"Cures" in the Country - Honey and Cinnamon

The following information regarding Honey and Cinnamon came in an email forward from one of my sisters. She nor I lay claim to the validity, authenticity or reality of these concoctions, but I found these ideas interesting and wanted to pass them on to you. 

I believe there is so much we don't know about natural sources for healthy living and I feel strongly about utilizing/consuming as many natural products as possible; I abhor GMO's - genetically altered products - that we're finding in nearly every foodstuff , grain, seeds and so much more these days.  May I suggest that if you do choose to use some of these, you will be better served to consume honey that has been produced in your area.  Many people believe that honey has natural allergy fighting components when honey from local sources is used.
And now, here's that email:

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. What it will do is what some call 'turning to sugar'. In reality, honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will "crystallize". When this happens loosen the lid, boil some water and set the honey container in the hot water, but turn off the heat and let it liquefy naturally. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. This will kill the enzymes in the honey.
Cinnamon and Honey

Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases.
Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:
HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.
ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily (morning and night) one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain. 
BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder. 
CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.
COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses.
UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from its root.
GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.
INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals
INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.
LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.
RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.
PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.
SKIN INFECTIONS:Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.
WEIGHT LOSS:Daily in the morning one half hour before
breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.
FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.
BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

Country Jars Part III

Glass Jars and Bottles and Decanters, Oh My!!!Reduce .. Reuse .. Recycle .. Repurpose .. Redo

If any of these “RE” words are in your regular vocabulary, then I imagine that you use and “REsomething” your glass jars, bottles and decanters. Welcome to my world.

A while back I asked for “your” Glass Jar ideas and I got some wonderful responses, so, here goes:

My sister, June, suggested this article. We grew up with canning jars and glass jelly jars that were reused for juice glasses. They were cute, and were indicative of the current “hero or cartoon character”.. I remember one with Howdy Doodey, and another with Hop A-Long Cassidy. I also remember when Clorox® came in dark brown glass containers.

From June in New Mexico:

I use them regularly to store left-overs. The food can easily be reheated and the storage is vertical, taking up less refrigerator space. Make hanging lights: put votive in jar; fasten wire around grooves and wire hanging handles from wire. Paint the jar, etc. hang and light the candle. Or just put candle in jar and set on table. Pretty and quite countrified. I do all the above.

(Author’s note … not only can you store food in glass, you can reheat that food in that container in the microwave and not worry about noxious chemicals emitted from plastics).

From daughter, Greta in Illinois:

I realllllly liked your wine glass... btw!! (Author note: Thanks, Greta). OK Jars...
First, the BEST way to clean labels off... Fill jar with HOT water. Immerse jar, at least up to the label, in a larger container filled with HOT water, add up to a TBSP of Dish Soap, I like Dawn® best; let sit at least 10 minutes. Use a green scrubby to get remaining glue off... it'll be easy! Do not put jars with labels in your dishwasher, it will clog, and the works will get gummed up from the glue. 
I like big mason jars for drinking out of. With Kids around, they don't break as easily. Sweet Tea is best! 
To store stuff. I have a button collection, and I use washed out Jars of various shapes and sizes for holding ‘em. 
Baby food jar lids can be nailed onto the underside of a shelf. Anything from spices to stamps and paper clips to screws and bolts can be put in the jars, which you then screw onto their lids. This makes a wonderful father’s/mother’s day project! 
Baby food jars are also great for sharing a portion of your favorite beauty product (like lotion) with a friend, so they don't have to purchase a full size to see if they like it. The mouths are wide enough to get a couple of fingers in. 
Make mini terrariums! 
Make a 3D scrap-book page of someones interests, or a recent trip. 
Make Candles!

