Sarah

Correction. 1/8 inch. Not 1/4. $7.50. $3 shipping. Fifty count. tablewar.com. Enjoy.

That is a good one! Magnetic strips? I have better now. My better half found a gaming company that does the miniature figures and diaramas (spelling?) online that sells 1/4 inch diameter super magnets. He grabbed ten (or was it twenty?) count sets for something like $7 a set. (Radio Shack sells two for eight dollars.) Now all his small sockets are standing 'dress right dress' under the flip top roll around tool box lids. (He dislikes trays and rails). These things are strong! Three hold a large baby food jar full of nuts. I 'snitched' two twenty count bags, and they now reside on my fridge. I tried supergluing them to push pin bases. Bond is too weak, glue will not hold against the magnet! Also I put one on two of my long wooden spoons, to fish canning jar lids in the water bath. He also just started using the Avery lazer foil labels to label ALL his sockets. He prints, sissors, sticks, then shelacs them. What he does not know is that he is getting, as a stocking stuffer, several sets of the 'steel eye' labels. mysiteforsoreeyes.com/ Sarah

MtRider, Space is a issue? Well, I can help there. If you have access to back issues of The Mother Earth News, (also on microfilm at most major libraries)(or the new 'all issues' multimedia DVD, $50 at Mothers web site) then pay a visit here at the Librum, and type 'hydroponics' in the search engine. You will get about twenty bingos, by issue and page. If you have access to a copy of Saxons' 'Survivor 2', there is about 80 pages on 'guerrila' hydroponics. While we have that here in electronic format, I have no legal way to slip you those, as freebie. They are are in the 'Reference Desk', but you would get off cheaper finding an old hard copy. (Note to self: Get those ATOCI indexes finished!)(I KNOW there was a three 55gal drum design fish farm, heavy on fertilizer production in another of Saxons works, but can't remember which.) Next, again visit the Librum, and one at a time, grab and read the sixty day checkout copies of the New Alchemists series. (Not trying to drive sales, but if you need the full versions, they are available.) Sarah

Daylilly, I never saw this. Sorry. And it is another of my 'buttons'. Forgive me if I go in with too much information. It is NOT a kind way to go... Nobody should end this way. Nobody. Grand Mal type 1 is hard to describe to one who has not witnessed it. I am trying to think of the English term. DKA? Diabetic Keto Acidosis, I think. Patient goes from 'normal' to 'down' in about 48 hours, extreme uncontrollable urination, ditto thirst, renal failure common, extreme production of stomach acids, severe sudden weight loss, and dementia. Let me look for one of the alert cards... I keep them in the desk along with both types of the packets, as part of our standard first aid kit. ---flash typing, please forgive any typos--- MEDIC ALERT This patient has MSS and is a brittle diabetic. Emergency Response: 1) Perform TWO diabetic blood tests using the patients' MODIFIED meter on separage digits. If greater than twenty points variance between the two readings, adminsiter one packet of PHOS-NaK (brand) supplement attached to this card. Disreguard reading levels, wait fifteen minutes. Retest and repeat as necessary. 2) Using a standard diabetic test meter readings average 93 points plus/minus 17 high. 3) Once readings are in sync, and if still out of range, treat per acid ketosis. Physician notes: MSS is a rare genetic trace mineral retention condition. It normally masks itself as a severe (hyper or hypo) diabetic reaction. This is normally a temporary side effect. MSS is the cause of this patents type I diabetes. Normal rDNA 'N' insulin has no effect. Normal rDNA 'R' (or 'pig') insulin is partially effective but with guaranteed severe and most likely FATAL adverse effects. Electrolytic A1c and any electrolytic blood serum meters are suspect. HPLC is the only known way to obtain a true reading. ------------------- There is more, like don't administer potassium in IV, or in liquid suppliment, etc, but I think you have the idea... The good news is that MSS is just about 'extinct'. We now know what genetic factors to look for, and the potential victims get a 'standard' suppliment packet a day which keep the system from going into shock, and killing the pancreas. But we still have some of the older generations living with the type I complications. They must test and shoot every THREE hours. The bad news is that the PHOS-NaK is potentially abuseable. Let me fish out of my drawer some of the packets, which I keep, 'just in case'. Standard suppliment packet is 160mg sodium (7%rda), 280mg Potassium (10%rda), 250mg Phosphorus (35%rda). The 'emergency' packets are 480mg sodium (21%rda), 1120mg Potassium (40%rda), 500mg Phosphorus (70%rda), and 200mg magnesium (50%rda). The standard PHOS-NaK used to be prescription only. Emergency still is. Maximum allowable dosage is one standard packet a day, as the patient may be getting from normal diet. The stevia based pseudo insulins have saved many lives. But they have been taken off the market except for emergency response, and then in very restricted areas, based on genetic stocks. Body builders, etc, were 'ripping' by shooting three units (90 points on a standard diabetics meter)(normal reading is 80-180), the body would shock, eating the stored fat. Sarah

