The Way to Happiness
Survivng Another Depression...a quiz
Several folks were doing this, so I hopped on just now and tested our homestead here. There are a couple of things I think we need to work on, but overall, we are in pretty good shape really. I wouldn't have expected to rate this well, really.You Are 85% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression |
 You have been saving for a rainy day... or a rainy few years. While most people may not have as grim of an outlook as you, they're also not as prepared as you. If society collapses, you'll have plenty of food and resources for you and your loved ones. And plenty of ammo for anyone who wants to steal from your stockpile! |
Could You Survive Another Great Depression?
- How much credit card debt do you have?
- Are you employed?
- Do you have an emergency fund?
- Do you own a home?
- Do you know how to build a fire?
- Do you have any silver or gold?
- How much non perishable food do you have?
- How much do you rely on prepackaged foods?
- Do you grow your own food?
- Can you get around to shops and work by bike, public transportation, or walking?
- How much of your salary do you spend each week?
- Can you easily go without extras like cable tv and restaurant meals?
- How is your health?
- Do you own a weapon?
- What describes the area you live in?
- What sort of climate do you live in?
- Do you trust and know your neighbors?
- Do you know how to use tools and fix things?
- Compared to most people, how much stuff do you have?
- Are you good at entertaining yourself if the electricity is out?
The Bible is ONE Book...not two
THE BIBLE IS ONE BOOKThe Bible is not a composite of two books nor sixty-six books with
conflicting concepts and teaching.
It is, rather, one book recording the acts of
God under two primary covenants (Old and New Testaments).
Doctrinally there is no conflict between the two. They are altogether compatible and in mutual
agreement.
We believe literally that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The themes in the Old and New Testaments are the same: God’s holiness,
righteousness and mercy; and man’s alienation and estrangement from God
through disobedience.
It might surprise you to know that the Jewish people do not rely on works for salvation—they know the only way to salvation is through the Messiah.
The basic significance of the New Testament is uniquely a Jewish one: the fulfillment of the messianic hope. The New Testament writers, with perhaps the exception of Luke, are all Jews.
The early Apostles and followers of Jesus are also Jewish. There is nothing in the New Testament that is non-Jewish or anti-Jewish.
Quite the contrary, Jesus’ entire message taught that:
Only the merciful were to receive mercy, only the forgiving could expect forgiveness and that love would be the sign of His true disciples.
Send A Soldier a Card...free :o)
I won't get into a discussion of whether or not anyone agrees with the military in general, the war in Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever they are pushing it these days. I am simply passing along some information for those interested.XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?
Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you.
Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.
Thanks for taking to time to support our military!
Winter Colds...and Horses
I know...late with posting again. Sorry. We didn't go to church yesterday with the colds and such here, and most likely we will not be doing the nursing visit this week either. The joys of the winter season, I guess...We have had an ongoing battle here with scratchy, itchy throats and now it's moved along to stuffy noses to boot. Poor Emily has a hard time sleeping at night...lying down, her poor little throat is just coated with her nose trying it's best to drain. She wakes off and on all night. I'm about to move on to something OTC for her after all of this. I haven't yet, but the temptation is there.
We haven't had so much as a strong 'cold' in a long time. Scratchy throats are expected this time of year as we turn heat on and the air outside battles with itself. But it's dragging out this year and moving through the whole head.
We have missed church a lot over the last month, and I don't see much difference this month really given the path of illness/discomfort right now. LOL...I know, not much of a Baptist am I? Skipping church because of a little cough and sniffle? Baptists like to share those kinds of things :o)
Seriously though, we don't go to church when we have anything going on. I've never been one to drag coughing, sniffling, gooky-nosed children off to church to share the illness with everyone. As the day progresses here we'll determine who goes and who stays, or if we all stay. Could be I'm the only one going tomorrow. Having a hand with the Sunday School class, I really should be there if at all possible.
