OT/MISC Country or city life, Life gets tough

[Old as dirt]

Do you find life is getting harder, more work etc
Yesterday after a grueling day, I sat in my big chair and thought what ever happened to easy. Tom and I are retired, now for 25 years. We live on a farm and mostly gave up on farming, except for chickens and haying and of course that huge garden that is frying in the heat and drought.
Well once a month we head to the city, to stock up on grocerys, animal food etc. Its 90 miles round trip. Tom has to have a blood test once a month also, so that is the first place we go too. Then its on to Sam's. I like Sams as they always have something different. I like to look at books and DVD's. Tom will always pick up a old western movie. What is it with guys and those western movies and also western books. How many different ways can they shoot them up. Although I loved the movie lonesome Dove.
I noticed that coffee has gone up in price again, and also cheese and bacon. Took a quick look at steak and then said forget it. Two T Bones cost 12 dollars. So much for steak. I wonder how a chuck steak would taste with lots of tenderizer on it. I do buy lots of produce at sam's, as they do have beautiful fruit and organic lettuce and carrots etc. I load up on that. My one weekness is Starbucks frappe drinks in those little bottles, cost 13 dollars now 8 bottles. They pep me up in late afternoon and yes they are loaded with sugar. At least its not High fruitose corn syrup.
Well any way put all the stuff in the pickup, and it was so hot. The pavement about melted the shoes under your feet. Then we headed for Petsmart. I like there bird seed and some of there other kinds of dog food and cat food. From there we stop at the big walgrens drug store and pick up a few things on sale, And then we stop at Wall mart to get Milk and cottage cheese and smaller packages of lunch meat etc. Then its a stop at a local lunch place, It's usually chinese or Mexican food.
Then home, by this time its 4 ockock and we are beat. Tom is 83 and I am 81. We unload cold stuff and leave the other till the next day. Then we feed chickens and change hot water to cold for them. And what other chores there are to be done. Then we both drop into a recliner and look at each other and wonder how in the heck did we ever get into this mess. We could be in the city with sidewalks and streetlights, and theaters close by and a local fish market right down the road. Funny though right now I can look out the window and see green all around me, Hear the rooster crowing, And in a few mins I will be scraping corn off the cob to put in deep freeze from our garden. I guess we are where we are suppose to be.
Okay folks you all got a story of your day, Lets hear it
Old as dirt

 

[Dux]

Your day sounds idealic.

Today I'll schlep one kid to her job, then go to my job. My other kid is joining me today since our receptionist had to take off this week. I have two real estate closings that are apparently going to be exciting. Need to see if the tenant has moved out of one. The other, all cash buyer is having trouble getting the funds (really? wth?). New employee needs intake paperwork and training. My maintenance coordinator is on vacation. Monthly payroll to be figured out. That's all I can think of, but can assure you it'll be non stop.

Come home about 7pm and pack up for a weekend backpack. Earlier this year a good friend and hiking enthusiast inexplicably died in her sleep. In honor of her, I say "Carpe Diem"! No more excuses, because I could work myself to death each summer instead. All last summer I passed on opportunities. Now I fit them in, at least once a month.

 

[Warthog]

OldasDirt, You metion coffee! It has went up about 11% Some places more! Before the price hike Kroger was running White Castle coffee in the mylar bags for $5.65 each! They say another 10% - 20% hike is expected in October. So if you catch your coffee on sale, I would suggest you purchase a few! I snagged a few of the WC bags and put them in my deep freeze. Hope deep freeze doesn't hurt the coffee in any way.

 

[Dio]

We recently moved to our little piece of Heaven. For the first time in my life I am living like I have always wanted to....even a small garden, chickens, bees, and a dog keep me busy. Never knew grass could grow so fast!
I am working harder now than ever before yet I enjoy it much more.

 

[FloridaGirl]

Thanks for the story of the day! Sounds like you and Hubby are where you are supposed to be. I am twenty-five years younger than you and I get exhausted just making a Sam's trip here in town. You added several other places to your agenda for the day and still came home and did chores. You are truly amazing.

 

[Dinghy]

The reason you have both lived to see your 80's is because you don't sit still!!! I am 55 and get exhausted when I run like that, and I'm used to very physical work! I think it's wonderful how much you both can still do on your own!

 

[Jeff Allen]

We recently moved to our little piece of Heaven. For the first time in my life I am living like I have always wanted to....even a small garden, chickens, bees, and a dog keep me busy. Never knew grass could grow so fast!
I am working harder now than ever before yet I enjoy it much more.

Glad you got settled in Dio!!! As for the grass...figure on 26 mows per season here in IN.

