Frugal and Environment Friendly Fun

Summertime, the great out doors… what more could you ask for… Your intrepid innkeeper has some ideas . Tis the season after all.. the travel season that is.

Take advantage of parks and available green spaces. The reason for living a green life is to help preserve the environment, so what better way to enjoy the benefits of that action than going out and enjoying nature. Even in urban areas there are parks, community gardens, open spaces and nearby hills open for exploration.

GORP helps US and Canadian residents locate local trails and hiking areas. Local town and city resources will also give ideas on parks within a city and the kind of recreation that can be found there. An especially good place to start a search is in the information section of the phone book.

For the gadget-minded, geocaching is a great idea. Geocaches are boxes or containers places all across the world that have a log and items, and the idea is to share something with others, and join in the fun of finding the cache and becoming part of its history. Think of this as a modern day treasure hunt, usually facilitated through the use of a GPS device. And you can “cache” here in Montana

A less gadget-oriented fancy smancy alternative to geocaching is letterboxing. Again, this works on the same principle, but minus the fancy positioning equipment. Many members of the geocache community use their powers for environmental responsibility, incorporating park recycling and cleanup in the caching activity. Wow .. this is for kids and the kid in us!

And for the kid in us all… now you can have your cake or uh… bar and eat it too. From Allrecipes
Preparation time: 25 minutes Baking time: 20 to 25 minutes Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural-style smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds (2 ounces/60 grams)
1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-centimeter) baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the peanut butter, sugar, and honey in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Blend egg and egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Add to the peanut butter mixture, along with oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add reserved flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula. Mix in oats, dried cranberries (or raisins), walnuts (or almonds), and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into the prepared baking dish. Use a piece of plastic wrap to spread batter into an even layer.

3. Bake the bars until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into 24 bars. One serving is one 2 x 2-inch (5 x 5-centimeter) bar.

Happy trails (but remember … pack it in, pack it out)

Wow this is a kids dream come true… happy trails

Innkeeping Heloise Style

As an innkeeper,there are those days when . God knows, I need all the domestic wisdom I can get. The contemporary Heloise, the beautiful silver-haired lady most of us recognize from the daily paper and womens’ magazines, is actually the daughter of the original Heloise, who began publishing household hints in 1959. I am sure she was thoroughly delightful. The times must have been insane, as evidenced by the following gems excerpted from her 1961 booklet “Heloise’s Housekeeping Hints,”

Many of these are genuinely helpful and innovative But there’s always a few that, well, I can see where the contributor might have thought—before their second cup of coffee in the morning, or after their second martini in the evening—that it was something the world needed to know. The annotations are mine, but the quoted material is re-published verbatim.

I swear. (I couldnt make this stuff up anyway )

From the preface:

“Take all instructions in your stride. If you have a phobia or allergy…naturally sweep under your bed everyday.”

A phobia of what? Snakes under the bed? Or it’s a general phobia and you need to hide there?

“Keep in mind…the second wife always has a maid!”

Innkeeper’s Note: always be the second wife. But I digress yet again.

“May I remind you once again: that house will be there long after you are dead and buried. Funny, how houses outlive us!”

Ha-ha! Ha. Excuse me while I go sweep under my bed in an act of obsessive-compulsive self-soothing. And then crawl under it.

from “Dig into Closets”:

“Wait until you are mad! This is the best time to clean. You will say to yourself, ‘I have kept this dress for two years thinking that I would remake it, but I am mad today so why not throw it out?’”

Stuff your anger (in paper sacks) to save for cleaning day.

once dug out of closets…”you will have this thought in your mind: ‘Now I am ready in case I get sick or have a party, I will be prepared so that strange people in my kitchen won’t talk about me.’” Sweep for phobias; dust for paranoia.

on Laundry: a favorite topic and ritual here.

“Did you know that table cloths can be bought now in pure dacron?”

Untainted by natural fiber.

The book includes a whole section on Heloise’s innovative, labor-saving alternative to ironing: hanging the laundry on a line, then blasting the wrinkles out with the garden hose and letting it drip dry. It’s unclear to me how this is more efficient than ironing, but she later notes that “A steam iron is worth its weight in gold,” so perhaps hosing is a solution for first wives who’s husbands won’t buy them one. See innkeeper’s note above.

