kappydell

Simple Stir Fry: 1 lb beef stew meat, cut to 1/2 inch size; 1 lb pkg mixed carrots, broccoli & cauliflower that were aging in the refrigerator; a few extra carrots, sliced; sauce of 1/4 c soy sauce, 1 1/2 c beef broth from bouillon, and 4 TB cornstarch to thicken. Made enough for 3 hearty eaters, served over rice. Extra rice made on purpose to freeze for a quick fried rice in a couple days time.

Yes, I know pickled eggs are considered unsafe. I scald jars & lids very well, use a pickling solution at a full rolling boil, and can them under pressure. I don't like the store ones, so I pickle them like dilly beans, with a dill solution. Im the only one that likes them at all, so I do only a few and keep cool until they are eaten. I also tried canning cheese, another no-no, but didn't like how it turned out. So I won''t be trying cheese again.

I am on a meat canning streak. meats in my preps are mostly spam, ham, tuna, and the like, so I am canning up meats in broth. Quality is much better anyway, and I get better variety. So far I have done some beef stew chunks in broth, boned chicken in broth, ham cubes in broth, and even some pickled eggs for fun. I almost forgot - I did some boneless pork ribs too. I have ground beef waiting in the wings. Whatever meat comes on sale I am canning. I even canned up some ham broth from the trimmings to flavor soups and bean dishes.

Nothing wrong with fresh road kill...you gotta get it fast, though. In my area, if you hit a deer you have the option to keep it. Not so with other critters though. Gotta hide them if you are going to keep them. I do recall a perfectly delicious road kill pheasant my father hit, then cleaned immediately. And no, he was not trying to hit it....!

AH - What is your summer kitchen like? I have heard of them, but I have never seen one. Sounds interesting!

My house has an 'ex' summer kitchen. Originally it was an attached enclosed porch, with electrical hookups for stove and running water hookup. As said earlier, it was to cook in during summer months to keep house cooler. Some elder folk have told me they had even used outdoor set ups if they could not spare a room to set up. One of many things done pre-air-conditioning that were actually pretty good ideas.

My DH went ga-ga for these and he always said he hated limas...

BUTTER BEANS (from The Hillbilly Housewife)

1 lb large lima beans

2 qt tap water

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 stick margarine

Soak beans overnight. Simmer soaked beans for about 1 hour, until almost, but not quite tender. Add salt, pepper and margarine. Keep simmering until tender but not mushy. The bean broth will thicken a bit. This is traditionally served with hoe cakes, or as a side with roast chicken. Recipe serves 6.

We serve with chicken, and the broth is so good we drink it as soup. Use a good flavored margarine - the original used butter, also tasty.

You can put just about anything in quilts. I read of a group who makes "ugly quilts" to give to the homeless. They fill them with clothing too old and torn to be mended, after removing hard items (buttons, zippers, etc). They just pile them on reasonably evenly, top with the 2nd fabric, then tuft them so the innards do not shift so much. Tufting goes much quicker than pretty quilting. It just goes to show how far you can recycle fabrics!

I have both presto and all american canners and I like both. i bought the presto because that is what my mother used and i learned to can on; however I kept finding canners at the local St Vincent DePaul store, so i bought more until I noticed that look on my husbands face. I got the gauges checked at the UW extension office in a nearby town and they have all been right on the money, and I have replaced a few gaskets. Otherwise they have all been good to go. And about them 'blowing up'? I had a safety fuse blow one time (obviously, those cans didn't seal) due to a plugged petcock. I cleared the opening, replaced the fuse and was back in business less than 2 hrs later. No boom at all. Just a noise that made us say "what was that?" because it was not normal (it sounded like a tire going flat). So I don't think one need worry too much about a pressure cooker 'exploding'. Those safety fuses work just fine.

re-reading this again, and it is sooooo true and funny! i thought i was the only one who told their DH that if he bought diamonds for me i would kick his butt---so he bought me a snowblower! and the next year a tiller! and so forth!

--if you can fix anything in the house that breaks with duct tape and hairpins!

