Almanac for Homemakers

June Potpourri for Homemakers It's the end of the month. I can't believe we are already here. It seems like last week I was writing about the end of May. Time is just going by too fast. Per tradition in our Almanac, the last day of the month is for a mix of friendly advice. "Save old toothbrushes." Ew. I get it. The idea here is use them for cleaning. Brush around faucets, counter edges, knobs. But old toothbrushes are riddled with bacteria so I'm not sure how effective you will be at cleaning unless you disinfect them first. "A bathtub is a good substitute for a washtub." We talked about using your bathtub in this April Post  as an emergency for clothes washing. The idea in this tips is to also use it for washing things that need to be hand washed that won't fit in a sink such as your curtains or drapes. "Tie the cords on such garments as pajamas, sweat pants, and jackets before washing." Ever l

Dental Checkups - A Must for Young Children  "As soon as your child has cut his milk (baby) teeth, about the age of two years, it's time to plan semiannual visits to the dentist." I guess this opinion varies. I was told by a pediatrician that once the teeth come in, it's time for a dental appointment. I was told by another pediatrician that unless there were dental issues, you can wait for the first dental check up. I was told by our dentist recently that it is a good idea for my 3 year old to come to dental check ups to get used to them and see what a dentist appointment looks like. The key here is to start developing a positive attitude about seeing a dentist. This is super important because my dental appointments as a child were not positive. They were incredibly unpleasant. So unpleasant that I kept my kids from going to the dentist until they were older. I wanted them to be prepared. Thankfully they have really good teet

All About Hard Cooked Eggs  "When eggs are in good supply and consequently cost less - possibly early summer - hard cook them and use them in a variety of ways." As if my family leaves eggs just laying around. We go through our eggs like it is the only food around after Armageddon. Our Almanac is considering that chickens tend to lay more eggs and more often now in the summer than in the darker colder winter months. So purchasing eggs could be potentially cheaper now than in the winter. I haven't really seen that is the case in 2018. Organic backyard raised chicken eggs can average $3 per dozen and I have seen that price year round. Farm produced eggs (I'm talking factory farmed) can control the temperature environment for their laying chickens so prices might fluctuate but not that much. You really want to take advantage of stores having a sale, manufacturer coupons, or straight up system errors. This past weekend I got a dozen eggs f

Buying and Cooking Clams  "The clams you buy or harvest from the sea are different on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S. - but on both coasts they make great eating." Yesterday we talked about how to dig for clams . So the next logical question would be "How do you eat them?" If you went through the work of harvesting clams, you really don't want to ruin them by cooking them the wrong way. The most popular way is to make a clam chowder. Chowder is taken really seriously you guys. Have you ever heard of restaurant wars over their clam chowder? This is a real thing and consumers can be picky! You might have even heard of a "clambake". You steam clams, mussels, and lobster over hot rocks and seaweed. This is serious business! Here is a video on how to do a proper clambake.      Don't just try this on a whim. Maybe get a seasoned baker on your team for this day. Let's say you are buying

It's Fun to Dig Your Own Clams "Next time you vacation at the seashore, plan to take the youngsters clamming." Clamming is a real thing guys. I live right next to the Pacific Ocean in Washington state. We have Razor Clams! We just had a Razor Clam Festival a couple of months ago. Soooo many people came in to dig for these guys. With any type of clamming, you need to check with the local jurisdiction. Right now in my state, Razor Clam season ended. This is so the next generation of clams can grow under the sand for the next season. You can get into some trouble for clamming out of season. This is just like fishing or hunting seasons. You might need a permit, limited to certain times and days of clam digging. The other thing to think about is what you need for clam digging. In our picture, the tube floating in the water is a clam basket. This is for clam digging in the water. The basket has a float that hangs out and

Pressure Cooking Vegetables "In pressure cooking vegetables, follow the directions that came with your cooker, but learn to adjust cooking time to suit the quality of vegetable being cooked." A pressure cooker uses steam from water or broth to increase pressure inside the sealed cooker. The trapped steam increases the temperature. Once the pressured steam is released from the cooker you can safely remove the lid and finish prepping your meal. The first known pressure cooker was invented in 1679 by a French Physicist. In 1938, Presto released their pressure cooker with immediate success. Unfortunately, the first World War brought the need for aluminum to the war effort. A lot of companies couldn't get the aluminum they needed to produce products. After the war, pressure cookers would make an explosive comeback. Many manufactures were not making the cookers with consumer safety in mind. The pressure release valves would get clogged and BOOM!

