I just had to comment on something I overheard this afternoon at Walmart. You know when people are behind you and they are talking loud enough for you to hear and you really don’t want to listen, but you can’t help it because they are talking loud enough for you to hear? Well, that’s what happened to me. I was heading across the parking lot and was just walking along, minding my own business, when these two people mosied up behind me, carrying on a conversation. It was obviously a lady and a man, by their voices. “Yeah. She’s really gonna marry him.” “Really? How OLD is he anyway?” “He’s like 56 or 57!!” “Oh my gosh. Are you kidding? He’s THAT old? That’s like a 20 year difference!!” “Yep. I know. I can’t believe she’s with somebody THAT old.” Now then….aside from the fact that they were justifiably taken aback by the difference in age between these two people whom they obviously knew, if YOU were behind a woman with platinum white hair, who is wearing stretchy old-lady pants and tenny pumps, would YOU be referring to 57 as old? Do you think you’d be swooning that your friend is marrying someone with one foot in the grave? I’m thinking you’d wait until you were far enough away from that decrepit 57 year old to comment on that less than acceptable age! All I can say, is what my grandmother used to say, “The nerve of some people’s grandchildren!!” I’ll go take out my teeth now and gum some oatmeal. |
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Overheard
September 22nd, 2011
Facing Change
September 19th, 2011
I just got back yesterday evening from my quick trip to Walland, TN. It was gruelling – four days on the road with no down time. Mr. Fix-It and I left on Thursday, got there Friday at 4 pm, helped my parents and loaded the little truck that they gave Mr. Fix-It. Then we left on Saturday morning and drove until 4:30 Sunday afternoon, with a hotel in between. My body is too old for this. The purpose of the trip made it even tougher. My parents have sold their house, are giving away practically everything and are moving into a retirement community. It is a smart move on their part because the house and the property is just too big and too labor intensive for two people. But knowing the wisdom of this move does not make it any easier on all of us kids. Tennessee was our stomping ground as children. It was where we all attended Girl Scouts, high school and college and took many “field trips” or camping trips to the Smokey Mountains. It was where some of us had our children. It was where those children spent their early years. It is where we have visited our parents, after we all moved out-of-state, at their lovely home with a view of the mountains right outside a bedroom window. It has been trout streams, cool mornings and evenings, wild turkeys, deer and other assorted wildlife, quiet and private communing with nature, long walks and a big house where lots of us could congregate in laughter and love. Change is tough. We all hold onto our memories like gold and we expect things to stay the same forever and ever. But nothing ever does. We all grow older, we lose jobs, we get illnesses, we get married, we have children, we move, we lose love ones. And in all the changes that we experience through life, there is only one constant – God. It is so wonderful to know that in all of the upheaval that we know as “life” that there is One who is never-changing, in control and full of love and compassion. He sees our tears and lets us cry and then encourages in the most amazing ways. And believe me, I have cried some tears. But already I see the blessings of the changes that are coming. So, I am just taking this moment to encourage you if there are changes in your life right now. We don’t like change. It makes us uncomfortable. But in everything that comes our way, there is always a lesson and a blessing if we are open to allowing God to do His thing. It’s in the looking back, that we see how change always makes us stronger, more compassionate and more faithful. So congratulations, Mom and Dad, for being willing to face change with eagerness, faith and joy. You are a blessing to all of us and witness to many. |
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The Mississippi River Bridge
September 15th, 2011
