Yeah....we made it to the end of the first month.....amount spent on groceries this month $130.88
Today we went and picked up our hog and cow that we had processed....we generally use our income tax refund to purchase these two meats and then we are normally set for over a year.
Our hog was from a local farmer in Concord Michigan named Ron Ellison....it was about 100 lbs of meat....processed by Nagel Meats in Homer Michigan
Our cow was from a local farmer in Horton Michigan and it was 600 lbs hanging weight but only 350 lbs of meat.....processed by Custom Meat Cutters in Jackson Michigan
The chickens ( once they arrive in March and get fattened up ) will go to butcher in July.....so we should be set with meat for the entire year!!
We had pork chops, potatoes and apple sauce for dinner tonight..... it tasted wonderful.....nothing like grilling on the weber on the back deck on January 31st when it is 48 degrees outside.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January 29, 2012
great morning at church!!!
tried to make a sandwich loaf of bread again...this time it came out perfect.....I will put the pictures out on facebook.....here is the recipe for a loaf pan 13 inches long x 4 inches wide x 4 inches tall...
Sandwich Bread:
Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
getting ready to watch the Pro Bowl...have a great night and a wonderful week ahead!
Our nephew NICK turns 21 tomorrow....Happy Birthday!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
tried to make a sandwich loaf of bread again...this time it came out perfect.....I will put the pictures out on facebook.....here is the recipe for a loaf pan 13 inches long x 4 inches wide x 4 inches tall...
Sandwich Bread:
5 ¾ cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm milk (about 110°)
1/2 cup warm water (about 110°)
3 Tbsp melted butter
5 Tbsp honey
3 1/2 tsp yeast
Mix the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the milk, water, butter, honey and yeast in a bowl. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix 8 - 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
place dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead for 1 minute to form a smooth, round ball.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warm part of your kitchen until the dough has doubled in size, about 40-50 minutes.
On a floured work surface, gently form the dough into a rectangle to fit into the greased 13 inch pan. Place the dough seam-side down and press to form it into the 4 corners of the pan. spray your plastic wrap with some cooking sray and cover the loaf pan, set aside in a warm part of your kitchen until the dough comes over the top of the pan by about 1 inch...this takes about 40 minutes.
****here is the cool part***** I have been reading about people who spritz the inside of the ovens to keep it moist while the bread is cooking...this recipe suggested using a pan in the lower rack under where the bread would be baking......so that is what I did...I put about 3 cups of boiling water in the pan on the second shelf and put the bread at 350 degrees on the top shelf.....make sure you bring your racks down because it gets really tall. Bake 50 minutes...temp should read 195 degrees inside the bread. ****another cool thing I learned***** once you take it out of the oven....brush milk over the top of the bread....then turn it onto a wire rack and let it cool.
the biggest problem I was having was that the bread was too punky...not soft like sandwich bread you buy in the store......well.....this recipe did the trick....soft on the inside with a nice crust as well......
the original receipe was from annies-eats.net....but we changed it a bit to fit our needs.
Then for dinner we made chicken fried steak....always wanted to try it ...we followed the recipe exactly except for no thyme leaves
Chicken Fried Steak & Gravy: this receipe is from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork.com
- 2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 whole eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
getting ready to watch the Pro Bowl...have a great night and a wonderful week ahead!
Our nephew NICK turns 21 tomorrow....Happy Birthday!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
January 28, 2012
strawberry toast for breakfast....yum yum.....here is the recipe for the jam
Strawberry Jam: yields 4 pints
2 qts strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups of sugar
1 pkg powdered pectin
wash and crush the berries...combine berries, lemon juice & pectin in a large saucepot....bring to a boil...stirring often....add sugar...stir until dissolved...return to a boil....boil hard for a couple of minutes...remove from heat...skim top if necessary....ladel hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace....process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
just about every canning recipe we use is in the Ball Blue Book
tonight we had Beef Brisket in the crock pot, salad and the swiss zopf braided bread that I made a few weeks ago.
