Time Away...........

I'm not ever sure where this pic came from , but it is my daughter Michelle's line of garb. Michelle is in the middle and Jill (daughter in law) on the left, and Emma on the right. I don't think these are the most flattering pictures of their actual beauty, but you can kind of get the idea of how we all look when we are working the Ren Fests. (And don't listen to that TV commercial makes fun of working at one)
I'm not really taking time off, although, it is slow posting here. I have been buried in my daughter's business, Damsel in this Dress, and unable to do the things I'm used to doing or wanted to do. A week and a half ago, I was gone for 4 days helping as a saleperson in the Norman OK Ren Fest. Yesterday, I spent a very long day helping her and hubby in Muscogee OK fixing up the permanent building that is their shop for the big fest all during May. Brent and Tyler, (mine and Michelle's spouses) are still there today. It feels like we've been captured in a whirlwind.

Anyway, I'm thinking about my next post and trying to come up with a goody. Be back soon!

Homemade Bisquick

This is one of my favorite recipes to use. I never buy Bisquick because it is just white flour, which isn't good for anyone. It tastes weird to me, and pretty much is going to have some preservatives in it.
I like the natural flavor of my homemade version, which doesn't leave a strange aftertaste in my mouth. Economical? I haven't exactly priced it. The amount in a store bought box isn't as much as this recipe makes. But about anything I make at home is tons cheaper. I should probably get a breakdown on the pricing done. I guess I'm just lazy and don't know how to figure out how much 1/3 cup of baking powder costs. Anyway, here it is.

Basic Biscuit Master Mix

4 cups wheat flour
4 cups unbleached white flour
4 teas. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking powder
1 1/4 cup powdered milk
2 cups shortening

Mix all dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, fork, knives or rub between fingers till shortening is blended well and mixture is crumbly like graham cracker crumbs. It's ok if some lumps are slightly larger. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Place mixture in a gallon size ziplock freezer bag. Date it and label what it is. It should keep for months in the freezer or fridge. Use with any Bisquick recipe.

Now for one of my favorite and easy to make main dishes. I got it out of a magazine probably from a bisquick ad.

Easy Cheeseburger Pie
1 lb. ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 teas. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup biscuit mix
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large pie plate. Cook beef and onion till beef is brown. Drain fats. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with salt and cheese. Stir remaining ingredients till blended. Pour over the stuff in pie plate. Bake for 25 minutes.

My whole family will eat this. Even the ones that complain about onions.

Make a Rug

Well, folks, I've been gone for a few days and busy as heck. I just spent four days in Norman, Oklahoma helping my daughter Michelle at a renaissance festival. She is the owner of Damsel in this Dress and has stores on etsy, artfire and her own online store. She travels around the country at festivals also and this time of year, she is in the midwest.

Anyway, I was talking to my friend Lucy, and she has been in a "remodel her house" mode for many months. Somehow, though, the money is gone. (Isn't it always the case?) The girls bedroom isn't finished and her dreams of a hardwood floor or carpet must be set aside. Now, it is paint the plywood floor time. Now, I realize that this idea may not appeal to many. At this particular time in our country's history, our lifestyles border on luxurious. Third world countries could not even imagine having the nice things that the poor among US have.

We think that we cannot live without fancy clothes, carpeting, big screen TV's and convenience foods (or eating out). When I was going to nursing school, I drove an old car that was paid for. I went to school while in my early 40's and all of those young kids I went to school with drove nicer and newer cars than I did. There is nothing wrong with that, or shameful. I didn't go to school to be cool. I went so I could help my family out. I ramble on......

So back to my original topic!!! Lucy's floor. I have seen cute cabins with painted plywood floors and thought, why not? They are perfectly functional, sweep up, and mop up. What are they better than? I'll tell you. They're better than an unpainted floor, a dirt floor, an old ugly shag carpet floor, old dirty linoleum with holes and worn out spots, a smelly floor (from pets), a floor that has no roof over it, or walls or heat or cooling. Do you get the picture?

So, you paint your floor, and then what? Aha! My husband has built me some wood rug looms (that I actually have in my etsy store) and you go to the thrift store and buy old sheets or curtains that aren't too thick, or you raid your grandma's old boxes of fabric that no one will ever use. You cut them into strips and weave them into old fashioned cushiony rugs. Maybe the latest Home magazine will never want to come and take pictures of your house, (well, maybe Country Living might), but your kids will remember how you loved them and spent time with them. They might remember the rug you made just for them. That is what we're here for, is memories and family ties. We are tied together more with the things that money can't buy than the things it can buy.

I fixed my blog so the comments show, and I can comment back if I want. Hope that is helpful. Is this just too humble for anyone out there?

If anyone would like to see my looms, they are at etsy.com and you can type in a search for rug looms.