The lost art of handwritten letters

This past week I had a great mail day. I received a a handwritten letter. It was a nice surprise. There is something about a handwritten letter or note that just lifts the spirit like none other. My Grandmother wrote me every week while I was in college and while serving as a missionary for my church. It was so nice, and it gave me something to look forward to. It is something that I really miss.

 There is something about the thought and time that goes into expressing yourself in a letter.  It says I took the time to think about you and our relationship.  It is something that our children are missing out on.  Our children are not learning to communicate effectivly. They communicate in short, abreviated, half written thoughts through text and e-mail. A quick e-mail or text gets lost in the daily shuffle;  they are easily looked at, discarded, and sometimes overlooked. On the other hand, a thank you letter or a quick thinking of you note can create a long lasting impression.

With Valentines day right around the corner, take the time to write an old fashioned love letter. It will be much more treasured than a cheesy store-bought valentine. Those you love will appreciate it. It does not have to be real fancy and cute, It only has to come from the heart.

                                                               © Pontuse | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Dream bars

This is one of those little gems that I have in my recipe collection.

Dream bars

Preheat oven to 325

In a medium bowl blend  together
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups flour  (This last time I made the crust with part whole wheat and part oat flour rather than all purpose flour. They turned out great. I liked the oat flavor.)

Press this crust mix into a cookie sheet and bake in a 325 oven for 20 minutes. While the crust is baking; beat together the remaining ingredients (I used the same bowl to avoid more dishes)

4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups coconut
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts
Pour this mix over the hot bottom crust and bake another 25 minutes
cool and cut into squares
makes 36 squares

Below is the finished product as it came out of the oven 

So easy and very yummy. I love the brown sugar flavor and the coconut and nuts together. Who could ask for anything more.

DIY newspaper logs

As a couponer I get several copies of the Sunday newspaper. I decided to start rolling newspaper logs as a way to recycle those papers.

 There are several methods to making newspaper logs. Many of these methods involve wetting the newspapers and rolling them on a broom handle etc. This was not for me. It sounded  hard, and too messy. I found another method that works well. I can fold them in the evening after the children go to bed.


1. Start with one section of the newspaper,  lay it on a flat surface.

2. Fold it in half lengthwise now you have a long slender rectangle measuring approx 21" x 6"

3. Fold it in half width wise now you should have a section of paper measuring approx 6" x  10.5"


4. Make five or six  of these

5. Stack them up one on top of another turning every other layer over. (alternating cut edges and folded edges). This makes for easier rolling and lighting later on.

6. Roll this stack of folded newspapers into a  tight log  about 2-3 inches thick

7. Tie the log on each end, you can use strips of cotton t-shirt, string, or a thin wire

8. Store in a dry place until ready to burn.

As an added note, use only the regular newsprint pages. Do not use the glossy ads.  Do not use plastic, nylon, rayon. or other synthetics for tying the logs.

A regular daily edition of the newspaper will make 1-2 logs.  Sunday/ Special editions will make 2-4
Four newspaper logs will last about 1 hour for heating. They produce about the same heat equivalent of a similar sized stick of wood.


This is a great project for children.  You could make a bunch of logs and donate to those who may be in need.

Nun's puffs

Nobody knows just how these got their name; but they are heavenly. Fluffy,buttery, and just slightly sweet; they are a real treat. 

 To make these sweet little treats you will need only a few basic ingredients

Nun's Puffs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon sugar
Honey or jam  for serving

Preheat the oven to 375

1. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, then add the milk. Bring to a boil
2.. Add the flour all at once stirring with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a ball. Set this aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. While this is cooling, generously grease 12 standard size muffin cups.

4. Add the eggs one at a time stirring after each addition until incorporated into the mix.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups
6. Sprinkle the sugar over the tops of the batter
7. Bake in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown and puffy
8. serve while still warm with honey or jam.

This is the dough as it formed in the saucepan, before the eggs were added.

 My daughter was helping.  You can see that she got a little too much sugar on the tops of the puffs before they went into the oven.






The finished puffs as they came out of the oven.






Happy baking.

Winter grilling! good for the soul

© Eugenef | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photo  

    The other night I got a hankering for a grilled steak. Lucky for me, our grill is out back and under the patio where there is a bit less snow.  I  brushed a couple inches of snow off the grill  and lit her up. Even in the cold weather BBQ/Grilling lifts my spirits. There is just something about it. I enjoyed myself looking out over the white winter wonderland that exists in my backyard. 

when disaster strikes

How prepared are you? What if disaster strikes? Power outage? Earthquake? Hurricane?  Tornado? Injury?  Do you have a 72 hour emergency kit? Do you have a first aid kit? Do you even know where your flashlight is?

I come from a place where emergency preparedness is a big deal. We talk of it in our church, and in our community. We want our neighborhoods prepared for what ever comes our way. It is nice to know that there is a plan in place for the community, but putting a personal plan in place is equally important.
© Ruthrgb | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 



Where does one begin? I would suggest a flashlight and a first aid kit. Then you can move on with a 72 hour emergency survival kit. Once those things are in place, then you can move on even further with a more detailed plan. I have included some links at the bottom of the post to help you get started on a 72 hour kit. 

                                                             http://www.stockfreeimages.com/


We have moved on beyond the basic 72 hour kit. We have worked hard on creating a years supply of food on hand. It is fun to see our store room grow. Sometime it seems to be so overwhelming, but it is nice to know that we will be able to survive when the worst happens.

How much is a years supply of food you ask?

for one person to survive you would need in a basic storage

300 pounds of grains  This could include wheat, flour, rice, corn, oatmeal, barley, pasta etc.

60 pounds legumes This could include soybeans, pinto beans, red beans, lima beans, lentils, nuts, peanut butter, nuts  etc.

75 pounds of dairy products  This could include powdered milk, canned milk, evaporated milk, cheese

60 pounds of sugars This could include sugar, honey, jams and jellies,  jello.

20 pounds of fats or oils

8 pounds of iodized salt

Water as much as you can store. We have about 40 gallons per person.


These amounts are for EACH PERSON.  Just multiply it out for each member of the family. You could survive off of this amount of food for one year, but it would get boring.
 If you add a few more items you can make a larger variety of dishes.
yeast
baking soda
baking powder
dried whole eggs
vanilla
 These items really open  up the baking part of it. When you add;
canned fruits and vegetables
dried fruit and vegetables
canned meats
bullion
spices and condiments
garden seeds
you will be able to not only survive, but thrive.

Where do you begin? 

1. I know people who have had great success with buying a bit at a time. Each shopping trip they buy one or two items to store for later use. It is a great way to begin on a budget.

2. For those who want to buy it all and be done with it; there are several companies that provide that service. Whatever you choose you have to begin now.  

There are many resources available to help out. I have listed  a few here below to get you started.



72 hours.org survival kits

make a 72 hour kit video version

shelf reliance food storage systems

emergency essentials

allisons's pantry

new life on a homestead blogger and self reliance specialist, distributor of Thrive food products



Begin right now with that flashlight. Find it, make sure it has batteries and put it  in a safe place that you will be able to find it again when needed. NOW GET TO IT! YOUR SURVIVAL MAY DEPEND ON IT! 

How do you whole grain?

We hear it over and over. Eat more whole grains.  The typical American diet is nearly void of whole grains. What little bit of whole grain goodness is put onto our food is so over processed that it could hardly count.  How does one incorporate more whole grains into the diet? If you are like most, you buy a package that says "whole grain" on a big banner on the front of the package and give yourself a pat on the back for choosing whole grains. 

I have been one of those people. I have bought the food thinking I am doing good for myself, but are you really?  I was watching a cold cereal commercial. they were talking about their cereal being so good for you. "It looks like whole grain." They showed a whole grain kernel and then compared it with their cereal flake. "see the seam" They had an oval shaped cereal flake with a food coloring seam painted on it to make it look more like a whole grain kernel. "Who are they kidding";  I thought to myself. At one point I would have believed it. I would have bought the product. I have moved on beyond that now.

                                                            © Janpietruszka | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

I am reading the health claims on the packages of food less and less. It is because I am buying less of it.  I am shopping the perimeter of the grocery store. I rarely go down the center isles. I am buying whole grains, good oils, vinegars,  fruits, vegetables, and good dairy products as the main parts of my diet.  The last little while I have incorporated more and more whole food goodness into our family diet. More of the food we have been eating around here are just like nature made them. We keep a fruit bowl handy for snacking. We keep the Vegetables in the line of sight.  I have started writing posts about whole grains. I have several more posts in the works. I am learning how fulfilling a meal of whole grains, fruits and veg can be.

There are some real challenges in whole food eating in this country. Sometimes you feel like a fish swimming upstream. Obtaining whole food is one of the first challenges. I am very lucky because I have a great grocery store close by that has great deals on produce. My favorite produce manager is in that store. They have started carrying bulk food items in the bins. I can buy the whole grain items on my list along with the fruits and veg to go with it. They also will special order things if you request it. How about you? Can you get whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables? Will your store special order items for you?  There are some great Internet resources for obtaining good whole  foods. I will link some at the bottom of the post.


Once you obtain good food then you have the challenge of preparing it. It has been a real learning curve for me as I have been learning and discovering new foods and flavors. I have several cookbooks that I have on hand that I use. One of my favorites is a two in one that I picked up about ten years ago and I am just now really using it. "Greene on greens and grains" by Bob Greene;  it is a wonderful guide going into details about choosing whole foods and how to prepare them. It is a great resource.

I can't believe it had taken me this long to really get going again. I started about eight  or nine years ago. I was single then, and I could gag down any whole grain thing I managed to cook. I then met my dear husband. I wanted to show him my love by cooking all the things that I knew tasted good. I did not want to run him away with my strange new whole grain eating.  We were soon married and it has been good with him by my side.But all my so called  "good" cooking has made us fat. I have been loving my family to death. I don't want to be another statistic. I know we need to make the changes, so we are working on finding recipes for whole grain foods that taste good that we can incorporate into our family life. It has been fun and sometimes a bit hard to do. We are making a move to better health one dish at a time.

Although it seems like alot at first. It can be done. There are many resources out there to help you in your quest for whole food I have included links to a few below.

whole grain posts in this blog

bountiful baskets   A produce co-op. This is available in many of the Western states.You can also sign up to host a co-op location near you. I have used this service before and It was well worth it. You get about $40 of produce for $15

azure standard  I have not personally used them, but I hear great reviews from others about this company. They will deliver whole grains to your door.

Dr Weil cooking with whole grains  A great resource for whole grain cooking

mother earth news whole grain guide  A great resource page


whole grain gourmet the name says it all

Chef Brad  I have been watching his cooking show "Fusion grain cooking"  It is a great place for beginners.


GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY EATING!