This week we were getting the teens together to bake bread -- well, to teach them how to bake bread :o) Only my girls have the least idea how to do it. We will probably stick to the Quick Rise bread we do as it's easy and quick and makes a delicious bread. We'll keep it basic, just plain white wheat. They are also making and decorating sugar cookies. All of this is for Thursday -- the teens are visiting a couple of nursing homes here in town, handing out cards the children's class made, singing some carols and handing out a mini loaf and some cookies to the residents. This will be our second trip to the nursing homes, and they are all really excited about it. e only have one teen (out of the 7 we have) who is uninterested. She made a couple of cards, but spends her time sitting with her cell phone. She won't be coming along.
I'm terrible -- I'm glad she isn't coming with us. She has a tendency to put a shadow over everything we try to do. Her attitude spreads, slowly and quietly, to a couple of the other teens. It just makes for a bad time for everyone involved. She will stand with that blasted cell phone and make snide ccomments the whole time, like she does at church. I
hoping if she continues to not join in and sees that everyone else is interested, having a good time, sharing and such, maybe she will come around. And no, her parents aren't interested in how she behaves at church either. Already tried that approach.
Today's agenda...keeping warm and cozy in such cold windy weather. Making a pot of chicken soup...carrots, onions, celery,green peppers, lots and lots of garlic, and home-canned chicken. It's simmering now and smells soooo good! Later we'll make some egg noodles to add in. I like lots of noodles, but I think we need more broth today than anything.
Sewing...I finished a dress for Debi, 3 for Miss Rachel that still needs buttons, and countless boxers and bloomers waiting on elastic in the waist. Now for a dress for Jennifer. We moved the sewing machine to the dining room...it's sitting under that side of the island.. Really, it's in the way of regular daily life, but we need to get sewing done, so it will work well out there. The sewing room is rather open to everything, but I'm more in the mix being in the actual room now. The table was covered yesterday with fabric laid out, patterns all over and odds and ends. The cookstove is all but hidden with the ironing board :o) It's very compact on that side of the room right now, but it works for the time being.
I'm making our bread for the week today so it's done. I think we'll use the new mixer and give it a test run. I'll double the batch -- making 12 loaves -- and we'll do some cinnamon rolls as well. If we end up at church tomorrow, I'll take a few pans along, otherwise we'll freeze them to bake later. One full batch will be our bread for the week. I'm itching to play with that mixer :o)
Horses...Rebel is ready anytime we are.
We are not anything near ready.
We have barn work, lots of new fence to run around the pasture area behind the barn. More hay to get as well.
No where near ready. Personally, I'm not even interested in having a horse out here, but Jennifer gave Miss Escapee away, and she misses having her here. Our mail lady and family felt terribly taking her, and have been working with Rebel all along to bring him out here. He's very calm, very laid-back around even young children, and will be perfect for each of them to learn to ride and such. George trains horses (it's his true calling in life, but doesn't pay the bills just yet) and has done wonders with our wild green Miss Escapee in the months he's had her. She's just beautiful to see in the field. Rebel is probably a perfect match for us, given the age ranges of the children and all. Sharon and George want to start training Jennifer in horse keeping, as well as get her on some of their weekend trail rides. She's excited. I suppose I am as well, for her. Just wasn't looking at a horse on this homestead. Not yet, anyway.
So, I guess the next couple of weeks, we will try to get more T-Posts put up and run some wire out there. Right now, Rebel is pastured with several other horses, but just 2 strands of wire for them, so I think he'll do fine here.
I'm not fence-builder, and I certainly can't manage those decent wood corner posts in this clay muck out here, but given some time, and remembering to wear my wrist braces, I'm sure I can pound a couple dozen or so T-Posts in and run some wire. I won't guarantee his arrival by Christmas week when Dewey is home, but maybe after New Years.
Back to sewing and baking...
End of week rambles...a bit late
Ok, I am limping along with the computer now at home. Seems I can at least reinstall the modem by bypassing this and that in the gene pool of the OS here. We'll see how long that lasts. It's aggravating, to say the least. Stupid technology.Today is meat and fabric here.
