Mountain News Great Discoveries - Castor Oil - Who knew?
Even though I am 53 years old I have never in my life used castor oil. I always thought it was something they used in the Olden Days for constipation and to punish children with, in the sense of, "Johnny? Feeling a little ornery are ya? Here's a tablespoon of castor oil. Fix you right up." with visions of a grimacing and gagging child. Or something like that. It thankfully never happened to me - I got good old fashioned spankings for being ornery. Otherwise I have never given castor oil much thought. But, oh my! What a discovery!
Want to know how I discovered it? Here are the events:
1. Watched an old movie about people heading to Oregon.
2. Where everyone got dysentery and died.
3. Out of curiosity, and for future knowledge in case I ever head to Oregon, looked up dysentery.
4. Discovered that castor oil may keep this sickness from killing you.
5. Happy to know this, for future reference.
6. Read entire article on castor oil.
7. Mind blown.
Ok first of all, contrary to popular belief (ok it's what I thought), it's not a petroleum product, it's actually considered a vegetable oil and very safe. It is fungicidal, a laxative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory! Who knew?! These are the things it supposedly does:
1. Laxative
2.Relieves Sore Muscles
3. Soothes Joint Pain
4. Treats Fungal Infections
5. Promotes Hair Growth
6. Enhances Hair Color
7. Homemade Natural Mascara
8. Deeply Moisturizes Skin
9. Spot Treatment for Skin Problems
10. Natural Sleep Aid
11. Treats Babies with Colic
12. Heals Skin Ailments
13. A Preservative for Food
14. Lubricant for Machinery Parts
Again, who knew??!! The only cautions I found were: do not use if you have an allergy to aspirin and do not use if you are pregnant because it can cause contractions.
It's also supposed to get a sluggish lymphatic system moving, helping to cleanse it, like jumping up and down on those little trampolines is supposed to do. Amazing. This is a miracle product, apparently.
As for my own experience, I just discovered this information recently and I am being the guinea pig and trying it out for y'all because I'm nice that way. One evening I heated some oil up, slathered it all over my hair and left it in overnight. (My husband was convinced all my hair would fall out. It didn't. Nyah.) The next morning I washed it out and my hair was really soft and bouncy. So, the part about it being good for your hair as a conditioner does in fact seem to be true.
It's also supposed to help you sleep. They (who are 'they' anyway?) suggested you dab a little castor oil on your eyelids right before you go to sleep, which I did three nights in a row. I did sleep well these nights but I usually sleep pretty well anyway so...... not sure about that one.
It does indeed moisturize the skin very well. I rubbed it on both legs after a shower. And promptly fell asleep. Whether this sudden onset of sleepiness was me just needing a nap or because of the castor oil, is hard to tell. Whether it got my lymphatic system moving is also hard to tell. We'll have to wait and see. (Wonder how you can tell if your lymphatic system is suddenly woken up and perky?)
I put it on an overuse injury, a sore spot on my elbow, and didn't notice any difference. Also rubbed it on my husband's sore back and he didn't notice a difference either. (He says we must keep trying though in order to be helpful to others. Uh huh. I think he just likes the warm oil rubbed on his back before he goes to sleep at night. But that's being cynical.) So the jury is still out on that one.
Haven't tried it for constipation or fungus because, thankfully, I have neither. Nor do I have a baby with colic - thank God. I mean I'd love to have the baby, just not the colic.
Anyhoo, still experimenting. I plan to buy several big bottles of this stuff to have around. Can't hurt! I'll let you know what else I find out. :)
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Mountain News Favorite Recipes - Gingerbread Snacking Cake
Another favorite Martha Stewart recipe. This is easy and so good. Love having this around, especially at this time of year. You can make it have a bit of a spicy bite if you add pepper! Oh yeah.......
Gingerbread Snacking Cake
8 Tblsp. (1 stick) butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 tblsp. freshly grated ginger (or more!) (don't worry if you don't have this. It's still good without it.)
2 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1-2 tsp. black pepper or 1/2 tsp. cayenne for spicy bite (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 x 13 cake pan.
In a bowl combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, ground spices, salt and baking powder; set aside.
In yet a third bowl, cream butter with a mixer (or by hand), then beat in brown sugar until well mixed and fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking soda mixture, flour mixture and eggs. (Add pepper here if you want it.)
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool. Dust with powdered sugar if you want.
This gets better with age. More moist every day. YUM.
Another favorite Martha Stewart recipe. This is easy and so good. Love having this around, especially at this time of year. You can make it have a bit of a spicy bite if you add pepper! Oh yeah.......
Gingerbread Snacking Cake
8 Tblsp. (1 stick) butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 tblsp. freshly grated ginger (or more!) (don't worry if you don't have this. It's still good without it.)
2 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1-2 tsp. black pepper or 1/2 tsp. cayenne for spicy bite (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 x 13 cake pan.
In a bowl combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, ground spices, salt and baking powder; set aside.
In yet a third bowl, cream butter with a mixer (or by hand), then beat in brown sugar until well mixed and fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking soda mixture, flour mixture and eggs. (Add pepper here if you want it.)
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool. Dust with powdered sugar if you want.
This gets better with age. More moist every day. YUM.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Mountain News - I Like To Tweak My Husband - Heh Heh Heh
I like to tweak my husband Butch because, well, he SO deserves it. He just does. Trust me on this one. If you knew him you'd agree. He's a good man, a smart man, a hard-working man but he's a real stinker too sometimes. I, being not so much of a genius, and having a distressing lack of common sense, have often done, shall we say, stupid things? Made unfortunate mistakes around here? I won't go into them because it would take far too long but my mistake-prone self has caused him to act in a way towards me that annoys me at times. Like, when he walks in the door, he automatically asks, "OK, what did you tear up today?" Well. Humph! Nothing! Well, not much anyway. Tsk. Or he will severely scold me when I didn't vent the generator correctly and almost asphyxiated myself and all seven dogs and one cat. Or he goes completely berserk when I set the ten foot pile of wood scraps on fire, ACCIDENTALLY mind you, that made a forty foot high fire that could be seen for miles around. Sheesh.
So needless to say, he doesn't have a lot of confidence in me and honestly I don't blame him but does he have to be such a stinker about it?
Which leads me to the understandable desire to tweak him sometimes. It totally makes my day.
Our tractor takes diesel fuel, NOT gasoline. I told him one day with the innocence of a puppy and a very I'm-so-proud-of-myself-smile, "Hey guess what? I filled the tractor with gasoline today all by myself!" His eyes popped out of his head and he swallowed and slowly asked, "Uh you mean diesel, don't you? PLEASE tell me you didn't put gasoline in the tractor." I just looked at him with my best stupid face like, "Huh?" Tee hee!
Another time, because it didn't occur to me to check the spring when it got below -10 degrees for a week (DUH!), I had let the spring freeze so hard and solid that it took me an entire week to chop through the top of the 4-inch thick ice so we could get water. (I never let it freeze like that again I can tell you.) Butch of course rolled his eyes at me for letting it get that way. Roll your eyes at me will you? He seriously needed to be tweaked. So when he got home one day I said, again with evident pride in my geniousness, "Hey! Guess what? I figured out how to get rid of the ice in the spring and it worked like a charm! I poured 'Ice Melt' on top of the ice in our water tank! Good idea right?" All he did this time was put his head down on the table and groan. (I guess I should have been insulted that he actually believed I would have done something quite THIS dumb but I was too busy enjoying his discomfort.) That was a good one. Hee Hee!
Our tractor is expensive (to us) and absolutely indispensable to our life here. It. Is. IMPORTANT. ok? So , naturally, it is often the subject of the tweaking. He got home one day and I said, "Ok, in my defense..." to which he begins to hold his breath and veins pop out on his neck. I continued, "I used the tractor to jumpstart the riding lawn mower and I accidentally let the two hooky-up things touch after I attached the hooky-up things to to the tractor and there was this pop and a smell and now the tractor won't start." He then fainted. Har har!
Oh wait. This wasn't a tweaking, I really did that one. Oh well, still got him good. And being the genius he is, he went out, fiddled around under the hood of the tractor for like two seconds and got it running again. Thank God. Phew! All's well that ends well. Ha HA! Stinker. I kind of feel sorry for him though. Maybe I shouldn't tweak him so much. I do kind of deserve the bad attitude. I have made a few mistakes around here. Hmmm...... Ok, I hereby resolve to give this poor man a break and not tweak him. Any more. This year. ;)
I like to tweak my husband Butch because, well, he SO deserves it. He just does. Trust me on this one. If you knew him you'd agree. He's a good man, a smart man, a hard-working man but he's a real stinker too sometimes. I, being not so much of a genius, and having a distressing lack of common sense, have often done, shall we say, stupid things? Made unfortunate mistakes around here? I won't go into them because it would take far too long but my mistake-prone self has caused him to act in a way towards me that annoys me at times. Like, when he walks in the door, he automatically asks, "OK, what did you tear up today?" Well. Humph! Nothing! Well, not much anyway. Tsk. Or he will severely scold me when I didn't vent the generator correctly and almost asphyxiated myself and all seven dogs and one cat. Or he goes completely berserk when I set the ten foot pile of wood scraps on fire, ACCIDENTALLY mind you, that made a forty foot high fire that could be seen for miles around. Sheesh.
So needless to say, he doesn't have a lot of confidence in me and honestly I don't blame him but does he have to be such a stinker about it?
Which leads me to the understandable desire to tweak him sometimes. It totally makes my day.
Our tractor takes diesel fuel, NOT gasoline. I told him one day with the innocence of a puppy and a very I'm-so-proud-of-myself-smile, "Hey guess what? I filled the tractor with gasoline today all by myself!" His eyes popped out of his head and he swallowed and slowly asked, "Uh you mean diesel, don't you? PLEASE tell me you didn't put gasoline in the tractor." I just looked at him with my best stupid face like, "Huh?" Tee hee!
Another time, because it didn't occur to me to check the spring when it got below -10 degrees for a week (DUH!), I had let the spring freeze so hard and solid that it took me an entire week to chop through the top of the 4-inch thick ice so we could get water. (I never let it freeze like that again I can tell you.) Butch of course rolled his eyes at me for letting it get that way. Roll your eyes at me will you? He seriously needed to be tweaked. So when he got home one day I said, again with evident pride in my geniousness, "Hey! Guess what? I figured out how to get rid of the ice in the spring and it worked like a charm! I poured 'Ice Melt' on top of the ice in our water tank! Good idea right?" All he did this time was put his head down on the table and groan. (I guess I should have been insulted that he actually believed I would have done something quite THIS dumb but I was too busy enjoying his discomfort.) That was a good one. Hee Hee!
Our tractor is expensive (to us) and absolutely indispensable to our life here. It. Is. IMPORTANT. ok? So , naturally, it is often the subject of the tweaking. He got home one day and I said, "Ok, in my defense..." to which he begins to hold his breath and veins pop out on his neck. I continued, "I used the tractor to jumpstart the riding lawn mower and I accidentally let the two hooky-up things touch after I attached the hooky-up things to to the tractor and there was this pop and a smell and now the tractor won't start." He then fainted. Har har!
Oh wait. This wasn't a tweaking, I really did that one. Oh well, still got him good. And being the genius he is, he went out, fiddled around under the hood of the tractor for like two seconds and got it running again. Thank God. Phew! All's well that ends well. Ha HA! Stinker. I kind of feel sorry for him though. Maybe I shouldn't tweak him so much. I do kind of deserve the bad attitude. I have made a few mistakes around here. Hmmm...... Ok, I hereby resolve to give this poor man a break and not tweak him. Any more. This year. ;)
Mountain News Recipes - Real Comfort Food Chicken
One of my favorite ways to eat chicken. Quick, easy, total comfort food. It doesn't last long. VERY fattening! Which is why it's SO yummy! :) Reminds me a little of Turkey Tetrazzini and as a matter of fact, it's a great way to use up leftover turkey.
