Scenes of my Contentment

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

Scenes of my Contentment.

This was a good morning. Woke up to a beautiful fall day … a couple hours later, in typical Colorado fashion, a storm blew in. I love Fall. Of course I say I love spring every spring too. For this moment in time. I was seriously loving my life.

I had snow falling out the front window.

snow Scenes of my Contentment

A fire going in the wood-stove to keep me warm.

fireplace Scenes of my Contentment

Freshly canned applesauce on my kitchen table.

home canned apples Scenes of my Contentment

2 more boxes of apples to take care of today.

apples Scenes of my Contentment

A small pumpkin I need to take care of. Notice the library book? Chicken coops…. we are thinking of adding critters to out little homestead next spring.

pumpkin Scenes of my Contentment

A very cool front yard, bird feeders hung in strategic places.  I can watch my little feathered friends eat and fuss at each other.  The occasional baby buck mule deer comes in for a snack.   All this activity is viewable from the window over my kitchen sink.  How cool is that.

bird feeder buck Scenes of my Contentment

A living room that is organized and somewhat clean…. for the moment.

living room Scenes of my Contentment

Smell that?   Chicken and beans in the crock pot are making my house smell heavenly…. and supper is done!

Listen…..  Good music playing on the stereo.  Songs of praise are springing from my heart.

I may sound like a goofball…. but I am a happy and contented goofball. These are moments in life when I realize just how blessed I am.

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Storing your Canning Jars

Posted on November 7, 2010 by

Canning Jar Storage…. Where do you put it?

I am just working on a new article for my canning site. The article is sharing ideas about where to store your canning jars. Ours end up all over the place.  The REAL reason I’m posting this tonight is to share this picture……

canning jar storage 3 Storing your Canning Jars

My littlest man sorting out jars.   He was working very hard to get them all in the right places.

Do you have creative ways to store your bounty?   Share with me here.  I’m always up for new ideas… I may even include your idea in my article.

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Bleached, Gassed, and Colored Remnants

Posted on November 5, 2010 by

I was browsing through my copy of Nourishing Traditions. Yes, I browse cookbooks. It’s pathetic. But…… this is a fun cookbook! I ran across this quote. I loved it.

Since WW2, the food industry in the U.S. has gone a long way toward ensuring that their customers, (just about all of America’s children, as well as a good proportion of the adults) do not have to chew breakfast.

Flkr Bleached, Gassed, and Colored Remnants

photo by D Sharon Pruit

The bleached, gassed, and colored remnants of the life-giving grains are roasted, toasted, frosted with sugar, embalmed with chemical preservatives, and stuffed into a box much larger than its contents.

Fantastic amounts of energy are wasted by sales and advertising departments to sell these half-empty boxes of dead food. Money back coupons, whistles and toy guns are needed to induce refined women to lift these half empty boxes off supermarket shelves.

William Dufty ‘Sugar Blues’

For the ‘refined’ women… here is an old post recipe for whole wheat granola…. with life giving grains!

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Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2010 by

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

fried green tomatoes Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
We tried something new for lunch! Here is my super simple fried green tomatoes recipe.

Fall is officially here. It froze the other night. Tomato harvest is in and done. I’ve canned all the red tomatoes. I have a bunch that are still a bit orange sitting on wire shelving in front of my big kitchen window. And a bowl full of green tomatoes ready for eating.

I’ve heard of fried green tomatoes. I’ve always wanted to try them…. last week I finally got a chance. The verdict. I liked em, my husband thought they were ok… one of my sons LOVED them.

They have a tangy sort of flavor underneath the breading.

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

First you need green tomatoes. The greener the better. You don’t want to have any orange.

Next you’ll need some type of crumb mix to dip them in. I use ½ cup cornmeal, ½ cup whole wheat flour and 1 T garlic salt. I imagine you could add all sorts of herbs to your mix.

Slice the tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. Leave them sit on a plate for a few minutes. They will get a bit juicy. This will help the crumb mix to stick better.

You could also dip the tomatoes in a beaten egg, then dip in the crumbs. I tried both methods and both were good.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet. I use my cast iron skillet.

Then simply dip your tomatoes in the egg mix (if you use it) then the crumb mix, and fry on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

A slight tangy, vinegary taste is what surprised me. I guess I really didn’t know what to expect…. but it was Good!

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Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix Recipe

Posted on October 28, 2010 by

Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix Recipe

Ingredients:biscuit mix recipe 3 300x274 Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix Recipe

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/ tsp baking soda
3/4 cups instant nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 cups shortening

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Add shortening either with a pastry blender or mixer.  I use my Kitchen Aid and it works great.   Blend until well mixed and crumbly.

Store in a container in the fridge.   

buiscuit mix recipe Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix Recipe

Recipes…


Sloppy Joe Pie

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The Army Mom is Blessed.

Posted on October 24, 2010 by

This Army Mom is blessed.

Do you ever have a Sunday where you go to church… and you are so incredibly blessed by the people there?  I had one today!

