Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/salads.html

Salads & Salad Dressings

French Fruit Salad

* 1 orange
* 1 banana
* 1/2 pound green grapes
* 1 dozen walnuts
* Lettuce
* French Dressing

Directions: Peel the orange & cut into segments. Peel the banana and cut in 1/4 inch slices. Remove the skins and seeds from grapes. Break walnuts into little pieces. Combine the fruit & nuts. Serve on lettuce leaves with the french dressing.

Cress & Dandelion Salad

* 1 cup watercress
* 1 cup dandelion greens
* 6 slices onion
* French Dressing ( see recipe below)

Directions: Make sure the dandelions is young and fresh. Wash the watercress and dandelion leaves and drain well. Toss together and place in a bowl or plate. Add sliced onions on top, then drizzle French dressing over all.

Tomato Chicken Delight

* 6 medium tomatoes
* 3/4 cup diced cucumber
* 1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* Lettuce
* Cauliflower pieces

Directions: Cut tomatoes in halves, carefully scoop out the pulp. In a separate bowl combine the tomato pulp, chicken, cucumber with the mayonaisse. Fill tomato halves with the filling. Arrange on lettuce leaves then top each cup with parsley and cauliflower.

Waldorf Salad

* 1 cup diced apple
* 1 cup diced celery
* 1/2 cup broken walnut meats
* Lettuce leaves
* French Dressing
* Mayonaisse

Directions: Combine the apples, celery and nuts with french dressing and serve on lettuce leaves with mayonaisse.

French Dressing

* 1 clove garlic
* 1 cup vinegar
* 2 teaspoons dry mustard
* 1 tablesppon sugar
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 cups salad oil

Directions: Soak garlic in the vinegar 1/2 before mixing the dressing. Mix dry ingredients together then place in a covered jar or bowl. Remove garlic from the vinegar. Then add the vinegar to the dry ingredients. Add the oil. Makes 3 cups dressing. Shake well before using.

Russian Dressing

* 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons chili sauce
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 cup mayonaisse

Directions: Combine the lemon juice, chili sauce and Worcestershire, stirring well. Add the mayonaisse.

Thousand Island Dressing

* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 3 tablespoons red pepper (chopped)
* 1 tablespoon green pepper (chopped)
* 3 tablespoon ketchup
* 1 tablespoon chives
* 4 tablespoon chili sauce
* 1 cup mayonaisse
* 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar

Directions: Add all the ingredients to the mayonaisse, stir well.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/bulghur.html

Better With Bulghur
BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Before commercial grinders existed, women spent days threshing, pounding and grinding grains to prepare them for cooking. Today’s processed foods have reduced to minutes the time it takes to prepare a whole-grain dish. If you find you’re relying on just a few standbys, like rice and pasta, it’s time to expand your repertoire. A box of bulghur provides a whole-wheat dish in a flash – plus excellent sources of protein, carbohydrates, fiber and other substances that help fight cancer and other chronic diseases.

A nutty-flavored grain, bulghur has been a staple of Middle Eastern cooking for centuries and is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Bulghur can be used in place of rice in any pilaf, stuffed pepper, or casserole dish. You can also toss this versatile grain into salads, soups and stir-fries, and serve it with any meal or snack.

Made from whole-wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and crushed, bulghur can be found in most markets alongside the pasta and rice products, or perhaps in a specialty food section. Some bulghur products contain other ingredients as well, which helps create interesting dishes.

If you plan to make a bulghur salad, follow the directions for steaming the grain in boiling water. During the 20 to 30 minutes it is steaming, the rest of the meal can be prepared. If you plan to use bulghur in a casserole, follow the directions for cooking. With either treatment, fluff the cooked grains with a fork to lighten the texture.

Bulghur works well at any meal of the day. Start your day off with hot bulghur cereal mixed with some fresh fruit, skim milk and a touch of sugar or honey. Treat yourself to a tabouli salad and experience the flavorful aromas and tastes of traditional Middle Eastern fare. Top a steaming mound of bulghur with chili or your favorite stir-fry.

Warm Bulghur Salad

1/2 cup bulghur wheat
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint, cilantro, or flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 skinless cooked chicken breast (6 oz.), cut into thin strips

In medium saucepan, cook bulghur according to package directions.

Meanwhile, microwave broccoli florets in bowl with small amount of water until just barely tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Carefully transfer broccoli to sieve or colander and let drain.

In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil.

In large bowl, place cooked hot bulghur. Lightly toss with fork to separate kernels. With fork, mix in parsley, onion and mint (or other fresh herb). While tossing mixture lightly with fork, drizzle in juice-oil mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide salad between two plates. Top each with half the chicken.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 274 calories, 9 g. fat (1.5 g. saturated fat), 31 g. carbohydrate, 19 g. protein, 8 g. dietary fiber, 57 mg. sodium.

A treasure trove of information! Thanks for this thread.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/blendermagic.html

Blender Magic
BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Invented in 1922 by a Stephen J. Poplawski of Racine, Wisconsin for making milkshakes, blenders became popular thanks to bandleader Fred Waring, who initially promoted them to bartenders for whipping up frozen drinks. By the 1950s, homemakers were enjoying recipes for blender-made salmon mousse, strawberry chiffon pie and turkey croquettes.

When the food processor came along in the 1970s, it made the blender seem boring. But whether your blender is top-of-the-line with Euro-chic style and a wide-bottom container, a wedding present that’s sat on your kitchen counter for years, or a 20-buck drugstore special with only two speeds, nothing beats this kitchen stalwart.

Even the most basic blender surpasses any food processor for whirling up luscious, fruited smoothies and turning low-fat soups into voluptuous, velvet pleasures. The blender can spin excitement into a host of nutritious drinks or turn out tempting salad dressings at the push of a button. It’s excellent at pureéing and blending because the blade can whirl faster than that of the food processor, and its tall, narrow container encourages a better swirling movement. Because the blender aerates as it chops, it adds thickness and a smooth texture. It emulsifies mixtures, producing more stable sauces and drinks that stay thicker longer.

Blenders with a wide-based container help you chop harder and drier ingredients. You can make grated cheese for pasta and fresh bread crumbs which make those ready-made supermarket versions taste like sawdust. (Use whole-grain bread to add bolder flavor and better nutrition to dishes.) Blenders also make chunky salsas and chop nuts neatly. One new model of blenders has a “virtual brain” that guides it to pulse and spin at variable speeds, based on what it senses. This feature relegates to history the shake-stop-and-scrape routine previously needed for evenly blended results.

Whether old-fashioned or high-tech, your blender will easily handle the main action needed to make this spicy, retro casserole.

Mexicana Casserole

* 1 can (10-oz.) corn or 2 cups defrosted frozen kernels
* 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 large egg
* 2 large egg whites
* 1 scallion, green and white parts, diced
* 1/2 small green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce
* 2 Tbsp. chili sauce, or to taste
* 2 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream
* 2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place corn and beans in 2-quart baking dish or casserole.

In blender, whirl egg, egg whites, scallion, green pepper, tomato sauce, chili sauce, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper until mixture resembles tomato soup. Pour mixture over vegetables in baking dish.

Bake until topping is set in center, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 220 calories, 4 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 37 g. carbohydrate, 12 g. protein, 9 g. dietary fiber, 504 mg. sodium.

# # #

“Something Different” is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy, and recipe creator for AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_eggplant.html

Baba Ghanoush - Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.)
1 small onion, cut into fourths
1-2 large cloves garlic (or to taste), finely minced
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

With a fork, pierce eggplant in 3 or 4 places. Place on a rack set in a baking sheet. Bake about 40 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool. Peel eggplant and cut into cubes.

Place eggplant, onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Cover and purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of container if necessary. Check seasoning and add more salt to taste, if desired. Drain excess liquid and spoon mixture into a bowl. Garnish with parsley.

Serve the baba ghanoush with whole-grain pita bread wedges.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 27 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 4 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 mg. sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_dips.html

Homemade Dips Make Healthier Snacks For The Holidays Or Unexpected Company
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Party dips are popular at holiday time, but commercial dips are usually high in fat, calories and sodium, and comparatively low in health-protective phytochemicals, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). To make holiday snacks and appetizers healthier but still rich in flavor, the Institute has created low-fat, vegetable-based dips that can be made quickly and easily, with ingredients easily kept on hand for last-minute company.

“Vegetable-based dips full of the flavor of herbs, spices and other seasonings offer many health-protective features,” says Melanie Polk, R.D., AICR’s Director of Nutrition Education. “The cancer-fighting antioxidant power of herbs and spices can be as great as that of fruits and vegetables.”

Homemade dips, she points out, can offer a fresher taste than their commercial cousins, and can be quickly prepared. Polk recommends pairing them with cut-up vegetables as well as whole-grain crackers for an appetizer that’s colorful, festive and healthful.

AICR’s new dips are also helpful in maintaining a healthy weight (eaten in moderation), as they are lower in calories and fat than most commercial dips. For example, many store-bought dips range from 60 to 110 calories and 6 to 11 grams of fat per two-tablespoon serving. AICR’s three holiday dips range from 26 to 50 calories and contain only 1 or 2 grams of fat.

Homemade Dips Can Be Healthful and Cancer-Protective

Chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes make rich but healthful bases for party dips. Each is high in nutrition and cancer-fighting phytochemicals. For example, spinach is rich in several of these natural substances. Two, lutein and zeaxanthin, are also believed to protect against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, which has been linked to reduced prostate cancer risk and is now being studied for its potential to protect against other cancers.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), used in AICR’s Mexican-style dip, are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin B6 and many important minerals. They contain a group of phytochemicals, isoflavones, that may help prevent hormone-related cancers.

Garlic, which is used in all three of AICR’s new holiday dips, contains a group of phytochemicals called organosulfides. They offer a variety of heart- and cancer-protective features.

