Happy Anniversary to Me (Us?)

A year ago, I took the plunge into the literary pool of blogging and started this site. At the time, I had an infant, a kindergartner, a husband with a new business and an overwhelming sense of personal craziness.




It's possible that all have managed to do is branch out to find new things to stress over...because I'm like that.


There are a few things I feel I need to address first, for those of you who happen upon here at random.








Through this year, I know many have hit this site due to my blog name. And I have messaged the brave few who questioned just what *exactly* my deal is. I've considered changing the name a few times for fear that my macabre sense of humor is a mockery of the knife of illness that stabs at our numbers seemingly randomly. It's simply not true. The bottom line is that I chose the name 3 years before I started blogging after a long night in the kitchen,  so I could comment on my sister's blog, never intending to publish...and then I woke up a year ago and decided to publish, assuming the only people who would ever read this would be my mom and siblings. Man, was I wrong. Lesson learned....but I'm keeping the name because BB still sums up the duality of my existence, the ups and downs that are my every day. Extreme to no one but me, I am sure.

research

 Love me through this, dear reader, I evolve slowly sometimes.



Also, I would like to mention that just because my nickname is Betty Crocker, not every recipe listed here under that name is affiliated with the corporation that employs that imagine. In fact, very very few of them come from THAT Betty. If I ever publish an actual book (not that I plan to), I won't be able to use most of this site. Another lesson learned.





That said, I wanted to give some updates on some of the posts from this past year....things that worked out, stuff that didn't...











For instance, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are still alive and thriving despite all the recipe testing. No longer an infant and a kindergartner, they are a wall-climbing toddler and not-for-long 1st grader who has legs like a colt and the eyes of ancient soul.







The most popular post I've written was also one of the most painful. Who knew anyone still wanted another chicken soup recipe.



The second most popular post was for no-bake bar cookies that I still love so much I could eat a whole pan.

it's like a metaphor

I am still using homemade laundry detergent. Despite having dirty children who are learning to feed themselves and to not act like wild dogs, I have clean, fresh-smelling laundry that I am very happy with. I have not noticed any graying or fading and I'm spending less than two pennies a load AND I only have to make the soap every 3 months or so. I call that success.



Likewise, the all purpose cleaner is still getting a workout here. I use it for pretty much everything-including removing spots from the carpet. Mr. Devlin gave it a solid testing and gives it his seal of approval as well.  It's worth the effort.



Yes, I still make my own donuts....if you fill them with Nutella, it's possible you may fall into a coma--you've been warned.



Thing 1 has already put her vote in for another round of Easter peeps. Homemade marshmallows are within your grasp-don't be scared.

yes, the tomatoes worked

Likewise, homemade preserves are not just for over-achievers. I'm currently preparing to make the season's first batch of strawberry jam this weekend actually.



I'm proud of how far my homemade tortillas have evolved...enough so that I'm willing to serve them friends. Honestly, I can't begin to explain how having fresh tortilla changes even a simple quesadilla--Alice Waters would be so freakin' proud of me.

pot scrubbers

I'm still looking for more ways to recycle baby food jars but this certainly has helped....and Thing 1 loves them.



My post scrubbers went through a small makeover when I figured out how to work in an abrasive side by using a packet of hem tape as the starting circle. Hem tape is basically straight lace, generally in all kinds of colors, 3 feet long. It's the perfect amount to give the scrubby some, um, scrubby. Plus, these bad boys are so durable- I just throw them in the laundry and they are back to new.






After giving me crap over the first batch, Thing 1 started referring longingly to her blueberry poptarts as some kind of special treat that I withhold from her for spite. There is no winning as a mother, really, I guess the best I can hope for is that my grandbabies will someday ask me to make poptarts for them like I did for their mother....it's true, I totally can't wait to be that grandma that bakes all the really good stuff..





Despite the break in our routine due to my morning sickness, we still eat a fair share of muffins and scones so check out those recipes if your looking for something new.




I had a lot of fun with the Christmas baking this year- I hope next year's wow's you...and inspires you to try a few batches of this or that.





I am brain-sketching new ideas to bring to you to make your lives easier, to spark some creative action on your part or to give you something really easy to make for dinner because you've run out ideas today.  If nothing else, I hope you get a chuckle.