got a few inches of snow this morning and supposed to get more tomorrow morning, been a mild winter so far...we can handle a little bit of snow....then back to the 40's later in the week.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Strawberry Jam: yields 4 pints
2 qts strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups of sugar
1 pkg powdered pectin
wash and crush the berries...combine berries, lemon juice & pectin in a large saucepot....bring to a boil...stirring often....add sugar...stir until dissolved...return to a boil....boil hard for a couple of minutes...remove from heat...skim top if necessary....ladel hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace....process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
just about every canning recipe we use is in the Ball Blue Book
tonight we had Beef Brisket in the crock pot, salad and the swiss zopf braided bread that I made a few weeks ago.
got a few inches of snow this morning and supposed to get more tomorrow morning, been a mild winter so far...we can handle a little bit of snow....then back to the 40's later in the week.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
January 26, 2012
decided not to have dinner tonight.....just dessert.....Apple Pie of course!!!!
Apple Pie Filling: pg 98 Betty Crocker Cookbook
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
8 cups sliced peeled apples
we put all of these ingredients in a big bowl and mix it together, then we put it in a ziploc freezer bag, we have several different apple trees planted in the yard...as of last year only 2 produced enough for us to harvest and prepare. The harvest apple tree in the side yard is the oldest and the fruit is ready to pick in late july....so we make applesauce and apple pies once in the summer and again in the fall with the red delicious trees in the back yard.
Pie Crust: ( 2 crust recipe) pg 93 Betty Crocker Cookbook
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp shortening or lard
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
5-7 Tbsp cold water
put shortening, salt and flour in a bowl...cut the shortening into the flour/salt mixture....sprinkle cold water 1 Tbsp at a time....mixing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and the pastry cleans the sides of bowl.
divide pastry into 2 parts, shape each into ball and place on a floured surface. Roll 1st pastry into a circle a couple of inches bigger than your upside down pie pan....fold pastry into 4ths and move into pie pan....unfold and pour in filling.
roll 2nd pastry out and cut in strips for lattice, or use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes to place on top, or roll out another circle and place it on top with some slits cut into it.
place a couple of pats of butter on top of the filling before you put your top on.
heat oven to 425 degrees and cook for 60 minutes
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Apple Pie Filling: pg 98 Betty Crocker Cookbook
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
8 cups sliced peeled apples
we put all of these ingredients in a big bowl and mix it together, then we put it in a ziploc freezer bag, we have several different apple trees planted in the yard...as of last year only 2 produced enough for us to harvest and prepare. The harvest apple tree in the side yard is the oldest and the fruit is ready to pick in late july....so we make applesauce and apple pies once in the summer and again in the fall with the red delicious trees in the back yard.
Pie Crust: ( 2 crust recipe) pg 93 Betty Crocker Cookbook
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp shortening or lard
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
5-7 Tbsp cold water
put shortening, salt and flour in a bowl...cut the shortening into the flour/salt mixture....sprinkle cold water 1 Tbsp at a time....mixing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and the pastry cleans the sides of bowl.
divide pastry into 2 parts, shape each into ball and place on a floured surface. Roll 1st pastry into a circle a couple of inches bigger than your upside down pie pan....fold pastry into 4ths and move into pie pan....unfold and pour in filling.
roll 2nd pastry out and cut in strips for lattice, or use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes to place on top, or roll out another circle and place it on top with some slits cut into it.
place a couple of pats of butter on top of the filling before you put your top on.
heat oven to 425 degrees and cook for 60 minutes
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January 25, 2012
been a crazy few days...not at home much.....so no meals being made here so no new recipes to pass on....should be back to normal tomorrow....had to pick up a few groceries today.....eggs, milk, taters and some fruit.....we are now at $83.84 for groceries for January...not bad.
