"The two most important days in your life were the day you were born and the day you find out why."
Mark Twain
Gramma Jan here.
Make your own won't be a political blog except to say, stuff just got real with this corona nasty. If you live in large city or a blue state, you can actually feel the noose tightening, the limits of your freedom being curtailed. Several survivors of Nazi occupied countries of WWII have warned us, they saw it coming to America. Doesn't matter who the person in the White House is now or in the future, the hunger games are here. Life as we knew ain't goin' back!
When I was growing up there were no free handouts, at least none I was aware of, you had to swim or you sank. Local charities were usually church or religious oriented. Even as late as the 1970's, women needed a signature from her husband or her father to secure a loan from a bank. And listen, Home Economics was a real class taught to girls, and typing class meant you were looking become a someone's secretary. Boys wouldn't think about taking a girls class, he would had the shit kicked out of him and left in a crying heap. At the very least his friends laughed and tormented him.
When I was called into the counselor's office in 1969 to discuss the future of my education, my counselor asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I explained that I wanted classes that would direct me to become a marine biologist and go to college. Mr. Migliaccio, laughed and told me that I would never amount to anything more than a housewife. My parents were divorced, you see.
Women have come a long way since those transition years. (Bra burning era) Sadly, however, on the other side of that coin, today's helpful government and corporate just-in-time delivery system have made us basically, house cats. Routine has become our best friend. Every day the American population has been directed and reassured of our place on the civilized hamster wheel. I played that game for 45 years. Think differently or step off that wheel for a moment, and you know what happens. I guarantee it isn't comfortable. I got shoved off that wheel once at no fault of my own and ended up homeless. I'll save that tale of woe for another story.
We must not loose sight, however, of the fact that you younger folks are creative, resilient and loving creatures, and with a little guidance in your day to day living, hopefully, you will be less uncomfortable. That is the *why* of this series. Much like the domestic diva home economics class you should have had in school. Now with social distancing the new norm, it's even harder to seek out stories and recipes from your dear grandmother. Do you ever get the feeling maybe this breaking up of the family tribe is on purpose? A population is much easier to take over and control when they are at their wits end and hungry. Just a question to think about, anyway.
Ok, time to share my square of toilet paper. I still have in my possession a few copies of How to Survive and Thrive When the Power is Out for sale, but when I run out they can still be found on Amazon at a rich price. What follows in this blog will be cool grandma recipes for hard times, how-to's from people I have interviewed over the years in my career and my own grandmothers stories. She taught me much. My dear grandmother was born in January of 1900. Can you even imagine what she lived through, what she must have known? Get a note pad kids and take plenty of notes. Also, I'd encourage you to write in your journal your own family triumphs and recipes to pass on to the next generation of domestic divas. Boys and girls! Who knows what their world will look like.
Pg. 30 from How to Survive and Thrive When the Power is Out; Home Economics 101- Keeping the Family Healthy
Effectiveness of Antibacterial Spices and Herbs
Take a peak in your kitchen cupboard, what 'cha got? If you have garlic, you have gold!
Other herbs and spices--
To kill 100% of bacteria, use garlic, allspice, oregano, grapefruit seed essential oil and honey. (Real local honey)
To kill 90% to 75% of bacteria, thyme, cinnamon,cumin, cloves, rosemary, mustard, and tea tree essential oil.
A simple antibacterial recipe;
1/2 pint of red sweet wine
12 cloves (or more if you like) of fresh garlic
Chop the garlic and place in the 1/2 pint of red sweet wine and cover with a tight fitting lid. Set in the cupboard for two weeks, shake the jar daily. After a least two weeks, strain out the chopped garlic retaining the liquid. This is your new medicine.
Whatever the ailment, take two teaspoons daily until symptoms subside. This will also work for people who are 0 blood type who are blasted with mosquitoes during warm weather. It will permeate the skin deflecting the pesky critters.
This is as close to a pharmaceutical antibiotic as you can make at home. Keep cold after straining, tastes better.
Now a word from 93 year old Clara about cooking breakfast. She's a cool lady!
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