Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Numbers Are In

Well, Thanksgiving is over and now the mad dash toward Christmas now before us.   Black Friday and Cyber Monday seem to have coughed up some good numbers for the retailers. I'm not sure exactly what that tells us about the coming holidays. I can't believe that people are actually buying the story that the economy is on the rise and that things are looking good. I think it is more likely that people are taking advantage of the sales and trying to save money where ever it can be done.

  From the things I have been reading and the folks that I talk to it looks like folks are re-thinking the way they will be celebrating Christmas this year. My guess is that there will be a lot fewer expensive gifts bought with credit cards this year.  There may even be a decrease in those who put Christmas on the credit cards. Of course that would require some forethought and some control on the part of those folks so I guess I'm not going to hold my breath. 

I do know that many folks are thinking of cutting wayyy back on their spending this year though.  There are going to be a whole lot fewer gifts under the tree this year in a lot of homes. You know, I don't see that being a problem really. So many have forgotten what the season is about anyway.  Maybe this year we will focus more on "The Reason For The Season".
                          ~~~ Hey... I'm Just Sayin' ...~~~

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Roots

I was talking with a friend the other day and she offered these words of wisdom.

Your life is like a tree............some people are like leaves on the tree. If the wind blows they blow off.  Some are branches....you put a little weight on them they fall off and break.  But some are roots..........and they are gonna be there.
Those roots go deep.  And if you cut the top of the tree off,  it will still grow, because it has got roots, its grounded.  New branches and leaves come and go... look for what roots.   Water the roots.


Understand the importance of a good root system. Without it nothing grows.
You've gotta till that dirt, and fertilize it, and water it, and watch it grow.

                    ~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ...~~~

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Pecan Pie

One of the things I love about Thanksgiving are the traditional foods of the season. Turkey and Dressing, sweet potato's with marshmallow topping, green bean casserole, and the best of the best.... The Pies!

One of the things I always looked forward to every single Thanksgiving was my grandmother's pecan pie. Nothing says Thanksgiving for me like her pecan pie.  I asked her once for her pecan pie recipe and she gave me the following one.  I don't have her recipe for the crust, but it probably doesn't matter much anyway. I have found that the only way to make a good pie crust is to practice. ALOT!

Pecan Pie

    1 cup Light OR Dark Karo Corn Syrup
     3 eggs
    1 cup sugar
    2 tablespoons butter, melted
     1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
     1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
   
 Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.

 Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes . Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.

If this recipe sounds familiar it probably is because of this -  When I asked my grandmom for her recipe, she told me to look on the back of the Karo Syrup bottle.   Who knew!!

                            `~~~Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ...~~~

Monday, November 22, 2010

Homemade Bath Soap


If you all recall, I learned how to make Homemade Hand Soap. It is now cured and ready to go!
 I've been using it for a couple of months now and I just love it. I used coconut, olive and canola oils in it. I also made one batch that I added pure coco powder in. It made really interesting looking bars! Those are the ones in the picture that look.... well chocolaty!!

  Pure soap. No additives or ingredients that you can't pronounce.  It lathers up nicely and rinses off clean. The coconut and olive oils also make it a nice moisturizing soap.  I have dry skin, especially in the winter, and it really helps with that.  I thought I would offer it here on my blog for anyone who is interested.

 The bars are all between 4 - 5 ounces. I checked into the shipping costs and was amazed at the costs though. The prepaid  boxes seem to be the best way to go.  So I was thinking that what I could do is to send you 4 bars, with the shipping included,  for a donation of $18.00  


I also have some bars that aren't quite as pretty that you might be interested in as well.  



If you are interested or have any questions, drop me an email at preparetopreserve@yahoo.com and I will get back with you! 

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Saturday Stuff

I haven't posted in a few days due to computer issues. I don't know exactly what happened but whatever it was sure was bad.  I sure am glad that Mars knows his way around computers because I don't know enough about them to be of much use. I can't "speak" the geek"!   He had to reinstall the Operating System (ouch!!) which means I have also been spending time re-installing all sorts of things.
 At least this time I was able to save pictures and files and things like that.  I can't tell you how badly it SUCKED when I had the crash a couple of years ago and lost EVERYTHING.  Lesson learned, back up your stuff!  Don't be like me and lose things like pictures that can never be replaced. It can be heartbreaking. I love digital cameras.  They have really changed the way people take pictures. Not having to buy film is great and you can take tons of pictures with minimal cost.  The drawback is that if you don't back up your computer or burn them to a disk its really easy to loose them. 

