High Lonesome Homestead

Food Waste

2012-01-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

I just watched the show "The Big Waste" on Food network. The show had 4 chefs, (two teams) find food that was being wasted (either from supermarkets, or farms) - the kind of food no one would buy because it might have a blemish, the wind had blown the crop down, they rummaged through a container of produce, bruising the fruit. Or ordered and then cancelled the order. Scouring grocery aisles, produce farms, orchard lines and garbage piles on the streets of New York City, the chefs were astounded at the things people discarded.

I was amazed. Over 40% of our food is wasted...27 million tons

This makes no sense to me. There are commercials on TV talking about not letting any child go hungry, yet there is a 40% waste of food in this country.

This has nothing to do with how the food is produced... it has to do with Americans having to have the best...

It also has to do with the food regulations which, although keep us safe, they also go overboard.

One person interviewed called himself a "freegan". He has a house, a car and a job. Yet he gets all his food free by checking out the waste that the markets put out to go to the landfill. He got fresh vegetables, quinoa salad and more - enough to fill 2 "suitcases". All free, all good!

The other thing that bothers me is reading about the different foods that come from countries that do not have the regulations. Orange Juice was found to have fungicide not allowed in the US but is allowed in Brazil. About 16.8 percent of the food that Americans eat is imported from other countries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up from 11.3 percent two decades ago. Some fish and seafood comes from other countries - a whopping 86%.

Raw milk is unavailable to a lot of us because of unclean production in the 1800's. The

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) protects your right to provide and obtain raw milk

Makes you think... what can I do about this in my small way.

Well, first off, I think if I grow my own food, or as much of it as I can I can control the waste. Simply by feeding the waste to the animals I have will save me money and feed the animals in a much healthier way.

I think building a root cellar to store the excess will be a great way to help keep food. If I buy an abundance of carrots, potatoes, apples from the store, or from a farm, I can keep the food longer in the root cellar.

Instead of choosing only the best looking produce - if I am going to cook the produce, the taste is the same whether it has a bruise on it or not. In the past, I have stopped at a farm in Ohio and gotten tomatoes for canning. They are not pretty, but getting them canned before we eat them fresh is always a challenge,. They taste just as good as the pretty perfect ones.

If your cheese gets a hard crust, grate it and all it to a casserole. It will melt and you'll never notice the difference.

Buy the bread that is considered "day old". (Or make your own to save money)

Being frugal by nature, it annoys me to see such waste. I watch my grocery bill to keep it the lowest possible (I am writing a frugal cookbook on how I fed my family of 5 for $20 a week and how I can still do that today for $50 a week).

I catch rainwater to water my animals and do my laundry. I try to hang my laundry as much as I can to save on the electricity a dryer costs.

I re-use and re-purpose everything I can.I know this blog has sort of turned out to talk more about frugality, but I think that goes hand in hand with waste.

So... here are a few quick ideas.

You can't grow a garden anywhere? Try just a flower pot. Get some cherry tomato plant. (Sometimes you can find what is called patio plants) You can plant them in a margarine tub until they get bigger, then get a pail.

Buy the fruit or vegetables that aren't "perfect"

Get meat that is close to expiration and eat it that night.

Re-use what you have. I save tin foil and bags to re-use (unless they have touched raw meat).

So, it's time for everyone to do their part.

Veterans

2011-11-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Right after my parents were married and had moved to a new town, my mother had heard from a college friend that Phyllis and her husband were passing through. The two decided it would be great fun to go to a restaurant and meet each other's spouses and catch up. The husbands apparently went along with it, to make their wives happy. My father was a quiet man, and my mother and her friends usually dominated the conversation, so he was prepared for another night such as that.

He was introduced to the friends husband and they sat down. Because this was 1948, the talk turned toward WWII in which both men had served. They found that they had been deployed to the same war zone. In the course of their discussion it came about that they had both been in Communications. My father had been a radio telegraph operator and sent messages through Morse Code. The other man had received messages.

The light suddenly dawned on him and he said "Double Dog??"
My Dad (initials are DD) was surprised and answered the man by calling him HIS code name. The evening took a turn as the two men felt the brotherhood that you get when you've served

For the rest of the night, my mother and her friend could harldy get a word in edgewise as these two Vets caught up on their stories.

Using those green tomatoes

2011-08-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to have an abundance of tomatoes, but if you have some green tomatoes in your garden Here are some recipes (Fried Green Tomatoes, Green Tomato Relish, etc)

I have heard of people putting a good thick gravy on top, but I tend to eat them just as they are - out of the frying pan. I do a very simple version of Fried Green Tomatoes: I dredge the sliced green tomatoes in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper (sometimes I add Old Bay Seasoning) and fry them in whatever is handy - oil, shortening, grease. And I always use a cast iron skillet. However, if you want the official Southern Fried Green Tomato recipe here it is (from Tyler Florence):

Tyler Florence's Fried Green Tomatoes

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Pinch cayenne

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large unripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, ends removed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Hot pepper sauce, for serving

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, and cayenne together. Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dip the tomatoes in the buttermilk and then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides well.

Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Carefully remove the tomatoes and drain on paper towels. Serve with hot pepper sauce and lemon.

Simple Fried Green Tomatoes With Country Milk Gravy

3 tbsp. bacon fat

4 green tomatoes, sliced 1/2" thick

Beaten eggs

Bread crumbs

Flour

Milk

Salt Pepper (You can also season Gravy with thyme, sage, marjoram, or anything you like.)