From Niece Maria in New Mexico:

We buy marinara sauce that comes in re-usable canning jars so we have boxes of the jars. Some summers we have our act together and can our own pasta sauce (I can send you the recipe & directions if you like). We have boxes and boxes of these jars. 
Last Christmas, I found a great jar use in NM Magazine®. They made biscotti (biscochito & pinon*) and other pretty cookies. They put them into quart jars and decorated the lid. I made their biscotti and some cocoa biscotti. I put them in the jars alternating the colors, then put some chocolate covered treats (espresso beans, almonds, cranberries) and some that were Christmas colored too. I used a Christmas cocktail napkin on the top of the jar with gold elastic bows. They were pretty gifts for co-workers!
This could be used for Valentines Day, St. Pats, Easter too. enjoy!
* (author note: Away from the “Great Southwest: you know this nut as a Pine Nut and is pronounced Peen-yohn’).

VA friend Marty:

for the man in the house, my dad used jars in his garage for storing nails and small items. He would screw the lid into the wall and then screw the jar full of bits into the lid.
My niece used all different sizes and kinds of jars for her reception dinner. She put wild flowers in them and it looked really cute.

Friend Susan in CO:
We have always used mason jars to make sun tea: two to four tea bags in a quart of water set in the sun for 4 hours makes some great tea!

Friend Eva in VA:

In Sweden I used to pick mushrooms in the forest, then I dried them on newspapers for 3 day's and stored them for years in jars. Also I used to grow alpha sprouts in an upside down jar with a cloth as a lid. just rinsed the sprouts once a day thru the cloth. Here in the United States (son) Tray came home from school and told me that; he was supposed to do a project and grow beans... He needed 8 containers and then I found a box of jars at Kroger that he used...It worked perfect.

And,
From your author, Cat.
I have a plethora of uses for glass containers, here are just a few.  I do NOT like to look at modern labels, so I store analgesics in clear glass containers, such as little bottles and jars (one of my most favorite jars to repurpose is a horseradish jar).  Most of my pasta, potatoes, dry milk, dry beans. homemade tea and hot cocoa mixes are all in large jars and containers on the counter. Some of the lids are cork, some are screw-on, some are hinged.  A wide-mouth quart Ball®  rests on my desk. holding several pairs of scissors.

© 2011 Cat Brennan © 2011 Aunt Cat's Place

COUNTRY POTIONS

Regarding this blog, COUNTRY POTIONS, NO, I’m not into brewing something for the broom pilots; rather, some good old fashioned ideas to ease your life.



Credit the idea for this particular blog to my oldest daughter, ALisa. She considers baking soda and vinegar to be her magic powers. She uses vinegar in the washing machine to remove odors, especially from towels. Just add it to the water, soak for 30 minutes and then wash with detergent. “Also, every so often”, she continues, “pour baking soda and then vinegar down the sink drains to clean out the gunk. I use baking soda to clean and shine my ceramic stove top.”


More from the Country Cat:


My mom was a devoted coffee drinker, with real sugar and half and half, thank you very much. At the end of the week, she set her thermos jug to soak, filled with baking soda and water. Not only did it eliminate the stale odors, it removed the stains.


Sometimes I carry a little Playmate® cooler for my lunch and it does get grungy! I put some hot water in the cooler with ¼ cup baking soda and let it soak for a little while. Then, I use that same water to scrub the inside and outside; and it almost sparkles.


Vinegar is a good cat repellent... if you can put up with the odor for a little while, you may be able to train the cat. Place a little bowl of vinegar where you don’t want your cat to take up residence. Do you have a large favorite house plant that snowball has made her favorite sand box spot? Place a small bowl of vinegar on the plant surface, and you shouldn’t have anymore problems with Fluffy relieving himself in the ficus.


Here are some responses from YOU.. With regard to how YOU use SALT and/or VINEGAR … and a few other items, easily found around the house:


Maria in New Mexico wrote that she uses vinegar to polish copper. She uses a vinegar/water solution to spray her kitchen counters and dining tables to clean them; it disinfects and doesn’t leave a poisonous residue like some commercial cleaners. Maria further writes that, “I use salt to wash my hands if I’ve handled onions or a mildew sponge.”


