Category Archives: food

Pecan Pie–recipe included

March 30, 2020foodsusanmanzke

No, I didn’t need it, but boy did I yearn for some pecan pie. Because of this crazing craving, I went searching to see if I had the ingredients. Happily, I did–well just about. I just had to convince myself that making a pie for myself was a good thing.

Here’s my easy Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients: 1 Cup light corn syrup (I was a little short, but it didn’t seem to matter); 3 eggs; 1 Cup sugar; 2 Tbs butter-melted; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 1/2 Cups pecans–rough chopped; and 1 pie crust (mine was frozen)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla together. When well-blended add pecans and pour into crust.

Bake 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Eat!

I should have put foil around the crust edge, but I forgot. My pie came out a bit dark, but boy oh boy it sure tasted great.

I’m taking small slices for myself, so this will last a few days. I’d rather share it with family, but we are all sheltering at our homes. I guess I’ll have to sacrifice and eat it all myself.

Achieving a good feeling

March 26, 2020animals, foodsusanmanzke

I’m not worried about running out of food for myself, at least not for quite some time. I was worried about others though. The critters I live with rely on me to feed them and I didn’t know how long their food would hold out.

Yesterday a solution occurred to me. I figured a way I could stay a hermit and still get dry food for our dog, Sunny and our cats Othello, Cruella, and all the ones that show up on our front porch every morning and night. All I had to do was to call Infinity Feeds in Seymour.

While on the phone at home, I ordered large bags of dry food, one for Sunny and one for the cats. I also remembered to order softener salt. I paid with my credit card and then drove to town to pick up my order.

All the bags were sitting by the door when I pulled up by the Infinity Feeds office. I waited only a minute before one of the workers came out, opened up the back hatch of my car and loaded the heavy bags inside.

I am so relieved to have all this food at hand. The driveby service worked perfectly. Now I’m sure together we can survive for weeks to come.

I haven’t unloaded my haul yet. I still have critter food in the house. When my containers are almost empty, I’ll work at getting everything where it’s needed.

Oh, yeah, I did a drive-by at Sissy’s, too. There Francine brought out my order of two Ruben sandwiches. I didn’t have to even open my door. She was watching for my car to pull up outside her shop.

These purchases are my little effort to keep our local business going.

I have to let my family know that when I came home, even though using drive-up services, I made sure to wash my hands and disinfect doorknobs and such. I am being a good hermit.

One week later!

March 24, 2020creativity, Farming, foodsusanmanzke

It wasn’t long ago that I wrote about starting to sprout alfalfa seeds (March 19 blog). I actually had them started a day before posting about this venture.

The first batch is ready to eat and I’m enjoying them. It’s something fresh and green in my diet.

Besides alfalfa sprouts, I’ve also started a mix with clover and another with lentils, peas, mung bean and adzuki bean–whatever that is. These just went into the sprouter yesterday and I already see little shoots starting to pop out today.

Since I’m having so much fun growing these seeds, I went searching for my old sprouter. I remember that two of the plastic levels had broken. Maybe I threw the whole thing out at that time, but maybe I didn’t.

Guess what, I found my original sprouter or at least half of it, and now I’m able to have more seeds going.

The new set up is on the left and the old sprouter is on the right.

I’ve been munching alfalfa sprouts for a couple of days. Finally, I have enough to make a mouthful. If I keep the seeds cycling through the containers, I should have something growing to eat every day.

I bought my packaged seeds online through Amazon, but from the Sprout House (www.sprouthouse.com).

Good and cold

March 23, 2020Family, foodsusanmanzke

Bob and I used to share one banana daily at breakfast. I still like eating a daily banana but only smaller ones.

I am now out of fresh bananas, but not out of bananas.

Some time ago, I peeled a few good bananas, wrapped them tight, put them in a container and froze them. I took one out this morning, sliced my frozen fruit and ate it. The second half will be eaten tomorrow.

One of our daughters laughed when she came across my wrapped bananas in the freezer. “What did you do this for, Mom?”

Now you know. I saved these to eat. (No they are not as good as fresh, but these are what I have.) Anyway, I could also use them to make a smoothy. Now that is yummy.

I have other frozen bananas in the freezer. These went in when they were getting old and still have their skin in place. I planned to use these for banana bread–I might try eating one of these if I get desperate. Maybe I’ll be able to keep the fruit frozen, yet take the skin off with a little warm water–too much defrosting turns them all to mush.

So now I can get by without fresh bought bananas for a while.

It may not be the perfect solution, but it is a solution that will keep me at home for days/weeks of solitude ahead.

Growing my own

March 19, 2020Farming, food, funsusanmanzke

Years ago, I sprouted seeds in my kitchen. With all that is going on, I decided to get started sprouting again.

I could have sprouted some seeds in a jar. I found simple directions on Google:

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

Place one to two tablespoons of seeds in your jar, and cover with approximately two inches of warm water. …
Drain the water, using a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Rinse the seeds by adding water to the jar, swishing the seeds around, and draining.
Repeat twice a day, every day until your sprouts are the desired size.

I’d suggest you start with one teaspoon of seed for alfalfa seed. Here’s a link to growing alfalfa:
https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Alfalfa-Sprouts

I didn’t start growing my alfalfa seeds in a jar. Like any kid, I wanted a ‘toy’ to play with and bought a sprouter online. Kitchen Crop VKP1200 Deluxe Kitchen Seed Sprouter, | 6″ Diameter Trays, 1 Oz Alfalfa Included

That ounce of alfalfa that’s included will take me a long way, but I also ordered some seed mixes.

Water drains from the top, through the sprouting levels and is caught in the lower green level. I’m to put the water through this straining system two to three times a day.

It’s like having another pet, though it is not a Chia Pet. It will grow edible sprouts. I’m not so sure about eating Chia sprouts. At least those packaged as a pet are not recommended to eat, but the ones that are sold as edible chia seeds are.

You’ll have to wait a few days to see how my project is growing.

Today I feel like a farmer again. Bob would be proud.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person