It is well worth it for the planning guide. But in the meantime....
***** PRINT THESE OUT *****
Sunday, March 26, 2017
How Much to Plant? See the planning guide....
It is well worth it for the planning guide. But in the meantime....
Monday, January 2, 2017
Buttermilk biscuits recipe + self-rising flour instructions
I have no idea where I got this recipe from since I wrote it down several years ago but it is quick and easy. It calls for self-rising flour... if you don't have that, no problem. You can make self-rising flour! It's easy, too. The recipe follows below the biscuit recipe.
Enjoy!
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk**, sour milk, milk or whipping cream
Preheat oven to 450F. In medium bowl stir together flour and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly (shortening in pieces about size of green peas). Stir in buttermilk until dough leaves sides of bowl. If dry, add a little more milk.
On lightly floured surface knead dough just until smooth (note: this step is mostly to just get the dough together so you can roll it out ... don't knead like you're making bread). Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with 2 1/2" biscuit cutter or can cut into squares. Place cut biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet with sides touching (for soft biscuits) or 1" apart for crunchy sides.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy with butter, your favorite jam or some ham/egg/cheese.
Makes about 12 biscuits.
**how to make a substitute for 1 cup buttermilk - 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes before using. Or you can use 1 cup whole milk + 1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 cup plain yogurt. (Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book 1981)
SELF-RISING FLOUR
All purpose flour
salt
baking powder
Using dry measure, measure desired amount of flour into separate container as follows:
FOR EACH CUP of FLOUR, add 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine. Can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container to be used later.
Enjoy!
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk**, sour milk, milk or whipping cream
Preheat oven to 450F. In medium bowl stir together flour and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly (shortening in pieces about size of green peas). Stir in buttermilk until dough leaves sides of bowl. If dry, add a little more milk.
On lightly floured surface knead dough just until smooth (note: this step is mostly to just get the dough together so you can roll it out ... don't knead like you're making bread). Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with 2 1/2" biscuit cutter or can cut into squares. Place cut biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet with sides touching (for soft biscuits) or 1" apart for crunchy sides.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy with butter, your favorite jam or some ham/egg/cheese.
Makes about 12 biscuits.
**how to make a substitute for 1 cup buttermilk - 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes before using. Or you can use 1 cup whole milk + 1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 cup plain yogurt. (Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book 1981)
SELF-RISING FLOUR
All purpose flour
salt
baking powder
Using dry measure, measure desired amount of flour into separate container as follows:
FOR EACH CUP of FLOUR, add 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine. Can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container to be used later.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Homemade baking extracts
I don't know why I didn't think about this sooner, but something to consider with the rise in the cost of foods or the scarcity of certain items. If you bake, don't over look extracts. BackwoodsHome has an excellent article in making homemade cooking extracts. Go and print it out for reference.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/homemade-baking-extracts-by-linda-zimnick/
If you give it a try, I'd like to hear your comments on making homemade cooking extracts. Pros and cons.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Stretching Your Meals From Days Gone By
Today was the shopping trip down south. And, as usual, I made a mental note of prices. Prices are jumping, my friends. And not by a little. A bag of flour that I purchased last month (December 31st, to be exact) had about $1.25 increase. In the meats section pork prices were still rising, as was chicken. Bacon packages are now 12 ounces instead of 1 pound. But they still want 1 pound pricing. Beef prices are dropping a little, not all of it (the high priced cuts are still high priced) but cattle prices are down some. Rice and some produce are still rising. But I did notice that the nutritionally questionable stuff , like boxed do-it-yourself-helper, were on the 'cheap' end of things. I guess it is to make you feel like you are getting a 'bargain'?
This past year has been a great challenge. Our income is oil field related. Enough said. So with all the snowy days, I have been researching ways to stretch our meals and still provide us the nutrition we need. As stated before, I like cookbooks.... older cookbooks. Not the more modern cookbooks where you need to have some rare expensive spice or a can of prepared 'something'. That's not really making meals with homegrown produce or common ingredients.