We will be ordering the baby chicks in the next few days.....will pass on that info once we make the final decision!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
We will be ordering the baby chicks in the next few days.....will pass on that info once we make the final decision!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
January 22, 2012
Church was great this monring...Pastor Bob is preaching a series called New Year...New You.
go to http://www.h-hcc.org/ to listen.....
Watching football and making rabbit stew ( courtesy of our chocolate lab named jasmine )
Rabbit Stew:
1 large rabbit (boil this and separate meat)
3 quarts of stewed tomatoes
3 medium potatoes diced
1 pint carrots
1 small onion diced
1 pint of green beans
2 Tbsp chicken base
1/3 cup italian seasoning
1 can tomato paste
1 clove garlic pressed
assemble and cook like any other stew
....had a bread DISASTER today.....was making lemon cranberry bread and used baking soda instead of baking powder....bad....bad....bad....it turned the inside of the bread green....OK so I obviuosly cannot watch football and bake at the same time!!!
Hoping for a Patriots - Giants Superbowl 46
our grandson WADE turns 5 tomorrow....Happy Birthday!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
go to http://www.h-hcc.org/ to listen.....
Watching football and making rabbit stew ( courtesy of our chocolate lab named jasmine )
Rabbit Stew:
1 large rabbit (boil this and separate meat)
3 quarts of stewed tomatoes
3 medium potatoes diced
1 pint carrots
1 small onion diced
1 pint of green beans
2 Tbsp chicken base
1/3 cup italian seasoning
1 can tomato paste
1 clove garlic pressed
assemble and cook like any other stew
....had a bread DISASTER today.....was making lemon cranberry bread and used baking soda instead of baking powder....bad....bad....bad....it turned the inside of the bread green....OK so I obviuosly cannot watch football and bake at the same time!!!
Hoping for a Patriots - Giants Superbowl 46
our grandson WADE turns 5 tomorrow....Happy Birthday!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Friday, January 20, 2012
January 20, 2012
stopped in at the General Store ( AKA The Hanover Market) walked right up to the candy counter and asked for a bag of M & M's.....got my bag paid $2.19 and when I got home I made my popcorn....watched my movie...ate my snacks.....and then thought that I should check to make sure that M & M's were made by 1912 and they WEREN'T.....my bad.....Mr Mars thought up the idea in the late 1930's and patented them in 1941....so I will have to find a different movie snack...one that was created by 1912. :)
Snowing like carzy here...expecting 5+ inches.
Have a great weekend!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Snowing like carzy here...expecting 5+ inches.
Have a great weekend!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January 17, 2012
another casserole night......this one is a family recipe as well...
Sausage/Potatoe Casserole:
1 package of Sausage (the pack that has 2 links in it)
8 medium potatoes
2 cup bell peppers
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheese....1 in the mix and 1 on top
cut up the sausage and peeled potatoes into pieces....pour into casserole dish and stir in milk, sour cream, cheese and peppers.....cook for 1 hour at 400 degrees.....add the other cup of cheese on top and cook for another 10 minutes
Great hardy meal on a cold Michigan night!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Sausage/Potatoe Casserole:
1 package of Sausage (the pack that has 2 links in it)
8 medium potatoes
2 cup bell peppers
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheese....1 in the mix and 1 on top
cut up the sausage and peeled potatoes into pieces....pour into casserole dish and stir in milk, sour cream, cheese and peppers.....cook for 1 hour at 400 degrees.....add the other cup of cheese on top and cook for another 10 minutes
Great hardy meal on a cold Michigan night!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
January 15, 2012
Had a great day at church.....Pastor spoke about how we are Blessed and Highly Favored....you can hear his messages at http://www.h-hcc.org/.