And our Heloise’s hint for what then to do with the hosed, dry laundry:

“Put a sheet on the floor in front of the TV! This is Saturday night and the entire family will be there. Leave the clothes there…Psychologically, all the clothes that they have used during the week will be in front of their noses. Whether they are aware of it or not…they will absorb it. They are proud of that stack of clean clothes.”

If not, next Saturday night, put all the dirty clothes in front of the TV. And the dishes, too. Psychologically, this is bound to have an impact.

But if not,

“A child’s little wagon is a wonderful aid if you have no one to help you.”

from “Paint Your Kitchen:”

“This is best done when your husband is home. Why? If he won’t help you at least he can see how hard you have worked!”

Passive-aggressive tactics are marvelous for producing anger to stuff for future closet cleaning sessions.

on “Cleaning the Bathroom:”

“…but to save money and energy and get the best shine possible use an old washcloth slightly saturated with kerosene…the kerosene odor leaves in a few minutes.”

Best not to do this while smoking.

“Alcohol is cheap, it removes soap film and leaves no water spots. But best of all, it is usually kept in the bathroom cabinet.”

The laundry hamper is also a good place to hide it.

from “Mending Made Easy:”

“THE HOUSES will be here long after we wives are dead. Why kill yourself over them? I can think of lots better ways to die!”

“Have you ever noticed how rested you feel after dinner when the dishes are done? This is the time to do some of your hard, time consuming chores.”

Why, no! I hadn’t! But why waste precious daytime hours on the tough stuff?

“How to Have a Whiter Wash:”"…add your bleach and you detergent to your hot water. If you have Pine Sol in the house, add some of that…Lysol is just as good.”

Lighter fluid, anti-freeze…anything that has a skull and cross bones on the bottle. Just toss it all in. Then,

“Have another cup of coffee, o’ innkeeper and let’s get something done.”

Because everything until now was just a warm-up.

“And this comforting aside:

“And don’t feel bad about not ironing underwear. It is an accepted fact today that not one man in a hundred whose wife has children wears ironed underwear.”

Heloise suggests that if you must, you can remove wrinkles from your husbands boxers with the garden hose set to a light sprinkle. For futher time saving, I suggest you do this while he is wearing them.

In the final section of the book, a miscellany of household hints, Heloise also absolves you from the sin of not making the bed perfectly:”Besides, when a wife pulls down the covers at night, she usually gives the bottom sheet a ‘whack and a brush.’”

You could give your husband the same, while you’re at it.

Before there was Woolite, there was this method of hand washing:Use a toilet plunger to “wash mens socks and all sorts of hand washing in the kitchen sink!”

Do it in the toilet bowl! Let your flush box do the rinsing!

Git ‘r done.

Sing along the campfire

It’s hard to imagine a camping trip without a campfire they go hand in hand. Cooking over the hot coals and then firing it up and sitting around and singing campfire songs or just listening to the crackling sound of the wood burning. So warm, toasty and relaxing, what would camping be like without it? So many food favorites can be cooked over a campfire and hot coals. Most of the time all that is needed is aluminum foil. Using foil is also easier on clean up just cook, eat and toss. How convenient is that?

Let’s go over some tips about creating a campfire and the safety issues First find a level spot and clear all debris and avoid areas with overhanging branches that could cause a fire hazard.

You’ll need to construct a fire ring. Gather rocks and make a round ring to build your fire in. Always have a bucket of water, shovel and fire extinguisher nearby and ready to put out a fire.

Gather the materials needed to create a successful campfire

• Tinder – small twigs, wood shavings, dry leaves or needles. This should start to burn immediately with a lighted match.
• Kindling – small sticks one inch around or less. Small dry branches lying on the ground will work well.
• Fuel – larger wood that keeps the fire going.

Key elements required for a fire to burn properly. When one of these three things are removed, the fire stops burning.

• Fuel – material that will burn
• Heat – enough heat to bring fuel to ignition
• Air – to provide oxygen to burning process

Start with a couple hands full of tinder loosely piled in the center of your fire ring. Determine the direction of the wind, with your back to the wind, protected by the cup of your hand, ignite tinder with a match. Discard used match into the fire.