J

 

[Shep]

I'm sort of looking forward to the day when I can set down and rest a bit...I know it will come in time...My day starts at 5:30 am getting coffee and I have an hour before hubby is up. Milking is done at around 7 am, feeding the calf, cleaning the barn and dealing with the milk. Then the chickens are let out, fed and watered. Next to check on the new litter of baby rabbits that were born the other day. Today I clean a house (2 maybe 3 times per week). If I'm not doing someone else's house then I do mine..Laundry is hung outside if it isn't raining. Then onto a cooking project such as making cheese, or pasta depending of what I have a lot of (eggs/milk), weeding the garden, making bread and figuring out what is for dinner. I need to find time during the day to keep my product going for Farmer's Market. I weave rugs and spin yarn and am there every week. That, cleaning houses and the odd handyman jobs my hubby has is about all the income we have. Thankfully we don't have a morgage. Because of our limited income, we do or make nearly everything ourselves. If we have extra money, it goes into stocking up on groceries and thankfully when we did have "real" jobs we put up a food storage system and try to keep it going.

I do daydream of the day when perhaps I can have a little house in town, with a flower garden, a few veggies only ONE cat (not 7), one loom (not 5) and one spinning wheel (not 4). I could downsize now, but everything is being used full force, and if it wasn't for the farm, we wouldn't eat...and BTW, I have two teenage daughters. They do help out quite a bit when they are not in school or doing homework, and I'm dreading the day when they go off to college...or maybe not....but leaving home nonetheless.

I will probably be where you are, Old, in time as we are in our fifties and getting things done are not a quick as they were 20 years ago..things hurt more than they used to and after a day, we are pooped! BUT, right now I wouldn't trade this life for anything! The personal rewards are great not to mention that we can live pretty good with not much money (for right now at least, but I expect that any day it will change).

Blessings!

Shep

 

[nharrold]

Well any way put all the stuff in the pickup, and it was so hot.

Not being critical...but I can't help wondering how you protect all that stuff in the pickup from thieves (not to mention inclement weather) as you move along through your various stops. Is it exposed to "grab-and-run" types, or do you have some other way of protecting it? Does one of you stand by with a shotgun while the other goes into the store? I ask because I've even had my old Suburban broken into by the "poor homeless disadvantaged panhandlers" in the Wal-Mart parking lot, even though it was locked and secured and in a highly-visible spot. Even out here in the boonies, the local dopers would empty out such a load in a few moments and be gone.

 

[goatlady2]

Difference in locations nharrold. When I go to "town" I leave the keys in the ignition and the windows open in the car. Never a problem here in this part of Arkansas. Nobody locks home doors either, but then all are mostly armed and have dogs around.

 

[Dennis Olson]

First, I would venture that a lot of your "wiped out" feeling is the 100+ degree heat.

That being said, you said:

Took a quick look at steak and then said forget it. Two T Bones cost 12 dollars. So much for steak.

and

My one weekness is Starbucks frappe drinks in those little bottles, cost 13 dollars now 8 bottles.

So you'll give up on a tasty, nourishing meal for bottles of overpriced coffee? You might reconsider, at least once in a while. Foregoing one 8-pack gives you both a steak dinner.


Just saying....

 

[Old as dirt]

Harold the pickup has a cover on the pickup bed with a lock.
Dennis you are so right, I should do that and have that steak once in a while. I don't remember how I got started on starbucks coffee thingy, But at two in the afternoon after I drank one that was given to me, I discovered they pepped me up. Has to be the caffeine and sugar. And I know its not good for me, But at 81, not sure I give a hoot. I will consider your idea though.
No one said if you can doctor up a cheap steak. I see those chuck steaks all the time, and just wondered. Irene

 

[summerthyme]

Difference in locations nharrold. When I go to "town" I leave the keys in the ignition and the windows open in the car. Never a problem here in this part of Arkansas. Nobody locks home doors either, but then all are mostly armed and have dogs around.

Yep... I never worry about it in our small town. I do get concerned in the nearest small city, but even there, we often will leave a few things in the pickup bed for a quick run into Sam's Club or something, and we've never lost anything.

I know the day is coming soon when it won't be possible, and both hubby and I will have to go on every shopping trip together (if I can't fit *everything* into the pickup cab... even now, I plan things so I can stuff it completely full and then make Sam's my last stop so the bulky stuff goes in the bed and then I head right home). And then, I suspect it won't be long after that where it will be necessary to go armed if you're buying more than just a handful of items.