So, send me an email or leave a comment if I missed something you were wondering about or if there is something you'd like me to cover (I PROMISE I'm still trying to find more one-pot meals and the how-to's on artichokes).



I'll be taking a small break in September for Baby #3...while we have chosen REAL names for this little person, I need something clever for here...I don't really think I can call them the Lorax, you know?


...17 weeks and counting.

Every day is a gift. Even when I'm cranky. Even when I have no way to plan for what is coming next. I'm only human and my family loves me despite that and because of that....and I love them for the same reasons. My job is to do the best with what I've got and never stop learning or growing or trying. And God will take care of us--He always has.


....that's what I've learned this year...I can only wonder what this next year holds.

Old Fashion Gingersnaps

Despite all the glories of the internet and indexes upon indexes of recipes, I find some of the best recipes are those tried and true ones that have-literally in some cases-been to war and back.
I am a collector of vintage cookbooks. Quirky, practical, delightful, these windows into the past are treasured little gems of mine. I might find them in second hand shops, garage sales, rummage sales, boxes from elderly neighbors or as gifts from Mr. Devlin.

So, when I get the yin for something classic, I look in an old book first. I'm rarely disappointed.

I grew up on store bought gingersnaps. Don't gasp. My parents raised 4 kids on a few dimes and a serious work ethic so if Mum didn't have time to bake Dad's favorite cookie, it's because she was busy plucking a chicken while nursing a baby and sewing a dress. Dad likes those cookies that are really crunchy and come in a brown bag--no fuss, no frills. Just dunk them in  some coffee. They also make a fine crust for a pumpkin cheesecake or crumbled on some vanilla ice cream with some fresh peaches. Simple, classic.

I was in search of that gingery goodness this week. I found about 4 recipes that probably would have worked; the majority of them seemed a bit too soft. I wanted something to dunk. In the end, I adapted a recipe from a 1950's cook book for farm wives that I found in my hometown in a second hand shop for $3. A steal considering how much I use this book.

I will say, before I give instructions, that as these cookies cool, they harden. If you wanted an even crispier texture (like the store bought ones) I suggest you flatten them farther and lower the temp of the oven to 350.



As is, preheat the oven to 375 and prepare some cookie sheets. You'll also need a small bowl of sugar or sanding sugar to roll the cookies in.

always scrape the bowl

In a mixing bowl,  blend these ingredients using the standard creaming method:

1/2 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg

Be sure to scrape down the bowl so the molasses gets fully incorporated.



In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients of
2 1/2 cups AP flour and 1/4 tsp salt  (yeah, that's all that goes into that bowl, I'm sure)





....because, using two small cups or bowls, you are going to have a little fun with science.
In one cup or bowl, mix

a tale of two teacups

a little spicy volcano

1 Tbs hot water
      with
1 tsp white vinegar

In the second cup or bowl, blend together
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg





When the butter mixture is ready to go, pour the vinegar/water into the spice mix and stir really quickly while it foams then dump all of it into the molasses mixture. Only blend briefly before adding in all the flour mixture and beating until fully mixed.




The dough is firm and dense, not sticky so it rolls well into a ball. The original recipe called for dropping the dough by teaspoons but I think it works better to roll in the sugar as a ball and flatten them with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a cup.







The won't spread far, either so you can about 15 on a sheet. Done properly, you should get 48 cookies exactly.

Bake 8-10 minutes before removing to cool on a rack. As the cookies cool, they will become harder. Store in an airtight container for a week.

Peanut Butter Fudge: For Sara (or, How I Plan To Pay The Babysitter Tonight)

Confection making is a process that requires patience and the right tools...things I rarely have by the end of the baking season. This year, I lost two mini scoops, a heat-proof spatula and my candy thermometer to the war...rest in peace, my pretties.

However, their loss is due more to the fact that I produced well over a hundred dozen goodies in the past 3 weeks than it is to anything else. Maybe Santa will drop some new toys in my stocking so I will be ready for next year--I was very naughty excellent all year.

Fudge is one of those confections that has been made for decades and decades with nary a candy thermometer in sight. I figured if the old gals in their gingham aprons can do it, so can I. Guess what? I can and did, because there's more than one way to skin a cat (where did that saying originate, anyways???).


