Yesterday I wrote a second part to my writing about Farmers Cheese. Well, my email machine got stuck when I was sending it out. So I had to unplug it and I lost my writing. So I am going to write about Farmers Cheese again.

Farmers cheese is a homestead cheese to make at home. Other cheeses are hard to make at home. But Cottage cheese and Farmers Cheese traditionally were made at home in the old days. These cheeses got their names from the words home. Cottage meaning home or Farmers cheese meaning on the farm and not made in a factory. And most cheese starts out as cottage cheese or Farmers cheese. I mean you could make Colby cheese and Swiss cheese and all at home. But traditionally most folks didn’t, as they were too hard to make. I have never tried to make any kind except the easier kinds.

You can make cheese from cows milk or goat milk. After you make your cottage cheese, you just drain it and put it in a colander or potato strainer lined with a white thin dish towel. Then pour the cottage cheese in. And if you want an herbed cheese, then put the salt and herbs in when it is still cottage cheese. Then take the towel and swoop it up around the cheese, making a sack out of it. Squeeze the water out of it by wringing the top and squeezing the cottage cheese to get the liquid or whey out. Squeeze it out good. And then, if it is a cool day, you can clamp your sack of cheese with a big safety pin or a small rope. Make it tight and secure. Then go out and hang the sack on the clothes line for the day. If ya got cool weather, just leave it out there a few days. Not freezing weather but just a bit warmer. Then bring it in and, if it is still kinda wet, then put it back in the colander and lay a clean brick on the top for overnight in the fridge. This will squeeze the rest of the water out and it will drain good. Be sure to keep this cheese cool as you are waiting to get the water out.

I made a cheese once that nearly killed me. But I didn’t keep it cool. I left it hanging in my kitchen a few weeks. Oh! My gosh, I am alive to tell it? It tasted like kerosene cheese?

Well, anyway, this Farmers Cheese will get hard and you can slice it. You can even make a rind for it out of paraffin. Just pour the warm paraffin over the cheese and it will make a rind and it will last longer. If you had a lot of milk and wanted to make a lot of cheese that wouldn’t be eaten right away, I would do the paraffin thing to keep it sealed and fresh. Still keep it in a cool place. But if you are just making one batch for the family, then I wouldn’t use the paraffin.

Now there are, I am sure, websites that will tell you how to make Cottage Cheese and Farmers Cheese. I would tell you how I make cottage cheese but you wouldn’t believe me, anyway. The recipes out there are way to complicated for my blood. They put in buttermilk and do this and that. And they cut the curd in nice squares and all. I don’t do any of that.

But ya know, now is the time to gather knowledge and experiment with making cheeses. I always, as a young wife, just wanted to know how to do all of this stuff. I wanted to make cheese enough to be able to say I knew how. And I sure learned how NOT to make it. I think we need confidence as Christian Homemakers. That if our family was to fall on hard times, we would have the confidence to know we could make it, anyway.

One thing I would sure recommend for this spring is to make a perennial garden. This means to plant stuff that will come up each year without you planting it. About half of my garden is for perennials. I have rhubarb and horseradish. A strawberry patch and raspberry bushes. All of this comes up every year right on time. We also have a wild plum tree that I make jam with and other things too. Well, the Christmas Cordial. We have 2 dwarf apple trees, too. This spring, Jim and the boys will plant some grape vines.

Also I want to get some asparagus to plant and this comes up every year, too.

It’s nice to get some perennials, as they are no work hardly at all. I mean you have to thin out the berry bushes and all, but ya know, that ain’t much work. And also if you know of someone who has a big garden with the perennials, they will be thinning them out and just ask them if you can have some. I know I hate to throw my plants away. And if I had a neighbor who needed them, I would give it to her. Ya know, this is how the Country Mothers always got their perennial gardens started. One neighbor would be thinning out the strawberry patch and would save some of the roots to give away.