It is called 'sweet water' amoung us, but I will be the first to tell you it is an acquired taste. Brew it like a sun tea, start at nine normal sized leaves to the galleon, floating. Move up and down that count for taste, and as the time of harvesting does affect it quite a bit. Sarah

Crabgrass, depends on what you mean as 'face frame'. To me, 'face frame' means using 'face' or 'finish' lumber. So, no, as the milch hides/covers so much. Building a kitchen is a community thing, for females. The word is put out, and we all go to help. And we drag a man or two along for sawing duty. Otherwise, the fitting, drilling pins, nailing, making the paint, painting, etc is 'womans work'. Sarah

Abergris, I was thinking that somebody would tip you on this, but no... And, Sorry, but I can not 'vision' buying cabinets. And it would probably be an orgnung offence anyway. Generally, we make what you would call 'butcherblock' counter tops, from scrap, all you need is a rip circle saw with guide. To tack together, drill 1/16" holes, and use nails with the heads cut off. Seal is with your option of oil or wax. I do NOT like the wax or laminate gell (trying to remember the english word... epoxy?). I have ripped out and put in quite a few, as I like deep tops. Mine are four foot deep. A man can do the work, but normally it is a 'hen session' thing. The women get togther and 'raise' a kitchen. When it comes to the cabinets, we always have left over 'dimensional' lumber from the block work. Drawer slides and related hardware is cheap. To color, milch. Umm... google 'milk paint'. For pigment, kaolin. Look that up, and take a good look at the wear factors, the lack of toxicity factors, etc. Got some out of date milk? Go mix your own milch. VERY cheap. And with milch, it 'melemars' (spelling?)(glues together and hides everything) nicely. The shelves themselves are often also butcher, unless we find some scrap plywood, and that gets milched too. Some use alternate pigments and paint the countertops to match, and they wear very well, but not for me. There is a downside. Milch paint will not be stripped by any other paint strippers. Nor will any other paint stick to it. But I look at it as 'if paint won't stick, nothing will!'. Sarah Stray thought... Are there multi fuel stovetops out there? Mine is a refurbished electric Queen, but two burners were converted to LP and Propane gas, respectively. Another stray thought... What are you going to do for refrigeration/freezing? I will NOT have a freon unit with a compressor. Noisy. True, mine are smaller than standard units I have seen in the HD and Lowes stores, but I can build them in. Anywhere. Or have my man make a 'box', buying just the cooling plant. Alcohol is the normal refer agent, there is also ammonia agent ones. Power sources are AC, DC, propane, LP, oil, etc. Mine are kero/bio wick burner. We have LOADS of olive oil, and that works great. OK, I will shut up, Sarah

(chuckling) I was trying to find the 'wizards in the winter'. I thought Mannheim Steamroller. No. It was the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which used to be the Trans-Siberian Steam Express... ...behave...

Umm... One can buy lids. Think of coffee can lids. IIRC, they are about fifty cents each in packs of twenty. I don't do that anymore. I recan. I agree with Ambergris. Smaller cans are better. And I 'cheat' by buying the pull/pop tab lids for the #2-1/2 square cans (four cup vs 13 cup for a #10) . It is a matter of convience. I get better seal, they stack better, store better, easier to open, recycle easier, etc. Sarah