The garden has been hand turned and Mars has tried to get the largest part of the Bermuda grass out. That should help some but the Bermuda grass war will continue to rage I am sure. With some amendments to the soil will be ready to "winterize" soon.  We took a soil sample down to the county extension agency and should have the results back in a few days. Then we can go from there as to amending the soil.  Just out of curiosity I want to know what the aluminum levels are. I won't go into the whys for that but I AM curious. That is one of the reasons I have been seriously considering starting another blog. There are things going on around us these days that don't really "fit" in this blog.  Anyway....

The first seed catalog came in the mail this week. I just love flipping through the pages and dreaming about all the cool things that we could grow. They make excellent reading material in the bathroom too!   Does anyone else have a weakness for seed catalogs?  Mushroom told Mars to feel free to plant where ever he could find a place to grow something.  With the cost of food rising at an alarming rate, growing your own food just makes sense.  Besides that, there aren't many things more satisfying than eating something that you grew with your own hands.

Mars and Bud are replacing one of the living room windows this weekend. It's a job that has really been needing to be done for awhile now. They had to special order the window and it finally came in.  I am sure it will help make the house warmer!

Thanksgiving is almost here.  I know, time flies right?  The holidays are one of the best times of the year for catching really good sales on all sorts of things, especially baking products like sugar and flour and such.  I try to take advantage of these sales to stock up my pantry and "grow" my food storage.  Gotta love cheaper... errr  frugal ways to shop and to prep. 
                           ~~~ Hey... I'm Just Sayin'... ~~~

Monday, November 15, 2010

I Am the Democratic Liberal-Progressive’s Worst Nightmare

I was reading over at Kronic's Musings the other day.  he had posted a letter written by a friend.  I  really enjoyed it and thought that you all might like it as well.  Thanks Kronic!

I Am the Democratic Liberal-Progressive’s Worst Nightmare.

I Am the Democratic Liberal-Progressive’s Worst Nightmare.
I am a White, Conservative, Tax-Paying, American Veteran, Gun Owning Biker.
I am a Master leatherworker. I work hard and long hours with my hands to earn a living.

I believe in God and the freedom of religion, but I don’t push it on others.
I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and drive American-made cars, and I believe in American products and buy them whenever I can.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and not some liberal governmental functionary,Democratic or Republican, that wants to share it with others who don’t work!
I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!
I think owning a gun doesn’t make you a killer; it makes you a smart American.
I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it!
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac or any other item, you should do it in English.
I believe there should be no other language option.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.
My heroes are Malcolm Forbes, John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson, who makes the awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
I don’t hate the rich. I don’t pity the poor.
I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it.
I’ve never owned a slave, nor was I a slave. I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks, and neither have you!
I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!
This is AMERICA …We like it the way it is and more so the way it was …so stop trying to change it to look like Russia or China , or some other socialist country!
If you were born here and don’t like it… you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you. (And take Barack Hussein Obama and his group with you.) Massachusetts started the ball rolling. Keep it going.
I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the White House, the seat of our biggest problems.
I want to know which church is it, exactly, where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution?
Can I get an AMEN on that one?
I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what color you are, but not just because you happen to ride a bike.
And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my driver’s license. I think it’s good…. And I’m proud that ‘God’ is written on my money..
I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don’t want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.
I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause…. Get a job and do your part to support yourself and your family!
I believe that it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents….
I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think!
I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA !
If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I’m a BAD American.
If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know….
We want our country back!
My Country…..
I hope this offends all illegal aliens.