From Noelle in Virginia, “We used salt water to rinse out Windy’s mouth after her 4 teeth extraction (her daughter). She continued, “I used vinegar to clean out my used water dispenser when I first got it. It had some sort of cleaner taste to it – after a few rinses with the vinegar, it rinsed out”. Noelle added that regular and especially kosher salt makes a great abrasive to clean off tough spots on the counter. “My mother used to have us dust the furniture with a mixture of vinegar and warm water”.


Susan, in Colorado, uses salt and vinegar to clean copper, and she does it frequently. Susan further writes, “This is the method used by French chefs at the Cordon Bleu.”


Pam, also in Colorado, says that lemon and salt clean a copper bottom pan and that distilled vinegar is the best drain deodorizer.


Susan S., RN, BSN in Goochland writes that she uses vinegar for cleaning purposes. “If I have spots in the tub or sink I spray them with vinegar or let it soak for a while, then the stain comes right out.


Marti uses salt to clean her cast iron skillet. “Just rub it around and it will soak up the grease and scrub off the food. Helps to keep it seasoned as well.” Marti continues with this: “To whiten those –once-white tennis shoes, soak them in salt water and them leave them out in the sun to dry.” She gets rid of odors with a mixture or vinegar and water.


Christina writes that she uses a vinegar water solution to clean all her wood floors and tables. She also keeps a spray bottle of water/vinegar to clean produce, using a 3:1 ratio.


Laurel uses vinegar to clean her coffee maker (I also do this, following the vinegar wash with at least 2 full pots of water).


Gwen wrote that she uses diluted vinegar on the spots that have been marked by either a cat or a dog; again using a 3:1 ratio. She just pours it on the spot and then absorb with an old towel. Gwen said, “The lady who shared the with me said she never had any spots when they got a new puppy because she used this solution; same with other friends with sofas and kitties”. Gwen’s MiL used vinegar to clean windows etc.


Lisa gargles with salt water when she has mouth sores. Her mum used to pour a bowl of diluted vinegar over her rinsed hair to make it shiny, but it tasted gross.  Lisa added another trick, “When my hands or feet are very dry, I mix salt with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and rub in on, then wash if off; you get lovely soft, smooth hands and feet.” (ed. note: Who knew that R.R’s. EVOO could be so handy out of the kitchen?).

Finally, Noelle found an interesting paragraph on the ‘net regarding her kitty, Althea, and fleas. “Home Remedy for Flea Control” … the are a number of home remedies to kill fleas, but to make them lasting, it’s most essential to disinfect your home, so that these fleas don’t find a suitable environment to exist in. The favorite flea haunt in your home are your pet’s furnishings, so wash the dog bedding regularly by adding eucalyptus essential oil to the final rinse, this oil is so effective that it kills 99% of he house dust mites too! Also, by vacuuming the home thoroughly and sprinkling a fine layer of ordinary table salt over the upholstery and carpets, you can evict these unwelcome guests safely.


© Cat Brennan 2010

Back to School in the Country or in the City

Didn't summer just begin?  Didn't the swimming pools just open?  Wasn't it only yesterday that we lamented the snow and the cold? And, hasn't the Musical Ice Cream Truck just arrived in the neighborhood?
"IT" certainly seems so!  However, the start of the new school year is just around the corner, in fact, some started this week.

School supplies and new clothing must be purchased! Those shopping expeditions were always wonderful treats when I was in school.  New clothes and those hideous, but good-for-your-feet Saddle Oxfords were on The List. I really wanted to wear "Mary Jane's" or "flats" or "penny loafers", but until I was twelve the only choice I had in the shoes-for-school department was black and white or brown and white Saddle Oxfords.

How times do change.  When my oldest daughter was in school, the LAST thing I even considered buying for her was the hated pair of Saddle Oxfords; that is until I realized that she wanted them!

