Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Promised Pantry List

"And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them." Genesis 6:21

First, a little about our day. The cold has blown in again and with it a bit of snow. This is definately a 360 degree turn around from this time last year when temperatures were often in the 70's, winds were 40 mph and it seemed all of Oklahoma was on fire. What a blessing the moisture is. My granddaughter and I have been cooking today. I made a soup from leftovers in the refrigerator - gravy from last week's buffalo roast along with the last of the meat, leftover winter squash, some homemade broth, onions, hamburger, potatoes. Next Lianna and I got out the sourdough starter and made a couple loaves of sourdough bread, then she insisted we bake a cake. We found this great old recipe in my 1953 Joy of Cooking for Mock Pound Cake:

Sift 2 cups sugar. Beat until soft 1 cup butter. Add the sifted sugar gradually. Blend these ingredients until they are very light and creamy. Separate 4 eggs. Beat the yolks into the butter/sugar mixture. Sift 3 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all purpose). Resift twice with 4 teaspoonfuls baking powder and 1/2 teaspooonful salt. Add these ingredients in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternately with thirds of 2 cups milk. (The recipe called for 1, but it was just too stiff.) Beat the batter until smooth after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. (I used 1/2 teaspoonful lemon extract, 1/4 teaspoonful almond extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.) Whip the 4 egg whites with 1/8 teaspoonful salt until stiff but not dry. Fold them lightly into the cake batter. Bake in a greased tube pan in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. A strand of spagetti makes a great cake tester. Our grandmothers used a clean broom straw. Cool for 5 minutes then loosen from the sides of the pan and invert onto a plate to complete cooling. This cake is light like a chiffon cake, yet rich and flavored like pound cake. It will probably our new tradition for birthday cakes.
Now, the promised pantry list. The items in italics would be the first ones I'd do without. Explanations for my individual situation are in parenthesis:

  • Whole wheat (We have a Country Living grain mill that grinds beautifully. I highy recommend them.)
  • Whole corn (Ground in the mill for cornmeal or made into hominy.)
  • Popcorn
  • Rice
  • Oatmeal
  • Dried beans
  • White flour
  • Sugar - white and brown
  • Salt (we keep a 50 pound bag for use in curing meat)
  • Lard (kept in the freezer)
  • Vegetable oil
  • Vinegar (White for general use. We make our own wine vinegar for good eating.)
  • Honey
  • Sorghum
  • Peanut butter
  • Whole peanuts
  • Mustard
  • Ketchup
  • Dried fruit
  • Bouillon (My preference is home canned bone broths, but I keep a bit of this on hand.)
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Yeast (Kept in the freezer. I'm using yeast that's been expired for several years but is perfectly useable after being kept in the freezer.)
  • Cocoa
  • Soy sauce (Bought by the gallon from an Oriental grocery store)
  • Dried milk
  • Dried eggs (Usually obtained from friends who get Indian commodities. Most people don't use them.)
  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Pepper and spices
  • Pasta (I have a hand-cranked pasta machine that makes much better than store bought)
  • Commercial canned vegetables
  • * Green beans
  • * Potatoes
  • * Peas
  • * Mixed vegetables
  • * Corn
  • * Spinach
  • * Diced tomatoes
  • * Tomato sauce
  • Cream of mushroom soup
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Ramen soup (Cheap and easy. Really flavorful versions are available at Oriental groceries)
  • Salt peter (For curing meat. Another item available at Oriental grocery stores.)
  • Canning jar lids
  • Disposable plates, bowls, utensils
  • Paper towels
  • Toilet paper
  • Feminine products (We've started using cloth pads, so this will soon be deleted)
  • Dish soap
  • Bleach
  • Ammonia
  • Laundry soap
  • Lye (A multi-use product - soapmaking, hominy, cleaning.)
  • Otc medications
  • * Aspirin
  • * Ibuprofen
  • * Pseudoephedrine
  • * Diphenhydramine
  • * Robitussin
  • * Cranberry juice capsules (I have frequent UTI's)
  • * Vitamins

My next step will be to determine storage quantities and I'll post these when I get done.