The following dips work especially well for the holidays and entertaining because they are all unlike what is generally available in markets. Each reflects a different regional ethnicity - Southwest American, Indian and Mexican - that offers a rich and slightly exotic flavor. Despite their distinctive taste, they are spiced lightly enough for everyone to enjoy.

The following Southwestern-style dip features roasted red peppers and
sun-dried tomatoes that have not been packed in oil and, therefore, are virtually fat-free. It uses a small amount of reduced-fat Neufchâtel cream cheese which has a more satisfying flavor than “light” or “fat free” cream cheese.

Santa Fe Sunset Dip

2 jars (7-oz. each) roasted red peppers, drained
3 oz. (1 package, or about 30) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallion
4 oz. reduced-fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco or hot chili pepper sauce, if desired, to taste

Soak dried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 3
tablespoons of the soaking liquid.
In a food processor, purée red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, lemon
juice, cilantro and scallion until smooth and well-blended.

Add cream cheese and purée mixture, adding enough of the reserved
tomato-soaking liquid to thin the dip to the desired consistency (scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally). Blend until smooth. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Adjust seasoning, adding more garlic, cumin, or lemon juice if needed.

Transfer to a container with a cover. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Bring dip to room temperature before serving.

When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place in center of a large serving platter. Surround with assorted cut-up vegetables and, if desired, baked tortilla chips and serve.

Makes 2 1/3 cups.

Per 2 tablespoons: 42 calories, 2 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 5
g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber, 117 mg.
sodium.

This Mexican-style dip has just a touch of low-fat sour cream and
mayonnaise to add creamy “mouth feel.” Fresh cilantro, garlic and lemon juice enliven the taste of the otherwise bland chickpeas.

Mexicali Dip

1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
Salt and white pepper, if desired, to taste
Tabasco sauce, if desired

In a food processor, purée chickpeas with sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and mayonnaise until smooth. If dip is too thick, gradually add additional teaspoons each of sour cream and mayonnaise, just until right consistency is reached. Transfer to a container with a tight lid. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce, if desired. If time is not a constraint, cover and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Bring dip to room temperature before serving. When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place in center of a large serving platter. Surround with assorted cut-up vegetables (carrots, different colored bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini spears, sliced jicama) and, if desired, baked tortilla chips or whole-grain crackers.

Makes 1 cup dip.

Per 2 tablespoons: 50 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g.
saturated fat), 8 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 110
mg. sodium.

Either fresh or frozen spinach may be used in the following Indian-style dip, and neither form needs to be cooked before preparing this dip. However, fresh spinach will give the dip a lighter, brighter shade of pale green, and a fresher taste.

Taj Mahal Dip

2 tsp. curry powder, according to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin, according to taste
1 9-oz. microwavable package of baby spinach leaves (uncooked), or 1
10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed
dry
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired, to taste

In a small, non-stick skillet, stir curry and cumin over medium-low heat
just until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Transfer spices to a bowl.

Combine spinach, sour cream, yogurt and garlic in a food processor and
blend until spinach is puréed and mixture is smooth. Add one-third of the curry mixture and blend in. Add more of the curry mixture, to taste. Process until well-blended. Season to taste with salt, pepper and pepper sauce.

Transfer to a container with a cover. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Bring dip to room temperature before serving.

When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place in center of a large serving platter. Surround with assorted cut-up vegetables (carrots, different colored bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini spears, sliced jicama) and, if desired, the thin Indian crackers called pappadams, or other, preferably whole-grain, crackers.

Makes about 2 cups.

Per 2 tablespoons: 26 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 2 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber, 24 mg. sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_zucchini.html

“Something Different”
Italian Pickled Zucchini
BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The summertime glut of green squash, or zucchini, is quickly dwindling, and it’s time to take advantage of what’s left in farmers markets before it disappears completely. Pickling zucchini is my way to finish the season with zip. It is easy, particularly when done for immediate consumption, without the extra process of canning and all its attendant concerns.

Savory, pickled squash, accented with green peppers, keeps up to two weeks, long enough to enjoy while adjusting to trucked-in produce. And in mid-winter, when squash and peppers grown in the weaker winter sun of distant places appear in supermarkets, you can happily make more. In fact, pickling is a great way to fire-up the flavor of these vegetables and satisfy cravings for that memorable tang.

Zucchini can be pickled many ways - enhanced with garlic and mustard seed, added to sweet and sour chow-chow pickles, or diced, spiced and simmered into chutney. My current favorite evolved from Neapolitan zucchini a scapace, which is based on Spanish escabeche, a pickled fish dish. In both this and the Neapolitan versions, the vegetable is first cooked, then marinated in hot vinegar. In both countries, these pickled vegetables are served as an antipasto or side dish.
Italian Pickled Zucchini, page 2

Neapolitans air-dry sliced squash, fry it in olive oil, then marinate it in heated, seasoned vinegar. In my simpler, but equally effective version, the squash is oven-roasted and combined with raw peppers and carrots, then marinated in a pungent, hot pickling liquid.

Italian Pickled Zucchini

Canola oil spray
2 large zucchini, cut at slight angle into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium carrot, cut at slight angle into 1/4-inch slices
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, halved
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
and thinly-sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a baking sheet with spray oil. Arrange zucchini on the sheet in one layer. Spray zucchini liberally with cooking spray. Roast until zucchini is just slightly softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add carrot and bell pepper. In a small, non-reactive pan - like an enameled, stainless steel, or non-stick pan - combine vinegar with water. Add garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour hot mixture over vegetables.

Cover with a plate or other heavy object to hold vegetables under pickling liquid. Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 3 cups, or 6 half-cup servings.

Per serving: 30 calories, 0 g. total fat, 5 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 203 mg. sodium.

_______________________________________

Author:

“Something Different” is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy, and recipe creator for AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_blueberries.html

Blueberry Syrup - Makes 1 1/2 cups.

10 oz. bag unsweetened frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-inch x 1/2-inch strip lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar

Put blueberries in a deep, heavy saucepan. Add lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until berries are swimming in liquid, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until fruit is soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in sugar and bring syrup to a boil. Pour syrup into a heat-proof container and cool to room temperature. (It will thicken slightly as it cools.) Remove lemon zest, cover and refrigerate. This syrup keeps up to a week in the refrigerator.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 45 calories, 0 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 11 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber, 0 mg. sodium.

In that area of the country, it wouldn’t work unless they were foreigners.

You are welcome and I thank you for taking the time to read it.

If you want to join in, LOL, pick a spot and take the plunge.

There folks on here who are very wise and doing already, what we are learning to do.

Have a super special day.

>>>>>>> New Alchemy Institute <<<<<<<<

Granny, you are sure dredging up my past......

Remember I was telling you about the Tilapia raising...

Well, this is where I got my start with brood stock.

I had a concrete base for an old wood silo, I built a greenhouse over it and filled it with water - about 4’deep and 8’ in diameter.

I went up to Cape Cod to the New Alchemy Institute and spent three days there not only learning about their fish rearing, but their gardening ‘magic’ - What else would you expect from Alchemists?

I raised them for about 5 years until heat failed during a bad winter storm - they will not survive low temperatures! Thanks for bringing back the memories and for sharing it with everyone. Great eating!!!!!

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/jc_economic.html

These Hard Economic Times
By Jill Cooper

I keep asking myself, “Has the world gone crazy?” What are people talking about when they say “these hard economic times?” I am so confused because I hear so many people say these are such hard economic times but, at the same time, what I see happening with my own eyes and hearing with my ears is a totally different story.

Let me give you some examples what I mean. Are these examples of hard economic times?

— Last year we spent more at Christmas and all year shopping than the year before.

— Americans spend 500 million dollars a year to have their teeth whitened — not cleaned, just whitened to look nice.

— A single mom on welfare spends $350 on a cell phone— not on the calls, just the cell phone.

— On a home shopping show they were selling American Girl dolls for $135. The woman selling it said “Kit is our most popular doll.”
The other woman said “That is probably because Kit represents the Depression Era and girls nowadays relate so well to that because they have to sacrifice and give up so many things in these hard economic times.” They sold out of the doll. This meant several thousand of these poor little girls who have had to give up so much received a $135 doll for Christmas. What was it they had to sacrifice? Maybe it was the $25 outfits that went with the doll. (I have never paid $25 for an outfit for myself let alone for a doll!!)

— A woman just lost one of her part time jobs. She was sobbing and crying because her family was going to have to sell their house, which they could no longer afford. For the past several years they have been making very good money but they have been spending it on everything including $150,000 for decorating their home, several trips a year for the whole family to travel across the country and to Canada for sports events their sons wanted to play in, buying a couple of new cars every year, eating out frequently and the so on.
Even after she lost her job they still took another cross country trip to go to a game. After coming totally unglued about the thought of having to sell the house she was asked if they might be able to save the house if they would cut back on their spending a little. Her reply was, “No way. I hate to scrimp and save and do without. I won’t live like that.” As my son in law loves to say “Allllrighty then...”

— My brother just met a man who restores hot rods for a living. When asked if things are getting harder for him the man laughed and said “No, I’m doing better than I ever have and I need to hire someone to help me.” My brother is now working for that man. He is getting paid to sand people’s car engines so they will look pretty and smooth. People have so much money they can pay bunches to have their engines sanded? Go figure. For those of you who restore cars, don’t yell at me! My dad has restored Model A and Model T cars for years, so I know all about car restoring.

— Here’s my favorite: A sales person selling a $1500 piece of jewelry said, “We know things are so rough in these hard economic times so we have put this on 5 easy payments for you.” They sold out of it. Do you know how contradictory that is? If things are so hard, what in the world are people doing buying $1500 pieces of jewelry, even on 5 easy payments?!?!

I don’t have anything against people buying jewelry, dolls, cell phones or restoring hot rods. What I do have a problem with is people moaning and groaning about how hard these times are and then taking off to go shopping or play a game of golf.

We get upset and angry about the government, big companies and their crazy spending but we need to stop pointing fingers and look at our own lives. Are they doing anything differently than the average American?