In a heavy skillet or frying pan heat bacon fat. Dip tomatoes in egg then in bread crumbs. Fry slowly in bacon fat until golden brown on both sides. Put tomatoes on a plate. For each tablespoon of fat left in the pan, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and blend well. Stir in 1 cup warm milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes and serve hot.

PICCALILLI

1 qt. cabbage, chopped

1 qt. green tomatoes, chopped

2 sweet green peppers

2 sweet red peppers

2 lg. Onions

1/4 c. salt

1 1/2 c. vinegar

1 1/2 c. water

2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. Turmeric

1 tsp. celery seed

Chop cabbage, tomato, red and green peppers and onions. Mix with salt and let stand overnight. Next morning drain. Boil vinegar, water, sugar, spices for 5 minutes. Add chopped vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Pour into jars and seal. ‘

GREEN TOMATO RELISH

2 qt. chopped green tomatoes

3 green peppers, sweet

3 red peppers, sweet

5 lg. Onions

3 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. celery seed

2 tbsp. mustard seed

1 tbsp. allspice

1 tbsp. turmeric

3 c. sugar

3 c. vinegar

Grind coarse tomatoes, peppers, onions. Put together in large pan, put the salt in and let stand 10 minutes. Drain, then mix all the spices, sugar and vinegar in it. Boil 10 minutes. Put hot in jars and seal.

CHOW CHOW

A good way to use green tomatoes, this chow chow is a spicy and hot accompaniment to beans and peas.

1 quart green tomatoes, chopped (about 6 to 8 tomatoes)

2 sweet green peppers, chopped

2 large mild onions, chopped

1 small head cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup salt

3 cups vinegar

2-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seed

Grind the chopped vegetables. Add the salt to them, and let the mixture stand overnight. (3 gal. veggies makes 12 quarts)

Drain the vegetable mixture in a jelly bag, pressing out all the liquid you can. Transfer the vegetables to a large pot. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, tumeric, and celery seed and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Stir frequently.

Pour the relish into hot, sterilized pint jars, cover, process 15 minutes in a boiling bath.

2011-08-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Boy today has been a tough one for me. I'm sure it is all me... emotionally, I feel drained. However, I feel as though I take it out on the ones that I love most.

So I thought I would write in my blog, and count the blessings that I

have in order to lift my spirits.

The newest blessing I have is a grandson born in July. He had a few problems to start out with, and spent time in the NICU. I stayed in Ohio with my daughter Bethany while he was in the NICU in case she had to drive back and forth to the hospital after she was discharged. She lives about 45 minutes from the hospital. The hospital was very accommodating to Bethany and allowed her to stay as a "care by parent" patient. This meant she had no nursing care, no meals, etc. The only thing they did was had her trash taken away. But she was so happy to stay close to Donald and be able to nurse him. The "care by parent" room is usually designated to a parent that will be
taking their premature baby home after being in the NICU for weeks. This gives the parent an opportunity to get help and ask questions of the nursing staff. The day Donald arrived, there were a number of discha

rges, so the hospital had the space for Bethany. This was another blessing given to my family.

Bethany's sister, Mariann wanted to visit the baby, so after spending most of July in Ohio, Jim and I returned this past week with Mariann. It was a quick visit, but I think Bethany was happy to see her sister, and I know Mariann was happy to see Donald and Bethany. I had made some molasses cookies, brown sugar cookies and banana bread before we left. Some went to Ohio and some went with Mariann to North Carolina where she lives, to give to a friend of hers as a thank you for being so good to her.

Nana's 13 year old dog, Pixie died in July. Nana (my mother, who is living with us) was devastated. Pixie was with Nana when my father died and has been her constant companion.
However, we are lucky that we are dog lovers as one of our dachshunds, named Patty, is a perfect 'therapy dog". She loves people, snuggling, and being pampered. The perfect dog to help Nana through this rough spot.

Speaking of dogs, the best therapy for me today was to groom ( by that I mean, get all the matts out) our standard poodle, Duke. He was a mess and I have been meaning to groom him for a while now. He doesn't look perfect, but feels a lot better :-) It took a few hours, but we were outside, and Jim and I worked side by side.

Jim has been struggling with a lot of back problems from an old injury and we are not getting any answers from anyone. He has been told, by his doctor not to work. You can imagine how hard that is for a workaholic. Plus the loss of a pay check has been very hard on us. We are frugal people by nature so this is not so much of a hardship, but more of an awareness of what the future could hold for us.

As Bette Davis said "old age ain't for sissies".

I have started canning tomatoes. We didn't have a garden this year, except for a few plants that Jim planted in containers, but that doesn't stop me. I bought some tomatoes from a stand in Ohio and have started the cooking and canning process today. I enjoy doing it, and later in the year, when we are making a pot of spaghetti (low carb, because I am watching my weight - not that it does much) it will be nice to have some fresh spaghetti sauce.

Well now, I feel better already... thank you for letting me vent!

Dog Treats

2011-06-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am a little picky about what type of dog food to feed your dog. Dogs are carnivores, and their digestive systems are not made to digest so much grain! When was the last time you saw a dog pillaging a corn field? A good site to see if your dog food is a good choice is: Dog Food Analysis http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Or Dog Food Advisor http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/

I am not, however, as fussy when it comes to treats (except not to buy what is in the store!)