Yes, quite a combination, I know. I have to get some things stitched up and off the "waiting" pile here. Of course, I say that knowing that as soon as the "waiting" pile is lessened, I'll start cutting and rebuilding it again.
The meat, well, that's a given. I tell you, I've seen and handled more raw meat that a person needs to lately. We may well go vegetarian for several months....my prideful side wants to see that pantry filled with the fruits of this bounty for a while before anyone dare touch a jar.
I have all the pipe and such needed to fire up that cookstove now. I'm no carpenter, though, so it's not getting done. We need to remove a window, reframe it with the spacer pipe sleeve, enclose it and then install my pipe. Sounds so easy, doesn't it? Well, I won't even attempt it -- it's been far too cold at night, and only in the middle 40's during the day to pull out a window and not have a clue from that point! I'm not a patient person though...I fight God on that all the time...I don't know that I won't attempt to do it before Dewey gets home again for Christmas!
Why do you homestead?
What a loaded answer that question could produce! Everyone has different visions that have led them to that word homestead. Some days I know I don't homestead at all. Not by anyone's description. I have one foot and half the toes on the other in the world around me. Other days, I just know I am not only on that path, but running down it full bore.
If I went off the grid today, bugged out and left society completely, we would not last long at all. We'd half-starve before next harvest due to very bad planning on my part, we'd freeze in the winter because I have not moved strongly enough to alternative anything, and I'd have a definite mutiny brewing within a short time because I have not trained well enough, and I have allowed far too much from the outside into my home.
Why do I draw myself a connection with the word homestead? Simply put, I live in the country because it's where I belong. I've always felt that way. Yes, once upon a time, I had visions of a great warehouse apartment in the center of New York City, smack in the middle of life and concrete. I just knew that that was the place for a dancer-to-be. LOL...that was long, long ago. I couldn't find my ballet positions, let alone execute them now if my life depended on it! Not to mention my tu-tu would be more akin to a six-six or something :o)
But, common sense (and reality) prevailed upon me to be a country gal instead. I am a combination of Olivia Walton and Ma Ingalls, with a good dose of Ma Kettle thrown in for good measure. Since first married, and even a bit beforehand, I have envision my family living out...way out off the beaten path. I have always wanted to be far into the country. Rural beyond rural. I pictured a small cabin, nothing fancy or elaborate, just cozy and practical. I could see the barn yards, the fenced areas here and there. I saw several garden plots, even some pretty areas of just useless-but-eye-appealing flowers. My days would be filled with the simple but necessary tasks of Ma ingalls...survival tasks, to be sure, but done without the drudgery of what some tasks bring me to mind of today.
I also envisioned my husband, our leader and provider, being much closer to home with his work. Everything was a family affair, from building to animal husbandry to church going. Everything was so intertwined, not a single thread could be coaxed away alone. Maybe we were off the grid, maybe not. That isn't important really. It's how that grid is used and the importance it plays in our daily life that matters, really.
There wasn't a sense of urgency in my dreams. Things flowed along together in a simple drifting of importance. No one complained about doing this duty or that. It had to be done. Rural beyond rural depends on everyone working together no matter what. There wasn't any intrusion from outside things...like computers, televisions, radios or people. Family life and family time was guarded strongly, as strong as any military base might be. Dad and Mom were the gate-keepers, and anything coming in was suspect and thoroughly analyzed for the better good.
I imagined long days of working side by side, Dad, Mom and children. I imagined talkative family meals where the plans and goals of the homestead were always top of the conversation. Where after dinner, other plans were made...a quiet walk together, a peaceful rock on the porch watching children run around in the yard, quiet humming as a baby was rocked to sleep.
But, my present reality is a bit different. Not that I havve foregone those first dreams really, but they have adjusted to meet the life around me more than I cared for them to. My life is far more directed by the ebb and flow of the world around me than I like and I don't see a clear way to move out of that. I see some paths here and there, and I work toward steering toward them, but there just isn't a light at the end of that tunnel just yet. I don't see the same distance I once did in my visions of homestead and family. I have muddied visions because of the worldly influences that surround me daily.
