Learning the Old Ways

Have you ever thought about

just spending a week in history?

Or even a day for that matter?

Over the past several years, I have had a garden,

canned , made soap and lotion,

learned to spin - well...sorta,

tanned hides, and used a loom.
Some of these things were "once 'round",
but I tried them out and learned something.

Growing up on a ranch and living out of town,

we did plenty of make do or do without

which is a saying that seems to have come back into fashion.

I've put up hay,

had my arm up the south end of various critters,

fed, fattened, and butchered others,

made feeders with nothing more than scrap wood,

a few previously used nails and a skill saw. 

(no trip to the hardware store, YouTube, or lumber yard)

However,

there was/is something missing.
And so I digress~

Growing up,

we always looked forward to Grammy's 

home-canned green olives.

(Good Italian family!)

Grammy is my only grandparent left - 95yrs. young.

In talking with her a while back,

I asked her how she made her olives.

Her reply...

"Well, I just do it how Grandma did it."

Meaning her mother, my great-gma.

Of course she did.

My aunt still has the giant crocks she used for curing them.

That knowledge wasn't passed down,

because along came a generation or two

of those who found it easier to buy a can of olives and such things.
As Grammy told me the process, I took notes.

I don't think I am alone

in wanting to restore and preserve the knowledge

not only of the 'how-to'

but also the why and to what end.

Grammy said when she picked olives,

she was very careful with them and

set them in the bucket or they would bruise.

If you just drop them in you would

end up with brown spots on your olives.

That's what I'm talking about.

Those little details of life

that had meaning and reason

that were passed from one generation

to the next seamlessly without even realizing it.

I have a tendency to love talking with

let's say 'well-aged' folks.

My mom says even when I was little 

and other kids shyed away from the old,

I was right there.

Maybe this is part of the reason.

There's something I connect to,

a wisdom I crave,

and a knowledge I may never realize.

I am in a continual state of learning.

Bless my dear husband.

He is so patient as I try out a garden idea,

bring home an antique tool of some sort,

and share tid-bits of facts like

"If you pick green beans with the dew still on,
 they will get rust spots."

We found that out the first year we planted them - 

now we know why.

It would have been so much easier to

learn that from someone

before

we picked them in the early morning dew.
Multiple generations of a family used to live together or
at least within close proximity to one another (generally speaking.)
We are so distant now - in so many ways.

I'm not certain if there is a real point to all this,

or if it's just the sharing of a feeling,

but if it keeps you from picking green beans in the morning, or

encourages you to call and visit your grandma or grandpa

well then,
that is enough.
If you are a g-ma or g-pa, please share.
We need you.

PS Thanks Grams:)

Cost = Free ~ Part I

There is a tip I'd like to share with you folks.

It's called Craigslist.

It's kinda funny how things work out sometimes.

Several months ago, I found an old "baker's cabinet" listed for free.

It had been in the garage, and he was clearing it out.

It was filthy but I liked the size and shape so inquired.

It was 2 hours away near my hometown 
which I thought might make a good reason to go visit.

(This is the ad photo I responded to.)

Upon inquiring, I couldn't go get it on a weekend.

It had to be Tuesday mornings or Thursday evenings 
or some silly thing like that.

(Linoleum covered work surface which probably saved it in many respects.)

(No paper? No problem! Just write it on the cabinet - really!?!)

(Need more hooks? Just use nails.)

*Sorry for the odd lack of quality on the last couple photos.  My camera settings somehow got switched, and I couldn't undo my work to get more 'before' pictures.

I told him I worked during the week but would see if I could get ahold of a friend to pick it up for me.

By the time I was able to get ahold of my friend and explain what I needed,

the post was gone so I figured I missed it.

Nearly 2 months later, it reappeared.

Evidently, the first time "it fell through," and he lost the phone numbers.

Needless to say, I was able to just text my friend and ask if it was still okay.

He made arrangements and went and picked it up, 

then I got to go down on the weekend and pick it up from them.

It worked out wonderfully.

I made thank you chocolates to take with me.

The cabinet is from the 40s/50s as the original paint was still on the doors.

(The original colors - inside of cabinet doors.)
It's a homemade job as the pencil lines for the shelves 
showed on the back as I was sanding.
The other neat part is it was probably made from "local lumber" as it was a lumber community.  I sure miss the smell of lumber mills running.

After day one~

 I had two different sanders I was using.
This little one got back into the corners better
but wasn't as powerful as the belt sander.

