I am Entering a 3 Day Weekend!

Joy of all joys...the three day weekend. This is a privilege I will be enjoying for the foreseeable future, it is, however, tempered by a one day weekend at the opposite end of the pay period, so I may not be quite so cheerful nest Friday. For now...I am singing and dancing and just plain tickled pink!

Our summer renter has moved in, a week early...oh no, I wasn't ready. I got ready fast though Monday night after our dinner guests left. While Hubby went to get renter, I got the guest room as ready as could be and finished emptying out the closets over the course of this week. Lookin' good!!

City corrals Christians at weekend Arab fest

City corrals Christians at weekend Arab fest

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Someone who knew about my garden plight with those dratted rabbits, left me TWO big tomato plants on my driveway today. There was no note. I have been told that rabbits won't bother bigger established plants like they do tender, new ones...so I just might get tomatoes after all! Thank You, anonymous friend!

Make-shift Side Board for Serving Parties

In a pinch, I use my ironing board as a side board...I have even used it as a pic-nic table on the deck, before we had a small table for out there. The board adjusts to any height, so it is great for kids or to sit at in a dining chair.

I find it very handy when I have food to serve buffet style as well. I just drape a table cloth over it and pile things on...it's narrow, but hold a lot.

For more really great kitchen tips, go to Tammy's Recipes and check out the links.

A very satisfying day

It was beautiful here in Duluth today. I had the day off, as did Hubby. His parents came through town on their way up to Grand Marais to stay at the Naniboujou Lodge which is Hubby's and my favorite place to go for a weekend away. MIL and FIL took us out to lunch and we all walked on the boardwalk down by Lake Superior together. Later, while MIL ran an errand FIL and I did a little gardening and got a ton of hostas dug up, divided and replanted along side the house and elsewhere. That was fun.

I chased the rabbit out of one of it's homes as I cleaned out around the spirea bushes, so that gave me great satisfaction. I spent a great deal of time after that looking for a nest of babies, however so they wouldn't get stepped on...see, I DO have a heart! (I found no baby rabbits)

Our friend Eric came to dinner and he and Hubby grilled chicken. Hubby is running him home right now. I am going to bed early and getting up early for work tomorrow.

Have a great night!

Food Preservation Follow-up....a Question asked and Answered

Anonymous asks via email...

"Please do not tell me you're one of the survivalist end of the worlders, calling for stock-up on beans, bullets and band-aids to last the next 25 years. I pegged you for more realistic than that, even for a bible believer."

Well, how and where do I begin with this one?

Truthfully, I AM into preparedness strategies. I used to think it was all crazy too, but I became a preparedness convert during all the Y2K hype nearly a decade ago. My Hubby preached at me and cajoled me and finally demanded to stock up a bit..."just in case". Well of course, nothing happened...January first 2000 dawned just the same as December 31 1999. However, six months later, Hubby's company downsized and he was jobless for 3 1/2 months....during which time, we lived off part of what we had stored up. That supply, everything from apple sauce to toilet paper to washing soda kept us afloat when we might have gone without a lot of things we like to have. I became a zealot. We try always to have a minimum of 1 month of things we need. We rotate what we have, so that we don't have old things gathering dust while we use up the new. This is just common sense and we have had occasions many times to be glad of our supply. We are also able to freely share with others when a need arises.

I have long stated among my family and friends that I know very few people of my generation who could survive a depression like our grandparents experienced. We are not accustomed to making do or doing without. I do not pretend to predict that another depression is on the way, I will leave that to the "experts", but I do know that what ever happens to the economy, I will have food to eat, and to feed those I love.

My food storage and preservation series is more about good stewardship than preparedness. The two go hand-in-hand, however. Stewardship means to make the most of what God has provided for my use. Time, talent and treasure. If I have a gallon bucket of berries, but can only eat a cup, should I leave the rest to sit on the counter? Even if I refrigerate them, they will go bad before I can eat them all. Additionally, I may want berries in November when they are far more costly. It is better for to open a jar of home canned strawberry sauce for my ice cream than to pay that premium.

