This is what I served up to our volunteer historical interpreters this weekend. On Saturday, it was served up as a stew, and on Sunday I turned it into a lovely chicken soup. This is one of those early fall recipes that sticks to your ribs, is simple enough to throw together anytime, and delicious enough to make once a week. You can also vary the flavorings easily enough, to make it a slightly different meal each time! This recipe serves five people, with enough leftovers the following day to make soup.
Ingredients:
bone in, skin on chicken thighs (8 pack)
2 large onions, diced
1/4 cup butter, margarine, or olive oil
whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs (whatever you have on hand)
dried thyme, garlic, and nutmeg to taste
3 to 4 cups of seasonal vegetables, cut into chunks
Honey is one of those items that many people have laying around the house, but not too many of them know its amazing properties. Used for sweetening, bug traps, wound repair, topical antibacterial, fighter of disease, and dozens of other things, honey is worth its weight in gold. From a prepping standpoint, honey is something I will always have in my “get home bag” because of its many uses.
I’d like to start with honey’s sweetening properties. Many people love the flavor of a bit of honey in some tea. It tastes great with peanut butter, or even alone on bread or crackers. You can use honey in the place of sugar in any recipe (though there are some rules to follow, and it isn’t a 1:1 trade off – Blue Flame Kitchen). Honey is popular when mixed with other herbs and spices, such as honey garlic spareribs, and honey and cinnamon french toast, or even honey mustard dressing. Use honey wherever you’d normally use sugar or other sweeteners. If you’re diabetic, there’s a few studies out that suggest using honey may allow you to use smaller amounts because it’s sweeter than sugar, and therefore you’d be reducing your glycemic index, but there’s nothing definitive at this point.
This weekend I was at the Fort at No. 4 again, and I ended up using honey to catch flies. For whatever reason, 18th century kitchens always seem to gather flies at this time of the year, and they’re a real nuisance. Unlike at home, when we’re playing in the 18th century, we can’t use electronic bug zappers or even fly tape, because neither existed in 1750. We have glass jars that you put honey or sugar water into, and the flies can get into them but not out. That works very well. One of the ladies suggested we coat a strip of linen with some honey and hang it out of the way near the flies, and hopefully they’d get stuck on it. It’s an interesting idea! I also had out a shallow bowl filled with honey water, with drops of modern dish washing liquid in it. The soap forms a coating on top of the water, and if flies go into it, they’re not able to get out. It all worked passably well, though the old fashioned method of attacking them with a wrung out wet dishcloth seemed to work best.
I was looking at voting trends over the past few years, and I find it interesting that so many people are choosing not to vote. Pew Research has a lot of information about voter turnout and flip flop on their site, and while they aren’t perfect, they do tend to do a pretty good job of reporting.
This got me to wondering… How do we fix the voting system? How do we fix the campaigning system? How do we encourage GOOD third party candidates to bring their best and enter the interview process (being President is a job, and We the People interview for that job)? There are so many questions, and way too many answers that only make sense in a single-use scenario. We desperately need results that help the country as a whole.
Right now, I’m fairly sure that Trump is going to win the election. Harris is a twit, honestly, and while she’s currently riding on a blue wave thanks to Biden, I suspect that it will bottom out pretty soon. She simply isn’t that popular, and she just hasn’t done anything with her four years. Trump has a proven track record, and even if there’s nose holding going on, I think a majority of people are going to vote for him. Of course, winning the popular vote isn’t enough. We’ll see what happens.
The problem that I have is that, if Trump wins, the country is going to burn. I fully expect there to be gnashing of teeth, false reports of racist/sexist/homophobic attacks happening, etc. Basically I expect what happened during his first election to be tripled or more, with false accusations across the country. And then the Dems and their violent machine are going to literally begin burning down the cities.
Wait, don’t leave! They are REALLY good! And not as odd as they sound.
I really love burgers, but I also am trying to lose weight. Those buns are not great for me, but a plain hamburger patty on a plate is boring. I went looking for something new, and found this recipe, and we tried it out recently. It was delicious! The fat from the ground beef infuses the cabbage with a lot of flavor, but doesn’t leave it feeling overly greasy. I walked away from the table quite pleased with myself!
We talk a lot about SHTF and how we’ll bug out or in, what foods we have, how to make fire. All these things are important, definitely. But I want to talk medications.
There are categories of medications that need attention. First, we have “first aid” meds, things taken to help with an emergent medical situation. Then we have daily meds, things taken to help with physical problems that are long term. After that, we have what I’ll call helper meds, things we take because we can, but that aren’t necessarily on a daily basis.
