Another Great Freebie from the Old Schoolhouse! - Nov. 5, 2009

Posted in Managing My Home

Have you downloaded your free holiday e-book from The Old Schoolhouse? What are you waiting for? Just click on the graphic below and check out this fun freebie!

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Pumping Iron - Jul. 22, 2009

Posted in Managing My Home

A while back, when a local Linens N Things closed, I picked up a nice cast iron griddle. I really like cooking with cast iron. My mother had a couple of cast iron pans that she used regularly. I’d swear that the reason I never had a problem with anemia was because my mother cooked so many meals in those cast iron skillets. So, I bought this griddle, and I use it as often as possible. I love it! Because it holds heat so well that I can cook on a lower setting. And clean up is a breeze, but I already knew that. I actually own a whole set of cast iron cookware. It’s been stored in the attic with the rest of our camping gear. Until today. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that once I made a space for it, the cast iron cookware would come out of retirement and be placed on active duty. With a little creativity that included sending the bread machine on a temporary leave of absence in the canning closet, I am able to fit the wooden crate that holds the set of cast iron on my shelf. So, today, I brought the box down from the attic. Here’s what I learned:

• My attic is an absolute mess! I’ve been on a “down-sizing” kick lately, and I keep tossing items destined for a yard sale into a haphazard pile in the attic. Unfortunately, the pile completely covers the Christmas decorations. I cannot even see the tree, and that’s in a huge wooden crate!
• My attic could double as a sauna! However, I was never one who enjoyed saunas. My pores are nice and clean, but the attic won’t be until at least October.
• I’m easily distracted. While digging out the box of cookware I spotted a large garbage bag of clothes that my daughter brought up after her last serious room cleaning. I, of course, had to take a look and ended up pulling out a dozen items to take to Plato’s Closet for store credit. It took me a couple of minutes to remember what I’d gone up there for in the first place.
• Unburying a large wooden crate of cast iron cookware from the bottom of a pile of camping equipment, lugging it down three flight of stairs (okay, three half-flights of stairs), and putting everything back that was on top of the box is a workout. Maybe this was a bad idea. Or maybe I won’t need to pump iron since I’ll be cooking with it.

Thanks for stopping by! I’d best get on unwrapping everything and wiping it down. I don’t think I need to re-season it, but I’d better check just in case.

Betty

Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1Peter1:2b

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The Incredible Edible Egg - Jul. 2, 2009

Posted in Managing My Home

Have you seen those cage-free eggs that are popping up in grocery stores these days? You know the ones that used to be reserved for heath food nuts and animal activists. Are you wondering who would pay $4.00 for a dozen eggs when the good old factory-farm eggs are only $1.00 a dozen? Well, to tell you truth, you should.

Before you start telling about how tight your budget is, and how awful the economy is, you need to know that I don’t make this recommendation lightly. I know exactly how tight things are. I’ve been providing food, clothing, education, and entertainment for a family of four on about $50-$100 a week for some time now.  So, I know about tight budgets. I also know that you will do your family a lot more good if you shop according to nutrition instead of just according to price.

Why should you buy eggs from cage-free or pastured chickens? Nutrition! Compared to the official USDA data for factory-farm eggs, eggs from pastured hens contain:

§         1/3 less cholesterol

§         ¼ less saturated fat

§         2/3 more vitamin A

§         Two times more omega-3 fatty acids

§         Three time more vitamin E

§         Seven times more beta carotene

§         Three to six times more vitamin D 

In a single serving, you get so much more of the good and so much less of the bad!

Although this great nutritional information justifies the hefty price tag of a dozen cage-free eggs, it still might not help you fit them into your own budget. However, you do have other options besides the grocery stores. Check out your local farmer’s markets and food co-ops, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Some vendors might not have what you want, but they know who does. And don’t be afraid to ask your friends! You might be surprised at who has a small flock in their backyard…even in the city. When we first got our chickens, I was surprised at how many of my friends had grown up with chickens in their backyards. Which, by the way, is another option for fresh, cage-free eggs: raise a small flock of chickens yourself.  

Raising chickens in your backyard is much easier than you think. We’ve had our girls for a little over a year now, and I love them! They’re inexpensive and simple to raise; plus, we enjoy about two dozen eggs a week from our four hens which is plenty even for this hungry household.

If you have any questions about raising chickens in the city, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to post more information next week. In the meantime, enjoy the Backyard Chickens website where you’ll find a lot of great information about raising chickens in your backyard.

Thanks for stopping by! For some reason, I’m hungry for an omelet. Wait, better yet, an egg scrambled with some green peppers, topped with a little cheese, a thin slice of ham, and all rolled up in a tortilla. Want one?

Betty

Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1Peter1:2b

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