I’m having a little trouble with my blog site. It won’t publish pictures! 
I have gotten three new grandsons in as many months. Another grandbaby is on the way this year! How super-uber-ultra blessed I am!

A funny thing happened over Memorial Day weekend.  It was like this. My grandchildren are all brilliant and darling and beautiful and sweet. The two that live closest are very imaginative and love to play “games” where we all take roles from some story or movie and then run around chasing each other or jumping on the bed whilst pretending it’s a ship or a rocket or an island surrounded by sharks. 
The trick, as a 54 year-old woman, is to manage to convince my sweet little grandsons that I AM playing with them. . .and get something done at the same time.  If I didn’t multi-task, I’d spend every visit in Never-never land and the house/family and other guests would go to pot.
So I was being Captain Hook’s girlfriend and picking strawberries in our front yard to provide “chow” for the crew of the Jolly Roger. (Since those same grandsons are direct descendants of Black Beard the Pirate, it seemed a fitting game. . .(through my huband’s line. . .not mine.))
Necessarily, I was squatting on my haunches to avoid kneeling on the gravelly walk or in the muddy grass on either side of the strawberry bed. My little 4-year-old grandson (Captain Hook) came and jumped on my back.  I’m not sure how this fit into the game, but I think he wanted to keep me in character as a pirate. But he tipped me over backward and I twisted as I landed on my flexed hand to avoid smashing the poor little blackguard flat with my oversized(pirate) booty.
A little later, I noticed that my wrist was swollen and sore. 
It got worse overnight. I went to the Immediate Care Center near my home and got it X-rayed. The doc thought it was probably broken, but not displaced.  They splinted it. They promised to have a “stat” call to a  radiologist for confirmation.  A little later they called back and said there were breaks in both bones in my forearm, just above the wrist.
I was delighted.  It didn’t hurt that much and obviously, I’d be off the hook for dishes, weeding, chopping, haircutting, and so on. A home vacation stretched before me.  I hoped that there weren’t any water-related activities planned for our upcoming out of town vacation, but hey, even so, it was worth it!
Since my daughter-in-law Kimberly has an Orthopedic surgeon for a papa, she called him and asked him about the best sort of splint for such an injury.  He gave very specific recommendations that it should have a metal brace on both the front and back of the wrist and go most of the way up the forearm.  We drove to 5 stores to find one that best matched his specifications.
The day after Memorial Day, I went to see the orthopedic doctor here in town that the clinic referred me to.  By then, there was no pain, no swelling, not a bit of anything, except the belief that I was heroine for sparing my grandson and sacrificing my body. I was a martyr, too, since I “suffered” so cheerfully.
But it was not to be. The doc checked and double checked and just couldn’t find a thing wrong.  It was really hard to argue when I had NO symptoms to show for myself.
Luckily, I DIDN’T post about my woeful arm on facebook. I DIDN’T cancel the chocolate-making class I’m teaching next week.
I quietly pulled off my $25 wrist brace, drove home and weeded my gardens.  Alas, there’s a sink full of dishes waiting for me, too.

Writing news.  I’m waiting to hear back from an ideal crackerjack agent I met and discussed my current project, The Pig Wife, with.  If she decides to represent me, which I dearly hope she will, I’ll explain all about the surprising chain of events that allowed me two or three times the usual amount of time with her at the OWFI conference.
 I especially want this agent, (Susan Brower with the Natasha Kern Agency) for all the other things she represents. She is primarily a Christian writers’ agent, but represents the other genre’s that I write, too.  I have other manuscripts ready, but I want “The Pig Wife” (which is historical fiction/romance without being either Christian or sexy) to help establish a broader audience than just the Christian fiction or historical romance readers. She seems to be an ideal agent to work with.
She wasn’t taken with the title, “The Pig Wife” and expressed a preference for “Houses Built of Sticks”, (a three little pigs fairytale reference). But I pointed out that I had never told anyone the title without them saying “The PIG WIFE? What’s THAT about?” I think it would spark curiosity on a book cover and after they read the back, they’d buy the book. A title is a sales tool and if it effectively gets the book into a book buyer’s hand, it works, (to my way of thinking.)
I also learned a lot from the series of marketing classes I took at the OWFI conference. In response to one technique I learned,  I ran a special for “The Angel’s Song” (free on Kindle for Mother’s day Weekend and .99 for the rest of the month) to develop audience. I have 612 downloads so far, both paid and free.  Rasmus, Tales of a Utah Cowboy wasn’t free on my heaviest day, (the Friday before Mother’s day) and it got an additional 297 downloads. I don’t know how many purchases it has since then. I’m not the publisher so I don’t have access to records until he gives me the quarterly readout.
 I have no way of knowing how many of those are new readers, but I was satisfied that it was a successful promotion. 900+ between the two.  The Angel’s Song gets a new cover,  and the price goes up to 2.99 on Kindle on June 1st.
I also had a full page story in the Oklahoman. . . The printed version included two huge Mormon Helping hands pictures from last year’s Oklahoma tornadoes cleanup in addition to the one of Mick Batt and a story. Here’s a link!
http://newsok.com/article/4850384 It’s an exciting project we’re working on!
  