I’m traveling. The artist in me has been screaming to get out all day. No, I haven’t been wanting to throw paint at passing cars…I’ve just been marveling at the landscape whizzing by and the architecture of the towns. It’s Americana begging to be painted. There was one moment, however, that sent me hurtling into the past with a giggle. You know how music or sounds bring moments to mind that occurred simultaneously with the music or sounds? Well, sights do that for me too and today, I was transported back to Mr. Gibson’s 3-D design class at Middle Tennessee State University. I wasn’t the most engineering design oriented art student in the world. To me, design was just about what looked good. Who cared if it could hold a couple of Sumo wrestlers? That attitude was not appreciated by Mr. Gibson, my professor, and I quickly learned that he was very serious about his students’ work being able to hold a couple of Sumo wrestlers. We students were each given a very large bag of popsicle sticks and told to purchase tubes of Duco Cement. Do you know how out in space you can get using Duco Cement?? But that was back before the FDA cared whether college students lived or died and it was the mid ’70’s when I am almost certain that college students were using hallucinogens equally disastrous. Anyway, we were instructed to build a tower that was structurally sound enough to hold 10 pounds of weight. (OK, so I exaggerated a little. Not quite Sumo wrestler poundage.) Structural soundness would be the main grade. Appearance would be secondary and minimal in determining our grade. Now, I freely admit that I wasn’t the most motivated student either and things like football games, concerts by Chicago, Elton John, Elvis and The Pointer Sisters and watching one of the male fraternities streak across campus seemed much more important than tackling a project that sounded like a summer of Vacation Bible School crafts. After all, who couldn’t put a bunch of popsicle sticks together and come out with a tower? It was the day before the project was due that I finally decided I needed to get busy. At 4 o’clock the next morning, I finished my monstrosity that measured 3 feet tall and had not one similar angle throughout the entire piece. In fact, about three quarters of the way up, the tower was relatively straight, but then an imperceptible angling began and the top fourth leaned ever so slightly – just enough to drive you crazy wanting to reach over and straighten it. The popsicle sticks were glued to each other in all kinds of wierd directions to create a sort of tall cylinder around empty air. I was so tired, I didn’t even go to bed because I had to be up and in class with my project by 8 that morning. Mr. Gibson was not a stupid man and he had a way of figuring out when one of us had waited until the last minute to do our work. He had a mean smirk on his face as he looked at my ‘leaning tower of haphazard’ and saved it for last so that the humiliation of watching it explode into a shower of popsicle sticks, when he placed the weight on it, would send me running to Shakey’s pizza parlor for solice in extra cheese. One by one, my classmates paraded their engineering marvels (did I mention that I was the only girl in the class?) before our artistic genius professor and one by one most collapsed under the weight of Mr. Gibson’s metal ingots. A few survived and the creators smugly returned to their seats ready to design a new Empire State Building. And then it was my turn. I feel pretty sure that I was sweating and that I didn’t appear all that self-assured, but I managed to drag my very heavy wooden tower to the front of the room for demonstration. Mr. Gibson placed one ingot onto the top of my “statue”. It didn’t move. He placed another and another and still it stood firm. I held my breath. Obviously frustrated, my professor placed another weight and, I am sure wished my tower to disintegrate to teach me a lesson, but it didn’t even creak. Ten pounds of metal perched atop my mess of popsicle sticks. I jumped up and down and clapped my hands. Not to be outdone, my professor continued to pile metal on top of my tower. At 15 pounds, he stopped. I passed with flying colors. But I gained a new appreciation for those who design and build the bridges, tunnels and architecture that we all take for granted. So today, when I crossed the Mississippi River and beheld the magnificent span of the bridge that has gotten millions and millions of cars from Arkansas to Memphis and back, I had to take pictures. The criss-cross of metal made me think of my popsicle stick project and I just had to say a quiet ‘thank you’ to the very smart people who not only made the bridge stand up under incredible weight, but made it pretty to boot. And I bet they didn’t wait until the night before it was due to build it!! |
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Winner of the Name the Blog Contest
September 13th, 2011
We have been hosting a contest to name this blog. I decided that OPC Blog was just dullsville and so many of you smart people sent in some really cute ideas for a new name. We chose our Top 10 of the 40 entries that we had and you all have been voting for the past two weeks on which one you like the best. The voting has closed and the results are in and Emily Robnett of Edmond, Oklahoma is our winner. As you can see at the top, the new photo with her name creation will head each post. Emily has won a $25 gift certificate to the shopping page and a gift basket of Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Company goodies. Congratulations, Emily, and thank you for the catchy name! |
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A Wood Stove For Winter!