The year I was in the fifth grade, "all the girls" were wearing petal pushers and flip-flops (back then, we called them thongs but that has taken on a whole different meaning now). I mean everyone had this dress code: how many times did our parents hear the line, "But Everybody Is..."? So, my mother, ever the peace maker, told me that when Mrs. Pollack wore petal pushers and flip flops to school, then I could as well.  Everyone has had a "Mrs. Pollack" in school at one time or another. Now, don't get me wrong, Genevieve Pollack was a wonderful teacher, and I truly loved her, but I knew I was doomed, never to wear petal pushers and flip flops to school!  Seeing Mrs. Pollack wearing these in-style wardrobe items had about as much chance of happening as a Baptist being the next Pope. In today's vernacular, NOT!!!

My grand children range in age from school teacher to 3 months old. Many will be returning to school, some are just starting and some are left behind. Those little one who don't "get" to go to school yet may not be real happy with mama.  Why not buy your little "left-behinder" an inexpensive back pack (can double as a suitcase for going to gramma's?). Add a few crayons, a pencil, a tablet and even a coloring book or two and that wee one will show you some happy.

My first experience in school was at the tender age of 3!  When my mother went back to college to get her certificate to teach in New Mexico, I stayed with family friends who taught school on the Santo Domingo Indian Reservation. I was in the fifth grade that year since one of these friends taught that grade.  We lived at the reservation during the week and I attended classes every day. Then on Friday, we headed back to town and home for the weekend. I'm sure my sisters can testify about their precocious little sister. Nonetheless, I could read and write and count when I officially started first grade three years later; we didn't have kindergarten or pre-K in those days so these abilities were a rarity.

My mom started her teaching career in West Virginia in one room school houses. How I wish I could remember some of her stories.  She told one story about the little boy whose name was 'Gooey', but 'Gooey' didn't know how to spell the name, so his mama came in one day. When my mom asked her about the little boy's name, she told her that she had read it in a book. She spelled it out: G-U-Y ... Gooey!!!

Whether your youngin's are in the country or city; whether they will go to public or private schools or be home schooled, learning can be a wonderful experience for them. Show them how to: Grow beans in a jar!  Make salt crystals! Make paper cup and string telephones! Show them the "magic" of sand and a simple magnet. Discover wonderful words in the dictionary! Measure everything in the house with a yard stick! Just lead them to learn, and love them while you're at it. 

You don't have to live in the country to learn the ways of country living! 

© 2010 Cat Brennan

This Little Piggy . . .

Have you seen the price of bacon these days? Certainly gives pause when hearing the expression that “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” .. In my not-so-humble opinion, the sow’s ear IS the silk purse.

At the supermarket, these days, most of the time, you don’t even buy a pound (16 oz) of bacon anymore. No sir-ree! Most of the cured and sliced pig is packaged into 12 ounce portions. This last trip to the market, the least expensive selection was priced at two for six dollars. And that was the “I-never-heard-of-that-brand-before brand” – not a lot of lean meat showing on the few and strangely irregular slices peeking through the little lift-up-the-flap window. Look at it this way .. calculator out and in hand: that 12 ounce package at three dollars would make it four dollars a pound. Not bad. But wait! When the bacon is cooked, you are left with something like 20% food and 80% cooked-off grease. Unless you use and consume all of that grease, you have just paid four dollars for three point two ounces of meat, making that 12 ounce package of bacon actually cost ten dollars or thirteen dollars and thirty three cents pound. Filet mignon, yes! Lobster, definitely. But bacon??? I don’t think so. On the other hand, what are you actually paying if you choose The Brand bacon at $11 or $12 a package (still 12 oz)???

Back in the 1900’s, I’m guessing in the thirties or forties, my dad had a farm where he raised hogs, among other things. He told me one time that when he got a nickel (5¢) a pound, he felt rich.

So the little ‘ditty’ has changed and goes something like this:

(Old: This little piggy went to market)
   This little piggy went shopping at the exclusive organic food boutique,(Old: This little piggy stayed at home)
   This little piggy stayed at his castle lounging by the pool,(Old: This little had roast beef)
   This little piggy had Sushi,
(Old: And this little piggy had none)
   This little piggy is on a diet of Perrier and black Russian caviar.
(Old: And this little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way home).
   And this little piggy went oui oui oui all the way to his maison in Paris.

