Cookie Day

The cookie jar sits, so lonely, on the counter, empty.

I had started baking cookies for Christmas over a month ago.  I got distracted by pies, fudge, and a party, school, critters, snow, being sick...   and probably a dozen other things.  I try to keep at least a batch in there at all times, start a new batch when it's getting low.  Somehow I missed the emptying of the cookie jar.  Yesterday #3 saw my secret cookie stash- ie the handful I take into my room when I want a chocolate fix at midnight, but only eat one or two, and he confiscated them.

"We need cookies for Santa!"

Hmmm...  How long has the cookie jar been empty?  I can't remember the last time someone asked if they could have a cookie.  Not in the past few days.  Maybe a week?  Has it been that long without complaints?  How odd.

So, we need cookies for Santa.  And definitely for my next chocolate craving.  And maybe even a few for the kids.  Today will be cookie day.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup lard
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 3/4 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cup raisins

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease baking sheets.
2.  Cream shortening, brown sugar, egg milk, vanilla in large bowl at medium speed.
3.  Combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture gradually, beating at low speed.
4.  Stir in raisins.
5.  Drop dough on cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 F 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

(I'll make a second batch of these with my blaizins!)

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup lard
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F
2.  Cream shortening and brown sugar.
3.  Add egg, milk & vanilla.  Beat 1 minute.
4.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture gradually, until blended.
5.  Stir in chocolate chips.
6.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7.  Bake 375 F 8 to 10 minutes.  Cookies will still appear moist.

And a second batch of those with 1/4 cup cocoa added for Chocolate Chocolate Chip. And possibly a third, because I think I lost my mind in the grocery store and bought some kind of weird, coloured, candy coated chips.

Today I'll only be making the Basic Sugar Cookies, but here's the whole Basic Cookie Mix recipe (or at least the parts that I've kept and used).

Basic Cookie Mix
                                This basic cookie mix can be used to make 9 different cookies.
 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
 4 cups white sugar
 1 1/2 cups dry milk powder
 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1.   Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a spoon.
2.  Sift mixture twice.
3.  Store in a tightly covered containter as it keeps well for several weeks at room  temperature.
4.  This mixture can be used to make Basic Sugar Cookies, Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Basic Raisin Cookies, Basic Coconut Cookies, Basic Nut Cookies, Basic Peanut Butter Cookies, Basic Brownies, Basic Chocolate Drop Cookies, or Basic Oatmeal Bars.
 Makes 9 cups

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
 2 cups basic cookie mix (see recipe)
 1 egg
1/2 cup butter or margarine
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
                    
 1.  Melt butter or margarine over low heat and add to Basic Cookie Mix.
2.   Lightly beat the egg and add to mixture. Stir in vanilla and mix well.
3.  With lightly floured hands shape into 1 inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
4.  Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.
5.  Cool a couple of minutes before removing from cookie sheet to racks to complete cooling.
 Makes 3 dozen

Basic Raisin Cookies
This recipe uses a pre-made mix that will keep for several
 weeks. Add the following ingredients to the mix for Basic Raisin Cookies.
 2 cups basic cookie mix (see recipe)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2.  Melt butter or margarine over low heat and mix into the Basic Cookie Mix. Lightly beat egg and stir into mixture. Add vanilla and raisins and mix well.
3.  With lightly floured hands shape into 1 inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
4.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool a couple of minutes before removing from cookie sheet to racks to complete cooling.
 Makes 3 dozen

Basic Brownies
This recipe uses a pre-made mix that keeps for several  weeks at room temperature. Add the following ingredients to the mix to make Brownies.
 2 cups basic cookie mix
 1 egg
 1/3 cup cold water
 1/3 cup butter or margarine
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/4 cup sifted cocoa
 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 9 inch pan.
2.  Lightly beat egg and add to Basic Cookie Mix.
3.  Melt butter or margarine over low heat and add to mixture. Stir in water, vanilla, cocoa and nuts. Mix well.
4.  Bake for 25 minutes or until top spings back when touched. Cool and cut into squares.
Makes 16 squares (approx.)

 Basic Sugar Cookies
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 2 cups Basic Cookie Mix
    * 1 egg
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   1. Melt butter over low heat and add to 2 cups Basic Cookie Mix.
   2. Lightly beat the egg and add to mixture. Stir in vanilla and mix well.
   3. With lightly floured hands shape into 1 inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
   4. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.
   5. Cool a couple of minutes before removing from cookie sheet to racks to complete cooling.

