bread ready for final rise .. by Mrs. Mac

Hubby is reading 'Food Rules' and 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' .. both books by Michael Pollan.  I think I will be writing out the food rules on little 3x5 index cards and drilling him ..  maybe even add a few of my own rules.  It's a step in the right direction.  Yesterday .. he mentioned he'd like to learn to make bread.  There's always hope of reforming a 'Wonder (white squishy) Bread' boy, eh? :)

Today is our monthly budget day.  This, again, is an area hubby wants to gain knowledge of the process .. Oh, yes, he sees the end result .. no debt .. nutritious food on the table .. his cash envelopes filled.  But he is wise to see how it's done and to have a look-see at all the budget categories.  Just knowing that he wants to try and eat healthier when away from home .. or when I am out of town .. and how to manage the finances .. is music to my heart. 

homemade bread .. by Mrs. Mac

This week in the kitchen I'm tackling making and canning chili (meat and beans separately), making waffles to store in the freezer for quick school morning breakfasts, and looking into buying more food items in bulk .. which means figuring out where and how much to purchase, and how to store it all.  Any suggestions for bulk ordering would be helpful. 

Ants are creatures of little strength,
   yet they store up their food in the summer

Proverbs 30:25

Elegant and Frugal!

An organized kitchen workspace.

"  Give me half-a-dozen eggs, a few spoonfuls of gravy and as much cream, with a spoonful of butter and a handful of bread crumbs, and I can get up a good breakfast or luncheon,"   said a housekeeper to me once, in a modest boastfulness that became her well, in my eyes.

For I had sat often at her elegant, but frugal board, and I knew she spoke the truth.

Elegant and frugal dining room

"  Elegant and frugal!"   I shall have more hope of American housewives when they learn to have faith in this combination of adjectives.   

As quoted from:  Breakfast, Luncheon and Tea, by Marion Harland, 1875 .. part of  the "Common Sense In The Household" series.

For gaining much wisdom about domestic life, visit the 'Feeding America' website to read complete one and two century old books published in the United States of America.

Finally ... Some Validation

and fine tuning.

Being a homemaker is finally in vogue:)  I've known the importance of tending, mending, rearing/teaching children, making do with what's on hand for the past 28 years .. that's when I said good-bye to my day job in an accounting office and put on my apron full time.  Hubby and I decided to live on one income .. where ever that would take us.  Never thinking .. 'someday I'll return to an outside job' .. just plugging along with so much work at home and never having the desire or opportunity to go back to a 9-5 job.  Now days I've discovered the 'back to basics' that my grand and great grand parents knew.  Traditions and practices that went by the wayside for more modern conveniences that were required/demanded when society wanted to take the 'easy' road ... you know the one .. working to make money so you can purchase things that are made by other people.  We exchanged knowledge and know-how for pay and ready made things.  How can society go forward if we lose such valuable skills?  Maybe we really need to go backwards and reclaim some of the old ways. 

Here are two books that I purchased this past year that have that old time flare and are loaded with time honored remedies and building methods that attempt to restore the lost arts of gardening and homesteading.  The first book was purchased used through Amazon for under $10 (including shipping) .. and the second at a garage sale for fifty cents and is available on Amazon.

Old Time Gardening Wisdom ... by Jerry Baker, is about "Lessons learned from (his grandmother's) kitchen cupboard, medicine cabinet, and garden shed!"  This is a good go to reference to help you become a wise gardener .. relying on simple remedies and practices relating to veggies, fruit/nut trees, insects, plant diseases, homeopathic herbs, etc. 

Back To Basics ... by Reader's Digest .. "How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills"  This book is full of EVERYTHING having to do with life skills ... it's easy to read and can be a springboard for a gazillion topics.  Check the link to view used copies and a great book review.

Here is what the Old Time Gardening Wisdom book says to use to control snails/slugs:  Hand picking, beer, grape juice, cider vinegar, Diatomaceous earth, aluminum foil, ashes.  I've heard to bury an open and partially filled beer bottle having the opening at ground level to attract the slugs.  We use pulverized egg shells (or Diatomaceous earth) sprinkled in a heavy circle around our lettuce plants with good success.  I'm thinking of mixing a soapy/peppery spray to take care of the spittle bugs on my strawberry plants this afternoon.  Will post the recipe later. 

Cookbook Review:

I never buy books. Why buy when you can borrow from the library? This week's run to the public library netted half a dozen great cookbooks. Currently, I'm perusing, "The Little House Cookbook" ... about "Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories." Having read all of the Little House books, this cookbook has a lot of pioneer recipes that I wondered about when reading said books. The author, Barbara M. Walker, has done a great job of reliving a portion from the novels that recall certain foods the Ingalls family ate. She has adapted the recipes and some of the ingredients to modern measurements/products, but for the most part, has done an excellent job of retaining authenticity to the pioneer era. Illustrations are by Garth Williams; I believe he illustrated the series I read. This is a good read for those of you that would enjoy minimalist ingredients and a sense of history through the preparation of food. At one time I had wanted to make 'ginger water' as described in The Long Winter book. Having mistakenly made the likes of ginger beer, this book describes the beverage ginger water or switchel .. a non alcoholic drink given to farmers on hot days. I shall try to once again make this drink. It sounded so refreshing as I read through the book years ago.

Taking care of your health.

Old time remedies may just soon have a comeback ... especially if President Obama's health reform bill is passed .. and we are forced to give up our private insurance care. There is talk about the many limits on what treatment will or will not be available under this scheme.

I have a fascination with 1800's cookbooks. There is usually a section of good health advice and remedies from nature to help alleviate some common maladies and prevent poor health in the first place. Admittedly, some have talk of adding opium to tinctures which gave me a good chuckle. Some of the remedies seem plausible as prevention. Simple ideas such as serving 'milk toast' to an invalid, alleviation of growing pains in children, leanness (not too common today, eh) remedy, etc. give new food for thought at taking better care of our bodies in the first place. Preventative medicine .. goes along the lines of the old saying, 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' .. My latest read is: The Original White House Cookbook, 1887 edition. It has all manner of intriguing articles from carving meats .. to measures and weights in ordinary use. In between there are recipes for custards, cordials, rabbit stew, turtle soup ... and mock turtle soup. This last entry gave my daughter a fright when I asked her what 'mock' meat was used in place of the turtle. She read: "Scald a well-cleansed calf's head, remove the brain, tie it up in a cloth, and boil an hour , or until the meat will easily slip from the bone ..." Sorry I asked! Even with the old recipes, there are others that give great instruction that are more appetizing to our current likes. Refrigeration was not readily available (electric) so ice and dry curing methods were used. This is definitely a good read. Check it out in full context here.