Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Grain grinders and dehydrators on sale:

Excalibur Dehydrator Economy 2400 - 4 Tray (Black Only)
$119.95 $105.95
Save: 12% off
[Larger have larger discount %]

Nutrimill Grain Mill-110 Volt
$269.99 $239.99
Save: 11% off

L’EQUIP VitalMill Grain Mill
$179.99 $129.99
Save: 28% off

http://millersgrainhouse.com/store/index.php?main_page=specials&page=2&zenid=db3b2c99b1fcb87e7b39b14d14f6ea8c

Our favorite is the Long-term, Working Pantry Dry Goods Pails (with Spin-off lids) now available in multiple useful sizes.

http://millersgrainhouse.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=38&zenid=db3b2c99b1fcb87e7b39b14d14f6ea8c

And take time to look at the excellent free recipes on this site.

Leadenhall City Farm Proposal - London, England

“Parks, allotments and markets are set to spring up across Britain on the sites
of building projects that have been mothballed in the recession.

“Piers Taylor, of Mitchell Taylor Workshop, one of the practices shortlisted for
the Leadenhall site has proposed a city farm, populated with colour-coded chickens.

He wants to create grassy banks to picnic on and plant blackberry bushes amid the
surrounding steel, granite and glass.”

- from The Times Oct 30, 2009

Community Gardening in Philadelphia - 2008 Harvest Report

This report summarizes research on the state of community and squatter gardens in
Philadelphia, with a focus on the production and distribution of food. The specific
aims of this project were to measure the amount of food grown in community gardens
and to trace its distribution. The broader goal of this ongoing research is to understand
the roles and impacts of community gardens in building food security for households
and communities.

The Vegetable Gardens at Bilignin - The final chapter of The Alice B. Toklas Cook
Book

“For fourteen successive years the gardens at Bilignin were my joy, working in them
during the summers and planning and dreaming of them during the winters. The summers
frequently commenced early in April with the planting, and ended late in October
with the last gathering of the winter vegetables.

Bilignin surrounded by mountains and not far from the French Alps -”

Participate in the FAO Forum on Food, agriculture and cities now
More and more of the world’s population is becoming concentrated in and around large
cities. Ensuring that the billions of people living in cities have their rightful
access to adequate amounts of safe and nutritious food represents a global development
challenge of the highest order. Promoting sustainable agricultural production in
urban and peri-urban areas and developing food systems capable of meeting urban
consumer demand will become increasingly important to global food security. Currently
however, the important relationship between food security, agriculture and urbanization
is often not sufficiently recognized.

Wisconsin Foodie TV Show visits Sweet Water Organics’ fish vegetable farm

“Sweet Water Organics is the first major commercial upgrading of MacArthur genius
Will Allen’s aquaculture methodologies, i.e. a three-tiered, aquaponic, bio-intensive
fish-vegetable garden. Sweet Water is the anchor project in the transformation of
a massive industrial building in an “industrial slum” into a show-case of the potential
of living technologies and high-value added urban agriculture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All stories here.
City Farmer News [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102821222200&s=1304&e=001AHvqhK7ll7R30INXoZsxgCU9jbO7wQUiF78otlnoED1bAsg688qqreDomDfEwv7qgQZFW0fb1yygRNM94P1MoZM4BNO2kxJvkMO-8xSDQoofgdW6P39Efw==]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture

Weekly Harvest Newsletter

Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - November 11, 2009

Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online (http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#wh).

Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.

News & Resources
* Economic Research Service Releases Organic Dairy Report
* New Food Systems Planning and Evaluation Resource Available
* Minnesota Radio Show Features Farmers
* Report Outlines Economic Impact of Local Food System
* Scholarships to EcoFarm Conference Available
* Farm Financial Workshop Available Online
* ‘Building Sustainable Places’ Publication Now Available on ATTRA Website

Funding Opportunities
* EPA Environmental Education Grant
* ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program
* Wetland Design and Restoration Assistance Grant

Coming Events
* ‘Rolling the Dice with Cut Flowers’ Workshop
* Organic Production Opportunities Seminar
* Lambing and Kidding School

News & Resources

Economic Research Service Releases Organic Dairy Report
USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has released a report, Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR82/ERR82.pdf) (PDF/1.2MB). This report addresses size, regional differences, and pasture use in organic milk production. Economic forces have pressured organic dairies to operate more like their conventional counterparts and take advantage of economies of size.

New Food Systems Planning and Evaluation Resource Available
http://www.foodsecurity.org/pubs.html#wm
The Community Food Security Coalition has released ‘Whole Measures for Community Food Systems: Values-Based Planning and Evaluation’ (http://www.foodsecurity.org/pub/WholeMeasuresCFS-web.pdf) (PDF/909KB). This new planning and evaluation tool provides a lens for community food projects to dialogue about how their work affects whole communities. It includes a set of six core fields of value-based practices against which projects can measure the impact of their work.

Minnesota Radio Show Features Farmers
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/news/releases/2009/nr-2009-11-09-mfan.aspx
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is partnering with the Minnesota Farm Network (MFN) (http://www.minnesotafarmnetwork.com/) to highlight the creativity and ingenuity of Minnesota farmers by bringing back a popular radio series called Ag Opportunities on the Air. The series of minute-long broadcasts featuring Minnesota farmers telling stories about their own innovative enterprises will air on all MFN stations. Topics will include alternative crops and livestock breeds, marketing strategies and on-farm value added processing enterprises such as making biodiesel.

Report Outlines Economic Impact of Local Food System
http://www.extension.org/pages/Economic_Analysis_of_an_Ohio_County_Local_Food_System_Offers_Blueprint_for_Nation
A first-of-its-kind Ohio State University analysis is helping planners in Knox County strengthen the area’s local food system. The project report, ‘Planting the Seeds of Sustainable Economic Development: Knox County’s Local Food System,’ (http://sri.osu.edu/pdf/Knox_County_Assessment_Summary-200908.pdf) (PDF/1.3MB) provides a detailed assessment of Knox County’s food and farming system, focusing on the impacts of increased production of food to be sold and consumed locally. The report concluded that the local food system could be strengthened in three ways: helping farmers adopt practices to extend the growing season to allow them to supply fresh product for a longer period of the year; developing proper storage facilities in the area to increase the period that seasonal products could be sold; and/or developing a stronger marketing program to sell Knox County-grown goods in nearby, larger markets of Newark, Mansfield and Columbus.