PM recieved. I am also responding 'in the clear', thinking others may also enjoy. In the PM I was asked where the MFE (Monograph on Flavoring Extracts, 1891) was. The sender could not find it in the ICSA's free cookbook section ( I rechecked. MFE is a Librum work (http://www.librum.us) which has yet to 'pay out', i.e. pay its cost of restoration. It has sold eleven of the required fourteen. If/when it pays out, it will be be retired as a free work to the ICSA. Sorry! No, I am not posting this to be 'mercinary', see below. But I do not mind admitting that this is one I would like to see 'make it'. The free ATOCI (Ascii Table of Contents and Index) for MFE is at http://www.librum.us/atoci/mfe.txt. Here is a cut/paste of that portion of the ATOCI: Quality of Flavoring Extracts Sold. 32Vanilla Beans. 33Quality of Vanilla Beans. 34Exhaustion of Vanilla Beans. 36To Make a Good Extract of Vanilla. 38Extract of Vanilla, a, b, c, d, e, and f. 39-42Tonka Beans. 43Extract of Vanilla with Tonka. 44Extract of Vanilla, "Standard". 46Extract of Vanilla without Vanilla. 47 The free sixty day demo version is available for free at http://www.librum.us/stacks/mfe-1891_v12.exe. No reason you can not grab the demo copy and copy out what you want... A *crude* (stressing the 'crude') scanned pdf version is available at the Internet Archive, (http://www.archive.org). Sarah. PS: If you were unaware of the ICSA cookbook project, go on over. No, it is not Librum. The ICSA 'spun off', and has it's own management. Male. The men and the cookbooks are not mixing well. They could really use some help with building ATOCI for their version of the ATOCI search engine. Volunteers are being welcomed.

Well, a lot of things. Unlike many of our people, we had a wide selection. A lot of breads, using a lot of different grains. A lot of dairy. Cheeses, curds, 'gurgs' (yogurt), sylabub. (Is that the right word? Lightly fermented milk based drinks...) A lot of pickled vegetables. Rarely a dill, usually sweet, especially 'cinnamon' which Dad loved). 'Riced' potatoes (think hash browns or formed into what we today call 'tots'.)(Also made into 'potato cookies', cut with cookie cutters and munched like cookies) Also made into flakes for long term storage. But the downside was oatmeal. So much so that I can not eat it today. Fortuneatly my man introduced me to grits. Very few green vegetables, or beans (flatulence issues in the family). Sarah of the Librum

Depends on the lids used. Ball does a 'ping' and a 'pong'. Look for 'dome', not 'flat'. Yes, there are still 'flat' out there. An old school practice, and one that should NOT be done, is to take the rings off once you get 'ping' seal, so you do get a good audible 'pop/pong' at failure. It is true that rings can keep a 'pop/pong' from being audible, but keep the rings on. Sarah

There are a lot of such recipes. One could buy varing strengths in the old days, but economical homemakers bought the most powerful and cut to desired strength. I can show you advertisements for such in a lot of our old books. One brand name I remember is/was Mothers Pride, 16%. There is a problem with the conversion of such recipes to 5%. Too many variables. What you are preserving, its acidity, what herbs/spices, how you are going to process, etc. Just too many variables to convert such recipes. The safest thing to do is simply discard that recipe and get a modern one. I am going to chime in with Violet, and say no weaker than 5%. But I am also going to say no stronger than 12%. This is the cause of 'canners fingers', a common medical issue back then. One of the reasons I suspect we only have the 5% and 9% today is that there were accidents and long term injuries in the old days. Mothers Pride is/was a very strong acid, and it will react with minerals in your water. My Mother would dilute with rain water, but make it sit overnight, pouring off top and bottom Enough said? Look up "chloroacetic acid", nothing more than chloronated water and acetic acid, if you want a case of the willies. Discard that recipe, and get a modern 5% one. Sarah

Jeepers and Philbe, check out 'CIS', Constant Ink Systems. If we were to be using carts we would be replacing every other day. I hate to think what that would cost! We just ordered some new ones about three months ago for the new-to-us Epson Artisan printers. Each CIS was fully loaded with ink, about the equivalent of twelve carts of each color, and was less than the cost of a set of carts. The firms we deal with are quite reputable, and have good quality materials. If memory serves, the cost per empty CIS was less than $100. If we were to be buying just the ink, a full set of bottles is something like twelve refills. Just a minute. Yes, here we go, a receipt. 100ml bottles, standard six colors, $16.99 including shipping. The inks are everywhere, but I do not want to recommend any particular firm/brand. Just be sure you use dye, not pigment, inks, makes those printheads last... We make our own special inks, so the cost drops out even more. But this is something I would not recommend for anyone but a chemist. What do I mean by 'special'? True metalic silver for dark coloured binder labels, gold for regilding paper edges, magnetic MICR for scanners, gallic (iron) for reproductions, water based, alcohol based, acetone based, gum based, dye based, 'magic marker', 'wax' based, 'oil' based, etc, Many of these are simply unavailabe at any price in carts. If you are a person who does a lot of photo printing, we are not, then I understand you can tailor your inks to correct your colours. I have seen formulas in a lot of places to 'correct' various manufacturers inks. Epson being the most common that I have seen. Was it Lexmark who had the commercial that their competitors ink was more expensive by weight than gold? I believe it. Sarah