I guess my familys tastes were simpler...as long as I had homemade bread and nice thick gravy on the table I could serve a sauteed shoe sole and my husband would think himself fortunate...Ive passed that tip to many a new wife along with my bread and gravy recipes....

slow cooked pork chops in beer. i have beer in fridge from my husband and I don't drink it, so i have been using it to cook with. it tenderizes and adds a certain twang that is quite tasty. More than bratwurst benefits from it...i suspect beer is the 'secret ingredient' in the local restaurant's extremely popular all-you-can-eat beef tips & mushrooms in gravy (served over mashed potatoes). (Makes me hungry just to think about it - )

I have been 'prepping' for years, did not know what it was called, but did it anyway. I was just delighted to find like minded folks.

Jeepers - you reminded me of the last time I used some makeshift arm warmers....I put on some sweat pants with my arms thru the legs and the waist going behind my shoulders. I must have looked funny as can be, but my hubby did not laugh (at least where I could hear him), or say how ridiculous I must have looked!It worked wonderfully though.

Andrea, I cook them first. Then dry until crispy. Then I powder them for soups, and just put them in a jar for other uses. If the leaves break or even shatter I still use them. They rehydrate faster when they are small.

Mamacat and Okiecountry, Im not ignoring you...you posted while I was typing in my last comments. Kansas sounds like Wisconsin, maybe a little windier. Im told its because you have a flatter topography. I live in the driftless area, and we have hills that in Tenn they would call mountains.

I suspect it keeps the winds down to 30 mph most times (except for tornadoes). Okie, thank you for the info about fleece - I'll use it for windows and doors then, instead of for clothing. I don't care to be venting my clothing all the time as I "glow" more than many "ladies".

Oh MtRider! What a good use for bubble wrap! I bet it would stay put on my drafty windows better than the other stuff, and hey...it costs little/nothing to try! Thank you! I was also wondering it draining water out of my car BOB would work, nice to see it will. Since I keep cleaning out Goodwill of all their woolens, I have started on sweat shirts. I cut them in front, bind the edges and put in those rivet type snaps for easy on-off (since I am also at the 'power surge' time of life). I also short sleeve them, I get long sleeves too dirty with all my messy projects, even in winter. I end up giving much of my baking away, because I am carb-sensitive (sigh) but I get mobbed when I arrive bearing goodies. My late spouse forbade me to make Danish pastries at all though, it was a weak spot for both of us (real butter, cardamom, and such....oh, my!)

Dee I have several 'old' tablecloths I have been saving for making 'sit upons', waterproof book covers, and such. I never thought of them as a kind of windbreaker for the doorway. That shoe stuff sounds like a silicone type spray that I've seen in the shoe section of Wally-world. My mom swore by 'neats-foot-oil and we applied it spring & autumn. I have a way of making that at home - you use deer hooves (It took me forever to figure out what a 'neat' was...). I did buy an old bed-warmer at the Goodwill store. The check-out girl thought it was very long handled corn popper. My cat never liked the electric heating pad, so I never got an electric blanket. She would, though, stand on my chest and meow loudly until I lifted up the quilt and let her slip in next to my hip.

Jeepers, are those basements vents for heat, or are they air returns? If they are air returns, you need to use care in blocking them, since heat won't circulate well without an air return too. But then again, if there is no heat down there either, what the heck - should make no difference.

Indygal, the thing about Wisconsin is not that it gets cold per se...but the weather fluctuates so much that you never really adapt well. About the time you get used to a minu 40 wind chill, you get a couple plus 40 days. Folks from Alaska say their climate is much better because it just gets cold and stays that way. I carry a jacket in my car until July, and sunblock year around (reflected sun on snow burns too). Its pretty in winter here though, especially after a damp snow storm when they trees look like theyve had white flocking sprayed on them, and everything is sort of hushed. I like to go out and read the tracks in the yard to see what wild life has stopped by. And it tends to be very green and lush like an extended spring til about Aug when it gets rather hot and dry. So even though our seasons are kind of extreme, they are mever boring! If your grandson likes to hunt and/or fish, he will love it here...lots of streams, forests, and game. Many lakes are well stocked, as the native americans run the fish hatcheries and they do a great job. This is a good area for living off the land if you have to, and the dept of natural resources has lots of really neat classes to teach people how to camp, hunt, fish and trap. And Vic...well, my dad loves coming down to Texas around October (the first frosts hit then) and he stays until May. He likes it far better than Fla where my sister lives, or Tenn where my brother is. He loves your dry heat, and he has been absolutely true to his word that he is never going to spend another winter in Wisconsin...ever. Me, I like the weather, even if it is a little wild and wooly. I am hoping for lots of snow this winter, I want to try making a snow dome with the snow blower!