Basic Oatmeal Bars
    * 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
    * 2 cups Basic Cookie Mix
    * 1 egg
    * 3/4 cup butter
    * 1/4 cup cold water
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
   2. Stir oats into Basic Cookie Mix. Lightly beat egg and add to mixture. Melt butter or margarine over low heat and stir in. Add cold water, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well.
   3. Spoon into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until top is golden. Cool and cut into bars.

 I take no credit whatsoever for these recipes.  I've been using them for years, and I don't know where they came from.  All I can say is that they make good cookies!  Hope you like them!

Save the Penny

Some days I think I either live under a rock, or my news channel just doesn't report things that I actually care about.  I spend half my time online looking up stuff that you'd think they'd mention.

At any rate, the Canadian penny is now an endangered species.  The senate has recommended that the penny be removed from circulation, and that guidelines be established for rounding off purchase prices to the nearest nickel.

I am appalled.  First, because I love my pennies.  Pennies were meant for wishing wells, charitable donations (cash boxes), penny candy, and luck.  Pennies are great for nurturing a kid's love of coin collecting.  And pennies are money, too.

It annoys me when I go somewhere that has one of those "Have a penny, leave a penny, Need a penny, take a penny" dishes sitting beside the cash register.  I have a penny, almost always, and I will gladly spend it.  And even if my change is just a penny, I want it back.  You know the old adage, "Take care of the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves."  Well, I don't want to take care of the nickels if the shop keepers get to rip me off 3 cents for every purchase I make.  I want my pennies.

I figure if pennies are so annoying to some folks, they have the option of using debit pretty much everywhere they go.  Leave the pennies for those of us who care.

One of the reasons the government is considering taking this action, is that we Canadians hoard our pennies, so they, the government has to keep making more.  Think about that for a moment.  We are hoarding our pennies.  We must like them or something?  And why is it ok for the mint to continuously produce 'collector' coins- poppy quarters, veterans quarters, olympic quarters, provincial quarters, etc, ad nauseum, which are purposefully designed to be kept as keepsakes?  Why are the jars of quarters people are keeping not contributing to inflation?  Seriously?  This doesn't make sense.

Don't we pay enough in taxes now?  Aren't prices for everything high enough already?  Commerce got the HST, let the people have the penny!  We need a break somewhere.  In these tough economic times, arbitrarily deciding that rounding off to the nearest nickel will all 'balance out in the end' just isn't good enough.  Face reality.  The businesses will work out the prices to make sure they don't lose one red cent, while we, the consumers, will be donating to their profit line!

If pennies cost a cent and a half to produce, why not redesign them?  Make them cheaper.  Make them smaller.  But don't take them away.  Save the penny!  Contact your MP!

Fleas

We have fleas.  Horrible, dreadful fleas.  We haven't had fleas in three years of living in the north.  This summer, my brother-in-law and family moved here from Manitoba.  They brought my father-in-law a rat.  Er, dog.  A chihuahua. 

They also brought fleas.  I didn't pay much attention as they complained all summer about how bad the fleas were.  My dogs didn't have fleas.  Not my problem.

Except, my f-i-l lives here, on our property.  We built him an add-a-room on our trailer in our yard last year.  Most of the time I don't pay much attention to his little rat.  Occasionally I see it running around outside, thinking it's a real dog, but my beasts leave him in their dust.

When Ebony went into heat again, and Waldo wasn't fixed yet, we tied up all the beasts.  It was kind of funny how the rat hovered around the girls.  Thinking himself in love.  We laughed as he humped their legs.  He was too little to be a threat.

It's not so funny now.  Poor Ebony ripped out half the fur on her back end before it occurred to me that she might have fleas.  But she was still nursing.  No chemicals.  Not that I usually use chemicals anyway, but this was getting ridiculous.  I started noticing everyone scratching.  Including the kids.  Not good.  I bought some diatomaceous earth.  Sprinkled it on the dogs, beds, couch, carpets.  It's helped, but it hasn't got them all yet.

