kappydell

Steamed on a rack, then it stays moist but most of the fat drips off. Keep the fat for frying though. Stick it under the broiler to crisp up the skin, or melt the glaze if you used one. An orange glaze is nice..."duck a la orange". He likes the dark meat, its a favorite here, too.

computer literate, but life illiterate.

I am surprised. I never wanted to spring for 'membership' in either Sam's club or Costco, since most of the things they had in my area were things I did not want...more suited to the ritzy suburban trophy wives than my needs. So I found alternate places, and frankly, the prices are better. Canned veggies for 26 cents; those small canned hams for $1.50 and so forth. I guess I'm more a treasure hunter at heart. The travel is not so expensive when you have a big pantry like I keep & only have to go twice a year. Ethnic restaurants have excellent buys on rice (Asian market) and beans (Mexican market) and many ethnic herbs and such that I could never afford if I went mainstream. They are in business for the cash money, and are very happy to have you shop with them.

I was highly amused and amazed when I went to Wal-Mart looking for boric acid to make eye wash, last summer. I asked the pharmacist behind the counter, and she said "Boric ACID? What is it used for?" I told her, for making eye wash. She replied in alarm, "You should NOT be putting acid in your eyes, you could go blind!" So I asked if they had any pre-made eye wash, and she directed me to the contact lens washes, which are NOT the same thing at all. It made me wonder if she slept the day they covered that in pharmacy class, or have discontinued compounding their own formulas for such simple things. I left shaking my head in wonderment, and got the boric acid from Walgreens. We make human as well as canine eye wash for ourselves.

Well, I'm down to a cane now, and scoot around the house without it quite a bit. Now I'm working on retraining my muscles so I can stand straighter. Thank you for the encouragement. I do have a question though...why is it that people who claim to love someone nonetheless feel free to judge their choices in life? I have never judged other's choices, just took them at face value and rejoiced with them when things went well, and commiserated when things did not. I always felt that since I was not in the other persons' shoes, and did not have their perspective and knowledge of the whole situation, that judging them would be hypocritical and just plain wrong. But I seem to stand alone on this...I love my family, but I loved my spouse, too, and it hurts when they casually pass judgement on his character, actions, and our life (30 years) together, when they know nothing of it. The man is dead and cant defend himself, only God should be judging him for Pete's sake. Oh well....thanks for the venting.

The children do have a way of cutting through the BS....

We made them in 4-H for the learn to knit project. I learned that I preferred to crochet.

Inland north. I thought it was 'Midwest standard', but I guess they are more subdivided than that....I do pick up other accents though when I talk for more than an hour or two with someone from another area.

Vi, I find recipes from Univ of Alaska Fairbanks extension all the time, citing usda sources, that include adding oil to fish that is canned. In fact, the usda guide from the national center for home food preservation specifically describes canning tuna in oil. I don't see the difference between that and adding a small square of bacon, so I respectfully disagree on this one.

Did 10 pints of fish yesterday - testing different flavors. They turned out great, and smelled sooo tempting while canning. I think my favorite is the mock smoked catfish, but the jalapeno cat, barbecued cat, and the carp (to taste like salmon) were excellent also. The Alaska Univ. of Fairbanks extension has an excellent booklet online "adding variety to canned fish" giving the mock smoked fish recipe and detailing their taste test with other ways to flavor up canned fish. I also found a 'Mormon canned trout' recipe which makes a smoke flavored fish too, only they add bacon as well. Would that make a great chowder, or what? Mormon Canned Trout Per pint jar, put on the bottom of the jar: 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp vinegar 1/2 tsp liquid smoke 1 tsp butter 1 inch square of bacon Pack jar with fish, leaving 1 inch headspace. Do not add liquid. Process at 10 lbs pressure for 100 min.

Did 10 pints of fish yesterday - testing different flavors. They turned out great, and smelled sooo tempting while canning. I think my favorite is the mock smoked catfish, but the jalapeno cat, barbecued cat, and the carp (to taste like salmon) were excellent also. The Alaska Univ. of Fairbanks extension has an excellent booklet online "adding variety to canned fish" giving the mock smoked fish recipe and detailing their taste test with other ways to flavor up canned fish.