Cooking Fresh Vegetables "Remove bruised, wilted, yellowed, or tough portions from fresh vegetables. Trim sparingly to avoid excessive loss of food and nutrients." It's summer time! That means that a lot of fresh produce is in season. You should be able to buy and keep fresh produce now for cooking rather than getting items canned. You might even save money on buying fresh now! Save getting canned items for fall and winter time. Try to buy veggies that you are planning to cook within a few days. Don't leave them to rot on your countertop or in your fridge. Here are some cooking tips from our Almanac: 1. Wash all vegetables before cooking. Especially leafy greens. They grow in the dirt so chances are you are going to find dirt. You can see in our Homemaker Heroine in the picture of the day! She is washing in a colander and lifting from the water, letting the dirty water to pour out. 2. To ensure the best flavor and textur

Pointers on Judging Freshness of Fish "Certain varieties of fresh fish are most abundant at certain seasons." We talked about fish before. This March Post was about shopping for fish cuts. We also talked about what fresh fish looks like at the beginning of May. Like canned food, this almanac likes to touch on subjects more than once. I guess just in case you forget not buy fish that is slimey or smelly.  I always hear people say that they don't like fish because it smells like fish. Well bravo. You can smell. It's fish. It smells. The smell shouldn't be off putting! Have you been to a lake, river, or ocean? Most fish you catch will have a hint of the water it came from. That really strong fish smell is caused by a bacteria. It is more common to have a "fishy" smell in salt water fish than fresh water. This reason is because fish that live in salt water have to counter their environment by crea

How Long Can You Keep Fresh Fruits? "Before storing fruits, sort them and either use or discard damaged fruits immediately." Fresh fruit is great until it isn't. Here are some tips from our Almanac to keep fruit fresh: 1. Unripe fruits should be left to ripen in open air at room temp. 2. Melons can be stored at room temp for a few days. 3. Fresh fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 4. Leave stems on fruit to help keep fresher 5. Citrus fruit will keep better in the refrigerator You can find more tips on how to store fruits and veggies in this article from The Kitchn . (I didn't spell that wrong, that's the name of the site) I know I store my fruits and veg wrong. Part of me just doesn't care ok. There I said it! I'll wash it and put it away, but after that I'm not losing sleep if my bananas are next to the apples. I do feel bad when something goes bad in the fridge. That

Good Tips for Buying Canned Fruit "Buy canned fruits according to grade if possible." If there is one thing about this almanac is that they really like to talk about canned food. We discussed canned vegetables here. Which by the way, the deadline to submit your grievances to the USDA is coming up next month. We discussed canned and frozen vegetables here. We talked about can sizes here. And I got so tired of writing about canned foods that I wrote about something else here! So here we go again. Another post about cans. The higher the grade, the better quality in size, shape, and color. It doesn't have anything to do with the nutritional value. So all the labels of fancy just mean that it is or was more appealing looking. So don't fall for the entire Grade A and Fancy labeling. It's all just a marking tactic. These guidelines were developed by the USDA. For good reason too! You wouldn't want spoil

Meat Thermometer Best Way to Test a Roast "Using a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature is the best way to test the doneness of a meat roast or roasted poultry." If you don't already have a thermometer for testing the internal temp of your meat, please run to the store and get one asap. The best important reason for this is just that you need to serve certain foods at certain temperatures to ensure that it is safe to eat. Here is the standard temperatures to serve certain types of foods: Get more information here! Some thermometers even come with temperature guidelines. There is really no excuse to not know how hot food should be before you eat it. For some reason in 2018 we have a new trend. It's disgusting. It's called chicken sashimi. Raw Chicken. People who have eaten or prepared it say it's really good. Like sushi but with a bird. The problem is that you can't do this with

Use "Beautiful Junk" for Play Equipment "Many free very inexpensive materials may be converted into indoor or outdoor play equipment for a preschool child." In 2018 we call this practice "repurposing". Our Almanac suggests that you mail $1 to the Superintendent of Documents and request the pamphlet on "Beautiful Junk." We first talked about this in my January post. Today, we can just search on Pinterest for inspiration for using trash as toys. And you know what? It's a good idea. I mean in this economy?! I remember buying my kids an outside playhouse. It was just under $70. The EXACT same playhouse is still on the market and six years later the price is between $140 and $190. It has basically doubled in price. That wasn't the only toy I noticed went up in price in a short time. A play mat that I had for my kids six years ago is still on the market. We paid $30 for that thing. Today is r

Extending a Child's Reach "When a child wants to begin doing things for himself, he may experience some frustration because certain conveniences of the adult world are just too high for him." First of all. My kids ain't frustrated over not being able to do certain things. Do you think they like to hang up their clothes, or do dishes, or pick up toys off the floor that they are actually closer to than adult around? NO So here is the thing. We make it easier for them to do the things so they have no excuses! Get on that stool and brush your teeth! Hang up your towel on the hanger that is eye level to you child! WHY ARE ALL THE LIGHTS ON! If you can reach to turn the light on, please turn it off. It's like I have little electric wasting Hansel and Gretel in my home. Just follow the rooms with lights on to find them. They are not frustrated that they can do the things now. They are frustrated that they have some r