Scholarships to EcoFarm Conference Available
http://eco-farm.org/efc/worktrade_discounts_scholarships/
Thanks to the EcoFarm GenNext partnership with California FarmLink, funded by the USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program, the Ecological Farming Association is pleased to offer seven beginning farmer scholarships worth $250/each for EcoFarm 2010 (http://eco-farm.org/efc/). Awardees may use the funds for any combination of conference attendance, lodging, or bus tours. For the purposes of this program, you are considered a beginning farmer if you are currently farming and have been farming for 10 years or less. Applications are due by November 30, 2009.

Farm Financial Workshop Available Online
http://ifsam.cffm.umn.edu/
The Center for Farm Financial Management has created an online video workshop series to help ag producers (and anyone who works with them) understand and use the 4 major financial statements and the 21 financial measures recommended by the Farm Financial Standards Council. ‘Interpreting Financial Statements and Measures’ is a series of online videos that producers can work through at their own pace. Each session provides benchmarks, based on actual farms, that producers can use to evaluate their own financial position and their financial performance.

‘Building Sustainable Places Publication’ Now Available on ATTRA Website
http://www.attra.ncat.org/guide/
We are pleased to announce that a long awaited updated publication, ‘Building Sustainable Places,’ is now available on the ATTRA website! This guide is an updated version of a previous publication called ‘Building Better Rural Places’ and is written for anyone seeking help from federal programs to foster innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States. Specifically, the guide addresses program resources in community development, sustainable land management, and value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry. It is designed to help farmers, entrepreneurs, community developers, conservationists, and many other individuals, as well as private and public organizations, to locate information about relevant federal programs. The ‘Building Sustainable Places’ guide is a collaborative publication of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and several USDA agencies, and includes content based on work by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

More Breaking News (http://attra.ncat.org/news/)

Funding Opportunities

EPA Environmental Education Grant
http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html
The Grants Program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Division, Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education, supports environmental education projects that enhance the public’s awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality.
Proposals are due December 15, 2009.

ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2009/103009_onfarm.html
Iowa State University seeks ideas and proposals for a unique program pairing farmers with Iowa State University researchers to work on topics related to conservation and sustainability. The program is a partnership of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Practical Farmers of Iowa. Its goals are to address the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture through collaborative, on-farm research. A total of $25,000 will be awarded in 2010. Annual, one time grants up to $5,000 maximum will be awarded. Awards to three or more producers proposing to work together may be up to $7,000 each.
Proposals are due December 16, 2009.

Wetland Design and Restoration Assistance Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=50088
The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Louisiana is requesting applications to provide planning, design and implementation of restoration activities on eligible Wetlands Reserve Program and Emergency Watershed Protection – Floodplain Easement properties. The objective of WRP/EWP-FPE is to provide technical and financial assistance to landowners in planning, designing and implementing wetland and associated upland restoration plans that maximize wildlife habitat in wetland systems, as well as provide water quality improvements, reduced soil erosion, reduced impacts of flooding and provide wildlife habitat opportunities for threatened and endangered species. Applicants will be responsible for assisting landowners by providing technical assistance necessary to develop and implement WRP/EWP-FPE restoration plans, while at the same time improving and protecting wetland habitat for environmental benefits.
Proposals are due December 4, 2009.

More Funding Opportunities (http://attra.ncat.org/funding/)

Coming Events

‘Rolling the Dice with Cut Flowers’ Workshop
http://www.extension.org/pages/November_17_Memphis_Workshop_for_Entrepreneurs_Considering_Cut_Flower_Business
November 17-18, 2009
Memphis, Tennessee
Entrepreneurs considering cut flowers as a full or part-time business should consider attending this workshop. Among the sessions on the agenda:
* Farmers markets vs. wholesale florist: What market is best for you?
* Effective cost accounting
* Best trees and shrubs for woody cut flowers
* Concurrent sessions for neophytes and established growers
* First-person examples from those in the cut flower business.

Organic Production Opportunities Seminar
http://www.organicfertilizerassociation.org/eventCalendar.aspx
November 19, 2009
Woodland, California
A seminar presented by the Woodland chapter of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers and the Organic Fertilizer Association of California will address soil fertility and pest management issues in certified organic farming. Seminar will feature speakers on fertility, weed/pest control and other issues. The all-day event will feature a farmer panel.

Lambing and Kidding School
http://sheepandgoat.com/programs/09LKSchool.html
November 21, 2009
Waldorf, Maryland
This workshop will cover topics including lambing and kidding, nutrition, general health, first aid for lambs and goats, and more.

More Events (http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/)

ATTRA Biodiesel Webinar Now Available
An hour-long webinar (http://www.attra.ncat.org/video/#biodiesel), produced by staff working on the ATTRA project, is now available for viewing on the ATTRA website. Highlights of the webinar include basics of biodiesel production, the advantages and disadvantages of biodiesel, the chemistry of biodiesel and step-by-step instructions to make your own fuel, biodiesel equipment, and oilseed production and processing.

New & Updated Publications

Small-Scale Egg Handling
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/10/06/small_scale_egg_handling

Biodiesel: Do-it-yourself Production Basics
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/08/27/biodiesel_do_it_yourself_production_basi_1

Procesamiento de Aves a Pequeña Escala
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/08/20/procesamiento_de_aves_a_pequena_escala

Question of the Week

What information can you give me on Walipini-style greenhouses?
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/question.php/2009/11/09/what_information_can_you_give_me_on_wali

Website of the Week

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2)
http://attra.ncat.org/wow/

Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert

Submit questions to our professional staff online
http://attra.ncat.org/ask.php

ATTRA Spanish Newsletter

Subscribe to Cosecha Mensual (http://attra.ncat.org/espanol/boletin.php)
(Monthly Harvest), ATTRA’s Spanish-language e-newsletter

Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest
(http://visitor.roving.com/optin.jsp?m=1011223551022&ea=)

Comments? Questions? Go to http://www.attra.ncat.org/management/contact.html.

Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews Archives Available Online
(http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html)
Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are available online. ATTRAnews is the newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
(http://attra.ncat.org/)

ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html). Visit the NCAT Web site (http://www.ncat.org/sarc_current.php) for more information on our sustainable agriculture projects.

http://millersgrainhouse.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=3&zenid=db3b2c99b1fcb87e7b39b14d14f6ea8c

Grain Q’s & A’s & Info

_______________________________________________

Hello, Please tell me if white wheat is the same as soft white wheat? I’m trying to clarify the difference and its use. Is white wheat use to make white flour and soft wheat for pastry flour? Thanks

To help you clarify, let’s first talk about the color:

The color has nothing to do with the usage of the wheat - it only affects the taste and potentially the amount of niacin (which is not too lacking in most diets). Red wheats have a tiny bit higher niacin (a B vitamin) than white wheats, but that is about the only difference (based on color). They (reds) do have a more nutty flavor (almost bitter wheaty in my opinion) than white wheats.

Bagged flour is often bleached either by natural or chemical bleaching and the husk has been taken out (along with the germ, etc) thus the ‘whiteness’.

White wheat when milled whole will not produce ‘white’ flour (like bagged flour white) because it is natural. It will be a very light golden color. It will bake to a golden yellow/brown color. It is the best transition grain (in my opinion) for those who are used to white loaf bread from the store. It is mild in flavor and aroma.

Red wheat when milled will be the more traditional ‘whole wheat’ color of a light brown. It will bake to a dark brown. It is stronger in flavor and aroma.

Again, color is not the determining factor of use, but will affect the taste. So it is taste and aesthetics (look) that determine what color you choose, what you want to use it for is a deciding factor in the type not color.

Now on to the type - hard or soft wheat:

This does affect the usage of the grain.

Soft wheats (regardless of color) have much less gluten thus are not as ‘spongy’ when used. They will not make very good loaf bread. Combine the soft wheat flours with hard for very good & fluffy muffins, pancakes, pie crusts, cookies (cookies can be all hard wheat too though) and more that does not require a ‘rise’ or elastic dough feeling.

Soft wheats are used as a pastry four, but in my experience are hardly ever used exclusively alone (often combined with hard wheat) except in cakes (to which you must also sift the flour to remove some of the bran for a real cake like consistency). Cake flour alone is best as only soft wheat.

Hard wheats (regardless of color) are the grains that make the most all purpose flour. The hard wheat contains the most gluten (which is a protein) that helps the bubbles hold together in a loaf of bread. Gluten helps to give the spongy effect. If used in other recipes like muffins etc, it can result in a tough muffin if over mixed (mixing/kneading helps gluten form the bubble pockets).

So to sum up - color is a choice for taste and look, while hard or soft is a choice for type of recipe.

_______________________________________________

Spelt

There’s not much more ’getting back to basics’ than reaching way back in history to find a grain that is making a come-back Tasty and nutritious spelt, is one of the first grains to be grown by early farmers far back in history as 5,000 BC. For a variety of reasons, this Ancient Grain is growing in popularity with American consumers.

Spelt is one of the oldest of cultivated grains, preceded only by Emmer and Elkorn. Spelt has an almost “nutty” flavor which has long been popular in Europe, where it is also known as “Farro” (Italy) and “Dinkle” (Germany). When Rome ruled it was called “Farrum”, and its origins are easily traced back early Mesopotamia. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a ancient and distant relative of our modern day wheat (Triticum aestivum).

What once had brought the decline in spelt production in North America is now believed to be its greatest benefit. Spelt has a tougher hull, or husk, that makes it a bit more difficult to process its modern wheat cousins. The tougher husk, separated just before milling, not only protects the kernel, but helps retain nutrients and maintain freshness as do all wheat husks, but the tougher the husk, the more protection. Also, unlike other grains, spelt’s husk protects it from pollutants and pests and usually allows growers to avoid using pesticides.

Unlike modern wheat, the spelt grain has retained many of its original traits and remains a highly nutritious and full-flavored option. Modern wheat has changed dramatically over the decades. It has been propagated to be easier to grow and harvest, to boost harvest yield, and to have a higher gluten content for the production of high-volume commercial baked goods. All this translates to more money for manufacturers.

It’s taste is not the only thing that has drawn the Western world back to this ancient grain. Spelt is naturally high in fiber, and contain much more protein than wheat. Spelt is also higher in both simple and complex carbohydrates and in B complex vitamins. Another newly promoted benefit is that some people who are gluten-sensitive have been able to include spelt-based foods in their diets to replace the modern wheat they were once used to which they now should avoid.

Spelt has become a top-selling grain in the organic and health food industry, since its reintroduction to the market in 1987 by Purity Foods Inc. Modern cooks are rediscovering the full-bodied flavor of whole grain spelt baked goods. Flour made from the versatile grain can be substituted for wheat flour in a variety of baked goods including, but not limited to: breads, pasta, cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, pancakes and waffles.

_______________________________________________

Amaranth

In the Himalayas, Amaranth grain is a crop of moderate importance . It was one of the staple foodstuffs of the Inca civilization, and it is known today in the Andes as kiwicha.

It was also used by the ancient Aztecs, who called it huautli. Other Amerindian peoples in Mexico used Amaranth to prepare ritual drinks and foods.

Amaranth was used in several Aztec observances, where images of their gods (notably Huitzilopochtli) were made out of amaranth grain mixed with honey. The images were cut with the pieces to be eaten by the people. To the Roman Catholic priests who witnessed the ritual, this looked like the Christian Eucharist, thus the cultivation of Amaranth grain was forbidden for centuries.

Amaranth grain (especially A. cruentis and A. hypochondriaca) was revived in the 1970s largely due to its importance as a symbol of an indigenous culture, and because it is very palatable, easy to cook, and its protein is particularly well suited to human nutrition needs. Amaranth and Quinoa are the only two grain that contain complete protein. Besides Protein, Amaranth grain provides a good source of Dietary fiber and Dietary mineral such as Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, and especially Manganese.