On the steak.. consider getting round steak (chuck steak only as the last resort if you want to grill or broil them) and marinating them overnight in some sort of marinade that contains vinegar. I don't like the "tenderizer"... almost all of it is loaded with MSG. I make purple basil vinegar- just put handfuls of purple basil in plain white vinegar and leave sit a few days or weeks until it's bright pink and smells heavenly. Then strain- or not. For some reason, it makes the best meat tenderizer on earth... you can marinate the steaks in it, but even just pouring it over the steaks a couple of times while they cook helps.

WATCH FOR SALES on meat... I know that even the sale prices are crazy, but you should have a local supermarket or two who will occasionally have some steaks as "loss leaders"... if you can, stock up then and when you want a treat, pull one out of your freezer.

I think you're doing wonderfully well for your age... there are days I'd be exhausted doing that shopping day, and I'm 30 years younger!

Summerthyme

 

[Dennis Olson]

At 81, you DESERVE a good steak. Don't try to "make do" with a cheaper cut of meat. Live and ENJOY your life. Really.

 

[nharrold]

Yep... I never worry about it in our small town. I do get concerned in the nearest small city, but even there, we often will leave a few things in the pickup bed for a quick run into Sam's Club or something, and we've never lost anything.

I know the day is coming soon when it won't be possible, and both hubby and I will have to go on every shopping trip together (if I can't fit *everything* into the pickup cab... even now, I plan things so I can stuff it completely full and then make Sam's my last stop so the bulky stuff goes in the bed and then I head right home). And then, I suspect it won't be long after that where it will be necessary to go armed if you're buying more than just a handful of items.

On the steak.. consider getting round steak (chuck steak only as the last resort if you want to grill or broil them) and marinating them overnight in some sort of marinade that contains vinegar. I don't like the "tenderizer"... almost all of it is loaded with MSG. I make purple basil vinegar- just put handfuls of purple basil in plain white vinegar and leave sit a few days or weeks until it's bright pink and smells heavenly. Then strain- or not. For some reason, it makes the best meat tenderizer on earth... you can marinate the steaks in it, but even just pouring it over the steaks a couple of times while they cook helps.

WATCH FOR SALES on meat... I know that even the sale prices are crazy, but you should have a local supermarket or two who will occasionally have some steaks as "loss leaders"... if you can, stock up then and when you want a treat, pull one out of your freezer.

I think you're doing wonderfully well for your age... there are days I'd be exhausted doing that shopping day, and I'm 30 years younger!

Summerthyme

I recently noticed numerous Jeeps, without doors, driving in local traffic (Roseburg and Grants Pass). Looked into it and discovered that thieves are now actually stealing the doors off of Jeeps and selling them on ebay. Seems that it costs several thousand dollars to have a dealer replace them. Learn something new every day!

 

[lectrickitty]

... No one said if you can doctor up a cheap steak. I see those chuck steaks all the time, and just wondered. Irene

Those cheap steaks are very good when cooked properly. I do them several ways.

Two of my favorites are to cut into serving size pieces, drop into a dutch oven filled with tomato juice, add celery, onion, bell pepper, and whatever you like. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer all day. They can be cut with a fork and fall apart in your mouth. Another way is to put in a cake pan, surround with new potatoes, cover with cream of mushroom soup (or whatever flavor soup you like), then cover and bake about 2 hours, turn the heat down and keep warm until supper time. Again, they will be so tender they fall apart when removing them from the pan.

A third option, one that's better with pork chops, but can be used with cheap cuts of steak, is to crumble a package of crackers, then pound the crackers into the steaks. Fry in butter at low heat for about an hour or more, turning once. This takes a LOT of butter, but is super good, the crackers make a nice golden breading on the pork chops (steaks.) Leftover steaks can be saved for the next day. Next day, put the leftover steaks (not pork chops) in a cake pan, cover with slices of onion, and pour canned tomatoes over. Cover and bake about 1/2 hour, turn heat down and keep warm until supper time.

These were some of our best sellers when I had the old cafe many years ago.

 

[MomofKittySnookums]

I love your stories of your life.i will be 68 in sept. and
i admire you and hubby greatly.we live in a small town,
where you better sleep with 1 eye open.I am disabled,
i can walk but not very far.my husband has taken over
my job.we live on our monthly checks.at the end of the
month we are counting pennies.we mostly live on hamburger
meat,so many ways to fix it.lol...have fun you 2.


MOM

 

[ted]

As a friend told me a few years ago...ya gotta be tough to get old.