Poppy Seed Chicken
1 lb. chicken (white meat or dark, could use four chicken breasts), boiled or baked and then cubed
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken - either works
3 Tblsp. poppy seeds
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 stick butter, melted
Combine the chicken, sour cream, soup and poppy seeds. Mix well. Place in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Crush the crackers and mix with melted butter and sprinkle on top of chicken (OR crush the crackers, sprinkle these on top of the chicken then pour the melted butter over all - my preferred way). Cook for another 7 minutes or until browned. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Serves 4. Doubles easily. Keeps and reheats well too. YUM.
One of my favorite ways to eat chicken. Quick, easy, total comfort food. It doesn't last long. VERY fattening! Which is why it's SO yummy! :) Reminds me a little of Turkey Tetrazzini and as a matter of fact, it's a great way to use up leftover turkey.
Poppy Seed Chicken
1 lb. chicken (white meat or dark, could use four chicken breasts), boiled or baked and then cubed
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken - either works
3 Tblsp. poppy seeds
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 stick butter, melted
Combine the chicken, sour cream, soup and poppy seeds. Mix well. Place in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Crush the crackers and mix with melted butter and sprinkle on top of chicken (OR crush the crackers, sprinkle these on top of the chicken then pour the melted butter over all - my preferred way). Cook for another 7 minutes or until browned. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Serves 4. Doubles easily. Keeps and reheats well too. YUM.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Mountain News Recipes - Hummus and Pita Bread
Hummus.... yummmmm....... I used to buy hummus at our favorite local Greek Food restaurant and then realized I could make it at home very easily. I also figured that I could figure out how to make Pita bread. How hard could it be? Turns out, not very hard at all. They both turned out delicious and one of my favorite things to have around the house. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Hummus
1-2 garlic cloves (or A LOT more)
3/4 tsp. salt (preferably kosher or sea salt because they are bigger and chunkier and more mild)
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup yogurt
juice of two lemons (fresh or bottled)
4-6 Tblsp. olive oil (I use way more)
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
Place garlic and chickpeas and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and paprika and process again until smooth. Taste for seasoning. I always seem to want more salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Make it according to your tastes! You can also add parmesan cheese if you like it thicker and richer.
Easy Peasy Pita Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tsp. yeast
1 Tblsp. sugar
1 Tblsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt (kosher or sea salt preferable but not necessary)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Oil for greasing
Beat together water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and whole wheat flour until creamy. Add all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a smooth dough. Knead until velvety and springy, a few minutes should do it.
Put in oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put a baking stone in oven to get good and hot or a cookie sheet. (These can also be made on a hot grill.)
Gently deflate dough and divide into 2 portions. Divide one of the portions into 8 chunks and form each into a ball. Let rest 10 minutes while dividing the other portion into 8 chunks and making them into balls also. You'll have 16 balls in all.
Flour surface and roll each ball into a 6-inch circle about 1/4th inch thick.
Transfer dough circles to hot stone or cookie sheet, as many as will fit and close oven door. Don't open door for 8 minutes, then check them. They should be puffed and light brown. Remove to a rack and let cool (or not. I eat them hot.)
*Some of them won't puff and it's no big deal. They still taste just fine. These keep well in a plastic baggy. My dogs LOVE these too. ;) Enjoy!
Hummus.... yummmmm....... I used to buy hummus at our favorite local Greek Food restaurant and then realized I could make it at home very easily. I also figured that I could figure out how to make Pita bread. How hard could it be? Turns out, not very hard at all. They both turned out delicious and one of my favorite things to have around the house. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Hummus
1-2 garlic cloves (or A LOT more)
3/4 tsp. salt (preferably kosher or sea salt because they are bigger and chunkier and more mild)
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup yogurt
juice of two lemons (fresh or bottled)
4-6 Tblsp. olive oil (I use way more)
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
Place garlic and chickpeas and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and paprika and process again until smooth. Taste for seasoning. I always seem to want more salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Make it according to your tastes! You can also add parmesan cheese if you like it thicker and richer.
Easy Peasy Pita Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tsp. yeast
1 Tblsp. sugar
1 Tblsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt (kosher or sea salt preferable but not necessary)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Oil for greasing
Beat together water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and whole wheat flour until creamy. Add all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a smooth dough. Knead until velvety and springy, a few minutes should do it.
Put in oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put a baking stone in oven to get good and hot or a cookie sheet. (These can also be made on a hot grill.)
Gently deflate dough and divide into 2 portions. Divide one of the portions into 8 chunks and form each into a ball. Let rest 10 minutes while dividing the other portion into 8 chunks and making them into balls also. You'll have 16 balls in all.
Flour surface and roll each ball into a 6-inch circle about 1/4th inch thick.
Transfer dough circles to hot stone or cookie sheet, as many as will fit and close oven door. Don't open door for 8 minutes, then check them. They should be puffed and light brown. Remove to a rack and let cool (or not. I eat them hot.)
*Some of them won't puff and it's no big deal. They still taste just fine. These keep well in a plastic baggy. My dogs LOVE these too. ;) Enjoy!
Mountain News Great Discoveries - Making Your House Smell Soooo Nice
I like for my house to smell really good. I used candles, Febreeze and Plug Ins for years but then I stumbled across the most wonderful thing that works so well. I've been using it for over 25 years and it's my favorite way to make my house smell lovely. It works so well in fact, that you have to use it for short stretches of time or you'll choke everybody out.
What is it you ask? It's called an Effusion Lamp. I read somewhere that the French invented it (of courses they did!) to use in hospitals to make them smell nice. It burns alcohol and an oil-based scent and if I'm not mistaken is safer than candles and Plug Ins.
I bought mine over 25 years ago and although I have had to buy a couple new burner wicks in that time, it is still going strong. The glass bottles are really beautiful and come in all colors. The brand I use is La Tee Da Fragrance and they have many different fragrances.
You light it and then blow it out and the scent fills your house. Because it's oil based, the scent lingers for days. You don't have to use it every day. I can usually leave it burning for only an hour or so or it gets too heavy. This really works well. I love it. It's my favorite. The initial expense isn't much, the fragrances last forever and are also inexpensive. Very well worth the cost. Highly recommend!
I like for my house to smell really good. I used candles, Febreeze and Plug Ins for years but then I stumbled across the most wonderful thing that works so well. I've been using it for over 25 years and it's my favorite way to make my house smell lovely. It works so well in fact, that you have to use it for short stretches of time or you'll choke everybody out.
What is it you ask? It's called an Effusion Lamp. I read somewhere that the French invented it (of courses they did!) to use in hospitals to make them smell nice. It burns alcohol and an oil-based scent and if I'm not mistaken is safer than candles and Plug Ins.
I bought mine over 25 years ago and although I have had to buy a couple new burner wicks in that time, it is still going strong. The glass bottles are really beautiful and come in all colors. The brand I use is La Tee Da Fragrance and they have many different fragrances.
You light it and then blow it out and the scent fills your house. Because it's oil based, the scent lingers for days. You don't have to use it every day. I can usually leave it burning for only an hour or so or it gets too heavy. This really works well. I love it. It's my favorite. The initial expense isn't much, the fragrances last forever and are also inexpensive. Very well worth the cost. Highly recommend!
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
The Terrible, Horrible, Awful, Scary, Icy Road of Death!
Two years ago when I had this same set of circumstances, I decided to drive backwards the quarter mile down to the spring, which horrified everyone in my life. Some told me to never ever do that again or at least don't tell them about it if I do. Hey, I'd rather slide out of control backwards than forwards. For some reason. I thought about this for a while, why would that be? Self analyzation began.
I thought back to when I was little. My sisters and I were often alone when we were young because my poor mom had to work two jobs. When we'd hear a scary noise at night, I would immediately go to the closet and hide. My youngest sister who is impressively brave, went searching for the cause of the noise. And I being the big sister, let her. Thankfully it was never anything bad but I still hid, each time. She wanted to face the danger, I wanted to hide from it and wait for it to come get me.
Later, in adulthood, I was nearly involved in two most certainly fatal car accidents. I was not driving in either incident nor were either of these my fault. I was simply a passenger. I saw the events unfolding and realized we were probably about to die. What did I do? Scream? Helpfully offer good advice to the driver? Try to exit the car? No. I simply closed my eyes and waited for the collision - which thankfully never happened in either case. I'm not really sure how we got out of one of the situations actually - maybe I should have kept my eyes open. Nah. I am Monkey See No Evil.
One year I went rafting down the river with my family in Montana in the spring when the rivers are swollen and full and rushing like mad. Where people die every year. There were ten of us in the boat, all ages, from 80 to 5 years. Every single person in the boat was laughing and having fun. Except me. What was I doing? Putting my head down, not watching, still having fun mind you, but I didn't want to see the froth and waves that were about to cover us up. I have a picture of this to prove it. (It looks hilarious btw.)
So. my self introspection revealed that I prefer to not face danger or see it coming. I'll calmly (bravely?) take what comes but I will do it with my eyes closed. So what does this say about me? I'm not actually sure. I'm not necessarily afraid of dying, I just don't want to SEE it. Hence, driving backwards down the hill. It's not like you can control where you're going when you start sliding whether you're going forward or backwards anyway. I'll just go with it and not watch and slide till we stop. Somewhere. At some point.
Or maybe I'll just wait for my husband to get home and let him go get the water. Yeah. I'll even go with him. But I'm not looking. The End. Well, hopefully not. ;)
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - Arnica Liniment
Being 53 and still having to work physically semi-hard up here on the ole mountaintop, I sometimes get a sore back. I also have an overuse injury from splitting wood like tennis elbow but I guess it's wood elbow. It hurts. I take Advil every now and then as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever but have been reading some scary things about over the counter pain relievers lately. So again the quest for natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatories commenced.
At our Good Food Store in Missoula - the equivalent of a Whole Foods - I found something I really like called "Arnica Liniment - Soothing relief for muscle aches and pains" made by The Super Salve Co. It has arnica flower extract, grain alcohol, pure mountain rain water, menthol wintergreen, camphor, cinnamon, cayenne, clove and ginger in it. I am here to tell you that it works, like a charm in fact. I put it on my elbow after a hard day's work splitting wood, or on my back after a hard day's work in general and they do feel better. It's not a cure but it does help with the pain and seems to help with the inflammation. No aspirin or chemicals or over the counter pain relievers in it, just all natural pure ingredients. And it doesn't smell bad either. It lasts forever and is not expensive. One of my favies. :)
Being 53 and still having to work physically semi-hard up here on the ole mountaintop, I sometimes get a sore back. I also have an overuse injury from splitting wood like tennis elbow but I guess it's wood elbow. It hurts. I take Advil every now and then as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever but have been reading some scary things about over the counter pain relievers lately. So again the quest for natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatories commenced.
At our Good Food Store in Missoula - the equivalent of a Whole Foods - I found something I really like called "Arnica Liniment - Soothing relief for muscle aches and pains" made by The Super Salve Co. It has arnica flower extract, grain alcohol, pure mountain rain water, menthol wintergreen, camphor, cinnamon, cayenne, clove and ginger in it. I am here to tell you that it works, like a charm in fact. I put it on my elbow after a hard day's work splitting wood, or on my back after a hard day's work in general and they do feel better. It's not a cure but it does help with the pain and seems to help with the inflammation. No aspirin or chemicals or over the counter pain relievers in it, just all natural pure ingredients. And it doesn't smell bad either. It lasts forever and is not expensive. One of my favies. :)
Monday, November 27, 2017
Mountain News Recipes - Mountain Jambalaya
Since it's time for soups, stews, roasts and other warm comfort foods, I'm sharing my favorite Jambalaya recipe. It's a mix of four different recipes so no one gets any credit and I renamed it Mountain Jambalaya because I make it on a mountain. Where I live. It's pretty easy and quick and yummmmmyyyyyy. Makes the house smell so good.