Slowly add more tinder. You may need to blow softly at the base of the fire this will provide the oxygen to the burning process. Once the tinder has fully started to burn, slowly add some smaller pieces of kindling. Keeping it close together but allow space for air to circulate. Gradually increase the size of the kindling you add to the campfire. When you have a good fire going, add the fuel one piece at a time.

Safety is the most important part of the campfire. Couldnt resist throwing in a quick Ten Commandments.. that is our 10 Commandments of Safe Campfiring

1. Thou shalt never build a fire near tents or other flammable items.
2. Thou shalt never start a fire with a flammable liquid such as gas or oil. - Definitely could lead to a bad hair day or worse, no hair day
3. Thou shalt never leave a fire unattended.
4. Thou shalt build only a fire the size you need.
5. Thou shalt completely extinguish the fire before leaving the campsite.
6. Thou shalt scatter ashes or ember out.
7. Thou shalt sprinkle with water and stir with a stick. Repeat until all ashes are out.
8. Thou shalt drench charred logs.
9. Thou shalt repeat above 3 commandments until all ashes and logs are completely cold.
10. Thou shalt pack it in… pack it out.

When you’re done feasting. now you dont even have to “walk on egg shells.” Use ‘em… Our Fish Creek frugal tip,.. when cleaning pots and pans while camping, a handful of broken eggshells is a good substitute for steel wool.

Now you’re cookin’ - git ‘r done.

Going Green to Save Green

Your intrepid innkeeper continues in her ongoing quest of the greening of Montana , with yet more ideas to let our natural environment help you go green and save green as well. Being a city girl gone country.. lotsa these were totally new and foreign but have become a way of life.

Food and Food Waste

1. Plastic water bottles create small-scale environmental disasters. American demands for plastic water bottles requires the use of more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel approximately 100,000 U.S. cars for a year. Use filtered tap water in a reusable bottle, and you’ll save money as well as show the world that you’re green. Switch to a glass container at home or in the office, stainless steel when in the great outdoors.
2. Move away from plastic food storage containers. The problem with plastics is dependency on this non-biodegradable material despite its possible toxicity. Save money and protect your health and the environment when you purchase foods in glass containers and then reuse those containers for food storage (but not in the freezer!).
   
3. Discover the joys of composting. Even if you live in an apartment, you might find a ways to use food waste as compost in a personal or community garden. But you might need to learn how to compost first. Go to American Community Garden to find or to create a community compost project. You can learn about how to conduct group efforts from sites like that one, but don’t expect to make a living from a small compost project. Instead, you can enjoy the organic local veggies for health benefits.

The whole composting process can be as easy or as complicated as you care to make it. But whether you buy your compost bins or make them yourself (out of anything from wood to chicken wire), I do suggest that you start with at least two. That way you will be able to stop adding to one, giving it a chance to fully break down while you fill the second bin. No yard? No problem. There are even “kitchen composters” available, complete with squiggly little worms that hasten the breakdown process. Your potted plants will love you for the effort. You can even water them with compost tea.
Here are a few handy links to get you started turning your trash into treasure:

A Complete Guide To Composting
What Kinds Of Things Can I Compost?
Planet Natural’s Composting Tips & Supplies
Composters.com

4. Learn to love worms. Another “in” food waste management program involves worms, or vermiculture, even in urban areas. But, go small before you decide that this is the green money-saving and moneymaking project for you (yes, you can sell your worms, and prices vary by area and weight). Two warnings about vermiculture: 1) The worms are noisy, so keep them in a place where the noise won’t creep you out (from personal experience);

Water

1. Water conservation . Yes, water is a renewable resource, but its access seems to be both unpredictable and arbitrary. Learn more about the international water crisis so that you can relate the world situation to your local access.
2. Then, learn about your local watershed through adoption. The EPA invites you to adopt your local watershed. Through this effort, EPA challenges citizens and organizations to protect and restore water resources at a local level. You will become more aware of what you can do to conserve water and cash, like…
3. Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Two socks or a full load require the same amount of energy to wash. You’ll save money on your water bill when you wash clothes less often. Can you say “Frontier House” ?
4. Use cold water whenever possible. Home laundering accounts for up to 36 percent of total household hot water

And last but not last, sometimes, with a little bargain hunting, organic is not only the more healthy option but the cheaper one as well.
Many grocery stores offer online versions of their weekly fliers. As the larger stores work to compete with smaller specialty organic grocers, you may find quite a few organic items on sale. In addition, an online service called Mambo Sprouts can send coupons for organic products directly to your inbox. That was the city girl coming out in me “suggestion”.

