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A short fire update to begin: The insurance company said we had good insurance. The building was well insured and in a couple of weeks we should have a replacement estimate, they will cut a check, and we can begin building a new one. The contents were also well insured and they told us to not even bothering trying to salvage anything unless it has sentimental value. Luckily tools and such have little sentimental value. They will replace everything at the cost of what we have to pay to replace it, but will give us the depreciated value of everything to get us started. Now we have to begin listing everything, but they even said they would help us go thru the structure and do that. So far they have been very kind, understanding, and helpful. Last night we replaced the kid's bicycles so they are feeling a little better. I am also busy looking online for a barn kit so that we will be ready when the insurance money comes. Here is today's newspaper article http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060304/NEWS/603040316/1001 Somehow I just knew the 18 perished chicks would come off sounding more tragic than necessary. The children will go away to a friend's house tonight so that DH and I can spend an evening alone. This was already planned and so we are going to do it anyways. DH and I will begin inventoring everything when the kids are still away tomorrow. I have a lot to do today because I got very little done yesterday. First, I need to plan the menus for the next week and the grocery shopping. I think I will go shopping after I drop off the kids. I can't remember the last time I shopped without kids. I need to bottle the wine, which did not get done last weekend. I have laundry to catch up on and I want to pull out a dress for myself I have been working on and make a little progress. That reminds me, when I am in town today I want to get some paper to transfer some dress patterns a friends lent me for my daughter. I also need to get some pots for transplanting as those were lost in the fire. I need to transplant a few seedlings and get some new ones started. Tomorrow my focus will be on baking and using up some old milk, maybe by making ice cream. I also need to churn some butter. I already made yogurt this week. In our family we don't eat sugar, instead choosing honey, molasses, and maple syrup as natural sweeteners. We also use only whole wheat flour. This requires I bake a lot of items from scratch. I convert a lot of recipes myself and have a few cookbooks that I use. My usual weekly baking includes 2 loaves of honey whole wheat bread for sandwiches, 1-2 loaves of sourdough bread to eat with meals, 2 batches of scones either blueberry or blackberry, a batch of granola, and a batch of a snack item - like muffins, cookies, banana bread, etc. When possible I try to double recipes and put a portion in the freezer so we have some back-up and some variety. Using natural sweeteners also applies to canning. I use honey in all of my canned fruit, jams and jellies, and also when I make berry syrup. During the winter I keep a pitcher of juice for meals and to it I add the leftover syrup of any canned fruits. When we get low I add some grape juice we canned or a little berry syrup and water, or a mixture. We have also used a lot of frozen apple juice concentrate this winter because we did not have apples in order to can apple cider last season. Apple juice frozen concentrates are an inexpensive way to give my family juice that does not have sugar in it. This year we will can up plenty of apple cider. My father is giving us my family's old apple cider press as his cider making days are over. He has made me promise him 10 gallons a year in fresh cider. I am off to get started and feed the children. God bless today.
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Posted by http://beccasblogging.blogspot.com/