I also plant a lot of flower bulbs like lilies. These come up every year and you don’t have to plant them. Black Eyed Susans are fun to have. I want to plant them this year. Do they come back each year? I think they do. And, of course, all of my herbs are perennials except the basil and a few others. But like tomatoes and all the peppers, you have to plant them each year.

I am looking forward this spring to teaching John and Christine about all of the herbs in my yard and what they are used for. How to make teas out of them, etc. My little yard is like a wild life preserve. Not with animals, I hope. But I let the herbs grow wild where they please.

I especially love the herbs. I guess one of my favorites is basil. And there are many kinds of basil and I like to grow as many kinds as I can afford.

I love my roses, too, and they come up each year. My favorite is the old fashioned 7 Sister roses that bloom just outside this window I am writing by. Then after them, I guess my second favorite is my Rose Hip Bushes right outside my side door that is behind me as I write.

I love my old black screen door. I told Jim that I would never move from here. Our home is a landmark of faith. It continues to be as the devil tries to run me off from it. “Give up on your family,” he tells me. But I am stayin’ here. This old house has a story to tell and I am gonna tell it on this two bit e-machine.

As Jim and me sat in discouragement yesterday, I told Wild Man, “Ya know, years ago, as I rocked our babies in that rockin’ chair, I said, ‘Lord, are ya sure this is all I am to do?’ And He said, ‘Yes, Connie, just rock the baby and don’t go anywhere. I will publish you and tell your story all over the world.’ I said, ‘You mean the city, right?’” I never knew he really meant the world. So, yeah, I am still stayin’ here. I guess He will take care of me as He always has. And my fine brood of kids.

Oh, those kids. Lord help me. But the Lord has taken care of us even if we are stinkers.

And I want to tell this story on A. before I go — hope I have room. Oh, boy, was she a stinker when we started this group. As I said before, the ladies would email me privately or call me long distance crying that A. took ‘em off the Response group for not writing. Oh, ho, they would get so insulted. I got mad at them and, for spite, gave the whole group to A. to let her run it as she pleased. And she has done a Bang up good job, too. I couldn’t have made it this far or gone as far as I have without her. And B., too, and each of you regulars play such a part in keeping this circus running. I am only a writer. Not an organizer at all. Not computer minded at all. And I know out of this group is coming some very fine writers and teachers. My girls are the best. And one of these days, Mary and Christian Joy will be helping me run this thing. The Lord is good and knows what He is doin’. All is well.

Good Morning Kitchen Saints,

I am up early makin’ coffee and planning my day. Papa bought me whole quart of cream for my coffee and to make yogurt with. I still have about 2 cups of yogurt left from my last batch. I may just make bread with it.

I a really anxious to make the yogurt again using the cream. Jim got the cream marked down to just 2 bucks for the quart because it was almost out dated. But yogurt made with cream is heavenly. My yogurt maker is just grand and makes the very best yogurt. It turns out very thick, even thicker than store bought. And, of course, it tastes so much better — it doesn’t taste so acid-y. It’s more mellow and rich. The last batch I made, I used regular milk and a can of evaporated milk.

Now this summer when the raspberries are plentiful, and the strawberries, this yogurt will work so wonderfully. The juice from the fruits won’t make this yogurt that thin as it is so thick.

I know this yogurt sounds so fattening. I learned to make yogurt when my children were home and they were very thin and loved this stuff. It’s so good for the children.

Also you can take your yogurt and make cream cheese with it. Just take a colander drainer? And put a thin white dish towel down in it? And then pour the yogurt into the towel and put it in the fridge to drain with a plate under it. Don’t cover it. It should be cream cheese in a day or so. As you drain all of the water out of it, it gets thick. Then just use it like you would any cream cheese.

You can use plain yogurt in place of sour cream. And if you make the yogurt and it doesn’t get thick, then you can use it like buttermilk in about any recipe. To make a nice table cheese, just let the cream cheese harden up more. Also when you make the cream cheese, you can add fresh herbs and salt to it. Or if you want it for bagels or muffins, you could just add sugar and some nice thick peach jam, or strawberry.