Trot on friends, trot on.

Take the Time Today

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller

Meanwhile in the Inn the Kitchen segment, guests often asked what time I got up in the morning in order to have breakfast ready . I had to admit that I didn’t get up at 4 a.m. even though I did make all of our homemade bread, muffins, pastries, cakes, p pancakes, waffles, granola, omelets, eggs benedict, French toast, etc.

Being frugal I continue to find has virtually nothing to do with being cheap.Au contraire it’s about the best use of your resources, be it t your time or the stuff in your closets You look at your daily routines with new eyes. Organizing becomes second nature. After all, time is money, right?

Multitask and Combine Chores: A way of life here. I almost feel like I’m slackin’ when I’m not If you have a handy list of short tasks, you can refer to it and start making the best use of even small blocks of time. might include making a salad, setting the table, watering plants or sorting mail.Make the best use of your driving time by combining tasks in a single day instead of making several trips during the week. If you need to get gas for the car, combine that errand with your shopping. Yup you can walk and chew gum at the same time

Here’s a look innside.

We serve each morning between 8:30 and 10 a.m. Our menus may include fresh fruit, muffins or coffee cake, and a hot entrée. We also offer homemade granola and old-fashioned oatmeal. I hit the kitchen at 6:30 or 7 depending on the menu of the day. With the inclusion of the morning walk and bringing in our horses, the key is preparation and planning. See time management above.

Our 5-day rotation means creating 5 unique menus with fruit, muffins and entree paired for flavor and balance. If we’re serving a heavy sweet French toast, fruit will be be light and fresh, preferably unsweetened to balance the sweetness of the entree. A light and airy cheese omelet can be started (or finished!) . You can balance your menus from day to day, serving a savory entree one day and a sweet one the next. Breakfast imitates life, balance is an essential element of their menu.

Preparation is the key to making painless breakfasts that look and taste like a big deal but are easy on the chef. While you are cleaning up from breakfast and the oven is still on, and the floor has not yet been washe, you can prep your wet and dry ingredients for muffins, cakes, pancakes and waffles so that the next morning you only have to mix them together and bake. Yeast based recipes are actually better if risen overnight in the refrigerator. For example, our pecan sticky buns are filled, rolled, cut and then put in the refrigerator to rise overnight. We pull them out at 7 a.m., allow them to return to room temp and then bake as always. This works for bread, coffee cake, even Belgian waffle batter.

Eggs for omelets can be broken, beaten, flavored, and refrigerated the day before. Cheese can be grated and refrigerated as well. You can even poach eggs ahead of time. Chefs doing big hotel brunches poach their eggs the day before. You just cut the poaching time by 1 minute, immediately put the eggs into an ice water bath and refrigerate. When ready to serve just slip the eggs into simmering water for the 1 minute of final cooking and voila! they’re ready to serve. Every innkeeper has a recipe or two for do ahead egg dishes that get prepped the day before and sit overnight in the fridge, and then bake in the morning.

Fresh vegetables and herbs hold very well if cut and bagged the day before. We just take a jaunt down to the greenhouse (in season, of course) Just refrigerate until ready to use. On the other hand, most fruit is best done the day of serving. Save the fresh melon or berries to prep the morning of serving to insure that they are at their best. There are a few fruit dishes like cooked compotes that benefit from aging and can be done a day or two ahead.

Good quality coffee and tea are musts. We use Seattle’s Best Organic coffee Organic coffee’s part of our green philosophy here at the B&B. For some reason, people equate “organic ” anything akin to giving up their favorite food. Au contraire.

Then there’s the “unprecedented opportunity for creativity ” by planning for the use of leftover ingredients. Leftover unserved sliced fresh peaches become homemade fresh peach preserves with nothing more than the addition of sugar and some slow, back of the stove cooking. They get raves, save money and take almost no effort. We always keep some preserves in the freezer in case there are no leftover peaches. Combining our frugal and green philosophies nothing that can be used is thrown away.

So plan first, then prep ahead. Breakfast will be a pleasure for you and your guests. Anticipate all the little things that can and do happen while you are trying to make a beautiful breakfast. If you are prepared none of this will phase you and your guests will ask, what time did you get up to make this fabulous breakfast?