My great, great, great, great grandfather watched and bled as his friends died in the Revolution & the War of 1812. My great, great, great grandfather watched as his friends died in the Mexican American War. My great, great grandfather watched as his friends & brothers died in the Civil War. My great grandfather watched as his friends died in the Spanish-American War. My grandfather watched as his friends died in WW I. My father watched as his friends died in WW II.
I watched as my friends died in Vietnam , Panama & Desert Storm. My son watched & bled as his friends died in Afghanistan and Iraq . None of them died for the Mexican Flag. Everyone died for the American flag.
Texas high school students raised a Mexican flag on a school flag pole, other students took it down. Guess who was expelled…the students who took it down.
California high school students were sent home on Cinco de Mayo, because they wore T-shirts with the American flag printed on them.
Enough is enough
This message needs to be viewed by every American; and every American needs to stand up for America .
We’ve bent over to appease the America-haters long enough. I’m taking a stand.
I’m standing up because the hundreds of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country, and for the American flag.
If you agree, stand up with me. If you disagree, please let me know. I will gladly remove you from my friends list.
And shame on anyone who tries to make this a racist message.
AMERICANS, stop giving away Your RIGHTS !
Let me make this clear! THIS IS MY COUNTRY !
This statement DOES NOT mean I’m against immigration !
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, IN MY COUNTRY, welcome to come legally:
1. Get a sponsor !
2. Learn the LANGUAGE, as immigrants have in the past !
3. Live by OUR rules !
4. Get a job !
5. Pay YOUR Taxes !
6. No Social Security until you have earned it and Paid for it !
7. NOW find a place to lay your head !
If you don’t want to forward this for fear of offending someone, then YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM !
We’ve gone so far the other way . . . bent over backwards not to offend anyone.
Only AMERICANS seems to care when American Citizens are being offended !
WAKE UP America ! ! !
If you do not Pass this on, may your fingers cramp !
Made in the U S A & DAnn PROUD OF IT!!!!!
Author 32tudor






                              ~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Uses For Dryer Lint

Just about everyone has dryer lint.  I suppose most people just toss it out in the trash. But I don't.  I've been saving dryer lint for what seems like ages. I happen to know that there are lots of other folks out there that do the same thing.  How do I know this?  Because not only have I had LOTS of people actually admit that they save lint, I have seen it with my own eyes.

  Walk into most laundry rooms and you will probably see a pile of lint somewhere.  On top of the dryer, in a separate trash bag, in an old coffee can and some even have a "special container" just for lint saving.  I'm one of those.  I have an old trick or treat bucket stuffed to the rim with dryer lint.  Somewhere I even have ANOTHER container to dump the bucket into when it gets full. 

I was thinking about it one day (yeah I do tend to think of off the wall stuff sometimes)  and asked myself just what in the world I was going to do with all that fluffy, multi-colored recyclable material. I don't know why I even started saving it to start with.  I just kept thinking " There must be something I can do with this stuff".  I also decided to ask around and see what others had to say about the stuff.  The number one answer, hands down, was to use it for firestarter. 

I started searching around and came up with a few  other things that dryer lint can be used for. I'm kind of glad I did too.  Somehow it makes me feel better to know that I'm not alone in my "harvesting" of lint! 

 Here is where I have to put in a serious warning.  Dryer Lint is EXTREMELY flammable.  Which is, I suppose, one reason that the #1 use for it is for starting fires!

You have to be careful when you burn dryer lint as well.  Remember that how it burns depends on what the lint was made out of.  Things that are man-made will melt and/or smoke. It might smell like burnt plastic or even put out fumes.  Cotton, wool and linen dryer lint will work just fine.  If you aren't sure about what's in it you might want to take it outside in an open area and burn some.  If it morphs into something ( like little beads etc) don't put it in your fireplace or bbq pit.

  Some of the things people use it for call for caution and a bit of common sense.  If you decide to use any of these ideas please use your head and remember just how flammable this stuff is ok? 

Alrighty then....  We have the warnings out of the way.  Now on to some of the interesting things you can use all that harvested dryer lint for......

Here are a couple of  ways to use that fluffy stuff as a firestarter.  I like a couple of these ideas because not only does it call for using your dryer lint but also some of the other things just laying around the house "just in case".

 Try using it instead of lighter fluid the next time you fire up your BBQ pit.  Lay little pieces around your briquettes to start your coals.

 Lint also makes a good woodstove or fireplace tender.  Just ball up some of the soft lint and place it in your starter kindling. They should ignite quickly and get your fire started easily.

