That Went Well

We all enjoyed Thanksgiving of those that were able to join us.  Two days of cooking and in a short time its over lol.

Hope all of you out there also had a good family time if anyone was able to join you.

We have a arctic front moving in and Tuesday night its supposed to be around 7 deg. F.  We hooked the snow blower up to the tractor today as with the change in weather snow is supposed to be coming with it.

Saw a recipe for a quick cake.  Yes it's from a box but sometimes one needs a short cut.

Dump Cake
1 box Angel food cake mix
1 can pie filling (whatever you like)
Mix together and bake at 350 deg. in greased 9x13 cake pan 35 min. or until middle is done.

Thanksgiving One Week Off

It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is again one week away.  This year has again sped by.  On the same day as Thanksgiving it will be our deceased daughter Tanya's birthday.  She would have been 41 years old.

I prayed that this would help our other children get a long better but it hasn't.

We don't seem to have very many coming up for Thanksgiving this year.  But that's how it is sometimes.  I was also hoping at some time one of them would take the Holiday meals over and we could bring a dish or two lol.  Starting to get to be to much for me I am afraid and hate to say it.

I did manage to get some pumpkin canned up and a small batch of pumpkin butter made in the last two days.  The house smelled great.

Pumpkin Butter in Crock Pot
13 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cook on high for about an hour.  Tun to low and stirring once in awhile cook for 6 hours. Taste to see if it  has the right amount of sweet for you.  Put in clean jars (I used 1/2 pints) put on lids that you have boiled and rings.  Snug down and pressure can for 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.
**
It is 8 degrees outside of our house this morning.  Colder then predicted lol.  We had 9 inches of snow over the last weekend and then on Monday it warmed up to the low mid 30's and rained buckets.   Then the cold front moved in and we have ice.

Time to Think About the Holidays I Guess

I was thinking I would post these as a start on what can be made sweets wise as the Holidays are again so close.
Recipes:

Mounds Candy Bars

¾ cup chocolate chunks or chips

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

¼ cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

Melt chocolate in a small pan over very low heat; you can use a double boiler if you wish and temper the chocolate

Using a small paint brush, coat the bottom and sides of a mounds candy mold

Place mold in freezer for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to harden

In a small bowl, combine shredded coconut, coconut oil and agave

Remove mold from freezer

Fill chocolate lined molds with coconut mixture

Paint chocolate over coconut mixture to cover bars

Place in freezer for 10 minutes to harden

Remove from freezer, turn mold upside down and pop mounds out of mold

Serve: Makes 9 mounds bars (depending on the size of your candy mold)

From Copycats.

Fudge Easy, moms Wisconsin

½ c. butter or margarine

6 tab. cocoa or 2 squares chocolate

¼ c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla 4 c. powdered sugar

Place first 3 ingredients in a pan double broiler works to on a low heat. Melt and still until all melted and mixed. Add vanilla, beat in sugar then press into a 8 x 8 by 2 in. pan, cool and cut.

Old fashion fudge, moms Wisconsin

2 c. sugar

1 c. milk

2 tsp. karo syrup

6 tab. cocoa or 2 squares chocolate

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tab. Butter, added later

1 tsp. vanilla, also added later

nuts, optional

Mix together all but the butter in a large pan to allow for boiling. Over a low heat until all the sugar is melted, then boil it rapidly for 5 minutes or until the softball stage.(Will form a soft ball when a tiny bit is dropped in cold water.) Remove from heat and add the 2. butter, cool a little then add the vanilla, beat until dull and creamy. Add nuts if desired. Pour into a pan cool and cut.

Divinity fudge, hubbys moms Ohio

2-3/4 c. sugar

¾ c. white karo

¾ c. water

Mix and cook above ingredients to 240 deg. (on a candy thermometer.)

¾ c. white karo syrup

2 eggs whites beaten stiff

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ c. nuts, optional

Pour the ¾ c. karo over the beaten egg whites beating constantly. Cook this to 255. deg. Then add it to the first cooked mixture and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Drop on a waxed paper by the spoonfuls

Chocolate peanut butter fudge, moms Wisconsin

2 c. sugar

2 tab. cocoa 2/3 c. milk

2 tab. white karo syrup

dash of salt

Simmer until softball stage (forms a softball when some is dropped into cold water) stirring constantly, Cool some and add. 

2 tab. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tab. peanut butter

Stir and put in a pan. Cool and cut

**

Was going to go to the foot doc to get my right heel looked at as been hurting and swollen for 7 weeks now.  I have to watch what shoes I wear because of it. :(  But ended up having to cancel the appointment for today. This is the day it turns out that something we bought will be delivered so someone has to be here.  Rescheduled for next week so maybe that will work out.

 A daughter has changed departments at work so is on another shift that she works weekends.  I think it's still 12 hour shifts Ack that would be hard.  Good luck with that dear heart.

Our youngest son is getting ready to go back collage.  Well take some classes anyway because he also has a job.  Also good luck to you.  He had been out of High School 10 years I believe.  Sheesh time fly's.

We are allowed to burn at this time so we got the raspberry canes and branches from tree trimming piled up this past weekend and got those cleaned up and burned.

Weather wise the rest of the week is supposed to be rain/snow.

Idea:

It is time to make sure you have something in your cars as far as winter car kits go again.  Blanket or two, food etc.  Good luck to all those in that cold front that came down and hit.
*
I don't know what's wrong with this crazy thing the editing doesn't work much at all.  And when its previewed the page looks just fine. Sorry.

I know long time

Yes right been way to long since I put something up on here.

The pain from Dave's shingles is just starting to ease for him.  He went 5 hours yesterday with out having to take something for the pain.  And remember he has a very high pain threshold.  It has now been 6 weeks since this all started.