We have a few dogs - both large and small and we have been making our own dog biscuits for a number of years. Mariann is actually the one baking them. In fact, years ago she had a page on our site and sold dog biscuits. This was just before the big craze of dog biscuit stores.

Her variety of flavors for the treats:

Chocoholic Carob Cookies (with carob), Hush Puppies, Peanut Buster, Plain, Canine Breath Freshener (with mint), Cheese Yips, Fleas Navidad (garlic), Maltese Maple Munchies, Dalmatian Dipped, Scottie Biscotti, French Onion

Snickerpoodles, Big Dog Gone Bone (for large dogs!), Bacon Bit Biscuits and a Chocoholic Carob Birthday Cake with a white frosting

Most dog foods taste bland, the store-made biscuits taste like sawdust, so companies add a lot of salt to make it appealing to dogs.

Since my mother's elderly dog lives with us, I am making dog biscuits again. She is on a special low sodium diet, so by making biscuits on my own, I can control the sodium. We have a variety of dog biscuit cookie cutters, including large, medium small and tiny dog bones and a hydrant.

Here is a very simple recipe:

Microwave Doggie Doughnuts

2 c Whole wheat flour (you can substitute the flour with Rye or Buckwheat flour)

3 T Oatmeal

1 Egg; lightly beaten

1 ts Garlic powder

2/3 c Beef or chicken broth (low sodium - better yet, make your own)

Place flour in a bowl, add egg and broth, mix well. Blend in oatmeal and garlic powder. Roll dough into a ball, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2" thick. Cut with small doughnut cutters. Reroll scraps and repeat. Arrange on a shallow baking dish or on a sheet or parchment paper in a single layer. Cook on HIGH 10 minutes or until firm.

Let cool until hardened. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

If you don't know how to make your own chicken broth, or want more recipes for dog biscuits, let me know and I will post them!

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

2011-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

As a stay-at-home mom/wife, we often did without. Living on one salary is tough, but I did what I could for a few dollars here and there. However, the brunt of our wealth has been on the shoulders of Jim. I am the one that budgets, and I tried to be as frugal as I could over the years.

We have enjoyed our run around with life, Jim and I. There isn't a whole lot of things that we haven't done that we have chosen to do. A majority of what we have done over the years involved our children. A choice that we happily made.

Oh sure, a vacation would be really nice. I can't remember the last time we went on a vacation just for fun... ours always consist of visiting family. Which is wonderful that we are able to do that, but going to the beach, or to the Bahamas or something of that nature just to relax, has never been available to us... we either have the time, and no money or money and no time. Although I have to admit the not having the money has always been an issue.

Jim has had a variety of jobs over the years... but the majority has been blue collar jobs... the most prevalent was being an Owner/Operator of a semi truck. He was trucking when I met him and over the course of 30 years that is the one thing that, in times of trouble, he always went back to.

He has an injury in his back from his time spent in the Army back in the Vietnam War that he has handled the best he could. He rarely complained, and for 30 years, almost every night I have massaged his muscles and taken out the cramps and helped with the pain. It is now beyond what I can do to help and he is losing feeling in both legs at various times. His right leg hurts when he drives continuously for hours, and his left leg hurts when he stands or walks for any length of time. He is going through tests to see what he can do, but in the mean time, he has had to leave his job. It was a mutual agreement - they didn't want him to get hurt and had no where really to place him, and he hurt too much to stay.

So, what does a middle-aged baby boomer do to change his life? The answer came from our youngest daughter while she was job hunting. Mariann told him he needed to check into a totally different job. So he has. He has taken a week for classes, and then studied for 2 weeks before taking two major tests. He started this week, after doing well on his tests (he was told most people do not pass both tests on the same day). He is being trained in the field this week, and hopefully will be out on his own soon. He is selling insurance: life, long -term care, annuities etc.

Jim is a hands-on worker. He is an outdoors person. He is a boots, jeans and flannel shirt kind of a guy. It is not going to be easy over the next few months - he likes the paycheck in his hand every week... But this man of mine, has donned the khaki pants, dress shirt and fancy shoes. This old dog is learning a new trick!

He has a can-do attitude. I have a frugal attitude. So with both of those in mind, I think we are going to be able to be successful.

We believe that God has always watched over us, giving us just what we needed at the time we needed it (maybe not exactly what we wanted, but exactly what we needed)

This is a leap of faith and we pray that God knows what He is doing...

Dandelions

2011-04-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more apparent that Spring is here than the blooming of those nasty weeds...

The dandelion especially has gotten a bad rap as people try to eradicate them from their yards. Yet, there is nothing more endearing to a mother, than to have her rag-a-muffin child come to her with a big bouquet of the yellow blooms. Seeing a handful of dandelions on the table in a small drinking cup is more precious to me

than a beautiful bouquet brought to me by FTD. And it has been a long time since I have gotten either! lol

18 years ago we moved to a small patch of unremarkable land here in WV. No one else was interested in a piece of land that had no water, electricity or even a spot that was cleared of all the briers and thorns that grow profusely here. There weren't any worms to be found under rocks, there weren't any dandelions here. It was a hot dry summer, and the soil is basically crushed sandstone... so any rain that fell simply ran into the ravine.

