Bitten By The Spring Bug

I don't know about anyone else but I've been bitten by the "spring bug" and I've thrown open the windows to let the fresh air blow through the house. As a kid I used to laugh when I'd hear someone talk about doing their spring cleaning but I am long since over that because over the years I've come to appreciate the meaning of those words. You want to get in there and clean every nook and cranny, to  get out all the stale smells that accumulated in  your home from being closed up all winter long. The sun is shining and you want to open all the curtains and let it shine into your home,  the warm glow it creates as the beams of light come streaming across your freshly polished floor.

Many people go through an entire redecorating phase at this time of the year. Some will think about painting, be it one room or the entire house. Others will be adding light colored slipcovers to furniture, changing out throw pillows, getting out the light weight curtains and adding spring colored spreads to their beds.

Spring is a the beginning of life anew; be it the start of new grass and flowers growing, to that of the birth of farm animals, the return of the robins or domestic animals looking for a mate. We emerge from winter, wanting to shed all the extra layers of clothing and the heaviness of multiple blankets and comforters on our beds that kept us warm for the past few months. Spring is wanting to go out and dig in the dirt or run through mud puddles after a rainstorm and the clean fresh smells that the rain brought with it.

It is a good time to be cleaning out your closets and drawers, to give things to a charity, offer them to some one in need or have a garage sale and earn a few extra bucks.Now you can reorganize those closets and cabinets with ease.

I am so anxious to get busy with a paint brush it isn't funny. I have a large bookcase shelf unit that needs some repair work first and then a fresh coat of paint. Then I am bringing it indoors, putting it in my laundry room to become my pantry shelves. After that is done, I need to put a fresh coat of paint on the little country bench that sits on my front porch. 

What projects are you going to tackle?

The Last Hurrah!

Well, I truly think we now have had the last winter storm for this year.  At least I hope so! When parts of Oklahoma have the lowest low temperatures recorded in history, at 21 and 31 degrees BELOW ZERO, and two storms back to back, I certainly hope they are over.  There was just enough of a 24 hour break between where some people were brave enough to get out on slick, ice and snow covered streets to grab more supplies before the next round came through.

Now we start preparing for what could either be a rough spring with many outbreaks of tornadoes or a very quiet one with no tornadoes but lots of wildfires. Yes, I did say wildfires because even with all the snow we received the weather forecasters say we are still experiencing a drought.

With as much of the country being affected by our recent weather, not only in our country but world wide, my concern is for what has happened to all our crops. I am expecting to see food and gas prices going through the roof sky high!  Just one more reason to be sure to replenish those pantries as soon as possible.

I know that once it warms up a little bit more, probably in the next week or so, it will be time to start getting those early garden plants into the ground. It will also be time to do any repairs on my storm shelter so that it is ready to go once our spring tornado season is upon us. I am not going to be waiting until the last minute.

It's Not Over Yet!

Well, I can tell you one thing, this last storm here in Oklahoma was enough to really test you on your preparedness for any and all conditions and make you aware that even though you think you have covered all your bases, you may not have done so!

We ended up with the worst blizzard I have seen since I moved here! It by far out-shadows the storm we had back in 2009 at Christmas time in my humble opinion. Granted we had ice covered trees, some areas did lose electricity for days and even weeks, but this storm seemed to be much colder! Luckily this time around people listened to the weathermen when they forecast this storm to have blowing snow with whiteout conditions, single digit temperatures and BELOW ZERO wind chills.  We had lots of warning that this one was on its way and stores stocked up with lots of supplies to meet the needs of their customers. Schools didn't wait till the very last minute to declare snow days and people stayed off the roads as directed when told there were very hazardous conditions.

Now we are facing drizzling rain with possible light flurries again tonight and then come Tuesday and Wednesday another round of very cold weather, possibly several more inches of snow and of course slick roads. What we have already hasn't had a chance to melt off, even though we had a warm day today which allowed some of the snow packed roads and walkways to melt a little bit. Many of the main roads have been cleared by snowplows now, over and above the normal snow route clearings but the subdivisions within many of the cities are still blanketed with hard snow and ice underneath.