This cream cheese is so much more mellow and full bodied than store bought.

Good Morning. Yesterday, I prayed and wrote on paper, sitting by the kerosene burner to keep warm. I couldn’t write on the email. I asked the Lord if I would ever write again anything serious on here. He told me in my heart that my life will always have rises and falls. And that my writings would rise and fall, too.

Lately I have been under much duress. I don’t want to bring it all to the email as it is about my kids. Nothing big, no, but ya know, when it all happens at once, it gets to ya? I have been tired spiritually, but the Lord helped me yesterday as I wrote.

He told me that I was a book. I was marked by Him to write. And I will always write or die. The Lord told me that the only way I wouldn’t write is if I did die? Oh, is that why Satan keeps telling me to roll over and play dead? The Lord told me that if I will just keep breathin’ and walkin’ I will keep writing.

Ya know, as Christians, sometimes we come to a drop in the road. I have been there and done that. Sometimes in your battle, you come to a ditch and you can’t seem to come out. And the devil tells you that all hope is lost. The devil somehow proves to you that God is not with you and He has left you. Or that He isn’t real! Satan proves to you that all is lost and that you have lost the battle.

I remember being there in my marriage many years ago. But I didn’t quit? This happened to me after 12 years of marriage and Jim was to get out of prison, his fourth time. Jill took me down to the prison to pick Jim up. The devil had screamed at me what a fool I was, the whole 100 miles there. I was so danged scared that my head just pounded, my nerves were shot. I didn’t tell Jill the fear I had. I just sat quietly in the car, trying to hold my own. The devil screamed that I was a fool for believing God. I felt like I was walking over Niagara Falls on a tightrope in the dark. I had no experiences of faith to look back to. I had no testimonies that would tell me that Jim would be ok this time? I had nothing on my right side to hang onto or on my left. And Satan kept telling me as I walked that I was a fool.

I believed I was a fool. Satan had proved to me through the past 12 years that the scriptures on faith were not for me. And yet, in my heart, the flame that used to be huge was still flickering, although almost out. That little flame would flicker and tell me, “All things are possible to those who believe.” Or “Anything you ask in Jesus name you will receive.”

I thought in my heart, “Mercy, what if these promises are for today. I would hate to miss them.” I had never seen any real miracles up to then. Oh, I had read about them. But in my own life, I hadn’t really seen much. I had read books about miracles and followed the Ken Copeland ministry. But, ya know, if you are hurting and you keep hurting and the miracles don’t come for you, then you think, “Darlin’ they ain’t comin’.” Sure, someone can tell ya about a miracle, but if you need one, you gotta have it for yourself. And I mean Jill’s faith was about where mine was. Dixie helped but at the time I wasn’t with her a lot. So I was basically, at times, very much alone.

On top of that, when Jim did come out for the fourth time, he didn’t seem healed to me. He seemed pretty broken, like I was. He was so distant and his eyes wouldn’t focus on me when we talked. He was such a mental case and I was, too. And yet we both went on. And then he asked me to have our fourth child? Oh, God knows I was like, “No.” But God spoke to my heart to go on in faith and I did. And when Jim knew that I was pregnant and, yes, I still believed in him, then our lives seemed to reverse. Jim became healed and in his right mind. He started to take care of himself and me and the family.

Of course, there was many hard years up ahead of us. But they were trials within the love and comfort of home. I was never alone again without my husband. Jim was truly set free.

And, God knows, I don’t judge those who are divorced. MaryL has been my mentor for at least 30 years. And she is divorced and remarried as a Christian. But, for me, the scriptures say that we are married to our husbands for as long as we live. And, no, divorce is not the unpardonable sin. But when I used to pray when my marriage was so bad, I used to cry out to God to let me divorce.

