that you could eat raw and add them to the apples. Eat some apple pickles with every meal until your sauerkraut is ready to be eaten with every meal.

Apple cider vinegar
Peel, chop and core the apples. Put in blender with water and blend on high Strain through a flannel jelly bag and save the juice. Add a few raisins to the apple juice, cover with an airlock and allow to ferment. When the juice has become an alcoholic/hard cider, put a mother of vinegar or a mother of kombucha matrix into it. Cover with a cloth to keep out insects, and then let it set at room temperature for a couple weeks.

Ash Cakes or Fried cornmeal mush
Mix 1/2 cup of cornmeal and 1 cup of bone broth or water in a glass or ceramic bowl and let set over night. Pat into a bread loaf pan and refrigerate. To cook, slice and fry in bacon grease. Instant cornmeal mush: mix cornmeal and boiling water half and half, shape into patty and fry in fat.

Baked beans
Soak beans for at least 24 hours in water with lemon juice, vinegar or whey added. Drain, rinse and drain again. Put in slow cooker, cover with bone broth and simmer at low temperature for a day or until beans are soft. Add extra bone broth if needed to keep beans under liquid. When beans are soft, add some tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions and garlic cloves fried in lard, sea salt, pepper, a little molasses and some cooked bacon or pork with fat on. Continue to simmer on low heat for another day or until all ingredients have blended together.

Baked onions
Hollow out some onions and fill with sugar or honey. Bake at medium-low temperature until soft.

Broiled tomato and cheese sandwiches
Put a slice of tomato and a slice of cheese under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

Chicken and dumplings
Get an old chicken that would be too dry and tough for a roast, put in a pot of water, bring to a boil and then simmer until cooked. Remove chicken and set aside. Make dumplings and drop into simmering water, cook for about 15 minutes. Remove dumplings, add more dough and repeat until you have as many dumplings for however many people you are feeding. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the chicken, set aside skin and bones. When all dumplings have been cooked, return to pot with chicken meat. Use skin and bones to make more broth for more dumplings during the week, or make into biscuits and gravy Dumplings: 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons melted butter, 1/4 cup milk. Mix until smooth and drop by tablespoonfuls in broth. Cook 15 minutes, covered. Do not lift lid while cooking. Other birds or fowl may be used.

Creamed Eggs on Toast
Take 1 tablespoon butter, lard or tallow, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup milk. Melt butter in baked enamel or cast iron saucepan over low heat. Add flour and salt, stirring constantly until smooth and frothy. Cook about 2 minutes stirring often to prevent browning. Gradually stir in milk. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth, thick and boiling. Shell and slice 4 hard-boiled eggs. Gently stir into cream mixture and spoon of 4 slices of toast.

Creamed Peas on Toast
Make a white sauce (see cream/white sauce below). Add a cup of peas and cook over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over toast.

Depression Era Spaghetti:
Boil a pound of spaghetti. Add cabbage slaw or drained sauerkraut when nearly done. Continue cooking until cabbage slaw is done to your taste if that is what you used. Drain and add some chopped chicken and butter. Stir and add some cheese. (If using raw sauerkraut, drain boiled spaghetti and add sauerkraut, chicken and butter. No need to cook further except to heat.)

Marinated Onions
Thinly slice 2 onions and separate into rings. Mix the following ingredients (amounts can be varied according to taste): 1 ounce of extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar or extra sour kombucha, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sea salt or other full-array salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, 1 garlic clove, chopped and crushed.(Hot pepper optional.) Put all in a glass jar with a cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 day. Liquid can be re-used to marinate more onions.

Scrambled eggs with fried potatoes and onions
Slice potatoes and fry in hot lard in a baked enamel or cast iron skillet. Add onions and continue cooking until both potatoes and onions are cooked. Scramble some eggs (you can add pieces of bread to the egg if you want), then add to the potato mix and fry until eggs are cooked.

Cream/white sauce. To make a creamed anything:
Take 2 tablespoons butter, lard or tallow, 3 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 cups milk. Melt butter in baked enamel saucepan over low heat. Add flour and salt, stirring constantly until smooth and frothy. Cook about 3 minutes stirring often to prevent browning. Gradually stir in milk. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth, thick and boiling.

Fried egg sandwich
Fry an egg in lard, bacon grease or other animal fat. Place on bread. Add salt and pepper. Mayonnaise optional.