Mountain Jambalaya
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
1 large onion cut into slices or chopped
2 stalks celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or 2 tsp. minced garlic from a jar
1 Tblsp. flour
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth (or 1 box - 32 oz)
2 (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes, diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 pound shrimp, any size shrimp you prefer
2 cups cooked rice
seasoning to taste (I use Tony Cachere but you could use Cajun seasoning or a mixture of salt, thyme, pepper, and paprika)
cayenne pepper if you like it hot
Melt butter in large pot. Add cut up sausage and saute til browned. Add celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic, saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Add flour, stir and let cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, broth, spices and salt.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer 25 - 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes. Serve over hot buttered rice. Mmm mmmm mmmm......
Since it's time for soups, stews, roasts and other warm comfort foods, I'm sharing my favorite Jambalaya recipe. It's a mix of four different recipes so no one gets any credit and I renamed it Mountain Jambalaya because I make it on a mountain. Where I live. It's pretty easy and quick and yummmmmyyyyyy. Makes the house smell so good.
Mountain Jambalaya
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
1 large onion cut into slices or chopped
2 stalks celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or 2 tsp. minced garlic from a jar
1 Tblsp. flour
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth (or 1 box - 32 oz)
2 (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes, diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 pound shrimp, any size shrimp you prefer
2 cups cooked rice
seasoning to taste (I use Tony Cachere but you could use Cajun seasoning or a mixture of salt, thyme, pepper, and paprika)
cayenne pepper if you like it hot
Melt butter in large pot. Add cut up sausage and saute til browned. Add celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic, saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Add flour, stir and let cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, broth, spices and salt.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer 25 - 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes. Serve over hot buttered rice. Mmm mmmm mmmm......
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - GREAT Soap!!
I like nice soaps, with good lather and nice fragrances. I used to buy the Provence olive oil soap. It was my favorite for years. But the price has gone up and I'm not going to spend $8 for a bar of soap no matter how good the lather. I was then on a mission - good soap, nice lather, no chemicals and not expensive. And lo and behold, I found one I love at..... Walmart! What a surprise. It's called "Kirk's Original Coco Castile Pure Botanical Coconut Oil Soap". Great lather, leaves my skin soft and even though it doesn't have an especially good smell, it does smell like good clean soap. And the best part? It's about a dollar a bar.
Here's what's on the back of the soap package, "Kirk's master soap makers have formulated this hypoallergenic skin care bar with all natural coconut oil. Kirk's makes handfuls of creamy lather even in the hardest water. Yet, it rinses with thrilling ease and no drying residue. Skin is left beautifully soft and healthy. Ideal for every member of the family." There. Couldn't have said it better myself. :)
I like nice soaps, with good lather and nice fragrances. I used to buy the Provence olive oil soap. It was my favorite for years. But the price has gone up and I'm not going to spend $8 for a bar of soap no matter how good the lather. I was then on a mission - good soap, nice lather, no chemicals and not expensive. And lo and behold, I found one I love at..... Walmart! What a surprise. It's called "Kirk's Original Coco Castile Pure Botanical Coconut Oil Soap". Great lather, leaves my skin soft and even though it doesn't have an especially good smell, it does smell like good clean soap. And the best part? It's about a dollar a bar.
Here's what's on the back of the soap package, "Kirk's master soap makers have formulated this hypoallergenic skin care bar with all natural coconut oil. Kirk's makes handfuls of creamy lather even in the hardest water. Yet, it rinses with thrilling ease and no drying residue. Skin is left beautifully soft and healthy. Ideal for every member of the family." There. Couldn't have said it better myself. :)
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Mountain News Recipes - For The Biscuit-Making-Impaired
I am biscuit-making-challenged. There I said. It's out in the open. I am from the South and have been cooking all my life and I make terrrrrrible biscuits. It's true. Sigh.... A real bummer for me for a long time because I LOOOOVE biscuits. I stumbled across this recipe somewhere - probably one of the Southern magazines - and although I don't like the name because it sounds kind of gross - they are FABULOUS and EASY and quick and taste wonderful. And there's no kneading! Throw out all your other biscuit recipes. This is The One. Makes 12 biscuits.
Mama's Mayonnaise Biscuits (Don't mind the name!)
2 cups self-rising flour (see *note if you don't have any self-rising flour)
3 Tblsp. mayonnaise
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using PAM or your favorite oil, grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Combine the flour, mayo, milk and sugar in a bowl. Spoon dough into each muffin cup. (Or you could drop spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Totally enjoy. :)
* - If you don't have any self-rising flour just add to each cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. So for this recipe you'll use 2 cups all-purpose flour and add 1 tsp. of salt and 3 tsp. baking powder. That's it.
Mountain News - Definition of a Gooood Off Grid Week
As of today - I have a full tank of water, a full wood bin, and groceries for a month.
The snow is melting so husband won't have to spend too much time plowing.
Husband is off work and home for the next four days.
Thanksgiving at another off grid, mountain friend's home tomorrow and I only have to cook mashed potatoes.
Made a new friend this week. Tee hee!
Dogs all safe and healthy.
Pretty much totally goofing off for the next four days.
Sigh....... Really nice. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
As of today - I have a full tank of water, a full wood bin, and groceries for a month.
The snow is melting so husband won't have to spend too much time plowing.
Husband is off work and home for the next four days.
Thanksgiving at another off grid, mountain friend's home tomorrow and I only have to cook mashed potatoes.
Made a new friend this week. Tee hee!
Dogs all safe and healthy.
Pretty much totally goofing off for the next four days.
Sigh....... Really nice. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - Dr. Joseph Mercola
I pretty much never go to the doctor. I rarely if ever get sick, thank God. I am 53 and have no physical issues and am on no drugs, never have been, thankfully. I haven't always done the healthiest things so part of my good health is pure dumb luck, but part of it is lots of water, exercise, fresh air, healthy eating (mostly) and low stress - mainly because I pray about everything so that keeps the stress level way down.
Every now and then though something (thankfully small) will pop up that bothers me or concerns me health-wise. Since I don't go to the doctor, mostly because of the expense, I was looking online for a good resource for health tips or 'cures' for some problems (like indigestion for instance). I found Dr. Joseph Mercola on Facebook and he is my Go To Guy for answers to questions and for help. He and his website have helped me with a bunch of things - not just health issues - but with great ideas for living a healthier lifestyle. Washing my clothes in vinegar came from him. How to cure indigestion. How to get more chemicals out of your life, etc..... There is a wealth of information on his facebook page and website. I trust this guy and take a lot of his advice and it's truly improved my health and well being. Highly recommend!
I pretty much never go to the doctor. I rarely if ever get sick, thank God. I am 53 and have no physical issues and am on no drugs, never have been, thankfully. I haven't always done the healthiest things so part of my good health is pure dumb luck, but part of it is lots of water, exercise, fresh air, healthy eating (mostly) and low stress - mainly because I pray about everything so that keeps the stress level way down.
Every now and then though something (thankfully small) will pop up that bothers me or concerns me health-wise. Since I don't go to the doctor, mostly because of the expense, I was looking online for a good resource for health tips or 'cures' for some problems (like indigestion for instance). I found Dr. Joseph Mercola on Facebook and he is my Go To Guy for answers to questions and for help. He and his website have helped me with a bunch of things - not just health issues - but with great ideas for living a healthier lifestyle. Washing my clothes in vinegar came from him. How to cure indigestion. How to get more chemicals out of your life, etc..... There is a wealth of information on his facebook page and website. I trust this guy and take a lot of his advice and it's truly improved my health and well being. Highly recommend!
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - LOVE My GE Juicer
I like to be as healthy as possible and not spend a fortune at the same time. So many 'healthy' things are so expensive so I had to search for ways to eat and drink healthy that aren't too expensive. One of the things I did was buy a GE Juicer from Walmart. It cost around $50. And even though it's not expensive or the best of the juicers out there, it does indeed juice stuff and does a pretty darn good job of it. This is one of the best things I have bought in a long time. Not only do I enjoy and crave this juice, but I swear it makes me feel better. (And if you have chickens, they will LOVE the leftover pulp.)
I looked up what different veggies and fruits do for your body - some are good for your skin, hair and nails, some are good cancer fighters, some are good detoxers, etc... I was especially interested in helping my liver out since it's the way the body gets rid of poisons. I came up with this juice that I make every week from things that are particularly good for the liver. This juice lasts a week - I know it's better to make it every day and drink it fresh juiced but I don't have the time or inclination for that. Again, it's better than drinking sodas or sugar-packed, store-bought juices.
I juice a couple pounds of carrots, five Granny Smith Apples, 1/4th a red cabbage, a pound of celery, a few kiwis, and three large grapefruit. Sometimes I add a little beet. It's delicious and I love it. And interestingly, this doesn't spike my blood sugar. If I drank a whole glass of orange juice, I'd feel like I was in a diabetic coma or something. I can drink an entire glass of this and it doesn't bother me at all.
There is a ton of information on juicing on the web and the juicer does not have to cost a lot. If you're looking for a way to add some healthiness to your life, I highly recommend adding this to your routine. It doesn't take long, is easy and is very much worth the trouble. :)
I like to be as healthy as possible and not spend a fortune at the same time. So many 'healthy' things are so expensive so I had to search for ways to eat and drink healthy that aren't too expensive. One of the things I did was buy a GE Juicer from Walmart. It cost around $50. And even though it's not expensive or the best of the juicers out there, it does indeed juice stuff and does a pretty darn good job of it. This is one of the best things I have bought in a long time. Not only do I enjoy and crave this juice, but I swear it makes me feel better. (And if you have chickens, they will LOVE the leftover pulp.)
I looked up what different veggies and fruits do for your body - some are good for your skin, hair and nails, some are good cancer fighters, some are good detoxers, etc... I was especially interested in helping my liver out since it's the way the body gets rid of poisons. I came up with this juice that I make every week from things that are particularly good for the liver. This juice lasts a week - I know it's better to make it every day and drink it fresh juiced but I don't have the time or inclination for that. Again, it's better than drinking sodas or sugar-packed, store-bought juices.
I juice a couple pounds of carrots, five Granny Smith Apples, 1/4th a red cabbage, a pound of celery, a few kiwis, and three large grapefruit. Sometimes I add a little beet. It's delicious and I love it. And interestingly, this doesn't spike my blood sugar. If I drank a whole glass of orange juice, I'd feel like I was in a diabetic coma or something. I can drink an entire glass of this and it doesn't bother me at all.
There is a ton of information on juicing on the web and the juicer does not have to cost a lot. If you're looking for a way to add some healthiness to your life, I highly recommend adding this to your routine. It doesn't take long, is easy and is very much worth the trouble. :)
Mountain News Recipes - Easy, Healthy, Delicious Cornbread
This is my favorite cornbread. It's not Southern - white and sweet - but it's crunchy, has great flavor and is healthy-ish because it's made with wheat flour. People like this cornbread, especially served alongside jambalaya or chili. Holds together well. This recipe is from wholeliving.com. Really good.
Whole-Grain Skillet Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal (or even better, get "Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal" - makes it crunchy)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (see *note if you don't have any buttermilk for an easy substiution)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. oil of your choosing - olive, canola, bacon grease or lard (lard is best!)