Well, I did the canning, but used pint jars because I have many more of them than money to buy half-pints. Oh my, but the flavors I tried for the fish turned out GOOOOD. They smelled wonderful as they canned and were delicious. I made the mock smoked catfish, some jalapeno pepper flavored ones, some barbecue sauced ones, and some carp (to-taste-like-salmon) ones (see above). I had to....the freezer was filled with catfish, and we went salmon fishing....got one coho salmon (12 lbs as he came from the lake) and 13 even bigger rainbow trout, from Lake Michigan! Took along the disabled folks we fish with and camped in a nearby state park for 3 nights ($14 a night), with big bonfires, and the works! (The park had excellent wheelchair access, and our site was reasonably close to the toilets and hot showers. For a couple retired ladies, we get around!) Once we cleaned, filleted and divvied up the fish it came to about 25 lbs of boneless fillets per couple. But I gotta say it...next year I'm taking my shopping cart...each stringer with "just" four 12-lb and up trout on it was a real test of character just to carry. One of these days I'll learn to work smart, not hard.

She also had a book out (I got it when I was researching Depression era recipes for my recipe compilation "the budget is in the crapper again' cookbook for a new bride.) It was fascinating, and I did appreciate the burdock recipe, seeing as how I have plans for the ones in the garden....

Yup, my insurance now covers much less than it used to. The docs did not like being told that I would NOT be coming in every three months like they wanted, due to having a co-pay where before there was none. All due to my being REQUIRED to take medicare when I wanted to keep my own private insurance. My insurance company 'co-insurance' pays for much less, and as a final result, I have to argue with my docs all the time over $$$. Every time something is 'mandated' the insurance company usually phases out the formerly superior coverage for the 'mandated' minimums. Sux.

I have heard of 'buffalo chips' being used for fires, especially in places where wood was more precious for other uses.

For those that don't know how to make army style sos...this serves 4, more if you make extra 'sauce' 1 lb hamburger, brown well. Drain well. Stir in 5 TB flour, 2 crushed beef bouillon cubes. Stir until it coats the hamburger & looks dry. Stir in 2 cups milk (reconstituted dry milk works well here), and season to taste with salt, pepper & Worcestershire sauce. Stir often over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. It should bubble at least 3 min to cook out the 'raw' flour taste. Pour over whatever you have on hand for breakfast - we usually put over eggs, bread or toast, and hash browns if I had leftover potatoes. You can add more seasoning to suit yourself, but the S & P, and Worcestershire sauce are the army standbys. This stuff is variable as the day is long - extremely good made with sausage & over biscuits, too - in stuffed potatoes, burritos, hamburger buns (kind of a 'blonde barbecue'?), over rice, noodles, and my old favorite, mashed potatoes. Who'd a thunk army & comfort food went together?

  Well, in Cincinnati they put chili over spaghetti...   Chili is soooo versatile! Stuffed baked potatoes (cheese on top for decadence), I've seen it served at restaurants over French fries (too much for me, but the truckers liked it), over any kind of pasta, stuffed into burritos, over eggs for breakfast, and as a base for Shepherd's Pie. Hard to beat a classic like chili (Mmmmmmm). And hamburger gravy? My roommate (prior Army drill sgt) is nuts for SOS (hamburger-milk gravy) over eggs for breakfasts and pouts if she does not get it at least once a week.

pancakes for supper was a great treat, with home made brown sugar syrup. Homemade bread always; I was taught by my mom that if you fed your family homemade bread and a good thick gravy, you could serve fried shoe soles as the main course, and they would never notice. It worked for me & my husband too during our lean times! So my vote is on homemade bread with good thick gravy.

Perennials will come back easily, others tend to self-seed esp if you help them along. Yes, I have had many volunteers come up in the garden. Thyme is perennial if protected from my harsh winters, chives come back & spread like crazy. Parsley self seeds vigorously. Basil did not overwinter for me, too cold I think. Sage makes a pretty potted plant, but it spreads from the center outward, and needs to be divided to keep it alive after a year or two.

