Blessings of Habit – Page 21

Blessings of Habit, Good ol' days, Homemaking, Inspiring, Recipes, Who's the mom here?, Womanhood

You CAN Can – Six Tricks More!

Posted on July 20, 2011July 21, 2011 by Katharine

To continue the tricky list from yesterday’s post:

7. To rinse the spines off cucumbers without cutting your hands, use a washcloth, which protects you and is faster and gets them cleaner.

8. In an emergency, apples, bell peppers, and tomatoes may be frozen whole and raw (untreated). They must be perfectly spotless, unwashed, and in an airtight bag or container. They must be used within six months and they should be used for cooking only. Thaw tomatoes one at a time under running water for a few seconds. Skin should slip off easily, then core and pop it into your chili or whatever. For apples, thaw slightly at room temperature, peel or not, slice off of the core for pies, sauce, etc. Open, clean and chop bell peppers, frozen, or stuff and bake.

9. If you have plums galore, try freezing them whole and unwashed. Teach your children to love “plum-sicles” (and to wash them before they eat them.)

10. If you end up with more fruit juice than you have sugar or time, boil it, cool it, and freeze it in clean milk jugs, ¾ full. The jugs should have securely fitting lids. I made jelly with juice that had been frozen for a couple years and it was absolutely as wonderful as fresh. Allow about 24 hours for a gallon jug to thaw at room temperature.

11. To tell if apples and pears are ripe, cut one open. If the seeds are white, it is too early. If they are black, the fruit is ready.

12. The eensy fruits off your flowering crab apple tree make wonderful apple jelly and incredible, rosy, tart applesauce. I love it to serve with meat instead of cranberry sauce.

Tomorrow: Gardening, Canning, and Children!

Blessings of Habit, Homemaking, Inspiring, Recipes, Womanhood

You CAN Can – Six Tricks!

Posted on July 19, 2011July 19, 2011 by Katharine

Six Tricks

In case you face canning–or freezing or drying–with more dread than cheer, here are some tips that will brighten your day and lighten your load:

1. Greens can be washed in the washing machine. Do not overload it, use the gentle cycle, cold water, NO SOAP. They will tear a little, but we’re going to cook and chew them, right? you needn’t spin them; they float. And the sand sinks. Yea!
2. To keep fruit from darkening, try using a Vitamin C tablet crushed into the holding water instead of expensive fruit preserving preparations from the store. One 500 mg tablet is enough for one gallon of water. It keeps pears, apples, peaches, etc., just as pale and fresh as the moment they were first sliced. For hours.
3. When cutting the core from quartered fruit, start at the bottom end of the slice (blossom end) and cut toward the top. You will have significantly fewer broken quarters.
4. To separate halves of drupes (plums, peaches, etc.) slice to the pit along the naturally occurring crease all the way around the fruit. Then twist the two halves in opposite directions. Voila!
5. Chop fruit for jam in the blender. Briefly. It is so much faster.
6. For quicker sun-drying, place fruit between two framed screens and set on top of the luggage rack of your car, parked in the hot, hot sun.

Tomorrow: Six MORE Tricks!

Blessings of Habit, Good ol' days, Health, Homemaking, Inspiring, Who's the mom here?, Womanhood

You CAN Can!

Posted on July 18, 2011April 8, 2016 by Katharine

Rotel, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, beets, tomato soup, pickles, and green beans — Rotel, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, beets, tomato soup, pickles, green beans, and more pickles.

I remember canning.

Mama had jars, lids, rings, spoons and pans all over her huge kitchen. She let me hand her the “rings” (screw bands) which I wore like bracelets up and down my then skinny arms. The temperature in there had to be at least 100 degrees, but I do not remember that. I remember her praise when I managed to stay focused on my job and hand her the ring on time. I felt so grown up.

I also remember disappointments, especially the cherry jelly that turned out like taffy. MY we loved that. I remember our neighbor, Eula, tanned and in flip-flops, who made her own catsup. And dear old Mrs. Secrest, who always gave me hand-pumped cold drinks from the well inside her dark, quiet house.

For some reason I’ve kept those memories fondly. I’ve tried to resurrect them in my own adult life. I do canning. I make jelly and catsup. We have a well. I want this for my children’s heritage. I wonder why.

It’s not just that the food is better. It’s not only that it is more healthful. And it is not simply that I grew up with it.

It is the soil–the harvest–the glorious, breath-taking heat–the oceans of perspiration replenished by oceans of teas and juices. It’s working together, sharing . . .

Oh! I know what it is! It is the fellowship with those who have gone before and those who are to come, stepping into my place in a long, long line of real people living a real life, marching to the rhythm of summer.

So all my children and I would march down to the garden to harvest God’s blessing for each day.

I hope you will join us. Then together we will all put back something for those special winter days when only that which is straight from the garden will do.