On my knees, I wept and cried with Bible open — for the life of me, I couldn’t understand how the Christians about me were divorcing. I didn’t get it. But I wanted to get a divorce, too. Sometimes, I would curse the Lord I loved. I would tell Jesus that He had only been on the cross for a few days. I had been suffering for years. I thought He didn’t love me. I thought he wasn’t there with me in my grief. I weighed just 100 pounds. I was alone, poor, and forsaken, and I had children to raise and to care for. This house was falling down at my feet, But I had to be right with God at all costs. I just had to know Him and His will.

Of course, after I would curse my Jesus, I would cry out in sorrow for Him to forgive me. Where was I to go? Only Jesus had the words of life. I couldn’t leave Him, as he was my counselor and provider. And God did help me and He healed Jim. And now, in my later years, I have a home that Jim paid off and I have a husband who has proved to me now, for 26 years, that I am his beloved.

I am safe now in the arms of Jesus. And yet, as one family member seems to be home free, we have those who are not. And yet the beat goes on. We have to carry our faith on, as a flaming torch of light, to show it to the family members who need it. We, as the old war horses of faith, get our own ducks in a row get good and comfy, and we turn around to see so much heartache in back of us. And we should be mete for the match but we never are.

We can’t store the manna from heaven — it is always daily? We want to think our own kids will be ok because we went through so much that they shouldn’t have to? Well, God doesn’t have any grandchildren. And your miracles can help your kids’ lives but they won’t heal them. They have to go to throne of God, just like their parents did and find Jesus on their own. The stories of faith can be stored away in words but not the manna. The manna has to be fresh and gathered daily.

He is our daily bread. And, yes, every morning, His promises are yes and amen. We want to rest in the old things we have learned and yet it don’t work that way. Jesus is alive and wants to communicate with us daily. And sometimes all we can do in our faith is just keep breathin’ and livin’. And if thats all you can do, then, do that. And as you go, He will lift you up and give you a road to walk on.

He is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet. In the dark, we do what we did before, what is familiar to us, what is do-able until He comes to help us. Until the new manna is given to us, a new anointing. And I promise you, I promise you that Jesus is with you. He is with you especially when you don’t think He is. He is the lover of your soul. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Yes, He was with me and He has given me many testimonies of His miracles. Jim was healed and I went on to have 3 more children. Jim gives me so much love and honor and peace now. He protects me and watches over me as a gentle Shepard. I had 12 years of heartache but now God has given me a double blessing for all that I suffered. I have had now 27 years of a peaceful fruitful marriage.

There are bumps in the road concerning my children, but the foundation of my home is built upon Christ. I have my temple in the Wilderness. It’s blood bought and God breathed. Not built with human hands but with the tears and prayers of the saints.

Be faithful to the end and you will see His glory.

OK, last evening, Jim wanted me to make baked apples. So I still had the pan with the drippings of butter and brown sugar and cinnamon in it. Then, this morning, I made pancakes and had some leftover pancake batter, about a half cup. So I took the fryin’ pan that I had the baked apples in (from the night before) and I cut up about 4 big apples and put them in the syrupy pan. I sliced them thin. Then I put a bit of water in the pan and cooked the apples a bit. Don’t cover the apples, use just about a cup of water. Then, when they were bubbling, I poured the leftover pancake batter over the top, and now, I am baking the apples in a hot oven.

The pancake batter is very thin and will make a nice top crust of the apples. You can put cinnamon and sugar on the top. I had diluted the pancake batter with a bit of the syrup from the pan so it is sweet and a thin batter. I should write The Leftovers Cook Book.

Ya know, I am too woolly and haphazard to make yogurt without a yogurt maker. I mean, with yogurt, you have to follow the directions. So I had to get a yogurt maker. I got me a wonderful one at the Salvation Army. I went right home and started the yogurt and, oh, it turned out good. The maker is a West Bend and it doesn’t look like it was ever used.

