Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Some kind words
A reader sent me the kindest note. Brought tear to my eyes. Thank you for taking the time to write it, Janet.
______________________________
Patrice, once again I am indebted to you and your blog. Not just for the Cream Puffs (though I'm sure they are delicious), but for everything. Simply everything. As I log in to my PC daily I am assaulted with BAD NEWS from every angle, and I have my PC set this way so I can catch every sordid detail and remain 'on top of things' although I no longer know why this is important.
Well, I must tell you that I looked over the wealth of international bad news and bad lies waiting for me just now and I did what any sane person would do.... I jumped on over to your blog because I knew I would find a small corner of Eden. Rest for the soul. In the midst of all the worldly tremors and frights, we all need a good dose true daily life as God intended! I am comforted and uplifted to see photos of your new birthday calf (Congrats to both of you!) and your garden and canning jars and the milking stall. Thank you for providing a little bit of Heaven here on earth for us, especially in these days ahead.
As I write this, tomorrow is 9/11, and I will be spending at least some of it in prayer for our nation and what is ahead of all of us. As Elvis Presley once sang "I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, it's a secret known only to Him."
God Bless,
Janet in MA
______________________________
Patrice, once again I am indebted to you and your blog. Not just for the Cream Puffs (though I'm sure they are delicious), but for everything. Simply everything. As I log in to my PC daily I am assaulted with BAD NEWS from every angle, and I have my PC set this way so I can catch every sordid detail and remain 'on top of things' although I no longer know why this is important.
Well, I must tell you that I looked over the wealth of international bad news and bad lies waiting for me just now and I did what any sane person would do.... I jumped on over to your blog because I knew I would find a small corner of Eden. Rest for the soul. In the midst of all the worldly tremors and frights, we all need a good dose true daily life as God intended! I am comforted and uplifted to see photos of your new birthday calf (Congrats to both of you!) and your garden and canning jars and the milking stall. Thank you for providing a little bit of Heaven here on earth for us, especially in these days ahead.
As I write this, tomorrow is 9/11, and I will be spending at least some of it in prayer for our nation and what is ahead of all of us. As Elvis Presley once sang "I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, it's a secret known only to Him."
God Bless,
Janet in MA
Cream puffs
Last weekend it was our turn turn to bring dessert to our neighborhood potluck. What to bring?
Younger Daughter asked for cream puffs, so that's what I made. Years ago I copied over this recipe from somewhere, but I don't remember where. I doubled the recipe since we usually have about twelve people at the potluck.
The cream puff shells are quite easy. Start with two cups water, one cup butter/margarine (remember, I doubled the recipe). Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400F.
Bring the water to a boil and the butter will melt into the water.
Once the butter is melted, I turned the heat to low and added two cups of flour, about half a cup at a time. At first it's all lumpy...
...but then it forms a sort of dough ball. At this point I turn off the heat.
Now comes the fun part: EIGHT eggs, added one at a time. I had to raid the chicken coop for this part.
With each successive egg, it gets harder and harder to stir the egg into the dough. Whatever you do, make sure your wooden spoon is sturdy.
But eventually all the eggs got mixed, then I dropped quarter-cup globs on cookie sheets.
Baked 35 to 40 minutes until golden.
Once cool, the idea is to slice them open, pull out the filaments to sort of "hollow" out the puff, and then fill it with something yummy.
The cream puff recipe includes a recipe for the cream filling, which is essentially a custard. I duly made this...
...but after chilling it for several hours, it never "set" and remained liquidy. So I chucked it and instead made the cream filling I use in trifle.
This consists of whipped cream...
...beaten cream cheese, which is then beaten again with sour cream...
...and instant vanilla pudding beaten with some milk.
This is all mixed together to make a beautiful creamy filling.
When it came time to assemble the cream puffs, I sliced them open...
...hollowed them out a little bit...
And then filled.
Yum!
Younger Daughter asked for cream puffs, so that's what I made. Years ago I copied over this recipe from somewhere, but I don't remember where. I doubled the recipe since we usually have about twelve people at the potluck.
The cream puff shells are quite easy. Start with two cups water, one cup butter/margarine (remember, I doubled the recipe). Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400F.
Bring the water to a boil and the butter will melt into the water.
Once the butter is melted, I turned the heat to low and added two cups of flour, about half a cup at a time. At first it's all lumpy...
...but then it forms a sort of dough ball. At this point I turn off the heat.
Now comes the fun part: EIGHT eggs, added one at a time. I had to raid the chicken coop for this part.
With each successive egg, it gets harder and harder to stir the egg into the dough. Whatever you do, make sure your wooden spoon is sturdy.
But eventually all the eggs got mixed, then I dropped quarter-cup globs on cookie sheets.
Baked 35 to 40 minutes until golden.
Once cool, the idea is to slice them open, pull out the filaments to sort of "hollow" out the puff, and then fill it with something yummy.
The cream puff recipe includes a recipe for the cream filling, which is essentially a custard. I duly made this...
...but after chilling it for several hours, it never "set" and remained liquidy. So I chucked it and instead made the cream filling I use in trifle.