How, you say, did I manage? Well, with a cup of cold water and spoon. I tell you, I've been all kinds of high tech this season with paper tubes and chop sticks.

cold water, really hard
to get this stuff...

How does this process work? Well, candy making involves different stages of caramelization of sugar. 
Thread ball (spun sugar) : 230-233
Soft ball (fudge): 234-240
Firm ball (tee hee, yes please): 244-248
Hard ball (divinity, taffies): 250-265
Soft crack (butterscotches): 270-290
Hard crack (don't do drugs; toffees, brittles): 300-310


If you buy a candy thermometer (*NOT a meat thermometer), it will have a glass bulb that is protected by a plastic sleeve that you remove when cooking. The sleeve has all this information on it, by the way. Unless you are an idiot like me, you're thermometer will last you a long long time....unless you, ahem, leave it in the sink and then smash it with a pot.

8x8, lined

Back to the cup of cool water. While cooking confections, the old girls would simply drop a bit of the boiling bit of whatever into the water and judge from how it dispersed or not what stage it was. This takes practice; it takes patients. But, because fudge is the first stage after thread stage, you won't have to go very far up the scale today.


First, let's gather up the ingredients and equipment. 


You'll need an 8x8 pan, sprayed and lined and sprayed again. I prefer to line my pans for hot confections with heavy duty aluminum foil.  You also need a heavy large sauce pot and either a heat-proof spatula or a wooden spoon. Have either your candy thermometer or cup of water and spoon at the ready by the stove top.


In the sauce pot, combine 
3 tbs butter
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups of sugar


Measure out
1 cup of mini marshmallows
12 oz of peanut butter (not the natural stuff this time and you can use smooth or crunchy depending on your preference)....if you don't have a kitchen scale (and you really really really should), it's *about* 1 1/4 cups of peanut butter

boil, boil, toil and
fudgemaking...

Turn up the heat on the sauce pot and stir continuously as you melt the butter and dissolve the sugar. If you are using a thermometer, it should be clipped to the side of your pan, with the bottom bulb suspended in the mixture, never touching the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring as the mixture begins to bubble and boil. Be sure as you stir to get around the edges of the pot so no area of the bottom of the pan is left untouched.
As the mixture boils, you will start to see the bubbles become bigger, fatter and slower to pop than they were at the beginning of the process. Feel free to begin testing the confection by dropping a bit of it into the cool water.

there are little drops in there
if you look REAL hard...

Does it just spread out and disperse? It's not ready, keep boiling and stirring.
Does it drop to the bottom in a solid lump? It's ready to remove from the heat.

If you are using the thermometer, it should read 234 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat.








Now stir in the marshmallows and peanut butter. Stir until it is all completely incorporated and then scrape it all into the prepared pan.

You made fudge. You rock.

Cover the pan with a bit of plastic wrap and chill it until it is cooled and firm.

When you are ready to cut it, pull the foil lining up and out of the pan and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1 inch squares. (You can trim the sides off to eat make for cleaner cuts on the sides of the pieces).

Chocolate fudge, pumpkin fudge, white chocolate fudge....they all work off of this basic process so try them all. If you don't get it right the first time, put the stuff on top of some ice cream, declare yourself victorious indeed for trying and give it another go.

Let's Step Back in Time:

Of the many (and I mean MANY) vintage books I have collected or received over the years, one of my true favorites is my 1913 edition of The White House Cookbook. Established for "filling the requirements of households of all classes," this tome gives the reader an extraordinary and comprehensive view of a entirely other world. I may quote often from this book, it so amuses me. In all fairness, it also reminds me not only of how far (and how richly) we have come but also of how some basic truths remain.