A friend sent me this great link:

Making of America Digital Library

The following is an excerpt from a book in this collection "Plain and Pleasant Talk About Fruits, Flowers, and Farming" by Henry Ward Beecher written in 1859:

The two extremes of husbandry are, the adoption of every novelty and every experiment indiscriminately, and the rejection of every new thing and every improvement, as indiscriminately. Wisdom consists in "proving all things and holding fast that which is good." We do not advocate large outlays for expensive machines-for fancy cattle, for every new thing that turns up. But when, after full trial, it is ascertained what are the best farm horses, the best breed of cattle, the best milch cows, the most profitable breed of hogs and sheep, and the most skillful routine of cultivation, we think our farmers ought to profit by the knowledge. It is never a good economy to have poor things when you can just as well have the best. This, then, is OUR CREED. We believe in small farms and thorough cultivation. We believe that soil loves to eat, as well as its owner, and ought, therefore, to be manured. We believe in large crops which leave the land better than they found it-making both the farmer and the farm rich at once. We believe in going to the bottom of things and, therefore, in deep plowing, and enough of it. All the better if with a sub-soil plow. We believe that every farm should own a good farmer. We believe that the best fertilizer of any soil, is a spirit of industry, enterprise, and intelligence —without this, lime and gypsum, bones and green hanure, marl and guano will be of little use. We believe in good fences, good barns, good farmhouses, good stock, good orchards, and children enough to gather the fruit s: We believe in a clean kitchen, a neat wife in it, a spinning-piano, a clean cupboard, a clean dairy, and a clean conscience. We firmly disbelieve in farmers that will not improve; in farms that grow poorer every year; in starveling cattle; in farmers' boys turning into clerks and merchants; in farmers' daughters unwilling to work, and in all farmers ashamed of their vocation, or who drink whisky till honest people are ashamed of them.

Till next time,

Judy

Friday, January 26, 2007

Seasons

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

It was with sadness, yet a certain understanding, that I read this morning that the Kansas Milkmaid will no longer be making her wise and wonderful contributions to the community of Christian agrarian bloggers. It's good though, in a way, to see the agrarian community reflecting life, with it's ups and downs and it's comings and goings. Kansas Milkmaid, we haven't met, but I'm still going to miss you. As spring follows winter so do newcomers to this wonderful life in His garden. Lately, I've been enjoying the freshness of the Ante Family Agrarians, a young family new to life on the land, and would encourage others to support their efforts.

It's an absolutely gorgeous, sunny day in the southern plains today. Dave brought in 12 bales of nice, bright straw, which was a blessing to find as I fear we have a bit more winter ahead. He also brought me 3 big bags of potting soil so I can get caught up in the greenhouse. Best of all, last night he brought me a wonderful gift - a bright red Kitchen-Aid Artisan mixer. I've admittedly coveted one for some time. I'm not usually one to get excited about "stuff", but to my mind homestead equipment that will last a lifetime isn't "stuff."

There's a buffalo chuck roast in the oven. We raise most of our own meat - pork, goat, rabbit, duck - and also hunt for venison, but we buy buffalo from producer members of the Oklahoma Food Coop. We all agree it's better than beef! Here's what I did:

First I seared the roast in a hot cast-iron pan. Probably the most important technique for cooking meat is the searing process. It carmelizes the sugars on the surface of the meat and makes the base for the richest and most flavorful gravy. Once the meat was good and brown I sauteed an onion in the same pan in a little butter. The meat then went back in the pan with some salt and an herb mix, "Better Than Salt" from another food coop producer. The blend contains oregano, onion, marjoram, basil, savory, garlic, rosemary, lemon, sage, thyme, pepper and bay leaves. I topped the roast with the sauteed onions, added about 1 cup of water and finished with about a quart of carrots and celery that I had in the freezer. After covering and baking in a slow oven (250 to 300) till the meat was good and tender, I made gravy by running the cooked onions, carrots and celery through the food processor and adding some fresh cream. Our nice lunch was rounded out by mashed potatoes, fresh green salad, sourdough bread and peach cobbler.

This afternoon was spent in the greenhouse where I planted 3 types of cabbage, 2 types of Chinese cabbage, 2 types of Brussels sprouts and 1 type of broccoli. I also planted 19 different varieties of tomatoes and a flat of bunching onions, and did some straightening up. I found that the 4 flats of bulbing onions and 1 flat of leeks that I planted a couple of weeks ago are up and running.

I haven't forgotten the promised pantry list, and will be posting it as soon as I get it typed up.

That's it for today. Blessings to all.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

A Quarrelsome Wife

"A Foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Proverbs 19:13

I am a willful woman. It's the affirmity I am to bear and, honestly, it's a real pain in the rear for someone who endeavors to be worth more than rubies to the good, capable and resourceful man God has given me. I decided yesterday that every time he aggravates me, every time I find myself bowing up to argue just for the sake of arguing, I'm going to kiss him. Really kiss him. It's hard to be irritable when you're concentrating on *really* kissing.

For what it's worth.