September 9th, 2011
I am soooo sorry that I have been absent this week, but I have such a good excuse. I’ve been laying tile. Do you know how certain one is convincted of one’s age when one lays tile? There is absolutely no doubt of waning years because the activity serves to destroy backs, knees, elbows, fingers, hands and occassionally, minds. I love to lay ceramic tile because it is such a precise art. The only problem with it is that is just kills every part of your body. But it doesn’t matter. The finished product is what counts and it is always a good feeling when you see the neat surface of a newly completed tile floor. I had to get this floor laid by today because we had the friendly crew of Stoves, Mantels and More of Midwest City come to install our Dutchwest wood stove by Vermont Castings in the new sun room. It is our preparation for no electricity and, therefore, heat in the winter. We have gone one too many winter nights without heat from a blizzard or ice storm and we have finally solved that problem. Anyway, I wanted to share with you the hard work that these men did for us today. That stove weighed a ton, as did the pad that I made last night. (Laying tile will come in the next post!) Didn’t they do a nice job? If you need your chimneys cleaned, wood stoves or inserts installed, chimneys repaired or anything having to do with fire, and you live in the OKC area, these are your guys!! The Stoves, Mantels and More truck drove up. Using a lift, Mr. Fix-it had managed to get the stove loaded onto a furniture dolly and moved into the room to help the men out. They had to lift the stove from the dolly to place it on the pad that I had made for it to stand on. Just two men lifted it! Of course, I saw veins popping and teeth clenching, but there were no grunts! What He Men!! It’s a daunting thing to watch as somebody cuts a round hole through the roof so that you see daylight and little birdies flying overhead! There’s the hole in the roof and it is a big one!! No turning back now. And that’s what goes in the hole in the roof. Isn’t it pretty and shiny?! Ready for a fire to heat. S’mores anybody? I feel like a Victorian woman! Thanks Stove, Mantels and More!! |
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Quick Beef in Wine Sauce
September 6th, 2011
It is a beautiful day today. It’s cold! Can you believe it? Three days ago it was 104Âş in this part of Okie Land and this morning it is 50Âş!! Fall is on its way. Yahoo! Maybe some rain too? Please? Texas and Oklahoma are in bad shape and I’m sure that you are hearing about the horrible fires in Texas yesterday and today. Both states have been ravaged by flames this summer and everyone is ready for some wet stuff. I thought I’d take a departure from all things canning and give you a really quick and easy recipe for these Fall days. With football games, parades, fairs and the works, quick is a good thing when it comes to cooking! And even better, this recipe is low-calorie and will satisfy any Weight Watchers or SparkPeople menu! You can use any lean cut of meat that is your favorite, but I like to use rump roast, sirloin tip or round steak. I actually make this when I am also making beef jerky, saving a pound of thin-sliced meat out for this recipe and drying the rest. Slice the meat against the grain as was shown in my making jerky post. Once you have sliced the meat, sprinkle it with meat tenderizer, garlic powder and a little salt and put it into a plastic bag. Put that in the frig and let it absorb the flavors and tenderizer for at least 12 hours. The nice thing about this is that you can slice up your meat the day prior to needing it, put it in the frig and then have it ready the next evening to cook and serve. So here’s what I do:
Slice meat thin across the grain Place into a plastic bag. Sprinkle to cover pieces with meat tenderizer, garlic and a little salt. Shake it around in the bag and then place in frig to soak for at least overnight. Can soak as long as 24 hours. Chop onions and green peppers In a skillet, sautĂ© onions and peppers in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and toss among veggies. Don’t fry. You are just releasing the flavor. Spoon veggies into a bowl, leaving oil in skillet. Add meat to the oil and quickly stir on high heat to brown all sides. When beef is mostly brown, add veggies and toss Mix 1 1/2 cup of water with gravy mix and add to beef and vegetables. Stir Add wine Stir as you bring it to a boil. Continue stirring until smooth and well-mixed Cover and place into a 350Âş oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until meat is tender. Serve over rice. Yummy. Don’t forget to post, in the comment section, your favorite name for the Name the Blog Contest semi-finalists. They are as follows: |
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Canning Bacon
September 2nd, 2011