Tomorrow: Six Tricks to Get You out of the Canning Kitchen Faster!

Believe it or not!, Blessings of Habit, Health, Homemaking, Inspiring

I’m Back–I think!

Posted on July 15, 2011July 15, 2011 by Katharine

The long break has been full, just full. Doctor visits, 1000-mile trips in two cars, garden harvest, company, you name it, we had it. I never meant to stay away this long.

I have some new direction, though, and feel ready to finish what I started, here. Basically, though, the new direction will be posting about every 3 days instead of daily. Sorry.

However, all the excitement about my eyes led to the new discovery that my circulatory system seems to be in perfect health. Yea!

So, to start off with a big rush, let’s talk about multi-tasking. I’ve been doing some of it!

Do you remember from past posts, how long it takes to make a bed? The answer is two minutes. And that is exactly how long to wait after lighting your Lampe Berger. Combine the two and you have a tidy and lovely scented bedroom.

Instead of a musty mess.

Right now I am waiting, waiting, waiting for my pressure cooker to come to pressure. While I need to stay by the kitchen and pay close attention to the stove, I am using this time to catch up on blogs. I will keep at it until it is totally finished pressuring my jars of green beans.

Then I will damp mop my kitchen and laundry room floors while attending to some delicate clothing in the dryer. Do not want to over-cook these, as they become nearly impossible to unshrink and unpleasant to fold.

After that, it is off to the showers for me, where I will tend to the damp shower surround once I am finished with my self time. Everyone knows the shower is easiest to clean when it has had a good wet-down.

So how about it? Do you multi-task? Share with us how you get more than one thing done at a time.

And thanks for your patience and kind words while I was away. They mean more than you can know.

Blessings of Habit, Health, Home School, Homemaking, Pre-schoolers, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom, Womanhood

How to Take Care of Your Eyes – Rest!

Posted on June 4, 2011May 21, 2015 by Katharine

This is my favorite treatment for every problem–just close your eyes! Maybe it will go away!

In the case of eye health, this is definitely true.

But no one tells us.

Study this set of posts. Link to them. Copy-paste them for your fridge. Someone you know needs this information!

Resting

When we do not get enough sleep, eye health breaks down. Do not let this happen to you.

1. The only time your eyes get a rest or a chance to self-heal at all is when you close them. Open your eyes and they are on the job. Just as never resting would weaken a soldier, so never sleeping could weaken the two guards you call your eyes. A good nightly amount is eight hours. If you cannot get that for some reason (sick children, etc.) then pay more attention to daily resting.

2. You may need a timer for this one, at first. Every time you work for 50 minutes, rest your eyes for ten. This includes computer work, yes, but any reading or crafting is work for your eyes, no matter how fun it is. Give them a break.

3. You know how tired eyes feel to you, When your eyes feel overly tired, try this: lie down and cover your eyelids with cool cucumber slices. Chamomile tea bags, boiled, cooled, and squeezed out, work too. Let the soothing compresses take you away!

So now you have it: Four ways to make for better eye health: nutrition, exercise, detoxify, and rest. Let’s all get going on taking care!

Okay, now comes the part we have to say in this lawsuit-happy world: This post is meant to inform and to satisfy curiosity, only, and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor for information concerning your conditions. Much effort has been made to assure this information is accurate, however, medical research is always changing the facts, and new findings may supersede currently accepted data. I am NOT a doctor, only quoting several of them.

Blessings of Habit, Health, Home School, Inspiring, Pre-schoolers, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom, Womanhood

How to Take Care of Your Eyes – Eliminate the Toxic!

Posted on June 3, 2011March 13, 2015 by Katharine

I knew it! I just knew it! We have more eye troubles these days because more facets of our environment are bothering our eyes. I just knew it.

And, oh boy! It is politically incorrect to admit this.

Is that why this is not on billboards, nationwide?

Study this set of posts. Link to them. Copy-paste them for your fridge. Someone you know needs this information!

Poison to Your Eyes

The eyes are physical parts of our physical bodies. Since they are so sensitive that they can communicate thoughts and emotions, we might think of them as ephemeral. But they are physical, influenced by light, something Einstein would be first to tell us we do NOT fully understand. And they have a few things to communicate to us about their preferences, too.

If you are in charge of children, you hold the keys to their continued eye health. You are duty-bound to make good eye health happen for them. Teach this to them and make it a permanent part of their overall health.

Lighting. Lighting is toxic? Yes, some lighting is toxic to several parts of the body, but we will concentrate on the effects to the eye. Flourescent, computer, and TV light is totally stressing to the eye and can even lead to glaucoma. We take for granted the accuracy of our eyes, but the truth is, they have to re-focus and re-compute every time a flourescent blinks, every time the stripe goes past on a screen, even if they are not looking directly at the screen or lightbulb. For this reason, many people, and most children, do poorer work when in the presence of these types of light. Eliminate them.