After cultivation having been forbidden, it was recovered in Mexico from wild varieties and is now commercially cultivated.

Amaranth’s use has spread to Europe and other parts of North America. It is a popular snack sold in Mexico City and other parts of Mexico, sometimes mixed with Chocolate or Puffed grain. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like Popcorn and mixed with Honey or Molasses to make a treat called alegría (literally “joy” in Spanish).

LOL, I’ll bet you didn’t need the hot car to get their attention!<<<<

When you have a brother, step-brother, and a cousin all in the Navy boot camp at the same time, that is a lot of hungry kids.

My mom made the step-brother as welcome as she did her own son, so they all brought home their closest buddies and I got to run taxi service, LOL, it beat staying home and doing dishes.

LOL, that was the year that my grandmother got into the wrong eggnog and it was a riot, watching two old ladies sitting at the table tasting too much spiked eggnog, but they remained the the Victorian lady.

Mom preferred adding the booze, so she could keep it light and not have someone really load it up, but somehow the 2 ladies, managed to get the spiked egg nog.

My grandmother lived to 95 years old and was the last of her group to go.

For 40 years or more, they met in the Plaza at San Diego, sat on the benches and watched the world go by.

It’s supposed to be equal parts of the following,

3 onions (strongest ones)

3 heads of garlic

a lot of hot red peppers - you could use habaneros, but not me

a lot of fresh ginger root

two big horseradish roots<<<

This should work, onion and garlic for healing and the other hot foods for purifying the body.

Kloss in Back to Eden says that the peppers heat the blood and purify it.

If you use Cayenne pepper on your food, in about 10 minutes you will feel a flush, short but hot, that is the action that in the old days, was said to purify the blood.

The formula would be good for you.

>>>LOL, that was the year that my grandmother got into the wrong eggnog and it was a riot, watching two old ladies sitting at the table tasting too much spiked eggnog, but they remained the the Victorian lady.<<<

Reminds me of how one of my grandmothers was - she swore that even one tiny bite of rum cake made her ‘tipsy’. She is the one who when the Dr. advised her to have a glass of wine daily, that she dutifully took about a thimble full as though it was caster oil, but didn’t want anyone to see her as it might lead them to drink...

Hi there, Granny!

I see that on today's last page of the long long long thread about H1N1 Flu, that numbers have been changed for the USA -- instead of 1200 deaths this year, the number has been revised to FOUR THOUSAND.

And loookie, lookey here, looksee at this article, it's quite interesting:

Suspected Hemorrhagic Pneumonia Outbreak Hits Ukraine
by Stephen Lendman
Wednesday, 11 November 2009

The plague or virus in the Ukraine has 10 times the mortality rate (attributed to) normal swine flu. The situation in Ukraine bears watching. It may signal what's soon heading everywhere. On October 29, the Australian web site zik.com.ua reported that:

"Western Ukraine was hit by a severe epidemic of unidentified influenza, tentatively diagnosed by doctors as viral pneumonia. The number of dead has climbed dramatically. Doctors advise Western Ukrainians to stay home and use preventive medicine."

On October 30, Jane Burgermeister's theflu.com reported that:

"More than 30 people have died in the Ukraine as a result of a mysterious new virus that has an affinity for the lungs," according to Swiss reports. Ukraine's Health Ministry said the virus' origin is unknown and showed......

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2278371/replies?c=6010

We may need this information, soon.
granny

http://openlibrary.org/b/OL7007290M/Steam_boilers_engines_and_turbines

Steam boilers, engines and turbines
by Sydney Ferris Walker
Published in 1908, D. Van Nostrand company (New York)

Read on line at link.....

Weekly Roundup – Moving Edition

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

We are in the midst of the dreaded packing, sorting, selling, tossing phases of moving. Nothing reminds you of just how much stuff you have like the process of packing and moving. Fortunately, we don’t have far to go, so we have looked upon the move as a positive opportunity to simplify our household by clearing it of clutter.

Just yesterday we rounded up all our old clothes, jackets, etc. that we no longer wear and plan to give them away to shelters, and other charitable organizations in our area that may need them (there is particularly high demand in the winter months). I’d encourage you to go through your closets and find an old jacket, or set of blankets that you no longer use, and find someone who could use them. A good place to start is with churches, missions, shelters, and organizations such as The Red Cross and Salvation Army.

The Frugal Roundup

The Argument Against Frugality. Not on the frugality bandwagon yet? These reasons for not being frugal may change your mind. (@The Sun’s Financial Diary)

100 Goals. I came across this site the other week and thought it was pretty cool. It chronicles a guys attempt to complete 100 goals he has for his life. Check it out! (@Hundred Goals)

“What Works For You” Can Be a Trap. The personal finance theory of “do what works for you” comes into question. (@Consumerism Commentary)

Ditch Productivity For A Day: 12 Great Sites To Kill Time & Have Fun. Sometimes it’s OK to sit down and unwind. (@Dumb Little Man)

Avoid a Financial Holiday Hangover This Year. Great steps for avoiding the dreaded holiday credit card bills in January. (@Generation X Finance)

Best of the Rest

* How Working Overseas Helps Your Career
* How One Homeless Person Lives: Coping With Homelessness
* Adventures in Dallas (How We Saved Money There)
* Why Canadians Don’t Redeem Coupons
* Year End Tax Tips 2009
* Understanding Health Savings Accounts
* Choose Your Words Carefully… You May Have to Eat Them
* Survive a Financial Crisis: 12 Tips For Married Couples

Post by Frugal Dad

http://frugaldad.com

Alot of information is online, particularly about the names & locations of homeless shelters in cities throughout our nation.

Many of these shelters will mention what donations they accept, and/or whatever donations they desperately need.

For instance, in my area, there is a constant need for towels, blankets, sheets, new socks, mittens & gloves, etc.

Many shelters will have an online page telling where donations can be dropped off, what times are safe to leave stuff there, what it is they "really" need.

