May 2006
Dear Friends,
Many of you love cookbooks as much as I do and I’m so pleased to announce a new feature on our website! We’ve added a new section:
Discount Cookbooks. I will review great cookbooks from time to time – new ones, and old reprints from long ago. On that page, you’ll find a link to Jessica’s Biscuit also known as ecookbooks.com. I’ve been ordering cookbooks from them for many years because all of their over 11,000 titles are discounted 20% - 75% - plus they offer free shipping on orders of $25 or more!
This month, I review
“Mrs. Hill’s New Cook Book” originally published in 1867. I often lament the lack of cooking and homemaking know-how today, but never thought about the same problem facing Southern women in the post-Civil War era. Most had been accustomed to slaves and now had to do much of the work themselves in a war-torn country without many of the resources and conveniences they’d once known. Most women were ill-prepared to tackle homemaking duties, so Mrs. Hill wrote a cookbook and included advice on many aspects of homemaking.
Amidst the recipes you’ll find little gems such as “Method is the soul of management,” and longer sections of advice: “Whether rich or poor, young or old, married or single, a woman is always liable to be called to the performance of every kind of domestic duty, as well as to be placed at the head of a family; and nothing short of a practical knowledge of the details of housekeeping can ever make those duties easy or render her competent to direct others in the performance of them.”
Thank goodness we don’t need to learn how to “smother fowls” or keep the ice vault! Reading this treasure of a classic really helps me maintain a perspective on the housework I must do and how much easier it is to accomplish today.
Some advice is as timely today as it was over 100 years ago: “Never make up beds as soon as the occupants rise. Lay the cover back; admit the air upon the bed until the clothing (sheets) is well aired.” I know we want to encourage the children to make their beds, but it’s best to lay the covers back for half an hour or more to allow perspiration to dissipate. Dust mites thrive in dark, humid bedding, so if possible, let the bed air out while you eat breakfast and then make it.
“Mrs. Hill’s New Cook Book” is just $10.46 and will be of special interest to those who love history. To read more excerpts from the book and the link to ordering it, please
click here. My husband and I traveled to visit family last month, and I thought I’d share a few
travel tips – and a great new product – that may help you and your family, too. Summer is nearly here and many of us will travel this summer. Whether it’s near or far, there are many things we can do to make traveling easier and more enjoyable.
I don’t know about you, but when we get home from a trip, we’re usually pretty tired and hungry! One of the nicest things you can do for yourself is cook a couple of extra meals ahead of time – weeks before your trip. Choose a family favorite that freezes well and make a double or triple batch. Serve some the night you make it, and keep the rest in the freezer for after your trip. I had my husband grill over a dozen hamburgers and then I put them in the freezer. It only takes a few minutes to microwave the already cooked burgers and put them on buns. Add a can of pork and beans, a bag of salad, and some canned fruit and you’ve got a quick meal that doesn’t take more time than sitting in the drive-thru!
Besides putting some cooked meals in you freezer, be sure your pantry or cupboards are well stocked before you leave. Cereal, canned fruit, pasta sauce, pasta, peanut butter and jelly, tuna… having your family’s favorites on hand when you get back will save a mad dash to the grocery store when you’re tired and trying to unpack.
Speaking of the pantry, don’t leave potatoes and onions if you’re going to be gone more than a few days. You’d be surprised how one of them can turn bad quickly, especially in summer. You don’t want a smelly “welcome home.” Check the frig, too and give away, freeze, or throw out anything that won’t keep well for the length of time you are away.
Leave at least one set of clean clothes at home for every family member, including a clean nightgown or pajamas. You’ll probably bring home tons of dirty clothes and it will help a lot if everyone has clean clothes for the day and night you return.
Write your own travel checklists. Start weeks before your trip. Keep a writing tablet in each bedroom, the bathroom, and kitchen. As you go through the day, write down what you use as you dress and get ready for the day. These are probably some of the same things you need to remember to pack. In the kitchen, write down things you need to remember to do: water the plants before you leave, ask the neighbor to watch for anything left at your door, put the mail delivery on hold, etc. Save these lists! I entered mine in the computer a couple of years ago and it’s easy now to just print the lists and cross off each thing as I do it.