   Take an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll and stuff it with old newspaper and dryer lint. Close up the ends and you have a great firestarter.  Use it in your fireplace or put a couple in your stash for your next camping or hiking trip.

 This idea seems to be one of the most popular in the searches I've done.  Take a cardboard egg carton and stuff lint into it.  Then, using old candles, paraffin, or even used crayons, Pour melted wax over each cup on top of the lint.  Use one or two of your "lint eggs" to start your fire.

 Make firestarter "kisses".  Take a small piece of wax paper and wrap lint and little wax bits in it. Then twist the wax paper ends like a candy wrapper.  Put them in your stack of wood and light the end of the waxed paper.  This would be a good way to use up some of those little bits of crayon pieces that the kids have laying around too.

Something else I ran across while reading about lint is to use it when making small dolls and teddybears as well as the batting for quilts.  Stuff your home-made cushions with it.  I saw where someone used it in their old farmhouse for insulation against drafts. Personally I'm not sure I would want to do this though because of the possibility of it catching on fire. I only mention it because it actually would work.

You could leave some out in the yard somewhere for birds to make their nests from as well as using it in your worm beds. Again, I would do a bit more research before trying one of these ideas. 

How about using it to make a draft stopper? It would work well on a tile floor, especially if you have a metal door or one of those metal kickstopper on the bottom of your door. You could use a tube sock and stuff it with dryer lint and then sew the end closed to keep the drafts from blowing in under the door.

You know that nesting box material you pay an arm and a leg for at PetSmart for your hamsters and guinea pigs?  Try using dryer lint instead. Warm, clean, cuddly and cheap!


How about using it for packing material?  It can't be any worse than using those dang peanuts that get everywhere when you open up a package. 

Use your artistic abilities and make a  masterpiece from old dryer lint. Use it for kid's craft projects.  You can shape the lint into almost anything or even use it to replace cotton for things like snowmen or clouds.  Just glue the "shapes" onto construction paper.  How about using it for things like  hair or even fur for your craft projects!   You can make some dryer lint clay from it or even make paper out of it.  There are several places to get recipes for either of these projects on the internet. 

You could make candle wicks from it, as well as rope.  Just roll it the same way that the Indians used to make rope from plant fibers.  It would take a bit of time but it would work!

You could use it to help with growing your plants.  You don't want to put the lint on the soil next to the plant.  It could mold.  But you could use it in the bottom of your pots.  It will keep the soil IN the pot and let the water OUT.  If you are going to do this though you might want to be careful with what kind of lint you use.  Some fabrics and some laundry detergents have chemicals that you might not want on your plants.  But if you use the dryer lint from natural fabrics like cotton and linen and eco- friendly detergents it should work just fine!

Here's another use.  Use dryer lint to soak up used motor oil.  Before you change the oil in your car, put down a "sheet" of lint under the car and on the sides of the front of the car.  If you spill oil, cover it with another layer of lint and firmly step on it so it soaks it up well.  Be sure to discard the lint carefully. 

So there you have it!  Some actual uses for that stuff that seems to magically "grow" without much help. 

                                ~~ Hey... I'm Just Sayin' ...~~

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Thank You

First of all I would like to thank all of our Veterans for all they have done for us. I would not be able to write this blog without their service to our country. We should all take at least a moment today and remember those who have served and died for our liberties.  Thank you all and God Bless. I think that Shy Wolf's wife Jenn summed it up beautifully here at Wolf Tracks.
Thank you and God Bless.

I woke up super early this morning.  The last thing I remember last night was laying down to watch a movie with Mars.  I think I made it through  about 15 minutes of the movie before I was sacked out.  It's not often that I go to bed at 7 PM.  I had every intention of watching the movie and then getting up to get a couple of things done. I guess I didn't realize just how tired I was.

I had a Dr's. Appointment in Tulsa yesterday morning so I had to be up by 5:30am to make it there by 8.  I didn't realize that there still WAS  a 5:30 am!  I hate making that trip more and more each time I have to take it.  The good news is though that most of the construction has finally been finished.  I didn't have to fight alot of traffic anyway! 
I had planned on doing a couple of things while I was in the Big City but by the time I had finished up with the doctor it was already after 1PM.  One of the reasons for the visit was to have him sign a letter for me but he wouldn't do it until after I have a CT done.  Grrrrrr, another trip to Tulsa in the next couple of weeks.  Oh well, it has to be done. 