And, evidentally, almost all animal shelters will accept donations of old bedding and boxes of clean rags -- CALL & ASK, first, of course.

Granny, I'll come back and lurk occasionally on your interesting messagethreads, but won't participate, I've got to get away, I can't take any more of this "doctor" newsstory, and I've decided to not devote one more minute of my time & energy to the Birth Cerificate Controversy -- I have just so much time left in my life, and no more energy to devote to the 100s of hours I've already spent studying the BCC, and I won't spent one minute more on that so-called, "doctor."

Goodby for now.
HP

How did the 0bamacare bill pass the house?

This 1.5 minute youtube is enough to make your blood boil!

http://myfreepress.net/blog/post/liberty4us/2009/11/how-congress-votes/

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/rocky-road-candy-in-crockpot.html

Rocky Road Candy in the Crockpot

The Ingredients:

—bag of chocolate chips
—bag of mini marshmallows
—bag of chopped walnuts
—Release foil

The Directions:

—pour whole bag of chocolate chips into stoneware
—turn on high, set timer for 30 minutes to check
—stir chocolate after 30 min, re-set timer 15-30 minutes as needed.

prepare two cookie sheets with Release foil.

when chocolate is all melty, stir in a bunch of marshmallows. I didn’t measure how many I dumped in, but I like a lot of marshmallows. I used at least half the bag. Mix with a big spoon and add chopped walnuts (or whatever nuts you prefer).

Remove stoneware from heating element.

Use two spoons and drop mounds of chocolate-marshmallow-nut gooeyness onto the Release foil.

Place cookie sheets into the refrigerator to cool and harden.

Once cool, you can place the candy into those cute little cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Or you can fill your robe pockets and go eat them all in the closet.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-pumpkin-pudding-crustless.html

Crustless pie? That’s easy. I can do that. This is much better than my original plan, which was to open a can of pumpkin pie filling and hand them each a spoon.

The Ingredients.

—1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
—1 can evaporated milk (12 oz—the big can, not the little guy!)
—3/4 cup white sugar
—1/2 cup Bisquick-type mix (I used Pamela’s Baking Mix)
—2 eggs
—2 T butter, melted
—1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
—1/2 tsp nutmeg
—1/4 tsp cloves
—1/8 tsp ginger
—2 tsp vanilla extract

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot and it was the perfect size. If you only have a big one, you can use it, but be aware that the batter will be spread out more and will cook much quicker. If you insert an oven-safe dish into the crock, it will work, but the batter will be quite thick and will take a VERY long time. Plan accordingly.

Spray cooking spray into your crockpot.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and whisk until fully blended. No need to use a hand or stand mixer, just some elbow-grease.

Pour the batter into the prepared crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for about 6. Check your “pie” after 2 hours on high, and 3 hours on low, then check every 30 minutes.

When fully cooked, the pie will look just like a finished pumpkin pie. The batter will have browned and will crack in a few places. The center will have set enough for you to touch it without getting batter on your finger.

Let sit in the crockpot until room temperature, then spoon into serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

The Verdict.

Perfect. It tastes fantastic, is gluten-free, and was terribly easy to do. We’ll be making this again, and I’m happy to have it to serve today.

yay!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-299.html

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup CrockPot Recipe

Day 299.

The year is quickly winding down! I’ve gotten quite a few emails in the past few days wondering what will happen to this blog at the end of the year. Nothing. It’s not going anywhere, but I do reserve the right to take a vacation! I’m kind of a bit pooped.
I will continue to post new recipes as I come up with them, but most likely not on a daily basis. I will also have a new blog to help promote Totally Together: An Organizational Journal for the Busy Household.

This soup beats the pumpkin out of the disgusting black bean and pumpkin soup that I made last week.

The flavors in here are rich and distinguished. It’s completely fat-free until you add the cream, which is optional. To cut back on cream consumption, I measured out 1 tablespoon per family member and we stirred it in ourselves at the table. The kids adored this and renamed the soup “Sunset Soup.” Adam and I then tried to sing “Sunrise Sunset” for them, but we only knew those first two words, so we just sang them over and over again. It was dorky and sweet all at the same time.

The Ingredients.
adapted from The Daily Soup, Hyperion, p. 27

This soup will serve 6 grown-ups.

—2 cups of fresh pumpkin, or 1 can (15 oz)
—4 cups vegetable broth
—2 cups water
—1 red onion. chopped
—2 celery stalks, chopped
—2 yams, peeled and chopped
—3 chopped garlic cloves
—1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
—1 T white sugar
—2 tsp kosher salt
—1 tsp tumeric (this was the first time I bought tumeric, and I do think it’s a necessary spice)
—1/4 tsp allspice
—1/4 tsp nutmeg
—heavy whipping cream, 1 T per family member (optional)
—garnish with chopped green onion (I totally forgot to do this)

The Directions.

I used my 6.5 quart eLume for this soup.

I bought a pumpkin specifically for this recipe. I had huge plans to cut out the flesh, discard the strings and seeds and cook the fresh pumpkin. The kids had other plans, and took the pumpkin from me, wrapped “her” in baby blankets and played house for a few days. When I got “her” back she wasn’t quite as hard as she was when I first brought her home from the store. I wasn’t terribly worried until I committed pumpkincide and cut into her and found a disgusting black moldy mess.

Mrs. Pumpkin Head is now in the compost bin.

SO! If you have fresh non-squishy and moldy pumpkin, go for it. Otherwise, open a can of pure pumpkin and use that.

Empty it into your crockpot, and add the chopped vegetables. Add the spices and sugar. Stir in the vegetable broth and water. I really don’t think it matters one whit what gets added first. It’s soup. It’s going to cook together all day long.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Carefully use an immersible blender to blend about 3/4 of the soup. If you have littles in the house with texture issues, feel free to blend it all.

Serve with a bit of cream to stir in.

The Verdict.

Gorgeous. This is a gorgeous soup. I love it. The kids enjoyed it (they liked it better when it turned yellow with the cream), and Adam and I liked it an awful lot. I’d most definitely serve this to guests.