I don’t like the yogurt makers with the little jars with the lids. But I found one that is a plastic container that is quart sized. And you make the yogurt and put it in this plastic container. Then you put the container into the warmer and plug it in. After like 10 or so hours, you have yogurt. You just take the plastic container out of the warmer and put it in the fridge.

Mine is thick now but will get thicker in the fridge. I just love it all. It cost 4 bucks but it was worth it. It is brand new and, I don’t think, ever used.

A few days ago, as Em was here, she was saying that she remembered the old health food store we all went to. Ya know, that one I had written about. I thought it had been torn down earlier but Em said, no, that she remembered going there with her Mom when she was about 5 years old. Emily says, “The new Pioneer stores weren’t as good. I didn’t like them, as they were too clean.” Ya know, Dixie always said that if a house was too clean, then something crazy was goin’ on there. If there was no dishes out, or children’s toys on the floor, it wasn’t right. Showed that the family was only watchin’ TV and not doing any work.

Dixie used to come my house with Emily, late afternoon, just before they were to head back to the farm after grocery shopping. Well, you know my kids were artists and writers and musicians and I had papers everywhere and art projects goin’ on. I had 2 pianos and a chord organ in the living room. Then, of course, I was always cookin’ and had stuff on the stove and in the oven all the time. And when Dixie and Em would come, I would try to clean everything up all at once. Oh, I was a sorry sight, runnin’ like crazy to pick stuff up and at least clear the table to have coffee. I would apologize and say, “I am sorry my house is such a mess, etc. etc.”

Dixie would say, “Of course your house is a mess. You have 6 children.” Well, too, I had a dog and various other creatures running about that I didn’t even know I had until it was quiet. One time, a chipmunk jumped through the broken screen door. I tried to catch it, but then decided I needed some gloves, as I didn’t want to get bit? And I got in my drawer quickly to find gloves and all I could find was my old prom gloves from 1965. So I wore them and somehow caught the chipmunk. If anyone was here with a camera, I know I would be published in Mad Magazine. God knows, I am glad I ain’t. But, yes, the kids tried to help me catch the chipmunk but you know kids. They think its all funny and wanted to keep him.

I was always serious about getting crazy things back out of my house, not my kids. But whatever creatures the cat helped in, Jim, when he would get home from work, would want to rest? And to stop the parade just short of his return home was never easy. But I always thought of Dixie saying, “Of course your house is a mess. You have 6 children.”

Well, I also had a fruitful dog that had a litter of 14 pups about every 6 months. Also, I had 25 rabbits in the backyard. Jimmy, our oldest, was given a pregnant rabbit for his birthday. Her name was Aunt Jessica. I grew comfrey in my garden and fed them this with rabbit pellets? Well, comfrey is what they used to feed race horses in the old days? Well, our rabbits were as strong as miniature bulls. And big? Oh, my gosh! I finally sold them to this old Indian squaw I met at the grocery store. Those rabbits were as big as Thanksgiving turkeys and I bet those 25 rabbits lasted her all winter, and well into the spring.

I remember when the kids were all home and I got out of bed, my feet hit the floor running and I went all day until I collapsed in bed. I was tryin’ all the time to sell rabbits and puppies, sometimes kittens. This is all just after Jim got saved? The poor guy — it’s a wonder he didn’t run the other way. He would actually come home to all of us and seemed to be ok. But, anyway, all of this to say, don’t worry about messing your house up to live happily with your brood. But just clean it up just before your husband comes home from work. Make sure the evening is quiet for him and teach the children to respect Papa. He needs to come home to a quiet home and be able to unwind and watch TV for a bit before bed.

Our men have their own trials and tribulations. They need the stillness of a home where they are honored. And by 8:00, I put my children to bed. They could read books in their beds until they were tired. But the home was closed for business.

Yesterday, Jill and I spent the afternoon with Jane, Jill’s sister. She is 48 and just recently came to the Lord. She has been in the so called Gay Lifestyle for many years. And now she is on fire for Jesus. She got saved about 6 months ago and I hadn’t seen her for a few months. Wow! Is she a wonderful testimony.