Mushroom and I did some things around the house on Tuesday that both of us had been needing to do.  We took a partial inventory in the kitchen and got some cabinets straightened out while we were at it.  Of course while we were doing that there was another list started.  I swear by lists to help remember what all needs to be done.  The problem is that sometimes it seems there are more lists than time to take care of all the things on them.  Mushroom worked on her laundry all day.  She says that if the SHTF that by gosh she is gonna have clean undies!  She cracks me up sometimes...


                                                   ~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

What Did You Do To Prep?

Are you prepping for the future?  Are you prepping at all? If not, you might want to ask yourself why. Think back to last week.  Did you add to your preps in any way?  I'm going to start asking that question of myself every week.  There is NO reason to have to say "No, I didn't do anything" for an answer.  There is always something you can do. I used to catch myself thinking "I just can't afford to do anything this week".  But you know what that is? That is just an excuse. A cop-out.  Because even if you are flat broke you can still be working on your preps.  It doesn't always have to be about buying things. There are tons of things you can do to help with your prepping efforts that cost nothing more than some of your time. 

How, you ask?  One of the first things that comes to mind is research.  Learning costs nothing and yet is one of the most valuable assets available to you. Here are a few ideas just to get ya "kick-started".


Do you know what plants grow naturally in your area? Would you know how to forage for food in your neighborhood?  Would you even know what you were looking for? Look it up.   Learn some herbal remedies.  Speaking of remedies, how about reading up on some basic First Aid? 


Do you have water stored?  If so, when was the last time you rotated out your bottles or containers? 
Have you been thinking about learning to can your own foods?  Why not read up on the process?  Canning is NOT hard to do.  You would be amazed at how easy it is actually.


When was the last time you did an inventory of the things you have on hand?  Do you know where the "holes" in your preps are?  Take some time and think about it. Make a list of the things you still need to get done.
 Do you use coupons to help save money on your preps?  If so, go through them and toss out the expired ones and print out the new ones.


Have you got seeds for your spring garden?  This is the time of year that the new seed catalogs start coming out. Many of them are free.  Have you requested yours yet?  Have you decided what you are going to grow come springtime? 


What new skills would you like to learn?  What old skills could you use some brushing up on?

So you see, even if this week you might not be able to add something tangible  to your preps, you can still add something.
These are just a few suggestions of the things you could have been doing this week.   So when you ask yourself  "What have I done to prepare this week?"  Don't let the answer be NOTHING.

                      ~~  Hey... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~

What Did You Do To Prep?

Are you prepping for the future?  Are you prepping at all? If not, you might want to ask yourself why. Think back to last week.  Did you add to your preps in any way?  I'm going to start asking that question of myself every week.  There is NO reason to have to say "No, I didn't do anything" for an answer.  There is always something you can do. I used to catch myself thinking "I just can't afford to do anything this week".  But you know what that is? That is just an excuse. A cop-out.  Because even if you are flat broke you can still be working on your preps.  It doesn't always have to be about buying things. There are tons of things you can do to help with your prepping efforts that cost nothing more than some of your time. 

How, you ask?  One of the first things that comes to mind is research.  Learning costs nothing and yet is one of the most valuable assets available to you. Here are a few ideas just to get ya "kick-started".


Do you know what plants grow naturally in your area? Would you know how to forage for food in your neighborhood?  Would you even know what you were looking for? Look it up.   Learn some herbal remedies.  Speaking of remedies, how about reading up on some basic First Aid? 


Do you have water stored?  If so, when was the last time you rotated out your bottles or containers? 
Have you been thinking about learning to can your own foods?  Why not read up on the process?  Canning is NOT hard to do.  You would be amazed at how easy it is actually.


When was the last time you did an inventory of the things you have on hand?  Do you know where the "holes" in your preps are?  Take some time and think about it. Make a list of the things you still need to get done.
 Do you use coupons to help save money on your preps?  If so, go through them and toss out the expired ones and print out the new ones.