Lucky, our cat,  is covered in scabs.  Ebony is still scratching like crazy.  Waldo and Wonder aren't much better.  The puppies seem to be okay.  I broke down this week and bought Hartz flea spray and drops.  I hate spreading poison through the house, but the fleas have got to go!  I'll have to remember to be more dilligent about sprinkling diatomaceous earth from spring right through fall, and sprinkle it around Pop's place too.  What a pain in the ass!

Closet Space

We had none.  There is a closet in the master bedroom.  And a tiny one in the hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom.  There used to be a doorway there.  There is a closet in one of the upstairs bedrooms.  That was it.  6 people.  3 closets. 

There was no closet in the sun room.  It's our main entrance.  The front door opens into the living room, and is no where near the driveway.  We use the back door, through the sun room, into the kitchen. 

The sun room was added onto the house a number of years ago.  It's the length of the kitchen, about 12 feet, but only 6 feet wide.  It has huge windows all along the outside and back walls.  There's a small wood stove at the back.  The inside wall has a big hole cut into the wall over the kitchen counters, presumably to let more light into the kitchen.  The kitchen entrance is about three feet wide.  It was a clutter trap.  Between my plant stands, boots, shoes, mitts, gloves, hats, helmets, bridles, coats...  There was stuff everywhere.

This was before we moved in.  When we first got here.  It didn't stay that clean for long.  We took down that coat rack and put a book shelf in it's place- the shoe shelf.  Shoes and helmets.  We put hooks for the kids under neath that weird kitchen window.  The kids grew and everything was drooping on the floor.  We used bins for hats and gloves and mitts.  It was a pain.  And it was cluttered.  All the time.

Last winter my parents built a closet in their cabin out of rough cut 1X3s.  They're cheap- $0.83 here.  Then Dad helped us build a closet for the sun room.

It blocks part of that weird kitchen window, but you can see through it, so it still lets the light in.  Helmets up on top.  Everyone got their own bin for hats and mitts and stuff on the shelf.  Storage space underneath for horse meds, bridles, work gloves, hats, etc.  I was in the midst of sorting that stuff when I snapped this picture.  It's still cluttered, but it's organized clutter.  That just left the shoes and boots to organize.

The boys and I built a bench for the plant stands.  Perfect.  It lifts the plant stands up so the bottom shelves get the sunlight they need.  Lots of space underneath for boots and shoes.  Most days now you can even walk through without stumbling over everything, or knocking everything off the shelves.  Awesome.

Armed with my new found closet building expertise, we also decided to tackle the older boys' room.

It's kind of short, due to the slanted ceiling, but it works.  Storage space up top for sleeping bags, back packs, and other cadets paraphernalia.

Closet space.  Bliss.

The Return of The Parents

My parents, that is.  They're back, to spend the winter in their cabin, on our land.

They told us they were coming on Thursday.  No problem.  I had planned to go down to the cabin on Thursday, light the fire so things could warm up, and shovel the snow away from the door, to the woodshed, and the shop.  They called on Wednesday night.  9:30pm.  We were in town.  The boys had cadets.  They were at my house.

Why do they do that?  They think they can do whatever they want, because they're the parents, and they can look after themselves, and we don't need to worry about them.

They couldn't get in the trail to the cabin.  The snow plow had filled it in since hubby last cleaned it out.  Dad walked in to light the fire.  The door wouldn't open.  There was something wrong with the deadbolt.  That's when they called.  Not when they left home.  Not when they got here.  Not until they were stymied.

Lovely.  My house is not really very welcoming to visitors.  It's a small house.  Three bedrooms.  Small living room.  I only have a love seat in there, not even a couch, let alone a fold out couch.

Four boys.

Four dogs.  8 puppies.  And a cat.  Who all have fleas.

My mother, the clean freak, who does not have any pets at all, who gets eaten alive by fleas, was going to have to sleep in my house.  This was not going to be pretty.

Husband had an idea.  Take the propane heater down to the cabin, and heat the porch.  He figured the dead bolt was probably frozen.  I tried calling my parents.  No answer.  Now what's going on?  I'm driving way too fast for the snowing and blowing.  Someone hit a moose.  They seemed alright, already butchering when we drove by.  Tried calling again.  Still no answer.

I got home about an hour later.  They weren't here.  I called them again.  My mother answered the phone.  And she's cranky.  Because she's having a bad day.  And she's cold.

Dad broke the door down.  They were in their cabin.  Things were heating up.  Fine.  Good night.