My reality at present is against everything I have ever wanted. I have a husband working in another state. I truly feel as though I am the single parent I always felt a bit of grief for growing up. I just never saw 'parent' and 'single' as going together as it should. Rose-colored glasses, I know, in this society of divorce and plain old single parenting without any marriage involved. In my heart, it's always been Dad and Mom together, though, a force so strong that nothing short of death could pull apart.
My rural beyond rural homestead is close to being the dream I once had. We could get more rural here, but it would take some looking and hunting to do so. We are removed by a mere handful of miles from small town living, but our surroundings are hundreds of miles apart right here in sense. There is a vast difference in the folks living in that close small town and the folks living in another decade here on this mountainside.
I also don't have the strength of connection I thought we'd have to church and family. Extended family is on the other side of the moon in practice and in motive. I think that is why I like reading about the Amish and such. There is close community and closer family ties. I don't have that, and I know it won't ever happen. I can still imagine it, though. It would be wonderful to have.
So, why do I homestead? Because I have always felt a pull to the land. A pull to nature around me. A pull to peace and quiet, simple living and no-fuss existence. Because I know that this world offers nothing of any substance. Sure, I have been goaded into using many of the trappings the world has to offer...my large van, the grocery store, the Super WalMart, this computer...but my heart just isn't in it. Never has been. My heart is in a garden, a root cellar, a full pantry. My heart is at my sewing machine, in the school books we teach our children with, in the barnyard and in the hay field.
My heart is in my husband and that original dream of homestead and family...still. My heart is learning Scripture as God breathed it into existence. To not blend it with the implanted thoughts and theories of the world around me, but to take it simply for what it says, and what it whipsers into my heart of hearts and into my soul.
My heart is to simply live a quiet and peaceful life without intrusions from that which surrounds me daily in this life. To maintain my focus...to find my focus again. I want to unplug and disconnect from all that surrounds me.
Is that even really possible these days? I just don't know.
Homeschooling
It is hard to imagine that in about 2 years, we will begin to officially homeschool our little ones. Abigail will be old enough to start Kindergarten level and Micah will be doing Preschool. In preparation, we have been looking at homeschool curriculums for the children. We have certain criteria that we are looking for that we feel are important considerations to make.
1. The curriculum must be Christian-based. No exceptions. The curriculum must come from a reputable Christian resource that will not only teach the courses needed, but also include the Bible's teachings along with the material.
2. We want their curriculum coming from a single source. We realize that many homeschooling families use the "buffet" method in choosing curriculums. Math form one source, science from another, language arts from yet a third source, and so on. For the sake of simplicity and also a continuity of the scope & sequence of the curriculum material we want to use one resource for all the curriculum.
3. We want the curriculum to come from a source that offers accreditation. We wish for our children to be able to receive a diploma from an accredited school once their homeschooling years have been completed.
4. We do not want to use a correspondance school system. We do however want a curriculum that will allow us to homeschool & grade the children's work with us sending in reports so that the school can keep the records.
Part of the reason for the accreditation requirement is that we want our children to have the advantage of having a recognizable diploma after they finish their homeschooling. We are also looking ahead. Oklahoma has very few requirements made of the homeschooling families at this time. We want to be prepared in case this should change at some point in the future. By already being established with an accredited school program, we would be able to continue as we always have with very little changes needing to be made to accommidate any new regulations or laws that should come up in the future years.
We have been looking at Bob Jones University's homeschool program and are very impressed with it. We are still researching though to make certain that the Bob Jones University program is what we really want to use before making the final decision.
We have 2 years yet to make our choice. There are so many options available that it is taking time to find the one that will be best for our family. I would love to hear from other homeschooling families who use accredited school programs. What program do you use? What made that curriculum stand out and become the one you chose for your children? Are there any out there that we should use caution with?
Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures
Nothing special about the pictures...just things around the homestead lately :o) Enjoy!Some of the property over the weekend. This is the back clearing where we want to build. If we don't build here, I want to put our schoolhouse up back here anyway (just to the right of that center pine tree...that's where the trail heads back to the pond.