Have you got seeds for your spring garden?  This is the time of year that the new seed catalogs start coming out. Many of them are free.  Have you requested yours yet?  Have you decided what you are going to grow come springtime? 


What new skills would you like to learn?  What old skills could you use some brushing up on?

So you see, even if this week you might not be able to add something tangible  to your preps, you can still add something.
These are just a few suggestions of the things you could have been doing this week.   So when you ask yourself  "What have I done to prepare this week?"  Don't let the answer be NOTHING.

                      ~~  Hey... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Honey Wheat Bread from Mushroom's Kitchen

I know I have been promising to post this bread recipe for awhile now.  My apologies for it taking so long to do.  My friend Mushroom made this bread a few weeks ago and I have to say it is one of the best Honey Wheat Breads that I have EVER had.  There are quite a few ingredient's in it but trust me, it is well worth trying.  We made 3 large loaves from this and it was gone in just a few days! (Like 3 1/2)  Super Yummy!

Honey Wheat Bread
5 cups unbleached bread flour
4 cups fresh ground white wheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup barley flour
2 tblsp wheat germ
4 cups milk
1/3 cup lard
2 tblsp Kosher salt
½ cup honey
1 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp yeast

Mix all dry ingredients except sugar and yeast till well blended. Heat milk and
remove ½ cup for yeast. Add yeast and sugar to milk and set aside to proof. Add
lard, honey and salt to milk and stir to melt lard. When yeast is proofed and lard is
melted add together and pour into dry ingredients. Stir till a batter is made and all
ingredients are incorporated. Dump out onto heavily floured board and knead till
smooth and not too stiff. Do not add too much flour. Should be a fairly loose dough.
Put into a turkey roaster to rise with the cover on. When the dough rises to top of
pan, cut into 3 or 4 pieces and shape into loaves. Cover loaves and let rise till
doubled again. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 40 minutes or till nicely browned
and browned on bottom. It may brown a bit too dark easily, so keep a close eye on it the last 5 minutes or so. Dump out of loaf pans onto cooling racks. Makes 3 large or 4 medium loaves.

Note from Mushroom : This is the bread we made a while back that everyone liked.  If you sift out half of the bran, it will rise lighter.  Bran is heavy and will hold down the bread and make it denser.  Remember that whole wheat flour absorbs moisture more slowly than white flour so don't rush it. 

Mushroom

Give it a try!  If you have any questions or comments for Mushroom, or a topic  you would like for her to address, please leave a comment here. 

Honey Wheat Bread from Mushroom's Kitchen

I know I have been promising to post this bread recipe for awhile now.  My apologies for it taking so long to do.  My friend Mushroom made this bread a few weeks ago and I have to say it is one of the best Honey Wheat Breads that I have EVER had.  There are quite a few ingredient's in it but trust me, it is well worth trying.  We made 3 large loaves from this and it was gone in just a few days! (Like 3 1/2)  Super Yummy!

Honey Wheat Bread
5 cups unbleached bread flour
4 cups fresh ground white wheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup barley flour
2 tblsp wheat germ
4 cups milk
1/3 cup lard
2 tblsp Kosher salt
½ cup honey
1 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp yeast

Mix all dry ingredients except sugar and yeast till well blended. Heat milk and
remove ½ cup for yeast. Add yeast and sugar to milk and set aside to proof. Add
lard, honey and salt to milk and stir to melt lard. When yeast is proofed and lard is
melted add together and pour into dry ingredients. Stir till a batter is made and all
ingredients are incorporated. Dump out onto heavily floured board and knead till
smooth and not too stiff. Do not add too much flour. Should be a fairly loose dough.
Put into a turkey roaster to rise with the cover on. When the dough rises to top of
pan, cut into 3 or 4 pieces and shape into loaves. Cover loaves and let rise till
doubled again. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 40 minutes or till nicely browned
and browned on bottom. It may brown a bit too dark easily, so keep a close eye on it the last 5 minutes or so. Dump out of loaf pans onto cooling racks. Makes 3 large or 4 medium loaves.