2 Tblsp. honey (for topping)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat an 8-inch cast iron pan or pie dish or 8x8 cake pan (cast iron is definitely best). In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Put 1 Tblsp. of oil of your choice in hot pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Pour in the batter and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Brush the top with honey, then let it cool. (I don't let it cool. I eat it hot right from the oven with butter and more honey ALL over it. ;) )
This makes 8 wedges. Keeps well.
* Buttermilk substitution - Pour 1 cup milk into a measuring jar. Add 1 Tblsp. vinegar. Stir and let sit for a minute. Voila. Buttermilk. I have used plain yogurt in place of the buttermilk and it worked well too.
This is my favorite cornbread. It's not Southern - white and sweet - but it's crunchy, has great flavor and is healthy-ish because it's made with wheat flour. People like this cornbread, especially served alongside jambalaya or chili. Holds together well. This recipe is from wholeliving.com. Really good.
Whole-Grain Skillet Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal (or even better, get "Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal" - makes it crunchy)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (see *note if you don't have any buttermilk for an easy substiution)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. oil of your choosing - olive, canola, bacon grease or lard (lard is best!)
2 Tblsp. honey (for topping)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat an 8-inch cast iron pan or pie dish or 8x8 cake pan (cast iron is definitely best). In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Put 1 Tblsp. of oil of your choice in hot pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Pour in the batter and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Brush the top with honey, then let it cool. (I don't let it cool. I eat it hot right from the oven with butter and more honey ALL over it. ;) )
This makes 8 wedges. Keeps well.
* Buttermilk substitution - Pour 1 cup milk into a measuring jar. Add 1 Tblsp. vinegar. Stir and let sit for a minute. Voila. Buttermilk. I have used plain yogurt in place of the buttermilk and it worked well too.
Monday, November 20, 2017
Mountain News - Time to Get a Load of Wood
About every two weeks, I have to get a load of wood to fill up the wood bin in the garage. This entails driving the truck over to the 100 year old miner's cabin we use as a wood shed that I spent the summer filling with split wood and is now also filled with chipmucks and pack rats. This cabin used to be our chicken house and still apparently has very interesting things to eat buried in the dirt floor - or so my dogs think. So I go back and forth between the truck and the cabin, into and out of a door that is shorter than moi, working my way around and tripping over seven dogs scratching in the dirt floor. Fill up the back of truck then drive the truck over to my garage where I then unload and neatly stack the wood in the garage bin that works out to be about a rick, which I think is half a cord. The dogs manage to be in the way here also, scooping up the mice poo that is on the dirt floor, looking for pieces of bark to chew on, and making a general nuisance of themselves chasing each other around and around the truck, causing me to trip and stumble often. I could make them get out of the way but seeing as the wood getting is a family affair, I let them be in the way. Because I love them and I'm a good doggy momma.
So. It's about time to go do this job again. I don't mind getting a load of wood at all except for the fact that I have an overuse injury to my right elbow from all the wood splitting and wood lifting so it's like tennis elbow but is wood elbow I guess. This job sorta hurts my arm but it could be worse so I'm not going to complain.
I got water yesterday from the spring which I normally wouldn't do on Sunday seeing as how it's a rest day but the weather was warmish and lovely and perfect for laundry day. If the sun is shining when I do laundry, I don't usually have to turn the generator on which is a good thing. Free electricity.
I went to town on Friday and got groceries for the month. Yippee.
So. I have water for the week. Groceries for the month. And need to get wood for another two weeks. Then I'll be set to write and make goodies and knit and sit by the fire and take dogs for walks.
Warmth, water and food. So thankful. :)
About every two weeks, I have to get a load of wood to fill up the wood bin in the garage. This entails driving the truck over to the 100 year old miner's cabin we use as a wood shed that I spent the summer filling with split wood and is now also filled with chipmucks and pack rats. This cabin used to be our chicken house and still apparently has very interesting things to eat buried in the dirt floor - or so my dogs think. So I go back and forth between the truck and the cabin, into and out of a door that is shorter than moi, working my way around and tripping over seven dogs scratching in the dirt floor. Fill up the back of truck then drive the truck over to my garage where I then unload and neatly stack the wood in the garage bin that works out to be about a rick, which I think is half a cord. The dogs manage to be in the way here also, scooping up the mice poo that is on the dirt floor, looking for pieces of bark to chew on, and making a general nuisance of themselves chasing each other around and around the truck, causing me to trip and stumble often. I could make them get out of the way but seeing as the wood getting is a family affair, I let them be in the way. Because I love them and I'm a good doggy momma.
So. It's about time to go do this job again. I don't mind getting a load of wood at all except for the fact that I have an overuse injury to my right elbow from all the wood splitting and wood lifting so it's like tennis elbow but is wood elbow I guess. This job sorta hurts my arm but it could be worse so I'm not going to complain.
I got water yesterday from the spring which I normally wouldn't do on Sunday seeing as how it's a rest day but the weather was warmish and lovely and perfect for laundry day. If the sun is shining when I do laundry, I don't usually have to turn the generator on which is a good thing. Free electricity.
I went to town on Friday and got groceries for the month. Yippee.
So. I have water for the week. Groceries for the month. And need to get wood for another two weeks. Then I'll be set to write and make goodies and knit and sit by the fire and take dogs for walks.
Warmth, water and food. So thankful. :)
Mountain News Recipes - Best Ever Banana Bread - EVER
I've gotten a ton of compliments on this banana bread. It really is good. One reason is that it uses a lot of ripe bananas and yogurt or buttermilk, so it's really moist and the cinnamon/sugar crust doesn't hurt either. ;)
Cinnamon Sugar Banana Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream)
6 very ripe bananas, all mushed up with a fork
cinnamon/sugar mix for dusting pans and topping
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two big bread pans or three smaller bread pans with PAM then sprinkle bottom and sides with cinnamon/sugar mix.
Cream together sugar and butter. Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla. Add mushed bananas. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream) (Add a little flour mixture then a little buttermilk, then more flour mixture then more buttermilk until all incorporated.) Mix just until combined. No need to over mix here.
Pour into prepared pans. Cover the tops of the batter with more cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake one hour until toothpick comes out clean. Try not to eat whole loaf. This gets better with age, in every way.
*If you don't have any buttermilk, all you have to do is add one tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for a minute. Works just as well.
**All I had one time for the buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream) was blueberry yogurt and it worked really well.
***You can add nuts to this, or coconut or mini-chocolate chips or blueberries or whatever you want. It all works. Enjoy!
I've gotten a ton of compliments on this banana bread. It really is good. One reason is that it uses a lot of ripe bananas and yogurt or buttermilk, so it's really moist and the cinnamon/sugar crust doesn't hurt either. ;)
Cinnamon Sugar Banana Bread
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream)
6 very ripe bananas, all mushed up with a fork
cinnamon/sugar mix for dusting pans and topping
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two big bread pans or three smaller bread pans with PAM then sprinkle bottom and sides with cinnamon/sugar mix.
Cream together sugar and butter. Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla. Add mushed bananas. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream) (Add a little flour mixture then a little buttermilk, then more flour mixture then more buttermilk until all incorporated.) Mix just until combined. No need to over mix here.
Pour into prepared pans. Cover the tops of the batter with more cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake one hour until toothpick comes out clean. Try not to eat whole loaf. This gets better with age, in every way.
*If you don't have any buttermilk, all you have to do is add one tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for a minute. Works just as well.
**All I had one time for the buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream) was blueberry yogurt and it worked really well.
***You can add nuts to this, or coconut or mini-chocolate chips or blueberries or whatever you want. It all works. Enjoy!
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - The Best Truly Chemical-Free Shampoo
This is one of my favorite discoveries I made this year. While I was researching how to get chemicals out of my life, shampoo kept coming up as being a particular culprit. I looked everywhere for a truly chemical-free, not-break-the-budget shampoo. I finally found one at Whole Foods called Desert Essence. It's liquid Castile Soap with Tea Tree Oil. It smells nice, works well, a little bit makes a huge lather, it cost about ten dollars for 32 oz. and lasted over ten months! I was the only one using it but still. I have used this soap for body wash and bubble bath and to wash delicate clothes in also. I LOVE THIS SOAP.
Conditioners are just as chemical laden as the shampoos so I tried Wellness Mama's suggestion to use vinegar as a rinse and that works fantastically - and no, your hair does not smell like vinegar. I add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to a cup of water, pour it on my hair then rinse it out (I keep a measuring cup and bottle of vinegar in the shower). Makes my hair so slick and shiny and easy to brush. Love it.
When I can't get to a Whole Foods (Good Food Store here in Missoula), Walmart does have some good, mostly chemical-free shampoos too. These two shampoos have Tocopherol in them and the jury is still out on whether this is a chemical we should avoid or not. They are called Equate Pure Castile Soap with Peppermint and Nature's Gate Lavender Peony Shampoo. Both are good and not expensive at all. So glad I found these! :)
This is one of my favorite discoveries I made this year. While I was researching how to get chemicals out of my life, shampoo kept coming up as being a particular culprit. I looked everywhere for a truly chemical-free, not-break-the-budget shampoo. I finally found one at Whole Foods called Desert Essence. It's liquid Castile Soap with Tea Tree Oil. It smells nice, works well, a little bit makes a huge lather, it cost about ten dollars for 32 oz. and lasted over ten months! I was the only one using it but still. I have used this soap for body wash and bubble bath and to wash delicate clothes in also. I LOVE THIS SOAP.
Conditioners are just as chemical laden as the shampoos so I tried Wellness Mama's suggestion to use vinegar as a rinse and that works fantastically - and no, your hair does not smell like vinegar. I add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to a cup of water, pour it on my hair then rinse it out (I keep a measuring cup and bottle of vinegar in the shower). Makes my hair so slick and shiny and easy to brush. Love it.
When I can't get to a Whole Foods (Good Food Store here in Missoula), Walmart does have some good, mostly chemical-free shampoos too. These two shampoos have Tocopherol in them and the jury is still out on whether this is a chemical we should avoid or not. They are called Equate Pure Castile Soap with Peppermint and Nature's Gate Lavender Peony Shampoo. Both are good and not expensive at all. So glad I found these! :)
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Mountain News - November 16, 2017
I haven't been to town in almost a month. We need groceries. I've been eating all manner of strange combinations and canned foods. One night was homemade soup, sourkraut and prunes. It wasn't bad but my hubby didn't want to sleep in the same bed with me. Hmph. TIME TO GO TO TOWN. ---- Part of the reason I haven't been to town in so long is because our ten miles of mountain road has been icy and slippery and scary and I don't drive on it when it's like that. NO thank you. I'll eat prunes and sourkraut. When it gets like that I just go in with my husband, drop him off at work and run errands while he's working and let him drive us home. He's not scared. I am.
The other reason I haven't been to town is because it's so much work that I just keep putting it off, until we get sorta desperate. It's easy in the summer but in the winter it's a huge, exhausting task. Allow me to explain: going to town starts the day before. I have to take a bath the day before because waking up at 3:00 a.m. and taking a shower on a dark cold morning is NOT my cup o' tea. So I do it the day before. I have to load the car the night before with everything that has to go to town with me like library books, water, boots, extra coveralls and gloves and scarf in case we get stuck and I have to walk home in the 20 degree temp, lists, etc... The next morning I have to get up at 3:30 and get ready before I get my husband's breakfast and lunch, get the fire going, feed dogs, let them out, let them back in, make sure they have water for the day, turn off the gas on the stove, make sure the wood stove is shut down, turn off the water pump in case we have a leak while I'm gone, back the car out of the garage and warm it up for us, fight dogs to get out of door without letting any of them out, lock up, tell all dogs goodbye-I'll be back-love you! and pray the house doesn't burn down while you're gone. We leave at 5:30 a.m. and don't get home until 5:00 p.m. as long as we don't get stuck coming up the mountain. I have run two thousand errands while husband was working so I'm pretty pooped by the time we get home to a cold house, dead fire, sometimes doggy accidents, dinner to be made, groceries to put away, car to unload, dogs taken for a walk. It. Is. A. Long. Day. I only go when I have to. And unfortunately, I have to. So that's what I'll be doing tomorrow. Think of me! :)
I haven't been to town in almost a month. We need groceries. I've been eating all manner of strange combinations and canned foods. One night was homemade soup, sourkraut and prunes. It wasn't bad but my hubby didn't want to sleep in the same bed with me. Hmph. TIME TO GO TO TOWN. ---- Part of the reason I haven't been to town in so long is because our ten miles of mountain road has been icy and slippery and scary and I don't drive on it when it's like that. NO thank you. I'll eat prunes and sourkraut. When it gets like that I just go in with my husband, drop him off at work and run errands while he's working and let him drive us home. He's not scared. I am.
