sassenach

Looks like the early snow storm may have affected how fast the mail gets processed here in NE as the stuff was expected by now but has not arrived and was coming out of Mass.... so I wait... * twiddles thumbs some more and chooses something else to do tonight....

I fixed roasted chicken thighs with the usual herbs, half being dusted with turmeric as I have a pound of it in my kitchen herbs and have heard its about a cure all and immune factor enhancer medicinally and I need every boost I can get, as well as it is antiinflammatory which helps control my inflammation factor.I heated it with button mushrooms and an onion quartered for some good vegetables and added it to the below dish. I then cut up some kind of squash that is green, lightly ridged and squat and round, bigger in circumference than acorn squash, so one squash is about four servings. I put it and peeled cut up parsnips and a yam into the baking dish, covered it with foil and added water a bit later to steam it. I did not add any sauces or gravies and simply enjoyed the several flavors as I ate. It wasnt bad at all for how plain it really was. Each flavor and together, it was rather nice. What other than some sugary buttery sauce for the squash might any of you fix with this? It was an orange squash inside but think the store here mislabled it so I do not know its name. I would buy it again although I was disappointed in the parsnips that were bitter compared to last years crop. Hoping next spring I will be able to grow my own parsnips as I know they are usually sweeter than these were tonight. I will not buy them again at this rate.

Around here I do not know the price of a whole alpaca wool amount at one time but the price sounds good Christy. For alpaca it might be more expensive in my region but that may be because of rarity. Alpaca wool is good stuff for many knitted items but there is some debate about sock knitting with it. ( Ive got sheep wool purist sockknitters on a sock knitting group that often give essays on the differences in different yarns and have been reading their comments). If I ever get really good at knitting I would love to do some mittens and hats with alpaca for sure. It is more than suitable for such items. Right now it's not in the pocketbook and I would tend to use other yarns for socks for now. Its rather refined so unless expertly knitted,it would be obvious any mistakes I might make or go through and I consider it a very precious commodity. Those more skilled may have no problems with it, but I would reserve usage for a better skill level myself. There is a book of designs for the South- Central American type patterns and things folks typically see sold here , made with alpaca wool that I saw listed among books on knitting but I am not accomplished enough yet to do that kind of knitting. Maybe later Right now need to go to post office and pick up what was shipped and arrived , most of it should be related to sock knitting!

Right at the moment a basketweave pattern washcloth since I forgot to use smaller needles and it is so soft, it will be a great washcloth for me instead of a dishcloth, cotton yarn. Also I found out acrylic (sport) yarn is better for pans scrubbing anyway and doesn't hold the bacteria. I tend to automatically rinse out my washcloths though so cotton is fine for them and for tighter knitted trivets or towels. So can still make gifts. Waiting on those new circulars and the sock book for two at a time because doing the socks together would probably be alot easier on my memory recall problems! If they are here Monday I can take it to the lesson on Tuesday! Thanks for reminding me I can rotate the warp on the door if its wound over it specifically, very true! I figure a couple shortened to fit width , dowels from hardware store should work for string heddle and such tools for weaving. Just hoping the cat understands the project is not a toy after a couple mild reminders once I start doing that. It will be in a spot that I can sit at and do for a few minutes at a time too. Likely to finish it too that way!

Ya know Mother..... I have a door right here to my bedroom, its got room under it too and I finally have the stuff that was sort of leaning against it better stored now in bins so there is more play. I could sure do that. Maybe make some lengths to stitch together with all that burgundy yarn I want to make into an afghan. What a neat idea. It would work just fine for cot sized afghan too. Maybe if I can figure out a way to mount a rod on top and bottom for the warp ( ?) . Vertical strings anyhow. well at least its in an area I could maneuver around it I will think it over. Plenty else to do just now. But at least its already there in a good spot for me. As for socks I have heard a bunch of folks , mostly peers that are thinking the same time. They just sort of need help getting supplies and learning the basic knitting for it or advancing their own knitting. Knowing you can use sport yarn ( acrylic) for a boot sock was great cause alot of sure wear boots in winter time especially if not all year as a work boot. I have some wool blends for sock yarn too but I had already started collecting yarn and others have sent me a ton of various yarns so we can swap stuff and I have so much sport yarn that I would be happy to just give it to someone if they were going to use it for much needed socks. waiting on those circulars of small to large sized to come in the mail right now ( they just shipped today). Might be here Monday. The book for two at a time socks also is with them. Maybe the one big skein of taffy colored ( blues and orange, burgundy maybe, colors? ) is with them or it will also arrive shortly too. Thought it would be pretty but basically a dark mix of colors, which is practical, and it is a sock blend I wanted to try to see if it would suffice because amazon carries it and its easy for me to just have it shipped via the mail and I pick it up locally rather than having to find a yarn store. Michaels products sometimes must be some really cheap batches from what I can tell once I get the stuff home and roll it up. this yarn is a lion brand type for socks and not expensive so it is worth trying it out. I have looked at fancy private knit supplies online too but right now I need to spread my money to lots of needs so trying to find decent bargains. Not meaning this to sound like I endorse any company, but just mentioning availability. They even use bamboo for yarn now too and I hear its great stuff usually and is also in sock blends and being natural may suit folks who choose natural blends the majority of the time. In fact the circular needle set is for socks and made with bamboo and some knitters I know elsewhere really like the bamboo needles. I think it may be more comfortable than some of the longer plastic ones I have too as I have tried them. You can smooth them better too with fine sanding. I shall see what they are like soon! For other knitting , I found I liked my metal ones better.