Packing: the best advice is to pack as lightly as possible. Condense what you pack into as small a space as possible (especially when you’re flying). Organize clothes and personal items so they’re easy to find in your luggage.
Extra Large Ziploc bags will hold clothes, toiletries and many other items. Use a magic marker to write each person’s name on the outside of the bag holding their belongings. I like to pack underwear and socks in one bag, T-shirts in another, etc. Or, you could pack all of the clothes a person needs for each day and night into one bag and then each person opens one bag a day.
After placing what you need into the bag, zip it most of the way shut, then press out as much air as possible and seal. You will be surprised at how much room this saves as you place the sealed bags into a suitcase. When you reach your destination, hand each child the bag(s) with their clothes and they can get what they need easily.
Ziploc and Hefty make 2 ½ gallon storage bags that used to be available in many grocery stores. I have not seen them on shelves in awhile but my grocer special ordered them when I asked. Gallon or quart size bags will work for smaller items and toiletries. Seal everything in a plastic bag! Ever have cough syrup or shampoo leak all over everything else?!
Ziploc also came out with XL and XXL zipper bags. Packed 4 and 3 to a box respectively, they retail for about $5 - $6/box. The XL bags are 2’ x 1.7’ and both sizes have built-in carrying handles. I’ve found these at grocery stores and discount stores. They’re also handy for organizing and storing items in closets.
On our recent trip, I tried
Space Bags – a new product to me although it’s been on the market for awhile. You may have seen these vacuum-seal bags advertised on TV. I found them at a bed and bath store in a variety of sizes. These heavy-duty bags have a one-way valve on them and, after you pack the bag and slide it closed, you attach a vacuum cleaner hose to the valve, turn on the vacuum, and it instantly vacuum seals the bag.
These are amazing bags! The Large bag, about 21” x 33”, held nearly all of the clothes my husband and I needed for 5 days. Normally, that would almost fill two suitcases. After vacuum sealing the bag, it took barely half of one suitcase. When we packed to come home, I didn’t have a vacuum cleaner in the hotel. I dumped all the dirty clothes into the bag, zipped it most of the way closed, and then pressed out the air. It wasn’t quite as compact as vacuum sealing it, but still easily fit into one suitcase. When we got home, I simply emptied that one bag in the laundry room.
The Space Bags are airtight and watertight. There are some amazing testimonials on their website,
www.spacebag.com as well as disaster preparedness tips. Living near the ocean here in Florida, we’ve had to evacuate several times for hurricanes. I used to pack valuables in boxes and take whatever we could manage to fit in our car. This year I’ll be buying more Space Bags so I can safely pack antique family linens, photos, clothes and everything else we might need to protect - in less than half the space!
They advertise seven sizes of Space bags, including a hanging bag that would make storing out-of-season clothes a snap. The largest bag, Jumbo, is 35” x 48” and holds up to 2 sets of bedding plus 4 pillows!
The Space Bags are about $5 - $6 each, but this heavy-duty bag should last for many years. I used a 20% off newspaper coupon from the bed & bath shop to save a little money. When I consider how much I’ve spent on plastic storage boxes over the years, and how much room those take, I think the bags are a good deal.
One last tip: When you put away your suitcases after your trip, cover them with a lightweight plastic drop cloth. Available for about $1 at hardware and discount stores, drop cloths are usually about 9’ x 12’. We store our suitcases in the attic where it gets quite dusty. Store the suitcases together and cover them; next time you travel you’ll be so glad you took a moment to keep them clean.
Whether you’re camping or taking a cross-country trip, I hope these tips help you enjoy this special time with your family.
Until next time ~
Copyright, 2006, Laurie Latour.
www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com You may make one printed copy for your own personal, private use. FCH leaders may make one printed copy for each person in their group. Copyright line above must be included in all copies. Permission for any other use must be requested in writing.
Click here to Contact Us.