The next is the logging road they used a few years back to get to the neighbors property...and where they come up with the 4-wheelers. The bottom of that range there is the end of our property.
Next two are of the pond, coming in from that logging road, through the trees. It's just seasonal and lately, that has meant no real water to speak of. The first year it had maybe 2 foot of water. This year, maybe the same. The 2 years in the middle, it was just about bone dry and useless with the drought. We'd like to dig it out more and shore it up to try to keep water in it. We know there's a decent aquifer running through this part of the mountain, down about 150 here at the house end of the property. Would be nice to have some water for the animals if nothing else.
Thanksgiving weekend work on the homestead...Finally getting the holes dug out for the posts for the back porch area. Most likely, it will never make it as a porch and will be enclosed for living space...maybe that outdoor kitchen ;o) I tried to get the holes started but it's all clay...and really thick nasty stuff at that. I just can't do it. I'm a wimp. I admit it. So, as Drew was over for dinner, we put him to work with Dewey :o)
The goofy pup there is the beagles basset mutt mix we have...brains of a stuffed animal, but lovable. He chases rabbits and such all night. Pinned a coyote down in the timber last year so we could shoot it. He's a good dog...just goofy. Notice Miss Abigail's bare feet...this was the day after Thanksgiving. Sure wouldn't be out running the countryside like that back North this time of year!
Thanksgiving fixins' on the homestead...We spent all day Wednesday baking...2 pecan pies, 2 apple, 2 chocolate (that's the empty crust with the tin foil in it) and 2 9x13 pumpkin cobblers. And the yummiest yeast rolls :o) It's a mix we do up and keep in the pantry --delicious. And, yes, I'll add the recipe soon!
The full menu ended up looking like this...deep-fried turkey, a huge (h-u-g-e) smoked ham from the butcher (stupid me didn't ask about size, just got the one that looked so good...it didn't fit inside the 18qt Nesco roaster we have...had to sit cockeyed until it cooked down some and slide into the pan the right way!). Dressing, green bean casserole, baked corn, potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes, then the list of desserts. We made honey nut crunch and ranch/dill crackers for snacking all weekend.
This was the first year our eldest wasn't at the table. He rode up with Dewey to pick up Hope's car and drive it back. He wanted it to be their first Thanksgiving, and he was frying his first turkey solo...
The 20 quart mixer...yes, that's a make-do kitchen sink set up there. We pulled out the cupboard a while back. I have a very nice, new countertop sitting out in the building, but until I know for sure what we are doing (building or simply remodelling) I don't want to use it yet ;o) And, yes, those are cinder blocks under the mixer -- it sits too low to the floor for comfortable use. I know it looks rather hillbilly-ish, but it works ;o)
The meat, part 1/Day 1...still partially frozen, even after 2 days of thawing in the cooler bag. Guess that cooler bag works far better than I thought it did! We cut up most of the chunks to more suitable pieces and readied them for the canning jars.
Back Online again....several updates here
First off -- Ron & Jo...if you visit and read this, do email me! We've been worried about how you both are doing!The computer went down again. Apparently, the first computer geek didn't do any sort of system diagnostics and simply wasted 3 days or so re0installing my modem driver.
Well, it went down on me again, 2 weeks ago now. Not that it didn't make for a quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving, and we did get many things accomplished, but still....
This time, I went to the original geek I had planned on using last time. They did a full system whatever and ran several diagnostics. They think the main issue I was having is that my BIOS system was rather outdated. There were 5 newer updates than I had, and they don't simply install with the regular system update stuff this thing does on it's own every so often. He updated me that way, installed another antivirus program then downloaded a new modem driver and viola...we have internet again.
And life picks up with hectic busy-ness, of course.
Just to note: If you sent me an email over the past couple of weeks and haven't heard from me...don't expect to. Just email me again. I had a million emails in my inbox and they are all being deleted as I write here. Please, email again if you need me!
