Back to basics.
Welcome to a brand new year!
In the last few months I really noticed how much frustration, confusion and anger there is everywhere. Much of it for good reason. We can easily be worn out, worn down, wrung out of energy and enthusiasm. But this is no good! We have a new year and a new start. To forge through and make a clear path we need to know our mission. We need to know the truth. We can be spread too thin. Everything about our day, week, month and year is finite. We only have so many hours in a day and dollars in our budget. It is what we do with them that counts. With so much information and so many agendas pushed at us, so many distractions and choices we can get distracted and way off course. If can identify a simple mission and if we plant our feet firmly on the rock of truth then life is just much simpler. In the last few years we have endured so much baloney it is mind boggling. We need to get back to basics!
The Bible tells us that in end times good will be declared evil and evil will be declared good. Well that ship sailed some time ago. We have been gaslit into a meek state as if we speak up we will be called names. People are proud of things that should be ashamed of and ashamed of things they should be proud of. This is why, quite often, homemaking and child rearing is ridiculed and seen as "not a proper or worthy job." Things are entirely backwards. I have realised that it takes a lot to be brave, truthful and unmoved and that the truth holds up for all time. For this reason I am going to make sure I read my Bible every single day. I buy every old Bible I can find because it not longer suits many of the "churches" who feel to eliminate it or change the words! So gather them while you still can.
I have observed that a lot of basics are no longer basic at all. People have lost their minds! Throughout December I really noticed so many situations where I was just shocked how all commonsense seemed to have evaporated. People who don't pack lunch for their child to take to school but they can buy cartons of beer. Families with food insecurity putting a cruise on the credit card. People have a TV bigger than a car but don't own a first aid kit. The children have two minute noodles every night for dinner and the parents don't know how to cook and have no interest in learning. There is no use helping them start a garden as they would never ever eat a vegetable. There is no use giving them a food hamper as they don't know what to do with flour, rice, oats ... In our local community the churches put on a breakfast at the school so kids that come along, haven eaten nothing, have something to start their day.
There is so much beauty in the simplicity of such things as a morning routine, a day that is planned, dinner is started, kids are bathed and tucked up in bed at BEDTIME... did you know many kids have no bedtime? They just sleep where they fall and when they fall. Teachers say so many children cannot learn because they have not eaten and they are so tired as they were up late... night after night. Yes, we have lost our minds.
Remember Pa in Laura Ingalls "The Long Winter"? His clothes were falling off him by the end as we all know what he was doing in order for Ma and the children to be fed. Now we have hungry kids because Pa wants his drinks and smokes! What happened?! I know this is not everyone. I just have come across this one too many times lately. And all I can think is we need to get back to basics....
I am sure my regular Bluebirds are not like this. But you know people who are. However we are all learning and times have changed. Things that worked for us a couple of years ago might not be working so well now. There are housing shortages and a rental crisis. I see people post photos asking advice on how to decorate their new rental and seriously many of these places are not fit for habitation. This is very grim and very sad. With this I do see many asking for help to budget, help to learn to cook and learn other homemaking skills. I love to see this! I try to jump in and offer something. This is the thing... someone who wants to learn can learn anything because we have books, teachers, you tube.... endless ways to learn! But people who do not want to learn... no amount of teaching will work... it is like water off a ducks back. It is a great attribute to have a teachable heart. We must make sure we have our hearts set on keen to learn, keen to gain wisdom. Every day we must ask what is the wise thing to do? What is prudent in this situation?
I now fall firmly in the category of "older woman" and we have a responsibility to be good examples, to encourage and be willing to teach younger women. So maybe we have failed to teach and help younger people when we could have. I have been very blessed to have Nanas and my Mum to teach me. I was also blessed to have older women teachers. When I had Chloe there was a lady who lived over the road. I guess she was in her fifties. She was very friendly and kind. Her own daughter also had little girls, they were twins. Dorrie was so practical... whatever I needed to know I ran cross the street and asked her. With the patience of a saint she guided me. She may have been an angel for all the help she gave me. She was always sewing or cooking. She got me started and taught me stretch sewing. I might get up to putting a wrist band on or a neckline and over the street I would go to be shown the how to do the next bit!