As you may or may not know my son is serving in Afghanistan.    In our last phone call he shared some needs.  Important equipment that the ARMY should be providing!  (that is another post topic)

We have a long term friend and church brother who runs an army surplus/camping type store.  I asked him about some of the things my son requested.  I know nothing about this type of equipment…. Pappy does!   He is finding these supplies for me.

At church I shared my frustration at the spending of this government yet, they can’t seem to get my son and many other soldiers the equipment that they need.   I also mentioned that Pappy is helping me find this stuff and just asked for prayer.

After church I saw many people slipping him cash.  They were giving, so  he would be able to order more of these supplies not only for my son, but others in his unit.

This was way more than I expected.  I was asking for prayer… they responded with prayer, and action.

I’ve not felt so cared for and protected in a long long time.

God is good!

If you don’t attend a good bible believing and bible teaching church.  I urge you, go out and find one.  Find one that teaches the Word as it is written.  Find one that is not afraid to speak the Truth.

Find one that has a pastor and members that take that word seriously and are willing to take action and live that Word.  I believe that we will soon need each other more and more.

Hebrews 10:23-25

23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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Elk and Venison Recipes, Canning Meat from the Field to the Table

Posted on October 24, 2010 by

I’m excited to present….. Elk and Venison Recipes: From the Field to the Table.    Ever think about canning meat but not sure just what you’d do with it once it is on the shelf?   Here are the recipes to help.

Recipes and tips for canning meat and then using and enjoying home canned meat.

Elk and Venison Recipes : From the Field to the Table

venison recipes 321 Elk and Venison Recipes, Canning Meat from the Field to the Table

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How to make your wife smile.

Posted on October 19, 2010 by

I wrote this post ages ago. How to make your husband smile.

Now I am following up with How to make your wife smile.

Husbands, when you come home from hunting camp don’t pile your stinky, smokey, occasionally bloody, hunting clothes on the floor next to the washer and say here you go.

Instead, haul it all downstairs, load the washer and start washing it….  I smiled when I saw that my guys did just that today.

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Planting Garlic

Posted on October 16, 2010 by

Today I learned how to plant garlic.  And it is super easy!  I love super easy.

I read this morning at Lehmans Country Life about planting garlic.  Uhm “thousands” of cloves.   I’ll take her suggestion and start out with a few in my flower garden.

I added some in amongst my flowers and herbs.  (see the pictures below) Right between the Mums, Sage and Thyme.   We’ll see if it comes up in the spring.

If they all grow as hoped.  I’ll have home grown garlic next year. I only planted 8 cloves. I go through much more than 8 bulbs of garlic. I may just go next week and get some more.  LOL Knowing me, pretty soon I’ll be growing lots more. Probably not thousands but most likely more than 8.

There are many types of garlic that one can get from seed catalogs and garden centers.  The three main types are:

    Stiff-neck garlic- a single ring of cloves around a solid central stem.  This is apparently the hardiest type.
    Soft neck garlic – this is the kind sold in grocery stores. Not as hardy as a stiff neck garlic depending on the type
    Elephant Garlic – Produces fewer but larger cloves. This is actually a type of leek and not as hardy as true garlic.

What I planted is just a soft neck  garlic from the grocery store.   This is an experiment.   If it works, next year I’ll plant from the crop I grew this year.   Sustainability. That is good!

What I read about How to Plant Garlic

Garlic prefers well drained soil with plenty of organic matter…. uhm I think all veggies like these conditions. My soil however is rocky and borderline acceptable…. hope this works.

Likes full sun but tolerates partial shade.  – Perfect for my spot!

Planting Garlic:

    Plant in the fall about a month before the soil freezes.
    Plant about 2 inches deep 6 inches apart.
    Place garlic with the pointy end up.
    Mulch with straw or leaves.
    Wait for spring!

Here is the corner of my flower and herb garden where I added the garlic. Pretend you don’t notice that weeding ended several weeks ago.
planting garlic 3 Planting Garlic

One of my short rows. It is kind of hard to see but you can see 4 cloves of garlic in my little trench.

planting garlic 1 Planting Garlic

Dirt…. with garlic under it. You’ll notice a small sage plant that I planted this spring as well.

planting garlic Planting Garlic

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Pickled Beets Question

Posted on October 11, 2010 by

Joyce asks:

Today, I made beet pickles. After cooking, peeling and slicing the beets, I put them in the pot with the prepared brine of sugar and vinegar. Now the question: the recipe said that the brine should have an “oily” appearance. It did not, could you tell me why?

Thanks, Joyce

Joyce,

Pickled veggies Pickled Beets Question

Pickled Veggies

When I do my pickled beets I cook and peel the beets and then place them in the jars warm.  After my jars are filled I pour the hot pickling liquid over them in the jar.

I have not noticed an oily appearance…. but then again I have not really been looking for it either.

I don’t know what recipe you are following.  You probably want to double check the ratio of vinegar and water in your liquid.  I also recommend using a tested recipe from either the Ball Blue Book or any state extension website.

Hope that helps!

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