  

I’ve been asked to provide Christmas dinner for a partial mission conference this Saturday. We’re feeding 147 missionaries on a budget of five dollars a head. Soooo, here’s what I’ve come up with . I’ve done the shopping, which included some plates for the chips and dips and serving bowls for the chips. The friends who are helping with the cooking are coming to this site for recipes. Were also serving punch and scattering chocolate mints and kisses on the tables.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole for a crowd. One recipe should feed 20.
Cook four large chopped yellow onions in one stick of butter with a little garlic powder until golden brown,
Add 5 lbs of coarsely chopped chicken breasts, stir until cooked.
Add four cans of cream of chicken soup
Add two cups of milk and mix well
Add four cans of chopped tomatoes with green chilis, (rotelle type)
Stir in one pint of sour cream (light works fine)

Place about three dozen cut up corn tortillas in each of two 9×13 baking dishes that have been greased or sprayed with Pam. Divide the chicken mixture between the two pans and stir them well until all the tortillas are moist. Smooth surface and make indentations like rolled enchiladas. Top with cheddar cheese, Bake at 350 until heated through, About 45 minutes.

Frog Eye Salad
Boil two pounds of Asini de Pepe (pasta) in large pot of salted water until tender. (about 5 minutes.) Drain and rinse in cold water in a colander.(with small holes. Divide between two large mixing bowls.
Drain one #10 can of pineapple tidbits, (about a gallon) RESERVE JUICE!
Drain 4 15 oz cans of crushed pineapple (reserve Juice)
Place pineapple juice in a large sauce pan and add 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of corn starch.
Add one cup of lemon juice and 4 teaspoons of good (Mexican) vanilla
(for those of you receiving kits to make this recipe for the missionary dinner, this is all measured into the baggies. (the lemon juice already has the vanilla added)
Heat and stir constantly until it thickens and remove from heat, cool.
To pasta add:
drained pineapple,
four 10 oz cans mandarin oranges
10 oz shredded coconut
1 12 oz package mini marshmallows
seeds from two pomegranates
12 oz cool whip (whipped topping)
Serves 35

Cake:
Two mixes prepared as directed,
Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 12 oz package mini chocolate chips
Bake until done
Top with one can chocolate frosting while warm
Add one 16 oz can cherry pie filling
Serve with dollop of whipped cream
Serves 25

Green salad
Chop 8 heads of romaine lettuce
two heads of green cabbage
2 pounds of brocholli
Add 3 pints of grape tomatoes
four large cucumbers, sliced
three cups craisins
8 oz crumbled, (cooked) bacon. (Weight is measured AFTER cooking)
3cups creamy (ranch) dressing.
Feeds 70.

Punch:
1 2-liter bottle Sprite
1 64 oz bottle Mango apple peach juice
1 64 oz bottle white grape.
sliced with skins on lemons, limes, oranges. (two each per punch bowl)

Let steep for a while before serving.

 

These super-nutritious little treats are perfect for grab and go breakfasts. Better yet, they don’t call for exotic ingredients, (other than a little Xanthum gum. If you’re celiac, you probably have it on hand. If not, they may be fine without it. I added it just in case.)
These have the consistency of a moist chocolate cake, but are not as sweet. LOADED with VITAMIN A, with loads of other nutrients. They’re not lo-calorie, but one of these babies makes a pretty well-balanced meal, all by itself. FAR FAR superior to a granola bar.

In a mixing bowl:
2 cans pumpkin OR one quart OR two pints home canned pumpkin
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 eggs
stir well and then add:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
blend 6 cups of rolled oats to a fine powder in blender and measure 5 cups powdered oats. (Old fashioned are supposedly more nutritious-less processed)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum powder. (see note above)
Stir very well.
Fill cups in muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 18 minutes.
 

I’ve got a bunch of pumpkins left from Halloween and autumn décor. I have not succumbed to the temptation to paint them . . .and therefore make them unsuitable for eating. SOOOO folks, here goes!
You need mason jars, Mason jar lids, A pressure cooker/canner and at least one nice pumpkin.
If your pumpkin has already done his duty as a jack o’ lantern, pick out the wax wash him off and cut him into chunks small enough to fit in the pressure cooker.