I drive around suburbia in spring when everybody is dividing their old plants. Irises, daffodils, tulips all need to be divided eventually as they make too many bulbs and crowd themselves out. Many other bulbing perennials ditto. Prunings from lilacs and even roses can be rooted (a jar of rooting hormone is cheap). And of course, new homeowners tend to dig out many perfectly good plants they don't like. Nobody has ever refused to let me have their old plants, and I planted the landlord's yard full of lovely things for free. That way I am not out any $$ When I move although I will naturally take 'divisions' of them all with me, he benefits too by letting me garden.

Although it may seem premature, I am already prepping for winter. The last 50 years have been abnormally warm, so for those under 50 years old the ‘normal’ weather patterns are an enormous shock. Colder, snowier and longer will be the new winter norm in my part of the country, so I am reviewing my preps and cold weather survival techniques. Many are drawn from the historical past and just as relevant today. I’ll tell you what has worked for me, and hopefully you have some new ideas I can try. Let’s brainstorm!

I have discovered that I can allow the kitchen to get as cold as 48 degrees before my pipes start to freeze. The books I have read claim 40 degrees, but my water pipes are not very insulated, and they are on the windy side of the house, so 48 degrees is the limit for me. I have a heat lamp that I leave shining on the pipes under the sink that doubles as a night light (and the cats used to love sitting there during the cold months). Running a trickle of water worked for me to help keep the water in the pipes moving. (I have my own well, so it does not cost me extra water fees, which I am grateful for.) 48 degrees is not a bad temperature for the kitchen. Food keeps longer, and hot food cools down quickly to put into the refrigerator, which does not have to work so hard. Cooking heat is appreciated, so winter for me is a heavy baking season. The living room has the only heat source in the house, a propane space heater. But I keep that turned down too. The heat it gives off naturally goes up the stairs to help heat the bathroom pipes.

Not only does baking warm the house, but hot chow warms the body from the inside out, so my menus include more hot cereals, drinks, and soups. Some call it an old wives tale, but my experience is that it works. The military says so too in their survival manuals, so that’s enough to convince me. Hot soup in the crock pot, or coffee/tea in the thermos make getting up a whole lot easier, and helps me warm up to start the day.

My landlord does put heavy rubber mats around the foundation of the house. I’ve tried plastic over the windows but had trouble due to the wind tearing it. (Yes, even indoors – I have a very drafty house!) In a less-windy location I would expect better success. While the plastic lasted it made an enormous difference. I have had better success with 2 inch styrofoam sheets sold at the local farm store for insulation. I cut them to just fit by friction in the window frames so they make nice night shutters. I like to open them up for sunshine during the daytime on sunny days to take advantage of sun’s heat. This winter I am going to try hanging ‘couche-portiers’ (I think that is what they called them - a blanket or quilt hung in the doorway to restrict heat losses). They were stylish during the WW2 fuel rationing years and I imagine they might come back into style again. I will try them in the bedrooms, and hallways where I do not need much heat, so I can concentrate the heat in areas that have water pipes (bathroom and kitchen). I have heavier winterized curtains but I have to be careful not to overload my curtain rods. If the fleece fabric works well as ‘couche-portiers’ I can see trying it for winter curtains. It looks light enough to work well.