This country gal loves to cook with her bacon, and for those few times when “ya just gotta have it” .. and can’t bring yourself to use the already-cooked-and-chopped-up-in-a-package variety, try this sweet little trick.

Purchase the bacon, bring it home and freeze it solid – no cheating! When you’re ready to use it, remove from the freezer. Unwrap and discard the outer cardboard packaging (if it comes that way). Cut a small slit in the plastic wrapping and microwave on high for ONE minute. Remove from the plastic and cut into small pieces going across the bacon. The easiest way to cut it is with a pair of kitchen scissors, but a good, sharp knife will work with the nearly frozen bacon. Continue with regular cooking method from here.

If you only need a half a package, after the one minute in the microwave, cut the entire package in half, wrap the unused portion in freezer-safe wrap, label and freeze (no, it won’t harm it as the bacon has not been completely thawed). Or, you can cook the entire package and freeze what you don’t need at this time.

Since my dad is mentioned earlier, I thought you might enjoy a little bit more of his wonderful, cantankerous, generous and always fun personality. This man was and still is my hero. Since my folks were adults during the GREAT DEPRESSION, they learned how to live on less than . . . and they passed so much wisdom on to their three daughters.

Daddy often bought bent, dented, and no-more-label canned goods; no, not exclusively, but if something was a bargain, he bought it! We always had an excess of canned goods and never did without.

He always bought what was on sale and we were blessed to be raised with a variety of foods … I still refuse to eat Scrambled Beef Brains and Rocky Mountain Oysters, but I do have a broad range of food tastes.

Once, my mom had to explain that just because Daddy kept a lot of postage stamps in his desk, he did NOT get them on sale at the post office….big surprise to me as I thought he got everything at a bargain!

One time, Daddy bought a batch of small cans that had no labels. They turned out to be “people food” but my mom was concerned that they could have been cat food, but she dutifully opened them. She was relieved to discover edible food for her family instead of cat food.

I admit to shopping the same way. If the can does not have any sign of liquid on the outside and is not “bulging” it’s safe. Why not save forty or fifty cents on a bent can?

Easter with all its Promises is just around the corner. Have a Blessed time in your House of Worship and please remember why we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Christ.

Have a wonderful Country Week as we watch and hope for Spring-like weather.        © 2010 Cat Brennan

Country Spring Days

March is full of Country Spring Living days. We’ve already been blessed with some deliciously warm days. Just a couple of weeks ago, we all were wearing heavy coats with our necks toasty; scarves wrapped or knotted in place. Today, here in Central Virginia, all of God’s creatures were out in short sleeved shirts and I saw a lot of shorts while trying not to be blinded by the neon-white legs.

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward this Saturday night, March 14th before you go to bed. Day Light Savings Time kicks in and you don’t want to be an hour late for church.

Saint Patrick’s Day and all its green glory is this coming Wednesday on the 17th, and of course the first day of Spring is Saturday, March 20th.

Open up the doors and windows in your home for a good airing-out. Even if it rains, the warmer temperatures will allow this; time to do wash or dry clean curtains and draperies. Don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke alarms. Check them at least twice a year. Can’t remember? Put it on your calendar along with the doctor and dental appointments. Speaking of changing … turn your mattress every three months. Perhaps not a life-saving issue like the smoke alarm, but definitely a comfort issue so put it on the calendar; turn it to “the other side” and "end to end" for true rotation.

While exorcizing the winter blahs from your home think about “stuff” that has collected. Do you hang on to lone socks (this is where my adult children would truly groan because I was once famous for my “sock basket”. Please note the PAST TENSE form!). If you just can’t throw out a loner, give it a time limit .. three strikes (3 laundry days) and it’s out. Or, at least turn it into a mitten style dust rag. Just don’t expect the mate to show up; it’s gone like a kid’s allowance at a candy store.