I have all 300# of meat in the freezer...well, minus the 50# of stewing chunks sitting in the kitchen waiting its turn in the canner. My pressure seems a bit off today -- it's taking forever to get up to pressure for some reason. But, it's all cut up, the packing juice blend prepared and jars scalded and waiting.
I am going to get very tired of looking at meat, I can tell that already, and it's just Day 1 of a long line of days to come! We may well turn vegetarian for a couple months once it's all said and done!
We have, aside from meat meat and more meat in the works here, fencing outside we are dealing with. Seems we are being over-run with wayward hunters. We knew they had been around the property, but they have found several signs of them running 4-wheelers clear up to the back of my barn! They are using our deer stands, running their dogs all over and apparently using our private property as their own personal hunting grounds.
That will come to a stop this week. We are getting the signs up so we are more properly POSTED everywhere, and I am setting up some wire along the back access where we know for a fact they are coming and going. If they damage a 4-wheeler with a slightly hidden barb wire fence, serves them right. It will be well inside the perimeter of my property line, where they don't belong. That and some bird shot peppering their hunting expedition should do the trick.
Before anyone takes issue to our methods here, we have a very good idea as to who the culprits are, and they know we don't want hunters here. They know we have young children who enjoy our property, and as they hunt with high powered rifles, they are definitely not welcome here. My own dogs stay on our property, and they are being annoyed with the constant traffic as well. I don't need the aggravation, or the worry of my children being shot while playing on their own land.
To give you some idea of the genius we are dealing with out here, this group was shooting targets last year in their own cleared plot just down from our line. It's their property, I have no concern there whatsoever. It's a free country.
However, they use high powered, long range shot guns/rifles whatever you call them. Where they were shooting from/at, in virtually every direction on the compas, they had nothing but timber land. Literally hundreds upon hundreds of acres going out in every direction. Nothing in line for miles and then some.
Every direction, that is, but they one they chose to shoot in. They set up just the other side of the creek and were shooting directly toward my house. Literally peppering my roof with their shot. Branches and leaves were falling after every shot. Genius, pure genius. In any other direction, they would have had nothing but trees for miles and miles, yet they picked the direction that went through my property straight to my house and animals....and children.
Running a 4-wheeler across a low-lying wire fence is going to be the least of their concerns if we actually catch them on the property hunting, instead of their leftovers and signs.
We also have a lengthy sewing list, as usual. And school work to catch back up on. We are having reading issues it seems. I need to determine where my cut-off needs to be. There is a point where not reading well is a problem, and I think we might be there. I know we took more time with our first reader learning, but I've 3 in the works now and they simply aren't coming along very quicky. I know, homeschooling certainly affords my time in that respect, no hard-lined schedules to adhere to and all, but still...we have been at this enough now there should be a bit more progress I think. Time to re-evaluate The Plan here.
As to the olders, Jennifer finished a decent amount while gone with Dewey the past couple weeks. And Johanna, well, she has her own agenda. She is set on graduating when she turns 15 years old...about 2 years or so from now. She blew right through one grade level already and is just about finished with the next set of math, language and science I bought a couple weeks ago. She definitely needs some more indepth work to keep her coccupied. She easily completes 4 or more lessons a day. Like I said, a girl with her own agenda.
I have a Christmas gift...yes, I know what I said about Christmas and all, but this is different, sort of. I came across a bargain and couldn't pass it up. Dewey said birthday and Christmas gift and I jumped on it! (my birthday is Christmas Eve...I tend to get those 'combined' gifts quite often!). I have a 20 quart Welbilt Varimixer sitting in my kitchen :o) It's huge. It's sitting on the floor right now -- there's no way my counters, besides being far too tall, would accommodate this machine. I'll have to build some sort of stand for it, but for now, it's just sitting there, waiting to be used. We will start selling bread and such soon, and much easier.