Each stage of life I had a teacher. What a blessing. So I know we have to be willing teachers, to be ready to come alongside someone who needs help... to step up, to be a better member of the community... to be the helpful one on the street. But first to be the helpful one to our own family and their children.
Last year (and previous years....) I wrote about Nana's ways and as you all know I have endlessly encouraged home and pantry building! Yep, I have come at that from every angle! Now I have realised I came from a place where I've had someone teach me or I have tried and failed until I got better at something. But it is all very well to tell someone they could get more meals for their money by making soup when they don't even know the names of many veggies let alone how to prepare them. Or to say get ahead with freezer meals for those busy days... but they have no idea where to even start.
So getting back to basics.... I hope to really break down as many things as I can into steps. I am going to ask you for help! We need to be able to be flexible... use what we have, if we don't have something we need to know it's ok to substitute something or do it another way. If a recipe calls for a certain size cake tin that alone can derail someone... we need to make things very flexible. We need to be encouraging and say no one does anything perfectly the first time! If you fed the family and everyone is in bed warm and cozy then good job! Basics are beautiful. Things do not have to be fancy to be good, to be delicious, warm, nurturing...
Now lets get busy learning, stocking our pantry, helping others along because the watchful know the need is real.
I also invite you to The Tuesday Afternoon Club where we are starting some challenges to produce things for our homes and gifts for the present cupboard and work towards next Christmas! Starting in January is the way to go! It is amazing how a little each week adds up to so much! I am so excited to work along side you this year. If you are not a member and would like to join here.
To start this year off well I will post my first basics post tomorrow. It will cover three things... how to make an easy Lasagne, with variations, and how to freeze individual portions for emergency meals. This also covers the basics of batch cooking... ie while you are making your Lasagne you might as well make another! Even if limited with meat we can do that with other add ins to get more meals than you imagined! As there are many options and tips I will ask for your help in adding your own variations.
Let's be good learners with teachable hearts and be willing to help and teach as well. Also let's take every opportunity to teach skills and common sense.
Happy New Year! What do you want to learn? Do you have goals for building up your home, pantry or garden? The wise woman builds her home! Build, build and build some more! xxx
Oh, Bravo, Annabel! Back to Basics for 2024 sounds fabulous! I am constantly amazed at the lack of common sense and personal responsibility. My 28 year old daughter-in-law is a high school English teacher who has realized recently that she doesn't understand where her 16-18 year old students are coming from in terms of their senses of entitlement and lack of personal expectations. Then when she talks to their 30 -something parents, she is astounded at how they either helicopter parent them or enable their kid's every whim, or they set the bar so low regarding expectations that the kids thumb their noses at education and spend their time on their phones. My DIL loves teaching, but I give her one or two more years to burn out from that nonsense. Yes, the world has changed, but I hope and pray 2024 brings improvement. At least we can continue to make our homes a sanctuary and place of love.
ReplyDeleteDear Jill, That would be so frustrating for your daughter. Yes there are people out there that do want to learn. We must not lower our standards to the common denominator. And yes we have to make our homes a sanctuary! Absolutely! Thank you so much! With love, Annabel.xxx
DeleteCount me in Annabel. I love that we can be happy with the basics. I love that we can help each other to know how to change out one ingredient for another.
ReplyDeleteI know people who will read a recipe and will make it exactly as the recipe says. If the recipe calls for the cake to be baked for 40 minutes then that is the time it is baked for. When the cake turns out dry and overdone, that recipe is discarded as a bad one. They dont think to themselves that maybe I should check the cake at 30 minutes. The recipe said 40 minutes so that is what it will be baked at.
There are so many ways a recipe can be changed out. Lasagna is a great example. We often change out the white sauce layers for pureed sweet potato. It is a great way to add extra veg and goodness to this meal. I am looking forward to seeing what others do to change out recipes, to add to them and to make them go further.
I am also looking for ways that we can rethink and make over leftovers. I dont mind eating the same meal for a couple of days but sometimes leftovers can form up a whole new meal. a meat based spaghetti sauce and some leftover spaghetti makes fabulous little pies. I make these up in the pie maker. Leftover stewed apple makes a great little apple turnover for lunchboxes or morning teas.
