tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46661172091803922692024-03-14T01:18:39.748-04:00Simply Homemakingloves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.comBlogger797125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-74790185920555115542024-01-29T22:59:00.000-05:002024-01-29T22:59:36.543-05:00Winter bits from the garden...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgJY8S0g77y8fy3oZoU903Y-SnsOthVihsPSaLFxFOS0Ko-1dKF5uQzYYmSYY2KA7ikqmYpGcaCXBk0TQxVJRqU0vkjzgb3j_RKeqmJoDXPTf_kTCrelfM1xiyTaMKw9RkG8aOmocrhsZXB9AlNEBGvmGf1g4ohTkvgmlGiWi2H3krKTjeUGgaJ3_OAI/s4032/Bits%20from%20the%20garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgJY8S0g77y8fy3oZoU903Y-SnsOthVihsPSaLFxFOS0Ko-1dKF5uQzYYmSYY2KA7ikqmYpGcaCXBk0TQxVJRqU0vkjzgb3j_RKeqmJoDXPTf_kTCrelfM1xiyTaMKw9RkG8aOmocrhsZXB9AlNEBGvmGf1g4ohTkvgmlGiWi2H3krKTjeUGgaJ3_OAI/s320/Bits%20from%20the%20garden.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We recently had a fairly severe cold snap with below zero temperatures that lasted for several days. When I went outside this morning I went to the garden to see if there was anything at all that could be salvaged. I actually found some kale and pulled up a clump of onions. I used some of the onions in potato salad today and will be using the rest of them and the kale in some vegetable soup soon. I know there are lots of Jerusalem artichokes out there that could be harvested. It is so nice to realize that even though winter is upon us, there are still fresh things to enjoy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-70747740270982539802024-01-29T08:16:00.000-05:002024-01-29T08:16:31.331-05:00A simple needle book...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uYHrKVopg4vdKDo_oZQILckZ9oJhO9NISCjYX7W4285qKqiRK53yAIqApBFfHAEtlFuvabjcYstEf4fvxBF8PtIxWjguay7gOG9UTTu24XGYvxGSjJF4eWSARCkdIHP9MuaUpyQ-shs-vx8jzhjOpFDHkbiiYj_rJYmYBUd2ZgTqA58xwS9s_pJSy_s/s2048/Needle%20book%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uYHrKVopg4vdKDo_oZQILckZ9oJhO9NISCjYX7W4285qKqiRK53yAIqApBFfHAEtlFuvabjcYstEf4fvxBF8PtIxWjguay7gOG9UTTu24XGYvxGSjJF4eWSARCkdIHP9MuaUpyQ-shs-vx8jzhjOpFDHkbiiYj_rJYmYBUd2ZgTqA58xwS9s_pJSy_s/s320/Needle%20book%203.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have a daughter-in-law whose name is "Elizabeth." Everyone I know calls her "Beth." The other day I was watching a show where a little girl was called "Betty." It sounded like such a pretty name. I asked my daughter-in-law if she had ever been called "Betty" and she replied that someone had long ago. I asked her if I could call her "Betty". She replied, "I would love that!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wanted to do something to celebrate this interaction, and after contemplating it, decided to make her a little needle book. Do you know what a needle book is? It's a small fabric book where you can store your hand sewing needles. Then, they are easy to keep with your hand sewing project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, you see there, above, what I came up with. She loves "Forget me nots" and so I embroidered a few of those on there and added her name. She said, when it came in the mail, "I absolutely love it!" She appreciates hand made things... it's so nice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are a couple of pictures of the inside of the little book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJC-5h4nrGzlVQrwh2OJPqiSeA231L2w82L92Lm1U_4Tm0HyiW7laT9OAch7oZmG1Zs0KdYWL_KwEtcqQjRPegmUworkm6TpLkeUKsE3xCjxPqVOYxCv3BZoewsFJlnGYOm0b1CXF72npEwMm1rB3DZNYIAfvX8aSVNvHSFT_SMU3ZzywjpYNPiOng2w/s2048/needle%20book%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJC-5h4nrGzlVQrwh2OJPqiSeA231L2w82L92Lm1U_4Tm0HyiW7laT9OAch7oZmG1Zs0KdYWL_KwEtcqQjRPegmUworkm6TpLkeUKsE3xCjxPqVOYxCv3BZoewsFJlnGYOm0b1CXF72npEwMm1rB3DZNYIAfvX8aSVNvHSFT_SMU3ZzywjpYNPiOng2w/s320/needle%20book%201.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51PfvcNk9xqzfU5fMx1SKlHE8dloYmTN3egsx0MyNUR97t0H6OPnMe1VIaf63d3hgy23Zvmznf35TF79s1lDzN-iyaHstn0TnX5spGlETsm4dfbyWvL2DqAQ7wmQDdRds78ebGSexlAU0fV53j4ifl19hYgBjVleLcInMuuXwDhmdUpzKv1YGGr7qaAI/s2048/Needle%20book%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51PfvcNk9xqzfU5fMx1SKlHE8dloYmTN3egsx0MyNUR97t0H6OPnMe1VIaf63d3hgy23Zvmznf35TF79s1lDzN-iyaHstn0TnX5spGlETsm4dfbyWvL2DqAQ7wmQDdRds78ebGSexlAU0fV53j4ifl19hYgBjVleLcInMuuXwDhmdUpzKv1YGGr7qaAI/s320/Needle%20book%204.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-90207288361267783742024-01-27T17:33:00.001-05:002024-01-27T17:33:42.785-05:00More on our plant based lifestyle...<p> Dietary advice is one of those things that often causes people's eyes to "glaze over." Of course diet is not the only subject that will cause us to harden our hearts, but it's certainly one of them. My husband and I have been eating the Whole Food Plant Based (no oil) way of eating for nearly 4 years now. As I mentioned before, his angina is gone. My eyesight has been restored. I have so much more energy. </p><p>In April of last year (2023) I ended up spending two nights in the hospital. I was experiencing some dizziness and my daughters were all concerned that I might have had a stroke. As it turned out, it was caused by those little crystals that can form in your inner ear and sometimes get lodged in the wrong place. Anyway... I had, I think, about every scan and test known to man! I joked that they took enough blood to sell. After all of that, I found out I am in excellent health. My cholesterol, which used to be 280, is now 140. My heart output, measured by an echocardiogram, which is considered normal at 50%, was 65 - 70%. </p><p>I am now 75 years old. I take no medications at all. I weigh less now than I did when we got married in 1971. (In case you're curious, I am 5' 4" tall and weigh 122 pounds.) This is without going hungry. I never have to go hungry. I never have to "diet". I do go out and walk for about 45 minutes in the woods up and down hills most days, with our two dogs. I do a little weight lifting, as at my age, it surely is true that if you don't use it you lose it!</p><p>Please... I urge you to look into it. Be curious. Do what is the very best for your own health. When I began this, I told my husband, "I am going to do this for ME. There is no pressure for you to join me. I will cook for both of us. And so, that's what I did for about 3 weeks and then he said he'd join me. I think he saw what it was doing for me and also he didn't want me to have to work so hard. He's so good to me. </p><p>Read <u>The Starch Solution</u> by Dr. John McDougall. Also, go over to YouTube and watch "Forks over Knives." You can watch that for free. </p><p>It's simple, it's easy to do if you want to do it, and it will SAVE YOU LOTS OF MONEY. Honestly, for the two of us, I spend less than $60 a week on food. Truly. The food can be simple and be perfectly healthy. If you want to, you can cook fancy also, but the health results are the same. For my recent birthday, one of our daughters bought me a copy of <u>Be a Plant Based Woman Warrior </u> by Jane and Ann Esselstyn. It is great! There is a whole world of cookbooks out there for plant based eating. Just be sure you don't eat added oils. Don't eat processed foods. Eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and if your weight is normal, you can have some nuts and seeds, but avoid those if you need to trim down. Same with avocados. They are good for you, but avoid them if you need to lose weight.