I'm not sure why, but I like leaving a little of the paint in the grain of the wood.
Maybe it's because it reflects its past a bit.  Who knows?

After day two~

Finished sanding and stained/sealed.
I wanted it "just wood colored" and tested a couple different choices 
on the bottom.  I didn't like any of them as was.
Clear was too bright, cherry too orange/yellow, others too dark, etc.
I ended up mixing 'cherry' and 'old American' to get the right tone. 

I don't have the doors done yet but was able to get it in the house 
and out of the shop.

The doors are smaller and much easier to set aside.
I will have to make bottom doors, 
but the hinges were still on the cabinet so I have them.
I love that I have a place to keep my huge bowls.
I will be putting my beeswax/candle making items on the bottom 
but want to wait until I get the doors made so it doesn't get dirty.
I will try to scrub the inside of the upper doors.
If they clean up okay, I think I will leave the inside original
just for a bit of whimsey and surprise.

The only cost was a visit to some friends and a bit of elbow grease.
It's pretty primitive for our home, but I love the functionality of it.

As the saying goes, "One man's trash..."

Friday Quick Tip ~ Tomatoes

Growing up, I was taught that to ripen tomatoes,

 they should be in a cool dark place on paper bags and not be touching.

Get all that?

That's what I was taught, and that's what I've always done.

So when I had romas that needed to finish ripening,

I went to see what I could find in the way of paper.

Back in the day, groceries were bagged in paper bags, but alas.

I had these egg crates from buying a couple flats of eggs a while back.

They work superbly and are easier to maneuver.
Obviously, romas or paste tomatoes with their elongated shape fit best,
but it would work with any of the smaller varieties.

We are in the middle of canning tomatoes, drying apples, and hunting season.

More soon~

To Everything A Season

There is typically a somewhat predictable flow of seasons.

I don't just mean seasons on a calendar though they play a significant roll in what happens with the other seasons. 

So what on earth do I mean by that?

Well, "typically" we are finished up with wood burning season about April,

and we begin wood gathering season.

This year has been a little off.

We still had a fire burning into May. 

After our extreme winter which came complete with avalanches,

we were ready for spring.

But we weren't able to go get wood.

They made our road what they termed as "passable" but only to the last occupied house about 3 miles up the road.

Beyond that, the avalanches stayed to thaw as Mother Nature determined.

Mother Nature was apparently in no great hurry.

That meant we had to wait to get wood.  We have about 2/3 of what we need.

We are hoping to get another load soon as it is now fire season,

and they could shut down the forests at any given moment.

The other off bit is last year I was canning peas the end of June.

This year they ran about 3 weeks later.

That doesn't sound like a great deal of time, but if you think about the work load and how much you can do in 3 weeks, it might make a little more sense.

We've also had our first picking of green beans 

so I've been canning those as well.

My M-I-L gave me 9 (yep 9!) boxes of apricots.

I luuuuv dried apricots.

This year, I'm storing them in canning jars 

so they don't need to go in the freezer.

I did have to purchase the jar sealers, but they work pretty quickly,

and are a nifty thing to have and use.

I thought I was on my last round of dehydrators when my mom gave me another box so I'm still at it.

At one point I had 4 dehydrators going to get them all done before they spoiled.

Salmon season didn't really happen this year.

They decided not to open the majority of the rivers in our area

which means no stock pile of fish.

We still have several jars from last year so we'll use those sparingly.

Between Mr. LB and myself, we did draw all six tags, which if we can fill most of them come hunting season will save us quite a bit on beef.

(Tags: bear, deer, elk)

I have yet to get an elk so that's not something to bank on.

I've already heard that we are supposed to have another hard winter.

Our seasons seem to be stumbling over each other rather than pacing themselves so slow-pokes like me can keep up.

(I like to plant a few wax beans to throw in - adds a bit of a jewel to the jars.)

I now have peas done, we'll be picking another batch of green beans in a day or two, and once again think I am finishing up apricots.

Hopefully, I can get these things finished up then move onto corn

which is already on - early.

We've been running from one end of the day to the other, and our kitchen is a flurry of big bowls, canners, and various implements.  

The nice part is that our pantry shelves are beginning 

to look a little less anemic and at night, I almost literally fall into bed.
Aside from our seasons tumbling down upon us,
we are well.
And thankful mind you, that we have the provisions, skills, and ability
to do as we are doing.
We don't take that for granted.

                                                      

Why Harvest Mullein?

Have you harvested your mullein yet?

I can hear you through your computer~

Harvested my mullein? Huh? What?

You didn't misread that.