We have prayed for her for years. And now that she is saved, her whole body is changing. She is becoming a real woman. We are believing the Lord for a husband for her. I gave her one of my aprons. She says, “I want to let my hair grow as long as I can get it.” She says that all she wants to do is get married and have children and be stay at home mother.

I asked her to write her testimony and I would take it as far as I could get it to go on the internet. So she wrote it out for me in long hand. I kinda want to put it in my Daughters of a New Revolution Newsletter. But will I ever get that done? If I don’t, I will just send Jane’s writing to you, Michelle, and will you scan it and put it on the group site. And also I would love it on our web page.

We have prayed for Jane for many years and this is a wonderful victory for Jill’s family and for me. Jane even goes to church. But Jane would be the first to tell ya that Lesbians are not born that way.

Jill and Jane and I went to the restaurant up town and had a ball over coffee. Then we came back here after Wild Man had gone to work and we prayed in the Spirit. As they left to go home, I gave Jane a book about having babies. I told her to surround her life with being the wise woman who builds her home. There is so much power in wisdom. She said she was studying Proverbs 31. Earlier, as we prayed, big tears dropped from Jane’s eyes as she said, “I will never go back to being Gay again.” Soon she plans to go on a retreat with some other strong Christians. Up to the mountains to pray for a week. Jane is very sincere and, truly, God is with her.

When we got back here from being at the coffee shop, I ran back in the house to my kitchen, as I had started some yogurt, and I needed to put the starter in. Jane got such a bang out of my kitchen. She said, “Connie, I am reading your book and the first part about what you said about your hands being all dirty from gardening. I remember your hands when we first met, years ago. Jill had brought me to your house and your hands were just fresh out of the garden and all dirty.” That’s probably what scared her away!

But Dixie, Jill and I had prayed for Jane, probably 20 years ago, at Dixie’s farm and she got healed for a while. But then she went back to the Gay lifestyle. But this time, she hasn’t and, of course, we are all so happy for Jane.

I told Jane I would take her everywhere I go on the internet. The problem is, though, that I ain’t goin’ anywhere lately. But when I get my second wind, and stuff starts slowin’ down, I plan to start a Revolution. Ya know, when I get time? Well it ain’t time I am worried about — it’s Guts? Mine are all gone lately. I don’t know if I have had one too many crazy things happen to me? But I need prayer for a spine?

Also yesterday, my sausage was cooked and so I sliced this for my company and it was good. The 5 Tbs of curing salt didn’t hurt it all a bit, even though it was supposed to be 5 tsps of salt not 5 Tbs. Jill had brought banana nut bread and it was so good, too. We had a ball!

Well, yesterday on the group, we discussed Yohimbe bark and refrigerator biscuits. So what’s the discussion today? God only knows.

Well, today I will cook my Summer Sausage. Jim’s hands are stronger than mine and I have him mixing it up and shaping it into long logs to bake. You have to knead it each day for 3 days and then shape it into long logs to bake on the fourth day. The house will smell good with the sausage in the stove all day. I can smell the fragrance of garlic and black pepper as Jim is shaping the loaves at the table beside me. I will add more black pepper and garlic powder over the top, just before I put them in the oven. I will keep them on a low temp all day and keep turning them so they will stay round and tube like.

Today I think I will make goulash for our noon meal. Then Wild Man has to go to work in the late afternoon. Goulash is so good. When Dan first moved out, he would come back home and say, “Mom, do you have any leftover goulash in the fridge?” Oh, we Hultquists have eaten a ton of goulash in our day. I just cook hamburger with an onion and some green pepper, and drain it. Then I add the cooked macaroni, diced tomatoes, and a can of mixed vegetables. And either a few cans of tomato sauce or tomato soup. We just eat this in a bowl and eat bread and butter with it. Probably a few pickles, too. I love mine with potato chips and soda pop. Or a pan of cornbread would be good. But my oven is full of sausage, so no cornbread today.