So tip the innkeeper, what’s on your menu?

Go Green to save Green

It’s no coincidence that most frugal people are environmentally conscious, and vice versa. Frugal lifestyle choices tend to be environmentally friendly choices. What a win - win.. for your pocketbook and the planet. It’s almost impossible to be concerned about the environment without taking actions that lessen your own impact on the enviro.. Ah grasshopper, the circle of life, it’s all connected . True frugality is not just about saving money, although that’s often the most noticeable benefit and the reason people initially “go frugal.” To me frugality involves reusing whatever I can. Frugality also involves turning the water off when I brush my teeth, doing most of my laundry in cold water, hanging it up to dry, keeping my thermostat turned down, combining my errands to save on gas, keeping lights off if at all possible, and using fluorescent light bulbs whenever I can. By doing these things both my purse and the planet can hopefully see a “darker shade of green”.

So how easy is it to improve the environment and your bottom line simultaneously? Here are ten frugal changes you can make that also benefit the environment.

1. Use homemade cleansers rather than commercial preparations: Commercial cleansers are overpriced, over packaged, and full of harsh chemicals. There are very few cleaning projects that baking soda, vinegar, and water cannot handle. These ingredients are inexpensive and easy on the environment. Recipes are widely available online and in books about frugality.

2. Switch to cloth whenever possible: Reusable cloth napkins, diapers, and cleaning rags are all kinder to the environment than disposable. Cloth creates less waste and requires fewer resources to manufacture than disposable or paper products. Cloth items are also less expensive over the life of the item than their disposable counterparts. Take reusable cloth bags to the store.

3. Buy used whenever possible: Buying used from yard sales, thrift shops, and consignment stores means that no additional resources went into making your item, and you’ve prevented the used item from ending up in a landfill prematurely. Used items are generally much less expensive than new, saving you money. Want to take this one step further? Borrow or rent items rather than buying when possible. Organize a neighborhood tool or craft supply swap, visit your local library and borrow books, or rent movies and games rather than buying. You’re helping the environment by using existing items, and you’re saving yourself even more money by not buying. Can you say “Goodwill”? Pun intended!

4. Use Mother Nature’s free utilities: If you’re allowed to have a clothesline, get one and use it. Let the sun dry your clothes for free. Even if you can’t have a clothesline, indoor drying racks work just as well. Use nature to your advantage in other ways. Open your windows for air rather than cranking up the AC. In the winter, open your blinds to get some free heat. Collect rainwater and use it for watering your garden and flowers. You’ll be using fewer resources and lowering your utility bills in the process.

5. Take up “>gardening, but don’t use commercial pesticides or fertilizers: Growing some of your own food will save you money and result in healthier, less processed food. You’ll save even more money by composting for fertilizer and using natural pest control techniques, such as introducing repelling insects and plants into your garden. These methods are both frugal (almost free, even) and environmentally friendly.

6. Consume fewer resources: There are many ways to conserve electricity, water, natural gas, and gasoline. Simply turning off unused lights and checking for leaky faucets are good places to start with electricity and water. Driving the speed limit and maintaining your car are simple ways to save fuel. Check online, in books about frugality, and with your utility for more conservation ideas. Each idea you implement not only conserves more resources, but saves you more money as well.

7. Innkeeper’s Tip: Learn to cook from scratch: You’ll eat healthier without all the preservatives, and homemade foods are much less expensive than processed foods. The guests appreciate it too ! And think of all the packaging you’ll keep out of the landfills if you cut down your use of over packaged, individually wrapped foods.

And Time is on your side, for 51 more things you can do to save the environment

Mom’s Day in the Kitchen

Kitchen gadgets aren’t just for cooking experts. Sure you can go overboard; after all, there are virtually thousands of contraptions to choose from. But here’s a list of some really useful kitchen gadgets you can buy for mom—and each one is under $50!