oh, CGA, in places like California, mobile homes are required to be tied down, so to speak, anchored to rods that go about 6 ft deep I think into the ground, for earthquake safety. I was in one for a while there, definitely feel it sway with a 5.0 approx quake. found out my friends up here in upstate ny is tied down like that and its a good thing I guess with quake activity picking up in alot of places now.

Mother , I have rubberbands too I figured I could use from my rubber band stash, myself, lol. I dont think I have enough of the commercially made stoppers anyway. You could use bits of yarn taped down too if you needed to I guess. Corks , tiny ones might be useful. I was going to order corks from Lehmans I think , sometime anyway. Just an idea to play around with I guess. If I make a loom it will be a straight rectangular loom. I have no place that would be comfortable for me to sit on the floor and work it in this tiny place. But it could be something that is a fixture in a different place and those are so simple you can use doweling or tree limbs., small saplings when I do and tie it together at the corners with paracord if I did not want to bolt it together like I would if I had small lumber handy to make it. Depends on what you have to work with I guess. CGA that was a good idea to hang it on a ladder, the tri loom. Now I can see how it would be useful.

Bump!!!! Food storage pdf's

Bump

LOL Jeepers I was talking about lower leg covering for folks working with livestock chores daily , the people, not the critters! LOL. Outer wear to keep regular pants being worn from getting dirty . Talked to my dairy farm raised friend , he said they had to wear those since the Hoof and Mouth disease broke out in recent years as a daily article of work clothing on the farm when around the cows, it prevent bacteria splashed up from soaking into clothing and prevented the transfer of it. ( well lessened the transfer of it)