The following Spring the three kids and I decided that we would see if we couldn't add some color and life to our mountain top. We would gather dandelions that were going to seed from places that we visited, being very careful not to let the wind coming into our van windows blow the seeds around, we transported them home. When we arrived home, they would blow the seeds off of the stem and let the wind carry them.

This year, my husband and I are now alone on the land. Our independent children have moved to different states. We have noticed the profusion of dandelions we finally have growing. It may not mean a lot in the long run, but it is a little piece of their childhood that I will be seeing each coming Spring

Shepadoodles

2011-02-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

It is February and we have Shepadoodle puppies available.

We were one of 3 breeders a few years back... one was in Canada and there were two of us here in the US. There are more breeders now.

I have bred Labradoodles, Mini-labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Schnoodles but the Shepadoodle is by far my favorite. They are smart, quick, loving, attentive and all around adorable. Plus they have the advantage of having the low-shed attributes.

I have asked my puppy parents to send me stories about their dogs so I can share it with you. One story is a wonderful 7 month old Shepadoodle. His parents have taught him that when a car or bus comes down their street, he is to go to the driveway and sit until it passes! I love that

Prioritizing your activities

2011-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Well it's the end of the month and, of course, money is tight... not that it isn't tight any other time, but for some reason it just seems harder to get through the last week of the month.

Here's a scenario: You are trying to be a little frugal on your gas because it is costing so much more now to fill the tank. But you have all these activities you are involved in... church, choir, hair dresser, kid's stuff, family, friends, lessons, grocery shopping , picking your husband up from work. You can't possible do them all.

So how do you prioritize your activities? First, try to get to an activity by riding with a friend. But if you are like me, you live out of the way for anyone to come and get you.

You need to decide which is really important. Here are some thoughts:

Combine as many activities into one day, in one trip. Don't do backtracking (my husband is famous for this).

Plan the best route and figure the time for the activity so you may do more than one thing.

For example, it's cold out, so you can do your grocery shopping in the late afternoon and still be able to attend choir practice that evening.

If you feel that it is important to be in the church for the service (you can usually see services on TV or listen to them on the radio), then be sure to go. Maybe you can then do your shopping before coming home which would put less on your trips to town.

If you have spent time with family very recently, maybe you could cancel one visit with them.

Unless the choir counts on you for a solo or important part, missing a practice may not be detrimental to the outcome. If, however, you are a vital part of the choir, then this would be a priority over the others.

You can cancel your hairdresser appointments and make it for another time... lessons can also be re-arranged. Plan these activities on the same day next month.

Friends are usually very good about changing plans. However, in order to have a good friend you need to BE a good friend, so if your friend needs you then you need to weigh the priority of either being a good friend or losing a friendship. And by "needs you" I don't mean you have lunch once a week and she would be annoyed if you missed. I mean in a time of emotional upheaval, sickness, etc.

You can get through the rough part of the month by thinking ahead. Plan your grocery shopping ahead and get it done so that you have no reason to shop during the rough times. Schedule more things on the same day so there are fewer trips to take.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

Years ago my parents and 4 other couples moved to Cobleskill, N.Y. a small town near the Catskill Mountains. People didn't travel as much as they do now, and these 5 couples found themselves without close families on New Years. They decided to have a party on New Year's Eve and each year they would take turns as to which couple would host. They went in alphabetical order: Barnards, Berards, Demick, Fisk, Wingert. As the couples began to start their family, they found it hard to stay up at night and then get up so early in the morning with their infants. A new tradition started and they began to have a New Year breakfast.

I remember these breakfasts, as they went on for years, even after I was married and came home with my husband... That was at least 25 years of MY memories. It started off as breakfast. It gave the women a chance to try out new recipes over the years. I am sure there were a lot of casseroles, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits served to us. Mr. Berard took movies (no sound yet) every year and when we would gather at their house, we would watch these movies of the past 4 years... the laughter and joking as we watched was like being with extended family. I remember watch one movie and seeing myself and Debi go giggling past the camera with our hands trying to shield the camera from seeing us.

The fathers would take all of us kids (there ended up to be about 17 kids) skating on a local pond in town. We did this for a couple of years, but I don't know that any of us were really great skaters. I remember skating once when I was probably around 7 or 8.

The local college had put in a slope and we all learned to ski. It was a small slope, fitted with a tow rope. I was quite young then, and remember my father, holding be between his legs and skis, grabbing the rope and up the hill we would go.

For many years after that, as we became better at skiing, we would travel 45 minutes to a ski area called Scotch Valley (it is no longer in existence). This ski area was equipped with different levels of skiing, and all of us soon became very good skiers, and spent every weekend during the winter at Scotch Valley...

After a day of skiing, we would drive back to the Berards and have our traditional chili dinner. The Berards hosted this dinner every year. Mrs. Berard was a Southern gal and had the traditional "Hoppin' John" - New Year's good luck dish - black-eyed peas and rice.

These friends were as close as family could be, and we all have memories of these times. Not many people enjoy the companionship of friends these days.

We would be required to dress for the occasion, and I remember agonizing over what I would wear. And then in the morning, as all teenagers are, be loathed to get up so early. They started out meeting very early - after all, there were babies in the families. However, as these babies became teenagers, the time was changed and I believe we eventually had to arrive at 9 a.m.

If anyone has any memories of their traditions, please tell us!

Living on a shoestring

2010-12-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

Had to laugh today.