Tonight for dinner...we had hamburgers.....and for the first time ever...I made the hamburger buns
Hamburger Buns: (got the recipe from tasteofhome.com)
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
The recipe worked great...I had to adjust the cooking time to almost 15 minutes though.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Tonight for dinner...we had hamburgers.....and for the first time ever...I made the hamburger buns
Hamburger Buns: (got the recipe from tasteofhome.com)
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
The recipe worked great...I had to adjust the cooking time to almost 15 minutes though.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
January 14, 2012
tonight I pulled some dinners out of the freezer that I made back in November 2011 with our Green Peppers and Spaghetti Sauce from the garden...yeah baby...I love a quick, easy dinner!!!!
Stuffed Peppers: (with a twist)
3 bell peppers
1 lb hamburger
1 quart jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/3 cup of French Fried Onions (this is the twist)
1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup mozzarella cheese
cut bell peppers in half lengthwise through stem...discard seeds....place halves cut side up in baking dish.
cook hamburger - drain, stir in spag sauce, french fried onions and rice.....spoon into pepper halves.
cover and bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees....uncover...sprinkle on the cheese and a few more french fried onions...bake for about 5 more minutes. Makes about 4 servings
for dessert I made some sweet bread......
Cranberry Lemon Bread:
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon zest
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cranberries
Cream together butter and sugar...add eggs one at a time...add lemon rind...beat well
in another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.....add to batter alternatley with milk
beat until smooth....fold in cranberries
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan...bake about 55 minutes at 350 degrees
***** Both of these are family recipes *****
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Stuffed Peppers: (with a twist)
3 bell peppers
1 lb hamburger
1 quart jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/3 cup of French Fried Onions (this is the twist)
1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup mozzarella cheese
cut bell peppers in half lengthwise through stem...discard seeds....place halves cut side up in baking dish.
cook hamburger - drain, stir in spag sauce, french fried onions and rice.....spoon into pepper halves.
cover and bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees....uncover...sprinkle on the cheese and a few more french fried onions...bake for about 5 more minutes. Makes about 4 servings
for dessert I made some sweet bread......
Cranberry Lemon Bread:
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon zest
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cranberries
Cream together butter and sugar...add eggs one at a time...add lemon rind...beat well
in another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.....add to batter alternatley with milk
beat until smooth....fold in cranberries
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan...bake about 55 minutes at 350 degrees
***** Both of these are family recipes *****
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
January 13, 2012
Today we went grocery shopping for the 1st time in 2012.....we spent $62 .....we should be good for the rest of the month (except for milk).... the $1912 goal for groceries breaks down to about $40 a week....doing good so far!!! :)
January 13, 2001 is when Ross' dad passed away....on this day we fly his flag (the one that was on his coffin) on our flag pole and we generally try to have the same meal for dinner each year ....it is a simple casserole and was brought to us right after he passed to help feed all the folks at the house.
Hamburger/Tater Tot Casserole:
1 lb hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pkg of frozen corn
1 pkg tater tots
1 tsp salt
in a casserole dish....layer the hamburger, corn, soup and arrange a blanket of tater tots over the top
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Have a GREAT weekend.....4+ inches of snow here!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
January 13, 2001 is when Ross' dad passed away....on this day we fly his flag (the one that was on his coffin) on our flag pole and we generally try to have the same meal for dinner each year ....it is a simple casserole and was brought to us right after he passed to help feed all the folks at the house.
Hamburger/Tater Tot Casserole:
1 lb hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pkg of frozen corn
1 pkg tater tots
1 tsp salt
in a casserole dish....layer the hamburger, corn, soup and arrange a blanket of tater tots over the top
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Have a GREAT weekend.....4+ inches of snow here!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January 12, 2012
Had beef stirfry for dinner......we used green peppers that were frozen from the garden this past summer....they were excellent.
got a couple of questions about my post last night...so I did some research on the TEA MAN...I found out that Tea was sold door to door in the early 1900's....oddly enough my searches kept taking me to a guy named KROGER...like the grocery store....I also found out that in the early 1900's they had a bakery and a meat department in their grocery stores.....I always thought that came a lot later....learn something new everyday!