The best light for working is reflected or filtered sunlight. Halogen is next, if carefully filtered. Then comes incandescent, also very workable. The rest are bad. Period.

However, never look AT the sun, and always have sunglasses ready, should you be outdoors very long, especially on overcast days, when more sunlight can beam directly into the eye. A little reflected sunlight actually can do good, adding vitamin D, but don’t overdo.

Allergens. Although you may not have a classic allergic reaction to them, the fumes from new carpet, new paint, overheated cars, etc., harm more than your lungs. If you must install these things in your home, open the windows and use a fan to draw in real air. Ditto for tobacco smoke. If your favorite shopping place installs them there, shop elsewhere, or AT LEAST leave the children behind for a while until the fumes subside.

Also, when you turn on the tap, first thing in the morning, does it smell to the skies of chlorine? It quite likely is chlorine gas. Time for the fan and the open window, again. Let the water run and leave the room until it smells like–water.

Swimming pools and spas. Usually these either have chlorine, bromine, or bacteria in them. Wearing goggles is a good solution for those who have to swim in chemicals and bacteria, although removing them and doing yesterday’s massages every half hour is a good idea.

Heating and air conditioning. Dry air is not really a toxin, but harms the eyes as if it were. Use a humidifier and saline drops made for the eye when you are in these environments. Spend more time outdoors: you were made for it.

Dim lighting. Doing visual work without proper lighting is like moving bricks without gloves, or hiking barefoot. Body parts wear out, and unlike a cut hand or foot, the eye does not self-repair well. Always use a good light when you work. When you are reading or writing, the light should fall over your less dominant shoulder. (Left for righties; right for lefties.) Require this of your children, too.

Rubbing the eyes. A little goes a long way with this habit. Unlike the eye massage from yesterday’s post, rubbing the eye squashes the eyeball. Not so good. It also can introduce bacteria. Not so good. And, horrors!, if you have a foreign object in the eye, rubbing can worsen your plight. Just don’t go there and don’t allow the children to, either.

Use a warm wash cloth to remove crust or mattering, not a fingernail. Use a folded corner of tissue and/or sterile eye drops to remove foreign objects from the eye. Or go to a doctor, WITHOUT RUBBING, PLEASE.

Coming tomorrow, Lord willing: Resting–Resting–1,2,3, Resting!

Believe it or not!, Blessings of Habit, Health, Wisdom

How to Take Care of Your Eyes – Exercise

Posted on June 2, 2011March 16, 2015 by Katharine

I have always wished I could exercise my eyes. I always thought it would be just as good for them as for the rest of me. Often I wondered if using them was the exercise, as with all other muscles. But not so, I have learned. Eyes become tired when used for only one task, over and over, just as the wrist does for typing. And exercise helps this.

Why isn’t this on billboards, nationwide?

Study the next few posts. Link to them. Copy-paste them for your fridge. Someone you know needs this information!

Exercise for Your Eyes

This is like jiggling your wrists to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, or taking a walk to relieve varicose veins, but it is for the eyes. Everyone needs to know these tricks to keep the eyes from wearing out. I am so happy to have learned them! They even reduce “floaters”! I love these exercises first thing when I wake up, and any time my eyes are tired. Since I found exercises, I have so much more incentive to rest my eyes!

If you are in charge of children, though, you hold in your hands the keys to their continued excellent eye health. You are duty-bound to make good eye health happen. Teach this to them and make it a fun diversion in their day.

Begin with warm eyes. A warm wash cloth held over the eyes, or even rubbing your hands together to make warmth and then holding them over the eyes, will get the old circulation up and running. I prefer the wash cloth.

Roll ’em. This exercise involves using the full range of motion for your eye muscles. Basically, just look from the north position, to every compass point, in order, round and round, about 20 times, and then repeat in the opposite direction. So easy, but feels so good.

The focusing muscles. There are 2 good ways to do this one. You can hold your finger up at arm’s length and move it toward your nose, keeping it in focus at all times, then back out to arm’s length again about 10 or 12 times. Or you can stand at arm’s length from an object like a light switch and move your entire body toward it and away from it. This is more work, but coordinates the sense of balance with the sense of sight, something I need.

Massage. Mmm! This one I love. This is the one that can tear me away from my work! Using the pads of a couple of fingers, lightly rub circles over your crow’s feet wrinkles (or if you’re too young for those, just rub the temples.) Make about 20 circles on both sides, and then circle the opposite direction the same amount. Then make circles between your eyebrows and under your eyes about where the tear ducts are. Oh, it feels so good!

Close your eyes. Just for three to five minutes, give them a break. I find this is such a great help to my vision when I am working on the computer. And it relaxes the rest of me, too, like slipping into a dark, quiet room for a tiny vacation. When I return, I am like new!

Coming tomorrow, Lord willing: Getting Rid of Eye Poisons! Shocking!