It was reported that people on un-employment are living on $320 a week... *gasp* ... how can a family of 4 live on that?

We have done it for years. .. and when we were a family of 5! It makes me wonder if "those in the know" really know what the average person struggles with everyday. Sure, I'd like to have a lot more money, but we made choices that we are happy we made.

I have not seen the new program "Downsized", so I don't even know the premise, but my husband and I downsized when our first child was born. We had a beautiful 1910 Gambrel house with 5 bedrooms, an upstairs Florida room, living room, family room, den, enclosed front porch... you get the point.

We decided to sell the house and get an apartment. We moved to another part of the city because the prices of apartments were lower. Yes, Jim had to drive further to get to work - about 45 minutes more, but the price of having me stay at home was important to us.

We really wanted to see if we could make it on 1 small salary. And we have succeeded. It was NOT easy, and there were times we weren't sure we would make it. But we did. I began reading all I could on frugality, saving money on groceries and cloths for the children. I read how to save money by buying what was needed, not what was wanted, and to buy store brands, not name brands. Eventually I was able to feed a family of 5 on $20 a week. I can still come very close to that now, in this economy- (and am putting together a book on those meals, if you are interested send me an email and I'll put you on the list)

However, what we lacked in money, we made up for with sheer will to prove it can be done. We used to tell the kids that they could have anything they wanted... as long as it wasn't the "best". You can find things at Thrift stores, on sale, or even save up for whatever is important to you.

To "downsize" is not a bad thing. We downsized for the good of our family. Some people may think that eventually we downsized TOO much - after all, we eventually made the choice to live without electricity, and we still collect our water in cisterns. We built our house completely by ourselves... which is still an on-going project.

The work-in-progress that is our house is now getting a new kitchen. Jim is building the cupboards and making the cabinet doors himself. We have some walnut boards we have saved for a few years, just in case we would want to use them. They will be the cabinet doors.

We have an old porcelain sink that I got out of someone's trash back in 1992. We are using that as the kitchen sink. Yes it has some dings in it... but that gives it character, as far as I'm concerned.

The piece of bowling alley lane from a dismantled bowling alley in Columbus Ohio in 1987, will be incorporated in as a tabletop. We are making our own tile counter tops with tile that was on sale because it is going to be discontinued, but we figured the price is almost half of what a counter could cost.

The sink in our bathroom came from a store that was going out of business. We bought 2 sinks in 1991 for $20. One is in our bathroom, and the other we used in 2008 when we added a large addition to our house for my mother to live.

The point is, planning and figuring out what is important to you. You don't have a 5 bedroom 2 full bath house to be happy.

It always surprises me how young adults can't seem to give-up or sacrifice for what they claim they want for their children.

"Actions speak louder than words". "Where there's a will, there's a way"

It seems like those adages are no longer in use. But those are 2 we have lived by.

The commercial part of Christmas has always been difficult. We wanted to give our children everything they would like. It was very hard to budget and try to stick with it.

One Christmas when our daughter was four, she said "This is the best Christmas ever!" and she had just opened her stocking... She hadn't seen the presents under the tree yet.

That statement made me realize that "less is more". Children are satisfied with less.

At one time in our lives, the song "Mary and Joseph's Boy" by Alabama really brought me to tears because we hadn't yet figured out how much more we needed to downsize in order for us to be happy.

"There were times we didn't think we'd make it through the year

The bankers tried to take our farms but somehow we're still here

I don't know how the crops survived the drought and then the rain

It must have been a miracle how else could you explain."

My mother always quoted "This too shall pass", and it did. It will for you, too!

Have a great Christmas... and "don't sweat the small stuff"!

December Cupcakes

2010-12-01T15:06:00.001-08:00

It is a chilly day today. It has been snowing on and off all day. Yesterday it was almost 60 degrees and very very windy... the wind stopped, the temperatures dropped and the snow started.

On a day like this, what better to make than cupcakes? Seeing as I am trying to watch my calories, this is a perfect recipe. I make regular sized cupcakes and also mini cupcakes to just pop in your mouth.

You can change the recipe with different cake mixes. The flavor of the pumpkin is barely there...

Two Ingredient Cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the chocolate cake mix and canned pumpkin until well blended. Spread evenly into the prepared cupcake pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and serve, or store in the refrigerator. This tastes even better the next day.

Calories: 157

December Cupcakes

2010-12-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

It is a chilly day today. It has been snowing on and off all day. Yesterday it was almost 60 degrees and very very windy... the wind stopped, the temperatures dropped and the snow started.

You can change the recipe with different cake mixes. The flavor of the pumpkin is barely there...

Two Ingredient Cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the chocolate cake mix and canned pumpkin until well blended. Spread evenly into the prepared cupcake pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and serve, or store in the refrigerator. This tastes even better the next day.

Calories: 157

Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving just days away I thought I would share my favorite sweet potato casserole with you. When I first began teaching in a small town in W.V. the Special Ed department would have a Thanksgiving dinner each year. There were only about 10 of us, but we would have a feast! This recipe came from Martha Levesay, who has been gone for many years now. I was not a sweet potato fan, but this recipe changed my mind...

Since then, this recipe has become our family's tradition. When the kids were little, I would buy whole walnuts and they would spend the morning opening the shells with hammers until we had enough meat for the recipe. It kept them busy, and they were part of getting the dinner ready.

Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

1 large can Sweet potatoes – drained and mashed
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbls vanilla
¼ - ½ cup margarine
½ cup milk

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup margarine
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix well and put in a baking dish. Add topping bake 45 minutes at 350*

November's Bean Soup

2010-11-09T10:43:00.001-08:00

Beautiful week here in WV. The temperatures today are in the 60's.

But last week we had a touch of snow.

So I made my favorite soup.

I use left over beans that I have been cooking in the slow cooker. Beans cooked in the slow cooker get better each day. By the end of the second or third day of cooking (and eating) they are thickened up.

Beans, pinto, 1 cup (I use left-over)

Beans, red kidney, 1 can

Potato, raw, 2 medium sliced (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia.)

Carrots, raw, 1 cup, baby

Hillshire Kielbasa

In your crock pot add 1 kielbasa (or polish sausage) that has been cut up. I try to cut it up in ½ and then in ½ again before slicing it into small chunks. I add chopped potatoes, and those small baby carrots you can now get at the grocery store. Cook until tender. Add some water to also extend the soup.

You can top the soup with cheese, sour cream, onions and even salsa...

For a more filling soup add – leftover vegetables, or add barley.. Sometimes I make rice and put the soup over the rice.

I will hate to see summer leave...

2010-09-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Winter was very hard this year, so I have to say that I have loved this summer.

Besides the usual work on the farm (fencing, replacing the deck, gardening,

I have been out a few times with a dear friend, and just "let it go".

I have been swimming more this summer than the last 2 summers combined.

I have travelled a few times with Jim at work.

I have started canning again and used my solar cooker.

There is so much more I want to do while the weather is hot.

Freezing Corn

2010-07-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well corn season is in full swing and although I do not have a corn patch, Jim gets our corn from a lovely Amish man in Ohio.

I have tried my hand at canning corn and today I am freezing corn.

If you want to know how to can corn, let me know and I will put a post up for that, and also a post for corn cob jelly.

Directions:

After I shuck the corn, I drop about 4 ears into boiling water for 4 minutes (after the water comes back to a boil, I start timing it). I then drop it into a bowl of ice water to stop the sugars from turning into carbohydrates.

Taking a sharp knife, I cut the kernels off the cob. I place the spent cob into a bag to freeze for later use as corn cob jelly.

4 - 5 ears of corn is enough to fill a 1 quart freezer bag. I use the zipper and close it until it is almost closed. Because I don't have a food saver machine (they run over $100, plus the bags are more expensive), I use a straw. When the bag is almost closed, I suck the rest of the air out of the bag using the straw, and quickly zipp the bag closed. This gets the extra air out of the bag, which is what caused freezer burn.

It takes about 40 ears to fill up 8 quart bags

I filled one bag only half-full so I have a smaller serving. You can see how the bag had the air sucked out of it.

I read somewhere you can put water in this, freeze it and the get all the air out of the bag, also.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!!

2010-04-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

The sun is out, the birds are chirping and the chickens are laying eggs. I have eggs boiling on the stove for hard-boiled eggs which I can make deviled eggs, or egg salad sandwiches for Jim and I.
This weekend we are going to a large Flea market in Ohio. It is a 2 day affair and covers the fairgrounds. One of the largest around. I hope to come back with some more rabbits, and poultry. Mariann requested a hairless rat. Bethany and Ryan will meet us there and they are planning to get pigs.
You would think that the only thing this Flea Market had was livestock, but that is the main reason we go. It has everything else that a flea market would carry - new clothes, old dishes and kitchen pots and pans, tools of all kinds. You could probably find what you are looking for here...
I haven't had vacation time in quite a while, and I love wandering around this place. It is a vacation for me just to get away for a day, so I am looking forward to this trip.

HARD BOILED EGGS
It is easier to peel an older egg than a fresh one.
Add eggs straight from fridge, in a single layer across the base of a saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover them by at least 1 inch. Slowly bring water to just under boiling point. 10 minutes. When the time is up, remove with a slotted spoon and plunge in cold water immediately to stop the cooking process. Allow to cool so are easy to handle. Peel and serve.
DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt Paprika
Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard and salt; mix well. Spoon (or pipe using pastry bag) into egg white shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until serving.

Last minute details

2010-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mariann heads to Haiti tonight. The first leg of her journey takes her to Ft. Lauderdale to meet up with the other missionaries and then on to Haiti. Today she is spending the day gathering up her last minute supplies (beans and rice to take to the Haitians) and to pack her bag to go. had a little glitch in the last payment for her trip, but we figured it out and all is set.

I am going to do a lot of praying for her in Haiti. This is a tough trip for anyone, and she is so young. But this trip was in her heart and it worked out the way it was supposed to.

My group Silent Hands was asked to perform at 2 churches and their support helped Mariann a lot. At one church there were only 25 people there, and they gave of their heart - over $200! There were exactly 4 people in her home church that helped out, and for that we are grateful, but it is disappointing that we have a large church and so little support.

(If you know of a youth that would like to go on a Mission Trip with other teenagers, check out http://www.globalexpeditions.com/ Global Expeditions has been sending youth to over 30 countries for 20 years or more. Brandon has been on 2 trips - both 2 months long. This will make Mariann's 5th trip since she was 16 - some 2 weeks, some a month long. She has done fundraising and works at McDonald's to help pay for these trips)

She will be heading to Colorado Springs in late April-early May. She was given the gift of house sitting for the fiance of one of our best friends. The plans have not been finalized, but I think she is ready to travel away from this area. There isn't a lot to hold her here, and she does need to get out and meet new people and see new areas. Brandon and his wife are out there, so she will have family. And of course, after Stacy gets married Mariann will have her out there.

