Thursday, January 17, 2013

Warning ~Ranting Dead Ahead~ and other stuff

Good Morning Everyone,

I am trying to get my fanny in gear to run some errands, but the fanny as well as the rest of me really doesn't want to even get into first gear in the first place. Its cold, and my old bones and back are screaming a little.  I think there is a change in the weather, to colder and I have bouts of achy and the back lets me know and then it goes down into my legs and feels like a horrid tooth ache, dull and doesn't let up.  But I have to go run some errands, and pick a few things up so I took an aspirin and am having another cup of tea and thought I would blog a little and vent and probably run all of you off.

I listen to the radio most of the time. I am getting to hate TV, but that is for another post.   I listen to our local station until 9 am, then I switch to another local station that is about 50 miles away but I can stream this particular  station on the computer through I heart radio. I also listen to public radio a lot, but they did not have anything that I wanted to listen to this morning.
I was listening to the streaming station, and on the news that came on the announcer was talking about how a lot of celebrities have cookbooks out now, and a lot of people have bought these so called "cookbooks".  The only thing is: these cookbooks are just sitting on the shelves, collecting  dust bunnies as the books contain ingredients that a lot of people cannot find in their areas.  Also, the wording in these books are complicated and some people do not understand the terminology in these books.

OK, first, I cannot stand celebrities, movie stars, Hollywood, or whatever else migrates out of  there. I sorry if I offend anyone from California, I do not mean to,   but I am not being derogatory to you.  Your state is beautiful and I love the countryside part and farming part of California, but I just cannot stand the movie stars and their brand of lifestyle.  I am sure they cannot stand my lifestyle either, so the door swings both ways, but to get back to the cookbooks,  I just wish people who are new to cooking, or to baking, PLEASE, just find some good, old fashioned cookbooks, something that is very straight forward and follow these and then after awhile, venture into more gourmet cooking.  Please just use what you have available and go back to simple wholesome cooking.  Quit worrying about fat free, low carb, unless you have allergies, then follow simple, and go from there. And quit buying and sending money to these worthless celebrities so they can have another new house, or get their faces on TV.   Where I live, we do not have gourmet stores, or fancy places to buy ingredients for fancy baking.  I remember years ago, I was in one of our local markets and a woman was looking for date sugar for some baking she was doing, I was picking up something and she asked me where the date sugar was, and I said "just buy dates and run them through the food processor and you have date sugar".  She looked at me like I had 2 heads, and said, you mean its not a sugar?  I said, its a type of sugar made from dates.  She left and was mad.  Go figure. My grandmother ground dates to make this when she made cookies and short breads and sweet breads, when sugar was rationed.  Good grief.  So this is my rant this morning. Sorry, but this just infuriates me to no end, people spend hefty money on these books and generally they are worthless and end up on a garage sale later on.

It was been very nice here the last few days.  It got to 51*F yesterday, the snow melted as we had Schnook winds and they were warm and it made the snow we had melt into the ground.  We need moisture so very bad, its so very dry and it does not look like we'll get any more soon.  I am quite worried about spring moisture and so are the farmers.

I got a good one for all of you.  Because of the extreme drought we have here, hay is at a premium, and so is the price, ask Glenda at Living and Gardening in the Ozarks.   Its over double in price now, and some places around my area it's triple in price now.  Here about a few weeks ago, a rancher had 83 round bales of premium hay stolen right out of the pasture!  Now,these bales are huge, and weigh in around a ton (2,000 lb) a piece and it takes some specialized equipment to move these. And also, this many bales, you would need at least  three semi trucks and trailers  to move these bales....now that's a heist. And around here its a felony.  We also are having good old fashioned cattle rustling, too.  Another felony. Someone has some brass door knobs to pull this off.

Other than that, not too much going on in my life, still trying to get outside to get some air and shake off the cabin fever.  This weekend its supposed to get very cold again, so I am trying to get things done so I can be stuffed in the house with bunch of house bound cats that are getting cabin fever also.  The dog is getting crabby because of the cats being too energetic.  What a combination.

Well, Take care all, enjoy your up-coming weekend, stay warm, stay cool, enjoy, eat, drink, be merry. Hope my ranting wasn't too much.
Hugs



15 comments:

  1. Your cookbook rant made me laugh out loud! And don't EVEN get me started on the "diet wars." When I hear people arguing over low carb vs. low fat etc it just makes me want to scream. It's sort of like 2 high school dropouts arguing about whether Harvard or Yale provides the superior education, since the vast majority of Americans subsist on a diet of refined white flour, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and sugar. I always want to say "OK... start by eating real food and when you've got that down get back to me."