Note from Mushroom : This is the bread we made a while back that everyone liked.  If you sift out half of the bran, it will rise lighter.  Bran is heavy and will hold down the bread and make it denser.  Remember that whole wheat flour absorbs moisture more slowly than white flour so don't rush it. 

Mushroom

Give it a try!  If you have any questions or comments for Mushroom, or a topic  you would like for her to address, please leave a comment here. 

Friday, November 5, 2010

I Dunno...

I'm not exactly sure what is up with Blogger... The last post I did looked nothing at all like the way it was supposed to when I wrote it.  The thing looks like one huge run on sentence or something. Almost like I forgot to breathe.  All my individual paragraphs aren't. Aren't what?  Well they aren't paragraphs!   I previewed it before publishing and it looked fine at the time.  And something weird is going on with my picture files as well.  Usually, when I open the files I can actually SEE the pictures.  But now?  Nope... nada.  What am I supposed to do?  Guess which ones they are?  I think they are once again messing around with the dang program.  But then I could be wrong.  I mean, I've been wrong before.  Once.  Ok, ok maybe twice but.......
  Anyone else have this sort of thing happen to them before or am I just loosing my mind?  Maybe I was abducted by aliens and just don't remember? Which would be a bummer because I've always wondered what aliens actually DO when they decide to abduct someone.  I've always thought maybe they were just bored and wanted to have a little fun.  Ya know, like "Hey Arnold... watch this!"  Oh well, if this is all that I have to worry about then I say.... Bring it on!!

                                       ~~Hey... I'm Just Sayin' ...~~

Dehhdrating Eggs - Q & A

I've written a few posts about dehydrating eggs.  I did alot of "net surfing" and asked alot of questions.  At the time there just wasn't much information out there. So I came to the conclusion that I should be able to do them myself.  Rather than paying for what I consider expensive powdered eggs I gave it a shot (or two) and found out I was right.    Every instruction that I found called for first cooking the eggs and then placing them in the dehydrator.  I couldn't figure out just why you had to cook them first.  I still haven't found a good explanation for it.  If anyone has one, I would love to hear it.  A friend of mine from over  in the prepper chat room has done them both ways.  He said that taste-wise, after trying both methods, he preferred the eggs that had been dehydrated from raw eggs.  Since he is the only one that I know that has done them both ways I am going to go with his results.        Here is the way I dehydrate my eggs.  Crack your eggs in a bowl and whisk them really well.  Pour the mixture onto your roll up trays.  My trays hold 6 eggs each.  The amount will vary with different dehydrators.  Set your dryer temperature to 165 degrees.  I do this to kill the "bad stuff".  Let the eggs dry for approximately 24 hours.  They will a little "oily" to the touch but that is normal.       Take them off the trays.  Sometimes mine sort of stick a little so I use a spatula to help loosen them up.  Break up the eggs into small enough pieces to fit in your food processor. (You can use a blender if you don't have one)  Process them until they are as fine a powder as you can get.  I store mine in canning jars and seal them up with my FoodSaver.  Store them in a cool dark location until you are ready to use them.  To rehydrate them, I use 3 tablespoons per 1 tablespoon of powdered eggs. alwaystawnya left a comment on an older post about dehydrating eggs.  I thought I would try and answer her questions here.  And of course,  like I've always told my friend Felinae , when blogging- never ever let a post idea go to waste!  Sometimes they are just to danged hard to come by!   Anyway.... alwaystawnya said... so i am curious.... and brought out my dehyrdrater today after being in a cabinet for about 5 years. I've only dehyrdrated a few fruits and made some jerky. Today i am trying to dehyrdrate bacon for a snack for my dog being that she's allergic to most dog treats. What recipe would u use a dehyrdrate egg for. Trying to step outside my box and cook a little more.. Also never thought when making a stir fry to use anything other than fresh veggies. So ur dehydrating them and then.... Pull out the cabinet when ready to cook??? Sorry i may sound a little elementary but like i said just now trying to step outside the box and cook in a more cost effective way.      First I would like to say Congratulations on bringing out your dryer!  There are so many really cool things you can do with one and it can actually be fun too. You can dry almost any vegetable and lots of different fruits.     My friend Mushroom uses her dehydrator for making dog treats as well.  It is a great alternative to buying those processed (and expensive) dog treats.  Those things are loaded with all sorts of nasty stuff that (pardon the expression) you wouldn't even feed to a dog.  I would follow the same rules for making dog treats as you would when dehydrating your own meats.  Try to use leaner cuts of meat if you are storing for longer amounts of time.  Fat tends to make meats go rancid pretty fast.     As to your question about recipes for using powdered eggs, I use them in almost ANY recipe that calls for eggs.  You can use them to make regular scrambled eggs, omelets or other egg recipes.  I use them in baking as well.   You don't even have to rehydrate the eggs as they will do that on their own.   Just toss in the powdered eggs to your mixture.     alwaystawyna  asked a question about stir-frying rehydrated vegetables. I haven't ever tried to use them in a stir-fry as a stand alone vegetable.  If anyone has any experience with it I would like to hear them too.  Now I have used them making things like stir fried rice.  They work great!  I use them alot in soups, stews and casseroles but they are also great as a stand alone dish.   Don't forget that you can dry potato's in lots of different ways too. The uses for dried vegetables are almost endless.     Dehydrating foods is an excellent way to keep vegetables for your long term storage.  Just make sure they are sealed well and kept in a cool dark place and you will have wonderful vegetables for many years to come.                                                  ~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin ... ~~

