I've been struggling with making my retirement an actual retirement and realized recently that I had never fully retired. I went from my state service retirement to working in a casino gift shop (and several other positions within that casino), to working in the shops at the airport, to substitute teaching, and then keeping an... Continue Reading →
Experiments With Rebel Canning
Yes, I said it, I pressure-canned several gallons of 1% milk this past week. The people who swear by federal guidelines say this is a no-no, but I used old-school methods to do it, and it worked out well. I had one quart jar that didn't seal, so that got made into pudding last night,... Continue Reading →
Jalapeno Paste, My Happy Little Accident
I made a happy accident the other day. I tried to pressure-can sliced jalapenos in a spicy brine, but they turned out really mushy, which I discovered upon opening the jar. I didn't want to throw it away, so I drained the extra brine from the mushy jalapenos through a sieve (I'd recommend saving the... Continue Reading →
Once Upon a Time, I Had a True Green Thumb
It's funny how a random task can trigger memories. I was washing the dishes from the projects I had going in the kitchen tonight - salsa, avocado bread, dried jalapenos, and the memory of me washing dishes at my home while growing up popped into the forefront. I always seemed to be the one to... Continue Reading →
Potatoes, Chives, and Poker Chips
My poor Hubbin follows along as best he can with my many projects and interests, and today I was, you guessed it, processing the items I found on sale, and doing some cleaning. I processed twenty pounds of potatoes for my freezer, found some chives to dehydrate, and then as I was organizing some of... Continue Reading →
The Best “Two-Ingredient” Biscuits!
Short and sweet, it is equal parts of Self-Rising Flour and Whipping Cream, "1 to 1, two to two, etc." Stir the ingredients together and make a dough ball. A bit more of each can be added, depending on if your dough is too wet or too dry. Roll out and knead on a 'self-rising'... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving Traditions
My thoughts are flooded with childhood tradition memories this time of year, and growing up, there were so many. Finding the largest turkey that money could buy. Me wondering if it would even fit in the oven! The detested whole cranberry sauce that managed to make it to our table one year (the jellied cranberry... Continue Reading →
Bacon Grease Jar, Storage Tip – Fail!
For years I have stored my bacon grease in a Tupperware-type container in my refrigerator. After cooking my bacon, I pour the grease into the container, then use it for baking biscuits, frying potatoes, and as an ingredient in my gravies. Recently I saw a tip for getting rid of the bacon-bit sediment that settles... Continue Reading →
Several to Choose From…Epic Baking Fails
Daily writing promptWrite about your most epic baking or cooking fail.View all responses First starting out on my lifelong journey in the kitchen, I thought baking soda was the same thing as baking powder. Our pets wouldn't eat the results and my older brothers used them as ammo in their slingshots. A family member was... Continue Reading →
Gettin’ ‘Er Done
I mentioned before that I have lots going on, even in retirement; today is no exception. Projects today were to weed and replant one of my front sidewalk flowerpots, cut up and dispose of some empty boxes in the garage (which is, even right now at after 8 p.m., 95+ degrees), take some pictures for... Continue Reading →
Tory Anne Brown's Blog 