The other reason I haven't been to town is because it's so much work that I just keep putting it off, until we get sorta desperate. It's easy in the summer but in the winter it's a huge, exhausting task. Allow me to explain: going to town starts the day before. I have to take a bath the day before because waking up at 3:00 a.m. and taking a shower on a dark cold morning is NOT my cup o' tea. So I do it the day before. I have to load the car the night before with everything that has to go to town with me like library books, water, boots, extra coveralls and gloves and scarf in case we get stuck and I have to walk home in the 20 degree temp, lists, etc... The next morning I have to get up at 3:30 and get ready before I get my husband's breakfast and lunch, get the fire going, feed dogs, let them out, let them back in, make sure they have water for the day, turn off the gas on the stove, make sure the wood stove is shut down, turn off the water pump in case we have a leak while I'm gone, back the car out of the garage and warm it up for us, fight dogs to get out of door without letting any of them out, lock up, tell all dogs goodbye-I'll be back-love you! and pray the house doesn't burn down while you're gone. We leave at 5:30 a.m. and don't get home until 5:00 p.m. as long as we don't get stuck coming up the mountain. I have run two thousand errands while husband was working so I'm pretty pooped by the time we get home to a cold house, dead fire, sometimes doggy accidents, dinner to be made, groceries to put away, car to unload, dogs taken for a walk. It. Is. A. Long. Day. I only go when I have to. And unfortunately, I have to. So that's what I'll be doing tomorrow. Think of me! :)
Mountain News - Favorite Way To Eat Potatoes
I got this recipe from an old friend and I have thanked her a thousand times for it. This is easy, quick and so so delicious. Goes great with any meats, reheats beautifully, wonderful fried for breakfast - good, yummy, comfort food. One of my very favorites.
Hash Brown Casserole
1 (32 oz) package frozen Hash Brown potatoes (the ones that are cut into cubes not shredded), thawed (I never thaw these first, works fine to use them frozen)
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for the top)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix together in a large bowl the butter, onion, soup, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and mix well. Put into a 13 x 9 baking dish and sprinkle the top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
Warning! Don't make this if you're on a diet. The temptation is too much to bear. ;)
I got this recipe from an old friend and I have thanked her a thousand times for it. This is easy, quick and so so delicious. Goes great with any meats, reheats beautifully, wonderful fried for breakfast - good, yummy, comfort food. One of my very favorites.
Hash Brown Casserole
1 (32 oz) package frozen Hash Brown potatoes (the ones that are cut into cubes not shredded), thawed (I never thaw these first, works fine to use them frozen)
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for the top)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix together in a large bowl the butter, onion, soup, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and mix well. Put into a 13 x 9 baking dish and sprinkle the top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
Warning! Don't make this if you're on a diet. The temptation is too much to bear. ;)
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Mountain News - November 15, 2017
Instead of spring cleaning, for some reason I have jumped into winter cleaning. I've been organizing, cleaning out closets, getting rid of stuff, even cleaning windows! And I haven't been miserable! I usually really don't like housework. I like a clean house mind you, I just don't like having to do it. Just have a little bit left to go and I'll be done. Feels sooooooo good. :) ---- I made the 2nd try at sourdough bread last week. I made sourdough cinnamon rolls with half the dough and a loaf of bread with the other half. The cinnamon rolls are pretty good, The bread, although light and airy and has a wonderful, perfect texture is so bland I can't make myself eat it. The dogs are enjoying it though. So in a way, that recipe for sourdough didn't pass muster. Going to try another one. Hopefully the third time's the charm! ---- It's been pretty chilly so I'm having to go down to the spring every day and break the ice on top of the water in the tank. The dogs love eating the ice I throw out so it's worth it. ;) ---- I have a cousin who lives in Kansas who teaches third grade. She and her class called me yesterday and as a class project asked all kinds of questions about living in the mountains and off grid living. It was so fun! They had great questions. They were all so cute. They all said hi and bye in chorus. I love kids. <3 ---- I think it might be time to clean out the stove pipes again. Ugh. I think I'll keep that to myself. Very dirty job. Maybe all the soot will just go away. Denial and pretending - my favorite reactions to jobs that need to be done. :D
Instead of spring cleaning, for some reason I have jumped into winter cleaning. I've been organizing, cleaning out closets, getting rid of stuff, even cleaning windows! And I haven't been miserable! I usually really don't like housework. I like a clean house mind you, I just don't like having to do it. Just have a little bit left to go and I'll be done. Feels sooooooo good. :) ---- I made the 2nd try at sourdough bread last week. I made sourdough cinnamon rolls with half the dough and a loaf of bread with the other half. The cinnamon rolls are pretty good, The bread, although light and airy and has a wonderful, perfect texture is so bland I can't make myself eat it. The dogs are enjoying it though. So in a way, that recipe for sourdough didn't pass muster. Going to try another one. Hopefully the third time's the charm! ---- It's been pretty chilly so I'm having to go down to the spring every day and break the ice on top of the water in the tank. The dogs love eating the ice I throw out so it's worth it. ;) ---- I have a cousin who lives in Kansas who teaches third grade. She and her class called me yesterday and as a class project asked all kinds of questions about living in the mountains and off grid living. It was so fun! They had great questions. They were all so cute. They all said hi and bye in chorus. I love kids. <3 ---- I think it might be time to clean out the stove pipes again. Ugh. I think I'll keep that to myself. Very dirty job. Maybe all the soot will just go away. Denial and pretending - my favorite reactions to jobs that need to be done. :D
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - "Laurel's Kitchen Caring"
I just happened to stumble across the book called "Laurel's Kitchen Caring - Recipes for Everyday Home Caregiving" accidentally. And I'm so glad. This is the best book I've ever seen on the subject of caring for others in your home - whether they just have a cold or they are very ill. I've never had to care for anyone other than my own children and never had to care for anyone who was really sick, but since it's a distinct possibility that I may have to some day, this book caught my eye.
This book isn't just about recipes for feeding people with different types of illnesses, it is chock full of tips, advice and great ideas in helping people get better and/or caring for them and making them comfortable while they are going through their illness. The best thing about it is the whole attitude behind every single thing in the book - having a cheerful attitude while helping others, seeing it as an honor to be able to truly help another human while they are sick. I love this book. If and when I ever am called to care for anyone, I feel well-equipped indeed. Highly recommend!
I just happened to stumble across the book called "Laurel's Kitchen Caring - Recipes for Everyday Home Caregiving" accidentally. And I'm so glad. This is the best book I've ever seen on the subject of caring for others in your home - whether they just have a cold or they are very ill. I've never had to care for anyone other than my own children and never had to care for anyone who was really sick, but since it's a distinct possibility that I may have to some day, this book caught my eye.
This book isn't just about recipes for feeding people with different types of illnesses, it is chock full of tips, advice and great ideas in helping people get better and/or caring for them and making them comfortable while they are going through their illness. The best thing about it is the whole attitude behind every single thing in the book - having a cheerful attitude while helping others, seeing it as an honor to be able to truly help another human while they are sick. I love this book. If and when I ever am called to care for anyone, I feel well-equipped indeed. Highly recommend!
Mountain News - Our Favorite Apple Crisp Recipe Made For Every Family Gathering
I can't tell you where this recipe came from because I can't remember. I've been making it for almost 30 years. If I don't make this at every family gathering, there will be a LOT of pouting. Goes great with vanilla ice cream. I always double this. It's one of the few desserts that even I have a difficult time staying out of. Yummmmmm
Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced tart apples (Granny Smith is the only one for me)
1/2 cup water
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white or brown sugar ( I use both)
Arrange apples in a buttered baking dish (since I always double this, I use a 13 x 9). Pour over the apples the water mixed with the lemon juice. Blend flour, sugar (again, since I double this I use 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white), cinnamon and butter with a pastry blender (if you don't have a pastry blender just use two knives and cut butter pieces until the mixture is somewhat crumbly). Place this mixture on top of apples. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with ice cream. Warms up the next day beautifully - if it lasts that long. ;)
I can't tell you where this recipe came from because I can't remember. I've been making it for almost 30 years. If I don't make this at every family gathering, there will be a LOT of pouting. Goes great with vanilla ice cream. I always double this. It's one of the few desserts that even I have a difficult time staying out of. Yummmmmm
Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced tart apples (Granny Smith is the only one for me)
1/2 cup water
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white or brown sugar ( I use both)
Arrange apples in a buttered baking dish (since I always double this, I use a 13 x 9). Pour over the apples the water mixed with the lemon juice. Blend flour, sugar (again, since I double this I use 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white), cinnamon and butter with a pastry blender (if you don't have a pastry blender just use two knives and cut butter pieces until the mixture is somewhat crumbly). Place this mixture on top of apples. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with ice cream. Warms up the next day beautifully - if it lasts that long. ;)
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Mountain News - A Morning in the Life of an Off Grid Mountain Woman (just in case you're curious)( yes it's fairly typical)
-- Cold, wet dog noses in face at 4:00 telling you it's almost time to get up
-- Out of bed at 4:30, discover that you have no power
-- Start generator, turning power back on
-- Get fire going again in wood stove
-- Clean up two dog vomits, marveling that an entire deer hoof was in one of them
-- Let dogs out
-- Listen to generator run out of gas
-- Go into cold, dark garage to put gas in generator and start again
-- Make Butch's breakfast
-- Let dogs back in
-- Make coffee
-- Turn generator off
-- Make Butch's lunch
-- Feed 7 dogs and one cat
-- Let dogs out again
-- Put snow boots and gloves on
-- Go outside in robe where it's 14 degrees and snowing and shovel snow away from garage door
-- Shovel snow off truck, scrape windshields, shovel snow out of back of truck
-- Think about the fact that you're not cold. Wonder if it's menopause
-- Start truck to warm up for Butch
-- Put empty gas and diesel cans in back of truck
-- Put Butch's boots, hanky, coveralls and jacket in truck
-- Shovel little pathway to truck so Butch's boots won't be covered in snow because you're a nice person - and you're out there already anyway
-- Kiss Butch goodbye, pat him on rear and tell him to have a good day, to which he snorts
-- Laugh hysterically when he asks if you put the chains on the truck, resisting urge to clomp him on the head
-- Pray for Butch's safe travels
-- Let dogs back in
-- Pour coffee, sit down in front of fire and sigh real big
All of this before 5:30. ;)
-- Cold, wet dog noses in face at 4:00 telling you it's almost time to get up
-- Out of bed at 4:30, discover that you have no power
-- Start generator, turning power back on
-- Get fire going again in wood stove
-- Clean up two dog vomits, marveling that an entire deer hoof was in one of them
-- Let dogs out
-- Listen to generator run out of gas
-- Go into cold, dark garage to put gas in generator and start again
-- Make Butch's breakfast
-- Let dogs back in
-- Make coffee
-- Turn generator off
-- Make Butch's lunch
-- Feed 7 dogs and one cat
-- Let dogs out again
-- Put snow boots and gloves on
-- Go outside in robe where it's 14 degrees and snowing and shovel snow away from garage door
-- Shovel snow off truck, scrape windshields, shovel snow out of back of truck
-- Think about the fact that you're not cold. Wonder if it's menopause
-- Start truck to warm up for Butch
-- Put empty gas and diesel cans in back of truck
-- Put Butch's boots, hanky, coveralls and jacket in truck
-- Shovel little pathway to truck so Butch's boots won't be covered in snow because you're a nice person - and you're out there already anyway
-- Kiss Butch goodbye, pat him on rear and tell him to have a good day, to which he snorts
-- Laugh hysterically when he asks if you put the chains on the truck, resisting urge to clomp him on the head
-- Pray for Butch's safe travels
-- Let dogs back in
-- Pour coffee, sit down in front of fire and sigh real big
All of this before 5:30. ;)
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - No 'Storebought' Toothpaste (or Deoderant) For Me!