When lists were invented, your's truly chaired and masterminded the committee! Keeping a “master” packing list in your computer to print on demand will save time and worry about what to pack when traveling. This works well for business and leisure travel. You should also have a “don’t forget to do” list for those extended times away including items such as: turn down the heat or a/c, unplug small appliances, shut down computer, check locks on all doors and windows.

Make some green drinks for the kids, add a few drops of green food coloring to water or soda or cookies and frosted cup cakes. This makes the wearin’ o’ the green more fun for all. Let’s face it, on March 17th, everyone is Irish.

Have a green Country spring.                                                                                            © Cat Brennan

Country Aroma

My very easy supper is cooking while writing this. Raspberry Pork Chops are in the Slow Cooker and the spinach for Creamed Cheesy Spinach is thawing. Check out 'Cat Food' for the Pork Chop Recipe .. more later on the Spinach; still working on the fine points.

Wipe out stale or cooking odors with an easy Country Remedy.  This one is environmentally friendly and rather inexpensive with no candle residue on the ceiling.  Any cook pot or skillet will work, but I prefer to use my 6½" cast iron skillet.  Put about a teaspoon of whole cloves* in the pan (DRY! no water or oil).  Place on stove on high heat and KEEP AN EYE ON IT.   When the first sign of a little smoke appears grasp the pan with a pot holder and shake lightly .. walking through your space(s), distributing the pleasant scent of cloves.  You can repeat these steps once or twice more before the cloves are rendered gray and no longer 'viable'.  (Pour down your sink disposal or cool and place in the trash).  This REALLY works and it doesn't harm the ozone; an old friend told me she tried this after preparing fish and the cloves  worked.  This is especially useful in the winter months when it's too cold to "air out" with all the doors and windows open.  To conjure up a little more 'holiday feel', add a dash of ground cinnamon to the pan. (Whole cinnamon sticks do NOT work with this method).
* You can use ½ to 1 teaspoon of ground cloves but I prefer the whole cloves.

See you over at 'Cat Food' for some fine pork chops .
The Creamy Cheesy Spinach recipe is now also available at 'Cat Food'.

Have a wonderful Country Week.
© Cat Brennan

Home-made is Heaven-made ©

In this instant-everything, I-want-it-now world we live in, some things tend to come out tasting like fast food .. you know the kind .. the drive through where you receive a glass of chemicals and a quadruple bi-pass in a paper bag to go.

With a little care and a dash of tasty adds, your food will pass the "home-made is heaven-made"© test.
Three of my most favorite small kitchen appliances are: micro wave oven, pressure cooker and slow cooker/crock pot. (read that hurry, hurry, slow down). These three appliances are invaluable in my kitchen.

While living in the great southwest, the pressure cooker was the unchallenged champ in the kitchen. You see, at high altitude, most things take longer to cook than at sea level, a LOT longer!

A family story fondly told about my mama when we moved to New Mexico from West Virginia is that she planned to cook pinto beans for a meal to serve in just a couple of hours. Mama told the family that the beans weren't ready for that meal and she boiled those 'durn' beans forever. Truth be told, I expect the next time she probably soaked the pintos overnight. There's a little magic formula for pressure cooking beans in high altitude: Check out the Cat Food page for that bit of gold.

Try these delicious mashed potatoes: begin as usual. After thoroughly scrubbing the potatoes, to maintain vitamins, minerals and downright good flavor, do NOT peel the potatoes. While cooking the potatoes as usual, (always cover your pan to conserve energy and shorten cooking time), place butter and milk in a microwave-save 2-cup measuring cup and this "tasty add", cream cheese - one ounce for every 2 or3 medium potatoes, plus the salt and any other seasonings you prefer. Nuke these ingredients until melted and warm; mix well. Add the butter mix as usual when mashing the potatoes.

Have a country-filled life no matter where you live.