Philbe, depending on your box office store they may have the cheapies, made by p-touch, which have suddenly glutted the market. Avoid those. And the strips available for the cheapies are harder to find, and more expensive. Get a standard p-touch unit. You will understand when you look at them. Another issue I have with p-touch is that I have one of the first units, for which some size strips are no longer made, so stock now the strips you will need, as you may be caught like we were. And to answer the other question, there were alternate 'inks' available. If memory serves me right, I saw them in a library supply catalog. Sorry to not have more information for you. Since we started making our own 'magic marker', I only use the labeller when making spine labels. Sarah

Great. Do you have, or can get bottled seltzer? I had a pm asking where to get, stating that her store has dropping it from the shelves. Considering how much we use, and the price increases on the soda machine large gas bottle stuff, my enclave is looking into getting a charger. Hmmm... Maybe I should post one of the root beer recipes, one that can be made all three ways. bottle seltzer, siphon, and fermintation. Sarah.

Violet, this is the second time you miss-corrected me. I let it go the last time, but this time I am going to gently correct you, even if moderated, as it is you who erred, and putting out false information. Again. It is the sugar that is the issue, and/or improper hygene, that gives the base for such poisonings, cheat tea has no sugar. Did you read your own cite? "But the bacterial strain cited has very limited pathogenicity and I can’t find even a single report of a person getting sick from sun tea, from the CDC or any other source… I’m trained in epidemiology, so I’m not inclined to pooh pooh risk. I just don’t think there’s any good evidence for this one.on that same article." Isn't most 'sun tea' presugared when put out? I do not know, as I do not do 'sun tea'. Cheat tea is not a 'sun tea', it is hot steeped, in a capped container, so no 'airborne pathogens'. IMHO, if you put sugared tea, or any sugared liquid out, or do not practice good hygene, you get what you deserve. But no evidence even with this, IMHO 'poor', practice? I think I know why, see below. I gently suggest you review the various unrefrigerated unsealed storage lengths for UNSUGARED teas, especially the Japanese. Weeks. Or better yet, just google 'cold steep teas'. (quickly typing it in...) Yes, I thought so. SUGARED. And by some very reputable entities. Did you know that strong tea has been used externally for generations, and documented as effective by the CDC, as an antibiotic? Perhaps this is the reason there is no reports of poisonings with sun tea? I was certainly gentler than you. Sarah

Here is another from my 'bag of tricks'. We call it 'Cheat Tea' as it can be used both hot and cold, which is good for the weather transition months and keeps well, on the counter, as there is no sugar to 'turn'. It also stretches the tea supply. One large mason jar with plastic lid. Four 1 cup teabags of the tea of your choice. Five packets of Truvia brand sweetener (Stevia) Five drops Real Lemon brand lemon juice, optional, if for iced tea only. Dump the sweetener in the jar. Any stevia based sweetener will do, but you want to be equivalent to ten tablespoons of sugar. The 'carrier' in Truvia helps with any overbrewing harshness, which you can get with some teas, like Bigelow brand orange spice. Drop the teabags in the jar after removing any strings, etc. Boil water to hard boil. Put jar in sink, in case of thermal shock breakage. Pour the boiling water to half way up the neck. Lightly cap and let cool. If using lemon juice, add it after cooling, and stir, but be aware that the addition will make the tea 'turn' quicker. No, you do not need to pull out the bags. Even without the lemon, it will eventually turn, but it never lasts twenty four hours in this kitchen, so it never has a chance to turn. If you want iced tea, pour over ice, it will be slightly stronger than a standard iced tea you are used to, but good. If you want hot tea, simmer up on the stove top, or microwave. And if that man is going to be working in the field, you can make it in a two liter plastic bottle for him to take with him (bags in the tea!). The bottle can be reused if you have a good set of needlenose pliers to put the used bags out. If needing a Christmas theme tea, use Celestial Seasonings brand Nutcracker Sweet using this method. Very smooth, almost a coffee. If you think your hot tea is weak on 'mouth feel', put some maltodextrin in it. Some use PG, but I am sensitive to that stuff. Sarah