I am also looking forward to ways that we can make items to add to our home comforts.
I am really looking forward to this series.
Dear Jane, Thank you! Pies are a great suggestion! Pies are also a great ingredient stretcher! A pie maker is really good... left over casserole meat has made good pies here. Waffles/toasties would be another good option.
DeleteI am coming into apples soon so the apple variations will begin! Thank you for your encouragement and help! With love Annabel.xxx
I put a post up on The Cheapskates club just a couple of hours ago about how fired up I am to get going with my pantry and freezer preparedness by double batch cooking, and I’ve come over to your blog just now to read about just that thing!! We are definitely on the same wave length!
ReplyDeleteI own an upright freezer, but it always seems full (which is a good thing I suppose) but I never have enough room for double batch cooking or homemade cakes, bread etc, so my first goal this year is to buy a second small deep freezer. I know a lot of people are trying to move away from freezers because of the power consumption, but I’m certain I can use my freezer in a way that pays for itself ie less takeaways etc, so I’m very interested in how you freeze your meals ie cling wrap etc and how you reheat them, I know how I do it, but there could be so much I don’t know and I want to learn it all!
Thank you Annabel, I feel there is a sense of positivity in the air for the coming year and it will be a welcome change indeed!
From Cheryl 🐦
Dear Cheryl, Yes we are on the same track! I have a freezer dedicated to ready meals. I love it. We never get takeaway it isn't an option here anyway.
DeleteI wrap and re wrap everything for the freezer. Usually I will thaw a meal ready for the evening. In an emergency I might take out single serves of lasagne and microwave them. But I think things re heated in the oven are nicest. You can cover things with foil if you think they are browning too much but I like to heat in the oven until it is properly bubbling right through. Then you would never know it had been frozen. If you keep freezers packed full they wills tay frozen a long time. I have a generator in case of a disaster. We can support our freezers for several months and in a situation we would be eating meals from it anyway!
Thank you for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
We are lucky to have a free fridge in my village. Older folk turn down perfectly good food because they have never had it before and are afraid to try (understandable when so many have digestive issues) but youngsters turn down the food too. Even when one of the helpers or people in the queue patiently explains how it can be cooked in multiple ways they are still unwilling to give it a go. I thought being young was all about experimentation and learning new things, but it seems that is no longer true for many. I find this so sad and very worrying.
ReplyDeleteDear Tracy, This is the same here. A friend of mine was given a roast because although it was offered to many in need none were prepared to cook it! Nothing surprises me anymore. Yet you or I would be thrilled with a roast and cook it and get so many good meals! We will work and increase our knowledge and I hope teach some that do want to learn. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful series. I’m all in for 2024!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! xxx
DeleteHi Annabel, Happy New Year and this topic is perfect to start the year. My husband passed away last year and in 2023 I was very busy selling our home, moving and renovating. I got rid of a lot of clutter so that part is done, but I also got rid of most of my pantry. So 2024 is the year I can get back to preparedness. I am creating my 2024 list today. Thank you for starting the new year off right! Hilogene in Az.
ReplyDeleteHilogene I hope you can get yourself a very good pantry again as even on your own you need good supplies, emergency meals etc. I hope the renovations are complete now! its love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDefinitely going to join in with this Annabel. Looking forward to sharing and learning along with you and Bluebirds.
ReplyDeleteSorry should have said PennyP not Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteThank you Penny, very happy to have you on board! xxx
DeleteUnfortunately I am not on Facebook how can I see your Tuesday Afternoon Club please?
