MORE GOODIES!

OOPS - almost forgot! It's about time to give away more goodies! If you want to be entered in the drawing for the second installment of our "Year of Reading Dangerously" give-away, just say so in the comment section.

PAULA'S VERY HONEST REPLY

We serve it along with black eyed peas, which Tim loves. He hates the green peas. Yeah my grandmother led the life that many people today would like to, with some modifications like electricity! I never ever wanted to retire to the country, but with the economy the way it is I was wondering if it should be an option, with having chickens and a milk cow and small garden. Except that I do not think you save much when you have to build a pen for the chickens, feed them, worry about snakes etc. and the garden takes lots of water and fertilizer and sometimes you get nothing produced. So I think you are not saving much money or energy, just living a simpler life. My dad remembered the depression as just like any other time in his life, they were pretty much self sufficient on the farm, always poor but they did not realize it. They always had enough food. They did not worry about gas because they used horses, they did not have electricity, and they had a cistern to catch water. But it is also incredibly hard work. That is why my grandmother lived so long I believe . But we would all be whining today! The okra is good with a country style meal, like pork chops and black eyed peas. You must have corn bread with the okra gumbo! Now I am getting hungry!!! Let me know if you make the okra gumbo. paula

* * *

Paula,

Yep, I bet it is hard, but if I have to choose between dumpster diving and being homeless in a big city, cause I lost everything I owned in the crash/war/hurricane/whatever, and being poor but not realizing it in the country? Well, I'd be more than happy to learn to milk that cow!

Love,
Beck

P.S. And I bet your grandmother never stressed out over whether she should do Atkins, Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, either, huh?

A LETTER TO MY BFFL

Hey Paula,

What kind of peas do you serve with that okra gumbo - black-eyed, or green? I've been reading so many great blogs lately about people who are trying to lead a simpler, more hands-on, crafty and frugal life - finally realizing that buy, buy, buy doesn't really make you happy. They are trying to grow a few vegetables, or buying from someone local who does, keeping a few chickens, learning to knit or sew, hanging clothes on the line to save energy, etc. So much of it reminds me of stories you have told about your grandmother. In fact, somewhere just the other day I was reading about making tomato chutney or chow-chow, and serving it over black-eyed or purple hull peas, and it hit me - "That's exactly what Paula always served us when she made one of her granny's down-home style meals! So many people are talking about the financial crisis and peak oil and global warming and we're all doomed, yada, yada, yada, but these simple-green-frugal folks are saying "Just use some common sense people!" I can't tell you how many times I've come across someone saying how much they were inspired by reading the "Little House on the Prairie Books" as a child, and I'm thinking maybe that's what's wrong with my family - no one ever read those books, and if any ancestors ever actually lived a simple, self-sufficient life, it's so far back that no one remembers it. So I'm going to stop in at the bookstore this weekend, and see if I can't pick up the whole set. I'm going to start at the beginning and work my way through them, see if I can't learn something!

Love,
Becky

P.S. Many thanks to calangil for the "Little House" image.

FAVORITE THINGS DEUX

Simple pieces, with beautiful grain and texture...

A NOTE TO MY HUSBAND

Hey Snookums,

I got the latest Net Flix movie you ordered for me - Bloodsucking Babes From Burbank. Just couldn't get into it, though, so I sent it on back. Appreciate the thought though!

Love,
Your Precious Wifey

SCENES FROM THE BOUNTIFUL SPROUT

"The culprit is our spoiled-brat insistence on eating strawberries in November, apricots in January and apples in the spring...Would bloody Ralphie have a bloody coronary if he ate strawberries only at the times they grew within a thousand miles of his bloody little house?! Hardly. He might instead have the great pleasure you get from expectation; from waiting; a semblance of that special joy you feel on Christmas morning. The potential for this joy is lost when we can have anything we want anytime we want it."

Ferenc Mate

SNAKE 'N EGGS

Woohoo! Today I get to pick up my first order from Bountiful Sprout. One of the many reasons I am excited about this venture, is that I believe it's very important for people to get back in touch with where their food really comes from, and what all is involved in getting it to them. Only when they are fully aware of this, will they become good earth stewards. For instance, I became 100 times better at conserving water, when I was faced with the reality of a well that can go dry.

I got my first lesson in the hazards of farming, when I received this email last night:

Hey there- Snake in the hen house! I talked with Marianne Simmons, and we had to remove 5 dozen eggs. The board was first to lose them, and Tara, I'm sorry I shorted you one of your two.
See you all tomorrow,
!!!!!!
Looking forward to it,
Lisa

Too bad. No fritattas for me.

I was all excited about raising chickens and having fresh eggs at my fingertips when we bought this place, but then someone told me that you can't have chickens, without having snakes. Ummm...nevermind. And so, here's to you Marianne, heroine of the chicken coop! You go out there every single morning, and lift up chicken fannies, so that I don't have to. All Hail Marianne!

P.S. Thanks to repvet for the image.