Check Acid Needs of Shrubs Near House Foundation "Don't plant acid loving shrubs or trees too close to the foundation or, if you must, take care to treat them regularly to a dose of acid soil-conditioner such as aluminum sulfate." According to our Almanac, certain foundations can seep basic calcium compounds into the soil that can actually poison your plants. So the danger isn't that the plants could hurt your foundation, it's that your foundation can hurt your plants. This is important if the plants are trying to grow are blueberries or strawberries. Some of the shrubs, vines, and whatevers that produce good food to eat love acid rich soil. So how do we make soil more acidic? 1. For small gardens, try using sphagnum peat aka "peat moss". 2. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for each gallon of water. 3. Buy fertilizer that has ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. Some gardening soil will tell you right on the pa

Time to Prune Non Blooming Wisteria Vines "Wisterias sometimes develop luxuriant foliage - with nary a blossom. Young vines are prone to this deplorable failing. So what to do?" I had no idea that non blossoming vines were so taboo. Well we can't have this now can we. What is even a Wisteria Vine and what can I do to make sure it behaves? These vines are actually really pretty. When they bloom, they look like this! These plants are very hardy and can grow in sub par conditions but they will thrive in full sun. If you try to grow a Wisteria from seed, it can be decades before you see a bloom. They need support to grow. So letting them crawl up the side of a structure, on poles, or even on trees is best for them. BUT You have to be very careful. These vines are really strong and can collapse the structures they grow on. So letting them get out of hand on your home can cause damage to gutters, walls, and the roof. They ca

1853 Advice for Today: Teach Child Daily   "Mrs. Abell's advice to parents in 1853 on teaching children at home is still well taken." We first met Mrs. L.G. Abell in our April post about Love Survives. Here is what she says about teaching children: "Few parents realize how much their children may be taught at home, by devoting a few minutes to their instruction every day. Let the parent make the experiment only during the hours which are not spent in school. Let him make a companion of his child, converse with him, propose questions, answer inquires, communicate facts, explain difficulties, the meaning of things, and the reason of things, and all in so easy and agreeable manner that it will be no task, but serve to awaken curiosity and interest the mind, and he will be astonished at the progress he will make." Let's break this down. Devote time to your children at home. Become companions with your children. Being their friend

Transporting Pets  "Even the most stay-at-home pets must travel occasionally, though the trip may be no more than an annual visit to the vet." Traveling with your pet! Are you prepared? I've traveled across the country with my two dogs. When we packed up and moved from Texas to Washington state, we had to bring out dogs with us. The first thing I had to do is plan out our hotels around pet friendly places. For this trip we also had to pack blankets, food, and water for them. We bought new leashes and they had their collars the entire time. We are lucky that our pets travel well. They don't run off and they are really great at going potty outside. They also don't get car sick! I never really thought about pets getting car sick but it happens! Unfortunately, the only way to tell if your pet is car sick is to get them in the car and drive. If you take your pet for a ride but you let them ride in the truck bed, you migh

Housekeeping without Power: Lighting   "How can you make your house self-sufficient so far as nighttime illumination is concerned?" We have touched on this subject before. This post in January , about replacing a fuse. This post in April , about washing clothes without power. This post in May , about emergency water supply. Today is just a little different. What do you do if you don't have power and you need lighting. We have had to deal with this often. Stormy weather is usually the culprit. Our Almanac suggests Oil Lamps. In 2018 we have some electrical alternatives. I suggest anything with batteries. Just to help decrease the risk of fire. You don't want to deal with that while also trying to see in the dark. Use small candles in the bathrooms. Fragrant and useful for doing your business in the dark. We have a battery operated lantern that is really bright. We also recently received Blackout Buddies! I really like these and the kids

Today's Almanac entry was more about man made fibers. I couldn't bring myself to write about it again. Like Seriously There is only so much I can take or give a flip about. So instead I went to see what else I could do for this day. On this day. June 12, 1942    Anne Frank was gifted her diary as a birthday present. I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support. Anne Frank's diary has become a symbol. 2 days after she received the diary she put in her first entry.  She would write to her diary and recalled her 13th birthday when she received it and the other presents. It was morning and her parents had her gifts out for her before going to school that day. She took cookies to share with her classmates. They played volleyball and gathered in a circle around her to sing "Happy Birthday". Less than a

Natural Fabrics Are Still With Us "Once upon a time when a woman went shopping, she was sure to come home with clothing and household furnishings made of cotton, linen, silk, or wool." Today's post is about Man Made fabrics vs Natural Fabrics. Today you might even see terms like "organic" fabric. Organic fabrics are made from cotton, bamboo, hemp, or other sustainable textiles. These clothes might even be called "Vegan" if they are contain no animal products like feathers, wools, fur, or silk. Vegan fabrics can be synthetic so it isn't always Organic. I seriously do not know how we as a collective society got to this point. We are choosing what type of clothing to wear based on how the source was treated. This is one of the worst cases of our privilege. How much brain power do some people waste on this? It is so annoying that I don't even want to write about it. Our Almanac goes into a lot of detail about these diff