Baby Steps

With all the bad weather this last week, I've had a good opportunity to read many of the other Christian agrarian blogs out there. All I can say is "wow!" Now, I'm a fairly intelligent person, if the numbers are to be believed, but I just don't have the background to address the deeper issues that some of these talented folks do. Over the years, though, I've become certain in my belief that God gives us all gifts, just like His word says He does. So, I'll continue to take baby steps in this adventure of opening my journal to the eyes of the internet.

I've practiced baby steps today. I'm firm in my belief regarding my role as homekeeper and helpmeet for my precious husband, but my human nature often gets in the way of what I know is the right way to conduct my day to day activities. I'm a rotten housekeeper. Once I get started I can do a good job, but I'm usually overwhelmed with all that I need to do. My best move, I've discovered, is to get the kitchen in order. It seems like the heart of the home is the kitchen, and once it's in order I feel much more momentum to conquer the rest of the bedlam that befalls a homestead household. So, this weekend I tackled my kitchen.

I started in the pantry. Hindsight is 20/20 and this is certainly true in homebuilding. David and I built our home together, just the two of us. It's a good home, solid and warm, but my pantry is just way too small. It's 4' x 10' and could easily have been four times that size. I usually clean it out about twice yearly and with the recent ice storms I've been motivated to update my pantry and preparedness lists. I'll be posting those with details of what works for our family soon. Pantry rules that are on my mind:

  • Label everything, regardless of how obvious it is what the contents are.
  • If you buy store-bought canned goods, look a brand that stacks well. We love the Wylewood brand from Sav-a-lot. The quality is good and the cans will stack 3-, even 4-high.
  • Remember the old standby rule: "Store what you use, use what you store."
  • For preparedness, consider both staples for cooking from scratch along with a smaller quantity of no-cook or lo-cook items
If you find, during pantry cleaning, that you have lots of things that have gotten lost yet could have been used, consider moving those items to eye level. Although it's logical to have the items you use most in the most accessible place, you should also remember that it's not frugal or self-sufficient to waste food by putting it aside and forgetting it. When I post my pantry list, I'll further discuss my pantry setup and the rationale behind it.

Moving to the kitchen, here's some suggestions that I have found helpful:
  • If you have a family of 3, you really don't need place settings for 24. It's only human nature that the more dishes you have, the more you'll dirty before washing them.
  • A full sheet of newspaper fits very nicely on the top of most refrigerators. It's not noticeable and has saved me so much time wiping down the greasy dust that accumulates up there.
  • Think hard about the electric gadgets you keep in your kitchen. If you don't use them, pass them on. They won't be at all useful if electricity becomes scarce and if they take more time to clean and put away than they save, they're enslaving you. I keep a blender (great for powdering dried onion, garlic and peppers), a food processer, a rice steamer, a crockpot (makes perfect tomato paste) and a great old electric skillet that I probably should give to someone who would use it more than I do. I could easily do without all of them. On the other hand, non-electric helpers I have are a Roma food mill (testing this out to decide if I want to invest in a Squeezo), a #32 meat grinder, a Country Living grain mill, a hand cranked meat slicer, an Enterprise lard press/sausage stuffer, a hundred-year-old apple peeler, and a tortilla press. On my wish list are a cider press with grinder and a good kraut cutter.
  • Old tin-plated utensils (food mills, graters, etc) and enamel plated ware are all romantic and served their purpose well, but as much as I love the past I'd recommend replacing these with stainless steel as money becomes available. They'll all rust eventually. Whenever you replace or buy new equipment, buy the very best you can afford. Cheap kitchen equipment costs more in the long run.
  • If your kitchen isn't working, change it. I'm not a follower of Feng Shui or any of that non-sense, but I do know that sometimes it takes several tries in arranging our homes to get things right. My husband maintains that all furniture should be bolted to the floor and never move, but with gentleness I can usually get him to understand that change can be a positive thing. If you find yourself tense time after time as you get out a certain piece of equipment, or if you find yourself hesitating to wash it and put it up, maybe it isn't in a good place.
"Baby Steps" is a buzzword in online homemaking circles and I'm not much on buzzwords, but sometimes as homesteaders we get overwhelmed and need to do one thing at a time. More news from the kitchen to come.

Blessings to you all,

Judy

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Stuck Out Here In Paradise

"I don't wanna go nowhere. Let the river flow, I don't care. Can't go to work and the boss can't call, But me and my baby don't mind at all - Stuck out here in paradise."
(copyright '95 Ranger Bob Music, ASCAP/Polygram Int. ASCAP/Murrah Music BMI)

Ice Storm 2007, as the local news has termed it, is about over. It started out with rain on Friday morning as the temperature started to plummet. Dave made a quick trip to town for a few last-minute things, but all in all we were prepared. We brought 6 5-gallon buckets of water in the house plus the 5-gallon drinking water jug along with filling both 20-quart canners and the 12-gallon Amish made canner for hot water. Our house isn't plumbed for running water so carrying water isn't an unusual thing, but we brought in extra since we knew the freeze proof faucets outside would be iced over. We brought firewood up on the porch to keep it out of the ice and gave the goats and pigs extra straw bedding. We had plenty of kerosene and wicks on hand for the lanterns and took time to make sure they were topped off and the wicks trimmed properly. When we moved to Tabletop Homestead in 1999 we spent the first 15 months without electricity, so all this was just a matter of reviving old habits.