We may not have the opportunity to be foolish with millions or billions of dollars like them, but that doesn’t matter. The point is that many of us are being just as foolish with what we have as they are. We are up to our eyeballs in debt just like they are and most of the time it’s because we didn’t think or care about how we were spending it. Then we want someone else to bail us out.

Yesterday, I heard a pastor, Bob Coy, talk about this same type of thing. He had some good points to make. He showed a web site called Global Rich List, where you can type in an income and it will tell you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world.

Here are some interesting stats from that site:

If you make $35,000 a year, you are in the top 4.62% richest people.

Here are some others:

$50,000 - Top 0.98%
$75,000 - Top 0.82%
$100,000 - Top 0.66%

It makes you stop and think. Are things really that bad? Two million children died last year because of lack of clean water and I sit here complaining because the price of gas is so high that I might not be able to take a vacation this year?

Yes, unemployment is up but look at it this way: over 92% of the people in the US have jobs. Many of those who don’t have jobs aren’t even looking for work. I know a lot of people who are 20 or 30 something and living at home and not bothering to find a job.

We need to change the way we look at things and stop parroting what everyone else says about “these hard economic times.”

I’m not so naive as to miss the fact that financially things are getting out of control and will eventually bottom out, but that doesn’t mean things are so hard yet that people should be carrying on the way they are. Instead of moaning, we need to fix things, starting in our own lives.

The pastor I mentioned earlier said if we have a friend who is deep in debt who says “let’s go to the mall”, as a good friend, you need to say no. Suggest that your friend come over to your place for coffee and a visit, helping her and yourself not to spend more. Start looking at what you are doing and how you can fix it.

We need to face the facts. A big part of our “hard economic times” is summed up in this wonderfully appropriate saying:

We buy things we really don’t need
with money we really don’t have
to impress people we really don’t know.

Memorize that saying and the next time you go to buy anything stop and think, “Do I really need that?” Do you need to buy your kids the most expensive shoes? Do you need to get the most expensive car or would a two or three thousand dollar car get you by? What about those manicures and pedicures? How much do you spend on all the kids activities or on throwing that big football party and having the whole gang over?

I knew a man who lost his job and his wife worked at a very low paying job. He said he didn’t care if he didn’t have a job. He was still going to play golf every weekend (and he did). They are in a big financial mess now, but not because of “these hard economic times” they blame it on.

When considering buying something, ask yourself, “Do I really need it?” Do you have the money to buy it? If you have to borrow money for it, you don’t have the money to buy it. It’s that simple. If you need it, work hard and save and then get it.

Many of us think that waiting to buy until you actually have the money is impossible, but once we stop buying everything on credit, we free up all that money we were using to pay credit card bills, interest and fees. That money is then available to buy things we need or want.

Why do you buy the things you do? Do you do it to impress others? This is pride. I don’t have room to go into detail in this article, but God hates pride as much or more as drugs, alcohol abuse or sexual immorality and so many of us suffer from pride. If you don’t think you have a pride problem, consider whether or not you might say one of these these statements: “I would never allow my family to wear clothes from a garage sale.” or “There is no way I will do without .......(fill in the blank)”.

The Bible cautions us to watch the words we say. Don’t just spout empty meaningless words like “in these hard economic times” just because the world is using them and don’t use words like that as an excuse to justify why you don’t have your life and finances together.

Actions do speak louder than words. Are your actions matching your words?

_______________________________________

Jill Cooper raised two teenagers alone on $500 a month income after becoming disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. To read more of Jill’s articles and for free tips and recipes visit http://www.LivingOnADime.com/ .

_______________________________________

ARTICLE POSTED FEBRUARY 22, 2009

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/sl_bath.html

Travel Back In Time:
Create Simple Bath Products the Way Your Grandmother Probably Did
by Suzanne Lieurance

Ever wonder what your grandmother (or great grandmother) did to make her bath extra special before the days of whirlpool tubs and Jacuzzis? If you ask her, she’ll probably tell you about bath salts and other lovely scented products that are easy and inexpensive to make.

You and your friends will want to try all three of the recipes that follow. But if you’re younger than nine or ten, you’ll probably need to ask Mom or Dad for some help.

BATH SALTS

1 cup Epsom salts (available at drug stores)

A few drops of Food coloring (use the kind in plastic bottles so you can squeeze out a few drops at a time)

A few drops of Essential oil (found in crafts stores; sometimes called potpourri oil)

Ceramic bowl (not plastic, since it will absorb the scent of the essential oil)

A Large Spoon

Pipette or eye dropper (found in drug stores)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Pour one cup of salts into the ceramic bowl.

2) Add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture.

3) Stir well until blended.

4) Use the pipette or eye dropper to add several drops of your favorite essential oil.

5) Stir to blend.

FOR PACKAGING: Pour the salts into a jar and tie on a bow and you’ve got a lovely gift for a favorite teacher, a good friend, or even for your mother or grandmother.

Attach a small card which reads: “Bath Salts - add one to two tablespoons to water as tub fills for a relaxing soak.”

When you find you’ve created enough bath salts to fill a swimming pool, try this other simple product that’s even more soothing in the bath.

BATH GRAINS

1 cup Epsom Salts

A few drops of food coloring

A few drops of any essential oil

One to two tablespoons of baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

Mix everything the same as you did for the bath salts, adding the baking soda last.

Bath Grains have a much finer texture than plain Bath Salts, but the mixture will harden if not used right away. Again, use two to three tablespoons per bath.

FOR PACKAGING: Use a wide-mouthed jar or any container you can scoop into, or tap against the side of the tub, to loosen the grains.

Another easy bath product you’ll enjoy making by yourself, or with friends, is an old-fashioned milk bath.

OLD-FASHIONED MILK BATH

1 cup of Epsom salts

A few drops of Food coloring

A few drops of any Essential oil

A few tablespoons of powdered milk

DIRECTIONS:

Again, mix the same as for Bath Salts, just add the powdered milk last, making sure you don’t add too much powdered milk or the mixture will end up smelling like baby formula. Peach or strawberry oils work well for milk baths, but try other oils to see what pleases you the most.

FOR PACKAGING: Select the same kind of container or jar as for the bath grains. Add a few tablespoons to the tub for a glorious, skin- softening soak.

When you’ve finished experimenting with all these products, not only will you find you’ve created some lovely gifts for the holidays, you’ll also notice your whole house smells wonderful! And, if you’re lucky enough to have a bathroom with an old clawfoot tub like grandma used to have, you can even travel back in time with an old-fashioned soak yourself.
about the author

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer, children’s author, and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. which offers a unique line of “heavenly gourmet mixes” for sale at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com and through gift shops and gourmet food stores across the country. Find out more about her children’s books at http://www.suzannelieurance.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/zl_arthritis.html

Arthritis Herbal Treatments
by: Zachary Lingh

Arthritis is a debilitating and disabling medical condition which can affect any joints in the body causing them to become swollen, stiff, painful to move and even sore to the touch. Arthritis can affect people of all ages however it becomes increasingly common however symptoms of Arthritis or Arthritic increases with advancing years. Joints become stiffer, less mobile and they swell as Arthritis attacks white blood cells weakening the tissues and causing solid deposits to build up in the joints.

It sounds bad, doesn’t it? The good news is that you can alleviate many of the symptoms of Arthritis and maybe even prevent it from occurring at all through regular and long-term use of herbal arthritis treatments. The even better news is that these herbal treatments for arthritis are readily available and many of them you may already have in your kitchen cabinet or growing in your garden. Many of them are also included in pill, tea or tincture which can be easily purchased from your local health food store or even the supermarket.

Now let’s have a look at a few herbal treatments for Arthritis.

Turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory that can really ease joints’ swelling which is a major part of arthritis and will help to lessen the pain of arthritis substantially. Turmeric is also very good for improving digestion while Cayenne pepper has similar positive effects in the treatment of arthritis. These effects have been endorsed by clinical trials.

Ginger contains Zingibain and other phytochemicals which reduce swelling which can be very beneficial to arthritis sufferers. Long-term, Ginger is great for protecting the body from free radicals which do much damage including speeding up the damage of arthritis and causing cancer.

Pineapple is not only delicious but it will significantly reduce the inflammation of Arthritis flare-ups. However Pineapple is most effective when combined with other herbal treatments in tablet form as most of its goodness is contained in the stem.

Celery, especially the seeds has excellent anti-inflammatory properties that ease stiff joints which are a main characteristic of arthritis. The seeds work by helping to strip out the solid which induces a diuretic effect and helps remove deposits which collect in the joints of arthritis sufferers. The seeds can be taken in tea or tincture form.

As far back at least as the Romans, it was known that nettles were good for easing joint pain as they are a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine. Don’t worry though; you don’t need to be stung! The best way to take nettles and benefit from them as an arthritis cure is internally, in a tea or tincture.

Did you know that White Willow is actually where we get Aspirin from? Obviously, it’s a great pain reliever and using this purer form reduces side-effects. Ginkgo increases blood circulation which helps to ease pain and swelling in arthritic joints. Comfrey is a great anti-inflammatory boost to the immune system that will stimulate healing in damaged joints.

So you can see that there are many herbal treatments for arthritis which tackle all of the distressing and painful symptoms. They are readily available and easy to take on a day to day basis.
The Author

For more information on herbal treatments and medications, visit us at Chinese Herbs Direct today - Anti aging herbs, Herbal pain relief, Stress relief herbs.

Source: www.isnare.com

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/gist96.html

Make your own nut butters

By Sylvia Gist

When almond butter replaced peanut butter in my diet (on doctor’s orders), I discovered I really liked the almond better. And it opened my eyes to the world of “other” nut butters. I also discovered they were quite expensive. I was lucky if I found a 10 ounce jar of almond butter for less than $4.00, a luxury compared to even the 100% natural peanut butter. So I did some experimenting and came up with my own recipe for almond butter that satisfied me. The same process can be used for other nuts.