Lots of great ideas ladies and safety points. I am sure I will get stuck with initial stairs in the back shovelling but this reminded me to tell the landlady we need a bag of icemelt . Bless the men who drive around and clear driveways and the parking lot but if its a big storm , clearing a walking path to the driveway often ends up a big repeat job after they come through again. Its was well up to four foot most of late winter this past winter. And that would drift or stuff falling off the roof makes it that bad to get to the trash cage up under the backstairs. When it all starts to melt you can get a foot of icy water there too and its a pain in the rear. I just use a small childs snow shovel on the stairs and out front where we can get snow drifting into the front stair areas or two footers that the sidewalk plow guy still can't get . The businesses, one of them started leaving a very nice ergonomic shovel out side for me so I use that and just go put it back by their door when its a big storm affect. Its really not that much but I was really sick and weak and my neighbor wouldn't lift a finger and I really didn't want to have to step into drifts and such so I would go out and get some exercise that way, almost keeling over while doing it though. You never know if you will have a fire or EMS have to come and the business owners appreciated being able to have instant access when they came to work the next day too so I figured it was a little something I could do and it made it easier for me. I guess if the landlady for this building doesn't want to bother, it doesn't help the building but at least the roof is being repaired and roofed again right now. I can manage here til I can save the deposits and some money maybe for a good bed . I was just starting to adjust to less than hot summer temps now and was checking thermometers. I cannot stay in a cold place but my bedroom is often only 63 degrees and as long as my clothes are not skimpy totally , I am warm enough mostly except to slide on socks or slippers once in a while and take them off if I get warmer. Now I understand when D turns up the thermostat..... and blasts the furnace that I cant tolerate 75 like that. Not with still air, outside I love that temp. Course he was leaving a darn bedroom window open four inches too and when I took care of his cat and figured it out. He wasnt maintaining the box , poor cat so I cleaned it gave it new litter and shut the darn window. Amazing how steady the temps remained after that. I told him what I did when he came back and he really was much better about turning on the heat after that. I have my bedroom windows with shades that do alot but not perfectly insulate, and really its warm enough I don't need to line the windows because they are the storm type but only single windows not layered. It would be one thing did I have my own place or it was worse on insulating factors but its ok and I love a clear window to look out of. If I needed to I would make window quilts and hang those up I think just so I had something nice to look at. Bubble wrap sounds good and easy to pack away when warm weather comes too. It would also be likely to be something I would remember was designated for such a use too, so I would not be tempted to take it and use it packing stuff up and mailing it off if its cut to size and maybe a note taped down later once they are put away. I like the idea of arm warmers. There are many times when I dont want a sweatshirt on but the arms from the forearms down and hands , similar to my legs can turn to ice while the rest of me is fine from Reynauds. One could knit or sew arm warmers to pull up their arms when such things are going on to help regulate body temp if they liked , that is for sure. One of the things I thought of is working outside with feeding livestock and farm type chores and the leg covers , use oilskin or the cheapy tablecloths and cut to go round the lower leg and use velcro, self sticking or glued to the edges to close them around the leg and easy to undo and pull off and shake off when you come in the house from your work and fairly durable. hang to dry off or wipe off and fold up for a shelf spot in mudroom? Entrance where coats and such are kept for weather. what they are called is gaiters and often ski shops sell something similar in some kind of water proof material for big bucks. But the oilcloth table cloth would work just fine and you can then not worry about the rigging of sloppy garbage bags I would think if you figure out what size would work. you could use paracord and make a sleeve too and then draw the ends tight over boot and top of the gaiter as well tie it , go do the work and come back in and remove.

Yeah Ive had 6's and 5's in the mobile home I had years back out in NW Calif. But was in a solid house when the 7's hit back in 92.... they scared the whatdoyacallit outta me and the 6 from VA this summer, I felt it fully here this far north . so knowing we are going , really going through the galactic center of the universe and its shaking up the earths crust, etc with all that and such going on ..... anyone can go through quakes now. Just hoping it does not happen but they are getting very common now. So, at least I have my camping gear and I can get stuff out if I dig it out, lol. Its nice to know the roof at least should be good again, lol. You sort of look at how ridiculous the whole place is and throw your hands up and say, well. I will deal with it as it all comes down I guess and try to arrange things in a way you may be able to salvage it, cause this place has this ridge through it across my apartment. It will split apart. I keep my stuff where I can probably still get it out from on my left side, by the back stairs area because I could probably crawl in afterwards and retrieve alot if need be. I saw big victorian houses like this go crunch that way in fact, so maybe thats what would happen here with the way its going on the settling of both ends and the high part the way it is. Just sitting here thinking about it, looks like that is how it would go. it had a very strong surfing motion mostly during the 6 here. White knuckle grip and riding it out in the doorway , wondering if it would really start jumping like a 7 does . nope. hate em, truly but plenty of folks lost so much more already. So, hopefully nothing like that does happen but trying to mentally prepare for it. And I will be darned if I would just ditch my stuff like preps if I could get in and get the stuff out, thats too much invested and would be needed then for sure. And I have to admit Im tired of being overly patient to get things more back on track ... this just seems like a big delay because you don't know what can happen next. But things come slowly and some of it definitely needs replacing so I can actually put together a proper office at home. So, sort of re thinking alot of things . Be darned if Id let them just bulldoze it all away, lol. Also stuff like what I consider vital books are being put in this room too now that I know the roof will be ok. I sit on my bed so much when I knit or here on the laptop too on its little portable lap desk , so its nice to have those 'reference' books handy. The how to do books and language books and identification books for herbs trees and such , all those and medical stuff and such. That way I know its not spread out all over as precarious as the foundation feels with all this other stuff going on. If EMS guys help me I will give them a can of tvp each, lol.