When it comes to first aid meds, the most common ones are:
tummy upset meds (tums, laxatives, motion sickness meds, and Imodium)
I’m sure I’ve missed a few, but those are the common ones I can think of. I tend to keep a rotating store of these meds, so that if an emergency were to happen, I could use them sparingly for a long time. I might not be able to take them as often as I currently do, but I’d have them as back up. Because these aren’t meant to be taken all the time, you can live without them. It might be uncomfortable (literally, in the case of the pain meds) but you’d survive.
Right now, there are literally hundreds of women on FaceBook and other social media that are telling “all women” that we are being treated like livestock. I can’t make this shit up, folks.
Yes, absolutely. As a female human being in America, I am currently:
being held in a cage
restricted from movement
bred against my will
used in breeding programs
abused and neglected
being used for someone else’s profit
living in windowless sheds
being denied normal behaviors
being used for meat and milk, and perhaps eggs
Seriously? What the hell. In what way is any woman in this country being treated like livestock? For fuck’s sake. Yes, I’m ranting.
I have MAJOR problems with statements like this. So many problems. Let me innumerate them.
I hadn’t heard much about Tim Walz before this, but apparently he’s quite the character. He’s 60, probably to give Harris’s youth a wisdom boost.
Per the Left:
he’s a veteran, having served in the Army
Governor of Minnesota, defeated the Republican nominee
codified abortion rights into the State Constitution
staunch union supporter
free breakfast and lunch for all students
made Minnesota a “transgender children’s sanctuary”
Mid-western appeal and a “dad vibe”
he adores his cat (not sure why this is a pro but a few places mentioned it, so…)
he was a teacher and football coach
is known as a “good gun owner”
he likes Mountain Dew (so does JD Vance, and this is apparently important??)
he’s run against Republicans successfully several times now
he speaks well about what he has done and what he wants to do
David Hogg likes him (the Left considers this a positive)
Per the Right:
has a DUI from 95
dealt badly with the George Floyd riots
wants to defund the police
was draconian during COVID-19
apparently he’s given free college and free medical to illegal aliens
interfered in a police shooting case
after the Parkland massacre, he became vocally anti-gun
most of what he’s done and wants to do is skirting unconstitutional
David Hogg likes him (the Right considers this a negative)
Apparently, the Left think that calling the Right “weird” is causing discomfort for conservatives. That’s not what I’ve observed. Most people on the Right seem to be embracing the concept of being the weird ones. I’ve seen some rather fun videos from people on the Right, showing a variety of truly odd ducks from the Left, then saying, “But I’m definitely weird because I like cheese pizza,” and things like that.
In any case, there you go. Having heard the video above, I have a strong feeling of dislike for Walz. That may change, but I doubt it. But he does feel like he could change the tide slightly. As The Guardian noted, “It’s part of a vibe shift Democrats are feeling since Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. There’s less focus on the dire consequences of electing Trump again – though those consequences are certainly still part of the motivation – and more on detailing what Democrats want to do if they win.” —Guardian
I think we need to keep a close eye on the guy. Let’s not allow Trump to fall into the “attack mode” he used last time. That was a failing gambit. His current methods, amusing jabs but mostly sticking to talking about policy and what he’s going to do and has done, are working well. I don’t want to see him “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”
Last week, a friend of mine who lives in London, England, posted the above image. The friend is someone I’ve known for some 30 years, maybe longer, though we’ve never met face to face. She works as a “lay therapist,” which is someone who tries to help when medical help is lacking due to there being too many mental health emergencies and not enough mental health providers. If you think it’s bad in America, try Britain. Oy. She’s a GOOD person, though she is fully Left. She walks her talk, which is more than I can say about a lot of people. I respect her. But last week, I wanted to beat my head against a wall, I was so frustrated.
I saw the image, and immediately wrote the following:
“See… I do have a problem with this. No most definitely means no. Stop means stop. But all the rest of that? I’ve had plenty of times when I said something hurt, and it just meant changing position or whatever. Putting out stuff like this to vulnerable teens and others tends to make them think that whatever they say, it somehow means no. I want people to learn to SAY NO. Stop is okay, because it’s definitive. The rest are mitigating. Don’t mitigate! Say no!!!”
She then spent a couple of hours telling me all sorts of things that justified the idea that all of the above statements mean no. I am flabbergasted. I could maybe see “stop” as being the same as “no” because it’s a firm and complete statement. But the rest of them? They don’t mean no.
When I tell my partner, “Wait…” I’m not telling him no. I’m telling him… oh yeah, WAIT. Give me a minute. The word has a meaning, and the meaning is to delay an action. Nothing in there about no.
When I tell someone that I hurt, it doesn’t mean no. It means that I have a pain, and that pain could be physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental. None of that means no.
If I tell someone, “Not now,” that’s a very clear message that maybe later we will do whatever. That’s most definitely NOT NO.
