It was a cold, wet rainy day for Christmas--Yes! itwas 14 yrs since it's rained on Christmas Day the weather man said on the primetime weather last night! I did't think it had been that long. It was a lovely day thought here. Fire in the fireplace, I made pumpkin pie, a chicken dish with veggies, whipped cream,; S. brought cranberry jelly she made herself, a spinach,arugala salad and she forgot she rolls--but that didn't matter that much! And I used cloth napkins~ LOL!
We both had a good Christmas day! I was really glad she came but I would have done the cooking and decorating and fire anyway. I thought the fire was very cheering--I haven't had a fire in that fireplace in years.
Today it's very cold and clear and sunny. High country got lots of snow this year and it was all over the state so I hope that supplies all the watershed in Arizona.
Is it soup or bread I'm making today??? Don't know yet!
cheers,
Shamba
Friday, December 26, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
December 23rd
For December up to 23rd:
Merry Christmas! At least the house smells and looks of A Merry Christmas!
I know I'm writing about food and cooking all the time but then that's really what this blog was about to start with--my efforts at learning to use less and cook from scratch.
Apple spice candles, fresh made bread, and pumpkin pie and also a sweet potato pie are what this house has smelled of in the past two weeks! Pumpkin pie is in today for Christmas Day dinner. Apple spice comes from the candle and from tea bags named Apple Spice.
The fresh made break loaf is almost gone—recipe from Joy of Cooking and totally from scratch. It came out well and is quite good for sandwich bread. Sweet potato pie was made with pie shell, but it had Sprouts’ Market organic sweet potato puree in it. That was pretty good but I don’t think it’s as good as pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. The cream is in the fridge waiting to be whipped for Christmas.
Picked up more tomato cans at grocery store yesterday. I wasn’t going to go to the store again before New Years’ but I decided I needed some milk and a pie shell or two. I twisted my right knee and need to stay off of it at certain amount of every day so I got some extra things for Christmas.
L. can’t come for dinner; but S. can. She’s bringing salad and cranberry relish of some kind. Dinner is baked chicken and rice with vegetables and pie for dessert. S. might also bring some rolls. I’ll have to thaw some butter for that.
Managed stores: went through my flours and corn meal etc. I don’t’ need any flour for a while until I use up some of the whole wheat. I need to keep using up corn meal of the current opened batch. Made list of things to get when paid for January.
Got a pound or so of green beans and I’m going to try the dehydrator on some of them after Christmas Day.
Other worldwide news is as bad as it’s been for the past 4 months or so.
Officially we’ve had a recession since December 2007 and have probably another 6-12 months to go. No relief of the situation coming nine 2009 as it will get worse before better. Some commentators have remarked we have no bread or soup lines but have they been to a food pantry lately!! Aren’t thus our equivalents of bread and soup lines?? (The answer is YES)
I think that, at least since the past 6 months, we just have too much to be very afraid of to have any more capacity to take in something else we should be very afraid of! (Sigh*) and the idea that’s it–the climate change–is actually made by our own actions of what we think is the good life is another layer of guilt/fear/blame.It’s like if we–human beings are so dumb, greedy/evil what are we here for?
The last 4 months have really intensified fears that I already knew about before our financial crisis and it’s kind of overwhelming some days.
I'll end on a small conforting note: we're up an inch on our rainfall this year and more is coming this week. it's been wet and cold and sunny and cold and great weather for fireplaces. I picked up two bags of firewood--enohght for 2-3 fires each bag--and we'll have a fire on Christmas day.
Fireplace is still working okay. I could not heat the house with it, not even the living room either, but it's warming to the sould and spirit and mind.
cheers,
Shamba
Merry Christmas! At least the house smells and looks of A Merry Christmas!
I know I'm writing about food and cooking all the time but then that's really what this blog was about to start with--my efforts at learning to use less and cook from scratch.
Apple spice candles, fresh made bread, and pumpkin pie and also a sweet potato pie are what this house has smelled of in the past two weeks! Pumpkin pie is in today for Christmas Day dinner. Apple spice comes from the candle and from tea bags named Apple Spice.
The fresh made break loaf is almost gone—recipe from Joy of Cooking and totally from scratch. It came out well and is quite good for sandwich bread. Sweet potato pie was made with pie shell, but it had Sprouts’ Market organic sweet potato puree in it. That was pretty good but I don’t think it’s as good as pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. The cream is in the fridge waiting to be whipped for Christmas.
Picked up more tomato cans at grocery store yesterday. I wasn’t going to go to the store again before New Years’ but I decided I needed some milk and a pie shell or two. I twisted my right knee and need to stay off of it at certain amount of every day so I got some extra things for Christmas.
L. can’t come for dinner; but S. can. She’s bringing salad and cranberry relish of some kind. Dinner is baked chicken and rice with vegetables and pie for dessert. S. might also bring some rolls. I’ll have to thaw some butter for that.
Managed stores: went through my flours and corn meal etc. I don’t’ need any flour for a while until I use up some of the whole wheat. I need to keep using up corn meal of the current opened batch. Made list of things to get when paid for January.
Got a pound or so of green beans and I’m going to try the dehydrator on some of them after Christmas Day.
Other worldwide news is as bad as it’s been for the past 4 months or so.