I am hoping to go back to the churches with Silent Hands to perform again and let Mariann tell of her experiences in Haiti. This will be the last time Mariann will be able to sign with our group.

What's with men?

2010-02-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

Or is it just WV men??

Last night we had to help Mariann's car get out of the middle of the snowy road - of course it didn't quite make it up the first leg of our road. We followed a pick up truck out (we were in the Rhino lol... "Here we come to save the Day"!!).
So the truck stops and a guy gets out at the same time we do. The guy was in his late 20's I'd say...

Jim started giving Mariann directions, then Jim and I pushed the car a little..then an little more. Reverse... forward...reverse...forward... a very tiny 80 point turn...
Inch by inch we turned Mariann's car around until she finally headed back down the hill.

What did the guy in the pick up truck do?? Got in his truck and watched us...

Do Mamas not teach their boys chivalry anymore???

I would be so surprised (and annoyed) if my son ever watched an older man and woman help a young girl and just sat in his warm truck and watched!

How do those those lyrics go? "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all..."

2010-02-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

The driveway is such a mess - too much snow, then warmer weather turned it soft, and slushy, now there are ruts... and more snow is coming - which will make a bad thing worse.

The pickup truck developed an oil leak tonight. Luckily my husband Jim is so very quick. The minute he heard a slight "ticking" he stopped the truck and poured oil in it. We drove home and we are hopeful that the engine was not damaged!

And, of course we do not have a car to replace the Subaru that burned in January... The snow has been so deep that I haven't wanted to go look for a vehicle. And we will have to get a loan, which I don't want (Nana held the other loan)...

But, I made cauliflower salad today for Jim's lunches. Plus banana bread - instead of using sour cream, I put in vanilla yogurt - less fat and a great taste.

OK... time to count my blessings...
1.We have a warm house, food, and clothing!
2.Nana doesn't have to see any doctors... she is pretty healthy.
3.Mariann has water in her well - Jim and I pulled the pump out of the well on Sunday (all 200 ft of pipe). It was a job, but the two of us can work well together.
4. We are healthy and still love and respect each other

So, in the scheme of things, we are doing pretty good...

Ice Cream Snow

2010-02-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ice Cream snow # 1
Ingredients:
1 gallon snow 1 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups milk
Directions
When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.
Ice cream snow # 2
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 2 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup white sugar 1 gallon snow
In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in snow until mixture reaches desired consistency. Eat at once.

And the snow still falls...

2010-02-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

We are having a record amount of snow this year here on High Lonesome. I check and feed the animals in the afternoon and by the next morning, my tracks are covered. School has been virtually non-existent for the students, the road crews are putting in a lot of over time and have run out of gravel and grit...

It's February and it reminds me of the first year we were here... a lot of our time was spent cutting firewood, and we are doing the same this year. Our firewood pile was depleted early this year, so Jim and I are out cutting and hauling... boy do we miss the kids!

I am writing a book on the first winter we lived here... the winter, snow and cold has been easy to recall!

Fresh Bread made easy

2010-01-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Snowy and cold out today...Brr...
An excellent day to make some chili and bake fresh bread. Fresh bread is so easy to make - and I have a recipe that I don't even knead. I let it rise on top of the oven while the oven is pre-heating, then I pop it in the oven. I bake it in 2 small metal coffee cans, so when I am ready to cut into it, the bread has ridges to follow... it can't get any more eay than that.
I have the recipe in my new recipe book that I am currently writing. Here is a preview:
EASY CHILI $1.12 plate
Beans
2 # hamburger
tomato sauce or 2 cans paste:
Choice of spices: chili powder, red pepper, salt, black pepper etc.

Brown the hamburger and pour off the grease. Add 2 cans of light red kidney beans and a large can of tomato sauce or 2 cans of tomato paste with 2 cups of water. You can put this in a crock pot to heat, or heat it until bubbly on the stove.
To make this cheaper, add left-over pinto beans, and cut down on the burger. You can use chili beans, northern beans, sausage –the flavors will all mix together. That is the beauty of chili.

Beginners Easy Bread $.25 a loaf
5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups flour (you will probably use less)
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tbls. (or 2 packages) yeast - You can measure a tablespoon in your hand
2 1/4 cups hot tap water
2 tbls sugar
1 tbls. Salt
Combine 2 cups flour, un-dissolved yeast, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir well to blend. Add butter and hot water. (To soften butter, I put it in the hot tap water)
Beat with a mixer on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl occasionally. Add 1 more cup of flour. Beat on high for 1 minute until smooth and elastic. Gradually stir in just enough of the remaining flour with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough which leaves the sides of bowl. Using my mixer, I mix until it leaves the sides of the bowl.
Flour your hands and Knead 5 - 10 minutes (I usually don't do it this long and I do it in the mixing bowl. ) until dough is smooth and elastic and doesn't stick all over your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest for 20 minutes. (I only do this if I have the 20 minutes to wait)
Punch down and divide the loaf into 2 loaves if you want 2 loaves. I use a glass 2 qt. casserole dish and bake my bread in this. Otherwise, divide into 2 loaves. Roll it out with a rolling pin, then starting with the narrow end, roll up into a jelly roll and tuck in the ends. Put this into a greased bread pan (measuring 81/2 x 41/2 x21/2).
(I skip this next part): Brush lightly with butter Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate 2 - 24 hours. When ready to bake, Uncover, let stand for 10 minutes while preheating oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you rap your knuckles on the top.
If you want the bread NOW! Skip the refrigerator step. Just let the dough rise, for a few minutes and pop it into the oven.
When the bread comes out of the oven and cools for a few minutes, butter the top. This keeps the crust soft. If you want a crunchy top, don't add butter.