I just heard on the news about people in the eastern part of the state who had thought ahead by purchasing generators, then were surprised that they couldn't get fuel to run them once the power went out and the gas pumps no longer worked. Preparation is as much about thinking through processes as it is about stockpiling stuff. You have to think about the things you absolutely have to do and then plan how you're going to do them in the absence of electricity, transportation, running water, etc. What's necessary in your house might not be the same as what's necessary in mine. Basically, our family must:
  • Keep warm
  • Drink water
  • Cook and eat
  • Provide for minimal necessary washing and hygiene
  • Take necessary medications
  • Handle human waste
  • Light common areas
  • Consider activities to avoid "cabin fever"
  • Care for livestock and pets
No one can tell you "If you store x-number of days' worth of these foods and buy a generator you'll be prepared." Each family must consider it's own situation and needs, while being objective about what's absolutely necessary (keeping warm) and what's nice to have (daily showers and video games.) Start by making a list of your family's vital activities then sit down together and discuss how you might get these things done in less than ideal circumstances. From there you can decide what kinds of things you need to keep on hand.

I have to say, as crazy as it sounds I love things like ice storms, flooding rains, etc. It gives us a chance to fine-tune our preparedness, but more than that I enjoy being separated from the world for a day or two. I love the family closeness it fosters and how it focuses all our thoughts and activities on the homestead. We'll be de-iced enough in a day or two that we can't use it for an excuse, and we'll go back to the things we have to do in the world. We look forward to the day when it doesn't take an ice storm to keep us home.


"Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them." Ezekial 38:7

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Shifting Gears

Most homesteaders dream of a day when they no longer have to leave the farm to pay the bills. Many of us continue be bondservants in the world working toward the time when we can finally concentrate our full energies on the homestead. The hardest part of all of this for me is shifting gears. I believe it's easier for men. Most men can come home from their careers, change into their jeans and jump right into their vocation as homesteader in the matter of an hour or two. I admire that. For me and many women however, it takes more time.

A married women's heart is at home, no matter where she is. God hard-wired us this way, whether we admit to it or not. I work 3 days a week as an R.N. at a local hospital. Now, I'm not complaining; I'm blessed to have 4 days on the homestead for every 3 days I work. It's just that it takes me a lot longer as a woman to wind down and make the transition from being a nursing supervisor responsible for many people both sick and well to being a stay-at-home mom and grandma. Likewise, my days off are clouded with the thought in the back of mind that soon I must leave again.

I long to home, and we do have plans in progress to make that happen. I look forward to waking every morning with only thoughts of prioritizing the day's work to make our homestead a place that reflects God's blessing and glory.

"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your alter, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God." Psalm 84:3

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Food from Afar

"She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar." Proverbs 31:14

I always love the new year. It's the time here in southern Oklahoma to start the garden. I start cabbages and other cole crops, onions, lettuce and greens, and a few really long season things the first part of January in the greenhouse. I like experimenting with new varieties, and grow exclusively open-pollinated seed. This year we've got lots of new trellis space, having mounted livestock panel trellises on both the east and west sides of the house, so I'll be trying many new vining plants. One that interested me was a plant called "Casssabanana" from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds



This plant is from Guatamala and described in the catalog: "The fruit are brilliant, flaming red and are about 2' long, one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen! They have bright orange flesh that is sweet and is used in drinks, jellies and other desserts; it has a tropical fruit taste. The fruit are fragrant and keep for a long period, like squash. . . .Huge vines can grow to 50' and are quite ornamental. . . . .Here in southern Missouri the fruit almost ripened last year, so we think if the plants are started indoors, we could easily get ripe fruit here in zone 6. . . .This plant was first mentioned in Europe in 1658 as a popular plant in Peru."

Using plants from other areas of the world is a technique I use often to further our work towards self-sufficiency. I like to explore and experiment with edible and useful plants from areas with comparable climates, especiallyl Mexico, the Mediterranean, parts of the Orient and the Middle East in order to provide variety and good nutrition in the family's diet.

Information on the Cassabanana from the Center For New Plants and Plant Products at Perdue University