Super good.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/vegetarian-no-noodle-lasagna-crockpot.html

Vegetarian No Noodle Lasagna CrockPot Recipe

Day 215.

I got a lovely email from Lynda, who is a mother of 6, a grandmother of 4, and a first-grade teacher. She wrote to tell me about one of her favorite crockpot dishes: no-noodle lasagna. I bought the ingredients, plopped everything into the crock, and went about my day. 8 hours later, the house smelled wonderful and we had a fantastic vegetarian dinner. Thank you, Lynda!

The Ingredients.

—1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
—1 small container of ricotta cheese (I recycled the plastic already. 10 oz? 12 oz?)
—8 slices of mozzarella cheese
—2 cups shredded Italian cheese mix
—1 large eggplant
—3 summer squash
—1 pound of slices mushrooms
—bag of baby spinach
—2 T warm water

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart Smart Pot for this dish, it was the correct size pot to use. If you have a smaller crock-pot, you will need to scale back a bit.

Wash all of the vegetables. Slice the squash and the eggplant in long, slices, about 1/4 inch thick. These are going to be your noodles! I did not peel the squash or the eggplant. In the bottom of your crockpot, pour about 1/4 cup of pasta sauce. Layer in a few pieces of squash and eggplant. Smear some ricotta cheese on top. Add a handful of baby spinach and mushrooms, and a few slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour in some more pasta sauce. Continue layering the ingredients until your crockpot is full, and you have run out of ingredients. Top with the end of the pasta sauce and the shredded cheese. Put 2 tablespoons of warm water into the empty pasta sauce jar, cover, and shake. Pour the remaining sauce on top of everything.

Cover your crockpot and cook on low for 5-8 hours. This is done when the vegetables have reached their desired tenderness and the cheese is melty.

Serve with some garlic bread sticks, yum.

The Verdict.

Delicious! I tested our veggies at 6 hours, and the squash wasn’t quite done enough for me, but at 8 hours it was cooked perfectly. I love eggplant, and love the way it performs in the crockpot, it takes on all the flavors of the marinara and cheese. If I make this again, I may use another eggplant and scale back on the squash.

The kids picked a bit and mostly ate cheese and spinach. One of my kids really likes mushrooms, so she ate quite a bit of those.

This is a keeper! Thanks so much, Lynda, for sharing.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/06/cajun-roasted-turkey-breast-crockpot.html

Cajun Roasted Turkey Breast CrockPot Recipe

Day 166.

This is a moist, flavorful way to make turkey breast. I like turkey, but don’t like the dryness and blandness that sometimes comes along for the ride when making turkey. Cooking turkey in the crock really helps with keeping the meat from becoming overly-dry.

You can rub whatever spices you like on turkey pieces, but I was in a Cajun mood, and was pleased with this spice combination.

The Ingredients.
—turkey breast
—1/2 t black pepper
—1 t kosher salt
—1/2 t red pepper (cayenne)
—1 T onion powder
—1/2 t paprika
—1/2 t thyme
—1/4 t nutmeg
—3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 1/2 t dried
—1 cup chicken broth

The Directions.

I used my 6qt Smart Pot Crock-Pot for this dish.
I took the skin off the turkey breast. I know, I’m a weirdo.

In a bowl, combine all of your spices together. Rub the turkey with the spice mixture, getting it in all the nooks and crannies. Put the bird piece into the crock, meaty breast side down. If you have extra spice mix left, go ahead and pour it on top.

Add the 1 cup of chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. There isn’t much moisture in turkey, so try not to peek too often.

Serve warm with your favorite sides, and save the leftovers for sandwiches.

The Verdict.

This turned out the way that I expected. It was not dripping in moisture the way that a whole chicken is after being crocked, but it was only the white meat of the turkey represented -—where as in the whole chicken you get a nice mix of brown meat, which has tons of juice.
The kids ate it dipped in barbecue sauce, and we’ve been having leftovers for sandwiches the whole week.
I liked the spice combo—it gave a bit of kick on the outer edge, with out being over-powering.

http://rachaelrayblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-keeper-pumpkin-whoopie-pies.html

It’s a Keeper: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted by Madeline | Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I hardly ever bake anything, so I was very proud of myself for trying Silvana Nardone and Christina Stanley-Salerno’s recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Every Day with Rachael Ray. I brought these to a party and they were definitely a hit. I got asked for the recipe numerous times.

So how did these little guys taste? I have no previous experience with Whoopie Pies (I actually had never heard of them before). They certainly aren’t a standard thing where I’m from (California). It was basically like two cake/cookie things with cream cheese filling in the middle. Pretty easy to make even for a baking rookie like me.

Rach’s magazine says these can be frozen for up to three days. Here’s the recipe with my comments in brackets:

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten [That whole room temperature eggs thing is really hard for me. I just don’t plan that far ahead. So, I made my husband hold them for a few minutes.]
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree [Use the rest of the can to make Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage, which my husband contends is Rachael’s best pasta recipe.]
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1-2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

3.Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. [I found smaller was better when eating these. They are pretty rich.]

4.Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5.Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/turkey-meatloaves-and-smashed-sweet-potatoes-peas-and-radishes/

Turkey Meatloaves and Smashed Sweet Potatoes, Peas and Radishes
Ingredients

* 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
* Salt
* 2 pounds ground turkey
* 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and buttered, finely chopped
* 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 large shallot, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
* 2 rounded tablespoons marmalade
* 2 rounded tablespoons grainy mustard

* EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons flour
* Splash of orange juice
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 2 10 ounce boxes green peas
* 1/2 cup chopped radishes
* 1/4 cup chopped chives
* 1/2 cup cream or half-n-half
* Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Yields: Serves 6
Preparation

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil; salt water and cook to tender.

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, mix meat with bread, a splash of stock, egg, shallots, thyme, marmalade combined with mustard, salt and pepper. Form 6 mini meatloaves and arrange on parchment paper, cover with some EVOO and roast to golden, 20 minutes or so.