Dried salt fish. The fillets come out dry and light as Styrofoam. Weird, actually, but just because I'm not used to dealing with salt fish. Tonight I re-hydrate some to get some practice in that...Creamed Salt Fish over potatoes, or Fish patties?

I was right about the sucker-provider, except it was his father who ate an entire jar in one sitting! I told him any time he wanted more, let me know. Tomorrow's "rough fish adventure" is to can some in 1/2 pint jars (roommate does not eat fish, though she loves to fish). I will be making plain, plus variations: spicy "smoked" fish (to flavor one pint) 1/4 tsp salt 2 garlic cloves a couple of squirts of Tabasco 1/4-1/3rd tsp liquid smoke (Good stuff) 2 TB Catalina Salad dressing + 3 slices jalapeno per each pint of fish (halve for half pints) 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder per half pint (also good with 1/2 tsp sage added) 1 tsp dill weed; OR 1/2 clove garlic; OR 2 bay leaves; OR 1/4 tsp basil plus regular amt of salt (per half pint jars) Tomato Sauce for Canned Carp (per pint) 1 1/2 tsp canning salt 1 TB white vinegar 1 TB tomato sauce 1 TB cooking oil listed for carp to taste like salmon Last but not least, sardine style Mustard Sauce (got smelt?) Pack fish, then mix up (per pint jar): 3 heaping TB salad mustard 1 c water fill jars 3/4 full with this sauce on the fish; then to each jar, add 1 1/2 tsp canning salt 1/2 tsp lemon juice Fill rest of jar with veg. oil leaving 1 inch headspace Process 100 min at 10 lb pressure or 70 min at 15 lbs. Used with smelt (eviscerate, heads removed, packed upright in pint jars, skin side out). (I love mustard sauce, will probably try it with cut up fish...) When I consider how much I pay for a teeny can of fish, these will be worth the effort. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has excellent fish-canning info on the internet if you want more info on canning fish in half-pints, pints and quarts.

I like it because it is kind of like the ever-changing ongoing soup-pot...only with pickles!

Lately I ran across a recipe for a 'universal pickle'. It's basically a refrigerator pickle solution, but is very tasty and works nicely to jazz up the glut of veggies for dinner. Its also refreshing on these hotter days. UNIVERSAL PICKLE This can be used to make refrigerator pickles of just about any sort: cucumbers, cauliflower, green beans, peppers ... Just add a tablespoon of pickling spices of your choice to the bottom of the jar, pack in the veggies, and add the pickle solution. Ingredients (makes enough for one quart of pickles) 1 1/2 cups water 3/4 cups white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar (or artificial sweetener equivalent) 2 teaspoons kosher or pickling salt Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, stir to dissolve sugar and salt and boil for two minutes. Pour over vegetables and pickling spice in canning jar. Let cool, then close jar and store in refrigerator for at least one week before eating. Eat within two months, if you can manage to keep them that long. This recipe can be doubled or tripled or quadrupled. If you make too much, just keep it in the fridge until you want to make more pickles. You can vary the type of vinegar, as long as it's at least 5% acidity. You can up the amount of sugar if you like sweeter pickles. Vary the pickling spices*, either by buying a commercial blend or making your own (both Penzey's and McCormick's are both good). For dill pickles, put one tablespoon of pickling spice and one dill flowerhead (or one teaspoon dill seed) to a quart jar, then pack jar with either whole canning cucumbers or cucumber slices. Pour pickle juice in and then try to wait a week before eating! I use artificial sweetener and pickle up as many of the 'type A'/low carb veggies as I can in a mixture. Its sweet-sour flavor helps me feel satisfied with fewer calories. (Kinda like the old 'dill pickle' trick, only classier.)

I'll have to check the Mennonite store in my area...I use a lot of panko whether I fry or bake my foods.

Im not surprised...fermenting tomato seeds in their own juice to remove the fuzzy coating they have before saving the seeds is an old time anti-blight treatment...those volunteers got it for free, cooking away in the compost!