ReplyDeleteFacebook has been the only easy way for me to run a club.. it is simple to join and you can use an alternative name if you want to keep your identify secure. Sorry there are no alternatives at this time. It is working really well and the membership has really grown, it is a very motivating group! I hope you might join! xx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Annabel. Count me in. Cookie
Thanks Cookie! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, this will be so wellcomed for many, including me. I could not think of anything more useful to give someone than the gift of knowledge, help and encouragement, especially in these hard times. Many people don't know how to cook or stretch because there were no such examples when they grow. up. I have learnt a lot from the women of my family, my Mum used to say "you can take anything and turn it to gold" or when she was cooking, inventing recipes on the go out of the little things there were in the kitchen she than said smilling " it is so good, a king would lick his fingers" and it truly was. I cook the same, out of what I have or what needs to be used first. My lovely aunt was the fashionista of the family, she would create any fancy clothing out of nothing, using sewing, embroidering, knitting or crocheting skils. She made many of my clothes and some I still have and wear (even at weddings, they are so great!) and they have more than 20-30 years! I learnt to knit, live and fight for life from my Mum, to crochet and garden from my Aunt and to sew, embroider, take care of animals, garden and my son from my wonderful Grandmother. I am looking forward to all the advice, ideas and knowledge all the Bluebirds and you, Annabel, will write. Again, what a BRILLIANT IDEA! Thank you.
ReplyDeletePS. Following my motto "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" -This year I will try to quilt Laura_s_world from Romania
laura, you will find quilting so much fun. it is very addicting, you can make something very beautiful just from scraps. bonnie in southern pa
DeleteThank you. Just sorted some fabric....
DeleteDear Laura, I love what your Mum said about turning thing into gold. It is so true! Also yes many have never had anyone to be a good example or teacher at all.
DeleteYour Aunt sounds fabulous. You have such great skills Laura with your knitting but also with your cooking and preserving. I think you will be great at quilting! We will work on many new things together! With love Annabel.xxx
Good morning Annabel and Happy, Healthy New Year filled with blessings.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for several months, but haven't commented more than once or twice. I will be commenting throughout this year as I want to join in.
I have been a "dinosaur" for my adult life. When my first son was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. My husband and I learned to garden, I learned to can, prepare and stock a pantry, etc. We bought chickens and goats and I learned to make different cheeses, yogurts. I learned to make beautiful soaps and gave many for Christmas gifts, as a joke, my husband would advise me to buy groceries before buying fabric because I sewed everything, and knitted for my family. Our home was our haven.
Like you, I see the generation of my grandchildren being totally uninterested in the skills of homemaking. Everything is sports, group activities. Home is a landing spot to be visited after extremely busy days. Materialism is everything. It's so sad.
But along with this, four young women from my church asked.me if I would teach them how to bake bread (I would take homemade bread to church suppers) which lead to wanting to learn to can and mentor with gardening. Two of the women want to learn to sew and knit. Beautiful friendships have evolved from that simple request and I've been so blessed by these young women.
Perhaps there is a silver lining to the cloud of despair that seems to hover above us at this time. Like you, I am going to spend more time in my bible and live each day with joy in the Lord.
God Bless,
Linda
Thank you so much for commenting Linda! It is just beautiful you have younger women to teach! What an opportunity! I would love you as my neighbour with all you do! I am so glad to have you here! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteIt is ages since I commented on your posts Annabell but I haven’t missed a single one. I have struggled in the past couple of years after losing my husband and cooking family meals hasn’t felt worthwhile. But here I am again, encouraged by your wise words to get back in the saddle, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with all your comments. So many people don’t want to be helped and I’m sure we have all witnessed young families with shopping trolleys piled high with convenience foods, costing far more than they can really afford.
I am old school and I budget my income to pay all my bills before I spend on luxuries. I have a friend, also in her 70’s, who is down to her last dollar at the end of every month. She is a good friend and I am able to talk to her but she openly admits that her cigarettes come first on her shopping list and everything else comes second and often there isn’t enough left to pay her urgent bills. I would love to help her but I have had to admit defeat.
I belong to the local branch of the CWA and we have some new younger members who are keen to learn old skills and crafts. This gives me hope and the older members are so keen to share their wealth of experience.
Getting back to basics sounds just what I need in more ways than one. You and other Bluebirds inspire me to do better and I’m right with you. Can’t wait for your next post.
Happy 2024 to you and all your family and all our Bluebird friends, I hope it is a happy, healthy and peaceful one for everyone.
Dear Marilyn, I am so happy to hear from you. I am so glad you have some ready students to help and teach! With your friend... you cannot argue with addictions. Cigarettes are VERY expensive now. Some are $60 a pack. Depending how much your friend smokes it could easily be costing $350 a WEEK! I was really shocked when I found this out!