For gravy, over medium heat in skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter, whisk in flour 1 minute, then whisk in a splash of orange juice, Worcestershire and 1 cup chicken stock. Thicken for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To a second larger skillet add peas, a small splash of water and butter. Bring the peas to a boil, reduce out the water 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and sauté with radishes 2-3 minutes more, add chives, season with salt and pepper.

Drain cooked sweet potatoes and return to hot pot. Mash with a little stock and cream, then add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Serve meatloaves with gravy on top, sweet potatoes and peas with radishes along side.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Summer-Herb-Spaghetti-with-Crumbled-Bacon

Summer Herb Spaghetti with Crumbled Bacon

By: Rachael Ray

Serve with grilled summer vegetables.

* 4 Servings
*
* Prep 15 min
*
* Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

* 1 pound spaghetti
* 8 slices thick-cut bacon
* 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
* 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
* 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
* Salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Veg out
Skip the bacon and add halved grape tomatoes or crumbled goat cheese.
Directions:

1.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, and transfer to a large bowl.
2.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble into large pieces.
3.

While the pasta and bacon are cooking, using a food processor, puree 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup basil, the olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chives; season with salt and pepper.
4.

Add the herb oil, parmesan and reserved 1/2 cup pasta cooking water to the pasta and toss. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup parsley and 1/4 cup basil and add to the pasta along with the crumbled bacon and remaining 2 tablespoons chives. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

You Can Make Yogurt in Your CrockPot!

Day 297.

You can! You really, really can!

Posts like this get me so excited. I love finding new ways to use the crockpot. My friend Jessica has always made homemade yogurt for her kids, and after looking up what a yogurt maker did, I had the idea that a crockpot could work. But I never found a source that would walk me through the steps.

Until Debbie. Debbie (who needs to start a blog because she is an almost-debt-free homeschooling mom to six) came to my rescue and held my hand (virtually) through yogurt-making.

Thank you, Debbie! xoxo

The Ingredients.

—8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk—pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)

—1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)

—frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring

—thick bath towel

The Directions.

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.

Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened-—it’s not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren’t a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

The Verdict.

Wowsers! This is awesome! I was completely astonished the next morning that the yogurt thickened. I was so excited to feel the drag on the spoon-—and sort of scared the kids with my squealing.

They each ate a huge serving that morning (they added honey to their servings) and have eaten it for every meal for 2 days. I’m actually kind of worried they’re over-doing it, but whatever. They’re happy and are eating real food.

This is so much more cost-effective than the little things of yo-baby I was buying for them. I haven’t run the numbers, because I sort of suck at math, but it’s huge. Seriously huge.

Updated 10/23 8:45 pm:
I have gotten quite a few emails alerting me that yes, you can use lower-fat content milk with this method. To thicken the best, add one packet of unflavored gelatin to the mix after stirring in the yogurt with active cultures. Some have had good success mixing non-fat milk powder in as well.

The way I created fruit-flavored yogurt was by taking a cup or so of the plain and blending it in the stand blender (vitamix) with frozen fruit. Although this tastes great, the yogurt never thickened back up the way the plain did. I think maybe keeping the plain separate and adding fruit daily is your best bet. Or you can try the gelatin trick.

I was able to achieve a Greek-style yogurt this afternoon by lining a colander with a coffee liner and letting the liquid drip out of the leftover plain I made. The remaining yogurt was as thick as sour cream.

I do not know how this will work with soy milk and soy yogurt or rice milk and rice yogurt. I’d imagine it would work similarly, but I haven not tested this out. If you do and are successful, please let me know! Updated 3/09: Trisha did it! She made an allergen-free yogurt, and you can read about it here.

A HUGE honking THANK YOU to Johanna (banana?) for doing the math:

Here’s your milk/yogurt math…you have to add the cost of electricity, starter and fruity stuff:

Where I live (Seattle area):

One 6-pack of yo-baby is $6.50 (24 ounces)

One gallon of almost totally organic milk is $3.00 (128 ounces)

One gallon of yobaby would be $34.67 or 10 times what it cost you to make it, more or less.

THAT’S A BIG DEAL.

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow at Amazon
Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

by Stephanie O’Dea

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-chow-mein-recipe.html

CrockPot Chow Mein Recipe

Day 204.

I made this chow mein with chicken, but you easily could keep it vegetarian, or use your favorite kind of meat-—even pork!

Debbi (who doesn’t have a blog, but totally needs one) sent me this recipe in May, and I made it just yesterday.

This is a good one; I’m excited to share it with you.

The Ingredients.

—1-2 lbs of meat (I used one pound of chicken breast; Debbi uses two pounds)
—2 cups of water
—2 chopped yellow onions
—2-3 cups of chopped celery

—1/4 cup cornstarch
—1/4 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
—3 T molasses
—1 can (16 oz) baby corn, drained
—1 can (6.5 oz) bamboo shoots, drained
—1 cup bean sprouts
—1 chopped red bell pepper

—salt and pepper to taste
—olive oil
—spaghetti or chow mein noodles (I used Trader Joe’s brown rice spaghetti)

The Directions.

If you are using meat, put it into the crockpot. I used frozen chicken breast tenderloins. Add the chopped onion and celery, and two cups of water.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4. Shred meat carefully with two forks.

In a glass bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and molasses. Mix to get rid of the little clumpy balls of cornstarch. I ended up needing to use my fingers to really break them up—which reminds me that I should really make a batch of Ooblek for the kids.
set aside.

Chop up the red bell pepper, and add it to the crockpot. Open the bamboo shoots and corn, drain liquid, and add remaining content. Add bean sprouts.

Stir in the sauce mixture.

Cover your crockpot again and cook on high for about an hour, or until flavors have melded and the added vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Before serving, cook pasta according to package instructions. I heavily salted my water before adding the pasta (about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt) and added some olive oil.

When the pasta reaches the al dente stage, drain it and set aside. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan or wok, and add some salt and pepper, if desired (I didn’t add any pepper). On high heat, toss the cooked pasta in the olive oil and salt, allowing it to sizzle a bit and get a tiny crust on some of the noodles.

Serve the noodles with the crockpot vgetables and meat.