</p><p>If you have any questions, you know where to find me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DHPxMZFCTqXmmAwv0h3nM7YahBURWsD-Y-zoEoRKTHwWUrfgkfIMme1DGA1Wf9MktW_xfUJPQcDyoHY_xWKCya8v8A8zj7yc7gSM53sA5K3QqhBkOqy-5fj7y0XVqLvDlK1xzollOYGi7xEm9hPJcWzg7kur9y_ol5R4wzzvePpfkR89DtYDJjXBPoM/s7360/Jim%20and%20me%20in%20Florida%20May%202022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7360" data-original-width="4912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DHPxMZFCTqXmmAwv0h3nM7YahBURWsD-Y-zoEoRKTHwWUrfgkfIMme1DGA1Wf9MktW_xfUJPQcDyoHY_xWKCya8v8A8zj7yc7gSM53sA5K3QqhBkOqy-5fj7y0XVqLvDlK1xzollOYGi7xEm9hPJcWzg7kur9y_ol5R4wzzvePpfkR89DtYDJjXBPoM/s320/Jim%20and%20me%20in%20Florida%20May%202022.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-34080903923125652862023-11-15T18:59:00.001-05:002023-11-15T18:59:56.659-05:00The Survival Gardener post about our garden<p><br /></p><p>I hope you enjoy this post from David the Good about our garden. </p><p> https://www.thesurvivalgardener.com/yolandas-2000-lbs-garden-yield/#comment-648357</p><p><br /></p><p>Incidentally, the picture with the chicken is our granddaughter with her favorite chicken. The woodland scene is where I take my walks in our woods.</p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-10728458019730363502023-07-27T08:05:00.000-04:002023-07-27T08:05:10.007-04:00Me and the corn 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK43m6J7T3oa2iuBYVVuBsIF5vm6vd5h90iMst8tNRGz2t_8pWKEMFzDUPfw-96nytA02VS4zCQXwZnm2ls_APrTDg6kqvRS_3TBk5-NpRlrrgjMbseMvHPeqcBG_BGYBAvJcZZ6e16AtSQvxMv45ZzxILqwSBA5-nX9sS6UX8uH1nl6BWap8EqkJWt4/s4032/Me%20and%20the%20corn%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK43m6J7T3oa2iuBYVVuBsIF5vm6vd5h90iMst8tNRGz2t_8pWKEMFzDUPfw-96nytA02VS4zCQXwZnm2ls_APrTDg6kqvRS_3TBk5-NpRlrrgjMbseMvHPeqcBG_BGYBAvJcZZ6e16AtSQvxMv45ZzxILqwSBA5-nX9sS6UX8uH1nl6BWap8EqkJWt4/s320/Me%20and%20the%20corn%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Here is a photo of me and this year's corn. I am standing in front of our patch of "Bloody Butcher" flour corn. We estimate it is more than 12 feet tall! Over on the right you can see the bi-color sweet corn, which we are currently enjoying. The Bloody Butcher corn is what I use for cornmeal now. It's very good to eat and if nothing else, it's amazing to grow! No one has ever said anything to us about it, but I really wonder what the neighbors think. :) To my right is "Sammy", our sweet old Staffordshire terrier. In front of me are the sweet potato vines. The garden is a jungle right now. I love this time of year.<p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-78749251770231115772023-06-08T13:16:00.003-04:002023-06-23T22:28:15.591-04:00Swiss Chard<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXped9t6hG376D0ZmVSjJ-dd6iWgU8LyipRsn588W5_GX8vBLOPVUt-VEEJT_2s1hrMk8yzse0PhGmfVd2T_3AkNB64xMrulRbRboJyjsgKhi3jl9vGuH3C-vwEPD0taZhAwf3d5az6Re6hR4250tYbTxRtQB8XaNjEcTMvzwJ25tOaDELUWwL6ZhI/s4032/Garden%2026%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXped9t6hG376D0ZmVSjJ-dd6iWgU8LyipRsn588W5_GX8vBLOPVUt-VEEJT_2s1hrMk8yzse0PhGmfVd2T_3AkNB64xMrulRbRboJyjsgKhi3jl9vGuH3C-vwEPD0taZhAwf3d5az6Re6hR4250tYbTxRtQB8XaNjEcTMvzwJ25tOaDELUWwL6ZhI/s320/Garden%2026%202023.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Have you ever grown Swiss Chard? It is a variety of beet that I grow. You don't eat the root. You eat the leaves. They are very similar to spinach in flavor, and the nice thing is that they do not "bolt" when the weather warms up. You can eat them all season and into the fall. With some protection, they can even stand through the winter and you can eat them next year! Of course, next year they will go to seed, but if you don't want that to happen, just keep cutting off the seed stalks. Like spinach, they have oxalates, so you don't want to eat these greens in large amounts every day. Here is an excellent article all about them: <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/swiss-chard#health-risks">Swiss Chard: Nutrition, Health Benefits, and How to Cook It (healthline.com)</a> </p><p>In the picture above you, can see our row of Swiss chard. It will get much bigger than this, too, as the summer advances. To the right you see turnip greens, which are wonderful, also.</p><p>My favorite way to cook Swiss chard, other than just putting it in soup, chop it up with some sliced green onion, a few sliced mushrooms and some cubed tofu. I sauté all of this in a little fat-free vegetable broth and then serve it on it's own next to some sort of starch... rice, lentil loaf, potatoes, whatever I have. I put Bragg's Liquid Aminos on mine. </p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-69017874940915286822023-06-06T17:49:00.000-04:002023-06-06T17:49:19.620-04:00Garlic Havest 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzJm3ZUZavlfrDtVrw9fLl7s7anUaYcj2QxYhCzu7fyxuHyzl92D7xLQm2dNIHdF88J69H0yLnt0JbTwfJLaC8bkh_1vJWHUQ7oIjoBoeBBFEB3ipFtvl3tTRmKvNgDMQ_QQ2McGlShd_pCJTvAp0l1RGmFdXIHptQkk05oTgChozcM-Na4D5cMo9/s4032/Garlic%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzJm3ZUZavlfrDtVrw9fLl7s7anUaYcj2QxYhCzu7fyxuHyzl92D7xLQm2dNIHdF88J69H0yLnt0JbTwfJLaC8bkh_1vJWHUQ7oIjoBoeBBFEB3ipFtvl3tTRmKvNgDMQ_QQ2McGlShd_pCJTvAp0l1RGmFdXIHptQkk05oTgChozcM-Na4D5cMo9/s320/Garlic%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I harvested the garlic today. In this condition, it all weighs 20 pounds! I was particularly pleased because in October I planted 60 cloves and today I dug up exactly 60 bulbs. In case you are not familiar with growing garlic, here is how I do it. I plant individual cloves a few inches apart sometime in October, cover them with soil and a light mulch. Then, the following year, when the bottom two leaves are brown, I dig it all up, let it dry on a covered porch, then I will cut off the leaves and keep the garlic bulbs in a bowl or basket in the kitchen. Some of it I will ferment, so it will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.</p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-26942646260817926082023-05-30T21:45:00.002-04:002023-05-30T21:45:37.111-04:00Nice vegan biscuits, at last!<p> As I revealed a while ago, for the last 3 years, my husband and I have been eating a Whole Food Plant Based diet, and it has done wonders for our health. One thing that it has been, until now, nearly "impossible" to make has been good biscuits. (In the UK, that would be "scones")</p><p>Today I found a recipe online that instead of using butter or other shortening, the cook just used heavy cream and I thought maybe I could recreate them by using "cashew cream." It worked. Now, these are not "whole food." I used white unbleached flour and added a small amount of sugar. It's not something I would make often, but once in a while, it's just very nice to have some decent biscuits!</p><p>1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.</p><p>2. Cover 1 cup of raw cashews with boiling water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain them and put them in a high-speed blender. Fill the blender with water up to the 1.5 cup line. Blend until smooth on high.</p><p>3. Mix together: 2 cups unbleached white flour, 1 Tablespoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.</p><p>4. Pour the cashew cream over the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a fork, until the ingredients are all damp. Do not handle the dough any more than necessary, so the biscuits won't be tough. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead just 2 or 3 times to get it all together. </p><p>5. Press dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the biscuits with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, or a drinking glass. Use a little flour so things don't stick.</p><p>6. Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Place them right next to each other.</p><p>7. Bake for about 14 minutes. These would be worthy of Strawberry Shortcake too!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDiyYumwFnlmmkE30ubFKoDZybl02KIVkR8kfhPQjqBysLSNMCtvWDuiwQi6FEQ_fUnUC2FNFpIodl1MYWGs8QeX9S1dsc2Gti0jywk66xeNPyA2qNyO28Qq7gOZKNM0xPevDYPqN8pmY34HItU0hjKZewNE9MpuhAzBKn9sUAaht0Q50rDtxAOSD/s2048/Biscuit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDiyYumwFnlmmkE30ubFKoDZybl02KIVkR8kfhPQjqBysLSNMCtvWDuiwQi6FEQ_fUnUC2FNFpIodl1MYWGs8QeX9S1dsc2Gti0jywk66xeNPyA2qNyO28Qq7gOZKNM0xPevDYPqN8pmY34HItU0hjKZewNE9MpuhAzBKn9sUAaht0Q50rDtxAOSD/s320/Biscuit.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-87639699183874747042022-12-22T16:11:00.001-05:002022-12-22T16:11:45.839-05:00MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!<p> <span> I hope you and your loved ones have a safe, happy, and sweetly memorable Holiday!</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf2bA6rjEImob6LYh3WzJ2bef9gFbtjtg2BugXeb6poKnundTZWAVC6RBefomZK17lsdfQJgPm4eYzR8nQSjfsBNHD95sBmpOTdApMRBWxH2FQejN7CGVOiBLewiKhmMdaiBA--HjO3uSJj51HBn0NzgMSxVDH4i_H5_yuiLXH7mqcP9si_GnVpF3/s7360/Jim%20and%20me%20in%20Florida%20May%202022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7360" data-original-width="4912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf2bA6rjEImob6LYh3WzJ2bef9gFbtjtg2BugXeb6poKnundTZWAVC6RBefomZK17lsdfQJgPm4eYzR8nQSjfsBNHD95sBmpOTdApMRBWxH2FQejN7CGVOiBLewiKhmMdaiBA--HjO3uSJj51HBn0NzgMSxVDH4i_H5_yuiLXH7mqcP9si_GnVpF3/s320/Jim%20and%20me%20in%20Florida%20May%202022.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-83466315567420160482022-11-26T09:36:00.001-05:002022-11-26T09:37:58.350-05:00Tiny tip - parchment paper battles...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrkMdl3LxPTg_Zje0nksEmJNUbuRW2vKqxFNjSDQWfUSukt1axOq2l9cn-o3zRPef_MyyNs8AH7xbsHDKL1GtSyZE9Q8pF1fGwTMOmlqu7obZXxQ6zto3CMBP3NU-Oa3sviQ_705sskQB3c8Ac5hBl9NKVb0LEVm57gu5nZ7fu2dXIxFnTkUX8NGq/s4032/Parchment%20paper.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrkMdl3LxPTg_Zje0nksEmJNUbuRW2vKqxFNjSDQWfUSukt1axOq2l9cn-o3zRPef_MyyNs8AH7xbsHDKL1GtSyZE9Q8pF1fGwTMOmlqu7obZXxQ6zto3CMBP3NU-Oa3sviQ_705sskQB3c8Ac5hBl9NKVb0LEVm57gu5nZ7fu2dXIxFnTkUX8NGq/s320/Parchment%20paper.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you use parchment paper for baking, you know it is very simple to line flat pans with it, but if, as in this case, you wish to line a bowl or something like that, it's nearly impossible. I've found that if I crumble up the paper first, then flatten it, the job is doable. Another thing you can do if you don't mind the paper being a bit wet, is to crumple it up, get it wet, squeeze out the extra water, and use it that way. I wouldn't want to do that for the bread in the picture, but for some things, it would work very well, for instance lining a square baking pan to put some wet batter into. </div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-3414716961565285142022-10-24T22:32:00.000-04:002022-10-24T22:32:11.349-04:00What I do with BIG thread spools - tiny tip<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRtpRPDYJ9tMwj8DtA55PFuDlyqX7WoqCFB7f5KEjTdXQec69AHeXBaXtk0zmvzkpQp29AKIJK79wz-cF-wJua-XB-R4-BhAavLC14XCDn4SNVZsldHhUWe4yGAFF6pjgRb6B61cfcXo31sxDg39xQxxK9uB1-aC6Cy7a0w0fvUT1beqFRtV07NM5/s4032/big%20thread%20spool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRtpRPDYJ9tMwj8DtA55PFuDlyqX7WoqCFB7f5KEjTdXQec69AHeXBaXtk0zmvzkpQp29AKIJK79wz-cF-wJua-XB-R4-BhAavLC14XCDn4SNVZsldHhUWe4yGAFF6pjgRb6B61cfcXo31sxDg39xQxxK9uB1-aC6Cy7a0w0fvUT1beqFRtV07NM5/s320/big%20thread%20spool.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have been working on some projects for Christmas, and in the course of that, I needed some 100% cotton thread. The only kind I could find came in a large spool. That won't work on the spool pin on a normal sewing machine, so you can see what I did here. I put a rigid (in this case aluminum) drinking straw onto the spool pin, and then am able to put the large spool of thread on there and use it normally. I realize there are special thread stands you can buy for this, but at least in this instance, it wasn't necessary. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Pay no attention to my messy desk, please.)</div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-28490961189694892422022-10-06T19:32:00.001-04:002022-10-06T19:32:52.517-04:00Last harvest of 2022<p> <span> It's been a good garden year. I had to be gone all of August, which threw a bit of a wrench in things, but even so, I was able to can corn, green beans, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, green beans with potatoes and sweet pickle relish. We got to eat a lot of wonderful sweet corn, and dug 140 pounds of Irish potatoes and about a bushel and a half of sweet potatoes. I froze lots of sliced okra, which I enjoy using in soups and stir-fry with rice. My Garden Fairy planted 5 rows of dry beans, and it seems, as she's finishing up shelling them that she'll have about 4 gallons of the beans which are a combination of Navy, Pinto, and Black beans. So, overall, it's been a great year!</span></p><p><span>Today was my last harvest, as it will definitely frost tonight. Here it is!</span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeUtNhIRLsvYf9j8otu5PgyJDZ6Vii2XQwCPE-EnLk-ZLmZtrRV5pJ67QR3rEVxjWzyHBiKLpUQ-oD2ucJCqyDO6nZD3bNhx7lFZXVr1Hb2TlIHXVF_H6-3g0LxGptRJ_jzhQEsPBAelAOA20KbV7XCyvPF6lU3M6qacJOQDaxysNrBwePzHURB8hA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeUtNhIRLsvYf9j8otu5PgyJDZ6Vii2XQwCPE-EnLk-ZLmZtrRV5pJ67QR3rEVxjWzyHBiKLpUQ-oD2ucJCqyDO6nZD3bNhx7lFZXVr1Hb2TlIHXVF_H6-3g0LxGptRJ_jzhQEsPBAelAOA20KbV7XCyvPF6lU3M6qacJOQDaxysNrBwePzHURB8hA" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-30285767797853754842022-06-11T14:35:00.004-04:002022-06-11T14:35:59.188-04:00Tiny tip - Rescuing celery<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM08TqPnY_Awd4DE4lKRKdqn4ErlIlRDA0OqDig48wmOnwfzVWIXHowr7e6Vz5Yjl1-UE0ZdeHEo8NW3iWoMYc-V7UN4uGdfUb-ldArOJRxgX1-bn2VScO5oWQOLH-mjsAT8O2MUIFsKe6nAIZbIVylei9PUI3PJAf02aiL4d02B3--hJ965CYSTHD/s4032/Celery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM08TqPnY_Awd4DE4lKRKdqn4ErlIlRDA0OqDig48wmOnwfzVWIXHowr7e6Vz5Yjl1-UE0ZdeHEo8NW3iWoMYc-V7UN4uGdfUb-ldArOJRxgX1-bn2VScO5oWQOLH-mjsAT8O2MUIFsKe6nAIZbIVylei9PUI3PJAf02aiL4d02B3--hJ965CYSTHD/s320/Celery.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You probably already know this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday, I discovered that the celery in our refrigerator was getting limp, so I cut off the tips that were drying out, as well as the root end, washed it in cold water, and then put the stalks in a jar of cold water and placed that in the fridge overnight. This morning, it was nice and crisp again!</div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-58216562239028084942022-05-17T14:21:00.003-04:002022-05-17T14:28:53.485-04:00Spring musings...<p><span style="text-align: center;">We've waited and waited for the soil in our garden to get dry enough to cultivate and plant. It finally did and late last week my Garden Fairy came out to help us. We are not planting as many things this year as we've done in the past. For instance, I'm not going to plant carrots. The reason is that doing a lot of hand weeding is hard on my hands as I have some arthritis in them. Our garden is 75 feet long by 100 feet wide. This year, instead of "playing" so much, it will be more straightforward. We both came down with COVID - 19 at the end of February and although we are fine, we don't have all of our energy back yet. That requires cutting back in some areas. The rows in the garden will be far enough apart that our rototiller will easily be able to do most of the cultivating. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can see here how we've planted our sweet potatoes. The ground was tilled, then a ridge was made, 75 feet long. Next, we planted about 50 sweet potato plants in there, 18 inches apart in little holes that we filled with water and "mudded them in." The last step was to spread some weed barrier fabric over both sides. I planted about 2 pounds of onion sets up there with them, too, as rabbits hate onions, but they love sweet potato leaves. Later in the season, I will use "Shakeaway" for rodents. We get terrible vole damage on the tubers if I don't do that.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgNDKmo9hLcRJi6d8IbPDbjB7JyWt2g6vd1yr9V9B5MvHTM4-RZ43vY-8xaokNetseJONJ9CMGA2Svkad5HsYgGyGzvtDwj8j0rNfK8o0_jpdWVsrsXeuoEa51BIADeDjMxtIJU-OfZmFHeamYjLrIi8qUhlPL3qnsmj23tW1QETPqHUZ8aaBo-cC/s4032/sweet%20potato%20row.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgNDKmo9hLcRJi6d8IbPDbjB7JyWt2g6vd1yr9V9B5MvHTM4-RZ43vY-8xaokNetseJONJ9CMGA2Svkad5HsYgGyGzvtDwj8j0rNfK8o0_jpdWVsrsXeuoEa51BIADeDjMxtIJU-OfZmFHeamYjLrIi8qUhlPL3qnsmj23tW1QETPqHUZ8aaBo-cC/s320/sweet%20potato%20row.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here you can see two sweet little baby apples on one of our two Transparent apple trees.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieOR0nE-_-_5aSDrk8jwF_9ZFWfIAxFFg54q6s0kog4jqKmrYnyg3R89L3FAA_E8_26yJX_UuUmpj87SzikUOANduq0tIq-r0F0wTHjhmQepvtm8qCC0r7WuiJgK97eJrE6_8pNjkhcHRpzZzf6VlSHjwlLN_Rj4tlu-7OkxrUbocHJqjKG_Gmpj4/s4032/baby%20apples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieOR0nE-_-_5aSDrk8jwF_9ZFWfIAxFFg54q6s0kog4jqKmrYnyg3R89L3FAA_E8_26yJX_UuUmpj87SzikUOANduq0tIq-r0F0wTHjhmQepvtm8qCC0r7WuiJgK97eJrE6_8pNjkhcHRpzZzf6VlSHjwlLN_Rj4tlu-7OkxrUbocHJqjKG_Gmpj4/s320/baby%20apples.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here is a California Wonder sweet pepper seedling. I was able to grow all of my own seedlings this year. I am not sure it saves money, but it does allow me to choose my own varieties to grow instead of only being able to purchase the few that are available locally.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBUgI381E4P8EiwbfqrVtLu0pTFbRYebqqScQOsLnC4ts43IbRE_QGfrDt1bOTG8e0N_E7yJZ9i30k6tgvXxWqCxaweXsrFNNL6lqZfGkQSGQ6ShGaLlUlf5Em2XZM6JTsRKxFotWvYkQSelY_HBuML8tZLWjcZZFuo9MyG9F_euxKiE9djwDOQ5w/s4032/pepper%20seedling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBUgI381E4P8EiwbfqrVtLu0pTFbRYebqqScQOsLnC4ts43IbRE_QGfrDt1bOTG8e0N_E7yJZ9i30k6tgvXxWqCxaweXsrFNNL6lqZfGkQSGQ6ShGaLlUlf5Em2XZM6JTsRKxFotWvYkQSelY_HBuML8tZLWjcZZFuo9MyG9F_euxKiE9djwDOQ5w/s320/pepper%20seedling.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is a list of what we planted. Sweet corn, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes (Kennebec), green bush beans, okra, sweet peppers, jalapeno peppers, onions, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini squash, sugar snap peas, paste tomatoes, Rutger's tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and an heirloom German tomato variety. We hope to put out more sweet corn in about 2 weeks so our season will last longer. Oh my goodness, how we love sweet corn!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the spring, we plant hope. We hope for the fruit of our effort. Sometimes it's wildly successful, sometimes it's a bit disappointing, but it's never failed to give us at least some good food. I've been gardening since 1976 when my second son was born. I remember sitting and nursing him, snapping green beans, and watching the pressure gauge on the canner, all at the same time. That was a golden year for me. I learned to can, had a fabulous, although rather small, garden, and our 3 oldest children were very young. We rented a house on a farm in Nebraska. Even though I did not have much space in the garden, (it was about 600 square feet) I was able to can 90 quarts of beans! I also canned tomatoes and made lots of pickles. I was very proud of my accomplishment. I could write about it until your eyes glazed over, but the memories are precious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, now we wait. I look at pictures of last year's harvest and drool. We're still eating sweet potatoes and canned vegetables from last year as well as applesauce and apple butter, as the trees were very productive. I do love to garden. I'm 72-years-old now and hope I can continue for the rest of the time I have left on this earth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Spring to all of you Gentle Readers </div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-52545792029481201332022-05-08T20:40:00.005-04:002022-05-08T20:40:48.841-04:00Happy Mothers Day!!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCJMJh6oWY9I8HaO2A9tQduJMRXj6wYoZ7s6dzdST_xPXzSYAPFA_5wwI50P0yAY8ZG7dxviz1opg7ch7FoPuPjw3oqo-F6W3IPfopgPz_qFMFAAfyz0wlkbjVh7ngq-30N64JeVCrYUsbv4j_jHyyhLFSRJ2g3GQex-JnyD-4_KNh2eZfYcY0DFIH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCJMJh6oWY9I8HaO2A9tQduJMRXj6wYoZ7s6dzdST_xPXzSYAPFA_5wwI50P0yAY8ZG7dxviz1opg7ch7FoPuPjw3oqo-F6W3IPfopgPz_qFMFAAfyz0wlkbjVh7ngq-30N64JeVCrYUsbv4j_jHyyhLFSRJ2g3GQex-JnyD-4_KNh2eZfYcY0DFIH" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-72722928761844269752022-04-20T16:59:00.003-04:002022-04-20T17:00:18.979-04:00Blue Jean hems - an historical perspective.<p> For 11 years I took in sewing, mending, and alterations to raise a little more money for us. My "bread and butter" was hemming blue jeans for my customers. I was thinking about that this morning and how when I was a girl, we did not hem jeans that were too long. We just folded the hem up, like this!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAK66HlVVfv_8zgiobuEWtOM2Jv942HizFPtpfvjdtxTioUngBmG0_xM9RF36jlZspsoBFsexPbVtG3a1j1DfqYxebzlK5DWwN99uJV0mesT9Wv1i9IkTdlOoUIPAyfTzfhquN0LU7VGP43WBQP6Un5Mi8cHaJdR6HamoPIV1EURCN8HR41f8IXVr/s4032/Jeans%20cuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAK66HlVVfv_8zgiobuEWtOM2Jv942HizFPtpfvjdtxTioUngBmG0_xM9RF36jlZspsoBFsexPbVtG3a1j1DfqYxebzlK5DWwN99uJV0mesT9Wv1i9IkTdlOoUIPAyfTzfhquN0LU7VGP43WBQP6Un5Mi8cHaJdR6HamoPIV1EURCN8HR41f8IXVr/s320/Jeans%20cuff.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This reminds me of the old adage, "The cobbler's children have no shoes." I will happily hem jeans for other people, but for myself? I put it off and put it off. I've finally just returned to my roots. :)<br /><p><br /></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-40578115986303810572021-12-11T18:37:00.003-05:002021-12-11T21:11:26.906-05:00Healthy(er) Peppernuts for Christmas!<p style="text-align: center;">Behold the Peppernut!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1alz4BOPSShSPv5uZOvckNXo_aQptXszVmdoMnBrYoAxjG7vgVK345RNlnvXLYoKvDeGCDQ4I0TOR6xBry7ItWfxnqSRZCFrhJvCz5ueWFLghQvgMiGaAI1sjmvjAdginOLb-kGkYY7oFwPSTkbAejJ1P_0ptMVA4p4CeTihoqtK9AfQ94V7DWLBo=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1alz4BOPSShSPv5uZOvckNXo_aQptXszVmdoMnBrYoAxjG7vgVK345RNlnvXLYoKvDeGCDQ4I0TOR6xBry7ItWfxnqSRZCFrhJvCz5ueWFLghQvgMiGaAI1sjmvjAdginOLb-kGkYY7oFwPSTkbAejJ1P_0ptMVA4p4CeTihoqtK9AfQ94V7DWLBo=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> I have a very old recipe that came from my paternal great-grandmother for "Peppernuts." The German word for that is "Pfeffernusse" It's a kind of little cookie that is very hard, sweet and spicy. My family recipe is also simple and it would have been something that almost anyone could have afforded to make back then. Great-Grandmother had a wood burning cook stove with a "reservoir" on the side, which was a steel box they would fill with water so they could have hot water available. At Christmastime she kept that full of peppernuts for the children to enjoy.</span></div><p>The thing to do is make the peppernuts a few weeks before you plan to eat them, because you want them to become very stale and hard. They do not taste stale, however. They are good. I always say when I eat one, it's nothing special, but I can't stop eating them!</p><p>I decided I wanted to make some this year, but the original recipe calls for lard and also just white flour. Today I made a batch (actually half of a batch), left out the added fat and used whole wheat flour. They turned out just fine and are very tasty! Of course, they aren't dried out yet, but if the weather cooperates, they should be hard by Christmas Day. </p><p>Here are some pictures of the progression and I'll leave the recipe I used at the end.</p><p>Here's the dough in the bowl.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo9y4hBipZhM7XoAQm1P_-2r8AY5rv13wA40y-fTTJpwCMQRY2pef-jdW_2yYlIK4YFq4UPDXQKQqR8ILpquh3C5fqrOM4Pv9VaytvYCvqqIoBUY8QjtSAVnX6_Vi1__t-LVMKa12udr5YdUc1W1WbyHbf-4XxsQ7AKMp4pVO8QZ6H9VqqozZuo74w=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo9y4hBipZhM7XoAQm1P_-2r8AY5rv13wA40y-fTTJpwCMQRY2pef-jdW_2yYlIK4YFq4UPDXQKQqR8ILpquh3C5fqrOM4Pv9VaytvYCvqqIoBUY8QjtSAVnX6_Vi1__t-LVMKa12udr5YdUc1W1WbyHbf-4XxsQ7AKMp4pVO8QZ6H9VqqozZuo74w=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You make "ropes" from the dough like this:<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YyaZliE7ias/YbUvEgcjtUI/AAAAAAAARRw/eWFCcncK-zU5hGUG05GQ39xAi4jsHVC3wCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YyaZliE7ias/YbUvEgcjtUI/AAAAAAAARRw/eWFCcncK-zU5hGUG05GQ39xAi4jsHVC3wCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="180" /></a></div><br />Then, using a pair of scissors, cup the ropes into small pieces and arrange then on a baking sheet.<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SD-uin6We3o/YbUvIrywtEI/AAAAAAAARR0/MS2A7a7sm3svOLQfuzVN9vEw4yqxmqguQCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SD-uin6We3o/YbUvIrywtEI/AAAAAAAARR0/MS2A7a7sm3svOLQfuzVN9vEw4yqxmqguQCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="180" /></a></div><br /></div>Bake at 400 F for 10 to 12 minutes:<br /><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHbZcf9NnTkONpIWX3RmS6p56PtM-Ppos93uf7SaApiMwazHJGH5RwnOjXKGg62KiScKZNmtjq5IjwrAy8KaFzv9Zcat2kYvxCLhO3cLJT-XKKDDmpB0nvDTGF5Fhd1xsdeH4X80Zu8_OYR2r_0U7m3-73vu8mBmVC7Hf7vAVy1vqN_bfT_Fu6jdYH=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHbZcf9NnTkONpIWX3RmS6p56PtM-Ppos93uf7SaApiMwazHJGH5RwnOjXKGg62KiScKZNmtjq5IjwrAy8KaFzv9Zcat2kYvxCLhO3cLJT-XKKDDmpB0nvDTGF5Fhd1xsdeH4X80Zu8_OYR2r_0U7m3-73vu8mBmVC7Hf7vAVy1vqN_bfT_Fu6jdYH=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When they are done, dump them into a brown paper bag. When they are cool, close the top and let them stay in the bag until you are ready to use them. They will get dry and hard and yummy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSY6Ms4Gcr-bJduwUZvZBLpJCXq_JogschM15OhYBuU-1IBoJLor0pytL3HZ8mtAupyPT2ssyxcDtVzQnACv6974sKupMbCuoGd8XAFZMNWta5pozq0ByHmzlHRYP6vloj-EFfXwB4e7x5N7L6IFwt80qBFp25NYTd6WwycSHo3N1ykgSqW4gzQ8ne=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSY6Ms4Gcr-bJduwUZvZBLpJCXq_JogschM15OhYBuU-1IBoJLor0pytL3HZ8mtAupyPT2ssyxcDtVzQnACv6974sKupMbCuoGd8XAFZMNWta5pozq0ByHmzlHRYP6vloj-EFfXwB4e7x5N7L6IFwt80qBFp25NYTd6WwycSHo3N1ykgSqW4gzQ8ne=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Peppernuts!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3 cups water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 Tablespoon yeast (or one little package)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup molasses</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon ground ginger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 teaspoon black pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">about 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Add enough whole wheat flour to make the mixture the consistency of thick gravy. Add molasses, sugar and spices. Stir well. Start adding more flour, gradually, and stirring until it is like stiff bread dough. Do all of this in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and every time you notice it has doubled in bulk, punch it down and re-cover. After at least 36 hours, and up to 48, it is time to bake the Peppernuts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pre-heat the oven to 400F. I used silicone mats on my baking sheets. That works very well. You could use parchment paper, if you like. Roll the dough, a handful at a time into a rope and snip off pieces with a pair of scissors and arrange them on a baking sheet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then dump them into a brown paper bag. You don't want them to stay moist, so if you don't have a bag, maybe you could dump them onto a cloth and when they are cool, cover them with the cloth. In any case, I wait until they are all cool, close the bag and let them sit for a number of days until they are hard and crunchy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is half the recipe that we've always made, but since I was experimenting with changing the recipe by taking out the fat and adding only whole wheat flour, I didn't want to take a chance of wasting so much. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did use white flour to prevent sticking when I was rolling them out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you enjoy these special little cookies as much as we do. My aunt used to make these and send them to my uncles that served in the Second World War when they were overseas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-66984236135810499742021-11-06T11:51:00.001-04:002021-11-07T18:37:36.684-05:00This is a blog, after all.<p> Only occasionally have I blogged about anything that really wasn't "homemaking" related. Something very troubling happened yesterday...</p><p>My husband had some surgery a couple of days ago. He's fine. Don't worry. He had to spend the night at the hospital for observation so I spent the night in a motel. Yesterday morning I left my motel and drove to the hospital to await his discharge. Just one city block from my destination, I was in the middle lane of a main road in that city. I stopped at an intersection and looked over to the right. I was surrounded by other cars. It was a busy time in the morning. I saw a man standing in the middle of the intersection road near the intersection. I thought and probably said out loud, "Hey, mister. Get off the road!" Then he started to walk a little and collapsed on the road. Shortly he got up and was staggering around and fell a second time. He was completely disoriented. He came onto the road I was traveling and fell again and someone actually honked at him! He moved a little closer to the curb and sat there. I wanted to stop and help him and didn't know what to do. I hesitated and I got honked at! I concluded there was no safe way to stop, so I proceeded to the hospital parking lot and called 911 emergency services. The woman I gave the report to said they would send police to check on him. I have no idea what happened. He could have been struck by a car. I will never know. It broke my heart! I wanted to take him by the hand and say, "Hey, let's get you onto the sidewalk" and then call 911. </p><p>I got to thinking about it later and I believe that if it had been a DOG or a momma duck with babies behind her, most people would stopped and traffic would have stopped and the dog or whatever would have been rescued. I don't understand people. I imagine some of them did not notice him, but a lot would have had to see him. It's tragic. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zokXM2zOGio/YYakEDS5FPI/AAAAAAAARNY/YJOaFT1Rl14EdemMmDEe_hzP2WFTpIF-ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1024" height="209" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zokXM2zOGio/YYakEDS5FPI/AAAAAAAARNY/YJOaFT1Rl14EdemMmDEe_hzP2WFTpIF-ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-51598977481835731162021-08-17T07:50:00.000-04:002021-08-17T07:50:14.992-04:00Oh my tomatoes!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Apw8jmP1D_Q/YRuiXa7NuBI/AAAAAAAARCk/AlrRB3xTgnEmtYzJ21RwICPtwPQajJ3IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Tomatoes%2B2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Apw8jmP1D_Q/YRuiXa7NuBI/AAAAAAAARCk/AlrRB3xTgnEmtYzJ21RwICPtwPQajJ3IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Tomatoes%2B2021.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-9646139354526142122021-07-14T09:51:00.003-04:002022-06-10T22:31:51.083-04:00Our Whole Food Plant Based diet...<p> Just over a year ago, my husband and I switched to a "whole food plant based diet." Some would call it "vegan" but it is more than that. It's not just avoiding animal products, although that is part of it. We only eat "whole foods" such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and lentils, etc.), nuts and seeds. We use no added oils, and only a very modest amount of added salt and natural sweeteners. (maple syrup, molasses and a little honey) I use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil in baked goods, and flaxseed meal as a substitute for eggs. I sauté in water or vegetable broth (yes, it really works!) I ran across some information about this on Facebook and became intrigued. </p><p>I know that food preferences and addictions get in the way of most people when they are trying to restore and protect their health. It's an interesting thing. After 3 weeks of eating this way, my husband said, "You know. I don't crave chocolate anymore." You could have knocked me over with a feather. What that tells me is that his intense chocolate cravings were being caused by some deficiency in his diet. </p><p>More than 2/3 of American adults are overweight or obese. This, of course, leads to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, auto-immune disease, cancer, arthritis and most of the other things we can be afflicted with as we age. This way of eating is the only way that has been proven scientifically (and for many years) to actually <i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">reverse</i> heart disease, <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">cure</u> diabetes and help to prevent all those other terrible chronic conditions. </p><p>My husband had open heart surgery (quadruple bypass) about 6 years ago. Since then, he's had stents placed two times, so things weren't looking good. Now, he's definitely improving. The pain he used to get when we'd walk (in his legs) no longer bothers him. The swelling he used to get above his socks that he noticed when he took them off at night is gone. His blood pressure plummeted and he's currently taking much less blood pressure medicine and it's looking like he might need to decrease it some more soon. His cholesterol, which ran about 400, is now well below 200. He was able to drop another of his medications. The angina is all but gone. This is all after only 13 months.</p><p>And here is what I've noticed with my own health. I have much more energy. I am 72 years old. I can work hard outside in the garden for hours and not get tired. Sometimes I get tired of being hot and come in for a while, but I do not get worn out. The macular puckering in my eyes that was blurring my vision seems to be gone. I can see clearly now and colors are more vibrant. The varicose veins in my left leg that appeared during my last pregnancy have improved and stopped advancing. The spider veins that were appearing around my ankles are all but gone. The osteoarthritis in my hands is some better. I am able to knit and crochet now, which is something I could not do for a number of years. I was able to quit taking the products I was using for hot flashes. I still have them, but they are very mild and infrequent and not a problem anymore. My cholesterol went from 285 to 180 in a few months. All my other blood indicators are excellent. My blood pressure is very good. My hair and nails grow faster. :) </p><p>For me, this has been easy. I am that type of person. For some others, it may be more of a struggle, but I tell you what.... it is SO worth it. And we no longer miss any of the foods we used to eat. It's so strange. There are many books written on this subject. </p><p>I just wanted to share this will all of you just in case you might be interested in looking into it. I suggest that your read this book: <i>The Starch Solution</i> by Dr. John McDougall.</p><p> https://smile.amazon.com/Starch-Solution-Regain-Health-Weight-ebook/dp/B007PF7MGS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=HURJT0PMHYRI&dchild=1&keywords=the+starch+solution+by+dr+mcdougall&qid=1626269626&sprefix=The+Starch+%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-2</p><p>There are also many wonderful cookbooks availabe.</p><p>I also suggest that you watch this film. This is what got us started on this path. You will be amazed.</p><p>https://www.forksoverknives.com/the-film/</p><p>We also take a Vitamin B12 supplement once a week. That is a whole different topic that I won't get into right now. Truth be told, everyone should be supplementing with B12.</p><p>Good luck!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn7N-R_bRaE/YO7q7GRl-BI/AAAAAAAARAc/e_7hoc5Ics4CcRdfg4CGpDMvSsh--bT5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Emily%2527s%2Bvisit%2B28.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn7N-R_bRaE/YO7q7GRl-BI/AAAAAAAARAc/e_7hoc5Ics4CcRdfg4CGpDMvSsh--bT5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Emily%2527s%2Bvisit%2B28.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-31437051262494415072021-04-04T11:49:00.000-04:002021-04-04T11:49:04.301-04:00Easter eggs! repost.<p> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIacVPAKfPw/T0FDjDCqaQI/AAAAAAAADqQ/0f0WAzs8NH0/s1600/freezer%2B003.JPG" style="background-color: white; color: #e06412; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710920071873456386" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIacVPAKfPw/T0FDjDCqaQI/AAAAAAAADqQ/0f0WAzs8NH0/s320/freezer%2B003.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(240, 240, 240); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 240px; padding: 5px; position: relative; width: 320px;" /></a></p><br style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">My mother grew up on a farm in North Dakota, in the early 20th century. They had chickens, but their chickens laid white eggs. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but she told me that for Easter, her mother would boil the eggs with onion skins in the water to make them be a pretty color. I always think of that. I made these hard-boiled eggs a couple of days ago and wondered what she would think. These come from the chickens of a friend of mine, and they are brown, tan, white and even blue! Araucana chickens lay blue and green eggs. There is no need for me to color them at all, but if you DO color eggs, there are ways to do it naturally and not have to use chemical colorings.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Hard boil your eggs, and allow them to cool completely. Make sure they are well dried before placing them in the dye baths. Immerse the eggs in the coloring liquid to which you have added 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar (per quart of liquid) and put them into the refrigerator. Go back from time to time and check on the color. When it is as you wish, then remove the eggs and discard the dye liquid. The longer they soak, the deeper the dye color. After coloring, be sure to store your eggs in the refrigerator!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1.</span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> Onion Skin Dye Yellow to Gold</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">To make dye from yellow onion skins, place several skins in your pot of water. Boil them for a little while and allow the mixture to cool with the skins in the water. Then drain off the water to use for the actually dyeing. Add the vinegar. Put the skins in your compost. Soak your hard-boiled eggs in this dye bath and depending on how many eggs you use and how concentrated the dye bath is, you can get warm tones that range from gold to a lovely terra cotta.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">2. <strong>Cranberry Dye Light Blue</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">To use fresh cranberries, boil 4 cups cranberries in 2 cups cold water until the berries burst. Let them cool. Drain and save the liquid. Add the vinegar. For a light blue, soak only a short time. If the eggs stay in very long, they will become dark gray in color.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Turmeric Yellow Dye</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">In a quart of water, simmer 1/4 cup of ground turmeric. Cool. Strain, add the vinegar and proceed.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Cabbage Blue</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">About 3/4 of a head of red cabbage chopped up will make a lovely blue. Again, cook for a while, cool in liquid, strain, add the vinegar and then dye your eggs.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I am sure there are a number of other recipes you can use. These are the ones I am familiar with.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You might wonder why I'd go to the trouble...? I used to use food colorings when my children were still at home. I was not aware of the natural choices besides the onion skins. This natural method is healthier, of course, and I think a lot more fun!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">You can make patterns on the eggs by drizzling them with melted wax or wrapping them with rubber bands before dyeing.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Easter is coming soon! Make your plans and have fun with this.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I have blogged about this previously, but I will mention it again here. This is the BEST way to make hard-boiled eggs. even very fresh eggs will peel easily and you won't have the unattractive green layer between the yolk and the white of the egg.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Hard Boil Eggs</span><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1.</span></b><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Bring a 3 quart saucepan half-full of water to a boil. <b>2.</b> Using a push pin, poke a tiny hole in the large end of each egg. <b>3.</b> With a slotted spoon, place all of the eggs in the boiling water. <b>4.</b> When the water begins to boil again, set your timer for 10 minutes, and reduce the heat so the water is simmering. <b>5. </b>While the eggs are cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water. <b>6.</b> When the eggs are done, immediately transfer them to the ice water. Let them sit in there for a few minutes. <b>7.</b> Drain and peel when you are ready!</span></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-64890149904601156602021-02-23T10:51:00.006-05:002021-02-23T10:51:57.657-05:00And so it begins....<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hYGyQoMw04/YDUkCPAaYfI/AAAAAAAAQos/8-cMm6uz8IEZorVuabP2qLAdXBEkHxKkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Sweet%2Bpotato%2Bstarts%2B2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hYGyQoMw04/YDUkCPAaYfI/AAAAAAAAQos/8-cMm6uz8IEZorVuabP2qLAdXBEkHxKkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Sweet%2Bpotato%2Bstarts%2B2021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In about a month it will officially be Spring! I put sweet potatoes in jars of water this morning to grow slips for this year's garden. It did my gardening soul good. Happy Gardening 2021!!! That is one thing the pandemic did not affect. I was still able to grow food. I enjoyed it very much last year. </p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-36729592677937338252020-12-16T09:32:00.002-05:002020-12-16T09:32:42.630-05:00It's almost winter here!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3oWP4YmaGk/X9oaav-a3rI/AAAAAAAAQK8/8pkmTTP2lREJe1u7TvkCMQIsvAw7q1zOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Snow%2Bon%2BBadger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3oWP4YmaGk/X9oaav-a3rI/AAAAAAAAQK8/8pkmTTP2lREJe1u7TvkCMQIsvAw7q1zOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Snow%2Bon%2BBadger.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's snowing a little this morning. :)</div><br /><p></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-78267040181490770252020-11-26T18:00:00.004-05:002020-11-26T18:00:40.626-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!<p> Here in the United States of America, on the 4th Thursday of November each year we celebrate "Thanksgiving Day." It is a time when families and friends gather together and share a special feast and thank God for our blessings. The last time our whole family was together for Thanksgiving was in 1991. Then our children started growing up and leaving home. Today, partially because of the worldwide pandemic, my husband and I celebrated Thanksgiving with each other. We had a lovely time. </p><p>In May of this year, we began eating a "whole foods plant based" diet. Essentially, that is a vegan diet, but with important conditions. We eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and legumes. We don't use any added oils or fats. We don't eat any meat, poultry or fish and we use no dairy or eggs. We avoid most processed foods. I do buy whole grain pasta and certain condiments, but nothing with added fats. I make my own oat milk and it is very economical. It's not something we really drink, but we use it on porridge and in cooking.</p><p>We started this after watching this movie: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1LUj3kxB9M&list=PLvFgN9QYT1HtoYPfyIEn8aiuLL3KjCM8o">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1LUj3kxB9M&list=PLvFgN9QYT1HtoYPfyIEn8aiuLL3KjCM8o</a></p><p>My husband has heart disease, and his cholesterol level has always been very high. Mine was high, also, but not like his. Since changing what we eat, our cholesterol levels are normal. I know it will take time for the full benefits to happen to us, but very quickly we noticed improvement. Here is a list of what I've noticed for myself. </p><p>1. Within two days I had a lot more energy. I could go out and work in the garden for hours.... work hard and never become tired. Sometimes I got tired of being hot and would come inside for a while, but I was not fatigued. Keep in mind that I am nearly 72 years old.</p><p>2. I was able to stop taking the things I was using for hot flashes and my hot flashes are not nearly as bad as they were.</p><p>3. My varicose veins have improved and the spider veins on my legs are nearly gone.</p><p>4. Last year I was diagnosed with "macular puckering" which caused some blurring of my vision. That is entirely gone. I can thread a needle now with no trouble.</p><p>5. I rarely feel hungry and there are no cravings at all. I do not miss the foods I quit eating. I remember that after two weeks, my husband said,"I don't crave chocolate anymore." I was astounded! He has always craved chocolate.</p><p>6. I can eat all I want and my weight stays normal.</p><p>7. I work out with weights some in our garage. I used to do 3 sets of 5 reps squatting with 90 pounds. Now I just go ahead and do 20 reps in one set. It became that much easier. I've also begun a little jogging. My husband and I walk 3 miles nearly every morning together and now I can do some jogging. I hope I can increase that. I have not done any running in decades.</p><p>8. My hair and nails are growing faster.</p><p>9. I got to buy some new cookbooks! </p><p>Here is a picture of me and our little Thanksgiving meal that we had today. I was very proud of myself. It was all delicious. It's been quite a "learning curve" to get into this, but if you have health issues, or want to do all you can to avoid (or cure) heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and many cancers, you can eat very simply and be perfectly healthy this way. In fact, you could live on sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli and be fine for a long time. I recommend this book as a wonderful place to begin: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=the+starch+solution+by+dr+mcdougall+paperback&crid=136SVW9HL1NAL&sprefix=the+startch+solutio%2Caps%2C568&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_19">https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=the+starch+solution+by+dr+mcdougall+paperback&crid=136SVW9HL1NAL&sprefix=the+startch+solutio%2Caps%2C568&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_19</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t1eqKYCjKM/X8AweyiC3nI/AAAAAAAAQFo/o_04_ipx2WIC-nDoCvrrM7EYcyP1UxEngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Thanksgiving%2Bdinner%2B2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t1eqKYCjKM/X8AweyiC3nI/AAAAAAAAQFo/o_04_ipx2WIC-nDoCvrrM7EYcyP1UxEngCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Thanksgiving%2Bdinner%2B2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Thanksgiving!</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4666117209180392269.post-68873168104198521252020-11-15T16:14:00.002-05:002020-11-15T16:14:33.741-05:00It's like having a tomato vine in my kitchen!As the weather has gotten colder this fall, I've been bringing our green tomatoes from the garden into the house. When frost threatened, I brought them all in. This project has been wildly successful! We set up a little card table and covered it with newspaper, then placed the tomatoes on there, slightly spaced apart and as they ripen, I use them in cooking or for fresh eating. Very few have gone bad. I love how it looks. I am sure I'll still have some at Thanksgiving.<div><br /></div><div>I know that some people wrap each tomato in newspaper and lay them in boxes, but at least for me this is much better. I don't have to keep unwrapping and checking them for ripeness. It does take up some space in our small house, but it's worth it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3lEDwAELs/X7GZmZBwA1I/AAAAAAAAP98/EC2KzFQEvTQQefo9NneOoidZOoj2AbuaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/tomatoes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3lEDwAELs/X7GZmZBwA1I/AAAAAAAAP98/EC2KzFQEvTQQefo9NneOoidZOoj2AbuaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tomatoes2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are the ones I "harvested" today. I used them in spaghetti sauce. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0pSSNIzYKhw/X7GZzzwNURI/AAAAAAAAP-A/FiY2h1t3y_sNMgytsjFMIQgp3aGs38KWACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/tomatoes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0pSSNIzYKhw/X7GZzzwNURI/AAAAAAAAP-A/FiY2h1t3y_sNMgytsjFMIQgp3aGs38KWACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tomatoes1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>loves2spinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072576848451758173noreply@blogger.com2