To make almond butter, I use a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan to dry roast the nuts since I prefer them roasted. I also use my food processor. I have used a blender, but it took longer, required more scraping the nuts off the sides, and I had to add more oil to get a decent butter. A rubber spatula and a jar to store the butter in complete the required equipment.

Ingredients are simply a couple cups of the desired nuts and a little bit of olive oil. I buy larger bags of raw almonds, throw them in the freezer, and take them out as I need them. I prefer to start with raw nuts and do my own roasting. That way, I get freshly roasted nuts with nothing added. If I need to add oil, I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil.

Almonds ready for roasting
Almonds ready for roasting

The actual process of making the butter is not difficult. I put two cups of nuts on the baking sheet and pop them into a preheated oven to roast at 350 degrees, leave them there for several minutes, then remove the pan and stir. I return the pan to the oven and roast for a few minutes more, watching the color of the nuts, striving for a toasted, but not burnt, look. How long before the nuts burn? That depends upon the oven and the pan. My Air-bake pan requires a longer time than a thin baking sheet. The thin sheet can take 8 minutes or less. Just watch the nuts the first time to get an idea how long they need to bake in your oven with your pan. Once you make a batch of burnt almond butter, you will be motivated to watch the time.

After toasting the nuts, I allow them to cool before dumping them into the processor. Since my food processor has just one speed, I flip the switch and watch the nuts bang wildly and loudly against the sides of the container. Gradually they get chopped up finer and finer. If particles build up on the sides of the container, stop and scrape them down with a rubber spatula. Continue processing until it begins to ball up. You may have to break up the ball, but it is most important to be patient. Sometimes the ball will bang around for a while before it begins to break down and look creamy. It takes several minutes.

It is during this time when it is balled up that I add some oil. I will add a teaspoon of oil and run the processor some more. If the butter is creamy enough without it, I omit the oil. I have never added more than 3 teaspoons of oil to the 2 cups of nuts. It is important to be patient and give the processor a chance to make the butter. Toward the end, more oil can be added if you like it creamier. If chunky style is desired, just roast a few extra nuts, chop, and stir into the finished butter.

While it is possible to make peanut butter in this same manner, I don’t bother, because I can buy excellent peanut butter at a reasonable price. There are so many other possibilities for nut butters. Below are some notes about different ones that I have tried.

Almond butter

Since almonds are more reasonably priced and easier to digest, I make this type of butter more frequently than any of the others. Raw almond butter can be found in the health food stores and some people prefer the raw kind. You simply process the nuts without roasting. Two cups of raw almonds, processed with a minimum of oil, will fill a 10 ounce jar. If you are roasting them, throw a few extra nuts on the baking sheet for a warm snack when you take the pan out of the oven. They are quite tasty.

A jar of fresh almond butter
A jar of fresh almond butter

Cashew butter

Cashews are more expensive (where I shop), so I buy the least expensive raw white pieces and roast them. They brown much faster than almonds (hardly seven minutes on the Air-bake pan), so be vigilant or they burn and taste terrible. Cashews are softer than almonds and grind up quicker too. While cashew butter can be made without oil, it is fairly dry, so add some oil for a creamy smooth butter. This butter tastes more like peanut butter than any of the others I’ve made, but yet slightly different.

Raw pecan butter

Raw pecan butter is the easiest to make. No roasting. Pecans are soft so they process quickly and make a very smooth butter.

Hazelnut butter

Hazelnut butter is available at health food stores, so I tried to make some. Unfortunately, I roasted them a tad too much and the butter had a twangy taste. Since hazelnuts are quite expensive, I haven’t tried it again.

Since I add no preservatives, these nut butters can become rancid. I always store mine in the refrigerator and try to use them up within a month or so.

Each of the nut butters tastes a bit different, so each can be used differently. I like the almond butter on a sandwich with apple butter or jam. Some are best on a cracker of one kind or another. I eat whole grain rye crackers, which always taste better with some kind of nut butter. Any of these improve the taste of a rice cake, too. One of my cookbooks uses these odd nut butters quite a lot; they seem to work well in cookies and quick breads.

If you like experimenting, check a health food store for their variety of nut butters, buy the appropriate nuts, roast (or not), and make the butter yourself. It isn’t hard.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yeager89.html

Tasty uses for garden
and wild edibles

By Alice B. Yeager Alice B. Yeager

The old saying “Waste not, want not” could be applied to almost anyone’s producing garden. From fruit to vegetables, there is always the possibility of waste when it comes to discarding produce that doesn’t pass the picture-perfect test.

For instance, not all tomatoes are perfect in appearance. Some may not have the exact shape and color as photos shown in the seed catalogs, but is that a good reason not to use them? Certainly not. When you see jars of canned tomatoes or tomatoes mixed with other vegetables, do you question the appearance of the tomatoes before they were canned? I doubt it.

All good things from the garden are subject to blemishes of some sort. Unless you are planning on exhibiting them at the county fair, don’t rule out making use of produce with slight defects. A bell pepper with a small scar will taste as good as one that has no blemishes. A tomato that’s slightly lopsided from being squeezed between two other tomatoes is as firm as the rest and is as usable. It goes without saying that all rotten spots, bird damage, and so on should be removed before food items are processed for preserving. Play it safe and don’t take chances with anything questionable. One bad tomato accidentally mixed into your batch for canning will ruin the entire output, so take your time and be watchful.

Beginning with asparagus tips in the spring and continuing until Jack Frost takes his toll at the end of the season, there is always an abundance of something that can be harvested and stored away for later use. Sometimes it’s tomatoes or maybe it’s summer squash. One generously shares with friends and neighbors, but the tomatoes and squash keep on coming. This is not a time to discard. Instead, put some away for those cold, rainy days that are inevitable. For that matter, who knows what may happen next year when circumstances may not favor a bumper crop of anything?

Early Prolific Straightneck Squash lives up to its name, as it is prolific.
Early Prolific Straightneck Squash lives up to its name, as it is prolific.
Ketchup and pasta sauce

Many households consume a goodly amount of ketchup. If you have canned all of the stewed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, soup, etc., you can say grace over, get out the Crock-Pot or Slow Cooker and convert some of those tomatoes to ketchup. And who doesn’t like to have a good sauce ready to thaw out and serve over pasta when preparation time is short and everyone seems to be going in a dozen different directions? There are many ways to make something useful from excess tomatoes and squash.

Ketchup

4 pounds well ripened medium or large tomatoes
2 medium onions
2 medium bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers (hot)

Clean and quarter vegetables and put in a heavy stainless steel pot as mixture will be less inclined to stick than if in a thin gauge pot. (Never use an aluminum pot for this type of recipe.

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dry mustard

Add sugar mixture to vegetable mixture.

1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. pickling spices
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Simmer spices in vinegar in a covered, small, heavy type stainless steel pot for about 10 minutes. Strain out spices and discard. Add remaining vinegar to rest of ingredients.

Puree tomato mixture in a blender or food processor until any lumps are dissolved. Return to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture loses some of its water content and begins to thicken. Transfer mixture to a large Crock Pot to finish cooking. Leave the top off so excess water may evaporate. This will take 10-12 hours. Ketchup should be thick and flavorful when ready to can. Pour into hot, sterilized pint jars and seal with a good brand of lids and rings such as Ball. Set aside to cool in a draft-free place. Cover hot jars with kitchen towels to slow down cooling. Label and date when cooled. If any of the jars have not sealed, either re-heat contents and sterilize jars again, or refrigerate to use within a couple of weeks or so. (To test sealing, look for jar lids that are still puffed and not flattened after jars have cooled. Some may actually pop and seal when touched.)

After making ketchup a time or two, you may want to use more or less of the spices or add some of your own. It’s all in the taste test. The good part about this shortcut with the Crock Pot is that there’s not much danger of the ketchup sticking while cooking and you are freed from all that stirring while the mixture thickens.

Tomato-squash pasta sauce

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 mild jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 cups tomatoes, diced
6 fresh sweet basil leaves, torn in small pieces OR 1 Tbsp. crumbled dry basil leaves
1 bay leaf
4 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 medium zucchini squash, sliced thin
2 medium yellow striaghtneck squash, sliced thin
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
salt, optional

Heat oil in a medium size stainless steel or porcelain pot. (Do not use aluminum.) Add next 4 ingredients and sauté about 5 minutes or until vegetables lose their firmness. Stir frequently to keep from sticking. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook covered about 20 minutes. Cut off heat and allow sauce to cool to room temperature. Discard bay leaf, put sauce in airtight containers, and freeze. This should yield about 2½-3 cups.

When thawing, a double boiler works well. If mixture seems too thin, you can always beat a bit of flour and water together and stir into the hot sauce to get the desired thickness. Serve hot over your favorite pasta with a sprinkling of a tasty grated cheese.

It is not carved in stone that this type recipe must be followed to the letter. If you lack an ingredient, substitute something you like, i.e. if you have no zucchini squash, use another type of summer squash or only one kind. Maybe you’d like oregano instead of basil. If you have some cooked chicken or ground meat on hand, you may want to add some to the sauce. This recipe is versatile.
Asparagus

Summer vegetables aren’t the only ones that can overwhelm us. There are other times when we unexpectedly have an overabundance of an early spring crop such as asparagus. Maybe growing conditions are just right and the asparagus spears seem to multiply vigorously.

What’s better than a combination of peppers and tomatoes to add to soups, sauces, salads, and to enjoy eating fresh in the garden?
What’s better than a combination of peppers and tomatoes to add to soups, sauces, salads, and to enjoy eating fresh in the garden?

If you are lucky enough to have a bumper crop of spears, try preserving them by freezing. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep them. Just take your excess asparagus and clean it by trimming off scales and tough bottom portions of the stalks. Rinse in cool water and sort into sizes. Cut into lengths to fit your freezer containers. Blanch small and medium size pieces about 1½-2 minutes and large ones 3 minutes. Then plunge them into cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and pack into containers. Pack spears loosely to allow for expansion.