I also did and Ancestry.com search on Alvin Morey.....he pops up on my great-grandpas journal every month...being paid $1.00.....I found him in Pennyslvania...he would have been 30 years old in 1912....I will go to the 1910 census and see if it lists his occupation...more to come on Mr Morey.
I made a sandwich bread recipe in the 12 inch long loaf pan tonight...it didn't come out very good...very crumbly.....I used wheat flour, but the recipe called for white flour......I will try it again soon and let you know what I find out. We will try tomorrow morning to use it for toast....if it doesn't hold up, it will make great breadcrumbs.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
got a couple of questions about my post last night...so I did some research on the TEA MAN...I found out that Tea was sold door to door in the early 1900's....oddly enough my searches kept taking me to a guy named KROGER...like the grocery store....I also found out that in the early 1900's they had a bakery and a meat department in their grocery stores.....I always thought that came a lot later....learn something new everyday!
I also did and Ancestry.com search on Alvin Morey.....he pops up on my great-grandpas journal every month...being paid $1.00.....I found him in Pennyslvania...he would have been 30 years old in 1912....I will go to the 1910 census and see if it lists his occupation...more to come on Mr Morey.
I made a sandwich bread recipe in the 12 inch long loaf pan tonight...it didn't come out very good...very crumbly.....I used wheat flour, but the recipe called for white flour......I will try it again soon and let you know what I find out. We will try tomorrow morning to use it for toast....if it doesn't hold up, it will make great breadcrumbs.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
January 11, 2012
We had left overs again tonight...so I thought I would post some stuff about my great-grandpa and his financial diary....
His name is Elbert Austin Miller he was born on December 9, 1874....He married Alice Mabel Ott ( born January 30, 1881) on February 8, 1902.....my great-grandpa was a teacher in Pennyslvania and my great-grandma was a homemaker / farmer (from what i read). This is from their financial diary....what came in and what went out for January 1912:
what they sold for income:
46 lbs of lard = $4.60
1 bushel of potatoes = .50
23 1/2 dozen eggs = $7.15
1 bushel of apples = .60
1 month salary = $50 so $62.85 came in
what they purchased:
groceries (not specific) = $2.86
coal = $2.60
horse shoeing = 1.69
tea man (not sure what this is, but he shows up every month) = .35
baker = .50
groceries (dry goods) = $5.92
batteries = .50
missionary tithe = .40
almanac = .10
Alvin Morey (not sure who this is) = $1.00
mill feed = $3.59
poultry supplies = .35
shoes for the Mrs. = $2.30
books = $5.00 so $27.16 went out
I would say that they were staying within their means.
Thanks for reading along......I find this information fascinating. If you have any questions, ask away!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
His name is Elbert Austin Miller he was born on December 9, 1874....He married Alice Mabel Ott ( born January 30, 1881) on February 8, 1902.....my great-grandpa was a teacher in Pennyslvania and my great-grandma was a homemaker / farmer (from what i read). This is from their financial diary....what came in and what went out for January 1912:
what they sold for income:
46 lbs of lard = $4.60
1 bushel of potatoes = .50
23 1/2 dozen eggs = $7.15
1 bushel of apples = .60
1 month salary = $50 so $62.85 came in
what they purchased:
groceries (not specific) = $2.86
coal = $2.60
horse shoeing = 1.69
tea man (not sure what this is, but he shows up every month) = .35
baker = .50
groceries (dry goods) = $5.92
batteries = .50
missionary tithe = .40
almanac = .10
Alvin Morey (not sure who this is) = $1.00
mill feed = $3.59
poultry supplies = .35
shoes for the Mrs. = $2.30
books = $5.00 so $27.16 went out
I would say that they were staying within their means.
Thanks for reading along......I find this information fascinating. If you have any questions, ask away!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
January 10, 2012
Another amazing day in Michigan...we got close to 50 degrees today.