 

[etdeb]

Dirt, I am 56 years old, and I am wiped out from the week at work fending off bill collectors as I beg customers to pay us for our work so I can pay those people for their work! It was 94 degrees at 10pm last night! Monthly fuel bill of 210,000 dollars for the same 30 trucks to cost 75,000 in fuel this time last year and my customers are asking for reduced rates. It was 101 today, headed for 102 tomorrow and I will be teaching my daughter how to can tomoto relish form the bushels of tomatoes I stuck in the freezer last year. Drought this year producted a five gallon bucket of tomatoes this year. The closest place I found that had peas for sale is 55 miles from me. I work to be able to get healthcare. Some days I wonder is it chest pains or just being sick at heart.

 

[summerthyme]

Oh, yes, there are many ways to cook cheaper cuts of beef and make a delicious meal from them.

But most people seem to mean a barbequed or broiled steak when they say "steak"... not one cooked like a pot roast with moist heat. We're not great steak fans around here, although our Dexters have made believers out of us... the NY strips or ribeyes from those grass fed and corn finished (a few pounds of cornmeal daily for the last month) are incredible... cut with a fork tender even when well done.

But mostly, I prefer a nice pot roasted (long cooking) round steak, or beef stew with a bit of red wine splashed in for flavor. We're not fancy around here... but we do eat well.

Summerthyme

 

[Tristan]

Old as Dirt-

I have an interesting recipe for the lesser grades of steak such as London Broil which we love. If you prepare the marinade and set the steak aside in it for at least a day, it works as a good tenderizer as well.

The very complex recipe is:

1 part soy sauce (a good one, not the cheap junk - Kikkoman's is good.)
1 - 2 parts pineapple juice
1 - 2 T. minced fresh ginger

Pour marinade over meat in a ziplock freezer-grade bag or equivelent for at least overnight in the refrigerator, turning periodically.

Grill over red-hot charcoal or under the broiler, real oak charcoal being the best. Cook to the minimum done-ness you prefer. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice on the bias across the grain.

Good with salad, rice or risotto, or potatos, fresh veggies, you name it.


Thanks for all your stories. It's almost like being at my beautiful Grandmother's house again...

- Tristan

 

[etdeb]

People pay high dollar for fajitas and that is skirt meat not even steak. Not to higjack the thread but being a freshman at canning, what would cause jars to unseal after they had sealed. My cousin canned 48 qrts of Italian green beans and every one sealed. Two weeks later they are all unsealed and spoiled. Nothing but chicken food now.

 

[CrabGrassAcres]

It is too hot and dry for much garden. I went out to turn a bed for some sweet potatoes and the dirt wanted to blow away as I was turning it. Got to wet it down some but it is so dry the water runs right off. It is so dry the wooly croton has gone and dried up and died!

 

[shinerbock]

Harold the pickup has a cover on the pickup bed with a lock.
Dennis you are so right, I should do that and have that steak once in a while. I don't remember how I got started on starbucks coffee thingy, But at two in the afternoon after I drank one that was given to me, I discovered they pepped me up. Has to be the caffeine and sugar. And I know its not good for me, But at 81, not sure I give a hoot. I will consider your idea though.
No one said if you can doctor up a cheap steak. I see those chuck steaks all the time, and just wondered. Irene

Irene,

I've had the best luck with top sirloin steaks when they can be picked up at sale price. I tenderize both sides (mercilessly) with an aluminum tenderizer, marinate with oil, vinegar and spices [salt [opt.], pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder - your choice] and refrigerate for a few hours before broiling, grilling or pan-frying,. They come out very nice. I gave up on chuck steaks; just not as good or worth the time & trouble.

Enjoy that steak dinner!

sb

 

[etc]

that's cheap meat. Over here, it seems to cost twice that much, in places like WholeFoods. Go there if you want to see a sticker shock.

Nothing interesting in my life -- just sitting in an office all day. wondering when the economy completely collapses, my field is wiped out and I will have to go do something entirely new. plant potatoes and stuff in the middle of nowhere.

the stress is killing me to be honest. I found out that when I lived in the country, my stress level was incredibly low. The income was much lower too. But in the Big City, you are constantly stressed out.

 

[Melodi]

In Ireland, steak is sometimes twice as expensive as the US, so we only buy it on super-sale or mark down tables.

However, sometimes round steak is affordable and there's an easy way to tenderize it down to where you can cook it rare (like husband likes) or grill.

Its called pounding, I'm lucky enough to have old fashioned metal pounder (the wooden ones break pretty easily). It does take some arm work (but it isn't nearly as bad as some of your other daily tasks). You just pound the steak until it is very thin, with our without flour, depending on your families tastes.

You can then marinate it with soy sauce (or other natural tenderizer like lemon juice) if you wish, but you don't have to.