This consists of whipped cream...
...beaten cream cheese, which is then beaten again with sour cream...
...and instant vanilla pudding beaten with some milk.
This is all mixed together to make a beautiful creamy filling.
When it came time to assemble the cream puffs, I sliced them open...
...hollowed them out a little bit...
And then filled.
Yum!
Monday, September 9, 2013
On establishing a neighborhood watch
Following is a guest post from Naomi Broderick, a rural mother of three who writes on behalf of Protect Your Home, an authorized dealer of ADT Security in Phoenix, Arizona.
(As a personal side-note, years ago we needed a security system for an office where I used to work. The office had mice in it, so standard security systems wouldn't work because the movement of the mice would trigger the alarm. After some research, we contracted with ADT Security (which silently monitors by sound) and were very pleased with the result -- especially after a thug threw a rock through an office window and tried to make off with some equipment. He was caught on the premises.)
Before our colonies even became a nation, and before our modern era of home security equipment and alarm systems, town watches were the answer in keeping neighbors safe. These organizations were formed on mutual trust out of the common interest of protecting everyone’s families from wrong-doers and domestic disputes.
While they’re called “neighborhood watches” these days, the essence of these groups remains the same. While keeping home surveillance or firearms available to defend yourself can be effective in deterring crime and taking action, there’s a certain sense of peace in a neighborhood watch that money can’t buy. They represent the sense of security that bonds a community, and the fabric of good will towards neighbors that defines American suburbia.
More important than what they represent is the fact that they’re darned effective. According to the FBI’s neighborhood watch statistics, communities with such watches have a reduced crime rate of up to 43%. On top of deterring crimes, these programs are fantastic at locating and reporting crimes when they take place. They also help citizens in cases of accidents, fires, or other emergency situations.
Many skeptics call foul with these programs as being a way for mavericks to take the law into their own hands, but the true role of watches is to observe and contact authorities when something seems amiss. Given their help in aiding authority, these programs have also been prided among many communities as developing better relations between residents and the authorities.
If you live in a rural or developing suburban neighborhood, it’s very possible that your neighborhood lacks such a watch program. You can locate watches in your neighborhood using USAonWatch’s locator. It can be difficult to establish a credible watch alone without competing with the voices of other watches; ideally a neighborhood would have one unified watch in which everyone is on the same page.
But if you’re unsuccessful in finding a neighborhood watch to participate in and care for the welfare of your area, it might be a great time to register your own watch with your neighbors. Some essential components for any neighborhood watch are:
• A group of committed neighbors with sound judgment and a respect for legal boundaries to plan and execute a watch schedule
• A means of regular communications, such as a mailing list, e-mail addresses, or cell phone communications
• A meeting place, such as a resident’s home or a community center
• The involvement of an officer of the law to help train members (contacting authorities to explain your desire to start a watch will often allow them to offer you an available officer)
• Brochures on appropriate watch conduct and protocol
It’s also crucial to hold meetings regularly, and be sure to keep up with certain trends and hotspots related to crime in your area. For more specifics on starting your own credible neighborhood watch on protecting your home and neighbors, see more information in this manual.
(As a personal side-note, years ago we needed a security system for an office where I used to work. The office had mice in it, so standard security systems wouldn't work because the movement of the mice would trigger the alarm. After some research, we contracted with ADT Security (which silently monitors by sound) and were very pleased with the result -- especially after a thug threw a rock through an office window and tried to make off with some equipment. He was caught on the premises.)
_________________________________________
Before our colonies even became a nation, and before our modern era of home security equipment and alarm systems, town watches were the answer in keeping neighbors safe. These organizations were formed on mutual trust out of the common interest of protecting everyone’s families from wrong-doers and domestic disputes.
While they’re called “neighborhood watches” these days, the essence of these groups remains the same. While keeping home surveillance or firearms available to defend yourself can be effective in deterring crime and taking action, there’s a certain sense of peace in a neighborhood watch that money can’t buy. They represent the sense of security that bonds a community, and the fabric of good will towards neighbors that defines American suburbia.
More important than what they represent is the fact that they’re darned effective. According to the FBI’s neighborhood watch statistics, communities with such watches have a reduced crime rate of up to 43%. On top of deterring crimes, these programs are fantastic at locating and reporting crimes when they take place. They also help citizens in cases of accidents, fires, or other emergency situations.
Many skeptics call foul with these programs as being a way for mavericks to take the law into their own hands, but the true role of watches is to observe and contact authorities when something seems amiss. Given their help in aiding authority, these programs have also been prided among many communities as developing better relations between residents and the authorities.
If you live in a rural or developing suburban neighborhood, it’s very possible that your neighborhood lacks such a watch program. You can locate watches in your neighborhood using USAonWatch’s locator. It can be difficult to establish a credible watch alone without competing with the voices of other watches; ideally a neighborhood would have one unified watch in which everyone is on the same page.