Thanks again CGA, now that I know it was a storm related outage this weekend for Internet and not my laptop ( waiting for my payday this week so I can get a registry repair program paid for ) ..... I can look at this tri-loom. It definitely looks easy enough to make a big one. ( I do see where you do make them larger thanks to telling me above , now that I went through the thread better). I will work on learning socks during the next few weeks. I was up early today and soon as the sun crested the ridge behind me here , where i can see it too, several big red roofing company trucks pulled in with all their equipment to re roof this place. Must be a God thing ( miracle) Some of them were pretty good sized men so I let them know how soft that roof is over my bedroom so they did not have an accident and fall through maybe. Now I can save for deposits and expenses with out sweating this so much right now. Big sigh of relief.... I don't have to get appts so much this week, so it opens up a bit of time to devote to other things I also need to do, and maybe now I can just enjoy the knitting lesson tomorrow because I wont be so worried. I am also feeling stronger now, feeling abit better and that helps alot because I need to feel better in general and what is so simple for many had become a really rough challenge and that really frightened me, so its a relief to feel more normal and little bit more agile. Might have another friend who does nice paintings join us in the knitting lessons or not, lol. Shes not sure but maybe it would get her out of the house abit more. So I guess I will just see. I do feel for anyone whos lost power had big trees broken and really been inconvenienced by this big snow storm that hit so early. I hope everyone is ok and I realize we are in a rugged cycle when it comes to such things and we just have to set our minds to be ready. Even my neighbor wants me to help him set up a go bag now. Besides even if the roof is fixed, the foundation is lousy and Im only staying as long as it takes to get deps and find a better place. This foundation is definitely a problem and its going to worse if we get more big quakes, so he wants a go bag set up and I told him how to brace himself in a doorway and figure out before hand how to get out if the building goes crunch if something like that happens. Or we get more rip roaring floods here. Again... so even as I try to have fun, its definitely something we need to watch out for and be able to get out with enough stuff to help us be more comfortable if things go really bad that way suddenly. That loom actually might be just the thing. Eventually I will need to get lumber and such for some furniture I need to build to fit me better than commercially made as I set up stuff so I will study this tri loom, it might be a handy one to have for sure . First time I ever heard of it , is from this thread here and I have read a lot about looms so this is cool! Thanks so much. I hope to build one sometime in the future. I think its great that you are making yours. For now I need sock skills.

Mt Rider was expressing an interest in learning to knit socks too. Is there a way someone who knows how to do a basic sock and has a camera and can post pics if they know how to break down the steps you take in the knitting, to teach someone they could maybe do a post and teach people interested here on the forum? I have never been able to post pics and I am not all that good with inside pics to make sure they were really clear yet even if I tried to post em , broken down in stages or be able to explain exactly how you do things like the types of casting on and how to join the pieces? She is unable to view youtube videos and really some of them, bless the folks who do those, are not all that sharp visually and maybe we could figure out something?

Michael did you know that traditionally all Highlander Scottish boys learned to knit as well? They were to fix their own socks and help make them when they were working , shepherding sheep and cattle and such. ( if things were slow, they could sit and knit while they watched things).

Awesome CGA. I have no idea what a tri loom is but I know about more standard types of looms. I would like to make myself a straight loom of some decent size but don't have room for it and certainly no room for a floor room or table loom. Can you explain a tri loom to us? LOL, used to pack parachutes and do the oxygen gear and life rafts for P-3's when I was stationed in Iceland while the Nato base was still in US hands. I was waiting to divorce my hubby, separated , dated a few of the P3 aircrew, who were single. Fun memories ! This was many years back. Ended up very recently finally getting a snail mail addy from an Icelandic person I also dated back then. He wants to catch up ( and he thinks all the politics and economic problems are the pits too. ) Found him on Facebook ... hes still as sweet as ever. He worked on the base at the time. He's done ok and just taking care of his parents and working hard where he works now. Good memories. Great duty station despite the rugged climate. good people there. got my draft roll done and working on a dishcloth tonight, knitting.

Is wondering if Stephanie will take on learning to knit socks.. she crochets really well ...but socks are a different thing. * walks off to settle more comfortably to work on knitting....... the door draft sock! LOL

LOL, I am a lefty when it comes to eating with a fork or writing by hand, otherwise I am a righty , I can learn right handed which is the usual way for knitting. Even my dad goofed up and taught me to bowl left handed...... no wonder I had terrible scores.... people tried to teach me left handed knitting and I just couldnt figure it out... I was naturally a righty when it comes to processing it yet have other stuff that makes it more challenging... but I did not figure this out til much later in life. and yep, sometimes I just sit here and play around til I get it to 'work'. So did the lady that will be helping me learn to use the dbl needles and such procedures as it takes to make a basic sock. I was figuring out how to do mittens all by myself at least, but socks need to be perfected so they fit right and help your feet in a shoe wearing situation or they cause injury and blisters or wear out faster as well. what branch of service as a pilot? navy maybe? Now so many of our soldiers overseas are so grateful when folks send socks. But you really have to be a fast knitter and I am not, to make several pair to send at one time. If I could get a pair done in two weeks time I would be happy with myself though.