DeleteThank you for commenting and your support! With love Annabel.xxx
I agree about sharing our knowledge. My nephew is zero grain and over the years I have managed to do Christmas for him. The other day my daughter emailed for help for her friend who’s daughter has been diagnosed with coeliac disease. I wondered if you could publish your scone recipe as I know that her mother is trying to master the bread and this may help her in the mean time. I have sent her the recipes I have but any other help is always welcome.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Chris in the UK
Dear Chris, I will! Also suggest to your friend to use GF flour to make pancakes... they are really good. GF flours are so good now you can basically swap them out for most recipes. But I will get the scone recipe up shortly for you! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I'm so looking forward to your new series.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Laurie! xxx
DeleteThank you for the encouragement this morning. Things at my house are difficult in many ways right now, but you are such an encouragement to do what I can where I am.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am sorry things are difficult at the moment... dont give up.. I hope 2024 improves things for you! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI’m really looking forward to joining this challenge in 2024. I am regularly shocked to see young mums and dads filling supermarket trolleys with highly processed ‘ready meals’ and some of their comments have shocked me more. I wish they would be real parents to their children instead of the children they themselves seem to me to be. You’re quite correct when you say that, sadly, common sense and personal responsibility seem to be vanishing attributes. I’d love to help to bring them back, and to give myself a good shake when I ‘can’t be bordered’.
ReplyDeleteLesley in the UK.
Dear Lesley, Thank you! Yes there are many adult children. Failure to launch! Each skill we pass on is a good thing! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI'm excited to follow this.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at how many people do not even know the basics for cooking.
There are so many more resources now that you can learn anything.
Thanks so much Lori! xxx
DeleteExcited about this new series! It is truly sad to see the state of the world now. Our church has low income housing right out our back door and a few years ago we found out that many of the children slept on a bare floor without so much as a blanket and in the clothes they had on for the day. Now every child who comes to our Bible club that we hold on the sidewalks in that neighborhood receives a blanket and pillow every Christmas. Our SonIL worked in the inner city as a pastor and found that many do not have a stove or pots and pans to cook with so cooking skills have been lost. This explains carts full of microwave dinners because they can heat them on a microwave oven. These things are hard to reverse.
ReplyDeleteI have often thought that a Youtube channel with just what we ate that day and how it was prepared could be a help to some. And then the thoughts toward tomorrow's meals like taking meat from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw because I made a menu and know what I will make tomorrow. Just pointing out that the ham we had for Christmas will be used for it's last dish today as a big pot of ham bone vegetable soup and all the other ways we ate it over the last week could be so helpful. The younger women that I have convinced to make menus have told me that it changed their lives and they were so thankful for how helpful it was. So that is one big place to start! Yesterday I made my menus for most of January based on what I knew I have in my pantry and freezers. Having that done is huge!
Dear Lana, That is just heart breaking... but I am so happy hearing the work your church do and the blankets and pillows are given to the children.
DeleteYou are right... the basics of planning the meals... not thinking what will we eat tonight five minutes before dinner time! Such basic foundation things that make so much difference. Well done on the teaching you are doing. With much love Annabel.xxx
I love the theme you've chosen and can't wait to follow along.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Patsi! xxx
DeleteI too am worn down. There is so much that is backwards.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed to find out that two families close to us allow their children to stay up all night in the summer playing online games. Then struggle deeply trying to get them into a school routine come fall.
I watch this mess and I know there is so much I can't change.
I think God is calling me to find beauty in each day and be the anchor in the storm for those who are in my life. Your call to return to the basics is music to me. Lead on!
That is so sad. Pray for those children. You never know it an opportunity might arise to help them or teach. But mean time yes we need to build our homes and be able to be there for our families. And we can do it. We might make such a difference in a time of need! Be encouraged for sure! xxx
Deletehi everyone, this is such an interesting subject- i have tried to follow this mindset all my life. i am now 77. i love it when someone wants to know how to do something, i love to show them so they can feel accomplished too. i basically taught myself to cook by just taking a cookbook, shutting my eyes and opening to a page and having to make something from one of the two pages open. i have gotten many good recipes that way- now i collect cookbooks like novels-ha learning to sew was another necessity in our house. we always got bags of clothes from others and i would take them apart and use the fabric for other things. home-ec in school was a big help along the way-they should still have it in my opinion. i would love to be in the tuesday club but i don't have facebook, sounds like a lot of fun. would also love to learn to crochet. bonnie in southern pa.