Country Laundry Lore

Do you remember this old song? "Today is Monday, Today is Monday, Monday wash day, Everybody happy? Well, I should say so!"  I don't remember the rest of the lyrics, but anyone in the South knows that Monday is washday.  All your clothes clean and sparkling out on the clothesline.  The sheets are all together, next come the pillow cases (and they WILL be ironed later), shirts hung upside down from the side seams, towels and other linens by both corners, nice and smooth, and on and on. Of course the lady's unmentionables were NEVER hung on the line outsde.  Many of you reading this may not even know what is the purpose of a clothesline or seen one, much less clothes pins.  These days, I use clothes pins for keeping potato chips and other bags closed.
Did YOU ever use a wringer washer? They were highly entertaining when mama wasn't looking; especially when the socks got mangled into both rollers.  Many years ago, while visiting dear friends on one of the Indian Reservations out west, I had to do some washing.  These friends were school teachers, so they lived right on the rez. The wringer washer they had was vintage; I'm thinking it arrived on one of the wagon trains.  The dang thing had a mind of it's own and delighted in grabbing my hair. You haven't been in a real fight until a lumbering hunk of iron and water decides to scalp you on Monday.  I came away with all my hair, but I was sorely tempted to toss that Maytag TM into the lake of fire! I'm sure it was possessed!
Laundry is one of those things that will never go away.  The "hunk of iron and water" may be shiny new, fancy and computerized, but it still has to be "fed" .. Experience has taught me that when using a wringer washer one must always wash the whites BEFORE the reds and not the other way around. Husbands and brothers just don't enjoy pink underwear. A similar laundry law applies when washing the whites .. don't allow that lone red sock to join the water dance or the hubby will have pink shorts.
As for me, when some of my "pink things" get wimpy looking, I just wash the pinks and reds together. 
Grease spots and stains can be a permanent problem.  It's not necessary to buy those overpriced prior-to-washing sprays. Keep a bottle of Dawn TM Liquid Dish Detergent in your laundry room. Dab on the grease spots, rub the article 'together' and toss in with the load being washed. This is an easy and inexpensive 'fix' that works, compliments of my youngest daughter.
Watch your dryer closely and don't over dry anything. That appliance is an electricity guzzler so why feed your local power company? Need I remind you to keep that lint filter clear and clean?  Remove all of the lint after every load you dry, and scrub it well at least once a month with soap and warm water and a soft brush.
If you don't have a clothesline and, let's face it, most of us don't, you can still "air" dry the rugs, tennis shoes and other items of this nature. Remember REDUCE your USE ..
Have a country filled weekend!  © 2010 Cat Brennan

Kudos to Lowes & More Country Lore

Kudos and grateful thanks to Lowe's ® on West Broad in Richmond Virginia. This crazy Country Gal lost her check book recently. In all honesty, I thought I had accidently thrown it away when I was paying bills. The return address on my checks was an old post office box number. With that and no telephone number printed on them, I wasn't worried about someone using the checks. Apparently the check book fell out of my purse, was found and handed over to some honest soul at the big store.  Lowe's sent the check book to the post office box that I had had closed over a year ago. The package was returned to Lowe's with the standard YELLOW post office label as the forwarding time had expired. Again, Lowe's mailed it to me, this time using the address that was listed on the yellow label. That, dear friends, is CUSTOMER SERVICE ... the kind we used to find in an old Country store or mercantile.

Moving on to more good Country Lore. Don't toss out that dried out bread, or even the heels. They can be salvaged. Dry them to crisp in a medium oven, then make bread crumbs in your food processor. Add a few dry herbs of your choice, such as: basil, oregano, parsley, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion power, rosemary, or sage. Use any combination that pleases your palate.

If life gives you dry French bread, make tasty French toast. Whip up an egg with rich whole cream adding a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg and voila! Ready to cook and serve with butter and honey or maple syrup. For a real country touch, serve with molasses.