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

If It Walks Like a Duck

Well here it comes.  Another bailout.  Call it whatever you want to call it- but if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck....  You would think that after trying this over and over again that someone would figure out that it does NOT work. 

It's like that relative that gets in a bind and comes pleading for help.  You help him out and he goes along for a little bit and then runs into trouble again.  So you figure that well maybe this time things will be better.That THIS time he will "get it right".  That he just needs  a "little" more help to get things straightened out.  So you help him out yet again.  He goes on for awhile and you think he just might have things headed in the right direction.  Until.... yeah.... there he is....back he comes again.   Only this time, rather than coming with his hat in his hand and asking for more help, He sneaks in and takes your money and laughs at the fool you apparently are for letting him get away with your money yet again. 

 Sooner or later you would think that you would figure out that the situation is hopeless.  You can toss all the money in the world at the problem and yet nothing really changes.  Except, of course, for the debt.  It continues to grow and grow. 

I am furious about this newest tossing of money into the wind and expecting different results.  The sneaky slimey #*&#*&^$'s even had the nerve to wait until ONE DAY after the elections to pull this crap.  I am beginning to wonder just how much they can push off on us before something actually happens.

  We, as a nation, apparently have no backbone.  We just sit back and let them take more and more of our liberties while we suck on a Diet Coke, eat another poison laden candybar and watch yet another mindless "reality"  tv show.  Sometimes I don't think that we even care about anything other than ourselves anymore.  How does it help ME? What will I get from it?  The question is, and has been for quite awhile now, when is enough enough?   Where is your line in the sand?  Or will you just keep moving the line back every time they cross it, thinking yeah well I dare you to cross this one.....

                                                         ~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin ...~~

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

End Of Liberty

Well today is election day.  I'm sure there will be some interesting changes.  The problem is that it is just like a game of musical chairs.  Same play's, different players. The only thing that will change are the names.   Oh wait, there will be one other change.... Those annoying political ads will finally stop. 

There is a new documentary out from the National Inflation Association about how the United States is headed for hyperinflation.  I watched it this morning and have to say it is quite an  eye-opener. It give a real life perspective of the decline of the dollar and where we, as a country, seem to be heading.  It is jut over an hour long, so grab a cup of coffee and take a little time to check it out.

                                               End of Liberty

It is too late to prevent the dollar from collapsing, but it is NOT to late to get ready for it.  I am not sure how to say it much plainer.  If you are already prepping then it is time to step up your efforts.  If you haven't started yet, you better make a move and start prepping NOW.  Time is getting short and I know I am not nearly as ready as I want to be.  Stock up your pantry and your medicine cabinets.  It just makes sense.
  And hey, the way I look at it is.... If I'm wrong I have a well supplied pantry which STILL saves me $$ in the long run.  If I'm right, then I will have most of the things that will be necessary for everyday living.

                                                  ~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin... ~~