ReplyDeleteDear Bonnie, Sewing is such a valuable skill. Maybe someone in your life would let you use their FB account to check in?
DeleteYou tube is the place to learn crochet. Just find a teacher you like. Try a few... in three or four days you will be up and running! With love Annabel.xxx
Looking forward to this series because I know I can do better. Also will be looking for opportunities to help and encourage others.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so exciting! I’m one of those who follows a recipe to the “T” and am not very good at improvising or substituting, so I’m excited about learning new ways and ideas! Maybe you can teach an “old dog new tricks” after all!😉😉
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your blog and the Tuesday Afternoon Club with all the wonderful ideas and encouragement!
Happy New Year!!
Laura C, (aka:Nana C)
Annabel, this is a confirmation of where my own direction has me leaning this year. I just wrote a post late last week, scheduled for this week that is something along these lines. I wondered if I were oversimplifying things but then I said, No, I must teach someone basics. I have a new theme for the year, a motto I'd used a few years back when things were tough for us and that is my theme motto for the blog for this year.
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest thing I come up against is the whine (whinge) that "But that is too hard!" I'm so tired of teachers of all kinds lying that it will all be okay, not encouraging by saying "It IS hard, but you can do it, loads of people have done it before you!" and then breaking it down for them instead of doing it for them or directing them to someone who is keen on making another dependent/controlling what is done. I've said for years upon that the welfare system was of more harm than good because it has continued to increase the number of things it will do for people rather than teach them to do things.
Well that's my opinion. Glad to join you and others as we all push to teach. Terri from Blue House Journal.
We all need to become Titus 2 women along with thanking those who taught us.
ReplyDeleteYou are a voice of reason in a crazy world. We have been buying extra bibles too. Incase they are outlawed or like you said changing the text. Your Grandaughter’s hair is gorgeous. My lil granddaughter has a long mane as well. It is so beautiful to see. All her lil friends have chop off butch haircuts the moms don’t want to mess with it. All little girls used to have long feminine hair. Another thing lost in this world. Your place on the internet is one the best places for a common sense.Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy prosperous and productive New Year !
ReplyDeleteWell said Annabel. I’m in. Have been following your wonderful blog since well before you moved to the country and see in you and the Bluebirds such kindred spirits. I’m looking forward to jumping into 2024 with you all.
ReplyDeleteMy little boys keep me busy, so I do not have a chance to comment as regularly as I used to, but I faithfully read and look forward to every post, Annabel. I think this will be a wonderful and helpful series.
ReplyDeleteTrying to comment again.
ReplyDeleteI'm in for 2024, too! I requested membership in the Tuesday Afternoon Club, but I honestly don't understand how it works. It appears that some other Bluebirds don't, either. Would you please explain more about what it is? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI have one resolution only for 2024--FLYLADY. I am 77 years old and have always been embarrassed to have people over (with less than 5 days' notice, LOL). I've really worked at organization for at least 45 years and somehow it never sticks. A friend challenged me to try Flylady and I'm going to give it my best. At my age, you'd think I would have learned everything by now, or given up. I know how to do most things, but it never seems to come together for me. I think Flylady is flexible enough that I'll be able to handle it despite having arthritis and being a lot slower than I used to be. Wish me luck!
One of the reasons I'm willing to try Flylady is that I have a hard time giving myself permission to do things I enjoy when the house is a mess. I definitely want to do more sewing and other useful crafts. The Tuesday Afternoon Club might just be the ticket!
Thanks, and happy new year to you and all of the Bluebirds.
Maxine, I love FlyLady Kat on YouTube for encouragement with the FlyLady method.
DeleteOops, that was me above.
ReplyDelete--Maxine, aka mikemax
Evening Annabel and Bluebirds,
ReplyDeleteFirstly to Chris in the UK who asked about gluten free scones.