I had been reading up on all the chemicals there are in so many of the products we use every day. Now I'm not an alarmist and I know you cannot possibly remove all chemicals from your life but I do what I can. Reading about toothpaste and flouride actually bothered me a little because it can mess with your hormones. And as a menopausal woman, I don't need nothin' messin' with my hormones. I got enough of that already. By Golly.
I ran across a website I LOVE called "Wellness Mama" and she has all these great, easy healthy tips and ideas. She has several 'recipes' for toothpastes but this is the one that looked the easiest and is the one I use everyday. Yes it took some getting used to - there's no toothpaste 'lather' or foam and it's a little salty - but my teeth are noticeably whiter and I have peace of mind about my hormones. My old school, traditional, persnickety, country husband even uses this toothpaste.
Natural Toothpaste
1/2 cup coconut oil
2-3 Tblsp. baking soda
2 small packets stevia
15-20 drops peppermint or cinnamon oil (I didn't have any of this so I crushed dried peppermint up in it. You can also use dried sage - it has antibacterial properties.)
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mash together well with a fork or spoon. Store in a glass jar.
P.S. If you leave the stevia and peppermint out you can use this as a deoderant. I do and it works great. Plus you don't have to worry about that pesky aluminum that is in most deoderants. I put bergamot oil in mine so I smell like spring time. ha ;) Just be careful about using it right after you shave, it might burn a little.
I had been reading up on all the chemicals there are in so many of the products we use every day. Now I'm not an alarmist and I know you cannot possibly remove all chemicals from your life but I do what I can. Reading about toothpaste and flouride actually bothered me a little because it can mess with your hormones. And as a menopausal woman, I don't need nothin' messin' with my hormones. I got enough of that already. By Golly.
I ran across a website I LOVE called "Wellness Mama" and she has all these great, easy healthy tips and ideas. She has several 'recipes' for toothpastes but this is the one that looked the easiest and is the one I use everyday. Yes it took some getting used to - there's no toothpaste 'lather' or foam and it's a little salty - but my teeth are noticeably whiter and I have peace of mind about my hormones. My old school, traditional, persnickety, country husband even uses this toothpaste.
Natural Toothpaste
1/2 cup coconut oil
2-3 Tblsp. baking soda
2 small packets stevia
15-20 drops peppermint or cinnamon oil (I didn't have any of this so I crushed dried peppermint up in it. You can also use dried sage - it has antibacterial properties.)
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mash together well with a fork or spoon. Store in a glass jar.
P.S. If you leave the stevia and peppermint out you can use this as a deoderant. I do and it works great. Plus you don't have to worry about that pesky aluminum that is in most deoderants. I put bergamot oil in mine so I smell like spring time. ha ;) Just be careful about using it right after you shave, it might burn a little.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Mountain News - Best Pot Roast I've Ever Had In My Life
This pot roast recipe is from the cookbook 'Cowgirl Cuisine'. When I first read through the ingredients I thought, "This either has to be dreadful or completely wonderful." It has so many different flavorings. I couldn't imagine them all going together well. But it looked so odd that I had to try it and I'm so glad I did. IT. IS. WONDERFUL. And totally worth all the trouble. I promise.
Cowboy Pot Roast with Coffee and Whiskey
One 4-pound bone-in chuck roast (any old roast will do really)
1 Tblsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tblsp. cumin
2 Tblsp. dried thyme
2 Tblsp. dried rosemary
2 large onions, sliced
1 head garlic, (14-16 cloves), peeled and crushed or a heaping helping from a jar of minced garlic
1-4 serrano chlies (I omit. Too hot for me!)(if using, slice each one from the top to the bottom so it is split but still intact)
2 cups beef broth
2 Tblsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. smoked spanish paprika (I omit - don't have any)
2 Tblsp. olive oil
2 cups canned tomatoes, with their juice
1/2 cup whiskey (I have substituted red wine for the whiskey and it was good but not as good as the whiskey)
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, sliced or chopped
1 pound fingerling potatoes cut into chunks (or just regular potatoes)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pull the meat out of fridge an hour before cooking (I never have). Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, thyme and rosemary into a big bowl. Put roast into mixture and massage evenly over the roast. (There will be some of this mixture left over. Sometimes I add more of it to the broth. )
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth, instant espresso and paprika until well blended.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot but not smoking, add the roast and cook until it is crusty and a rich deep brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and chiles (if using). Cook, stirring frequently until coated with the beef fat and the onions start to break down, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth mixture, tomatoes, whiskey and bay leaves, stirring up any browned bits. Return the roast to the pan and nestle into the liquid.
Cover the pot and place in the oven (this can be done on the stove top too. Simmer not boil.) Roast for 1 hour, then carefully turn the roast over and roast another hour.
Remove the pot from heat, tuck the carrots and potatoes around the meat, cover the pot and cook for a final hour. (this took three and a half hours for me - on the wood stove.) Remove from heat, and allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Even better the next day. :)
This pot roast recipe is from the cookbook 'Cowgirl Cuisine'. When I first read through the ingredients I thought, "This either has to be dreadful or completely wonderful." It has so many different flavorings. I couldn't imagine them all going together well. But it looked so odd that I had to try it and I'm so glad I did. IT. IS. WONDERFUL. And totally worth all the trouble. I promise.
Cowboy Pot Roast with Coffee and Whiskey
One 4-pound bone-in chuck roast (any old roast will do really)
1 Tblsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tblsp. cumin
2 Tblsp. dried thyme
2 Tblsp. dried rosemary
2 large onions, sliced
1 head garlic, (14-16 cloves), peeled and crushed or a heaping helping from a jar of minced garlic
1-4 serrano chlies (I omit. Too hot for me!)(if using, slice each one from the top to the bottom so it is split but still intact)
2 cups beef broth
2 Tblsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. smoked spanish paprika (I omit - don't have any)
2 Tblsp. olive oil
2 cups canned tomatoes, with their juice
1/2 cup whiskey (I have substituted red wine for the whiskey and it was good but not as good as the whiskey)
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, sliced or chopped
1 pound fingerling potatoes cut into chunks (or just regular potatoes)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pull the meat out of fridge an hour before cooking (I never have). Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, thyme and rosemary into a big bowl. Put roast into mixture and massage evenly over the roast. (There will be some of this mixture left over. Sometimes I add more of it to the broth. )
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth, instant espresso and paprika until well blended.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot but not smoking, add the roast and cook until it is crusty and a rich deep brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and chiles (if using). Cook, stirring frequently until coated with the beef fat and the onions start to break down, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth mixture, tomatoes, whiskey and bay leaves, stirring up any browned bits. Return the roast to the pan and nestle into the liquid.
Cover the pot and place in the oven (this can be done on the stove top too. Simmer not boil.) Roast for 1 hour, then carefully turn the roast over and roast another hour.
Remove the pot from heat, tuck the carrots and potatoes around the meat, cover the pot and cook for a final hour. (this took three and a half hours for me - on the wood stove.) Remove from heat, and allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Even better the next day. :)
Mountain News - Great Discoveries - Life Hacks for Low Power Situations
Because we live off grid and depend on a generator and the sun for our electricity, we don't have as much power as the average city bear, especially in the winter. We have way less sun in the winter and often it's overcast and snowing and the solar panels are covered in snow so I have to use the generator a lot more in the winter. But running the generator uses costly gas, is smelly and loud and we just can't run it all the time. So I have to conserve electricity. We don't have some modern conveniences that use too much electricity. We don't have:
A microwave
A toaster
A coffee maker
A dish washer (that would be moi)
And I can't use things that use electricity like Plug-Ins or those wax melting things that make your house smell so good. I can't do laundry all the time and don't want to use the oven a lot because it uses electricity and propane. I don't have hot water to my kitchen or to my laundry room - yet. (I WILL one day by Golly!) Nor do we have a big refrigerator or an extra freezer to store stuff in (which would be SO nice!). I have to run the vacuum cleaner, the washer and dryer, etc... when the generator is already going, can flush the toilet only when we're not already low on power or it will go off, etc....etc.....
So. I have to be creative and/or had to go back to the old ways to do things. The wood stove has come to my rescue on a LOT of things, like:
-- making toast in a cast iron pan on the stove (toasted in butter in that pan, YUM),
---heating rolls or biscuits or any food really in a cast iron pot with the lid on makes it like a mini oven
--heating water up for washing the dishes
-- melting butter or heating water for recipes
-- cooking on it making soups and stews and roasts
-- helping bread to rise
-- making coffee with one of those old-fashioned percolaters.
-- putting cheap, Walmart liquid potpourri in a double boiler on the stove all day to keep my house smelling lovely (and with 7 dogs, one cat and a husband who smokes that's saying something).
In the summer when the wood stove is not being used, I have to be even more creative or just use the oven more. We have more sun in the summer hence more free electricity so it's ok.
Thawing meat here in the winter is a challenge. Sometimes it's as cold in my house as it is in the refrigerator. I just have to think ahead and make sure I thaw it the night before. If I forget, then it's canned chili for supper. One thing a good friend of mine told me though that does work amazingly is to put the frozen meat on metal - a metal baking sheet or dish - and it will thaw the meat quicker. I don't know how it works but it does in fact speed up the process. Thanks Shirley!
Not having hot water in my laundry (YET) is something I just have to live with. Heating up that much water on the stove is a pain and not something I'm willing to do. My clothes seem clean to me even with using only cold water. My whites may not be as white but soaking them in vinegar does seem to help.