1. Silicone Oven Mitt: These babies are hot in kitchens right now. They can withstand temps up to 500 degrees and you can toss them in the dishwasher for an easy cleaning. Target these babies by Orka You will also find trivets made out of the same silicone, too. So useful!
2. Pepper Mill: If you’re still shaking pepper out of a plastic jar, you are missing out on a whole world of spice with fresh milled pepper. There’s tremendous variety to choose from: some are tiny and also sport a section with salt, others are 2 feet tall , and a bunch are even battery powered and do the milling for you. I prefer manual grinding with a simple twist of the wrist in a see-thru acrylic material that is easy to clean
3. Knife Sharpener: If you keep wondering why you’re ripping your tomatoes apart when slicing them, it’s because your knives are dull. I love this particular knife sharpener because it’s simple to use and it has no moving parts such as little wheels. Just three or four flicks of the blade through this and you’ll be slicing pretty again.
4. Wine Bottle Opener: Forget those crazy old fashioned corkscrews that leave you wrecking the cork and leaving bits of it in your wine. This full-proof opener works with a simple flick of the handle.
5. Silicone Basting Brush: This handy brush is wonderful when you’ve got to brush olive oil on a chicken, sweep egg white on a pie shell or a whole host of other important little tasks. Tons better than using one of those wooden brushes with bristles. Those darned bristles always shed and are nearly impossible to keep clean. Just pop the silicone brush into your dishwasher and you’ve got zilch to worry about.
6. Automatic Sugar Dispenser: If you drink coffee every day you’ll love this thing. No mess, no fuss—just push the button and an exactly measure ½ teaspoon falls into your cup of brew. Want more? Just push the button to clean; that’s it. And it’s easy to refill, too. Kinda fun for the person that needs a little taste of sugar each day, but doesn’t want to go overboard!
7. The Teastick: Perfect for that afternoon spot of tea. It holds loose tea leaves tight and allows them to steep in hot water. Must be some scones out there somewhere.

Don’t forget the flowers… especially when you see a large company like Sam’s Club get behind the Fair Trade program. They’re now offering Fair Trade flowers for sale on their website. You can read all about Fair Trade flowers here, but the important thing to know is that in addition to labor and environmental standards, a portion of the purchase price goes directly to the workers for a community development project (like a microlending program, a program to supply families with livestock, computer education, etc.)It seems that more “high-end” farms that participate, meaning that you may be getting higher quality flowers from Fair Trade farms. Really, this is a winning situation for everybody, and the fact that Sam’s Club is participating means that some very big buying decisions are being made that reward these farms that really make a difference. Check the Fair Trade Flowers website for more sources of Fair Trade flowers. Yeehaa.

And yes. there are some scones bakin’ for that afternoon tea (or breakfast for that matter!) right here from Recipezaar

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg white, additional sugar for top

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in butter to coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in raisins and buttermilk.
4. Stir just until moistened.
5. Place on floured surface,knead a few times (6-8).
6. Pat into an 8in circle,cut into 12 wedges.
7. Place on greased cookie sheet.
8. Beat egg white until foamy, brush scones.
9. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Top with jam of choice

Tons more kitchen gadgets and tools here.. you’re only limited by your imagination.. or your budget and storage room.

Trot on friends, trot on.

Can’t see the Forest for the Trees?

You know the old saying: “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” You might have thought of that more than once as Uncle Sam just finisihed (hopefully) paying his annual visit. But what if it did? Would everybody be rich and well taken care of due to readily available money? Or would we still end up with rich, middle class and poor people? In the “thoughts that make you go hmmm” segment, here’s what I bet would happen if money really grew on trees:

Some People Would Take Very Good Care of Their Money Trees: There would be more than a few people who would view their money tree as a blessing and take the best care of it that they could. They ‘d get online and search out howto best grow their tree, they would water it and fertilize it and prune it. They would take care of the bugs that could eat their tree and prune it so it’d be uh more fruitful and multiply as it were. grow even more trees. These people would devote time, money and energy into their money trees because they know it will pay off. Years down the road, many of these people would have orchards of money trees and more than enough money to meet their needs.

Some People Would Neglect Their Trees: Whether it be because they are lazy or simply ignorant, there are people who would just ignore their tree and hope it gets bigger. Unfortunately, (as in when nurturing a project in your life)… with no water or fertilizer or any help at all, their trees would eventually wither up and die. Many of them will blame the tree or the ground or anything but themselves and some of them will go to the orchards of the people who took good care of their trees in order to borrow some crop. These people wouldn’t view their money trees as priority and think that they should just grow by themselves. Can you say “responsibility”?