The Verdict.

Oh thank you, Debbi! This was one of the best chow mein dishes I’ve ever had, ever. I loved how the noodles were not squishy and gross, and how the vegetables remained crisp and the sauce was SPOT ON. Debbi totally got it right.

We will make this again and again. My three-year-old has never had chow mein, and gobbled up her portion, and then ate more off of my plate. My six-year-old was hesitant with the veggies, but ate all the chicken and pasta.

Adam ate two plates, and so did I.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/you-can-use-your-crockpot-as-rice.html

You Can Use Your CrockPot as a Rice Cooker

Day 64.

What if you need to cook a whole bunch of plain rice and don’t have an available stove burner? What if you don’t own a rice cooker? What if you decided to cook in your crockpot every single day for a year and were feeling rather full of stew and soup?

You could make rice. Plain, old, perfectly steamed rice. In your crockpot.

The Ingredients:
—1T butter
—1 cup white basmati rice (I’m listing this kind because that is what I used. I would imagine that any kind of white or brown rice would work, but I haven’t actually tried any other out yet.)
—2 cups water
—pinch of salt

The Directions:

—rub butter on the inside of your crockpot stoneware
—put in rice
—stir in water and salt
—cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so.

I cooked the above batch for 2 hours, 15 minutes and checked on it twice.

The Verdict:

Fluffy, lovely rice. I’m interested in trying this with larger quantities of rice and with different varieties.
We had this with takeout.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/crockpot-fried-rice-recipe.html

CrockPot Fried Rice Recipe
Day 123.
It’s day 1 2 3! Which is more amusing to me than it should be with no coffee in sight.

So lets just say that you’ve been using your crockpot every single day and your refrigerator has a million little plastic containers in it filled with meat and veggies and rice and quinoa. And your kids are a bit tired of eating “mommy’s leftovers!” for breakfast and lunch so you need a way to disguise them. Because you can’t throw away food due the starving children thing and the global food shortage thing and you’re Scottish.

You can use your leftovers to make fried rice.

for reals.

in the crockpot.

I know! It totally blew my mind, too.

The Ingredients.
—2 cups leftover rice/quinoa
—3 T butter
—2 T soy sauce
—2 t worcestershire sauce
—1/2 t black pepper
—1/4 t kosher salt
—1/2 diced yellow onion
—1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand. (I had a bit of asparagus, some carrots and peas)
—leftover meat (I had leftover chicken and 3/4 of a cheeseburger patty from a restaurant—I told you I was Scottish!)
—1 egg
—sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Plop everything on in there together.

Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.

The Verdict.

This tasted great! The kids were happy, and Adam happily ate 2 bowls.

Now I have one tupperware in the fridge instead of seventy-eight gazillion, which makes me happy.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008_11_09_archive.html

CrockPot Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream Recipe

Day 320.

psst. Make these potatoes. You won’t be sorry.

This is one of those recipes where I wonder if the crockpot is really necessary, or is it just being used to keep the potatoes warm. You have to use the stove to boil the potatoes, and then you smash them with the cream cheese and the sour cream.

I suppose you could argue that the crockpot isn’t necessary, but I used it. Because it makes me happy, and that’s what I do.

These potatoes are too good to not share, and I’ll let you be the judge about whether or not the crockpot is a necessary tool.

The Ingredients.

—5 pounds of red potatoes
—1 block of cream cheese, room temperature (8 oz. I used light)
—1 cup sour cream (I used light)
—1 chicken bouillon cube
—1/2 cup of water, reserved from boiling the potatoes
—1 tsp garlic powder
—1 T dried parsley

The Directions.

Wash and peel the potatoes, leaving the skin on some if desired. Cut in quarters to quicken boiling time. Put the pieces into a large pot and cover completely with water.

Bring the potatoes to a boil on the stove top. Boil rapidly for 10-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Scoop out 1/2 cup of the water from the pot. Add the bouillon cube to the water. Drain the potatoes, and return to pot.

Open the cream cheese and put into the pot with the hot potatoes. Add sour cream. Pour in the water with the bouillon cube, also. Add the parsley and garlic powder.

Mash with a potato masher. If you don’t have a masher, the way that I seem to not, you can use a wire wisk. It’ll work just fine.

After smashing well, scoop the potatoes out of the pot and place into a 4 to 6 quart crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4. Can be kept on warm indefinitely. After two hours on high, my potatoes got a bit crusty on the top and edges.

They were divine.

The Verdict.

So very good. My kids seemed to have thought that these were spicy (makes no sense whatsoever) and weren’t thrilled with the bits of skin I left on. I like a bit of skin, and so does Adam, but apparently the kids find it highly offensive.

I gave a quart to our friends, and they loved them. I will make these for Thanksgiving.

LOL, if we knew the truth about our grandparents, it would fill a book.

My grandmother’s standard answer was “It happened yesterday, it is no ones business today”, and she did not give you an answer to a question.

They didn’t realize they were drinking for Mom had added the booze to the carton, we let them enjoy it, “Estelle, would you like a little more?” “Yes, Ida, I think just a little more, thank you.”

Those Victorian ladies claimed to never drink, but all the cures they used, started with “Take a glass of wine”, I always smile at “ Take a glass of wine, and retire to a dark room for an hour.” For that would be a nice nap.

They say that during the 20’s, my granny could make a good moonshine and tell about the cops coming to put a stop to it and instead of finding the booze, they went away empty handed, for their cars were parked over where it was buried.

instead of 1200 deaths this year, the number has been revised to FOUR THOUSAND.<<<

I do not know the real number, but do know that almost every day, one of my news alerts lists another death, sometimes it is more than one a day.

I get alerts from San Diego, Las Vegas and Denver.

They are dying, and the 4,000 may well be a correct figure.

Goodby for now.
HP<<<

You are not the only one who is burnt out, this has been a difficult year.

Read when you can, post if you wish, we will miss you and be praying for good things to reach you.

How did the 0bamacare bill pass the house?<<<

I didn’t try to watch the video, but can imagine that what I have heard , more “the way politician’s work”, it is not clean and above board.