I usually keep a few leaves of dehydrated mullein on the shelf.

Some time back, I ran across it and figured since I haven't even had a cold in over three years, it was safe to get rid of it.

It grows plentifully around these parts and is also affectionately referred to as fisherman's toilet paper due to it's soft "furry" leaves.

Shortly after Mr. LB returned from Alaska,

he came down with what I call the post-flying crud.

It's that cold you get from breathing recirculated germs on the plane.

And of course, I had pitched the mullein.

I did make him some tea from the fresh leaves,

but the dried leaves seem to work better.

Mullein (according to my research - see disclosure) is a natural expectorant.

Mullein tea consumed 2-3 times per day helps break up

the phlegm and mucus that clog the system when fighting a cold.

It is important to strain it through a coffee filter or cotton cloth

to remove the 'hairs' since they can cause further irritation to the throat if consumed.

I am now dehydrating more mullein to keep on the shelf.

I suppose it's one of those things that is easier to have and not need

than to need and not have.

                                                               

And now for the fancy disclosure:

It's actually sad that this is even necessary.

I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or medical professional of any kind.  What we do in our household is based on the research we have done and what we deem appropriate.  We are not suggesting that you do the same.  You are responsible for the decisions regarding your health and wellness.  We are not responsible for any decision you make.  So to clarify, I am responsible for me.  You are responsible for you.  

Whew, glad that's over with.

Using Your Stores (Pantry)

There are a couple of important things to remember

about your home food supply

that seem to be a hang-up for some folks.

Thing number 1:

The first is knowing how much and of what your family eats.

To help my meager little pea-brain,

I made labels that I showed you here.

Peas will be the first thing due to harvest and can.

You can see on the shelf, we still have quite a few left.

Last year was a good pea year.

The year prior wasn't as much so.

If we have a few jars left over, I'm okay with that.

It will be a comfort to know if this year they don't produce as well

that we will still have plenty.

I had to buy tomato sauce:(

This year I'm planting more canning tomatoes in hopes to remedy that.

Also, we've eaten more corn than usual, because it taste sooo good!

Wow, that was a good box of corn.

Thing number 2:

You might notice all the empty jars.

As we eat the food, I put the jars back where they were - only empty.

This acts like a place holder,

but what it really means is we are eating our food!

I can't believe how many people 'stock up'

but don't eat their stock pile.

I guess that means it's just for decoration ???

Weather it is food purchased from a store 

or you have preserved your own store,

food really only last so long.

Go ahead and use it.

If you find that it's been on your shelf for a while and nobody in the house

is interested in eating it,

ask a neighbor if they would like it.

Our neighbors love it when I do that,

though I've become pretty good at declining things we don't eat

so don't have much in that realm any more.

Pantry space is just too valuable.

So with those 2 things in mind,

what's on your shelf :?)

The Messy Truth about Canning Corn

It is always amazing how you see pictures online

like this. . .
just the end result of the day's labor

without seeing all that goes into it.

Many folks prefer to freeze corn, which I admit tastes pretty darned good.
Freezer space will become precious to us here within the next couple months.
So, we prefer to have it canned.
It still has the delicious flavor of 'real corn'
not like the tin-can flavor of what is bought in the store.
This was our first batch of the year.
Mr. LB must have thought I would be bored - hardy ha ha.
He brought home 42 ears 'for me.'
We ended up eating 2 off the cob and 2 were rotten
so from 38 ears, we yielded 19 pints which may not sound like much
unless you are the one to do it.
Here's how it went.

Have jars and lids out and ready.
You'll need a pint jar for every two ears (or quart for 4 ears.)
I like to get everything I'll need out before I start,
so you might read through completely then gather items before beginning.

First set up for huskin' the corn.

Never mind the junk in the background.  I'll fill you in on that soon.

One basket for husks and one for corn.

Before you clean your corn, put a large pot about half full of water on to boil.

Proceed to clean the corn.  

If you can do this outside, fabulous.

An outdoor kitchen is on our someday list, but for now it's in the kitchen.

 Once the corn is cleaned and the water is boiling,

blanch the corn for 3 min.

This is to boil it for 3 min. then remove it.

I did this in batches since it wouldn't all fit in the pot at the same time,

and I was doing it alone 

so I wouldn't have been able to keep up with 2 pots going.

Once one batch is out of the water,

I put the next in and take the hot corn over to the table where I have

my little de-cobbing set up.

I have a 1"X2" about 3 feet long with 2 nails stuck in it.

I just call this my corn stick and you can probably tell,

I've used it for a few years now.