  Note that the pumpkin isn’t peeled. Add about a quart of water, (this is a twelve quart pressure cooker canner). Bring up to 15 pounds pressure and cook for about 15 minutes.
Cool enough to open. (You can run cold water over the outside without harm.) Open the pressure cooker and puree the pumpkin in a blender, skin and all. Fill clean mason jars within 3/4″ of the rim, place lid and tighten ring.

 Rinse pressure cooker, be sure the rack is in the bottom, arrange jars, (a twelve quart cooker will take 7 quarts or 9 pints at a time. It’s fine to mix sizes. You can even stack smaller jars on each other, as long as they’re upright and don’t touch the lid.) Add two quarts water to cooker.
Place lid on pressure cooker. Bring up to 15 pounds of pressure on high heat. Since the pumpkin goes into the jars hot, it won’t take too long to come to pressure. Reduce heat to medium  and process for an hour.
Turn off heat and let pressure cooker/canner cool undisturbed. When all the pressure is gone from the canner, open the lid and remove the jars for further cooling. It doesn’t hurt it to leave it in the cooker overnight as it cools. (I sometimes turn off the cooker right before bed and get the jars out in the morning.)
A medium large pumpkin like the Jack O’Lantern above will yield about 7 quarts of pureed pumpkin. Use in pies, muffins, soups, cakes and as a substitute for some of the oil in quick breads and cakes.

1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin has 125%  recommended daily intake for vitamin A, 5% Vitamin C, 25% Thiamin, and 5% iron and only 20 calories. Here’s a link to a current list of Recommended Dietary Intakes for nutrients
http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/5_Summary%20Table%20Tables%201-4.pdf 

WHEW!
My husband’s company re-hired him without a lapse, therefore avoiding the gap of employment and the tremendous loss of retirement revenue from his pension. We feel utterly blessed to have renewed security, but we learned some lessons. We’re finding ways to spend less. Even with a generous income and thrifty habits, we can easily save more than we have been.
We started by celebrated his new contract by buying two family sized pizzas at Papa Murphy’s. We got a “Papa’s Favorite” and a “Chicken Bacon Artichoke on Original Crust.” SO DELICIOUS! We bought the pizza on Tuesday for the ten-dollar any size any type special. So we got more than two meals worth for $20. THATS A BARGAIN and a great way to celebrate.

I’m buying jack-o-lantern pumpkins to carve into exotic Halloween décor and then can the next day for pies, muffins, and soup. I’ll post a cooking/canning tutorial. You’ll need a big pressure cooker. Buy them before Halloween. Prices go up immediately after Uncarved, they’ll last months if they aren’t bruised. (The pumpkins in my garden never really got going)

As far as living on food storage goes, I realized that our bodies tolerate 100% whole wheat flour just fine when it’s white wheat. I mixed in some red wheat into the flour to see how it went. Not so good. The line out of the song “Oklahoma” comes to mind. . .”When the WIND comes sweeping down the plain.” That wind was sweeping away our friends!
 I think I’d be wise to get rid of the red wheat I have stored. (let me know if you want some!) 
The granola recipe I recently posted is a keeper. I fiddled with the oil to lower the fat with poor results.
Peanut butter used as a substitute for some of the oil in muffins is a good thing.
Chocolate chips make any muffin better. Think about the peanut butter substitute and the chocolate chips. . .OH MY!
I tried to make a gluten free muffin with ground flax seed used for the main flour. I used the list of ingredients on the side of store-bought chocolate gluten free  muffins to create some rubber hockey pucks. I had substituted whole eggs for frozen egg whites and that might be part of the problem. I also overdid the xanthum gum.  I think I need more water in the batter, too. It was about the consistency of half-dry concrete going into the oven and just more rubbery coming out. I’ll try again soon.
I’m going to cave and start looking for a kitchenaid stand mixer…used…or on sale the day after Thanksgiving. It’s one gadget that I think I’d use and make pay for itself. I’ve never known anyone to who didn’t love theirs. I’ve hesitated because that would make me irrevocably a ‘foodie’. Most foodies are fat. I don’t want to be fat.  What a dilemma!

WHEW!
My husband’s company re-hired him without a lapse, therefore avoiding the gap of employment and the tremendous loss of retirement revenue from his pension. We feel utterly blessed to have renewed security, but we learned some lessons. We’re finding ways to spend less. Even with a generous income and thrifty habits, we can easily save more than we have been.
We started by celebrated his new contract by buying two family sized pizzas at Papa Murphy’s. We got a “Papa’s Favorite” and a “Chicken Bacon Artichoke on Original Crust.” SO DELICIOUS! We bought the pizza on Tuesday for the ten-dollar any size any type special. So we got more than two meals worth for $20. THATS A BARGAIN and a great way to celebrate.