I hope that begins to shed light on my thought process. Follow along in this series and you may learn something. If you want someone to argue with about survivalism, you should go to this site and argue with Jim Rawles, he is far more knowledgeable than I on that topic.

Canning, preserving and stocking up on food

A friend at church asked me about canning last night. I was telling her that I was fixing to can up my rhubarb, making sauce, jam and the like in the next few weeks. She asked me to show her how sometime and so I said sure, and then got the wild idea to do a little class for friends at church and in my circle of pals. I think it is a good idea to bring back these old skills today.

Now it is true that freezer jam is easier, but what if you lose your freezer? what if it breaks down or what if the power goes out? Here in Duluth, it is not uncommon to get one of our famous April ice storms that have been known to knock out power for several days. We once spent a week with a power cord stretched across the avenue because we had power and the neighbors did not...so ya never know!

I like water bath canning and do it for everything I safely can. I have a nice, modern pressure cooker/canner but have always been a little leery of it; I got past that and use it when I need to. I have never canned meat, but would be willing to. I have an old friend whose mother can get an entire fryer into a quart jar...that kinda creeps me out.

It is my belief that food preservation and storage is not about hoarding, it's about stretching you dollars, using what you have been given wisely (good stewardship), and also having the surplus to share with others who may need it. It is a wise use of time, talent and treasure.

Anyway, I want to do a series this summer on food preservation and storage. I would welcome any contributions from others, just comment or hit me an email if you want to link in.

Tails of the Bun (ny)

OK that rabbit, and now all it's BFF's have eaten the lion's share of my young garden. Whoever told my cayenne pepper was the solution lied through their teeth. My neighbor told me to spread hair from the beauty shop all around, but that kind of grosses me out....I really can't afford to fence it in this year either.

Hausenpheffer anyone?

Any ideas?

Sure fire remedies please...remember these are smart townie rabbits, they won't be fooled by plastic owls or whirly-gigs. They aren't even afraid of my large, angry husband when he stomps toward them bellowing and waving his arms. He can't get close enough to grab them, but they really are unafraid. They even seem to know that the neighbor's three dogs are impotent to get them through the fence...arrogant little sons of guns.

P.S. If Liz is reading this, please don't tell your sister that I am planning all sorts of recipes for rabbit stew, etc.

Ok, no laughing at me now....

Many of you followed along as I related the stories last year about Hubby's BFF Eric renting our upper room. Here we go again. Starting early to mid July, a co-worker of Hubby named Nick will be sharing our home for a time. I met him over dinner last week and found him friendly, delightful, very polite and think we will all get along famously.

I am happy we are able to help him out, as his situation right now is difficult for him. He is getting out of a rehab after battling chemical dependency. He is a fellow christian and wants to live with other believers now that he has "graduated" from live-in treatment. Please keep Nick in your prayers. Some of you know what addiction is like and how hard it can be to start over, away from those old influences and life habits.

Anyway, that's the update for today...Have a happy Wednesday...see you fellow North Star-ers at church tonight!

Rhubarb Bread Pudding

I have three HUGE rhubarb plants, Hubby calls them "The Hedge" I love to pick it all summer, and you can use it, as long as you keep pulling off the seed pods, so your rhubarb doesn't 'go to seed". This weekend, I will be canning a tone of rhubarb sauce for ice cream and I will make apple-rhubarb preserves as well.

The following recipe, I adapted from several recipes I have used over the years, and it has become a favorite. I frequently make this at work with my residents.

Rhubarb Bread Pudding

8 slices heavy, dense bread (I like to use the most multi-grain I can find...Health Nut, for example) , toasted and cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
6 large eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Place bread cubes into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish.
Combine the milk and butter in a pan, and heat just to the boiling point. Pour over the bread cubes, and let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over the soaked bread, and fold gently until evenly blended.
Sprinkle nuts over the top.
Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until nicely browned on the top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with ice cream...YUM!