I told Mr. Fix-It the other day that I have decided that my purpose in life is to be a “cup bearer” of sorts – you know, the person who drinks the king’s beverage and dies if it is poisoned. I try foods and processes and if they don’t kill me or taste like they could, I then pass them on to you! You wouldn’t believe how many recipes my poor Mr. Fix-It has had to endure only to have me scratch them with a “Well, THAT one is going in the trash!” He is such a dear and patient man. His worst response to anything I cook is, “It’s ok.” He can say it through clenched teeth and a galant effort to swallow, all the while looking for a way to spit his food out while I am not looking and still graciously offer, “It’s ok.” However, I must admit that he was very sceptical of my newest canning project. I had read about canning bacon at Patrice Lewis’ The Rural Revolution and on Enola Gay’s blog, Paratus Familia, and I have been meaning to try it myself lo these many months. But bacon didn’t go on sale until just recently and so, when it did, I snatched boatloads of it up and made my plans. Believe it or not, I got it for 99¢ a pound because it was nearing its “sell by” date. I have this vague memory of my parents receiving a can of expensive bacon from Denmark and it was rolled in white paper and tied in the middle. We thought it was amazing, so I knew it could be done. Now, according to instructions that I found, kraft paper or paper sacks were used in the packaging and I used kraft paper on this first run. However, this is where that “cup bearer” roll comes in – I’m suggesting that you use boxed parchment paper. I found in this first run, that the kraft paper leaves a flavor of the paper in the bacon. You know how wet paper bags smell? Well, that’s the hint of flavor left in the bacon. I did not find that in a subsequent run with the parchment paper. Perhaps that is because white parchment paper is meant for cooking!! Duh. The pictures I have here, however, are from my first run and are with the kraft paper. Just pretend it’s white and do the same thing! Finally, be sure and use thick-sliced bacon. The instructions told me this, but you know me. I never follow instructions. I tried a package of regular sliced bacon. You’ll see the results. Not good. The outcome of canning the bacon was amazing. It fried up beautifully and Mr. Fix-It was duly impressed. Talk about a wonderful companion for camping!! (The bacon – not Mr. Fix-It – although he is a wonderful companion for camping.) No need to mess with wet, sloppy packages of bacon floating in melted ice in a cooler. Just open a jar and there you have it! So here are the directions for canning bacon. Just remember – PARCHMENT PAPER! Lay strips of bacon side-by-side onto sheet of paper, leaving 1/3 of paper to be folded over the the top half of the bacon. You can put a half pound, 3/4 pound or whole pound onto one sheet. I put 1/2 pound for each jar because there are just two of us. Fold top third of the paper over the top half of the bacon. If your parchment paper is not tall enough, then place a cut strip of parchment paper over the top half of the bacon strips. Now fold the top over to the bottom, folding the bacon in half. There will be paper between the top and bottom halves of bacon. Starting at one end, begin rolling “package” like a jelly roll, allowing some end paper to overlap. Cut off any extra paper. This was my addition to the process. Because I remembered way back into my childhood that bacon we had received in a metal can was tied with a string, I did the same thing because it keeps the roll nice and tight. I did not tie the string snug, but just let it hold the roll together. I used kitchen twine also known as “butcher’s twine”. Drop the rolls open side down into preferably wide-mouthed quart canning jars (I had to use a couple of small mouth because I was short two jars) that have been washed and sterilized in the dishwasher, in boiling water or in the oven. The wide-mouthed jars make it easier to remove large rolls. Wipe the rims of the jars with a warm, soapy and wet dish cloth to remove any oils from the glass that would keep the jars from sealing. Having kept lids warming in nearly boiling water, place them onto the jars and add rings. Process in a pressure canner at 10 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes. When jars have cooled, remove rings and wash jars and rings in hot, soapy water to remove any oils that may have escaped. Allow to dry and place rings back on. Store. Jars aren’t real pretty because the bacon fat coats the sides. To use bacon, remove ring and lid from jar and allow the roll to slide out. Carefully unroll paper package and fold back paper off of bacon. Carefully remove bacon from paper with a fork. This is where packaging thick bacon comes in. Thin bacon simply falls apart. See below what happens in the removing and the cooking. The thin bacon made a mess in the removal and cooking! Place bacon into skillet and add oil that is the bottom of the jar. Fry just like fresh bacon. It takes a little longer to crisp than raw bacon. A great addition to a good Okie breakfast – Western omelet, grits, English muffins…and bacon. Yum!! And even if Ol’ Man Winter gives us another electricity blackout, I’ll have bacon for breakfast to cook on the wood stove! |
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Please Vote Here!!
