Dee

May be a little too much for this old woman's heart!  

Thanks Mother and euphrasyne...good ideas! 

euphrasyne...I read the synopsis of The Last Hunt and didn't find any similarities to The Final Hunt.  I need to see if I can inter-library loan it and see what it's all about.  Sounds kind of good!

I have milk dated the 18th.  It's still good but I need to use it for something.  I usually make creamed eggs on toast or creamed chip beef on toast.  With the price of eggs, it'll be chipped beef today.  I could use it to make a pie for Wednesday, but I like 1/2 and 1/2 or evaporated milk for those.  Plain 2% milk doesn't seem as creamy.

I know I could freeze it but then I have to give it 2 or 3 days to thaw, and I don't seem to think that far ahead. 

Any suggestions on what you use outdated milk for? 

Thanks!

Wow euphrasyne you did your research.  I usually do some too, but this was handed to me by a friend at the library one afternoon saying, "Read this!"  I want to know what you think.  So, I did.  We had a fun discussion after.  I then handed it to another friend saying, "Read this!"  She did and then the 3 of us had a good discussion on it.  We now have a 4th reading it.  I know that's silly, especially if you do read the book and see what it's about, but we had fun with it.

I hope you do.  It would be fun to visit with you about it.

Have any of you read "The Final Hunt" by Audrey J. Cole?  I read it and couldn't put it down.  YET, I can't tell you that I liked it.  It was so not what I expected, and in the end I wondered what happened.  I made the mistake of taking it to bed to read and finish before going to sleep.  I had trouble falling asleep afterwards.  NOT because it was scary, terrifying, etc. but because you aren't sure what you think about it.

I'm sure that doesn't make much sense but it's one you can't really talk about w/o giving it away.  If anyone's read it, I'd sure like to discuss it with you.

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Or, in the Deep South, one could always go the moonshine route.

My great grandmother was a very religious and righteous woman.  The family moved from Kentucky to Iowa when my grandmother was 5.  When my great grandmother became senile, she used to look out the window of her room and worry herself 1/2 to death about her one brother that was a moonshiner and the other a counterfeiter.   They were long gone but her old memories weren't.  Our parents told it was something she was ashamed of and spent her whole life keeping it a secret.  We rotten kids laughed ourselves silly when we heard her.  We never laughed in front of adults.  I think because she preached religion and acted like she was so perfect we didn't feel sorry for her.  Today, as an older adult, I kind of feel sorry for our behavior but even writing this I still kind of smile.  Guess I'm still a "rotten kid" at heart.

I know with Galen and I getting older, the smaller portions are better AND so are less spicy things.  We like spicy sometimes but not all the time like we used to.  More filling comfort food are what we like most of the time.  Frozen au gratin potatoes with or w/o ham are good and freeze well.   Chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, Tator Tot casserole, scrambled eggs again, with or w/o, ham or bacon.  Tuna casserole is another that freezes well.  Berry pies freeze well and can be wrapped in individual slices.  Breads, pumpkin, zucchini, banana, etc. freeze well in slices or individual muffins.  

Now that we're older we just prefer food, nothing fancy or time consuming.  Just good everyday healthy food to fill us up.

With the food I have cooked and frozen I like to plan ahead and warm it slowly in my toaster over.  Spray my pan, add a very small amount of water and cover.  If we're hungry and don't want to wait the microwave works find.

You too, Amergris, are keeping busy.  I love hearing what people are doing.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone.  I'll check everything out.

Thanks LS.  Not grilling I don't think of propane tanks with burners.  Good idea.  I'll check with DH.

It was probably me asking about it a long time ago. LOL

I have electric glass top stover, or whatever they're called.  I can't pressure can on it and have been wondering about a hotplate.  Does anyone use one for canning?  Do they work?  I've looked at Amazon just to get ideas, but I know absolutely nothing about them so I'm not even sure what to look for.

Thanks!

Wow LS, you are busy.  Wish I had enough umph to get busy.  I love all you've done!

I love this idea Midnightmom.  Thanks!

I had left over broth and didn't know what to do with it.  I couldn't toss it!  I added canned chicken and canned chicken broth and thickened it.  I peeled and boiled some potatoes and carrots.  Then added frozen peas and corn.  I also added onion and seasonings and ended up with 9 individual pot pies in the freezer for later eating.

My freezers were too full to hold them w/o spilling the sloppy mess, so I froze them on the deck railing.  It was 4 degrees, and it didn't take a long time to get them frozen and packed up to the freezer.  

Please post what you do in the kitchen for prepping.  We could all use more ideas.

Lucky you!!!  Those will be soooooooooooo good!!!

I like WW11 books, and Wednesday the librarian handed me "The Librarian Spy" by Madeline Martin that she'd just gotten in.  I'm on page 63 and it really hasn't gone anywhere yet.  I have high hopes though!  

What a nice surprise this evening as I opened Mrs. S.  Thank you all so much.  I had a very nice day.  We didn't do one thing!   DH is feeling better today and I couldn't ask for a better gift than that.

Thank you all again!!! 

Have you ever made a single serving of cake using the microwave?

When my kids were in school, I often had a piece of fresh cake waiting for them as they came in the door.  If you've never made it, it's so simple and so good.  Using a boxed cake mix, fill a Styrofoam cup 1/2 full.  Add enough water to make it the consistency of cake batter.  Put it uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute.

I don't buy Styrofoam cups anymore, so I use cereal bowls for DH and me.  Proceed the same as above.  However, it may take 1 1/2 minutes to cook if you use a little extra mix.  For us, I put a little butter on top.  When the kids were home, I made up some frosting and froze it in individual packets to top theirs with.

I store the opened cake mix in the freezer where it will stay fresh long past the best buy date.

Merry Christmas Midnightmom, Becca and everyone.  

I used to do that and forgot all about it.  Thanks for reminding me/us Mikki! 

Good ideas Littlesister and Jeepers.  I knew you brilliant ladies would come up with ideas.  They may not work for everyone, but the ideas are great! 

Good ideas, Euphrasyne!  

Next?

Today I made a custard pie for lunch.  As I made it, I was thinking about all you could do with this filling.  To begin with if you have milk and eggs, you could make this basic mixture.  I, of course, for pie added a little sugar, nutmeg and vanilla.  I also made a crust which you wouldn't have to do.  A greased casserole dish or 8x8 pan would work too.

If you want to make a one dish meal you could make the filling and add meat, pre-cooked potatoes, cheese, vegetables, peppers, onions, etc.  Anything, you have on hand.  What you have on hand is the key theme here.  We don't want to always have to run to the grocery store.....especially, if there's no longer a grocery store.

I can picture this pie with cheese and veggies, as a quiche.  Maybe even a can of peaches or pineapple baked in as a dessert.   Would that work and taste good?  I have no idea, but I do know if you're trying to feed a family and have to use what's on hand it just might be delicious.

Who has more ideas?  Let's get a discussion going on things you can fix with what you have on hand. 

A homestead with a cow and chickens can really make a difference, BUT, we're not all out in the country.  Even if we are, like me you may be old enough to think, "I don't want all that work of livestock anymore".

Ok, your turn!