Refried Beans

Soak 2 C pinto beans and 1 chopped onion overnight in 2 quarts of water.

Cook beans in water until tender for 2-3 hours check often to be sure beans don't dry out.

Add:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C oil or lard

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth while beans are still hot.

TRUE LOVE!

I went to Randy's cousin's dairy and took pictures of their kids working and helping milk the cows. What a great experience. You can't imagine how hard everyone works including the 4 young children. Everyone has a job and every job is important. I think of them everytime I grab the milk out of the fridge. Not just a little peck but a great big smooch! Watch out boyfriends.

My grandson Price loves to help with Fall Harvest. He loves to pick, sort, wash, blend and top it all off with a PB&J sandwich.This small bucket of plums made some darn good plum jam. My favorite recipe is in the MCP Pectin box. I prefer freezer jam. It is simple, quick and delicious!

Soap Making

Soap making was an important part of pioneer life. Very rarely did a family have store bought soap of any kind. In early days, lye for soap was made by pouring boiling water over wood ashes, then straining it. When I first started making soap I could buy Red Devil Lye from the grocery store. This product was removed from the shelves 3 years ago. Without lye you cannot make soap. If you google "where to buy lye for making soap" you can locate supplier for this necessary ingredient. I have made soap many time. It is not difficult, although it was intimidating the first couple of times I made it. This is all I use now. It feels so much nicer and in the winter months I don't get itchy skin. Nothing like a big ole stack of homemade soap!

You Can Store Honey Indefinitely

Storing honey is very easy. Keep it in a cool location away from direct sunlight in a tightly covered container. It is not necessary to refrigerate honey. If stored honey becomes cloudy it has become crystallized. It is not harmful nor is it any indication of deterioration. Honey has an indefinite shelf-life because of its high concentration of sugar. Raw honey with high pollen content will crystallize even faster, and cold temperatures also cause crystals. If your honey crystallizes, you can easily re-liquefy it by gently heating the jar in a pan of hot water, stirring while heating. Do not overheat as heat may alter flavor and color as a result of carmelization of the sugars.

Honey-Almond Scrub

1 Tbls unsalted, unroasted almonds
1 egg white
1 Tbls honey

In a blender or food processor, grind almonds into a fine meal, stopping short of pulverizing them into powder. In the bowl, mix almond meal with honey and egg white. Apply the mixture to your face and neck with your fingertips, massaging gently in a circular motion. Let set for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Yield: 1 scrub

Basic Mentholatum

1 pint Vaseline
2 cakes camphor, grated
1 Tbls menthol crystals

Mix together, pour into a glass or plastic container. Seal tightly.