For this particular post, I give you an except labeled "HINTS IN REGARD TO HEALTH"

"It is plainly seen by an inquiring mind that, aside from the selection and preparation of food, there are many little things constantly arising in the experience of everyday life which, in their combined effect, are powerful agents in the formation (or prevention) of perfect health. A careful observance of these little occurences (sic), an inquiry into the philosophy attending them, lies within the province, and indeed should be considered among the highest duties, of every housekeeper.
That one should be cautious about entering a sick room in a state of perspiration, as the moment you become cool your pores absorb. Do not approach contagious diseases with an empty stomach, nor sit between the sick and the fire, because the heat attracts the vapor.
That the flavor of cod-liver oil may be changed to the delightful one of fresh oyster, if the patient will drink a large glass of water poured from a a vessel in which nails have been allowed to rust.
That a bag of hot sand relieves neuralgia.
That warm borax water will remove dandruff.
That salt should be eaten with nuts to aid digestion.
...That a cupful of strong coffee will remove the odor of onions from the breath.
That well-ventilated bedrooms will prevent morning headaches and lassitude.
A cupful of hot water drank before meals will relieve nausea and dyspepsia.
...Sprains and bruises call for an application of the tincture of arnica.
If an artery is severed, tie a small cord or handkerchief above it
For bilious colic, soda and ginger in hot water. It maybe taken freely.
...Pains in the side are most promptly relieved by the application of mustard.
For cold in the head nothing is better than powdered borax, sniffed up the nostrils.
...Hemorrhages of the lungs or stomach are promptly checked by small doses of salt. The patient should be kept as quiet as possible.
...Avoid purgatives or strong physics, as they not only do no good, but are positivley hurtful. PILLS MAY RELIEVE FOR A TIME, BUT THEY SELDOM CURE. (emphasis mine)"


...bet your wondering what I left out, huh?

And yet, I totally agree with the opening paragraph for this particular section. There is far more involved in our daily survival and of that of those in our care than just finding food and preparing it to eat. For those of us who are parents, the care of our children requires our constant absorption of knowledge in the areas of medicine, academics, philosophy and littlest pet shop animals (caught you). We are semi-professional everything's because that is what is demanded of us by those who cannot care for themselves and need our protection. And our love for them should allow for nothing less.

I am soap-boxing a bit, but this is my blog and I'm allowed. I hope, however, that you've enjoyed this little view into time past. I assure you more is to come...

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

The next time you find yourself exhausted with the daily chores of domesticity, think about what our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers went through....

A few excerpts from the 1936 edition of "The Household Bookshelf" (Lord, Pierce, Thomas and Balderston):

"The electric dishwasher is a comparatively new arrival in the field of household equipment. Women may disagree as to its advantages and disadvantages, but after a fair trial there are few housekeepers who would willingly part with a good one. The washer can be installed as an integral part of the the sink; or a portable one that is wheeled up to the sink for filling and emptying and pushed out of the way when not in use may be a better choice." ** (mom had FOUR of those wheeled-up types; they were named Ron, Vanessa, Courtney and Ashley and when it was time to wash some dishes, she wheeled our asses up to the sink.)

"For emergency use many housewives keep what is called a Plumber's Friend. This is rubber suctioncup, which dislodges the mass of grease or food so that it can be flushed away. Partly fill the sink with water and then press the cup down hard against the drain outlet. Work the center of the cup up and down so as to get pressure and suction in the trap..." **(I think any house with a man in it fits this "emergency" scenario for needing a "Plumber's Friend.")

"Where garbage is collected it still must be stored temporarily. Strong tightly covered containers are necessary, for in the city there are dogs and cats if not skunks. Line the cans with newspaper or use waterproof garbage bags. Some housekeepers think these expensive, but they do protect the can from moisture and also greatly lessen work of cleaning.....Country storage of garbage requires pits dug so deep (grave deep, 6 feet) that prowling dogs or other animals, especially skunks, cannot get the scent of the food...." ** (not just deep, GRAVE deep)

"Only a well-insulated ice box is worth buying. A good refrigerator should keep an average temperature of 50 (degrees) Fahrenheit in the warmest part of the food compartment; 45 (degrees) is a good average for the coldest parts, although a few degrees lower do no harm" ** (HOLY SHIT!! HOW DID EVERYONE NOT DIE???)

"...The newest sweepers all have a screw to control the tip of the mouthpiece so that the article to be cleaned gets full benefit of the suction. If this screw is not used, then there is little control over thick and thin rugs. Many who do not get good returns from their cleaners are not using this regulating screw." **(oh, I think they're getting screwed just fine....)

So, ladies and gentleman, curse not your daily chores or the equipment you have by which to accomplish them. It could be much worse...and has been.