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. I'm glad you got a laugh over that. I was on a rant that morning. I just cannot figure out people who buy these books. I don't know if they think that if they buy the book, their cooking will come out perfect.
      Anymore people are just trying to survive on food bank food, if they are struggling and then you have to contend with the food police to tell you what your going to eat and whether is good for you or not and how much you will eat.

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  2. Your rant made me laugh and then think ....I love cook books ...I read them like others read a novel ....but I have to agree that many of the ingredients are hard to find or very expensive ....also many books disappoint me recently ...they promise wonderful feasts but really do not deliver. I will substitute ingredients without a qualm ...the cheaper the better. Recently I have been browsing the web for recipes but I do miss the feel of the written page.
    I have to say that I watch the pennies so that I can feed my felines (20) ...that's life.
    Oh yes ...thought I would say ....'fanny' in UK is not ones behind ...quite the opposite lol xx

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    1. I love cookbooks also Angie. I love the old books and have quite a few from my grandmother from her collection and some I have found at garage sales. For some reason, the ranting on star's cookbooks just hit me wrong.
      I usually say "fanny" instead of saying something else that's not too nice. I try not to be too crusty and rough around the edges or as my Navy dad would say, not talking
      like a sailor.

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  3. What a great rant and I don't blame you one bit. This part made me laugh right outloud.

    ** Someone has some brass door knobs to pull this off. **

    Keep that great sense of humor that you have.

    Hope your pain eases up some.

    The skies are very gray, looks like rain, as a cold front is moving down on us. I'm hoping it doesn't rain until after I get home as I've got laundry on the lines.

    It's supposed to get down to 51 and feel like it is 43 tonight.

    Love and hugs to you Vicki ~ FlowerLady

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    1. I have a dry sense of humor, FL. Sometimes it gets me in trouble as people take it the wrong way. I guess that is why I don't go out too much, I get into trouble.
      This little heist did take some door knobs, I would like to know how they got all of the equipment together and the manpower.
      Take care my friend.

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  4. I'm with Angie on reading cook books. I think if you can find an old Better, Homes & Garden Cookbook you are off to a great start. I have 2 of the BH& Garden books and at least one is from the 60's to early 70's, but I love the Culinary Arts Institute encyclopedia Cookbook from 1977. It has a section for preserving meat and the bacon recipe starts off with 100 pounds sides of fresh killed hogs, 8 pounds of salt 3 pounds of brown sugar 3 oz. of salt peter and 4 gallons of water.

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  5. I'm a little like Angie, I read cook books like novels. I'm always looking for new ideas, mostly concerning preserves.

    re Movie STARS: I've been in several films with very well known 'Hollywood stars', and let me tell you; they're usually pretty average people who couldn't act for toffees without a director giving them EXACT instructions. And don't forget, in movies if they don't get it right, they simply do it again until they do. When you see things from that side, it really makes you wonder what all the adulation is about!!!

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    1. Mr. M, I probably shouldn't be harsh on stars, but we have had some here during our 2 week long Nebraskaland days stuff and they were pretty full of themselves. Wanting things that we just really do not have access to and other demands. I just not a person who like stars in their eyes.

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  6. Cook books... The older the better I say.

    As to the hay, Texas has that thievery problem a few years back during our drought. My husband says, If it isn't chained down, someone is going to steal it! Sad but true.

    Hope you feel "up" soon.

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  7. another one here who loves her old cookery books, and has very few modern ones!
    Hope youre ok, its just starting to snow here again, sigh, and my boilers playing up (rolls eyes) Thank goodness i have the open fireplace!

    Leanne x

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    1. I am glad I read that your repairman got the boiler fixed. I was worried about your chilled kitty. Mine do the same, they burrow under the quilts and all you see are bumps under the covers.
      It very cold here now, not good to go out.
      Take care

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  8. I have been semi-hibernating from everything including the computer.

    I am far behind reading my favorite blogs.

    speaking of cattle rustling, over 50 head have been stolen recently fairly near us (not our immediate neighborhood). They had to go into the heard and cut out the calves.....brass door knobs indeed!

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    1. Stealing hay and cattle takes a little doing, you need people and equipment. And hopefully people who will keep their mouth's shut and not spill the beans.
      I have been semi hibernating also. Its cold and I am still having sinus headaches and I have been running the pan of water on the stove to help put some moisture in the air. It is helping.
      Take care and stay warm
      D was in your area today, he was in Butler Mo taking a load of cattle to the sale barn.

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  9. I share your distaste for the whole Hollywood hype--who would want their messy lives? I suppose a 'gourmet' meal is fun once in awhile, but for most of us its about the meat/potatoes/veggies or the vegetarian equivalent--budget vs nutrition. And I bet most of the 'stars' have someone making up recipes--then they have their photo taken wearing an apron and waving a wooden spoon!

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