Ross and I took the afternoon off and went to see WAR HORSE...it was an excellent movie.
Had left overs for dinner....nothing new to report...except that my bread pans came in today.....so i have been making bread for a few years but never thought about how you would make a sandwich bread loaf size....I couldn't find that size pan at any shop locally...I found them online (of course) and I am very excited to give it a try.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Ross and I took the afternoon off and went to see WAR HORSE...it was an excellent movie.
Had left overs for dinner....nothing new to report...except that my bread pans came in today.....so i have been making bread for a few years but never thought about how you would make a sandwich bread loaf size....I couldn't find that size pan at any shop locally...I found them online (of course) and I am very excited to give it a try.
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9, 2012
tonights meal was ....
CHILI: ...this receipe is for a 12 quart stock pot
3/4 full of tomatoes (blanched)
1/2 cup chives
2 1/2 cups Chili Powder(GFS)
1/3 cup Aujus - paste or powder (GFS)
4 cups diced onions
Bring to a rolling boil...can in quart jars with 1/4 headspace for 25 minutes in a pressure cooker at 15lbs
We normally add venison or hamburger to it but tonight I made it with stew beef......just add the meat and some beans ....let it simmer a bit...and you are good to go.
Pleasant Dreams!!!!!
CHILI: ...this receipe is for a 12 quart stock pot
3/4 full of tomatoes (blanched)
1/2 cup chives
2 1/2 cups Chili Powder(GFS)
1/3 cup Aujus - paste or powder (GFS)
4 cups diced onions
Bring to a rolling boil...can in quart jars with 1/4 headspace for 25 minutes in a pressure cooker at 15lbs
We normally add venison or hamburger to it but tonight I made it with stew beef......just add the meat and some beans ....let it simmer a bit...and you are good to go.
Pleasant Dreams!!!!!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January 7 & 8 , 2012
Saturday:
We watched the Lions play...rough 2nd half...but what a difference a year makes...we look forward to seeing what you guys can do next season!!!!
Dinner for tonight was:
Chicken Breast
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans: Canned from the garden (when we can these we use 1/4 tsp of pickle crisp granules in each quart.....it keeps the green beans crisp)
Applesauce: a canned gift from the trees (we have not had an abundance of apples since 2007 because of the crazy weather and the late frosts each year, 2011 was a great APPLE year!!!)
APPLESAUCE: (yields 7 pints)
10 lbs apples
2 1/2 cups cinnamon sugar (optional)
quarter apples, don't core or peel...cook apples until soft in a large saucepot with just enough water to prevent stitcking.....press apples and juice through a food mill....return apple pulp to saucepot....add cinnamon sugar.....bring applesauce to a boil...stirring constantly......reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes....ladel hot sauce into hot jars....leaving 1/2 inch headspace....process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
When we get ready to start canning for this year, we will post and let you know...if you live close enough and you want to come over and watch/help...that would be great.......the first time I canned anything was about 7 years ago.....Ross had learned how to do it from his grandma.....I had seen my grandma put up jelly before but had no desire to learn how to do it myself......my... how times have changed. :)
Sunday:
Had a GREAT morning at church...Pastor spoke about Blessings and Curses...it was AMAZING!!!
Back home for sunday chores and deciding what kind of bread I was going to make with the Beef Soup for dinner tonight.....
Swiss Zopf (Braided) Bread won.....I found a great recipe on a blog called chefinyou.com
Ingredients:
I followed her recipe exactly (she has great pictures on her site that show what should be happening in each step) and the bread came out PERFECT!!!
We watched the Lions play...rough 2nd half...but what a difference a year makes...we look forward to seeing what you guys can do next season!!!!
Dinner for tonight was:
Chicken Breast
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans: Canned from the garden (when we can these we use 1/4 tsp of pickle crisp granules in each quart.....it keeps the green beans crisp)
Applesauce: a canned gift from the trees (we have not had an abundance of apples since 2007 because of the crazy weather and the late frosts each year, 2011 was a great APPLE year!!!)