I could make Squaw Bread in a fryin’ pan on the stove. Ya just take baking powder biscuits, cut the dough up, and fry it in a greased cast iron skillet. Make sure the skillet is hot before you lay the dough down on it. I roll my dough out a bit thinner than I would for biscuits and then I just cut the dough in pieces. This is a quick way to make a lunch bread to have with soup or something. My Mother used to make this for us children at home.

But back to the goulash! You could even just take a box of Mac and Cheese and make it as usual and then put in the fried meat and tomato stuff. It’s good like that, too.

Now we could discuss all the ways to make Mac and Cheese. I know we have discussed all of this before. But there are a lot of new ladies that would probably like the discussion. Aunt Toot used to add a can of prepared chili to hers and her family liked it like that. You can add any of the creamed soups to the prepared Mac and Cheese. It makes it more creamy. How do you all make yours? I sometimes just add more cheese. Even the cheese in a jar you use for tacos would be good to add to the Mac and Cheese after it is made.

Well, Happy Homemaking. Keep a smile on your face. Keeps the devil wondering what you are up to! Get some lovin’ in your oven and your apron tied on tight for the day. Kitchen Saints, use your weapons of warfare, your cooking utensils in your kitchen.

Exalt Wisdom and she will promote you.

Emily came to visit last evening. Peggy Sue, our big yellow cat, sat on the arm of the sofa and looked Emily straight in the eyes as she talked. Peggy Sue is nosy plus she is a gossip. So Em and I had to watch what we said. But we had a nice evening.

I told Emily I thought she had really come to the group to pray for me. She encourages me so much, as she remembers as a child all that I say about her mom Dixie. And Jill is like a second mother to her. So Emily will be a great help to me as I write. The Lord seems to send so many good helpers to me, as I sure need them. Mary L is always there to give me pep talks. I so need each of you for so many reasons. Emily is just learning to use the computer so she didn’t know, to reply to the group, to just push the reply button. I wonder how many other ladies don’t know that. And Em is like one of my kids — she is young. And I don’t agree with her on some stuff. But I love my own kids and I don’t agree always with them, either. But Emily has a lot to offer the group. I have encouraged her to write every day on here about her mom, Dixie.

Dixie had to fight the schools, too, when she home schooled. Emily said the public school would threaten her mom about bringing Em to school for the Basic skills tests. “You will go to jail if you don’t bring your daughter to school on Friday to be tested.” Dixie paid them no mind. Dixie would have fallen asleep on a robber if her house was to be invaded. She had a trust in God at times that was unreal. Emily and her mom were prayer partners as well as daughter and mom. I understand now why it is so hard for Em because her mom always kept her so busy with spiritual things. Dixie died about 3 years ago.

But I hope this group will help Em as she writes about her mom and is again in the thick of spiritual things. Not that Em isn’t in the thick of spiritual things now, as she is always praying. But this will be different spiritual things.

Dixie’s passing was a great loss to all of us. She was a spiritual giant and never left the house. But I will let Emily have a turn and tell us many stories about her mother.

OK, you girls quit talkin’ about Yohimbe bark. It’s too funny! I sent Aunt Toot the story I told on her and she I will want to kill me.

Michelle sent a good recipe for muffins using the refrigerator biscuits. Christine, John’s wife, and I were talking about using those, too. In the 70’s, we girls had a ball using refrigerator biscuits. I got some on sale lately for 25¢ a pkg so I will make some treats with them. Our family isn’t into the real sweet desserts. We hate Krispy Kreme donuts. Ick. So Christine and I were talkin’ about the donuts made form the refrigerator biscuits.

You just put a giant hole in the biscuits and deep fry them. Then, when they are done, just sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon. Or with powdered sugar. Or you could lightly frost them. You could make jelly donuts by just putting a Tbs of jam on the biscuit and wrapping the biscuit around it. Michelle’s recipe would be good for the cream filled muffins using cream cheese and put them in a muffin tin.