Chris just take your usual recipe and substitute the flour for gf flour. For each cup of flour in the recipe add a teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum. This fulfills the role of gluten by binding the ingredients. Without it your scones will be dry and crumbly. You may need to add a little more liquid to the recipe but trial and error will teach you this. Basically you can do this with most recipes. I have been gluten free for about 18 years now.
A great cheese scone recipe I use is 2 cups of gf flour
2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
2 cups of grated cheese
3/4 cup of milk of choice.
Pinch of salt
Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the milk. I don't bother measuring anymore and do it by sight and feel. You want quite a wet mixture
I take a big metal spoon and drop spoonfuls onto baking paper on a baking tray.
Depending on scone size cook in a preheated oven at 180c for around 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
I hope this helps.
Annabel it seems the problem of entitlement is world wide and has become worse with the pandemic.
Last year work took over my life and not in a good way. This year I am reclaiming for me.
I always read along but was to worn out to join in as much last year.
This year I am dropping five hours work and going down to 35 hours a week. This will give me a bit more balance and time.
I really look forward to reading and hearing about what everyone is making,saving and stretching.
Mandy(NZ)
this is so timely - prices of everything are going up daily, people seem to be increasinly frustrated and angry, and the daily news is just so sad and negative. Anything we can control ourselves is a bonus - and learning something new or helping someone to try a new skill is a wonderful idea - a real positive in the midst of chaos. Just this evening I made a salmon impossible pie - it needed 2 cups of milk, and as normal when I have a recipe with more than 1 cup of milk, I substitute mixed up powdered milk for the fresh - saves money, saves fresh milk for drinks or beakfast and the difference is negligible. I am 72 and still I am learning new things and I hope I never stop learning. I love passing on tips and hints to help someone be successful and to save them money - my grandchildren, like yours Annabel, have been the recipients of such help from both myself and my daughter, and though they are young they are competent little cooks - what a bonus that they can feed themselves. I have a thriving vegetable garden and my young neighbour - a hard working mother - often asks for garden advice. How wonderful to pass these things on. What you and other bluebirds do is just so important in a world that seems crazy - to come back to basics just makes sense. I look forward to seeing the wonderful tips and hints that the bluebird family come up with. Jenny from Victoria
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea Annabel, thank you so much for the effort you put into you posts. I know it takes quite a bit times to do these posts and I admire you for that. Especially when you’re such a busy person. Bless you Annabel. I’m sure these posts will be a great success.
ReplyDeleteGail.
May 2024 be a year of infinite blessing for you and your family Annabel, and for each and every bluebird across the world. Let us give thanks, find the joy, live by grace and truly be women of the Word.
ReplyDeleteThis is a timely post Annabel. I have found your blog encouraging these past years and never yet commented. There is definitely much that is back-to-front at this time.
Wonderful that your blog is a beacon for common sense, and the neglected art of home making and all it encompasses. looking forward to all you have to share in 2024.
sandiet
Looking forward to this!
ReplyDeleteI love this post. I have not had time to read the comments as we have the grandsons here for a few days, but I am looking forward to reading what others have to say. I always learn something from the bluebirds. One thing I am trying to learn (and would love help with this) is finding alternative ingredients to the expensive ones often called for in recipes. I have learned I can reduce the amount of sugar by at least half and add 1/4 tsp baking soda when making things like muffins and cookies. I have not tried it with puddings and cakes yet. I also have 20 quarts of pumpkin in the freezer and would like to find ways to use it as an alternative ingredient when cooking. I often use homemade applesauce in place of oil in baking tea breads and muffins. I would love to hear what others do to reduce their costs of fats and sweeteners. Keep up the great work, Annabel!
ReplyDeleteHello Annabel (and everyone),
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I'm in my 40s, and learned a lot from my grandparents, and was taught to knit by a kind lady I worked with several years ago - and also so much from the ladies here. I hope I can help you all in some small way, too.
I hear a lot of "I don't cook", "I don't have time to do XYZ" (usually when someone sees me knitting or stitching while I'm waiting somewhere), "Cleaning is a waste of time" - and it is very concerning! I always want to ask these folks if they like to eat or have a safe home without insects raising large families indoors! But, I have also had a few ladies interested in knitting and taught them how.