I went on to say:
“Sorry, this is one of those big bugaboos for me. Mitigating language is so horribly destructive of relationships as a whole. It gets us into really bad places. It’s fine to tell someone you’re hurting; that’s how they learn not to hurt you. But if you say NO, that should be that. Period, end of statement. Think of it as a ‘safeword,’ if you like. Ow is not a safeword but it is an indication that something might need to change. NO is a safeword – all activity stops. There’s no mitigating with ‘no.’ I firmly believe that all this mitigating language has been brought in by people who don’t want to hear or use the word ‘no.’ The problem is, ‘no’ is the correct word to use. And we must teach people how to use it, and to use it when they need.”
I think I was being pretty clear. She insisted that the meme was clear. I gave clear examples that the meme was not clear. I don’t understand at all.
I suspect that this is a (very mild) example of the Leftist speech you all sometimes talk about. Words don’t mean what they meant, the meanings change daily, you can never know what something means. That’s just wrong. And this is someone who is perceived as a professional (and IS a professional, as she underwent an awful lot of intensive training for the position, and as near as I can tell, she’s generally very helpful and good at her job), telling broken people how to communicate. How is this helpful? What’s wrong with using the clear language?
How are young people supposed to go about their lives, when they’re taught that all these things mean no? Especially women! I’m sorry, but women MUST learn how to say no, firmly. Mitigating language is not going to help any woman, ever. The only thing mitigating language is good for, is when you’re letting someone down gently when you’re firing or laying them off, or something of that kind. Or telling them that the dress really does make their ass look big. THOSE are moments when mitigating language is acceptable. But when you’re expecting clear and concise communication, like during a sexual act? My gawd!
Yes, I’m being all horrified over here. I don’t understand how this is even a discussion, never mind an argument. We’ve been pushing the “no means no” thing for ages, and we don’t need all this mitigating language messing up a lesson that’s already apparently horrendously difficult to learn.
A couple of decades ago, I was volunteering at a pagan festival. Among other things, my then-boyfriend and I were doing some singing and entertaining (he played guitar, and my voice was still not too bad, back then). We were attending the planning meetings, as one does, and offering ideas.
The organizers made a statement that the festival was going to be vegan. I commented that, while I agreed that provided food (included with the ticket) could be vegan (which can usually be eaten by most people), we knew plenty of meat eaters who were coming. We should each be allowed to bring whatever food we want, and if it contains an allergen, just sit away from people who might be harmed by it. We were voted down, of course. The organizers decreed that no meat or animal products could be brought on site (let’s not talk about the leather in their shoes or anything like that). I was irritated, not because I need to eat meat (I happen to enjoy vegan food at times), but because I didn’t think it was the place of the organizers to be dictating the food choices of others.
After talking it over with the boyfriend, we decided to perform this particular song, without mentioning it to the organizers.
We were given thunderous applause when we were done, by every person except the one organizer who’d been behind the food fiasco. Even the resident vegans thought it was hilarious. The organizer just looked grumpy. I felt much better. Heh!
Gazpacho soup chases away the “dog days of summer” blues!
There is nothing I love more than gazpacho soup on a hot day. It’s refreshing and cool, flavorful and filling. This is a recipe that I adore, and I hope you’ll enjoy trying it out over the hot August nights. I like to serve this with fresh salad shrimp just popped in, right before serving. Bonus points if they’re just shy of frozen, keeping the soup chilled as it hits the table!
Ingredients:
▢ 1½ lbs red heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes OR 1½ lbs canned whole tomatoes
▢ 1 cucumber, peeled, plus more diced for garnish
▢ 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cored
▢ juice of half a lemon
▢ ½ shallot
▢ 2 cloves garlic
▢ 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
▢ 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
▢ 1 tablespoon kosher salt
▢ fresh cracked pepper, garlic salt, dried onion, Worcestershire sauce, to taste
▢ fresh basil, parsley, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, and lemon slices (optional)
If you prefer skinless tomatoes, you can blanch them in a pot of boiling water for about 40 seconds, or until the skin begins to peel off. Remove the skin. If you like the skin on, simply skip this step (this is my preference).
Dice tomatoes, bell pepper and cucumber into similar sized pieces. Place half of them in the blender with the shallot, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Liquefy until smooth. Pour the liquid into a glass container, and stir in the remaining diced vegetables. If you want to use the fresh herbs and jalapeno pepper, they can either be minced and added into the blender, or put directly into the soup, depending on your preference. If you find that the soup is not “soupy” enough, you can add some plain tomato juice until it is a good consistency. Refrigerate the soup for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you can. This allows the flavors to blend.
Serve in chilled bowls, topped with fresh minced herbs, lemon slices, jalapeno pepper rounds, and/or croutons. A splash of high quality virgin olive oil in each bowl will add a depth of flavor as well.