I have been collecting yarns and needles and a few good basic knitting and sock making books and have what I need to do just about any kind of knitting as I learn the basics and get more intermediate with stitches and such. I ended up having severe pain in my own hands and we finally have it defined as to the cause which is peripheral neuropathy from type 2 diabetes not just the weakness and pain from fibro. I struggle to learn and get used to needles and yarn and the cat playing with the circular cable ( shes cute about it and stops if you say no or hey thats mine! routine. I went undiagnosed for several years with pre-diabetes and now type 2 formally although I can have mixed symptoms. I am getting a bit better routine going now, getting a bit more regular sleep and trying to limit stressors and the fear factor even as grim as things are in my area and such things continuing to make life more of a challenge. I am working on catching up on spring cleaning . I was far too ill and my doctors that helped me after some fiascos with the regional VA are very concerned. So in the last month , the last couple weeks I am reestablishing things , bit by bit and it all counts. One of the good results are my hands are in less pain and I was even feeling like maybe I can get back to canning again. So maybe now I can start to do that again on simple stuff and have it shelf ready. I am working on more focus too. One of the things now I am finishing up when I sit still and not researching things or doing price comparisons online is knitting with focus. Really simple little lessons but it lets me get used to the circular needles for instance, uses up some odd yarn for a door draft sock, and I can recycle the stuff I will use to stuff it with and it made me sit still and concentrate and gave my fingers and hands something really simple to do. Mentally I want to be able to make my own socks and do well enough that they are truly comfortable and eventually be able to sit down and do a pair as quickly as I can manage with consistency. I am sorry but the dollar store socks just don't cut it around here. Its a useful skill. I am not the only struggling for really basic stuff around here. I know people who don't have a little notebook/laptop and internet due to their own circumstances. I know decent folks who slipped through the cracks at school who can't read well enough to surf the internet. But they can learn and actually have way better memory skills than me. I refer to notes and instructions but the instructions often puzzle me and sometimes the quality of someones video on youtube really isn't good enough or they are just quicker than I can figure out even after repeated study of some little thing you may have to do to complete even one type of knitting stitch so I am very glad that through our own ingenuity and looking at each other for things we are interested in , have some knowledge of , what something useful or fun , that we can teach each other in small groups of interested folks..... and there is one lady who is a peer and she will be teaching us basic knitting and makes a nice sock. Shes slow enough in her nature that I know she will take her time showing me the missing links in my skill level at this point too , I believe. Actually together we are going to help teach basic information and knitting as we go. Ive got stuff here I can share. She actually can make a basic boot sock with regular sport yarn and showed me the grey ones she made for her ex husband who she is friends with. He wears them as a work sock and they were done perfectly. I asked her did he tell her they were comfortable enough but then what are commercial socks made of? Well he has always 'wanted' her socks once she taught herself ... she makes a good product. Socks are vital up here in the snowy north woods and I have the stuff and the books to teach me how to customize the fit for anyones feet. I just needed my hands doing better, my focus is coming back and I am getting enough tasks , a little better and things sorted out in regards to thinking strength than I was certainly able to. I can keep working on rebuilding my life and manage if I have the basics going. We need socks here , so any of us that want to learn to knit socks have that opportunity to work with a skilled person who is patient and can break it down well as she teaches. If some of us pursue a little finesse and fancy stitch work, and be consistent then its a great item and by word of mouth, maybe it will profit us later. Or other little techniques and it could be an income source, minor but at this point , anything good and helpful helps so many of us. Yes I have proper sock yarn blends too but even that needs to be researched if you do it seriously. One can use cotton yarns like sugar and cream too for anklets and slippers too if their feet are pretty sturdy , or if thats all someone has to knit with, it is possible. I find people becoming more innovative and using what is not typically something specialized to get a decent result of a product they can make . So I am excited. I move toward my own independence and meet a need I have for myself in these circumstances from very basic materials I have now. Along with flat work which I actually use to help me strengthen my skills and focus , I hope if successful with socks and mittens with devoting some time just about every day to a project, I can move on to making a sweater than I do not have to roll up the sleeves on! Some of the fancy artsy yarns are just nuts trying to work with them but one may be able to manage weaving projects if they can't manage the needle work to knit or crochet. We are all different in whats comfortable for us if we do fiber arts and sometimes we have to adjust to a new way of making things to use these items up as well because various things affect us. I encourage any of you with something disabling to find a new way to be creative with useful things that can be beautiful too. It feels so good to do something like that. It's something I can do easily when I sit down for a while. It's something productive and useful and as I gain better skill levels it can be lovely. It eases my mind a little to make something nice and useful. It can be developed for bartering and sale later if I am persistent with my efforts. I write this to encourage despite what we feel may discourage us. we can go at it slower but we need to finish it too. we don't need to be shy when it comes to learning more how to use something to produce what we need even though I think alot of us are because its a new idea in itself or we think we don't have time. we can adjust ourselves to meet a basic need that actually is enriching in many ways. this is something that stretches over many types of skills and such things as we find necessary to make living more comfortable and safe and fulfilling. I have a friend who never was taught much at all on basic cooking . She's been figuring out how serious things are and shes wanting to learn. So because she prefers soy protein and its really convenient and she can get past making soy milk all the time, I can share the basic ideas I use to provide soy protein, usually tvp stuff I use for protein in a lot of meals as long as I have it available. It also is easy to store and gets delivered , saving you gas and time money if you place an order and just have to be there for the delivery. Its like the lightbulb is finally going off in my friends head. Bless her.... and we can encourage each other although she has a different lifestyle and does alot of things I cant afford even if I lived there yet shes good at finding bargains and stuff too. Its all these little things that make a difference for each of us. Once Im feeling better and definitely have my housing needs resolved , I can teach on survival stuff and bargain foods and put together some classes on such things.. because now more of my peers are struggling and have no idea what to do and they know I can teach them things. I have folks who will help me. We may even start coordinating some large orders and it will help. I hope we have the time and things hold together enough so we can. Its a service I can help with since I know some basics. I know there are employees that want me to do what I KNOW. I do too. I also realized we are totally sunk in this area unless we order books online now because Borders closed down at the mall in Plattsburgh. I would love to get organized enough to be able to provide a book ordering service for my town. but I need a reliable computer and an Office program updated but I need other real basics first so thats what I am working on for now. A good office area and desk space . This computer I have is old and its suffering and I don't know when it may go out completely.....so.... I will put one foot in front of the other here and work on not only getting back to normal energy and ability, but to keep moving forward and its little things I notice we all need..... and my no knead molasses whole wheat bread is done so let's eat!