People are frustrated because they can't get to work and they have lost wages and the kids are home from school and have cabin fever.  But I am so very thankful that everyone is using common sense and realizing that no job is worth losing your life over and it is better to have your children home and not out on slick icy roads!

So put on another pot of beans or more homemade chili, grab the movies and video games again and as we say here in Oklahoma "hunker down" for what we can only hope is the last hurrah's of winter and just know that spring is right around the corner.  Then we can all start complaining about tornado season.... what can I say, can't keep us "Okies" happy can you?

Grandma’s Cast Iron Skillet

Oh how I miss having grandma’s cast iron skillet. Not only because it was the very best skillet I ever owned for creating evenly cooked, delicious foods but because of the memories I had of her using it before I inherited it.  I cried when it finally met it’s demise!  I’ve had a variety of skillets since then and none have cooked as well as that one did.  I have tried some of the new non-stick surface skillets as well as some stainless steel ones, but nothing cooked as well as grandma’s cast iron one. I am not sure if they just aren’t as good as the old fashioned cast iron ones, or if it is because they don’t conjure up all the wonderful memories of watching grandma cook.

I could cook everything from “johnny cake” and biscuits to fried chicken in there!  Not a day went by that I didn’t use it. In the morning it would get used for cooking fried eggs, beautiful sunny side up ones with just a smattering film over the top from splashing hot grease from the pan over them. At lunch time I would use it to make bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches or grilled cheese sandwiches. For dinner either a big skillet of fried chicken or a skillet filled with meat balls and sauce for spaghetti.  I could put it on top of the stove or in the oven and know that everything would be cooked to perfection.

It is time to invest in another cast iron skillet. I don’t want a new one, I want one that is old and crusted on the outside, that shows it was used and enjoyed over the years. There is nothing better than one that is well seasoned .

I am off to the second hand store to see if I can find someone else’s grandma’s skillet!

Making Your Own Saltine Crackers

Awhile back I purchased some Masa  flour to make corn  tortillas.  After several failed attempts I thought what am I ever going to do with 5 lbs of this flour so I started searching for recipes where I could use it.
I happen to love Saltine Crackers and came across a recipe where you not only use regular flour but Masa so I figured I would give it a try. What a simple recipe and I was so glad that I found it.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup masa flour (corn flour)
¾ cup shortening
11/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking flour
SALT

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flours, baking powder and shortening. Mix. Add milk and blend well
Make into a large round ball. Split the ball into 4 sections. Roll out a section at a time to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into squares using a knife, pizza cutter or pastry roller.

Sprinkle Salt (to taste) on an ungreased baking sheet.
Place dough onto sheet and prick the tops, using a fork, ½” apart.
Bake  for 14-20 minutes or until golden brown.

IF you do not have any Masa, you can substitute another cup of all purpose flour for that measurement.

Is Winter About Over?

Well according to our weatherman, we just have a couple more cold fronts that will move through Oklahoma before we can expect some spring weather.  One of those cold fronts is due to hit here tonight or overnight, bringing temperatures dropping down into the 20’s and followed by rain, sleet, ice and possibly snow to some parts of the state.  Luckily, in the middle of the state, where I am at, they say we are likely to have a “wintery mix” and possibly up to an inch of snow that should burn off sometime late on Friday.

All I know is that it is time for some comfort food!  So out comes the crock-pot and I am in the process of making some good homemade potato soup.  I love my daughter’s recipe but sorry to say I don’t have all the “extra goodies” that she puts into hers. She always adds sour cream and half and half into her soup, neither of which I have on hand at the moment. So I will substitute with a can of evaporated milk and add in a little extra butter in hopes of giving it that rich full bodied flavor.






I thought about doing some meatless chili, which I may make tomorrow or perhaps a big pan of mac and cheese, one of my all time favorites.

I am so anxious for the little buds of spring to start peaking thru the ground. I have a beautiful growth of daffodils or jonquils as some people call them, that I love to cut and bring in the house to brighten things up!

It is time to go visiting some of the gardening websites, I’m already getting emails about it being time to start some seedlings indoors in preparation for spring planting. This year, I have GOT to have a good producing garden. Last year’s was a total flop! 

I hope you are all pulling out your gardening magazines, or visiting your favorite gardening websites to get some ideas about what to plant this year.

Come on spring!