If you are interested in my frugal recipe book ( I also have a High Lonesome Ranch cook book with recipes handed down to me) let me know!

Until then, enjoy baking bread at home!

Banana Bread

2010-01-21T03:21:00.000-08:00

I would rather be slogging through the snow than deal with the mud... However I do like the warmer temperatures and the fact that the cisterns are full.

I have been making banana bread a lot lately. The smell in the kitchen makes your mouth water. you can eat it warm from the oven with whipped cream, for breakfast with your coffee or drink of choice, and for a snack. The recipe I use is very moist and does not dry out.
Bananas remain a very inexpensive fruit so buy a few bunches, eat them as usual and when they get a little over ripe, that is the time for a good banana bread.

I do not put nuts in mine, of course many people do. Here is my favorite recipe:

SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD ~ My favorite
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3) 1/2 cup sour cream
Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients; mix well. Add the mashed bananas and sour cream. Grease 2 loaf pans . Fill 1/2 full with batter and bake in 350 degree oven. For 1 hour
When cool drizzle with a glaze made of confectioner’s sugar and milk

Prejudice

2010-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

I was not surprised the other day when my 20 year old, Mariann came to me, a little upset because she and her new long distance boyfriend were having communication trouble. They met over the Internet... she lives in her own home on her own land in WV, he lives at home (in Pittsburgh) with his family... I mean, they are very different and they don't get to see each other a lot. So their communication is basically through the phone mostly.

He has been to visit her a few times and was very sweet on her... He came on pretty strong, and we were surprised to see Mariann react positively to this as she is very reserved, and grounded. She is very choosy whom she will allow into her private thoughts even. He seemed a little over the top - very talkative, exuberant - much like a Labrador puppy.

But I was surprised when I found out the reason for their lack of communication. It seems when Mariann went to Pittsburgh to meet his family, she didn't feel well. She has a monitor medically placed in her chest to monitor her heart because she was having unknown episodes. She was told that it could effect her appetite, among numerous other things. (You know those commercials when the side effects from the medication seem worse than the condition itself??)

Anyway, that weekend - maybe it was the traveling, maybe it was the nervousness, but she felt nauseous and didn't eat. I guess they kept track, not only of her non-eating habits... but also the amount of times she went to the bathroom (that wasn't enough either, I guess)!!!

His mother's conclusion? Mariann is some sort of socially - inadequate country girl. And a liar (they looked it up on the Internet and nausea wasn't listed). Not only that, she is wanting to get out of WV so badly and head for the exciting lights of Pittsburgh that she is using their precious 22 year old son to get out of WV and move to PA...

We obviously are country bumpkins - we live on top of the mountain, have lived without electricity in our self - sufficient way. Our house is not finished inside and probably won't be for a good long time - we built it with out a mortgage, and totally on our own with our young children. I guess that doesn't count for anything...

Mariann has traveled to 11 different countries since she was 16... She is independent, has been working since she was 16, was promoted to shift manager at McDonald's as the youngest one they have ever had... and still she is "socially" inadequate... wow

It all comes down to living in a state that is notorious for "hicks... hillbillies" etc. .. and we have been labeled as such by this "open minded" family.

So, he has slowly begun to distance himself from her, and it has hurt her. He was supposed to meet her 1/2 way on Sunday and his 2009 truck seems to be developing all these problems so he can't travel any distance... ha

As parents, your husband wants to punch him in the face... As a mother, I want to say something to him for being such a "Mama's Boy" .
I guess his opinion of Mariann can be so swayed so easily, by something that to me sounds ludicrous... He is not a strong enough man to be dating my daughter...

His mother was obviously really reaching for straws to come up with a reason to dislike Mariann...

Home Remedies

2010-01-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore Throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Any home remedies you would want to share?

Home Remedy

2010-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

The weather has turned for the better and warmed up enough to melt some of the snow. Hopefully the cisterns will start to fill back up again. The sun certainly looks good outside.

We have a litter of labradoodles due this week. Olive Oil sure doesn't act like she is even close to giving birth... makes you wonder.

January

2010-01-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

We have been busy trying to keep the animals watered. The problem with homesteading is everything is much more difficult to achieve results. We have our water collected in 2 cisterns. One has run out of water, so Jim had to re-route the other so that we all have water - our house and my mother's "dauty haus" which is a large apartment attached to the main house - actually her side is probably as big as our side.
West Virginia has ended up with a lot of snow this year. I don't know if any records have been set, but the past few years have been mild. Our first winter here it was very snowy and cold like this. You can see my laundry being freeze-dried!

So, my frugal tip for the day is to dry your clothes on a line, no matter what the weather!