Why?  Is it really that hard to tell us that they're coming a day earlier?  What's with the surprises?  Some days my parents drive me crazy.

They're here now, for the winter.  They'll be working on getting their new place ready to move in.  They're our new neighbours.  They bought the "camp" next door.  It's two house trailers, an out house (no plumbing), and two small sheds.  There's a natural spring, but no well, and no house hook up.

They'll be hauling drinking water from our house, and melting snow for washing, the same as they do at the cabin.  The first job is to install their septic tank.  #2 was busy over there digging them a big hole before the ground froze up.  It's not quite ready, but low enough that Dad can attach a pipe to the tank for this year, so at least they can use the toilet when they're there.  In the spring they'll have the well drilled.

For now, they'll be moving a closet from the master bedroom into the small bedroom behind it, so it'll open through the wall.  Fixing some minor issues.  Painting everything.  Replacing the kitchen floor.  Installing the wood stove.  It'll be busy.

Through the summer they'll be building an add a room and a deck.

The second trailer has mostly been gutted already.  Dad will be turning it into his work shop.

Another busy year to look forward to.

I Know Nothing About Sheep.

Not a thing.  Never been up close to one.  I don't know anyone who raises them.  I don't eat them.  I did have some sort of lamb chops once, at a friend's place.  It was kind of gross, in my humble opinion.  I don't knit, and gave up on crocheting my one and only table cloth about ten years ago.  I have no interest in sheep.

We bought Spot on a whim at an auction.  I knew nothing about goats.  He was just so tiny and cute and helpless.  My heart melted.  I did know a couple of people who raised them though, and were able to help us over the rough spots.  We had just moved to the first farm, and only had chickens and rabbits to manage.  Spot was our first foray into larger stock.

When #1 decided that he wanted to raise goats as his business, I knew we could handle it.  It wasn't a scary proposition.  We had some experience.  We had room.  We had time.  It was no big deal.  He's off to a good start.

We've been watching Victorian Farm on you tube, along with Victorian Farm Christmas now on TVO.  It's a wonderful British historical reenactment series.  And they raise sheep.  #2 is fascinated by the sheep.  #2 seems to think that raising sheep will be a good business for him.  #2 has lost his mind.

Am I allowed to say no?  Is it that easy?  I agreed to #1's goat request without hesitation.  I fronted him the money to buy his stock.  I gave him Nanner, our remnant pet goat.  I trusted him to take care of the extra chores, like fixing fences, chasing goats out of the garden and off the road, and trimming hooves.  He's taken it all in stride.

#2 will be 14 this summer.  The same age.  He's probably a bit more mature than #1 was.  #2's winter homeschooling project will be finding and reading everything he can about raising sheep.  I think what scares me the most is having to sheer them.  If it was optional, it might not be so bad.  And what are we going to do with that wool if we do manage to figure out how to remove it?  They're also much more expensive than goats.  They rarely go through the auction for less than $250.  And they need separate quarters.  I do know something about sheep!  I remember talking about different grain blends at the feed store once, and I had pretty unlimited choices, since I don't have sheep.  Sheep can not eat what the other critters eat.  Scary.

I want to say no.  But I bet we'll have sheep in the spring.

Stretching A Chicken

I am a leftover kind of girl.  I love leftovers.  Because I am lazy.  I hate cooking.  Always have, and probably always will.  Which is not to say that I can't cook, or that I'm a bad cook.  I just don't like to cook.  If I were rich and famous I would hire a personal chef.  Since I'm not rich and famous, I have invested a lot of time and energy into training the junior chefs who abide here.

As a result, I'm pretty sure that #1 won't starve when he leaves home.  He can prepare a passable meal.  I think he might be lazy, like his mother though.  #2 is quite impressive.  I'm not sure if it's just that he likes to eat, or if he actually enjoys cooking.  #4 loves food, and has been butting in, stirring pots, mixing things and taste testing for quite some time.  He isn't supposed to become junior chef until he turns 8 in March, but is already a better chef than #3. 

#3 is where we are at in the junior chef training. He doesn't cook.  After a year and a half in the kitchen, I can still barely leave him unattended for simple tasks, like peeling potatoes, let alone to prepare an entire meal.  I promised myself I would rectify this situation this winter.  Through the summer we eat a lot of quick throw together meals late at night after a hard days work.  We didn't have much patience for training then, although it would have been really nice to have him trained at the time.  Coming in to a meal on the table would be especially nice after a hard days' work.