I used to make pies with the refrigerator bisuits. You just take one of the biscuits and flatten in on a greased cookie sheet, till it looks like a pancake? Then take a spoonful of cherry pie filling, or apple or whatever, and put this in the center, then flatten the next biscuit and put this on the top. Just press the edges good with a fork. Cut a hole in the top to let out the steam. Then you could put sugar on the top or cinnamon, too. You can get about 5 pies on each cookie sheet. These are great to send in husband’s lunch, as they stay together and can be eaten with your hands.

Also, I used to make up tuna salad and put this in the biscuits like I did the pies. These are so good hot, or even leftovers cold. You could put sesame seeds on these tuna pies. Make an egg wash and put that on first so the sesame seeds will stay on. You can do anything with this idea.

Another idea is to take the biscuits and flatten them out on a cookie sheet and make personal pizzas for the kids. Let them help and put on the tomato sauce. Maybe if they like hot dogs they could put some on thinly sliced and, over that, sprinkle cheese. Then bake them. Also, we would take hot dogs and wrap them in the refrigerator biscuits. When done, the kids would dip these in ketchup.

I mean we did everything with these refrigerator biscuits. I always had these in my fridge and will again. And I don’t mean the big expensive biscuits. NO, these are the cheapest ones. And, no, they aren’t homemade but they are alotta fun, for the kids, especially.

You could even take the biscuits and roll them out like long snakes and make bread sticks. Rub them with an egg wash. Just take an egg and beat it with some water and slick it on the bread stick dough. Then you could put on the bread stick stuff like sesame seeds, garlic salt, etc., or whatever. These would be fun to have with soup. I saw Martha S. make bread sticks once and she just rolled out her dough in long snakes, and then she wadded them up on the end of the pan from left to right lengthwise so the dough would stay long and thin. Pinch dough to the edge? But, well, with these refrigerator biscuits, you would want to go across the pan, as I don’t think they would reach the long ways.

But just play with this dough like you did Play dough as a kid. Make all kinds of goodies. Have a ball. Knock yourself out.

Keep your kitchens fun, warm and loving. Children happy! Jolly Homemaking.

The Hippy 70’s

Oh my, the 70’s were a hoot. There was a rush of homemaking back then. And I haven’t seen another one since. Well, I say that with tongue in cheek, as the Revolution hasn’t come yet. But when it does, hmmm, look out, devil.

But Jill’s son Tony says he wont get married until he finds a woman who looks like his mom did in the 70’s. We young homemakers ran about our homes with the long hair and long, flowered skirts. Soup was on and had every vegetable you could think of in it. Jill put so many health food things in her bread that it made her sick.

We went to this health store, Emily, before we met your mom? I think it was torn down by the time we met Dixie. Oh, that place was a shack and Jill and I couldn’t wait to get enough food stamps together to get to the health food store to spend them. Was that a place to go! I talked Jim into taking me once and he and the kids were in the car. And he parked a few blocks away so no one would know he was with me. Well, the ladies there didn’t shave their underarms and wore sleeveless blouses, and long, flowering, flowing skirts. No, Jim said “No” after going once with me after he was saved. “I ain’t goin’ in there again. You can go but leave me out of it.”

Well, see, this was back when the herbs weren’t even popular or the health foods? Back in the 60’s, folks trusted in everyone who came down the pike. If ya didn’t buy food from a regular store, then you were a hippy? Our world was different then. But anyway, we would go to this little store and they always had soup on the stove in the back room which added to the mood of the store. Jill and I would buy all kinds of dried beans in bulk and loads of fresh dried herbs. We would bring our own jars and buy corn oil from a large vat with a spigot? We would spend hours there, just soakin’ up the atmosphere. Oh, we were a riot.

Well, it’s gettin’ busy here at the house, so I better go. Have happy days with the family. Keep your apron on and a smile on your face. Busy hands are happy hands.