For more great Recipes and Tips, go to Tammy's Recipes and read all day!

Pretty Art Sculptures

While I was in the cities, Mother showed me a sculpture series she liked called Women of the Way, you can see them here. I really liked the one pictured with this post, it just spoke to me. The sculpture is called "In their Midst". The three women can stand as you see them here, or they can be placed in a circle with their hands touching. I thought it was just beautiful.

I have been so blessed with wonderful women friends with whom to pray. It is a comfort knowing that they pray for me and it is privilege to keep them in prayer as well. I hope you will see something among this artist's work that speaks to you...

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in
the midst of them." Matthew 18:19

Rabbit Trouble

The dratted cottontail has eaten a huge amount of my plants...I am just disgusted and disgruntled! In the morning, now that it has stopped raining, I am going to sprinkle cayenne pepper all around the garden... I am told that keeps them out...we shall see.

I don't know how much is going to survive, but hopefully, I'll still get most of what I planted. Hubby wants to shoot the rabbit, I would settle for trapping it if I could. We only ever see one; of course, I KNOW there is never only one. It is making me so mad!

A nice weekend

Hubby and I had a wonderful time in the cities Friday night and Saturday. It was a fast trip, but very relaxing in its own way. Hubby stayed with his friend Jesse, who really needed some guy time and a listening ear. I stayed at Mother's house and we all got together Saturday evening for my oldest brothers AMAZING grilled chicken breasts. He does something to them that involves soaking them in lime juice and they are to die for!!

Mom took me to The Mustard Seed and I just loved it. It is a small garden center and gift shop and I found so many cute gift ideas. Check it out if you live in the Twin Cities area.

I Have Arrived!

We now have the luxury of Internet at home! I am so excited, I could just bust!!!
Now I can blog, and check my email regularly and read the news and look for recipes and crafts...the list goes on and on and on.

Over the next several weeks and months, I am planning to get running with Ebay and maybe Etsy. I have several ideas that I need to explore.

Hubby and I had signed up to do Stores Online, but after talking to my Mom Tuesday evening, and learning her horrible experiences with them, we backed out at the last possible minute...cancelled the check and are awaiting word on where to send their information packets back to them. We will be exploring other options for ways to make secondary incomes from home, but we do NOT recommend Stores Online at this time.

Anyway, that's all for right now...toodles

To hug or not to hug?

OK...what is up with people's boundaries? Why is it suddenly politically and socially acceptable to hug anyone you want at any time?

Don't get me wrong...I am OK hugging people I know well...especially children and relatives...old friends. But acquaintances? Nope. Strangers? Definitely not.

Just recently at the marketing seminar I mentioned last week, the sales weenie trying to get Hubby and I to buy the e-storefront, shook Hubby's hand and hugged me! With no warning or anything...I stuck out my paw for a shake and he pulled me in for the ol' I've-known-you-for-years-and love-you-like-a-sister HUG! EWWWWWWW Didn't even know the guy.

Last month, at work, we had musical entertainment for our residents from a guy I had known many years ago...an former elementary school teacher of mine. Had not seen him in probably 25 years or more...again with the hug, like we were old nearest and dearest pals. I probably never hugged him as a kid in school.

Now don't misunderstand, there was nothing nefarious about anyone's intentions in either case... I don't want to imply that there was anything unseemly going on, it was all just friendly stuff and a few people I have asked have assured me that this is perfectly normal societal greeting.

Since when?

Am I just being overly puritanical? I like a good hug as much as the next gal...from someone I KNOW...and even then, I guess I am a bit hug-choosy. I generally don't hug men who aren't related to me...or very old dear friends. That's just me. I like my bubble, so to speak.

Any thoughts?