Word of caution: whenever you use plastic bags, be sure that they are freezer weight and not lighter weight sandwich bags. Despite what some people contend, there’s a difference. Don’t risk freezer-burn by using thin type bags, and remember to label and date your containers. All containers should be airtight, so check them for any possible air leaks.

Asparagus is one of my early spring favorites and one that can be enjoyed right there in the garden with no cooking whatsoever. It is a perennial that will serve a gardener for many years if plants are given some TLC. Try cleaning some freshly cut spears and snapping them into inch long pieces to use in a salad. Asparagus has a refreshing flavor and it’s delicious eaten raw. Vitamin A is at the head of the list of its health benefits, and a great way to enjoy fresh asparagus is to have it for breakfast with scrambled eggs.

Asparagus for breakfast

10 asparagus spears, cleaned and snapped into 1 or 1-1/2 inch pieces
2 fresh green onions, cleaned and chopped
5 good sized button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Put all of the above into an iron skillet over medium heat and cover as soon as mixture begins to sizzle. This will keep juices from evaporating. As soon as onions and asparagus begin to soften a bit, cut off heat and set pan aside until eggs are scrambled.

6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 level Tbsp. dried dill weed (optional)
salt and white pepper
1 Tbsp. bacon or sausage drippings (optional)
2 Tbsp. canola oil

Beat eggs with a whisk or fork until well blended and then combine with rest of ingredients, EXCEPT canola oil. Heat a large skillet until a drop or two of water will sizzle in it. Put in canola oil, re-heat and pour in your egg mixture. As soon as eggs start to cook and rise up around edge of pan, start to pull mixture away from edge, tilting pan so liquid runs to the lower edge. Keep this up, constantly turning eggs until they are completely done.

Place scrambled eggs on a large, hot serving platter and spoon asparagus mixture over them. Serve with your favorite hot bread and beverage. Breakfast meat is optional. Enjoy. (This recipe should serve 4.)

Unfortunately, this is not a food plant that will yield a harvest the same year it is planted. Rather, it takes at least two years to become established and should be given three years before beginning to have its spears cut for table use. Patience has its reward, however, and a well cared for asparagus plot will continue to produce year after year, often outlasting the owner. I wish asparagus would produce as well in our southern climate as it does in colder areas, but at least it’s not a complete failure here. We just have to be sure it gets plenty of water during hot weather, and a bit of shade is welcome too.
Berries

Abundance applies not only to domestic plants but to edible wild plants as well. Witness the widespread assortments of berries—raspberries (mainly a northern berry), dewberries, blackberries, and the like. Dewberries have a trailing habit requiring the picker to do some bending and squatting exercises, whereas most of the rest grow on 5-6 foot canes. Dewberries start the wild berry season in the South by ripening 2-3 weeks ahead of blackberries. There’s nothing like a juicy dewberry, picked and eaten right off of the vine.

Berry picking is a way of life for some of us, as berry patches are found growing along highway and railroad right of ways, on abandoned homesteads, in open fields — everywhere they can find a foothold. Usually, no one cares if you fill buckets with the wild berries, except for perhaps the wildlife. However, I’d ask permission to pick if you can locate the owner of the property. Avoid berry patches along dusty roads as the berries may be coated with dust and a little hard to clean.

Pick in the cool of the morning and process the berries as soon as possible. If there’s going to be a lapse of several hours between picking and processing, keep the berries in a cool place or refrigerate them.

Enjoy the wild berries. You will often find some that have apparently escaped from cultivation.
Enjoy the wild berries. You will often find some that have apparently escaped from cultivation.

There are many ways to enjoy berries — jelly, jam, pies, with cereal, you name it. I prefer to freeze excess berries, as it’s easy to do and I believe the flavor is better than when berries are heated and canned. (Never expect anything to taste as good as when freshly eaten out of hand.) Frozen berries can be converted into something else later and still retain good flavor. Ripe berries should be handled as little as possible, as they are easily bruised. Who wants half crushed berries after all the trouble one goes to when picking them in the first place? (Did I mention thorns? Don’t wear your best denims. In the South, we pickers face a blood-sucking hazard known as chiggers. Mercy!)

Gently put berries into a large pan of cool water such as a dishpan and skim off any leaves or other debris that rises to the top. Discard along with any faulty berries. Pour off water and rinse again as you want thoroughly clean berries. Let berries rest in a colander for several minutes to allow as much water as possible to drain away.

Put drained berries in airtight freezer containers. If you are using bags, you will notice they will have a tendency to shape into more shapes than nice square ones. This can be helped by putting the filled bags on cookies sheets, shaping the bags with your hands and letting them freeze. You can then make better use of your freezer space by removing the bags from the cookie sheet and stacking them in the freezer.

If you will put two cups of berries in each container, they will go right along with a neat little recipe given to me years ago by a friend, Mrs. Milree Parsons. I believe she originally received this from an in-law in Wisconsin.

Creeping crust cobbler

1 stick margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh OR frozen blackberries (thawed)
1 cup sugar

Because of the juiciness of the fruit, you will need to use a fairly large type glass or ceramic pie dish. I use a ceramic, deep dish that is 11 inches in diameter (rim to rim) and 1½ inches deep.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut margarine in pieces and place in baking dish. Put dish in oven just long enough to melt margarine. Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine with milk to form a thick dough. Spoon dough over melted margarine but do not mix or stir the two together.

Combine fresh blackberries and 1 cup sugar together in a stainless steel or porcelain saucepan and cook over low heat about 5 minutes. If using frozen berries, a quick way to thaw them is to put about ¼ cup water in the saucepan and very slowly allow berries to thaw. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When berries are thawed and sugar melted, proceed with recipe.

Spoon hot berries over the batter and place dish in oven. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cobbler is golden brown and dough springs back when touched. This cobbler is delicious on its own served warm, but you may want to “dress it up” by serving ice cream or yogurt with it.

Thessaloniki is a heavy bearer and, barring disaster, will bear til frost.
Thessaloniki is a heavy bearer and, barring disaster, will bear til frost.

Other berries such as raspberries, blueberries, etc., may be substituted for the blackberries. Or you may like to use a combination of different kinds of berries.

Our native berries have such distinct flavors of their own that those of us who are familiar with them just can’t accept substitutes. When we taste a cake or sweet roll labeled “blackberry,” “raspberry,” etc., made by a commercial bakery, we know instantly there is a big difference between artificial flavoring and the real thing.

The peak of the berry season can sometimes be cut short by weather. Too much rain or just the opposite can affect the quality of the berries. If the season promises to be a good one, I’d say the sooner you get your share of those succulent berries, the better. There are other interested parties known as wildlife foraging for berries, too.

Space doesn’t allow for discussion of using overproduction from all plants, but the ones mentioned may prompt folks who like nutritious food to come up with some workable ideas of their own. I grew up in the Great Depression era when a waste of anything, particularly food, was frowned upon and ranked right up there with sin. I think that’s why so many of us are reluctant to throw anything away.

While we’re on the subject of waste, what about all of the discarded fruit and vegetable trimmings that are often thrown out as “no good”? Not so, as they are welcome additions to the composter. From the use of well rotted compost, we are rewarded with healthy looking plants and an abundance of great tasting produce. How’s that for turning waste into something useful?

At times, it seems necessary to give certain plants a boost by adding chemicals to the soil, so I won’t knock the chemicals entirely. However, I have observed that folks who go the composting route just seem to have the best luck with their gardens and they don’t kill out their hardworking allies known as earthworms and beneficial insects. The less we do that interferes with the natural process of growing things, the better off we are. When we use compost, we don’t have that apprehensive feeling of accidentally killing off something we didn’t mean to do in.

There’s another angle to being frugal and that is to be discerning as to which crops you really want to plant, harvest, and store, For instance, if your family likes fresh cabbage but does not care much for cabbage turned into chow-chow, sauerkraut, etc., don’t take up garden space with a big number of cabbage plants. Enjoy the taste of fresh cabbage while it’s in season and don’t put yourself through time consuming work canning something that may just sit there and never be eaten. Value your time. If you have enough of a surplus, you might consider selling it to a local produce market. Folks like to have access to fresh items from a local garden.

Whether you are harvesting heaps of produce or generating buckets of peelings, nothing really has to go to waste. There’s always the hungry composter. It’s a good feeling to come to the end of the growing season knowing you have covered all of your bases as well as possible.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/gabris88.html

Wonderful Wilderness Wines

From spring’s first delicate blossoms to the last clinging berries of autumn, hobby winemakers can cash in on nature’s bounty to rack up an exciting array of distinctive wines that’ll do justice to any cellar.

I have been winemaking for years and not only have I bottled up some blue ribbon winners, but have accumulated a treasured stash of well-aged wines that compliment any meal. Nothing makes a better toast to good health than a glass of sparkling gooseberry wine or celebrates a special occasion like a bottle of prized blueberry—fondly known by its ribbon as Berry Blue.

Contrary to what some folks believe, making wine is not difficult to master. Nor is it an expensive hobby to get started in. Truth is, if one enjoys being outdoors, foraging goods for the wine barrel will open up a whole new world of recreational fun. And once you’ve rounded up the equipment needed, you’ll be delightfully surprised at what fine wines you can enjoy at so little expense.
Equipment needed

With home winemakers growing in numbers across the country it is easy to locate hobby brewing shops that carry everything you’ll need. There are huge barrels for those who purchase large amounts of commercial fruits for winemaking, but for the beginner looking at making wine from wilderness offerings that are gathered in far less quantity, the fermenting vat can be a smaller container such as a five-gallon crock or any food grade plastic bucket or tub. It’s a good idea to have two or three small vats so several batches of wine can be fermenting at the same time. You’ll need a large kettle. I use an open canning kettle which holds about five gallons. Add to your list some tube for siphoning, cheesecloth, wine bottles, and corks.