With the high cost of meat and dairy I've had to become creative in stretching the meal out for our family on a limited budget. The boys seem to have hollow legs and some days it just doesn't seem like the pot roast goes far enough for a family of five. If I do have a roast of some sort that is big enough for leftovers, I'll turn it into chili, soup or tacos. But it starts to get 'old'. Not every roast is on sale, nor very large.
So I turned to history. The Great Depression and wartime meals.
During WWII Canada, America and Great Britain all had some kind of rationing program at home to prevent the general public from becoming angry with shortages and to prevent the wealthy from buying up whatever they wanted (except on the black market it created). Items that were rationed were things like fuel, fuel oil, clothing and food. There were going to be shortages and rationing controlled the use of those items whether you were rich or poor.
So let's look at a sample of a food ration for an adult for ONE WEEK in Great Britain (a child would receive 1/2 of the ration):
Bacon and ham (3-4 slices/rashers) 4 oz
Other meats – 2 small chops
Butter 2 oz
Cheese 2 oz Margarine
4 oz Cooking fat
4 oz Milk 3 pints Plus 1 packet dried milk per month
Sugar 8 oz Preserves (every two months)
1 lb Tea 2 oz Egg (shell egg)
1 Plus 1 packet dried egg per month Sweets 12 oz
Other items were based upon availability. But if you grew or raised your own, you weren't so restricted. It is very interesting and I believe quite relevant to our time now. I have seen on local shelves where a product sells out and it is not restocked for several weeks without any explanation.
Below are a few links that I have run across with recipes during that era. Some have booklets and some are just a collection of recipes. Save them if you can or print the ones out you think you and your family will enjoy.
http://recipecurio.com/category/rations/
http://www.recipespastandpresent.org.uk/
(has a link for wartime recipes, too)
http://wartimecanada.ca/document/world-war-ii/recipes/victory-cook-book
http://wartimecanada.ca/archive-categories/eating
These are a few that I have run across. Do a search online for WWII recipes, or rationing recipes and see what you can find. Some people have posted individual family recipes.
The Great Depression also had its time of troubles. Our property was part of the Homestead Act and I read about one of the family members. She stated that during the Depression they had a really nice car, but no fuel to drive it. And they eeked a living out by selling cream and eggs.
Below are a few more links on cooking during these times:
http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/44025.aspx
Great Depression Cooking with Clara (she also tells stories of this time.... like how a neighbor showed up one day with a shopping bag to help herself to Miss Clara's vegetables out of her garden, without asking!)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRKls2LLMqU-uK2csT6FOKw
(some links that I've already posted but a lot of links here)
http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2013/10/08/great-depression-era-recipes-real-food/
Look around in thrift shops, used book stores, or libraries for cookbooks made during the 1930's or 1940's. I was fortunate to find a set of cookbooks done by a group of Home Ec teachers at a thrift store. Don't be afraid to make up your own recipes to stretch out your meals. Keep an eye out for cookbooks from an era where people actually cooked using fresh ingredients and not canned ingredients. Check out estate sales, or yard sales, and look for a grandmother's cookbook/recipe collection. Even the handwritten ones may be worthy of your time.
The Settlement Cookbook has some good recipes, too. This you can save as a pdf
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/books/settlementcookbook/sett.pdf
Glean as much information as you can, while you can. And while it is still on the internet. Only you care about your family and their nutritional needs.
With the high cost of meat and dairy I've had to become creative in stretching the meal out for our family on a limited budget. The boys seem to have hollow legs and some days it just doesn't seem like the pot roast goes far enough for a family of five. If I do have a roast of some sort that is big enough for leftovers, I'll turn it into chili, soup or tacos. But it starts to get 'old'. Not every roast is on sale, nor very large.
So I turned to history. The Great Depression and wartime meals.
During WWII Canada, America and Great Britain all had some kind of rationing program at home to prevent the general public from becoming angry with shortages and to prevent the wealthy from buying up whatever they wanted (except on the black market it created). Items that were rationed were things like fuel, fuel oil, clothing and food. There were going to be shortages and rationing controlled the use of those items whether you were rich or poor.