APPLESAUCE: (yields 7 pints)
10 lbs apples
2 1/2 cups cinnamon sugar (optional)
quarter apples, don't core or peel...cook apples until soft in a large saucepot with just enough water to prevent stitcking.....press apples and juice through a food mill....return apple pulp to saucepot....add cinnamon sugar.....bring applesauce to a boil...stirring constantly......reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes....ladel hot sauce into hot jars....leaving 1/2 inch headspace....process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
When we get ready to start canning for this year, we will post and let you know...if you live close enough and you want to come over and watch/help...that would be great.......the first time I canned anything was about 7 years ago.....Ross had learned how to do it from his grandma.....I had seen my grandma put up jelly before but had no desire to learn how to do it myself......my... how times have changed. :)
Sunday:
Had a GREAT morning at church...Pastor spoke about Blessings and Curses...it was AMAZING!!!
Back home for sunday chores and deciding what kind of bread I was going to make with the Beef Soup for dinner tonight.....
Swiss Zopf (Braided) Bread won.....I found a great recipe on a blog called chefinyou.com
Ingredients:
- 3 and 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp active dried yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 4 tbsp melted butter
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
January 6, 2012
Friday is Pizza Night!!!!
PIZZA CRUST (New Betty Crocker Cookbook 1996) pg 180
1 package quick yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water...stir in flour, oil and salt. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Cover for 20 minutes.....beat down and put in greased bowl in a warm place for 30 - 40 minutes until it doubles....beat down again and divide into 2 crusts.
Pictures are on the Facebook page
Enjoyed a mid 50 degree january day...looks like the weekend will be mild as well...WooHoo!!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!!
PIZZA CRUST (New Betty Crocker Cookbook 1996) pg 180
1 package quick yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water...stir in flour, oil and salt. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Cover for 20 minutes.....beat down and put in greased bowl in a warm place for 30 - 40 minutes until it doubles....beat down again and divide into 2 crusts.
Pictures are on the Facebook page
Enjoyed a mid 50 degree january day...looks like the weekend will be mild as well...WooHoo!!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 5, 2012
Had meetings at church tonight so a late quick dinner......when we made the spaghetti noodles on sunday (January 1, 2012).....we also made linguini noodles.....dried them....and we had those tonight with butter and parmesan cheese...ross cooked up some of our meat chickens as well...so we had chicken strips on top of the noodles.....delicious!!
The weather has been so mild....just doesn't seem like January in Michigan....we will accept it with a smile!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
The weather has been so mild....just doesn't seem like January in Michigan....we will accept it with a smile!!!
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
Had the small group church meeting here tonight and served Banana Nut Bread.....Had a great time talking about God and his Love for us......we read and discussed Psalm 92...
BANANA NUT BREAD:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
350 degrees for 1 hour...makes 2 loaves
add all wet ingredients...beat until smooth.....stir in dry ingredients until moistened....stir in the nuts...pour it in the pans.....LOVE this receipe...from the NEW BETTY CROCKER Cookbook 1996
Pleasant Dreams!!!
BANANA NUT BREAD:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
350 degrees for 1 hour...makes 2 loaves
add all wet ingredients...beat until smooth.....stir in dry ingredients until moistened....stir in the nuts...pour it in the pans.....LOVE this receipe...from the NEW BETTY CROCKER Cookbook 1996
Pleasant Dreams!!!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
January 3, 2012
Oven Terminology.....OK so most of the cookbooks that we will be referencing are over 100 years old....so they are lacking some important information like temperature of the oven.
I did some research today and here is what I found out:
Very Slow Oven = 250 degrees
Slow Oven = 300 degrees
Moderately Slow Oven = 325 degrees
Moderate Oven = 350 degrees
Moderately Hot Oven = 375 degrees
Hot (Quick) Oven = 400 degrees
Very Hot Oven = 450 degrees
Extremely Hot Oven 500 degrees
Yesterday in the recipes I posted it said to use a HOT oven...so we were right at 400 degrees....hope this is helpful!!!