Kay has had a bad cold after her mom had one and is now sounding and feeling much better.

Third oldest son S and wife Jes are in the middle of packing for a move, good luck to them. That is a hard job with 5 children, working outside the home and being on call.

It is snowing and blowing here this morning.  We had out first snow Sunday night just like a 1/2 inch and are in the middle of a pretty good storm right now. 

Yesterday morning

Everyone got off to work okay early this morning and hope they can get home alright to.

The dogs did not want to go out this morning.  Grandsons dog Bear had to be shoved out lol.

Here is Bear

We did manage to get the corn and beans hung to dry for seed back at the end of Sept.  Wasn't fun as Dave thought he had pulled his shoulder muscles but turned out it was the shingles starting.

Yeah more then we should need but we wanted to make sure if something happened to some of it that we had what we needed.

Backdoorsurvival has some good info on essential oils this week.  The benefits of Rosemary was today's.

WHAT IS ROSEMARY?

Rosemary is a lovely shrub-like green plant with pale blue flowers and long, needle-like leaves. The aromatic leaves and part of the flowers are used to produce essential oil.  Although native to the seaside regions of North Africa and the Mediterranean, today rosemary grows in other parts of the world and is quite prolific.

Lavender growing in my yard

It takes its name from “rosmarinus”, a Latin term meaning “dew of the sea”.  This implies that rosemary can thrive without any water other than the humidity carried by the breeze of the sea.  Perhaps that is why it grows so well in temperate coastal regions.

In ancient times, rosemary was used as the universal symbol of remembrance.  In Egypt, sprigs of rosemary were laid across coffins or tombstones and it is has been determined that this tradition continued well into the medieval period and beyond.

During the Middle Ages, rosemary was associated with wedding ceremonies. The bride would wear a rosemary headpiece and the groom and wedding guests would all wear a sprig of rosemary.  This tradition continued and later on in history, newlywed couples would plant a branch of rosemary on their wedding day.  If the branch grew, it was a good omen for the union and family.

Throughout history, rosemary oil has been used as both a physical and mental stimulant and as a remedy to for muscle and joint aches, poor memory, indigestion and headaches.

HOW IS IT USED?

Rosemary essential oil has many outstanding qualities.  It is an effective antiseptic and an antibacterial/antifungal agent.  It also has excellent antioxidant properties.

Like lavender, rosemary is one of the few essential oils that can can be safely applied to the skin in its undiluted form.  Be aware, however, that for safety reasons, undiluted rosemary oil should not be used by women who are pregnant or by individuals who are prone to seizures.  (This caveat applies to all essential oils, not just rosemary.)

Today I share 12 of the most practical applications of rosemary essential oil.  Each use has been time-tested over the ages and promises to foster both healing and wellness over the long term.

12 USES OF ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL

1.  Muscle and Joint Pain:  Applied topically, rosemary oil is an effective treatment for muscle pain and arthritis.  It also helps circulation.  It works especially well in combination with lavender and peppermint essential oils.  See my all-purpose relief formula below.

2.  Heal wounds: Use sparingly on cuts and scrapes to speed the healing of wounds

3.  Physical and mental stimulation:  Use while bathing to aid in relieving both muscle soreness and mental exhaustion.

4.  Relieve anxiety and stress:  Rosemary reduces anxiety plus, when combined with lavender oil, reduces stress by calming and relaxing the nerves.

5.  Sooth and heal rough scaly skin: A few drops of rosemary oil mixed with a carrier oil such as coconut oil reduces itching and irritation and heals dry, itchy patches of skin caused by psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.

6.  Reduce bad breath and promote oral health:  When mixed with water, a few drops of rosemary oil helps get rid of halitosis. In addition, by removing bacteria, rosemary essential oil can prevent gingivitis and the excess build of plaque.

7.  Relive headaches:  Apply a drop of two topically to the temples to relieve tension headaches and migraines.

8.  Treat respiratory problems and congestion:  Inhale or use aromatically to aid with congestion associated with allergies, colds, flu, and respiratory infections.

9.  Promote healthy hair and scalp  A few drops in shampoo or conditioner stimulates hair cells and re-growth, and also provides relief for itchy scalps and dandruff.

10.  Improve Concentration and Memory:  Rosemary increases your ability to concentrate and remember things.

11.  Repel bugs: Diluted in water, rosemary essential oil in a spray bottle wards off flies and mosquitos.

12.  Control and prevent acne:  Apply topically to reduce the oil and sebum production that causes breakouts and acne.

THE BACKDOOR SURVIVAL ALL-PURPOSE RELIEF FORMULA

For years I have used the following formula to relieve muscle and joint pains and also to reduce scarring from cuts, scrapes and even surgical wounds.

Rosemary – 10 drops
Lavender – 10 drops
Peppermint – 10 drops

Combine the essential oils in 2 tablespoons of your favorite carrier oil. My current favorite is a half and half combination of organic coconut oil and olive oil.

You can use this concoction to massage sore muscles, relieve an itchy scalp or topically to heal wounds and mitigate scarring.  This is my go-to all-purpose relief formula – I use it for everything.

THE FINAL WORD

The well-regarded herbal authority, Rosemary Gladstar, has this to say about rosemary:

We’ve only begun to uncover the many uses of rosemary. It has long been renowned as a memory aid. It has a tonic effect on the nervous system and is good for circulation. It strengthens the heart and reduces high blood pressure. It has been used for hundreds of years as a cosmetic herb for its beneficial effects on the hair and skin.

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/?utm_source=BD+News+Flash&utm_campaign=f815ef5bc0-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dab905704-f815ef5bc0-320344441