CIDER BREAD

CIDER BREAD
3-1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Stir together. Make a well in center and add, in order:
1 c. vegetable oil
4 whole eggs
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
2/3 c. apple cider
1/2 c. thick applesauce
Mix everything until smooth. Pour into greased and flour pan. Makes
two 8 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaves. Can also be baked in one-pound
coffee cans. If baked in can, fill 2/3 full. Makes 3
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Recipe Source: A Bakers Delight yahoo group, submitted by *name has been omitted for security reasons*

First Day of School

Even though today was just a half day, Summer is officially over. I know we still have a couple of weeks before the calendar end. But we can't stay up late, can't leave the house without checking the schedule first, can't cook when we're hungry.... :O( I don't like school! LOL! Time changes very little. But enough about that.

I couldn't find a recipe that I liked for the pizza sauce so since I had to do something. Stewed tomatoes it is. They are cooking down as I type. I should get at least another 7 quarts. I peeked out the window this morning and I see new flowers on the plants. So the tomatoes aren't done yet. Some of the radishes are ready to pick. I am so disappointed with the carrots. I planted 6 squares and only a handful of them came up. Now I don't know if they are doing the carrot thing underground yet. Have to wait and see. DH cut down all of the corn. That was kind of a flop. But I attribute that to the weather. I still have tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, beets, carrots, radishes, celery and swiss chard growing.

DH made beer last Thursday. It smells really good. We have to wait 15 days before bottling this one. I think that he is going to wait till October to get the next kit. Since they should have some new types in for the holidays.

I have switched over to work Monday nights at the bingo. Last night was super busy, as the progressive jackpot was huge. I would like to win that amount of money. But alas it isn't meant to be for me. At least right now... LOL! But I am building up her account by working. It paid for part of band camp, show shirt and now to have her flute fixed. So I can't complain too much. I am hoping to have next band camp completely paid for by working the bingo. Then I won't have to harass the family with fundraisers.

Alright I'm done rambling!

Gotta Run
Yart

Friday Musings

Last night went well. Band monster was exhausted when she got home. My meeting went well and was over with fairly quick. And I got nothing done once I got home. DH and I went and got a couple of movies. Since he is on vacation it was the least I could do... LOL! We watched Boondock Saints (the one brother is super hot ;o), and Last house on the left. Wow, that movie was intense, not scary but horrifically intense. We still have to watch the CG version of Resident Evil. The kids go to grandma's tonight. They are only there for a couple of hours, visiting. DH is taking me to a new farmers market. They are popping up all over the place now. At least is helps with buying local.

I think that I am going to try my hand at making pizza sauce with the tomatoes. Since I still have to go out to the garden and see if I have more. I'm sure I do, just how many is the question. I think that I have had almost 2 bushels of just tomatoes from the garden. It is more then I could have ever imagined. The bounty of this year's garden has been fa nominal. I'm thinking about next year. I have already been requesting seed catalogs. So then in the dead of winter I can dream about warm summer days and the bounty of the garden. And if I'm smart, I will try and remember the bugs and disease. So then I can plan accordingly. If not then I will have similar problems next year. LOL!

I had an epiphany today. Band monster is starting her first day of 9th grade on Tuesday. In 4 years she will be graduating and Picky monster will graduate in 6 years. Where has the time gone. Then on the other hand, Mouthy monster still has over a decade to go before she does. WOW!

Chores need to be done!

Gotta Run,
Yart

Back to the Grind

I guess that it is time for me to come back to the blog. I have my first meeting of the new year tonight for the Legion. School starts next Tuesday and Marching Band is in full swing. Since I need to get back into a schedule for everything that also includes the blog.

Band monster (use to be teenage monster) has to go for sectionals early before practice tonight. So I will be tossing together a pasta dish for dinner. The hamburger is leftover from taco's the other night. This is a quick dish. Pasta, cooked meat and sauce. One the side salad, bread and butter.

Then after I take her, I have to come home and get my itinerary set up for the meeting tonight. I am hoping to get this meeting done in less then an hour. Even with all the pomp and circumstance these things shouldn't last forever. We need to make a couple of decisions on fund raisers.

I also have a ton more of tomatoes to cook down. Some are starting to go mussy so I think that they are going to become juice. But then again.... You never know. I need to harvest more of the mint and lemon balm and dry it out. Next pay I need to get carrots and onions so that I can put more up in the freezer and dry. Plus I need to get zucchini, so that I can make bread and freeze it.

I started working on sewing up fleece squares that came in a kit for something else. I have 4 strips sewn together. I think that tonight I will get it finished. Not sure where it will get used at. But at least it will be finished. If I get that done and still have some energy, I have more projects to do. I need to make a runner for the buffet. And one day I really need to make an apron.

Gotta Run,
Yart