So let's look at a sample of a food ration for an adult for ONE WEEK in Great Britain (a child would receive 1/2 of the ration):
Bacon and ham (3-4 slices/rashers) 4 ozOther meats – 2 small chops
Butter 2 oz
Cheese 2 oz Margarine
4 oz Cooking fat
4 oz Milk 3 pints Plus 1 packet dried milk per month
Sugar 8 oz Preserves (every two months)
1 lb Tea 2 oz Egg (shell egg)
1 Plus 1 packet dried egg per month Sweets 12 oz
Other items were based upon availability. But if you grew or raised your own, you weren't so restricted. It is very interesting and I believe quite relevant to our time now. I have seen on local shelves where a product sells out and it is not restocked for several weeks without any explanation.
Below are a few links that I have run across with recipes during that era. Some have booklets and some are just a collection of recipes. Save them if you can or print the ones out you think you and your family will enjoy.
http://recipecurio.com/category/rations/
http://www.recipespastandpresent.org.uk/
(has a link for wartime recipes, too)
http://wartimecanada.ca/document/world-war-ii/recipes/victory-cook-book
http://wartimecanada.ca/archive-categories/eating
These are a few that I have run across. Do a search online for WWII recipes, or rationing recipes and see what you can find. Some people have posted individual family recipes.
The Great Depression also had its time of troubles. Our property was part of the Homestead Act and I read about one of the family members. She stated that during the Depression they had a really nice car, but no fuel to drive it. And they eeked a living out by selling cream and eggs.
Below are a few more links on cooking during these times:
http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/44025.aspx
Great Depression Cooking with Clara (she also tells stories of this time.... like how a neighbor showed up one day with a shopping bag to help herself to Miss Clara's vegetables out of her garden, without asking!)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRKls2LLMqU-uK2csT6FOKw
(some links that I've already posted but a lot of links here)
http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2013/10/08/great-depression-era-recipes-real-food/
The Settlement Cookbook has some good recipes, too. This you can save as a pdf
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/books/settlementcookbook/sett.pdf
Glean as much information as you can, while you can. And while it is still on the internet. Only you care about your family and their nutritional needs.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Handmade Bandages
Do you know how to knit? Crochet? How about making an "Ace" bandage using cotton yarn/thread for your medical kit? I ran across the following pattern posted at one time by the LDS Humanitarian Services a few years ago, printed out the instructions and have been working on it ever since. Monotonous work but I have been impressed on how well it is constructed (compared to the store bought bandages). It has good stretch and a nice feel to it. Not that I crochet perfectly, with a skipped stitch or two, but it is still functional. It is well worth making for your medical kit whether you knit or crochet. And it is simple enough for a beginner to do. Note: you can make the bandage wider, too, by just adding a few more stitches across the bandage.
Size: approximately 3" – 4" inches wide by 4 feet long.
Material specifications: No. 10 knit Cro-sheen, 100% mercerized cotton in white, cream or ecru. (1 small ball 225 yds- should make 1 knitted bandage)
Knitting needles:
US 2 = 2.75 mm = UK size 12
US size 3 = 3.25 mm = UK size 10
Crochet hooks:
US size D = 3.00 mm = UK size 11
US size E = 3.50 mm = UK size 9
Do not use dyes/colors.
*When completed, roll bandages and secure with a large (2") safety pin.
*Put in plastic bag, remove air, and seal.
8 sts = 1"
12 rows = 1"
Cast on 24 to 27 stitches so the bandage measures 3"- 4" across.
Knit every row until bandage is desired length of about 4 feet long, then bind off, leaving a 2-3" tail to weave in.
Secure tail by slipping thread through last stitch, tying a small knot, and weaving end back through stitches.
Chain enough stitches (23-26) to measure 3" - 4" in width.
(GAUGE: 23 chs and an E hook, and it takes about 6 rows to equal one inch.)
Row 1: Single crochet into each chain. Chain 1 and turn.
Rows 2: Single crochet into each sc across row. Ch 1 and turn. Continue to single crochet to end, chain 1 and turn
Row 3 - ? (whatever it takes to reach 4 feet long) Repeat row 2 until bandage measures about 4' long. Finish off by pulling thread through last loop and secure with a knot. Weave end back through stitches.