I’m buying jack-o-lantern pumpkins to carve into exotic Halloween décor and then can the next day for pies, muffins, and soup. I’ll post a cooking/canning tutorial. You’ll need a big pressure cooker. Buy them before Halloween. Prices go up immediately after Uncarved, they’ll last months if they aren’t bruised.

As far as living on food storage goes, I realized that our bodies tolerate 100% whole wheat flour just fine when it’s white wheat. I mixed in some red wheat to see how it went. Not so good. The line out of the song “Oklahoma” comes to mind. . .”When the WIND comes sweeping down the plain.” That wind was sweeping away our friends!
 I think I’d be wise to get rid of the red wheat I have stored. (let me know if you want some!) 
The granola recipe below is a keeper. I fiddled with the oil to lower the fat with poor results.
Peanut butter used as a substitute for some of the oil in muffins is a good thing.
Chocolate chips make any muffin better. Think about the peanut butter substitute and the chocolate chips. . .OH MY!
I tried to make a gluten free muffin with ground flax seed used for the main flour. I used the list of ingredients on the side of store-bought chocolate gluten free  muffins to create some rubber hockey pucks. I had substituted whole eggs for frozen egg whites and that might be part of the problem. I also overdid the xanthum gum.  I think I need more water in the batter, too. It was about the consistency of half-dry concrete going into the oven and just more rubbery coming out. I’ll try again soon.
I’m going to cave and start looking for a kitchenaid stand mixer…used…or on sale the day after Thanksgiving. It’s one gadget that I think I’d use and make pay for itself. I’ve never known anyone to who didn’t love theirs. I’ve hesitated because that would make me irrevocably a ‘foodie’. Most foodies are fat. I don’t want to be fat.  What a dilemma!

I love granola and am tempted to buy it almost every time I shop. But when I read the list of ingredients, there’s nothing too exotic that it should cost so much. I used the content analysis on some premium granola packaging and made up my own recipe. (My friend Sandy Foreman had given me one that used a different technique that works better than others I have tried, too.)
I made this recipe gluten free, (without the wheat) but ordinarily I’ll add whole wheat flour.

Dump into large container like a mixing bowl or roasting pan:
1 large box of old fashioned oats, 2 lbs 10oz size.
2 cups whole wheat flour
or 1 cup wheat germ
Add any or all of the following:
1 generous handful of dried apples, (about a cup)
1 generous handful of dried bananas (break into smaller pieces)
1 cup chopped almonds and/or peanuts, I used toasted almonds.
1 cup raisins or date pieces
1 cup shredded coconut

In a small sauce pan, mix on medium heat:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup honey if desired. (Commercial brands use mostly corn syrup and add a little dab of honey so they can call it “honey and nut.” I didn’t use any because it doesn’t need it. I like it fine, but I save it for a time when I can actually taste it. Honey and corn syrup are almost identical as far as the way they are digested, including negative aspects. Here’s a link that discusses it. http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/honey-vs-sugar-151-which-healthier.)
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
optional: 1/2 cup peanut butter
Bring to a bubbling boil, stirring for one minute.
Pour over oatmeal mixture and mix well.
Heat oven to 285 Farenheit
Toast for 60 minutes, stirring every twenty minutes. If it looks done before that, pull it out earlier.
I store this in the oatmeal box or any container with a tight-fitting lid.

 

I realize that living on food storage requires some adjustments to my thinking. I have (probably literally) tons of food that will sustain life. In an emergency, I’d be thrilled to have wheat to grind into flour, oats, rice, dry pasta, potato flakes, powdered milk, dehydrated vegetables, dry beans, salt, vegetable oil, etc.
BUT, living well can be a little more tricky. Once you have the above life-sustaining items, there are other things that ought to be added to make life WORTH living.