September 1st, 2011
For the last month and a half, we have been accepting entries in the Name The Blog competition. I decided that The Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ Blog was kind of a yawner and so readers from across the fruited plain have come up with some real doozies. We have chosen the top 10 entries from an array of nearly 40 (does this sound like Miss America?) and you, dear readers, are going to be the panel of judges for this most important of choices!! Some are funny and some are just nice. You decide which one defines this blog the best. So just leave your comments below this post, listing which one of these ten names you favor. And this post will come before each following post for the next two weeks – the duration of the voting period. So get your friends to vote here too or “like” us on FaceBook and you can vote there too. Our winner receives a $25 gift certificate and a gift basket of OPC™ goodies! And I have to list the honorable mention here because it was too funny: The Okie Baker: Your Very Mary Pastry Fairy. For those who don’t get it, my first name is Mary!! |
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Canning List For The Beginner
August 30th, 2011
I’m sorry about the tardiness of the post, but the web hosting servers in Georgia have been down and I have not been able to get onto the site. If you’ve been unable to reach the site too, that is why. Anyway, I’m going to break away from the recipes today at the request of new canner and reader, Judy, and do a quick pictorial run-through of items needed for the two canning processes. Some are required and some are suggested in this list that I am offering. But the whole idea is to give all of you new canners out there, pictures of items so that you will know what to look for in the stores or online! There are two kinds of canning processes: Waterbath for fruits, tomatoes, pickles, jams and cheeses, and Pressure Canning for low-acid meats, veggies and soups. You can actually buy Litumus paper at the drugstore or online to test your fruits, veggies and anything of which you are not certain. A PH measure of 4.6 (±.5) or lower is considered acidic in canning (waterbath) and anything higher is considered basic (pressure canning required). These are levels advocated by the county extension offices and are not the same as what is scientifically referred to as acidic (7 and below) and basic (above 7). Tomatoes are a little iffy these days because some of the hybrids have been bred to not be as acidic. The heritage varieties should be fine. If there is a question, add 1/2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice to each jar of tomatoes or tomato products. And finally, invest in a good canning book. Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware – all of these carry the Ball Canning book which will answer most of your questions. But there are other books too that can be found in book stores, on Half.ebay.com, on Ebay.com and in used book stores. These are the two books that I have on hand – The Ball Blue Book and The Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook that was my aunt’s. A waterbath canner is usually made out of enamel ware or stainless steel. It includes a rack that can be balanced on the sides of the canner. This canner is used for high acid foods. There is also a steamer canner that is used for the same purpose, but I have never used one or even know anyone who has used one so I can’t attest to the quality or the success of the steamer canners. There are two kinds of pressure canners. This 12 quart Mirro brand ‘weighted’ canner is very simple with just a variable weight on the pressure release to determine the amount of pressure reached inside of the canner when heated. The only maintenance required for this type of canner is to replace the rubber gasket each year and to keep the canner clean. The removeable weight has a hole at each of 5 lb, 10 lb and 15 lbs of pressure. The weight is placed onto the pressure release valve at the appropriate pressure poundage before the canner is heated. This All American brand pressure canner is a gauged canner. If you notice, there is a gauge with a needle that indicates the pressure achieved inside the canner. More maintenance on these canners is required because not only should the gasket be changed each year, but the gauge must be tested for accuracy at a local extension office each year. Either type of canner works well and it is purely personal preference when choosing a suitable one. Canners come in multiple sizes depending on how many jars they can hold. They can range from holding 4 quart jars to 19 quart jars and variations of the smaller jars. You will need jars, of course. There are quite a number of sizes of jars and here are just a few.
You will need Lids and Rings which can be bought as a set or, if you already have rings, as just lids. There are two sizes for the two mouth sizes of the jars – wide and regular.
Important utensils to have on hand for all canning projects include:
A candy thermometer can come in handy when making jams and fruit butters. Some useful utensils to have on hand, depending on what you are canning, include:
A variety of measuring cups is essential. An 8 cup batter bowl is handy for measuring fruit pulp to figure sugar additions for jam and fruit butters. A handy item for fruit butters is a collandar. This one was my mother’s but you can still buy them online. Another handy item for pastes and sauces is a food mill. It separates the skin and seeds from the pulp of tomatoes beautifully. You will need a warm, wet dishcloth for wiping the rims of the jars and a dish towel on which to place the jars as they are being filled. It makes clean-up much easier by absorbing drips. It also makes a good cusion for the hot jars when they are removed from the canner. A Sharpie pen is handy for labeling the lids of your canned items with the contents and the date. You will also need a small pot to fill with water and warm your lids One of the best investments I made way back in the ’70’s was in a set of stainless steel nesting bowls. They have been invaluable for holding large amounts of fruits and veggies for raw packing. That biggest one can hold a whale of alot of tomatoes! For stews, soups, chili and for blanching fruits and veggies, you will need to have some large stew pots. For years, I used hand-me-downs or thrift store finds, but about 10 years ago, I finally decided to save my money and invest in a set of Tramontina pots. There are four of them in different sizes. The largest holds 4 gallons of liquid. I love them because they are heavy weight 18 gauge stainless steel and the bottoms are three-ply stainless so that items don’t burn very easily on the bottom. I’m sure that I have forgotten something and if I think of other things, I will add them to the post, Hopefully this will help you have a visual list of items that you need for a day of canning and another list of items to which you can aspire! And if you have any questions, be sure to email them at the contact page or post in the comment section below! |
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