Jordan's Farm

Road Ahead - recipes from Scratch - Part 6

These are the recipes I use weekly.

Pie crust or pastry( chicken and pastry dinner)

3 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking power

1 cup lard or shortening

1 eggs

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

5 tablespoons ice water

Sift flour with salt, baking powder. Cut lard into flour mixture until crumbs form. Beat egg lightly and add to mixture. Add lemon juice, and water. Stir with a fork until blended. Roll out on a lightly floured space. makes 2 pie crust.

for pastry: roll out very thin, cut into squares or strips, drop into boiling broth and chicken. Cook about 10 more minutes. This is like a chicken and dumplings but the pastry's taste almost like a noodle. I usually have to double the recipe as they eat it up fast here.

No bake Choc. Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups quick oats

Mix sugar, butter, cocoa, milk in a pan over med. heat, boil 1 minute.

remove from heat, stir in peanut butter, then quickly stir in oatmeal.

then drop by spoon fulls on to wax paper.

Chocolate Cream Pie ( this will disappears very fast)

makes 2- 9" pies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 baked pie shells

Combine sugar, cocoa, flour in a heavy sauce pan, stir to remove lumps.

combine eggs, milk, water in a mixing bowl.

gradually add milk mixture to cocoa mixture, stirring until well blended.

Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

remove from heat, add butter and vanilla, stir until butter is melted.

pour in to pie shells and chill. then top with whipped cream. ( you had better hide one)

Creamed Cheese Peas (the only way my kids will eat peas)

1/2 stick butter

2-3 tablespoons flour

6 slices of cheese ( or a jelly jar of the canned cheese sauce in the recipe tab)

1 can of peas

In a sauce pan add butter, melt butter over med. heat, stir in flour and add a pinch of salt, stir until it thickens. then add about 6 slices of cheese and stir until the cheese melts, then add a can of strained peas.

Quick Pizza Dough

2 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup lukewarm water

Dissolve yeast in water, mix flour and salt together then mix with yeast mixture. let sit covered for 5 minutes. grease pan and sprinkle with flour. form crust and let it rest for about 10 minutes. (to prevent sogginess, coat lightly with oil or non-stick cooking spray).

add toppings. bake at 400* for about 20 minutes.

An even faster pizza: use English muffin halves, and add topping.

Coconut Dream Bars (a heavenly treat)

Bake at 350* , 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown, in a 13 X 9 pan

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups coconut

Combine flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter until particles are fine, use low speed of mixer. press into the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 pan and bake at 350* for 15 minutes. beat 1 1/2 cups brown sugar with eggs , just until blended. mix in remaining ingredients, spread over partially baked crust. bake 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown. cool and cut.

I know this is mostly sweets. But in hard times this is what is cut first from the food bill. And having sweets around always makes hard times a little easier on old and young alike.  

What is your best sweets recipe? Would you share it here with us?

Have a great day,

Becky

Road Ahead - Canning Meats - Part 5

Ok, you find a great sale on meat but don't have room in your freezer; a friend is sharing their deer meat with you.

I have canned meat. Talk about a quick meal: open a jar of beef, potatoes, carrots, put in a pot and add some seasoning and you have beef stew. Open a jar of chicken and add noodles, a great soup.

Canning Meats

This is raw packing meat( which means you don't cook the meat first), beef, pork, chicken, deer, veal, mutton, lamb. Cut meat off the bones.(save meaty bones for canning broth below).

Cut the meat into jar length chucks or slice into 1" slices, cube it like for beef stew.

Pack into jars loosely.

if desired add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pints, and 1 teaspoon to quarts.

pour in hot broth or water over  the meat: leaving 1" head space.

remove air bubbles, put lids on.

Pressure can at 10 pounds pressure:

Pints: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Quarts: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Canning Broths or Stock

Meaty beef bones or deer bones or chicken bones:

boil and simmer 2-3 hours, remove bones, skim off excess fat off the top, strain the liquid.

pour into jars, put lids on.

Pressure can at 10 pounds pressure:

pints: 20 minutes

quarts: 25 minutes

Or the broth can be frozen if you have the room.

Waste not,want not. I try to use everything. And after the meaty bones are done into a broth you can also can the meat off them, the bones go to the dogs and cats.

Happy canning,

Becky

Road Ahead - Part 4 - making more at home

Well I have made 2 batches of homemade ice cream. And for some reason it's so much better than store bought. I have never worked out the price to make it, as we have milk and eggs here. We save up ice to make it.