LDS Humanitarian Services Pattern for Leprosy Bandages
Size: approximately 3" – 4" inches wide by 4 feet long.
Material specifications: No. 10 knit Cro-sheen, 100% mercerized cotton in white, cream or ecru. (1 small ball 225 yds- should make 1 knitted bandage)
Knitting needles:
US 2 = 2.75 mm = UK size 12
US size 3 = 3.25 mm = UK size 10
Crochet hooks:
US size D = 3.00 mm = UK size 11
US size E = 3.50 mm = UK size 9
Do not use dyes/colors.
*When completed, roll bandages and secure with a large (2") safety pin.
*Put in plastic bag, remove air, and seal.
Hand
Knitted Bandage:
Use US size 2 = 2.75 mm = UK size 12 OR US size 3 = 3.25 mm = UK size 10 knitting needles if you knit average or loosely, otherwise use a size 3 needles if you knit tightly.
Use US size 2 = 2.75 mm = UK size 12 OR US size 3 = 3.25 mm = UK size 10 knitting needles if you knit average or loosely, otherwise use a size 3 needles if you knit tightly.
8 sts = 1"
12 rows = 1"
Cast on 24 to 27 stitches so the bandage measures 3"- 4" across.
Knit every row until bandage is desired length of about 4 feet long, then bind off, leaving a 2-3" tail to weave in.
Secure tail by slipping thread through last stitch, tying a small knot, and weaving end back through stitches.
Crocheted
Bandage:
Use US size D = 3.00 mm = UK size 11 or US size E = 3.50 mm = UK size 9 (looser tension desirable).
Use US size D = 3.00 mm = UK size 11 or US size E = 3.50 mm = UK size 9 (looser tension desirable).
Chain enough stitches (23-26) to measure 3" - 4" in width.
(GAUGE: 23 chs and an E hook, and it takes about 6 rows to equal one inch.)
Row 1: Single crochet into each chain. Chain 1 and turn.
Rows 2: Single crochet into each sc across row. Ch 1 and turn. Continue to single crochet to end, chain 1 and turn
Row 3 - ? (whatever it takes to reach 4 feet long) Repeat row 2 until bandage measures about 4' long. Finish off by pulling thread through last loop and secure with a knot. Weave end back through stitches.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Old books and information
With winter making a last hurrah before spring makes its 'official' debut in a few weeks what better time to do research on gardening, livestock, homesteading or just reading a good book.
Below are a few online book sites for some of those old time books that are no longer in publication or classic reading publications that can be viewed online and, in some cases, downloaded to your computer or reading devices.
For example, I wanted to read The Henwife: Her Own Experience in Her Own Poultry-Yard. So I went to Forgotten Books, typed in the title and at this link it appears with a choice to download to an app, read online, download a pdf, read on a kindle or add to your library wish list to read later. Do some reading now or download and save for later. There is a lot of good information out there today that may not be available tomorrow.
National Ag Library Digital Collections (USDA farmers bulletins, too)
http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/naldc/home.xhtml
Forgotten Books
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/
Biodiversity Heritage Library
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Online Books Page (does a net search of readable online books... doesn't get them all but does a good job)
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
Hathitrust Digital Library (can't always download but if you can find the book here you usually can find them on other sites listed)
http://www.hathitrust.org/
Google Books
https://books.google.com/
Cornell University
https://www.library.cornell.edu/google-book-search-library-project
Core Historical Literature of Agriculture
http://chla.library.cornell.edu/
Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Loyal Books (audio books)
http://www.loyalbooks.com/
Monday, February 23, 2015
Ag Building and Equipment Plans
Just sharing one of my bookmarked links that may be of some use or interest.
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/planlist97.htm
The University of Tennessee published their Agricultural Building and Equipment Plan list. It has plans for greenhouses, various animal handling and housing plans, water storage, bee hives, food storage, dog houses, food storage, sheds, etc.
You may find something worth while to print out.
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