Pleasant Dreams!
I did some research today and here is what I found out:
Very Slow Oven = 250 degrees
Slow Oven = 300 degrees
Moderately Slow Oven = 325 degrees
Moderate Oven = 350 degrees
Moderately Hot Oven = 375 degrees
Hot (Quick) Oven = 400 degrees
Very Hot Oven = 450 degrees
Extremely Hot Oven 500 degrees
Yesterday in the recipes I posted it said to use a HOT oven...so we were right at 400 degrees....hope this is helpful!!!
Pleasant Dreams!
Monday, January 2, 2012
January 2, 2012
all about breakfast....
This morning we made biscuits and gravy from scratch....we are using a great cookbook from 1912 called LOWNEY'S...it has wonderful comments about how a women should run her household 100 years ago....we put a picture of the front cover on our facebook page.
BISCUIT GRAVY (they call it White Sauce in the cookbook from 1912) page 124
2 Tbps butter
2 Tbps flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Melt butter, add seasoning and liquid. Stir until boiling point is reached. Boil 5 minutes, beating constantly
BISCUITS (baking powder biscuits) page 171
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp butter or lard
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients together, add lard ...use pastry knife to chop until mixture is lumpy. Add milk gradually until dough is spongy. turn onto floured board, pat lightly and flip over, pat lightly until 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits and bake about 12 minutes in what this cookbook refers to as a HOT oven...we weren't sure so we did it at 400 degrees and it took about 18 minutes.....they are not big fluffy biscuits...but they are perfect for biscuits and gravy or just with some jelly.
Later in the morning I tried another recipe....
FRUIT BISCUIT page 172
Same receipe as above.....just pat or roll it to 1/4 inch thick, brush with melted butter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar and whatever fruit you wish ( I just did the cinnamon sugar).
Roll like a jelly roll, cut in 1 inch pieces, place on greased cookie sheet, brush with melted butter again and top with brown sugar. Bake in HOT oven , again no guidelines so we did 400 degrees and there wasn't a time given either......it took about 12 minutes.
....keep in mind that I am not going for pretty...just edible!!! :)
Pleasant Dreams!!!!
This morning we made biscuits and gravy from scratch....we are using a great cookbook from 1912 called LOWNEY'S...it has wonderful comments about how a women should run her household 100 years ago....we put a picture of the front cover on our facebook page.
BISCUIT GRAVY (they call it White Sauce in the cookbook from 1912) page 124
2 Tbps butter
2 Tbps flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Melt butter, add seasoning and liquid. Stir until boiling point is reached. Boil 5 minutes, beating constantly
BISCUITS (baking powder biscuits) page 171
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp butter or lard
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients together, add lard ...use pastry knife to chop until mixture is lumpy. Add milk gradually until dough is spongy. turn onto floured board, pat lightly and flip over, pat lightly until 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits and bake about 12 minutes in what this cookbook refers to as a HOT oven...we weren't sure so we did it at 400 degrees and it took about 18 minutes.....they are not big fluffy biscuits...but they are perfect for biscuits and gravy or just with some jelly.
Later in the morning I tried another recipe....
FRUIT BISCUIT page 172
Same receipe as above.....just pat or roll it to 1/4 inch thick, brush with melted butter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar and whatever fruit you wish ( I just did the cinnamon sugar).
Roll like a jelly roll, cut in 1 inch pieces, place on greased cookie sheet, brush with melted butter again and top with brown sugar. Bake in HOT oven , again no guidelines so we did 400 degrees and there wasn't a time given either......it took about 12 minutes.
....keep in mind that I am not going for pretty...just edible!!! :)
Pleasant Dreams!!!!
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