A trip to town yesterday was an eye opener. Gas here was down to $2.78 a gallon.  I'm trying to restock some of the sugar I've used. (so as my stock does not get to low going into the winter). And do you know the 5 pounds bags are gone with the wind.  All I could find where 4 pound bags for the same price as the 5 pound. I was not a happy camper. Some lady in the store said, "They changed to 4 pounds two months ago. Why are you so mad,now?" And as nicely as I could told her about my stocking and that I was just refilling my stock. And then I got the funny look from her, and she asked why I was stocking up? I just rolled my eyes, sorry to say, and went on. Potatoes, these are now gold in this area. Early this year, 10 lbs. $1.49, 50 lbs.$7.00, now 10 lbs are $4.99 and the 50 lbs. jump to $18.99. I bought one 10 lbs bag, why not the 50 lbs? Well we wanted some french fries(it's been a month and half since we have had any), and the frozen french fries were even higher. I have some canned potatoes and instant mashed potatoes . We use to eat potatoes about every night, now maybe 2-3 times a week. Which is killing my 11 year old daughter.

I am now only buying staples at the store. I was buying a off brand hamburger helper ( for a fast meal) but the last two boxes I bought had a flavor of nothing but salt. So no more prepackaged foods. If I can not make it from scratch, we don't eat it. I have put my foot down on cereal too( the only prepackaged food I buy as I have not learned to make it), as the price is the same but the ounces keep going down. I'll buy one box a week that is not more than $2.00. Which has my 11 yrs. old checking prices and ounces better than before. Yesterday at Save A Lot, she was almost in tears. She said, "Mom, my cereal is now $1.89 a box and two weeks ago it was $1. 69 and 2 ounces larger." She knows I will not buy it when it goes over $2.00. I think this mess is hurting the children hard. Yes, I know there are other foods for breakfast but we also use cereal as snacks( because we have so much milk).

I need to keep an eye out for milk prices as our milk cow is slowly drying up. (We are praying the bull in the pen with her, has done his job.) We are now getting about 2 gallons and a quart a day. I am still freezing and canning.

But we are  using/drinking a gallon a day. So I'm not sure now long my stock will last. 

Collodial Silver Water - Natural Antibiotic

I first tried this, a few weeks ago. And I love it. I had a super bad ear infection, which meant I needed an super antibiotic( I used pill antibiotics for 20 days). I could not hear out of my ear for almost 3 weeks. A friend said to try this Collodial silver water. And I did, with in 3 days, I could hear again. Then I goggled it and found more uses. Here is one: Usages. And another friend has the machine to make it at home and is going to make me some( thank you Angela). The last few days, I have been checking out herbs and their usages. Finding out which I can grow at home, which grow in the woods and fields around me. Please check into this.

My son got me an "Natural Remedies Encyclopedia" with  908 pages. He had gotten it earlier this year so that I could find things that might help Tommy with his cancer. I know this is an other must have book.

Here at Amazon 

This book is not cheap, runs from $50.00 and up. (Maybe you can ask your son too, as we could not have bought it our selves).If you are like me and know very little about herbs, it's great. And if you already know about using herbs, it has everything in one book. This book tells you everything, from photos of the herbs to making them, and what herbs to use for what.  My son blessed us in more than one way with this book. This book covers a lot of every day things too. And think of all the money you will be saving, no more waiting in the doctors office for two hours.  You say your not a doctor and will not know what your treating. Well the book also list symptoms, causes, natural remedies and is written by MD's. I am not saying never go to the doctors, just not as much. With money tight you want to do all you can to save it. Some of the herbs are growing in your back yard for free. You moms with kids, I know you get tired of going in for ear infections, the Collodial silver water works and the book will give you more herbs and ways.

There are a very few books I put on my must have list. But the ones that are on this list are the best out there. And most cover everything in a subject. I have a most have gardening book, I'll  tell you about next time.

The more thing I can make/ or do at home, the less money I'll have to spend. Everything I am doing takes more time than money. Time I have, money very little of.  A few years ago, I would of never dream of using herbs, as I only knew a very few people who used them, so I did not know much about them myself. I had nothing against them or using them. I guess you could say I didn't need them. Then Tommy got sick and  this opened my eyes to herbs. I don't know a lot about them YET, but I'm learning daily. And I'm thankful the Lord supply's all our needs, even in the back yard. 