Some People Would Want to Keep Their Trees Small: For some a big tree is a lot to handle and take care of. Some people may not want that responsibility. Maybe they grew up with small trees and that’s all they’ve even known. So they will do what they can to keep their tree alive, but small and manageable so there is not too much work to do.

Some People Would Smother Their Trees: A tree left out in the elements could be in danger, so some might try to shelter their tree and end up smothering it. They wouldn’t want bugs to get to it or for it to be impacted by the weather ups and downs, so they would do something like build a shed around their tree to protect it. Unfortunately, this would also keep their tree from getting sunlight and the water that it needs to grow. Instead of protecting their tree, they would end up smothering and killing it.

Some People Would Use Their Tree Up: What could you do with a tree besides let it grow? You could cut it down and use it as firewood. You could make a wood sculpture out of it. You could make it into a swing. Basically you can use all of it to make something that will only last a while, leaving you without a tree.

Some People Would Store Fruit for the Winter: Trees are abundant during the summer, but not so much in the winter time. There are people who would save their tree’s fruit from the summer to eat during the winter when their tree is bare. Others will eat all their fruit during the summer and be very hungry during the winter. The people who store their fruit could do so in many different ways: freezing, canning, preserving, drying, etc. There are many ways to get you through a winter season. (Ah visions of the Frontier House )

Obviously money will never grown on trees. But if it did, many people would treat their money trees just like they currently treat their money. Your habits and actions determine how much money you end up having and how big your “money tree” would be. If you had a money tree, how would you treat it?

Can you see the forest for the trees? Thoughts that make you go hmmm.

Mending Fences.. Not for the Sheepish

Trust me , cheap fences are the most expensive. Lazy farmers build the best fences because they don’t want to have to do it a second time. If you want to save money, drive an old pickup and use the thousands of dollars saved to build good fences. This is especially true on small farms ( 20 acres or thereabouts) because you won’t be running a fence a mile into the sunset and so won’t have a huge outlay for fencing.

When we first moved here … we had to redo the fences long in disrepair. As newbies to these here parts, we pride ourselves on having the new “World and Olympic record” since our sheep arrived about a week earlier than scheduled… But I digress. The search for a cheap fence brought us electric fencing, which has its place in some kinds of pasture farming where the fence needs to be moved frequently for grazing purposes. But please believe me. Your perimeter fences, your boundary fences between you and your neighbors, should be more formidable, not only to keep your livestock in but big dogs out. If you decide to ignore that advice, you will end up spending about as much money for a really reliable electric fence as you would putting up a good, woven wire fence. And your livestock will sooner or later find a way through the electric one, usually when you are 400 miles away on vacation. One cow causing an accident on the road can cost you plenty.

Here’s some imaginative, cheap (in out-of-pocket cost) fence ideas, from my observations and experiences:

a.) Junked school bus bodies, end to end. Ugly as sin, but the buses double as housing for baby pigs, lambs, whatever. Yes, I have seen this done. No, we do not recommend it.

b.) Old railroad ties laid up like a zigzag rail fence. This makes a fairly good cheap fence (also ugly) if you can get the railroad to give you old ties which they perversely will seldom do anymore.

c.) English-type hurdles make a fairly good, short term fence if you own a woodlot. you can make hurdles by splitting five inch or so diameter saplings in two, using the splits like you would boards to nail a gate together. In a farm junk pile, our neighbor found a huge pile of old steel fence posts with the ends rusted off where the posts had spent their first life sticking in the ground. They were still five feet long and driven into the ground two feet left three feet above ground — enough to hold the hurdles up.

d. Shipping pallets make a fair fence. Often you will see huge piles of them racked up outside factories. If you can affect a sweet Mother Teresa air of supplication and approach the factory officials on bended knee, you might be able to get a truck load or more for nothing, if you have the truck. Good for short stretches of fence and they last ten years fairly well. Of course, you’ll need posts or trees to anchor them. The rusted off steel posts mentioned above will keep this kind of fence up too. Sometimes you can find used steel posts at farm sales that sell cheap. Doesn’t seem like anyone knows that even after they rust off at the bottom, there are a zillion uses for what’s left.

e.) If you have your own woodlot, you will be tempted to split logs for rails like Abe Lincoln and make an old-fashioned rail fence Ah the newbie naiveete revealed. After Dan split out about 20 rails, the idea of buying woven wire became overwhelmingly appealing.