Further down the road, as expertise grows, you might want to buy a fermentation jar with lock water-seal, fruit press, and corker. You’ll also hear mention of strange supplements like campden tablets (stabilizer made out of sulfite powder), sterilizing powders, pectic enzymes, and other additives that can instill fear in the heart of a beginner winemaker. So I have chosen simple, old-fashioned recipes to share, ones that do not call for unfamiliar items. Historically, wines have been successfully made without the addition of chemicals, and can still be made today in the way of our forefathers. However, if you’re interested in more modern techniques, talk to experts where the items are sold.
Getting started

The number one rule to top quality wine is cleanliness. All pickings must be gathered away from roadsides and other areas where they may be contaminated with herbicides and pesticides. Once home with your wilderness harvest, wash well under cold running water to remove insects, dust, and other undesirables.

Keep your equipment clean. Sterilize bottles by boiling in water for five minutes before bottling. Boil and cool water before adding to fermentation vat. The hardest part of all is allowing wine proper time to age. The biggest fault of beginner winemakers is serving their creations far too soon. It’s hard to resist temptation but I assure you, when it comes to wine, time is worth the wait.

Yeast is used to prompt fermenting or working. The recipes below call for one packet (eight grams) or ¼ ounce of dry yeast. For each recipe you will need one piece of toast. To add the yeast: Place the toast on the juice in fermentation crock and sprinkle it with yeast. Even though all recipes below can be halved, doubled, or tripled, the amount of yeast will remain the same.

A bit about sugar. You can always increase sugar amounts in any recipe to produce sweeter wines. However, unless recommended, do not decrease sugar or you might end up with vinegar.

When a recipe calls for straining juice, use clean cheesecloth and be sure to twist and wring it well in order to get out all the pulp and juice before discarding skins, seeds, and pits.

Juice ferments best at room temperature. Always cover the crock with clean cloth while fermenting is taking place. After the wine is done working (bubbling has ceased), finish it off by siphoning into bottles, corking, and labeling. When siphoning, leave sediments in vat and discard. Store wine on its side in a cool, dark place.

Dandelion wine:

4 quarts dandelion flowers
1 gallon water
1/2 pound chopped golden raisins (raisins can be added to any wine for extra body. Use golden raisins for white wines and dark raisins or currants for reds.)
2 oranges
l lemon
4 pounds sugar
yeast preparation

Gather dandelion flowers on a dry day when they are fully open. Remove the stalks but leave the green sepals on. Wash the flowers and put them in a large bowl. Cover with 1/2 gallon of boiling water. Cover with a cloth and let the flowers steep 24 hours or overnight. Pour into a kettle with raisins, grated rind, and the pulp and juice of the oranges and lemon. Bring to a boil, add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool and pour into a crock. Add 1/2 gallon of water, then add the yeast. Cover and let ferment for two to three weeks or until the wine stops working. Finish off by siphoning into bottles, corking, and labeling.

Billy’s Blackberry wine:

Wild blackberries make superb, full-bodied distinctive wine. We pick blackberries for wine from the hedges that surround our friend, Billy’s, farm. Thus our blackberry bears his name. If you can’t harvest from the wild, commercial blackberries are well worth the investment for this robust wine.

1 gallon blackberries
1 gallon water
sugar (as needed—see the instructions below)
yeast preparation

Put the berries in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 24 hours or overnight. Put in kettle, bring to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Strain. Measure the juice. Add one cup sugar to two parts juice for dessert wine, or one part sugar to three parts juice for less sweet wine. Empty into the crock, add the yeast, and ferment for two to three weeks. Finish off. Try to resist temptation for at least nine months. This is a very fine wine.

Variation: Substitute raspberries for a lighter, red wine that has a rich fruity flavor. A mix of blackberry and raspberry can be used for a unique cellar treat.

Berry Blue wine:

I love picking blueberries and since they are so plentiful, it’s easy to keep the cellar well-stocked with this full-bodied wine.

2 gallons blueberries
2 gallons water
2 oranges, rinds grated, pulp and juice reserved
6 pounds sugar
yeast preparation

Mash the berries and set aside. Bring one gallon water to a boil. Add the sugar and prepared oranges and boil five minutes. Pour over the berries. Let stand 24 hours or overnight. Mash again. Pour into a crock. Add one gallon of water and yeast. Ferment for two to three weeks, stirring occasionally, until the wine stops working. Strain. Put back into the crock and let it settle for three days. Finish off.

Pin Cherry wine:

Pin cherries are tiny but bursting with flavor. The trick to getting enough for the crock is beating birds to trees when fruit is ripe. If you can’t harvest enough for a batch of wine, make up the difference with tame cherries. Or substitute chokecherries, which are often more plentiful, for a deeper wine. And keep in mind that you can mix and match to create unique wines.

1 gallon pin cherries (or chokecherries)
2 cups chopped maraschino cherries, with juice (only if using pin cherries)
1 gallon water
5 pounds sugar
yeast preparation

Put the cherries in a kettle with one quart of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, mashing until pulpy. Remove from heat and let stand 24 hours or overnight. Strain. Put the juice in the kettle and add three quarts of water and the sugar. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool. Pour into a crock and add the yeast. Ferment for two to three weeks. Finish off.

Old World Gooseberry wine:

This medium-dry wine was used as an Old World curative for all kinds of common complaints. Today it’s drunk for sheer pleasure. If you can’t get enough gooseberries for a batch, make up the difference with wild currants, which usually grow in the same woodlands. Or tame garden gooseberries can be used. A quart of wild or tame frozen strawberries or raspberries adds pink color and flair to this delightful wine.

4 quarts gooseberries
1 pound golden raisins
1-1/2 gallons water
4 pounds sugar
1 quart liquid honey
yeast preparation

Bring one gallon of water to a boil and drop in the gooseberries and raisins. Simmer an hour. Let stand 24 hours or overnight. Empty the mixture back into the kettle. Bring to a boil. Add the sugar and honey, boil five minutes. Cool. Strain juice into crock and add yeast. Ferment for two to three weeks. Finish off. Wait at least eight months—or longer if you can—before decanting. This one improves greatly with age.

Be bear aware

When foraging in the woodlands be…bear aware. Don’t let your guard down when it comes to bears. They, too, are especially fond of berries. When you go down in the woods, don’t go alone. Go in numbers. Make noise. Wear bells. Sing and be merry. If you’ve got a hunch there’s a bear in the air, there probably is. When in doubt, leave. Slowly. Calmly. Never have a picnic in the patch or carry food in your pocket. If confronted by a startled bear, back away slowly. Don’t run—bears can do over 30 miles an hour when the race is on. When a bear is spotted in the patch, do not close it in. Make your exit as unthreatening as possible. Avoid blocking or crossing its path.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/salloum87.html

Farmers Vegetarian Pies

Delicate, flavorful, and very satisfying are the descriptions with which a number of culinary experts label the countless pies or turnovers found in every country on earth. It is said that if all snack foods are ranked in order, these would, without question, lead the list. Filled with an infinite combination of stuffing, they are, in the main, delicious, nutritious, and simple to prepare.

As a child, I will always remember the aroma flowing out of the kitchen when, after returning from school, I opened the door to our home. The mouth-watering smell of baking vegetarian and, at times, meat pies would increase my hunger pangs a hundred fold. No matter what type of pie mother was making that day, the smell from the kitchen would always ensnare me in its culinary bewitching web.

My mother seemed to have a never-ending storehouse of ideas for new types of pies. This was especially true in summer and autumn when our garden overflowed with vegetables. With no type of refrigeration at our disposal, during the warm months we ate very little meat. Hence, her vegetarian pies were a welcome addition to our diet. For lunch, snacks, or main courses, they were always delicious and memorable. Their memories have always lingered with me. For many years I have never tired of replicating my mother’s pies and developing numerous other versions.

Known in the eastern Arab-speaking lands as sambousik, fatayer, or lahme bi ajeen, they are always to be found on the housewife’s daily menu. For school lunches, snacks at home, or a meal a wife carries to her husband working the fields, pies, especially spinach, are usually included. When leaving their homelands, like our family, to other countries, the emigrants from the Middle East never forget their pies, especially those freshly baked, perfuming the home with their seductive pungency.

In that part of world, from the tiny sambousik to the larger fatayer or lahme bi ajeen, they are often offered as a savory and appetizing fast food. People enjoy munching them on the streets, their enticing aromas flowing from small bakeries and restaurants too overpowering to resist. The first thing I do when I reach Damascus, Beirut, or any other urban center in the Middle East, is search for a bakery, and there are many.

Traditionally most pies are stuffed with meats or a combination of vegetables and meats. Only a few, like cheese or spinach pies, are usually made with nonmeat fillings. Long favored by the masses, these vegetarian delights have for centuries been an important food in the kitchens of these lands.

On the other hand, besides cheese and spinach, more innovative cooks, like my mother, throughout the Middle East have replaced the meats with nuts and almost every kind of vegetable. In the process they have created a great number of appetizing and succulent vegetarian pies.

These can be made very small, medium size, or large enough for a one-person meal. The petit and medium versions can be served as appetizers, for snacks, as part of buffet meals, or as supplements to soups and salads. King-size and baked, they make a delectable and filling all-in-one entrée. Also, excellent for lunches and as picnic fare, they add much to the culinary world of sandwich-type foods.

Vegetarian pies can be stuffed with a never-ending variety of nonmeat ingredients and most are simple to prepare. They can be made in advance and frozen, then removed and allowed to thaw half an hour before being baked. Very delightful when served hot, they lose only a little of their mouth-watering taste if eaten cold.

The following vegetarian pies are some of the ones mother used to bake and a number which are my own creations.

Dough for the pies

1 Tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
4 Tbsp. olive oil

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water, then allow to stand until yeast begins to froth.

In the meantime, combine flour, salt, and ginger in a mixing bowl, then make a well in the middle. Add the yeast, water, and oil. Knead into a dough, adding more flour or water if necessary. (Do not allow the dough to become sticky.) Shape into a ball, then brush the outside with a few drops of oil. Place on a floured tray or pan, then cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rest in a warm spot until it becomes double in size.