Happy herb hunting,

Becky

Road Ahead - Part 3

This economic mess is not getting better. I know gas price are down, oil prices by the barrel  are down, the stock market is on an up swing and something is just not right( some have called it a momma thing). I know it looks good and sounds even better, but it's not. It has taken us over a year and  half to get in this mess, it will not clear up in an week or two. Please don't think everything is find and dandy now. Don't let your guard down, please. I do not have a master's degree or PhD. in  our economics, I'm a simple housewife/ mother. But I do know how to handle money in a home and business and what will happen when it's not used right.  This will take years to fix, not weeks. Some of you see this as great news, and are going back to life as before. I am warning you to keep a hold of your money and keep watching your spending. This is not over, it's just starting. I don't know all the proper words for this mess, but I do know it's not as good as it looks and sounds. This money going out has to be backed by something, has to come from some where, Where? What?  The US owes more money than we can pay back in years. The News has said that the people(you and I) have over used the credit system, and are in to much debt. Well I'm sure our debt is not as large as the USA's. What happens to you and I ,when we over charge our credit cards and can't pay them back and spend out side our means?  Bankruptcy, can't pay our bills, no money for food. Now think a little bigger (times a few million+). What will happen when much more money is spent and borrowed on credit and can't be paid back on time?

The government has put a pretty flowered band- aid on this mess, while the sore below get worse. What's going to happen when the band- aid falls off?  If you don't really see the sore, it does not hurt as bad and at times you forget it's there.

I think the worse and hardest times are to come. This is now I feel and what I think. A wolf has come in, in sheep's clothing. And I know some you think I'm over reacting and that's your right. But this is me and how I think and believe. I'm trying to pull the wool back off some of your eyes.  

I'm not trying to start a panic or make things look worse than they are, just telling you all what I see. Every one wants things to go back  to the way they were, and they will in a few years, but not now. I don't want more people to be blind sided this go around. Please prepare for your family, think twice before buying something, and pray a lot.

In all my life, I never thought I'd write posts like these.  Why, now? I'm really not sure. I feel very strongly about warning people. This is not an area I know a lot about. But then when I put it in a family aspect and did some multiplying by big numbers it became a little more clearer.

I know I'm not alone in my thoughts. As a friend, Janet, came by last night and felt the same way.  She too, sees people who think it's all getting better, but it's not.

Please pull the band-aid off and take a really good look. Are we in a recession and heading for a depression?

Do you agree or disagree with this post? I would really like to know.

Becky

Road Ahead - Part 2

The Encyclopedia of Country Living , An Old Fashioned Recipe Book

By: Carla Emery

This is a great book. And a must have for everyone.  Even if you don't live on a farm, or you don't want to grow your own food, you want nothing to with animals. This book has everything in it. In hard times, this book will tell you how to do everything and in good times, it'll make your life easier. I usually do not talk highly of books. But please try and get this book, ask for it as a gift, or save your change, give it as a gift.  It will be the very best investment you can make. The book price runs $20 -$30, see if you can go in half's with a friend to start with. I know this is a lot on money right now, but I know you will not be sorry. If I could only have one book, this would be it.  The book photo shows the edition I have, but there is a newer one( I'm saving my change to get it).

To get a look at the inside of the book click this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1570615535/ref=sib_dp_pop_fc?ie=UTF8&p=S001#reader-link

To see about price and ordering here: http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Carla-Emery/dp/1570615535/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product

Water Storage

I know I gave you a few links but I want to do a little more as this is a very needed thing. Before we got our storage water tank, these are ways/ were I stored water. They say to store 3 -7 days water. But I took it a little farther, 1 month. You say that's a lot of water, not really if you reuse it.

Ways/were/reuse

• fill 2 liter bottles and stick in closets, under beds, in the freezer( if you lose power, they can be put in coolers to keep things cold, then as they melt you have drinking water)
• 5 gallon buckets with lids ( the old paint buckets, use this water to flush the toilets, only) some of these can be left outside to freeze as long as they are not filled to the rim. I did store some in the outside sheds and barns. When a bucket became empty, I filled it with water. If I really needed the bucket for something else, just dump out the water and dry.
• Water needs to be stored were no sun light can get to the water.  our water tank is almost clear and sits outside on it's own little deck. At the thrift store, I bought old blankets and covered the tank. And it worked great. No green water for two years now. The blankets also help to keep the water from freezing in the winter. On top of the blankets (in winter time) I place a dark colored trap, which helps to keep the water from freezing. On the neck part, where the water comes out, I wrap it in old wool sweaters. And it worked to keep it from freezing.
• Save the water you use to rinse the dishes and wash hands in, and put it in a 5 gal. bucket in the bath room, to use to flush the toilet.
• Plastic trash cans (unused, new) with lids, to store water in, if they have to be left out side, do not fill full. Used cans can be filled for flushing toilet.
• If you know ahead of time that a storm is coming: fill your washing machine , bathtub, any large pot and pans you might have, coolers,  up.  Then use this water first, before using your stored water. I have two of those 5 gallon drinking coolers on my front porch, year round, and change the water once a month. They have never froze, but we usually don't get colder than about 0. 
• For those of you who do canning, take your extra jars and can some water. I have some 1/2 gallon jars, that you are really not to can food in (nothing but apple juice), I use these to can water. This water can be used to clean wounds, to drink, etc.
• Milk jugs really are not strong enough to store water in. And they leak so easily. Reuse plastic juice bottles, 2 liter bottles, 16 oz. soda/water bottles.
• The big tub plastic tots with lids are good to store water in. Throw a sheet over them and you have a little table. 
• Use the water in your hot water heater. I'm not sure I'd drink it, but can be used for washing and toilets.
• If your stored water turns green, use it to flush the toilet.