Another old idea that works for me is insulating my sleeping area, so the room can get cooler without bothering me. I have used newspapers under the bottom sheets of the bed (effective, but noisy and the ink rubbed off on the sheets). I had better effect putting old wool blankets under the sheet, and when I put a mylar space blanket under the wool blanket it worked even better to reflect body heat back up. The mylar does not breathe well, so I needed to air out beds daily to keep them from getting damp. (Just throw back the blankets and let the moisture evaporate. Cold air is dryer than warm air so the moisture evaporates quickly. I hate making beds anyway, so now I have an excuse not to.)

In an earlier post on cold weather warmth m0naj0 reported her family used fleece with good results on their beds, folded so they slept inside the fold and it was warm as could be. Maybe fleece could pinch-hit for wool for this use, too. For clothing, I would need to know “Does it breathe and insulate when wet and how does it wear?” It is sure easier to find now, which is ironic in these so-called “green” days, since it is a petroleum product and wool is organic.

Clothing is historically the first defense to being cold. I have adopted many historically tested concepts and keep nicely warm when everyone around me is cold. First off, headgear is critical both inside and outdoors. Look at any movie showing eras without central heat and you will see everyone wearing headgear. In colonial days women wore mob caps and fancier hood like caps. Lappets on the side (flaps hanging down to frame the face) were all the rage and remained stylish for decades. Men wore woolen caps, and stocking caps were popular for indoor wear as well as outdoors. All the way up through Victorian days everybody wore night caps while sleeping, made of fine soft wool. My nightwear for sleeping is a hoodie sweat suit, with the hood up, socks and a pair of thin knit glove and I sleep nice and toasty.

Women and men alike wore soft scarves around their necks and crossed over their chests. The scarves were easily flipped up to cover the head if needed. In some countries they were worn outside the bodice (blouse or shirt) and belted or tucked in at the waist. In other areas they were tucked inside and the blouse or shirt worn over them. Look at the national costumes of many cold countries and you will see traditional headgear and some form of scarf or stole and often a vest worn as well.

Vests allow extra warmth at the torso while giving freedom of movement. (My favorite winter outfit so far has been a vest fashioned from a sweat shirt that fit closely but not tightly. My second favorite was a short-sleeved sweatshirt, again because it was warm but still allowed ease of movement.) Fingerless gloves are not a new invention either. Claudette Colbert wore some in the winter scenes in “Drums Along the Mohawk” right along with her cap, scarf, and vest. (Check it out next time it comes on TV!)

Now to insulate my lower body, I have found that long johns are always effective, as are sweat pants under my trousers. The summer-weight lighter sweat pants make wonderful long-handles, as my dad called them. Layer a pair of tights under them and you can stay warm and toasty outdoors in 20-below weather. (I know, I did it, standing on a boat landing for hours when there were still ice floes out on the lake!!) I looked a bit pudgy, but in the cold parts of this country, the ‘puffy’ look is in style when it gets cold!

Skirts can be amazingly warm and comfy when it is frigid if you insulate under them. Longer skirts are actually warmest, and under them you can hide your tights, sweat pants, and outer wind-resistant trousers (not to mention your defense weapon). Flannel or wool petticoats help retain heat under the skirt too. Wear an apron that is water resistant that you

can whip off and replace when it gets wet, to protect your clothing.

Finish off with several pairs of socks in your boots. I like a cotton layer and a wool layer over that, because wool makes my feet itch. But worn over cotton it is nice and warm and comfy. You will need bigger boots though. Test them to make sure you can wiggle your toes with both layers of socks on. If you can do so, your circulation will be good and you can better avoid frostbite. (Just ask the army ‘bout that.) Of course, you might walk a bit ponderously, but if you slip you have all that extra padding to cushion your fall…..!