Note: An equal amount of frozen dough will serve equally well for all the following recipes.

Spinach pies
Spinach pies are the most commonly made pies in the Middle East. They are found on the menu of almost every feast.

1 dough recipe
1 pkg. spinach (10 oz.), thoroughly washed and finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. pine nuts or slivered almonds
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

Make a filling by thoroughly combining all the ingredients just before rolling out the dough into rounds, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth, then allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds, then divide the filling and place two heaping tablespoons of filling on each round, stirring the filling each time. (Preferably the filling should be divided into 20 equal parts.) Fold the dough over the filling, then close by firmly pinching edges together into half moon or triangle shape.

Place the pies on well-greased baking trays, then bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until pies turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, then brush with olive oil. Serve hot or cold.

Leek pies
Leeks, not much used in cooking in North America, make an excellent-succulent pie.

1 dough recipe
4 heaping cups of thoroughly washed chopped leeks
4 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small hot pepper, very finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sumach (Sumach, sometimes spelled sumac, sammak, summag, and other ways, can be purchased in Middle Eastern food markets.)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

Make a filling by thoroughly combining all remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, and place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe when making and baking the leek pies

Eggplant and tomato pies

1 dough recipe
1 eggplant, about 1 1/2 lbs, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs, beaten

Prepare the dough for the pies then set aside

Sprinkle eggplant cubes with the salt, then place in a strainer over a pot. Place heavy weight atop eggplant cubes, then allow to drain for one hour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then sauté onions over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the eggplant cubes, hot pepper, and garlic, then stir-fry for five minutes, adding more oil if necessary.

Make filling by stirring in the remaining ingredients, then stir-fry for a few more minutes. Allow to cool.

In the meantime, form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking eggplant and tomato pies.

Potato and tomato pies
Eaten just out of the oven, these pies are simply delicious.

1 dough recipe
4 cups shredded potatoes
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small hot pepper, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

Make a filling by thoroughly combining all the remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into 5 to 6 inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking potato and tomato pies.

Pea and zucchini pies

1 dough recipe
2 1/2 cups 1/4-inch cubes of unpeeled zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp. ground almonds
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

Make a filling by thoroughly mixing all remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a flowered tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into 5 to 6 inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking the pea and zucchini pies.

Mushroom pies

1 dough recipe
4 cups thinly sliced mushrooms, thoroughly washed
1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
1 medium sweet green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

Make a filling by thoroughly combining all remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking the mushroom pies.

Corn pies
This is one of my own creations, similar to others that mother made during our farming years.
1 dough recipe
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium sweet pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. powdered mustard
1/2 tsp. cumin

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

In the meantime, heat oil in a frying pan, then sauté sweet pepper, onion, hot pepper, and garlic over a medium heat for five minutes. Add the corn, then stir-fry for further five minutes.

To make the filling, stir in the remaining ingredients, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In the meantime, form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into five to six-inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking the corn and pepper pies.

Chickpeas pies
Often prepared by my mother, chickpea pies are believed to have been eaten by the peasants in the Middle East since pre-Roman times.

1 dough recipe
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

In the meantime, combine remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth, then allow them to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Roll the balls into 1/8-inch thick rounds, then place on well greased cookie tray. Stir chickpea mixture, then press firmly into the dough a handful of chickpeas on each pie.

Bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges of pies turn light brown. Place under broiler until top browns, then serve hot.

Lentil pies
Since lentils contain an equal amount of protein as lean meat and are much more easily digestible, these pies, besides being tasty are very nourishing.

1 dough recipe
1 cup lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small hot pepper, very finely chopped
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

In the meantime, place the lentils and water in a saucepan, then bring to a boil. Cover, then simmer over medium heat for 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Drain the lentils and allow them to cool, then mash and combine with the remaining ingredients to make a filling.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a flowered tray. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, then roll the balls into 5 to 6 inch rounds.

Follow the spinach recipe for making and baking the lentil pies.

Thyme and sumach pies
In the Greater Syria area of the Middle East, this is a favored breakfast dish, eaten piping hot.

1 dough recipe
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. thyme
3 Tbsp. sumach
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Prepare the dough for the pies, then set aside.

In the meantime, thoroughly mix all remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Form the dough into 20 balls, then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a damp cloth, then allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Roll the balls into 1/8-inch thick rounds, then place on well greased cookie tray. Spread the mixed ingredients evenly over top of rounds, then bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges of pies turn light brown. Serve hot or cold.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/manning84.html

Cultured milk
Food of centenarians

By Edna Manning Edna Manning

Cultured milk products have been enjoyed in the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia for centuries. The Greeks felt that yogurt had therapeutic qualities for diseases caused by intestinal disorders. Bulgarians attribute their good health and longevity in part to their daily intake of cultured milk products.

The most common of the cultured milk products are yogurt, kefir, piima, buttermilk, and quark or cottage cheese.

Yogurt is simply milk thickened to a custard consistency by certain acid-forming bacteria growing in it. The special bacteria that turn milk into yogurt are lactobacillus bulgaricus, lactobacillus acidophilus, and streptococcus thermophilus. The coagulation and the fermentation of milk sugar into lactic acid is caused by these bacteria. This action curdles the protein in yogurt and acts as a preservative.

The bacteria in yogurt have already begun to break down the protein molecules into lactic acid, making it easy for the body to assimilate. Thus yogurt is helpful for people who have lactose intolerance, because they lack an enzyme that helps to digest milk sugar in regular milk. Yogurt helps the digestion process to move along smoothly and quickly.

In the Near East, babies are frequently fed yogurt for two or three months after they are weaned. Breast fed babies receive bacillus bifidus, a bacteria similar to lactobacillus bulgaricus found in yogurt.

Some doctors prescribe yogurt to replace normal intestinal flora that are destroyed when oral antibiotics have been used for an extended period of time. Antibiotics destroy “good” bacteria along with the “bad” bacteria.

Yogurt makes a light and tasty dessert with a few strawberries added for color and flavor.
Yogurt makes a light and tasty dessert with a few strawberries added for color and flavor.

Studies show that yogurt can be helpful in lowering the cholesterol levels in the blood by decreasing the amount of cholesterol the body produces.

Research would also indicate that the bacteria in yogurt can help guard the intestinal tract for carcinogens. Yogurt has also been used to aid in the healing of ulcers, digestive disorders, yeast infections, and nervous fatigue.

Yogurt is also used in cosmetics such as face masks and body lotions.

Commercial yogurt can be purchased in any supermarket. It comes in a variety of flavors and brands, many with low butterfat content.

Yogurt can be made from any kind of milk, including soy milk. The flavor will vary with the type of milk used.

Yogurt is not complicated to make yourself. Only two ingredients are necessary: milk and a starter culture. Use fresh whole or skim milk, powdered milk, or a combination. Adding a third of a cup of dry milk to a quart of skim milk will produce a more firm, nutritious yogurt.

Starter cultures for cultured milk can be purchased at Health Food Stores. You can also purchase a container of plain yogurt for your starter.

Dried starter will keep for several months in a cool place. If you use yogurt as a starter, you will have to buy a fresh supply every once in a while, as the bacteria strain tends to weaken after a time. Whenever it begins to take longer to set, buy a fresh starter.

The next step in yogurt making is the heating and cooling of the milk.

First sterilize all the utensils you will use with boiling water. Then heat one quart of pasteurized milk to a temperature of 105 to 110 degrees F If you’re using raw unpasteurized milk, heat it first to 180 degrees F, then allow to cool to 110 degrees F Stir in a couple of tablespoons of commercial yogurt into 1 cup of your prepared milk and add this to your remaining milk and mix well. If you use a powdered starter, follow the directions on the package.

Pour milk into sterilized jars or small plastic containers. (Use small containers as yogurt tends to separate and get watery on top once some of it has been used.) Cover the containers.

Incubation is the next step. This can be done by using a yogurt maker or any warm place where the temperature can be kept at 110-115 degrees F. My favorite method is to simply use the oven with only a 40 watt light bulb on.

Yogurt can take from six to ten hours to incubate. Check periodically to see if it has set to the proper consistency. It should be smooth, have a mild flavor, and be slightly tart. You can obtain either a mild or a more tangy yogurt by adjusting the incubation period. The longer it is incubated, the tangier the results.

Refrigerate immediately. It will keep for up to two weeks. If whey forms on the top, pour it off. Remember to save a few tablespoons for your next batch.

Kefir is similar to yogurt, but has yeast cells present causing fermentation, thus producing a drink that is slightly alcoholic and effervescent. The flavor is sweeter and milder.

To make kefir, simply add culture (kefir grains, the fermenting agent) to raw milk and incubate at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Pour through a sieve, reserving the kefir grains for the next batch. Serve chilled.

Blend with fresh fruit to make a delicious drink.

Piima is a Scandinavian cultured milk product. It is milder than either yogurt or kefir and very easy to make. Simply stir your culture into pasteurized milk at room temperature. Allow to incubate for 8 to 24 hours.

Buttermilk is really the liquid left from butter making. The “buttermilk” found in stores is a cultured milk made from pasteurized skim milk. Lactic acid bacteria is added to the milk and the mixture is left to clabber at room temperature.

Homemade buttermilk can be made by adding a culture to pasteurized milk or, if you make your own butter, from pasteurized real buttermilk.

Quark or Cottage cheese is also easy to make from raw, unpasteurized milk. The milk can be poured into a large cooking pot, covered and left to incubate in a warm place (about 80 degrees F—again, I use the oven with a light bulb on). After about 24 hours the milk has thickened. At this point, heat the clabbered milk slowly at a very low temperature, stirring gently on occasion to separate the curds from the whey. In about 40 minutes, the curds will have shrunk. Hold temperature at 120 degrees for about 15 minutes until the curds feel firm but not rubbery. You can now ladle the curds into a colander and drain the whey. The whey is rich in B vitamins and can be used in baking.