Had a hoot of a time at the local county swap meet. An English lady was complaining about the cost and high degree of carbonization, fructose, aspertame, etc, of commercial soda. She did this while gulping one of the lemongrass lemonades at our booth. We use a carbonator (spelling?) there, the part of a soda machine that injects the gas, so they gave her another glass with less bubbles. She begged me to write up what I do from memory, i.e., write up a recipe, and to send it to her. Here is my recipe, using bottled seltzer, but you can do this one with carbonator, fermentation, and siphon. Because it is that time of year! Sparkling Lemongrass Lemonade Lemongrass, a perennial herb from central Asia, has high levels of citral, the pungent aromatic component in lemon peel. It gives this sparkling lemonade a deep, rich citrus-oil flavor, reminiscent of lemon drop candy. LEMONGRASS SYRUP ENOUGH FOR 4 SERVINGS 3 large stalks lemongrass, untrimmed and thinly sliced grass 1 2/3 cups water 3/4 chip sugar Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon Bruise the sliced lemongrass by pounding it on a sturdy surface with a meat mallet or a heavy skillet. Combine the water and bruised lemon- grass in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves, and then add the lemon zest and juice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer over medium-high heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat, let cool for 30 minutes, and strain. This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. TO MIX WITH SELTZER Combine the syrup and lemon juice in a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve. 1/3 cup lemongrass syrup 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 cups seltzer Sarah

I understand your being overwelmed working with the search engines. To be honest, your scanning comes down to costs. The scan hardware is not that expensive, about a thousand dollars, but the database access is. Something on the lines of two-three thousand a month. IF they let you in. To give you a better idea, the county library comes to us, every so many weeks, to put their scans into the database, as they do not have enough usage to make it economically feasible. If a county can not, then I doubt you can. No offense. They bought a secondhand 3m bar scanner, which mounts a memory card, and they scan the isbn (only!)(LOC#, OcLC#, etc does not work. So the product must be newly (re)published in the last, oh, six years or so.). This micro sd card they bring in, convert to Excel spreadsheet here, and upload. It comes back fully populated in about a hour for a thousand or so new ISBNs. We charge them a small fee, and actually lose a little money on their researches. I would contact your local public library. Make a list in the format they require, and give to them. And, speaking as a research librarian, please donate generously. We all are struggling to keep our doors open. Sarah of the Librum

In my case, it was expected. We tend to large families, so in that I am the exception. One by first husband (RIP), one by second. Frankly, in my culture, I can not imagine not having children in a household. If a couple is not a fertile match, there is adoption. A *LOT* of adoption. Further, if a family simply can not support theirs, the 'extras' are lovingly 'fostered'. Nor is it unusual for a child who shows special aptitude in a trade, etc, not supportable by a family, they may also be fostered to provide them with the support of their apparent calling. I do not have a 'fosterling'. My husband and I have the resources should such become. Being that my husband is a master craftsman, it could happern. And my equipment is still in working order, so who knows. Sarah of the Librum

Thanks all. A busy day that was for sure! I got a lot of research taskings dumped on me, a lot were 'April Fools', but not all. I usually counter with like. Here's one, 'How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?'. A woodchuck can chuck wood! About a pound per throw. And a lot of little gotcha gags. Now if I can just figure who put the vinegar in the spine repair heat glue. Whew! I still do not know why I was born on April Fools day! Sarah of the Librum

Violet, Thank you. Faked pickling spices for flavoring. Sheesh. Sarah of the Librum

I think I am going to sit back and watch this one. To me, there are two kinds of 'corned beef'. 1) corned beef is beef that is salt cured. Or grain cured (packing in grain, like millet to dessicate). Usually marinated before curing. Like jerky. 2) beef that is pickle cured. Think of those 'hot' picked sausages. Or is this another case of a different food with the same name? Sarah of the Librum

Umm... Yes and no. 'Oyster' crackers, and I am not sure they are the same in the English stores, were just such. They were baked that way, in dimpled cast iron trays, to be such a larder stretcher. Think of a dry matzo or hard-tack baked into nuggets, using a 'honey dropper' to fill the dimples in the tray. Such nuggets were beloved by our late Majerestadt, but his were a bit 'sourdough', and had a bit of oatmeal. Shelf life is 'indefinate', if you can seal away from air borne mold/mildew/etc. I also know that such was issued to confederate troops by the state of Alabama as a trail food in wax paper bags (and the reinacters love the 'wheat bullets'). Sarah of the Librum