At any rate, I was recently discussing using up leftovers with some other people.  It seems a common complaint after holiday meals, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, that there's so much turkey leftover, and everyone is tired of eating the same thing over and over and over again.  Not for me.  I love leftovers.  I used to have a system of cooking, that I would start with a big meal on Sunday, and serve leftovers throughout the week.  It made cooking simple, quick and easy, and contrary to popular opinion, it was never boring.  I actually like some of my leftover meals better than the originals.

And then the children grew.  And kept growing.  And they're still growing.  They eat practically everything in sight.  They clear the table routinely, and then look around for more.  Then they claim they're hungry again half an hour after meals.  They eat toast, cereal, eggs, oatmeal or fruit breads for breakfast.  They munch on apples, carrots, and whatever odd fruit we happen to have, all day long.  They eat 2 sandwiches and 4 cookies each for lunch.  They steal leftovers that I was planning to serve for supper.  Not literally stealing, but I open the fridge, and "What happened to the ..."  And the supper plan goes out the window.

I cooked a chicken yesterday.  And for the first time in a long time, they didn't inhale the whole thing in one meal.  It's one of the best parts of home grown chickens- they are so much bigger than store bought.  So I am going to attempt to teach #3 the art of stretching a chicken, or using up leftovers this week.

• Day One- Roast Chicken.  Stuffing, a huge pot of mashed potatoes, gravy, home made bread, asparagus.

• Day Two- Hot chicken sandwiches.  I put leftover chicken, stuffing, potatoes and veggies into a glass baking pan covered in tinfoil.  Warm in oven @ 300°F
  about an hour.  Reheat gravy in a saucepan with extra water.  Serve chicken on fresh bread.  (We didn't have enough leftovers for this step)

• Day Three- Chicken Rice Casserole. Chop leftover chicken up finely. Chop broccoli finely. Combine in a glass baking pan with 4 cups of parboiled rice. Add chicken broth- up to 8 cups worth to be absorbed by the rice. I like it a little less chickeny, so I only add about 4 cups chicken broth, and 4 cups of water.  Bake covered with tinfoil about 2 hours @ 350°F.

• Day Four- Chicken rice soup. Pour a few cups of leftover chicken rice casserole into a stock pot.  Add more chicken broth and water.  Add chopped carrots, celery, onions, garlic.  Allow to simmer a few hours before supper.  Potato Salad- leftover potatoes are mixed in a large bowl with 4-6 hard boiled eggs, about 2 cups of mayonaise, 2 Tbsp sugar, and a drizzle of pickle or hot pepper juice.

• Day Five- Chicken Fajitas.  Soak a pot of beans overnight, and cook them through the day.  About two hours before supper, add the rest of the chicken rice casserole, and fajita seasonings.  Mix well.  Serve rolled into soft tortilla shells with lettuce and cheese if desired.

 Without enough leftovers for day two, we moved on to day three today.  Everything went off without a hitch today, and the simple directions were easy for #3 to follow.

Of course, some of the tricks to easy home cooked meals, is having some other ingredients in the pantry or freezer.  If I were low on chicken broth, for example, I would back up another step.

• Home Made Chicken Broth. 

  Put all bones, skin, and odd bits left after carving into a stock pot.  Add water to cover.  Add chopped celery, onion, garlic, carrots, parsley, pepper, broccoli, green beans, or whatever vegetables you have on hand.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer.  Allow to simmer uncovered for several hours.  The longer you simmer, the more concentrated your broth becomes.  You can then freeze it in ice cube trays, or canning jars. 

• Baked Beans.

• Soak 1 pound beans overnight in 1 quart cold water.

• The next morning, cover, heat to boiling.  Simmer 30 minutes.

• Mix onion slices, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup catsup, and a pinch of black pepper in the bottom of a roasting pot. Add beans and enough hot water to cover. Arrange 1/2 lb sliced bacon on top. Cover and bake @ 250°F for seven hours. After 4 hours, remove 1 cup of beans and mash. Return to pan and stir in. Add water as needed to keep beans covered.

I have no idea why it keeps changing the font there like that.  Weird.  And it won't change back.  Hmmm...

Tommorrow I will bake a large pot of beans through the day, so they'll be ready for the day after.

How do you stretch your chicken, or use up your leftovers?