If at some point, it wears out, it is easy enough to make another.

I set this over a large cauldron or bowl.

I am vertically challenged so I set it on a chair rather than the table. 

Here's where it really starts getting messy.

I have an old towel over the table just because 

I'm setting a bowl of hot corn on it.

Using a nifty little tool available in most marts,

I remove the corn from the cob.

It's so much easier than using a knife.

It does take both hands.
Just start at the top and slightly turn as you press down. 

 I keep the basket of husks handy so I can just throw
the cobs in there.

Working quickly and in rounds as one batch comes out of the water

and another goes in, you can get one batch de-cobbed before

the next is ready to come out of the water.

We end up with a bunch of corn and a floor that looks like this . . .

I wasn't trying for this or being careless.

Some of those little kernels are just rebels and go flying.

The corn milk also squirts here and there.

We'll come back to this, but for now there is corn to can.

Fill jars up to about 1 inch below rim.

Add 1/2 tsp. of sea salt if you so desire.  (1 tsp. for a qt.)

Add very hot water up to 1 inch below rim and seal with lid and rim.

Follow directions for your pressure canner, but mine is to process for 55 min.

This gives me plenty of time to wash up the caldron, bowls, tools, chair, 

and even mop the floor.

After processing, removing the jars from the pressure canner, 

and letting them cool on the counter, they can go on the shelf.

And now we've come full circle to the picture usually shown~

the pretty jars of food resting nicely on a pantry shelf

awaiting the perfect meal.

 It may seem like a bit of work, but Mr. LB is probably sick of hearing
how much better this taste than store bought:)
In other words: it's so worth it.

Until next time
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Oh, Summertime

We are in the deepest phase of summer.

Though ours began with triple digits for nearly a month,

these August days bring about a different air.

Of course, this year every thing has been dried hard

and even the ground is a harsh shade of brown.

But nature is persistent.

Elderberries are coming on.

Wheat harvest is finishing up.

Gardens are producing full force.

And we,

we roll through the days

picking and canning green beans,

pulling carrots,

eating salad nearly everyday,

and moving with a certain ease and urgency.

We know what needs doing next 

and prepare for it as we work through the task at hand.

There is plenty to keep us busy,

and we are fully aware of the reward

our labor will bring come winter. 

Come winter, we'll rest.

For now,

we keep moving.

Children are savoring their last days of summer break.

Families are taking one more camping trip.

And we are 'putting by.'

We are doing.

This is the good life.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Mary's Dehydrated Potatoes from Scratch

Mary is a family friend who is a wealth of knowledge.

She is our go-to gal for anything canning and preserving.

She sent me the following email,

and I thought it was so impressive

I asked her if I could share it here.

She kindly said, "Yes."

My Experiment with dehydrating potato’s from scratch.

 I started out boiling potatoes in a 2 qt. kettle.  I cooked them until they were soft and mushy. Then mashed them using an electric mixer. I did not drain them but used the boiling water to mash them. I whipped them until they were nice and fluffy. Then spread them on the dryer sheets. I used 3 different types. One was the sheet that came with the dehydrator for making fruit roll-ups. One was a tray covered with parchment paper and the last was a plastic canvas like sheet that was made for the dehydrator.   I made 2 different batches and the first batch I spread thin and the second I spread about ¼ inch thick.

      

Plastic canvas                        parchment paper                         plastic roll-up tray

    

The first batch, the one I spread thin I dried at a temp of 140 degrees and it took 9 hours to dry.

The second batch that was around ¼ inch thick took 20 hours to dry at 140 degrees. The first batch had a slight brownish look but the second was much darker.

     Half way through I turned them over to finish drying on the back side.

   

I then broke these up. The thicker ones were harder to break than the thinner ones. Then I put them into my blender. It is an old one so it took some time for it to make this into a powder some of the harder pieces were more like pearls. I think maybe a food processor would have worked better.

 End product.  This is about 8 med. Potatoes.  To use I brought a little more than 2/3 cup of water and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil. Turned off the heat, added ¼ cup milk and stirred in 2/3 cup of potatoes.  Add more butter and milk if needed.  They turned out a little darker than fresh potatoes but the taste was good.

I asked which drying sheet was preferred and thick or thin method.

I prefer the thin layer. It took less time and also blended up better and was lighter in color.  Parchment and rollup dried about the same and was easy to get off, but the plastic canvas dried faster and was a little harder to get off. I used a table knife to scrape it off but liked the way it dried. 

Thank you Mary.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches