Re-post - Button Lamps in case your power goes out in the coming storm!

 

A Button Lamp

I just ran across this picture... and wondered if you have ever heard of a "button lamp." Many years ago, we got this idea from one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books called The Long Hard Winter. These are easy and fun to make and if you ever find yourself with no electricity, no candles... nothing to make light with, please remember this! All you need is a small glass dish or saucer, a button - not a plastic button, but one made of shell, glass or wood, a small square of cotton fabric, a piece of string and a match to light it with! The reason you don't use plastic is that if the flame contacts the button, you will have a cloud of toxic and not very nice smelling fumes coming off of it.

Cut your cotton fabric large enough to wrap tightly around the button and use the string or thread to tie it on, leaving the little pointy ends sticking up. Then, put some sort of oil or fat (Ma Ingalls used axle grease I think!) into your dish... don't use very much. You don't want to drown the flame. Put the wrapped button into the fat and get a little bit of it on the "wick" and then light it! This makes a very satisfactory light in an emergency.

One time, many years ago, the power went out. The children got busy making button lamps. We had several of them (more than we needed!) lit and happily giving light to our home, and then of course the power came back on! We were sincerely disappointed!

Surprisingly good healthy cookies....

 

Not the best picture, but all I had... :)

Here is a recipe for some really good cookies that are healthy. They do have maple syrup, so certainly are not "sugar free" so don't overdo it, but these are really good and very wholesome. It's funny how you can start to eat one and think maybe that it's not that exciting, but then you can't stop eating them. :)

PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES

2 1/2 cups rolled oats - using a blender, turn half of them into oat flour

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup canned pumpkin or cooked fresh pumpkin

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup chocolate chips (I use white chocolate chips because I can't eat the regular chocolate)

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt. 

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, rolled oats, maple syrup, pumpkin and pumkin pie spice.

Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, vanilla and salt and mix it all well with a spoon.

Using a large cookie scoop, put the dough onto your lined baking pan with a space in between them. They should all fit on a half-sheet pan.

Put a little oil on the palm of your hand and slightly press the cookies down to make them more flat.

I bake mine for 17 minutes, but do it from 15 - 20 minutes until they are dry on top and starting to turn golden brown.

Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

I love chocolate, but....

 

Yes, I do love chocolate, but the older I have gotten, the more sensitive I have become to caffeine and the theobromine in chocolate.  Just before the Covid pandemic hit us, I had made an appointent with a cardiologist because I was having pre-ventricular contractions in my heart. I knew what it was, because I had experienced it some years before.  Well, we were "locked down" in March of 2020, I believe.  Right after that I was scheduled to see the cardiologist, and I had to cancel the appointment.  But Lo and Behold, the PVC's went away!  I figured out what was causing them. At Relief Society (Church women's group) meetings each Sunday,  the woman who was our teacher would pass around a basket of chocolate candy. I would take one piece each Sunday and eat it. Once we were locked down, I was cut off from my supply. I can eat it once in a while, but not on a regular basis at all, so for the most part, I avoid it altogether.  

So, here is the recipe for my Sweet Potato Carob pudding. When I made it for Jim, I would use cocoa, but when I make it for me, I use carob powder.

Sweet Potato Carob Pudding

In a high speed blender, combine the following:

2 cups cooked orange sweet potato

1 1/4 cup soymilk

8 Deglet Noor dates (or more if you prefer)

1 teaspoon almond extract (if I make it with cocoa, I use vanilla extract)

1/4 cup carob powder

Blend thoroughly, pour into a bowl and chill.  It's really very good, and it's completely healthy.

I want to tell you about something...

 After this, I'll get back to posting about homemaking, but I want to share this with you... After my husband passed away in February, I had a mighty struggle with my mental health for a while. I tried counseling and medications, but I am extremely sensitive and the medications were a disaster to put it mildly. 

Then, I found out about TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation.) It is FDA approved, non-invasive , with no side effects, and statistically helps 87% of patients who try it which is much much better than the medications available. The clinic where I had my treatments has been offering them for about 2 years and they have NEVER had a patient it did not help. It is used for anxiety, depression and OCD. It also has benefits for certain symptoms that can come on with Parkinson's Disease. Generally, here in the United States, if one or two medications have failed you, your health insurance will help pay for it. Mine did. It involved a series of 36 five - minute treatments. Very simple. And, it worked for me. 

I think it must be one of the best kept secrets. It is amazing. Two months ago I was still a mess. Now I am fine.  Of course, I still deal with the grief, but that is a separate issue. I am attending a GriefShare group and that is very helpful.

I just couldn't not tell you about this in case it might help someone else who is struggling. God bless you all. 

Just to let you know...

 My sweet Jim, the love of my life and husband of 53 years, passed away suddenly on February 18th. He died of heart failure in his sleep. There was no suffering. He was 78 years old. All 6 of our children gathered and we had several days together. The outpouring of love and support has been so wonderful. I really had no idea how many lives he had touched until the funeral. There were at least 200 people in attendance. Oh how I miss him. I know he is watching over me and when I am finished here on this earth, I will be with him eternally. He was the best man, the best husband, the best friend. I love him so. As one person said, "If Jim didn't go to heaven, there is no heaven." He will be greatly missed by many.

 

The Kindness of Strangers....

 

I have heard before, the phrase, "The Kindness of Strangers."  Well, I truly experienced it today. My husband and I drove to town to run some errands. After those were completed, he dropped me off at the Goodwill store to look around and he drove about a mile away to a farm supply store called Bomgaars in our town. It was cold and rainy and a bit windy and he didn't want to come into Goodwill with me, so he went to the other store to window shop. I was supposed to call him on his cell phone when I got done and he would come pick me up.

Well, I ended up not buying anything, and was going to call him to come and get me, but I had left my cell phone in my library bag IN THE CAR. So, I couldn't call him.  And since my phone is way smarter than I am, I couldn't even remember anyone's phone number to come and help me. 

What to do... what to do... I decided to walk to Bomgaar's. Not long after I set off, a very kind woman opened her car window and called out, "Do you want a ride?"  I replied, "Yes!", and she drove me to Bomgaar's I went in and walked the whole store and my husband was not there. I went out into the parking lot and our car was not there either!

What to do... what to do... I decided he probably had gone back to Goodwill to wait for me. Once again, I took off walking and this time was walking down a rather dangerous highway. There are no accomodations for pedestrians there. At one point, I carefully ran across the highway to the other side, and shortly a very kind man came across and asked, "Are you okay?"  So I told him what was going on.  He asked "Can I walk with you?"  and I gratefully agreed. He walked with me all the way back to Goodwill. It was cold, It was windy and misting hard. But I was not alone! He wanted to make sure I got back there safely. Fortunately, my husband was there waiting in the car. He had no idea this had happened and was very sorry. The man who walked with me said I looked "Scared" and I was, a little.  I am 75 years old.

It was not the most pleasant experience, but I will always treasure it because of the two angels who came to my rescue. God bless them, please.

I have heard before, the phrase, "The kindness of I sI have heard before, the phrase, "The kindness of strangers...." Well, I truly experienced it today. My husband and I drove to North Vernon to run some errands. The last thing we were going to do - he dropped me off at the Goodwill store and he was going to go to Bomgaars and I was supposed to call him when I was done. It was cold and rainy outside, and he didn't want to come into Goodwill, so he went to Bomgaars to window shop. I looked around and didn't end up buying anything, so I was going to call him. Oops. I had left my phone in my library bag, IN THE CAR. So, I couldn't call him. What to do... what to do... since my phone is way smarter than I am, I couldn't even remember anyone else's phone number to call to help me. I decided I'd have to walk to Bomgaars, so I started out from Goodwill on foot. Shortly, a very nice woman named Nancy opened her car window and called out, "Do you want a ride?" "Yes!" I said, so she took me to Bomgaars. I walked the whole store and my husband wasn't there, so I went out to the parking lot and our car was not there either. Oh... great... I guess he drove back to Goodwill to wait for me. So... I decided I'd have to walk back to Goodwill. The highway is not exactly pedestrian friendly, but I had no choice. Fortunately, it wasn't raining hard, just misting hard and a bit windy. After a bit I crossed over to the other side of the road and a man came across the road and asked, "Are you okay?" I told him what was going on and he said "Can I walk with you?" And I gratefully accepted his offer. His name was Michael. He walked me all the way back to Goodwill and my husband was there waiting in our car. I am 75 years old. Michael said I looked scared, which I was, a little. It wasn't the most fun experience, but I will always treasure it because of the two angels that helped me today.

trangers...." Well, I truly experienced it today. My husband and I drove to North Vernon to run some errands. The last thing we were going to do - he dropped me off at the Goodwill store and he was going to go to Bomgaars and I was supposed to call him when I was done. It was cold and rainy outside, and he didn't want to come into Goodwill, so he went to Bomgaars to window shop. I looked around and didn't end up buying anything, so I was going to call him. Oops. I had left my phone in my library bag, IN THE CAR. So, I couldn't call him. What to do... what to do... since my phone is way smarter than I am, I couldn't even remember anyone else's phone number to call to help me. I decided I'd have to walk to Bomgaars, so I started out from Goodwill on foot. Shortly, a very nice woman named Nancy opened her car window and called out, "Do you want a ride?" "Yes!" I said, so she took me to Bomgaars. I walked the whole store and my husband wasn't there, so I went out to the parking lot and our car was not there either. Oh... great... I guess he drove back to Goodwill to wait for me. So... I decided I'd have to walk back to Goodwill. The highway is not exactly pedestrian friendly, but I had no choice. Fortunately, it wasn't raining hard, just misting hard and a bit windy. After a bit I crossed over to the other side of the road and a man came across the road and asked, "Are you okay?" I told him what was going on and he said "Can I walk with you?" And I gratefully accepted his offer. His name was Michael. He walked me all the way back to Goodwill and my husband was there waiting in our car. I am 75 years old. Michael said I looked scared, which I was, a little. It wasn't the most fun experience, but I will always treasure it because of the two angels that helped me today.

Do you ever "tweak" recipes?

I bought this Fannie Farmer Cookbook in 1969 in Spokane, Washington.  I was 20 years old and had a summer job working for the United States Forest Service in Sandpoint, Idaho. My co-worker and I visited Spokane and went into a book store and I spied this book. I had never had one before. I wish I could remember what I paid for it. My mom used it for a year or two and then when my husband and I got married, she gave it back to me. By that time she had used it so much that the binding was failing and she put duct tape on it. I have added to that over the years.

Our daughters and I referred to this wonderful, basic, cookbook constantly. In fact, this book is how I learned to cook. My mom had taught me how to bake when I was growing up, and so I knew how to follow a recipe, but I didn't really know how to cook

This morning I had some bananas that were hopelessly ripe.  I didn't want to throw them away, so decided to make banana nut bread. The best recipe I've ever had for that is the one in this cookbook because it does not call for any oil.  Here it is. (Notice how dirty the page is!)

In order to use the recipe, I needed to "tweak" it because I no longer can eat wheat, and don't use eggs. Here is what I came up with:

BANANA NUT BREAD

3 ripe bananas, well mashed

6 Tablespoons aqua faba (the liquid from cooking chickpeas)

2 cups whole grain spelt flour

1/2 cup honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup finely chopped English walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F

Using an electric mixer, mash the bananas well.  Use the mixer to also beat the aqua faba until it is foamy and add that to the bananas. Add the honey and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the spelt flour, salt and baking soda.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined well.

Stir in the walnuts.

I used olive oil spray on my loaf pan and poured the batter in and smoothed it out. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes until the loaf tests done with a toothpick.

It's delicious and nicely soft and moist!