Beatrice Trum Hunter’s, Fact/Book on Yogurt, Kefir and Other Milk Cultures is a practical, informative book on the benefits of cultured milk which includes a variety of easy to make recipes. Check your local library.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/rohdenburg81a.html

Traditional trail foods
Transportable calories

By Brad Rohdenburg

Napoleon said that an army marches on its stomach. Frederick the Great defined an army as a group of men who demanded daily feeding. One can imagine the nutritional problems of a large group on the move. Armies through the ages have tried everything from bottling snails to bringing along herds of livestock. It’s difficult to keep mess kits and cooking equipment adequately clean under rugged field conditions, so illnesses were rampant. In most campaigns, more troops have been lost to sickness than to the enemy. Sometimes it was impossible to deliver food to the front line troops who needed it most. Hunger has ended many ambitions. The search for transportable calories, the “research and product development” of earlier armies, has finally resulted in the MRE. “MRE” stands for “Meal, Ready to Eat.”

Eating pemmican on the mountain
Eating pemmican on the mountain

In accordance with the Office of the Surgeon General’s nutritional requirements as identified in Army Regulation 4025, Nutritional Standards for Operational Rations, they will survive a 100 foot drop from a helicopter with no parachute, endure inclement weather and survive temperature extremes from minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and have a minimum shelf life of three years at 80 degrees F and last for six months at 100 degrees F. Now people on the move can have a meal on demand by carrying it with them. Mess kits and pots and pans have been eliminated. MREs set the current standard for traveling rations, but they aren’t magic. Those who use them are encumbered and inconvenienced by the weight and bulk of plastic utensils, condiments, heaters and a remarkable amount of packaging. Having to cook them to make them appealing wastes time. (I know, they’re designed to be eaten cold if necessary. Have a few dozen that way and then come back and tell me about it.) And if you’re buying your own MREs rather than having them issued by Uncle Sam, they’re prohibitively expensive.

If you have a need for trail food—storable, transportable, convenient, affordable and palatable calories—maybe we can learn something from the old ways. Jerky, pemmican, hardtack, and parched corn are traditional travel rations that have passed the test of time. They are products that have been produced, relied on, and refined for centuries, even millennia. Just a touch of modern technology and convenience makes them even better today.

Jerky, pemmican, hardtack, and parched corn are ways to put game, livestock, wild berries, and garden produce by in times of plenty. Easily made, transported, and stored, they became frontier staples for travelers, hunters, and warriors. They are still excellent trail foods and emergency rations.

I take jerky, pemmican, hardtack, and parched corn along on wilderness trips. Supplemented by some tea, salt, and rice and whatever I can catch or gather, I can exist pretty comfortably and feel healthy doing it. Even if I take more modern foods along as well, the historical perspective is fun. They’re comforting to have in reserve, too, in case the bush plane doesn’t show up on time, or the wind keeps your canoe ashore for a couple extra days. (Their only drawback as emergency rations is that I’m tempted to eat them before I’m truly hungry).
Jerky

Jerky is said to keep for years, but it’s so good that around my house it’s shelf life is usually measured in minutes. Here’s my favorite recipe:

11/2 lbs. very lean ground meat—(Any meat that isn’t fatty, including fish and birds. Avoid pork or bear.)
1/4 cup soy
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper

Combine all the marinade ingredients and pour over the meat. Refrigerate until the meat absorbs the solution. (Chilled meat is also firmer and easier to work with.) Roll the ground meat out and cut into strips about 1/4-inch thick and an inch or two wide. The strips can then be dried either on plastic screens or in a food dehydrator. Our forebears often simply draped strips of meat over branches; they built a cool, smoky fire underneath to keep away flies if necessary.
Pemmican

At its simplest, pemmican is only powdered jerky bound together with melted fat. It tastes far better than it sounds. When you’re working hard outdoors, especially in the cold, listen to your body. Pemmican will satisfy your craving for calories in ways that a candy bar won’t. It’s said to provide every essential but vitamin C. The concept of pemmican was borrowed from the American Indians. It begins with lean meat, traditionally of bison, moose, elk, or deer. It was dried over a fire or in the sun and wind. The dried meat was ground and shredded between stones. Sometimes ground dried berries, nuts, or honey were added. Finally, melted fat and/or bone marrow grease were mixed in. Pemmican could be eaten as is, or made into a soup or stew. When available, mint leaves or wild onions could be added for flavor.

Parched corn is easy to make, stores well, and makes a great trail food.
Parched corn is easy to make, stores well, and makes a great trail food.

The Hudson’s Bay Company bought pemmican from the Indians and later the Metis as the staple food of their fur brigades and established a standard of quality. It paid a premium for “sweet pemmican” made solely from the best of lean meats—preferably from bison cows and young bulls—and only bone marrow grease. Pemmican production became the most important industry on the high plains next to the fur trade.

Pemmican was originally stored in the stomach or intestines of animals. Indians shaped it into small round cakes. The Hudson’s Bay Company specified that it be stored in 45-kg. green bison skin bags called “parfleches,” sealed with tallow. As the parfleches dried they shrank, in effect vacuum-sealing themselves. They would keep for years. During the fur trade, it was reckoned that pemmican was nutritionally worth four times its weight in meat. Hudson’s Bay Company pemmican consisted of 50% dried meat and 50% fat/marrow.
“Modern” pemmican

Very dry jerky. Use deer, moose, caribou, or beef (not pork or bear).
Fresh beef suet. (the raw fat from around the kidneys and loins)
Any seedless dried fruit not preserved with sulfites (optional)

Cut the suet into chunks and render (melt) it over low heat, until it becomes a rich golden-brown liquid. Continue to heat until all moisture is removed. It’s important to remove all water from the fat to prevent it from going rancid. Strain it and throw away the solids. Allow it to cool—it will turn white. This is tallow. Rendering twice will make the tallow harder and give it better keeping qualities. Tallow, when cooled, resembles candle wax in color and consistency. In fact, if you have any left over, it can be made into candles. Lewis and Clark took cotton wicking along with them for that purpose, and wrote their journals by the smokey light of tallow candles. Add some beeswax or paraffin to make them burn better.

In a blender, grind the dried meat to a powder. Chop or grind the dried fruits and mix them with the dried meat powder. (Many who have acquired the taste for pemmican, myself included, prefer it without any fruit.)

Heat the tallow again. Make sure it is as hot as it can get without smoking. (Smoking means burning.) Pour the tallow into the dried meat mixture, adding just enough to moisten the particles. If it’s too cool you will have to use a lot of it to stick the mixture together and the pemmican will be too rich and fatty. At this point, if the tallow is cooling down too quickly to allow it to soak in properly, you can microwave the whole mixture to warm it up.

Form the warm pemmican into blocks or bars or patties. Allow them to cool and wrap in waxed paper or store in plastic bags.
“Peanut butter” pemmican

If you can’t quite bring yourself to eat the real thing yet, try this substitute:

1 part jerky
1 part peanuts or pecans, unroasted
1 part raisins
1 part any seedless dried fruit(s) not preserved with sulfites—apples, peaches, blueberries, etc.
Peanut butter and honey, in a two-to-one ratio
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional, but contrasts nicely with the sweet fruits and honey.)

Four easy to make, easy to carry, and energy-packed trails foods, clockwise from left: parched corn, hardtack, pemmican, and jerky.
Four easy to make, easy to carry, and energy-packed trails foods, clockwise from left: parched corn, hardtack, pemmican, and jerky.

Powder the jerky in a blender. Add fruit and nuts. Microwave honey and peanut butter to soften them, then blend them into the mixture. (Use less than you think you’ll need, just enough to bind everything together. If you get it wrong, it’s easier to add more peanut butter and honey than to add more of everything else.) Add cayenne pepper, working it in thoroughly. Store in plastic bags.
Hardtack

Essentially a very hard cracker, hardtack was the standard traveling fare for soldiers, sailors, and pioneers up through WWI. Originally made from only salt, flour, and a little water, it was universally despised. It was traditionally either dipped in coffee, or soaked in hot water and then fried in bacon drippings. This updated version is far more healthy and tasty, and just as easy to store and transport.

2 cups fresh whole wheat flour (Best if you grind it yourself—wheat berries lose nutritional value rapidly once ground.)
2 cups fresh corn meal (Again, best if you grind it yourself right before baking.)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
13/4 cups water

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add water. Knead until moistened but not sticky. Roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares or rounds. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Score with a knife to facilitate breaking later. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container.
Parched corn

Corn was the staple grain on the American frontier for pioneers and Indians alike, as it was (and is) relatively easy to grow, harvest, and process without machinery. There are four basic types: flour, dent, flint, and sweet. All may be dried on the cob, and may then be stored indefinitely. If you want to go modern, then just buy frozen whole kernel corn at the grocery store and dehydrate it.

Parching corn makes these hard kernels softer for your teeth and much more digestible. It’s a lightweight, high energy food that was carried by Indian warriors and hunters. It was also considered a treat by pioneer children. It can be eaten as is, or ground and added to soups and stews. You’ll be surprised at how it revitalizes you.

Heat a small amount of butter or lard or oil in a skillet on low. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel so that only a thin coat remains—just enough to prevent the corn from sticking. Pour in enough dry kernels to almost cover the bottom of the pan. Stir constantly to prevent burning. The kernels are done when they swell and turn light to medium brown and begin to pop. It takes from about one to five minutes. Dump the corn out onto a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any remaining oil or grease, then re-oil your skillet and do some more. Enough for a day will fit in a plastic bag in your pocket.

On your next outing, try traveling light. Jerky, pemmican, hardtack, and parched corn will keep you going all day, without utensils to clean, or trash to dispose of, or the need to stop and cook. For dinner, pemmican stewed with whatever greens or tubers you’ve foraged, thickened with parched corn and served with hardtack will give you a literal taste of days gone by.