This year I would like to learn how to use my sewing machine, and more about gardening in my climate. Also finding a balance with time - I work full-time and with everything else going on it can be a challenge to fit it all in. Those freezer ready meals and the crockpot are real time and money savers! Finding more things like that is another goal.
<3
Kathy
Looking forward to your series! It is always useful to have a few different ways to make a recipe. I do not have Facebook but am not tempted to join so I can join the Tuesday Afternoon Club.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, wonderful, Annabel. You're the best! Yes, you have identified many issues that are so prevalent, but your overall attitude of positivity and faith shine through to override the despondency that can derail many of us from even trying to make a difference. I am really looking forward to this series, and have loved reading everyone's comments. This year I WILL be ready for Christmas far ahead of time (cough, cough), and am going to be getting "back to basics" with my time and energy and money in a big way...enough is enough with overdoing things and with trying to fit in too much, most of which isn't as important as it seems at the time. Like you, bible reading each day takes priority, as does listening to what is God's will for my day, not mine. That takes some silence to hear. Having been very sick for a good week during the holidays has given me some time to really think about things, and this direction fits right in! Looking forward to reading the lasagne post!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to All!
xx Jen in NS
Annabel thank you for your theme this year and I believe that is what we need to do is get back to basics. As you mentioned as long as everyone is fed, clothed and comfy that is our goal is to do that and not necessarily with fancy expensive meals either as the basic meals are filling and nutritious.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking on your theme we have a friend who went through the depression years in Ireland who we speak to quite often. The thing we were talking about was how both he and I were taught that if you didn't have the cash for something you needed you didn't buy it, now there is a couple of exceptions say buying a home, sometimes a car or education. He spoke to me about doing what was known as whip arounds or collecting money for those families in their school who were doing it hard. This was a regular thing during those times to help your neighbour.
We are all teachers and can bless someone with the knowledge and skills we have and in doing so create community and friendships. I am fortunate I have had many teaching opportunities come my way and not just for the younger generation. One was before Covid hit I taught some elderly friends to have a few spares of things in their pantry and this was in October 2019. I showed them how to do it and rotate through the things they would store and how to date food items they purchased and put oldest items to the front of the pantry and oldest to the back.
Covid did hit the next year and they did say to me if it hadn't been for you teaching us those things we would have survived but not thrived as we did. There is always things we can teach to others if they are willing learners and another time I taught a friend at church how to stretch her lean budget and said you know you can create a grocery stockpile with $0 simply buy each time you see something your family uses on half price sale then buy 2. One to use now and one as a spare. This had never occurred to her and is something she does even today.
I would like to get back into vegetable gardening again as we have to amend all our garden beds as the soil is very poor here. Now we have paid off our mortgage and have the spare cash we will amend one garden bed at a time and plant it.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
Lorna.
Dear Annabel, thank you for this incredibly thoughtful and inspiring post. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in and then I come here and I feel connected to others. I love being home and striving to make it better. Seeing a local disaster has shown me that people lack common sense and personal responsibility. It is everyone else’s problem, not theirs. I would love to get back to basics with everything. I just love, love, love this so much. Thank you for giving so much to others. Lots of love, Lily
ReplyDeleteCheering you on, my friend!!! Once again, our hearts are on the same page, though we encourage and teach a little differently because that's how God is working through us in these last days. Like you, I'm collecting Bibles, because one day they will be banned (its bad enough they are being altered now!!) and I want plenty on hand to give to others. Love you heaps Annabel! God bless and let us keeping fighting the good fight.
ReplyDeleteJennifer
So exciting to see so many ladies wanting to share what they know and yet willing to learn a new skill. I think you really hit a nerve with the Bluebirds, Annabel. I use to yearn for an older woman in my life who would train me. My husband said, "you will be that older woman some day." And while I was sad that I had to learn life skills from books, I am that older woman, now. He was right. So bless you, Annabel as you cultivate a place to learn the basics. And bless you, Bluebirds, as you share and encourage.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Leslie in Ohio