f.) Stone walls laid up dry are the best choice of all the “cheap” fences if you have plenty of more or less flat rocks at your beck and call. After you built about 300 feet you will know how to do it and can start over again if you don’t yet have a herniated disc in your back. Considering that a good stone fence will last forever it might be worth it, but you will be 60 years old by the time you finish fencing your farm, and then you will discover that you really don’t want some of the fence where you built it. Too bad.
Hopefully, I have talked you out of trying to save money on fencing. A woven wire livestock fence with a strand of barbed wire on top, if you are contemplating horses or cows, is a good choice. You need the barb on top to keep horses and cows from sticking their necks over the fence for some imagined goody on the other side and weighing it down. A strand of electric fence in place of the barb is better, or electrify the barb. Again, do not try to save money by buying cheap fencing or posts. The top and bottom horizontal wires should be nine gauge and the middle horizontals no smaller than 11 gauge.

With posts of slow-rotting wood like black locust or catalpa, sunk four feet in the ground for corner posts or two and a half for line posts, or the heaviest steel posts for line posts, the fence will last 30 years or more if properly stretched. You can however save money on the posts if you can make friends with someone who works for utility companies. Gives new meaning to “mending fences”. Electric and telephone poles are constantly being replaced, and these used posts, especially the butt ends which have been creosoted, make wonderful corner posts. They split fairly easy to make line posts too. Another way I saved a bunch of money was finding where superhighway fencing was being replaced and putting on my Mother Teresa act. The highway crew practically gave me wire and posts both better than new stuff in farm supply stores.

Git ‘r done

The Spiritual Endurance Ride

This was given to me by one of my Christian friends just prior to my first ultra running race of 50K. To this day, it is one of my major guideposts in life.

I think one of the more challenging things for me as a spiritually is to stay in the race; to keep going and not get burned out. This is not to say I ever consider rejecting God. I know that He exists as there is evidence all around me. I’m talking about keeping myself from becoming discouraged or backsliding. I do become weary on my Christian journey from time to time; I notice this more when I’m not taking the Sabbath rest I need.

Little by little I’m feeling like the only place my faith is excepted is in my church and home. With this kind of attitude it’s no wonder I feel like I need strength not to give up! It’s important for me to remember that the battle (spiritually speaking in society) is not mine but God’s and He being in me can help.

* Hebrews 12:1-4, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

* Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”It’s these scriptures that I find so encouraging to press on in my faith knowing there will be an end to the race and a prize to be gained for enduring to that end.There are so many scriptures on faith in the Bible. In James 1:6 the Bible says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

And on the quintessitential Montana winter day. before we head out.. we like to apply “comfort food ” to stomach. Apply directly and as often as necessary.

A throwback favorite from my childhood and working years in Manhattan that does it for me every time is rice pudding. Whenever I met Dad at “Shelley’s” for lunch in New York , lunch wasnt complete without their rice pudding for dessert. We were ready to take on the afternoon.

Adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.

• 2-1/2 cups milk (the original recipe calls for whole milk but you can make it with any type of milk except skim)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 4 tbsp. rice (or any rice used for risotto)
• an additional 2 tbsp. sugar or 2 tbsp. vanilla sugar if you have any on hand

1. In a pan, heat the milk. As the milk heats, scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add to the warming milk. If not using the vanilla pod, then add the 2 tsp. of vanilla extract to the warming milk and stir.
2. Just as the milk comes to the boil, turn off the heat.
3. In a large, wide saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter with 1 tbsp. of sugar. As soon as the butter is melted and bubbling, add the rice and stir for 1 minute.
4. Begin adding the milk to the rice, one ladle full at a time. Cook over medium-low heat, being careful not to scorch the rice. Stir constantly.
5. As the milk is absorbed, add another ladle full of milk and continue cooking the rice.
6. After about 20 minutes, taste the rice. If it’s plump and soft, then you know it’s cooked. If not, continue adding milk and cooking until the rice is done. If you need more milk, warm up some more.
7. Once the rice is cooked and the milk has been absorbed, take the rice pudding off the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter, either 2 tbsp. of sugar or vanilla sugar and the cinnamon if using. Mix well to combine everything.
8. Enjoy!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Trot on friends, trot on.