So, those are some life hacks I've learned while living off grid. It may seem like I've given up a lot or it's a big headache but it's really all very much worth it. What I have given up in ease and convenience I have gained in peace and quiet and beauty. Amen to that. ;)
Mountain News - November 9, 2017
Well I finally did it. I went and got water yesterday. Yay! Now I can stop talking about it. ha All went well thankfully. The temperature was 25 degrees which wasn't too bad. When the temps are below freezing there can be no dawdling when you're getting water. Hoses and fittings start freezing up and that makes problems. But 25 isn't too bad. I got it done. Woo hoo. I now have water for the week. :) ---- Every year about this time I get the house 'winterized'. It can get pretty cold up here so we do some things to help keep the house warmer. I put rugs down, hang up these pretty (SO not) canvas curtains behind our regular pretty curtains to keep out the cold, shut off a few rooms also with the aforementioned 'pretty' canvas (some of our rooms don't have doors on them yet), etc.... The rug I put in the living room is BIG and heavy and hard to drag down the stairs. So the dogs are oh so helpful and step on it and ride it all the way down just to help Mom. Thanks guys! ---- It's bath day! Wait. Did I say that out loud? Shoot. Ok, here's the deal, with our water situation being one of CONSERVATION (because I don't want to have to go get water more than once a week), we don't bathe every day. I know. Kinda gross but it's the way it is. No big deal. I won't tell you how often (or not) bath day is, but suffice it to say it's bath day! and I'm glad. I like being clean. ;) -----
Getting water :)
Well I finally did it. I went and got water yesterday. Yay! Now I can stop talking about it. ha All went well thankfully. The temperature was 25 degrees which wasn't too bad. When the temps are below freezing there can be no dawdling when you're getting water. Hoses and fittings start freezing up and that makes problems. But 25 isn't too bad. I got it done. Woo hoo. I now have water for the week. :) ---- Every year about this time I get the house 'winterized'. It can get pretty cold up here so we do some things to help keep the house warmer. I put rugs down, hang up these pretty (SO not) canvas curtains behind our regular pretty curtains to keep out the cold, shut off a few rooms also with the aforementioned 'pretty' canvas (some of our rooms don't have doors on them yet), etc.... The rug I put in the living room is BIG and heavy and hard to drag down the stairs. So the dogs are oh so helpful and step on it and ride it all the way down just to help Mom. Thanks guys! ---- It's bath day! Wait. Did I say that out loud? Shoot. Ok, here's the deal, with our water situation being one of CONSERVATION (because I don't want to have to go get water more than once a week), we don't bathe every day. I know. Kinda gross but it's the way it is. No big deal. I won't tell you how often (or not) bath day is, but suffice it to say it's bath day! and I'm glad. I like being clean. ;) -----
Getting water :)
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Mountain News - November 8, 2017
First of all had to show you guys what the big, fat, fluffy rolls looked like. Yes, one is already gone - about one minute after it came out of the oven. YUM ----To me, the hardest thing about the time change is getting your dogs and kids adjusted to it. Since I have to get up at 4:30 every morning, the dogs, naturally, start sticking their cold wet noses in my face at 4:00, just to, you know, let me know it's about time to get up. Now with the time change this is joyfully happening at 3:00. A.M. I love long days but that's ridiculous. Yawwwwwwwn...... ------ So even though I've been baking since I was about 16 and I'm pretty good at making all kinds of breads, sourdough bread has been my white whale. I try and try and just can't get it. Up til now. I think. I found an old Amish recipe for starter and how to keep it going. I'm going to make the bread today. We'll see how it goes. I'll let y'all know. ;) Love me some sourdough bread. ---- DEFINITELY getting water today. Hope all goes well. Sometimes it doesn't. ---- Being near the age o' menopause, my responsible doctor stuck me on estrogen even though I didn't feel it was necessary. I took it for 6 months and started having higher blood pressure. I hate synthetic estrogen or synthetic anything or drugs at all for that matter. So I've been weaning myself off for the past few months and am now glad to report I am off. And pretty cranky. I'm normally pretty sweet and nice but take away the extra estrogen and my stars I've been crabby! Hopefully that will even out - before my husband (understandably) throws me off the mountain. :O
Mountain News - Another Great Discovery - Sage Tea
Whenever I get a sore throat, I drink sage tea and the sore throat goes away. If I do get sick, which thankfully is very rare, I drink sage tea and make chicken soup with lots of sage. It not only helps me feel and get better but it also helps with coughs. It is my miracle cure. If anyone comes to my house with a sore throat or feeling under the weather they get a cup of sage tea with real honey and lemon. I haven't had anyone not like it yet. One man even asked for a second cup saying it was delicious! I love the flavor. I buy my sage in bulk from a wonderful store we have here in Missoula called Butterfly Herbs. They will ship some to you if you want to buy it in bulk and not in the expensive little jars you get at the grocery store. This is better anyway. It's organic. Not expensive at all.
Sage Tea
1 tsp. of sage
tea ball or cheesecloth (optional)
honey and lemon to taste
1 tblsp. whiskey if there is a fever (optional)
Put loose sage in tea ball, wrapped in cheesecloth or just put the sage in a cup. Pour boiling water in cup and let sage steep for 5 minutes (I leave the sage in the cup while I drink the tea). If you don't have cheesecloth or a tea ball and put the sage in the cup freely, just strain it with cheescloth or a fine mesh strainer. It won't hurt you to swallow the sage. Add honey and lemon to taste. Add whiskey if there is a fever and/or you just like whiskey. :) We use Honey Whiskey. Enjoy!
Whenever I get a sore throat, I drink sage tea and the sore throat goes away. If I do get sick, which thankfully is very rare, I drink sage tea and make chicken soup with lots of sage. It not only helps me feel and get better but it also helps with coughs. It is my miracle cure. If anyone comes to my house with a sore throat or feeling under the weather they get a cup of sage tea with real honey and lemon. I haven't had anyone not like it yet. One man even asked for a second cup saying it was delicious! I love the flavor. I buy my sage in bulk from a wonderful store we have here in Missoula called Butterfly Herbs. They will ship some to you if you want to buy it in bulk and not in the expensive little jars you get at the grocery store. This is better anyway. It's organic. Not expensive at all.
Sage Tea
1 tsp. of sage
tea ball or cheesecloth (optional)
honey and lemon to taste
1 tblsp. whiskey if there is a fever (optional)
Put loose sage in tea ball, wrapped in cheesecloth or just put the sage in a cup. Pour boiling water in cup and let sage steep for 5 minutes (I leave the sage in the cup while I drink the tea). If you don't have cheesecloth or a tea ball and put the sage in the cup freely, just strain it with cheescloth or a fine mesh strainer. It won't hurt you to swallow the sage. Add honey and lemon to taste. Add whiskey if there is a fever and/or you just like whiskey. :) We use Honey Whiskey. Enjoy!
Mountain New - Jacques Pepin's Tortilla Margherita Pizza
So old Jacques makes pizzas with tortillas???? Then they have to be good. And they ARE. So good! And easy and quick. If you're in the mood for pizza and don't have the money or can't get to the pizza store - like me - and don't want to do the whole dough thing, this is the pizza for you or 'pour vous'! YUM YUM YUM. I love this pizza.
1 Tblsp. Olive oil
1 flour tortilla
Couple tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 thinly sliced tomato or some sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup grated mozarella cheese
basil, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Put tortilla on a baking sheet then put olive oil on the tortilla and spread around. Sprinkle 1 Tblsp. parmesan cheese on top of tortilla. Add thinly sliced tomato or some sun dried tomatoes and then sprinkle mozarella cheese over tomatoes. Another tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese, then salt, pepper and basil. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Eat hot and then prepare another right away. One won't be enough. ;)
So old Jacques makes pizzas with tortillas???? Then they have to be good. And they ARE. So good! And easy and quick. If you're in the mood for pizza and don't have the money or can't get to the pizza store - like me - and don't want to do the whole dough thing, this is the pizza for you or 'pour vous'! YUM YUM YUM. I love this pizza.
1 Tblsp. Olive oil
1 flour tortilla
Couple tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 thinly sliced tomato or some sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup grated mozarella cheese
basil, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Put tortilla on a baking sheet then put olive oil on the tortilla and spread around. Sprinkle 1 Tblsp. parmesan cheese on top of tortilla. Add thinly sliced tomato or some sun dried tomatoes and then sprinkle mozarella cheese over tomatoes. Another tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese, then salt, pepper and basil. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Eat hot and then prepare another right away. One won't be enough. ;)
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Mountain News - Best Discovery of the Year
I made quite a few great discoveries this year and learned a lot but the best discovery of the year, hands down, is that I can wash clothes with VINEGAR and it WORKS. Who knew?? I use a half cup for a small to medium load and a full cup of vinegar for a full or large load. Nothing else. Although you can add baking soda if you'd like. You cannot add bleach to vinegar. It will react badly together.
Anyway, I have been washing our clothes with just vinegar now for months and my clothes are clean and smells are gone. One of the best things about it is that since vinegar isn't sticky like clothes detergent, it actually doesn't encourage dog hair to stick to clothes. There seems to be less dog hair on our clothes which is great. We have seven dogs, five of which are Golden Retrievers, so there is a lot of dog hair.
The other good thing is that my husband's, what we thought was an allergy to the sun, seems to be gone. We thought he was allergic to the sun but since I started using vinegar, this 'allergy' seems to have disappeared. I think his skin has been reacting to the detergents.
I also clean with vinegar but that's another post.
Vinegar - cheap, easy, non-caustic, non-cancer causing, cheap, cheap, cheap. Can't believe it's been right there all this time. Who knew? Yay vinegar. :D
I made quite a few great discoveries this year and learned a lot but the best discovery of the year, hands down, is that I can wash clothes with VINEGAR and it WORKS. Who knew?? I use a half cup for a small to medium load and a full cup of vinegar for a full or large load. Nothing else. Although you can add baking soda if you'd like. You cannot add bleach to vinegar. It will react badly together.
Anyway, I have been washing our clothes with just vinegar now for months and my clothes are clean and smells are gone. One of the best things about it is that since vinegar isn't sticky like clothes detergent, it actually doesn't encourage dog hair to stick to clothes. There seems to be less dog hair on our clothes which is great. We have seven dogs, five of which are Golden Retrievers, so there is a lot of dog hair.
The other good thing is that my husband's, what we thought was an allergy to the sun, seems to be gone. We thought he was allergic to the sun but since I started using vinegar, this 'allergy' seems to have disappeared. I think his skin has been reacting to the detergents.
I also clean with vinegar but that's another post.
Vinegar - cheap, easy, non-caustic, non-cancer causing, cheap, cheap, cheap. Can't believe it's been right there all this time. Who knew? Yay vinegar. :D
Mountain News - Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever
This meatloaf recipe comes from one of the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. This recipe is so easy - just throw it all together and cook in one big 13 x 9 pan. Quick and it makes a lot. Try to use lean beef as the fattier ground beef shrinks too much. Yum yum yum.
Homemade Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt, pepper, or Tony Cachere or lots of basil or marjoram - your choice
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed (or a couple teaspoons from a jar of minced garlic)
1/4 cup red wine
15 oz. can tomato sauce - divided use
Combine all ingredients except just put half the can of tomato sauce in, reserving the other half of the can for the top. Mix with your hands til well mixed. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, form the meat into a plump loaf. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Allow to cool before slicing. (Psh. I don't.) Makes great sandwiches or fried slices the next day. :)
This meatloaf recipe comes from one of the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. This recipe is so easy - just throw it all together and cook in one big 13 x 9 pan. Quick and it makes a lot. Try to use lean beef as the fattier ground beef shrinks too much. Yum yum yum.