I went one time with very little water stored, for three days. I was not a happy camper. It just takes one time for me.  You might think I store to much water, well we'll see. This is the most important thing I store, and I'll not be caught short handed again. And I really do not want any of you to come up short here. It's not a pretty sight.

With a hard winter coming it's best to store some water. Why? What if you can't pay your power bill on time and it takes you a few days to get the money up? What if a big storm comes? What if your well goes dry/pump breaks? What if the city water lines break or go down or run out of water?The what if's are endless. Please store some water. It does not cost to store water. Just look around your home for things to use. Everyone is storing food and other things getting ready for winter and the hard times ahead. How is your water storage? How many days can you go?

Until next time,

Becky

All the these posts will be tagged as "Road Ahead" and other tags, but to see just these, click on the tag "Road Ahead" in the categories drop down box.  I thought about giving these posts their own tab, but I think this will work better. And make it easier for you all to get too.

Getting ready for the Road Ahead- part 1

Economic Situation - Recession - Life Ahead : this post was the first, and you all asked for links and more of what I was printing off.

In these posts, I will list links to things I'm printing off. ( I started out just taking notes as we did not have a printer). Now most of these sites have a lot of other great information on them and ideas, some of which I know will not work in our family or will be to costly, but might work in yours.

When I look up something, I make sure it's the cheapest and works the best. And I try and make sure it's with things I have easy access to, or have a lot of uses for.

Most of you have seen this one, but to me it's my best find so far.

I found  this recipe and like it the best for a few reasons: I can get Ivory soap bars for 3 for a dollar and baking soda is cheap, both Ivory and baking soda store just about forever, not a lot of work to make, can be used to clean other things.  I have bought Ivory and as have baking soda, for when it’s need. I really don't want to work with lye.

Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipe this recipe is in the Home Tips tab at the top of the page here. I got this at:  10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes   ( Recipe #8) There are other recipes here, too.

Homemade Sanitary Pads , I have made these and used them too.

End Times Reports Site Index : this is a great site. I have gotten a lot here. Stop in and see if it has something else for you. Below are posts I like: Building a solar oven

Making candles

An inexpensive water filter ,

Emergency Food and Water Supplies - from FEMA ,

WATER TANK STERILIZATION ,

STORING WATER IN 2 LITER POP BOTTLES ,

WATER DISINFECTION ,

Home Remedies ,

Survival and Austere Medicine  (long .pdf download)  Very good! (it's 213 pages long, just print off what you need and save to your computer)

Powdered Milk Recipes

Making and using a solar cooker with photos ( I like this one the best)

Using herbs 

Homemade Convenience Foods : a lot of good recipes here.  

Food, Food Storage and Food Tips :  a lot here, you can pick and choose.  

Cloth Toilet Paper,towels, napkins  (still sewing these)

How To's --Knitted Socks with photos , When I first started knitting, I started with this. She gives step by step with photos. Here is the pattern it's self: An very easy knitted sock pattern step by step great -  started

Today, I added bleach ( 1 cup)to my water storage tank (425 gallons). Then I stirred it up and will let it sit for a day.  Then I will drain it and refill with fresh water. Why do I drain it after I put the bleach in? Well it helps to keep the inside of the tank clean. And when I drain it out, there is still water (about 25 gallons) in the bottom.  Adding fresh water to that little bit of water with some bleach still in it, has no different taste to it than out of the sink. But still has enough bleach to keep water good and clean all winter. The power goes out here a lot in the winter, so we have a water storage tank. Before we got the tank, I had 2 liter bottles and milk jugs filled with water in every hiding place I could find. Do you know how many milk jugs of water it takes to keep a milk cow in water? Too, too many.

Do you have any water stored up?

 This should keep you all busy for a day or two, while I get the next post ready.  Here I need your help too. So if you have found something you want to share with everyone, please put it in the comment part and I'll add it to the next post too. ( to make it easier for all to get to.) 

What are you looking up and printing off?

Happy printing,

Becky

All the these posts will be tagged as "Road Ahead" and other tags, but to see just these, click on the tag "Road Ahead" in the categories drop down box.  I thought about giving these posts their own tab, but I think this will work better. And make it easier for you all to get too.