summer squash, mushrooms, carrot slices, green beans, corn, and marinating jerky meat to go in the dehydrator later.

the mixed veggies, 4 lbs will fit in a quart canning jar once dried. I put them in pint jars though since I have more of those. I am now drying sliced carrots, just two and a half pounds at this point,but its a start on carrots. I have a busy evening tonight so tomorrow will figure out if I want to can some beans up and what next, like sliced green beans for the dehydrator I guess. Not sure how long it will take for the carrot slices to dry, so shall see how they do. I found out green beans are a diuretic as well, yesterday so thats good to help my hbp actually. I will be doing alot more of those too. they have more vitamins than I realized as well.

I hope everything goes well CN with your surgery and that you heal up good and can do what needs to be done with that.

TMC if I had a place to grow them it would be great. I have read about them before. If I ever get my own place I would definitely do so. It's great that you grow your own that way. Cool idea to get the seeds needed for the next batch. What times of the year are best to grow them in our state? Dried another dehydrator full of mushrooms last night, and doing mixed veggies now. I use these in stews and soups and spaghetti sauce to increase fiber and vitamins and color. They cook up just fine.

TMC, yes I love fresh mushrooms too, but I also like to get them dried and stored. Even in the summer I tend to make stews and soups and throw some in when I do if I don't have fresh. I bought 3 good boxes and use one the next few days for cooking, and the other two in the dehydrator. I figured if I did it that way when I choose a particular food to dry then it would add up faster and I would enjoy some too, currently as I do that. But the big concern for me is that the prices are already very high at my local store so the more I do now, sooner than later , at least I have it then stocked up and can use the dried ones just fine, if it gets way too expensive by Fall. I will rotate them. They are terrific brain food for me and I loveeee mushrooms.