Homemade Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt, pepper, or Tony Cachere or lots of basil or marjoram - your choice
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed (or a couple teaspoons from a jar of minced garlic)
1/4 cup red wine
15 oz. can tomato sauce - divided use
Combine all ingredients except just put half the can of tomato sauce in, reserving the other half of the can for the top. Mix with your hands til well mixed. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, form the meat into a plump loaf. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Allow to cool before slicing. (Psh. I don't.) Makes great sandwiches or fried slices the next day. :)
Mountain News - November 7, 2017
Made the delicious rolls yesterday along with homemade chicken and wild rice soup with white wine and mushrooms. YUM. So happy when I have good bread and soup in this house, especially on cold days. :D ----- Still haven't gotten water yet. Still really cold. Supposed to warm up tomorrow to a toasty 35 degrees. So tomorrow is officially getting water day - I hope. We're getting low. ---- Had to walk down to the spring yesterday and break the ice on the top of the water in the tank and fish it out with my bare hands. That gets painful but has to be done. There has to be a better way to do that job. I'm thinking a net with a long handle on it. Yeah that oughtta do it. ---- I told Butch last night that I was writing the story of our off grid life here on a blog and read the fifth chapter to him. He laughed but said, several times, "NO! You're not telling it right! That's NOT what happened! THIS is what happened!" and on and on. I tried to explain to him that I can't tell every single story and some things have to be condensed and some stories put together or the book will be 500 chapters long like 'War and Peace'. He just grumbled but then started reminding me of all these funny things that had happened that I had already forgotten. So he is now one of my official sources - ha. I told him I'd discuss it with him before I wrote a new chapter. He seemed placated by this. ;) ---- We had THE funniest conversation this morning. Our conversation went from me telling him that one of our dogs needed a rabies shot to the movie 'Old Yeller' to the movie 'Where the Red Fern Grows' to a rant from me about how mean is it for people to make movies where the dog DIES and makes us all cry and then my eyes filled with tears and I was hoping Butch wouldn't notice but he did then he started to laugh and I started that laughing/crying thing and we sat there and just laughed our butts off. Whew. Good start to the day. :)
Made the delicious rolls yesterday along with homemade chicken and wild rice soup with white wine and mushrooms. YUM. So happy when I have good bread and soup in this house, especially on cold days. :D ----- Still haven't gotten water yet. Still really cold. Supposed to warm up tomorrow to a toasty 35 degrees. So tomorrow is officially getting water day - I hope. We're getting low. ---- Had to walk down to the spring yesterday and break the ice on the top of the water in the tank and fish it out with my bare hands. That gets painful but has to be done. There has to be a better way to do that job. I'm thinking a net with a long handle on it. Yeah that oughtta do it. ---- I told Butch last night that I was writing the story of our off grid life here on a blog and read the fifth chapter to him. He laughed but said, several times, "NO! You're not telling it right! That's NOT what happened! THIS is what happened!" and on and on. I tried to explain to him that I can't tell every single story and some things have to be condensed and some stories put together or the book will be 500 chapters long like 'War and Peace'. He just grumbled but then started reminding me of all these funny things that had happened that I had already forgotten. So he is now one of my official sources - ha. I told him I'd discuss it with him before I wrote a new chapter. He seemed placated by this. ;) ---- We had THE funniest conversation this morning. Our conversation went from me telling him that one of our dogs needed a rabies shot to the movie 'Old Yeller' to the movie 'Where the Red Fern Grows' to a rant from me about how mean is it for people to make movies where the dog DIES and makes us all cry and then my eyes filled with tears and I was hoping Butch wouldn't notice but he did then he started to laugh and I started that laughing/crying thing and we sat there and just laughed our butts off. Whew. Good start to the day. :)
Monday, November 6, 2017
Mountain News - Yummy Roll Recipe
I call these the "Yummy, Big, Fat, Fluffy, No-Way-Can-You-Screw-These-Up-Rolls". They are actually an old recipe I got from a magazine and they're actually called, "Rho Rho's Rolls". Somebody's Grammy was named Rho Rho I guess. Anyhoo, these are our official Thanksgiving rolls. Everybody loves them.
Rho Rho's Rolls
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 envelopes yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp. of yeast)
2 eggs
2 cups warm water (110 - 120 degrees)
3/4 cup oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In another bowl stir together the eggs, water and oil and then add to the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer on low for about a minute then beat 3 minutes at high speed. Using a spoon, stir in the remaining all-purpose flour and wheat flour.
Spray dough with PAM, cover (with a towel or foil or saran wrap) and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
Stir dough down. Let dough rest 10 minutes.
Spray baking pans or cookie sheets with PAM or lightly grease with shortening.
On a well-floured surface, pull off chunks of dough and roll into a ball about the size of somewhere in between a ping pong ball and a tennis ball (the size is totally up to you). Put each roll on cookie sheet. Cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled (about 30-40 minutes). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Eat warm with lots and lots of butter. Very good toasted the next day or used for sandwiches. Makes 21 rolls. They won't last long. ;)
I call these the "Yummy, Big, Fat, Fluffy, No-Way-Can-You-Screw-These-Up-Rolls". They are actually an old recipe I got from a magazine and they're actually called, "Rho Rho's Rolls". Somebody's Grammy was named Rho Rho I guess. Anyhoo, these are our official Thanksgiving rolls. Everybody loves them.
Rho Rho's Rolls
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 envelopes yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp. of yeast)
2 eggs
2 cups warm water (110 - 120 degrees)
3/4 cup oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In another bowl stir together the eggs, water and oil and then add to the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer on low for about a minute then beat 3 minutes at high speed. Using a spoon, stir in the remaining all-purpose flour and wheat flour.
Spray dough with PAM, cover (with a towel or foil or saran wrap) and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
Stir dough down. Let dough rest 10 minutes.
Spray baking pans or cookie sheets with PAM or lightly grease with shortening.
On a well-floured surface, pull off chunks of dough and roll into a ball about the size of somewhere in between a ping pong ball and a tennis ball (the size is totally up to you). Put each roll on cookie sheet. Cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled (about 30-40 minutes). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Eat warm with lots and lots of butter. Very good toasted the next day or used for sandwiches. Makes 21 rolls. They won't last long. ;)
Mountain News - November 6, 2017
Well I didn't make the rolls yesterday. I was having such a great day doing nothing, that nothing got done. Love those rest days. :) ---- I am making the rolls today however. They're big and fat and soft and fluffy and yeasty and very yummy and impossible to screw up which is one reason I like them. Recipe to follow. ----- I also didn't go get water yesterday. Hubby didn't get that road plowed until too late for me to do it. When it's 15 degrees outside, it makes it difficult to get water. Everything freezes up on you before you get done. Plus you have the added benefit of your hands freezing to everything metal. Ouch. ----- Cold this morning too. A frosty 8 degrees. So.... we'll see if today turns out to be a getting water day. Luckily I still have plenty. ---- So Butch - the man of the house - and I had my all-time favorite conversation again last night. And it goes like this:
Butch - Out of the blue asks me, "Who's that guy?"
Me - I look around and since it's just him and me here, I say, "What guy?"
Butch - "You know, that guy with blonde or brown hair."
Me - Sigh.... here we go again. "Um yeah, you're going to have to help me out here."
Butch - "You know! That guy in that movie!"
Me - "Honey, what movie?"
Butch - Bigger sigh, "You know. That movie with the tank."
Me - Seriously? "With a tank?? Are you kidding? Do you know how many war movies we've seen? Come onnnn."
Butch - Scowling, "You do too know. You're just being difficult."
Me - Now I'm laughing. "I swear I don't know! Just give me a little more information ok?"
Butch - "SIGH!" Big eye roll. "You know. The one where the guy gets his face blown off?"
Me - I think a minute and say, "Ok. 'Fury' with Brad Pitt?"
Butch - "Yeah that's the guy!"
Me - "Ok so what about him?"
Butch - Pauses. "I forget."
Me - SIGH!!
This conversation takes place at least once a week. I kid you not. It has caused me to have the patience of Job, I swear. Gotta love him! ;)
Well I didn't make the rolls yesterday. I was having such a great day doing nothing, that nothing got done. Love those rest days. :) ---- I am making the rolls today however. They're big and fat and soft and fluffy and yeasty and very yummy and impossible to screw up which is one reason I like them. Recipe to follow. ----- I also didn't go get water yesterday. Hubby didn't get that road plowed until too late for me to do it. When it's 15 degrees outside, it makes it difficult to get water. Everything freezes up on you before you get done. Plus you have the added benefit of your hands freezing to everything metal. Ouch. ----- Cold this morning too. A frosty 8 degrees. So.... we'll see if today turns out to be a getting water day. Luckily I still have plenty. ---- So Butch - the man of the house - and I had my all-time favorite conversation again last night. And it goes like this:
Butch - Out of the blue asks me, "Who's that guy?"
Me - I look around and since it's just him and me here, I say, "What guy?"
Butch - "You know, that guy with blonde or brown hair."
Me - Sigh.... here we go again. "Um yeah, you're going to have to help me out here."
Butch - "You know! That guy in that movie!"
Me - "Honey, what movie?"
Butch - Bigger sigh, "You know. That movie with the tank."
Me - Seriously? "With a tank?? Are you kidding? Do you know how many war movies we've seen? Come onnnn."
Butch - Scowling, "You do too know. You're just being difficult."
Me - Now I'm laughing. "I swear I don't know! Just give me a little more information ok?"
Butch - "SIGH!" Big eye roll. "You know. The one where the guy gets his face blown off?"
Me - I think a minute and say, "Ok. 'Fury' with Brad Pitt?"
Butch - "Yeah that's the guy!"
Me - "Ok so what about him?"
Butch - Pauses. "I forget."
Me - SIGH!!
This conversation takes place at least once a week. I kid you not. It has caused me to have the patience of Job, I swear. Gotta love him! ;)
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Mountain News - November 5, 2017
Snowing today. Husband out plowing. Supposed to snow 2-4 more inches tonight. I guess winter is here! ---- Since we have colder weather coming in the next couple of days, I'm trying to figure out if I should go get water today(from our spring) or wait until it 'warms' up on Wednesday. I don't need water yet - we have about 75 gallons - but I don't like waiting until the last minute either in case there are problems. Hmmm..... do I go ahead and do laundry and go get water today after husband has plowed the road to the spring? Or do I wait? Hmmm..... Can't decide. ----- Otherwise making my yummy rolls, writing, walking dogs, taking a rest day since it's Sunday. Sigh..... :) ----- Butch and I had a funny conversation yesterday. He had to 'borrow' my oil - the oil I keep in the garage for the generator and the water pumps - taking it down to the barn and filling his welder. I said, "You better bring it back." Then he told me he also borrowed my little plastic, flexible tube that is a funnel. I again said, "You better bring it back. It's mine. I bought it." Then we argued for ten minutes about who bought it, even threatening to get out receipts to prove it. It cost about a dollar. You see, he 'borrows' things and doesn't bring them back or he mislays them, or he uses stuff all up and doesn't tell me, then I don't have any when I need it. So I have to keep a close eye on 'my' stuff. Stinker. ---- Also have to decide which day to go to town this week. In sore need of groceries and dog food. Do I go tomorrow after it's snowed and it's easier for me to drive in the snow? Or do I go after its 'warmed' up and have to deal with the possiblity of ice and a terrrifying slidey trip ten miles down the mountain? Hmmm..... So many decisions to make. Think I'll go eat lunch. ;)
Snowing today. Husband out plowing. Supposed to snow 2-4 more inches tonight. I guess winter is here! ---- Since we have colder weather coming in the next couple of days, I'm trying to figure out if I should go get water today(from our spring) or wait until it 'warms' up on Wednesday. I don't need water yet - we have about 75 gallons - but I don't like waiting until the last minute either in case there are problems. Hmmm..... do I go ahead and do laundry and go get water today after husband has plowed the road to the spring? Or do I wait? Hmmm..... Can't decide. ----- Otherwise making my yummy rolls, writing, walking dogs, taking a rest day since it's Sunday. Sigh..... :) ----- Butch and I had a funny conversation yesterday. He had to 'borrow' my oil - the oil I keep in the garage for the generator and the water pumps - taking it down to the barn and filling his welder. I said, "You better bring it back." Then he told me he also borrowed my little plastic, flexible tube that is a funnel. I again said, "You better bring it back. It's mine. I bought it." Then we argued for ten minutes about who bought it, even threatening to get out receipts to prove it. It cost about a dollar. You see, he 'borrows' things and doesn't bring them back or he mislays them, or he uses stuff all up and doesn't tell me, then I don't have any when I need it. So I have to keep a close eye on 'my' stuff. Stinker. ---- Also have to decide which day to go to town this week. In sore need of groceries and dog food. Do I go tomorrow after it's snowed and it's easier for me to drive in the snow? Or do I go after its 'warmed' up and have to deal with the possiblity of ice and a terrrifying slidey trip ten miles down the mountain? Hmmm..... So many decisions to make. Think I'll go eat lunch. ;)
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