Kids fussy at the table? Be a party smarty with your kids. Instead of serving a ho-hum lunch, have a party. De-crust the bread and make their favorite sandwiches; PBand J, bologna, cheese or egg salad - what ever. Cut into triangles or fingers or rounds and call them party sandwiches. For even more fun, decrust the bread, and make sandwiches either 3 or 4 slices thick. Then slice into either fingers or triangles. An electric knife makes slicing easier, but is an option. However you slice it, you're the hero!  ©2010 Cat Brennan

Country Lore: Basil and Bay Leaves

The snow is dissipating slowly but surely. The general consensus is: ENOUGH ALREADY, balance in all things .. moderation is good! Just because there is a snow shovel in my little shed doesn't mean it needs to be used more than once a year. I did that, and am ready to put it away.


Miss InjaPig is ready for some fresh salad greens and home grown carrots. She will eat the store-bought variety, but she really loved those skinny little carrots that I grew last year (think Twiggy). Every time I opened the patio door her squeaker went into high gear. She equated that
door-opening-sound with CARROTS!


Soon it will be time to prepare my containers for Miss InjaPig's carrots. Several large empty kitty litter buckets will be garden containers for tomatoes, carrots, chives, opal and regular basil, scallions and probably some marigolds, Gerber daisies and geraniums. Last year was my first attempt at container gardening beyond a few small decorative pots of flowers. The tomatoes were hybrids for patio growing. Not only were they small, but too few. We're going for the larger varieties this year.


Last year, the carrots went into a large green, plastic "tub" - the kind used for storage. The tomato vine went into a 5 gallon painter's bucket. It was UGLY orange, but a can of forest green "paint-on-plastic" spray paint made it easier on the eyes. All that was left was to drill drain holes in the bottom of both containers.


More Country Girl Lore ..


FRESH BASIL seems to chase away fruit flies in the kitchen; actually in all areas of your home (the daughter of a friend has hermit crabs. The crab house was inundated with fruit flies. When she tried the fresh basil, the pesky critters took a hike). Those nasty little critters will drive an angel to drink so keep it on hand for this as well as for savory cooking.


Dried BAY LEAVES keep weevils out of your cereal, corn meal and grain products. Place two or three dry bay leaves in the containers that you store all of these food products. It is better to repackage these dry ingredients into sealed containers if at all possible. Also, sprinkle a few loose bay leaves on the shelves where your dry food stuffs are kept. © Cat Brennan

Snow, A Snow Shovel & WD-40®

Snow, anyone?  If you've read my profile, you know that one of the places I have lived is Colorado; left there in '03.  The final winter I lived there, we had 42 inches of snow in our back yard.  The nearby Rockies had 80 to 100 inches.  I never expected to witness the kind of snow here that has fallen since mid-December....not in Virginia!  The last 2 weekends ushered in snow well exceeding 24 inches.  Today, the snow is not so bad, but the day began with heavy winds and icey, treacherous road conditions. Alas! A snow day for this country gal. When I got my divorce, and moved to a different location in this metro area, I gave away my snow shovel and gardening shovel; this is Central Virginia ... it doesn't snow THAT much.. yeah right !! A friend took pity and gave me a snow shovel. (real compassion would have been to come and USE the shovel, and KEEP it).  ;-) So, I have a snow shovel that works!  I did spray both sides of the "business end" with WD-40 ®  before using it. That is one slick trick!  Happy Day, friends  ©2010 Cat Brennan

Forks, Spoons & Silliness

Do I believe that forks are evolved from spoons?
Do I?  A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y ! ! ! And here is why...
A hillbilly and his lovely bride prepared to go into town after their first week of wedded bliss. JohnDon wanted to go to the saloon. Annie Jo wanted to go to the mercantile..they tossed for it and Annie Jo won. You see, JohnDon didn't have a single coin to toss, so Annie Jo tossed the only thing she could reach; a spoon. It landed 'square' on and into JohnDon's front tooth. Thus, the two-tine fork was born.

Since I was born in West (by the Grace of God) Virginia, I delight in 'hillbilly fun'. It's harmless and afterall, Laughter is good for the soul. ©2010 Cat Brennan