The man we bought it from buys out various businesses and such and resells the equipment. He thinks he knows of a commercial oven and stove and is checking on that for me. Dewey wasn't really in the mood to drag along with me to pick it up, but he wanted to check it out first. Well, he has found his new dream shopping warehouse now. This man has virtually everything. If he doesn't have it and doesn't know where to find it, you simply don't need it. He has all sorts of building materials and so on. Dewey enjoyed his trip more than I did I think!
I will get some pictures up this week, but today, the meat is calling!
Keeping Warm
One of the downfalls of an old home is when you have a lack of insulation in the walls. Homes built in 1890 didn't have insulation as we know it today. My Beloved's and my bedroom is one of the original rooms of our homestead home. Like typical homes of that period, there is no insulation to help keep the winter cold out. Nothing can be more "chilling" than to climb into bed in an unheated, uninsulated room and lay between two icy cold bed sheets! Yes, we have other blankets in the bed, but the top & fitted sheets are still very cold. Here is the solution that we have been using with great results.
The first step was to remove the top sheet from the bed. We left the bottom fitted sheet on the bed, but covered it with a large fuzzy acrylic blanket/throw that we have. This acrylic blanket/throw is what we sleep on. Next, we took a second fuzzy acrylic blanket/throw and used that in place of the top sheet. Last came another heavy acrylic blanket, comforter, and quilt. Yes, it is alot of layers, but it worked! The first night we did this, we had temperatures reaching the freezing point. Typically, the bedroom was very cold but instead of sleeping in a cold bed, we were kept very toasty warm!
If you are having problems with cold sheets when you go to bed on a cold night, try sleeping between 2 layers of acrylic fuzzy blankets. It may be much warmer for oyu and save on the extra heating costs.
Additional note: if you come across old acrylic blankets like the fuzzy type I described using, consider using them inside your quilts as a batting. The blankets are very warm and would make a nice, easy to launder batting.
A Too Large Pot Roast...
Houston, we have a problem.My 4 inch by, oh, maybe 14 inch, chuck roast won't fit in my roaster :o(
Well, let me rephrase myself. It fits...with some tucking in along the sides, and I do have a bit of space on the ends. But overall, my cast iron roaster is simply too small. My mother said cut it in half and use 2 pans. Oh, the indignity of whacking this wonderful, marbled roast in half! Isn't it a beauty?
No, I don't usually covet meat like this, but this is special :o) I'm used to rolled roasts, or rump roasts...something more akin to the size of a regulation football. In our area here, pork is the meat of choice it seems. Boston Butts, Loins, etc. They are more readily available in the stores. Beef roasts, even a simple chuck roast, just aren't what I think of as a roast. Most around here are what I'd consider more of a thick steak than anything of a roast.
But I got this at the butcher yesterday when I ordered my bulk meats. The owner was cutting up a half a steer and his wife brought out some small cuts to cut them down more. I saw this one on the table and asked about it. She was going to cut it at least in half, if not thirds. No way -- it was just perfect, I thought. So I bought it.
Me.
Home alone here with no husband, no eldest son and fiance, no eldest daughter. Just me and 7 children. Seven younger children.
This roast could last us most of the week if I play it right.
I managed to get about 4 potatoes cut in half alongside the roast on the ends, and maybe 3 or 4 carrots cut into lengths as well. But my usual broth/gravy concoction doesn't stand a chance of being in there. Not without a serious drip shield along that pan! I simply mixed a bit of stock with a touch of flour to thicken slightly and poured it over. It will be covered and cook all day now. Around 5 or 6 pm we'll eat dinner :o)
Can you imagine how tender this baby will be? I probably shouldn't have bought it, being here with just the children, but I lack self-restraint. It just looked too good to pass up.
I imagine when Dewey reads this his mouth will be watering all over the computer :o) I could FedEx a plate overnight to you honey....
{ Last Page } { Page 2 of 5 } { Next Page }
About Me
My Profile
Archives
Friends
My Photo Album
Links
Categories
Recent Entries
My Path to PlainnessSearching
Spring cleaning...
Friends
HandsNHeartsblessedmama
TChannel4
oklamouse
MrsM
rellamom
Mennobrarian
SisterRuth