But if you’re unsuccessful in finding a neighborhood watch to participate in and care for the welfare of your area, it might be a great time to register your own watch with your neighbors. Some essential components for any neighborhood watch are:
• A group of committed neighbors with sound judgment and a respect for legal boundaries to plan and execute a watch schedule
• A means of regular communications, such as a mailing list, e-mail addresses, or cell phone communications
• A meeting place, such as a resident’s home or a community center
• The involvement of an officer of the law to help train members (contacting authorities to explain your desire to start a watch will often allow them to offer you an available officer)
• Brochures on appropriate watch conduct and protocol
It’s also crucial to hold meetings regularly, and be sure to keep up with certain trends and hotspots related to crime in your area. For more specifics on starting your own credible neighborhood watch on protecting your home and neighbors, see more information in this manual.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Canning peaches
It's that time of year again, the time when fresh foods are abundant and reasonably inexpensive. Through a friend's church, I was able to get boxes of peaches for $15 a box, so we bought three boxes. We fresh-ate a lot of the peaches. My hands-down all time favorite fruit is peaches, so it's no surprise that half the top box was empty by the time I got around to canning them.
I wasn't sure how many jars I'd need, so I started by washing twenty quart jars. The girls were gone for a day -- busy cleaning motel rooms for a neighbor who owns a motel -- and I sorely missed their help.
I found one jar with a nicked rim, so I pulled it aside. Chipped jars won't seal.
I labeled it and put it in the pantry for storing dry items.
First task was to boil water so I could dip the peaches and slip the skins. I found that processing ten peaches at a time worked well.
Cooling the hot peaches in cool water.
Peeling.
Slicing.
As I filled each jar, I added about a tablespoon of lemon juice to slow browning.
I got into a rhythm: peaches cooking, peaches cooling, peaches being peeled, filling jars, etc.
I ended up with twenty-two quarts. Not bad.
Scraps. I thought about making some fruit vinegar, but decided not to since I still have a lot of vinegar left. This bowl of scraps went into the compost pile.
Making syrup. I prefer a light syrup, which is a 2:1 ratio of water:sugar.
Topping the jars with syrup.
I pulled out the rings I needed...
...and scalded the Tattler lids and gaskets.
Peaches can be water-bath canned (30 minutes for quarts), and my two biggest pots held twelve quarts between them.
I started cleaning up the mess while the first batch processed. The floor was sticky, so out came the mop.
While the first batch was processing, I preheated the second batch of jars in a dishpan of hot water so there wouldn't be a temperature shock of putting cool jars in boiling water. Nonetheless, about five minutes after I put the second batch of jars in the pots, I heard a BANG! When I lifted the lid, peaches were floating.
Lost a jar. It happens.
By the time second batch of jars were out and cooling...
...it was well past 10 pm and I was staggeringly tired. All-day canning sessions are tough.
The next morning I made sure to wash the very sticky jars. It's normal for the jars to vent during processing and cooling, which left them very sticky on the outside. I gave each one a good scrub.
Cleaned and ready to store.
I also scrubbed my rings, particularly necessary after a sticky project like peaches.
I'll be doing a lot of canning this fall. Peaches? They're just the beginning.
I wasn't sure how many jars I'd need, so I started by washing twenty quart jars. The girls were gone for a day -- busy cleaning motel rooms for a neighbor who owns a motel -- and I sorely missed their help.
I found one jar with a nicked rim, so I pulled it aside. Chipped jars won't seal.
I labeled it and put it in the pantry for storing dry items.
First task was to boil water so I could dip the peaches and slip the skins. I found that processing ten peaches at a time worked well.
Cooling the hot peaches in cool water.
Peeling.
Slicing.
As I filled each jar, I added about a tablespoon of lemon juice to slow browning.
I got into a rhythm: peaches cooking, peaches cooling, peaches being peeled, filling jars, etc.
I ended up with twenty-two quarts. Not bad.
Scraps. I thought about making some fruit vinegar, but decided not to since I still have a lot of vinegar left. This bowl of scraps went into the compost pile.
Making syrup. I prefer a light syrup, which is a 2:1 ratio of water:sugar.
Topping the jars with syrup.
I pulled out the rings I needed...
...and scalded the Tattler lids and gaskets.
Peaches can be water-bath canned (30 minutes for quarts), and my two biggest pots held twelve quarts between them.
I started cleaning up the mess while the first batch processed. The floor was sticky, so out came the mop.
While the first batch was processing, I preheated the second batch of jars in a dishpan of hot water so there wouldn't be a temperature shock of putting cool jars in boiling water. Nonetheless, about five minutes after I put the second batch of jars in the pots, I heard a BANG! When I lifted the lid, peaches were floating.
Lost a jar. It happens.
By the time second batch of jars were out and cooling...
...it was well past 10 pm and I was staggeringly tired. All-day canning sessions are tough.
The next morning I made sure to wash the very sticky jars. It's normal for the jars to vent during processing and cooling, which left them very sticky on the outside. I gave each one a good scrub.
Cleaned and ready to store.
I also scrubbed my rings, particularly necessary after a sticky project like peaches.
I'll be doing a lot of canning this fall. Peaches? They're just the beginning.
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