Never throw out anything that is made of wool or a mostly wool fabric. (The military has developed other cold weather fabrics but they are still very pricey, made of petroleum products, do not wear very long, and burn very quickly when exposed to flame unless treated. They can’t even be washed without special chemicals to keep them water resistant) Wool is organic, and although a bit heavier than the new fabrics, it still is the gold standard for cold weather fabrics, because it allows moisture to evaporate through it to keep you from getting clammy-cold, insulates even when wet, and is naturally flame retardant, if you work around fire. It even stinks as it smolders as an extra alerting trait (hey, sleepy, you are on fire!). You can wash it by hand in plain old lukewarm soap and water, and it wears many years if cared for. Even old worn out clothes can be taken apart and used to line new vests or jackets, the sleeves and smaller parts cut into warm insoles to line boots and make mittens for your hands, the scraps used to fill quilts for bed covers or to make quilted coat, vest or jacket linings, and when it gets too threadbare to sew with, long wearing braided, hooked or crocheted rugs. Wool can be processed into cloth on the homestead, with hand tools, and is ‘free’ for the shearing. The only thing I can find that the synthetics excel at, is their light weight, and as a substitute for those who are allergic to wool. Otherwise I think wool wins hands down in practicality and price.

Well, that about sums up my personal know how on staying warm in the ‘frozen north’ of the upper Midwest. Hopefully you have learned or have been reminded of some good ideas that can help you stay warm and conserve some fuel (and money). I am always eager to learn more, so if you have anything that worked well for you, please speak up before the snow flies. At the rate we are going, that could be as early as October, and winter is a lot more fun if you are warm!

Paradox, maybe you could try bean flour to ease the kids into beans. Grind some white beans (I use Great Northerns) to flour in your blender (noisy!!!) then add some of the flour to chicken broth as a thickener. Use 2 TB per cup broth at first, until you see how thick it will get and whether you like it or not. Simmer 5 - 10 min to cook the beans and you get a thick, chickeny-tasting soup, kinda like cream of chicken. If you add some diced leftover chicken and some poultry seasoning it adds to the illusion. Not only does it 'disguise' beans if you want, but it cooks much faster. You can also add the bean flour to baked goods to increase the protein profile. Im still playing with bean flour and it seems quite versatile.

i remember reading about some folks during WWII who hid their sugar stash in a compartment under the middle step - they had steps that the front part was closed, so they hinged one so it could be opened into a box the width of the step and about a foot deep. Apparently their neighborhood had a person who was paid to stop by and see if you had too much sugar (hoarding) or were using the proper whole-wheat-bran-white flour instead of just white for bread. I found the location interesting, as it would be reasonably accessible but not one commonly thought of. a variation would be the bottom of floor cabinets, down where they go inward to allow for your feet - that is all empty under them and a false bottom on a cabinet filled with pots & pans always appealed to me as an unlikely to be searched place. Specially if you artistically strewed some mouse traps about to look like they could be nipped while searching!

if you can lay your hands on a current (june 2011) copy of 'the backwoodsman' magazine it has an article on how to make two kinds of 'oil' lamps - one that burns liquid oil, and one that burns grease or lard. Both work and are a good cheap way to use up old oil and fat. I was amused to read that the writer learned how to make these from local 'hobos' who burned used crankcase oil!! When he said they smoked a lot, I believe him!! but cooking oil or grease does not smoke much - it just smells like whatever you cooked in it, so it might make you hungry.

I will be making both kinds to try them out, they are a new design for me. I guess i could take some photos....

I use nettles anywhere I would use any other mild greens. My family cant tell spinach from lambsquarters from spinach, so the sky is the limit. Creamed greens, or a cream of spinach soup is a favorite, but nettles are also tasty in quiche, in cheese strata-type casseroles, etc. I even cook them, then dehydrate and powder them. The powder is a good way to put greens in dishes without detection, if you have greens haters eating at your table.

I thought my mothers solution was unique...if we said "bored" she assigned us a chore! Needless to say, we stopped complaining really fast, and became adept at entertaining ourselves!

a nutrition guru from the 60s (adelle davis) (a Phd in nutrition) wrote a cookbook in which she recommended saving all bones, leftover food bits, etc in the freezer then cooking them into a soup stock when enough accumulated. She also recommended putting vinegar into the stock liquid to help leach out the calcium into the broth. If you can find a used copy of her cookbook, "lets cook it right" it is interesting reading.

I must admit, it is hard not to laugh at some of these things!! I am reminded of the story about the child who asked grandma to make chicken for supper, and when she did, exclaimed in surprise...."Who put bones in the chicken?" He had never had anychicken other than mac nuggets.....OY VEY!!!