kappydell

Amd a big smile and wave to brimichelle...didn't know if anyone else would like that type of thing...but I have a big, fat, gee-whiz file of oddements like that, that I thought were cool. Glad to help out.

EARLY AMERICAN MILK PAINT – HOW TO MAKE IT Milk Paint was the pioneers’ answer to latex paint. It bonds with wood, cloth or crockery with tenacity, dried to a plastic like finish, waterproof and washes well, and was a very popular paint for canvas roofs on buildings, lasting up to 10 years in that application. 1. Thoroughy stir 2 quarts of builder’s lime or 3 qts of sifted white wood ashes into a gallon of skim milk. 2. Stir in 1 gallon linseed oil 3. Add any desired coloring (otherwise it will be white). 4. Strain through cheesecloth or similar fabric to remove lumps or undissolved powder. 5. Must be used within 2 days. Will not outlast the best commercial paints, but will outperform the cheap ones! Why do you think so many houses were white, and barns red? Red was a cheap color for this paint (iron oxide otherwise known as RUST!). ANOTHER COOL EARLY AMERICAN IDEA...HOW TO MAKE A CLOTH COVERING FOR A TRANSLUCENT WINDOW COVERING (in place of glass) 1. Use a lightweight cotton fabric like sheets or muslin. Tightly stretch them over a wood frame and secure them. 2. Here is the secret...coat with clear varnish (or polyurethane if you have it). 3. If desired, secure another sheet to the other side of the frame and coat it too, for a double-glazed window. This coating lets in light, waterproofs the sheets, and makes a nice privacy window where you want light in but don’t care about the view, like a bathroom, or a tool shed.

hey Crabgrass you are so right. Learn to cook the basic stuff now, before you have to use it under advserse conditions. (Heck, you may hate the stuff, then what??) There is more to corn than cornbread, tho that is the first thing most folks try, as did I. But think about it...how 'bout cornmeal mush, then fried mush, polenta, parched, hominy, hoecakes, cornmeal pancakes, indian pudding (yummy), tortillas, taco shells, cornmeal gravy, cornmeal soup, cornmeal cookies, cornmeal pasta, or cornmeal dumplings (great with chili beans, with or without meat). Most of my recipes for these take no or very little flour, and taste just fine. Beans?? Don't get me started...of course the most interesting recipe I just found for beans was a clam chowder using lima beans instead of spuds. I'm trying in on Friday, it looks fascinating. Hope this gives somebody ideas on how useful corn can be, and they try it.