1. Sugar (for Americans especially. We eat a lot and it makes an easier adjustment)
2. Spices and flavorings: (Cinnamon, Garlic powder, chili powder, pepper, cumin, vanilla, maple extract, vinegar,(for laundry and cooking), soy sauce, ranch dressing mix, gravy mix) 
3. Peanut butter. (You’ll get tired of wheat bread if you don’t have anything to eat it with).
4.Cocoa powder
5. Parmesan cheese
6. Dry onions
7. Active dry yeast
8. Baking soda for both laundry and baking.
9. A source of eggs. (I am using powdered eggs I stored 10-12 years ago, and they work fine in most instances. You won’t want to eat them plain, but they’re good for baking. I learned that baby chicks (ordered on line or at a farm store) will be producing eggs within 5-6 months, depending on the breed. Roosters are generally mean. Get hens and play a recording of a rooster crowing to give the hens hope. A friend contains her chickens in a wire dog cage at night and lets them wander in a fenced area during the day.
10. Borax (mix with baking soda to make a good, effective laundry soap.
 Clean clothes are IMPORTANT!
11. Liquid Dish Soap (even if you have a dishwasher, dish soap is versatile for all types of cleaning) (just don’t put it in your dishwasher)
12. Tomato products. (Be it tomato powder, (which I haven’t tried) to paste or sauce, tomato adds vitamin c and flavor to make all those beans and rice go down better!

As you prepare for emergencies, consider what the nature of the emergency is likely to be. There is a distinct difference between how we prepare for a disaster like a tornado or earthquake and how we prepare for losing our income. If you have no electricity, it will be a while before you need to grind grain. If you lose a job, you’ll need quantities of wheat flour far more easily produced by an electric grinder.      

My daughter-in-law has Celiac disease and it’s always a worry to come up with something she’ll enjoy. I finally found a gluten free bread recipe that is so tasty that I actually enjoy it too. Here’s the original link in Allrecipes.com. I don’t know why the picture is pink. I’ve tweaked it a little.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wonderful-Gluten-Free-White-Bread/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=wonderful%20gluten%20free%20white%20bread&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

I ground brown rice in quantity so I’m ready to make pancakes or quick breads when she comes.
Here’s the bread recipe:
Mix
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon Active Dry yeast
1 1/4 warm water (baby bath temperature)
Let sit until it looks thicker and has a fine textured foam. (ten minutes)
1 1/3 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cups sorghum flour (I use Bob Red Mills)
1/2 cups potato starch flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup canola (or other vegetable oil)
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon Xanthan gum (I bought by the pound  it off Amazon from ESSENTIAL DEPOT. A little goes a long way)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
 Mix in the remaining ingredients. It will be like a thin batter but it thickens like instant pudding until it has a consistency similar to peanut butter cookie dough. Once it’s completely thickened, (two minutes) spoon into a greased loaf pan. Smooth the top with wet fingers.
I warmed my oven for half a minute and turned it off. I let the loaf rise in the warm oven for an hour until double. I just turned on the oven to 350 without disturbing it. I set the timer for 32 minutes. Perfect! Delicious!
I sliced it when it was cooled and stored in a ziplock bag. (Pictures to come)

One difficulty I’m having in this experiment is that I regularly have company. We’re celebrating birthdays and Missionary homecomings etc, and there’s always food involved. My impulse to “love my family with food” is counter to my plan to limit food spending.
I went to the grocery store after 26 days and spent a total of $150. This amount excludes toilet paper and other cleaning supplies, but includes about 20 pounds of lean meat, 8 pounds of peanut butter, 2 gallons of ‘wet’ milk and 2 loaves of soft, white, “whole grain” bread and three dozen fresh eggs. The rest of the money was spent on leaf lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, green pepper, bananas, apples and grapes. I also stocked up on corn starch, some additional spices/seasonings and baking soda and baking powder. (I’m not counting the rootbeer Chris specifically requested. You can’t get it in Zimbabwe, and he loves it!)

I’m finding that I waste less food, as I value each ingredient more. Last night, I made a dinner that they all enjoyed. It was leftover mashed potatoes made into potato cakes.
1 cup mashed potatoes, (just potatoes, salt and milk)
2 tablespoons chopped green chilis, (canned)
double dash of salt
3 tablespoons shredded cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour.
Mix well  and fry in non-stick griddle over med-low heat.

I removed the potato cakes when brown and crispy and cooked a chopped onion with a chopped, lean, boneless (already cooked) porch chop. I added about a half a cup of water and a tablespoon of beef gravy mix and stirred it until a little reduced and the onion was tender.

Yesterday I had to leave half way through the “batter rise” (see bread recipe below)of a batch of bread. When I remembered it in the fridge, in the early evening, the batter had turned sour and “whiskey” tasting, so I threw it out and started over.
                                                              Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

I like to add canned pumpkin to cake mixes. The most recent cake mix has two cups of pumpkin to a regular cake mix. I reduced the oil by half, but not completely. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to punch up the chocolate flavor. It’s extremely moist and very tasty. ADD 10 minutes to the baking time!

 I do this for wedding cakes, too, and it seems to insure a very moist, flavorful cake.