Officially we’ve had a recession since December 2007 and have probably another 6-12 months to go. No relief of the situation coming nine 2009 as it will get worse before better. Some commentators have remarked we have no bread or soup lines but have they been to a food pantry lately!! Aren’t thus our equivalents of bread and soup lines?? (The answer is YES)
I think that, at least since the past 6 months, we just have too much to be very afraid of to have any more capacity to take in something else we should be very afraid of! (Sigh*) and the idea that’s it–the climate change–is actually made by our own actions of what we think is the good life is another layer of guilt/fear/blame.It’s like if we–human beings are so dumb, greedy/evil what are we here for?
The last 4 months have really intensified fears that I already knew about before our financial crisis and it’s kind of overwhelming some days.
I'll end on a small conforting note: we're up an inch on our rainfall this year and more is coming this week. it's been wet and cold and sunny and cold and great weather for fireplaces. I picked up two bags of firewood--enohght for 2-3 fires each bag--and we'll have a fire on Christmas day.
Fireplace is still working okay. I could not heat the house with it, not even the living room either, but it's warming to the sould and spirit and mind.
cheers,
Shamba
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Dec 1st and Dec 3rd
Dec 3rd:
Got my stimulus check and Mom’s the other day. I’ve also been looking at HD tvs to see what’s involved there—there are plenty of smaller ones. I certainly have no wall I’m going to mount one on! Anyway, I have a better idea of what they’re all about. My older analog set has bad colors on a couple of channels so if I’m going to buy one I need to know what’s involved. If I wait until after the analog cut off date, I ‘ll live with it! Maybe I’ll decide to live without it completely, who knows today.
Still checking Linens n Things for “deals” . I see good deals if you need or want any of the stuff. The linens and beddings should last for many years if you can use them. They are running out of stuff and won’t even have hardly anything by Christmas day much less after Christmas sales.
Mailed off paperwork to K. and Motorola for Mom’s estate. No more stuff from Motorola is due to the estate but they needed to have copies of death certificates.
All the landmarks of my life are disappearing, my brother, my mother, my friend C. not too mention the major, no massive and very longterm changes in the economy, social fabric and Zeitgeist of the USA during my lifetime.
Orlov says the “collapse” dates will be personal ones not just public/social ones.
I’ve decided the “collapse” didn’t’ just “Happen” but arrived around September. I felt like we were a town under siege by several powers (financial, economy, climate change, energy) and now the siege is over and we’re occupied by these powers. So, it’s happeng here now and isn’t going anywhere!
Cheers,
Shamba
December 1st:
I need to sit down with my list of “things to do to the house” and more immediate shopping needs and see what comes next on my list. Insulation, new windows/sliding door??? AT least I need to check and see how much these things will cost… at present I have no clue.
What have I leanred to cook this year? since about April May 2008 :
Breakfast cereals, oatmeal, grits, corn meal and cream of wheat tried granola—granola is a fair amount of work for how quickly it gets eaten.
Easy no yeast bread recipe—comes out well and I like using this bread.
Various kinds of clear soups—no creamed ones. Vegetables, veg with pasta or other combinations. I love green beans in soups.
My own stock
Corn Bread
Various Lentils, split peas and rice baked combinations
Variations on Pasta and tomato dishes: sometimes mixed with green beans.
Penne pasta and French cut green beans look really good together in the dish above.
Above recipes except for soup and cereals have been made in electric oven and in solar oven.
For the new year:
Yeast bread
Try winter squash to see if I like it
Pizza dough
Cheers, Shamba
Got my stimulus check and Mom’s the other day. I’ve also been looking at HD tvs to see what’s involved there—there are plenty of smaller ones. I certainly have no wall I’m going to mount one on! Anyway, I have a better idea of what they’re all about. My older analog set has bad colors on a couple of channels so if I’m going to buy one I need to know what’s involved. If I wait until after the analog cut off date, I ‘ll live with it! Maybe I’ll decide to live without it completely, who knows today.
Still checking Linens n Things for “deals” . I see good deals if you need or want any of the stuff. The linens and beddings should last for many years if you can use them. They are running out of stuff and won’t even have hardly anything by Christmas day much less after Christmas sales.
Mailed off paperwork to K. and Motorola for Mom’s estate. No more stuff from Motorola is due to the estate but they needed to have copies of death certificates.
All the landmarks of my life are disappearing, my brother, my mother, my friend C. not too mention the major, no massive and very longterm changes in the economy, social fabric and Zeitgeist of the USA during my lifetime.
Orlov says the “collapse” dates will be personal ones not just public/social ones.
I’ve decided the “collapse” didn’t’ just “Happen” but arrived around September. I felt like we were a town under siege by several powers (financial, economy, climate change, energy) and now the siege is over and we’re occupied by these powers. So, it’s happeng here now and isn’t going anywhere!
Cheers,
Shamba
December 1st:
I need to sit down with my list of “things to do to the house” and more immediate shopping needs and see what comes next on my list. Insulation, new windows/sliding door??? AT least I need to check and see how much these things will cost… at present I have no clue.
What have I leanred to cook this year? since about April May 2008 :
Breakfast cereals, oatmeal, grits, corn meal and cream of wheat tried granola—granola is a fair amount of work for how quickly it gets eaten.
Easy no yeast bread recipe—comes out well and I like using this bread.
Various kinds of clear soups—no creamed ones. Vegetables, veg with pasta or other combinations. I love green beans in soups.
My own stock
Corn Bread
Various Lentils, split peas and rice baked combinations
Variations on Pasta and tomato dishes: sometimes mixed with green beans.
Penne pasta and French cut green beans look really good together in the dish above.
Above recipes except for soup and cereals have been made in electric oven and in solar oven.
For the new year:
Yeast bread
Try winter squash to see if I like it
Pizza dough
Cheers, Shamba
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