Dry the meat if you have marinated it and then sear it quickly in a pan with some hot oil or cook quickly on the grill. If you like it rare, it only takes a few seconds on each side; if you want it well done usually a couple to three minutes. Don't over cook or it can become tough.

Alternatively, if you like your meat well cooked (my husband does not). Pound flour into the steaks and sear them in a pan as above, drain out any excess oil and cover with either a light gravy or tomato sauce/Italian sauce and simmer for about 1/2 hour. These can also be cooked in the oven or crock pot after searing, but don't forget to sear first. I wouldn't cook more than about four or five hours in a crock pot because they can fall apart and if that happens, you still have lovely tasting bits to pour over potatoes, pasta or bread. You can also make stew with any leftovers and sauce the next day.

 

[Digger]

Here they sell a steak called chuck eye. The butcher told me it was the end of the ribeye portion of the beef. They are small, palm sized or smaller. They are not pretty uniform cuts, but they are cheaper than ribeyes and tender. I told my niece about them, and she was thrilled. Her husband liked them and they were much cheaper than his usual steak. They have gone up almost bouble in price from when I started buying them a few years ago. They are still a bargin at under $5 a pound.

 

[Brutus]

Do you find life is getting harder, more work etc
Yesterday after a grueling day, I sat in my big chair and thought what ever happened to easy. Tom and I are retired, now for 25 years. We live on a farm and mostly gave up on farming, except for chickens and haying and of course that huge garden that is frying in the heat and drought.
Well once a month we head to the city, to stock up on grocerys, animal food etc. Its 90 miles round trip. Tom has to have a blood test once a month also, so that is the first place we go too. Then its on to Sam's. I like Sams as they always have something different. I like to look at books and DVD's. Tom will always pick up a old western movie. What is it with guys and those western movies and also western books. How many different ways can they shoot them up. Although I loved the movie lonesome Dove.
I noticed that coffee has gone up in price again, and also cheese and bacon. Took a quick look at steak and then said forget it. Two T Bones cost 12 dollars. So much for steak. I wonder how a chuck steak would taste with lots of tenderizer on it. I do buy lots of produce at sam's, as they do have beautiful fruit and organic lettuce and carrots etc. I load up on that. My one weekness is Starbucks frappe drinks in those little bottles, cost 13 dollars now 8 bottles. They pep me up in late afternoon and yes they are loaded with sugar. At least its not High fruitose corn syrup.
Well any way put all the stuff in the pickup, and it was so hot. The pavement about melted the shoes under your feet. Then we headed for Petsmart. I like there bird seed and some of there other kinds of dog food and cat food. From there we stop at the big walgrens drug store and pick up a few things on sale, And then we stop at Wall mart to get Milk and cottage cheese and smaller packages of lunch meat etc. Then its a stop at a local lunch place, It's usually chinese or Mexican food.
Then home, by this time its 4 ockock and we are beat. Tom is 83 and I am 81. We unload cold stuff and leave the other till the next day. Then we feed chickens and change hot water to cold for them. And what other chores there are to be done. Then we both drop into a recliner and look at each other and wonder how in the heck did we ever get into this mess. We could be in the city with sidewalks and streetlights, and theaters close by and a local fish market right down the road. Funny though right now I can look out the window and see green all around me, Hear the rooster crowing, And in a few mins I will be scraping corn off the cob to put in deep freeze from our garden. I guess we are where we are suppose to be.
Okay folks you all got a story of your day, Lets hear it
Old as dirt

Sounds like y'all are in the situation where you could benefit from one of the oldest, but no longer extant apparently, of human relationships --- the community.

I'm sure y'all have a lot you could teach the younger generations as far as survival skills, whereas the younger gens could help take up the slack on the heavy chores, like digging post holes, cutting firewood, and such. In an ideal situation an older couple like y'all could live in an area with a little cluster of homes containing different aged families where all could play off of everyone else's collective strengths. The younger, but less knowledgeable, could help knock out the heavy work and be learning from the oldsters who have tons more knowledge but are no longer well-suited to stuff like swinging an axe or toting packs of shingles up a ladder.

That's something sorely lacking in today's society --- a sense of community, where neighbors helped each other and "swapped out a day's work," as Jerry Clower used to put it. It's hard to do everything by yourself. Like Jerry used to say, "It's hard to pull a crosscut saw by yourself."

Good luck to y'all. With the Lord's blessings maybe y'all can keep on keepin' on.

 

[Old as dirt]

Etdeb, On the stringbeans not sealing, How old are your canning lids? Did you let the pressure canner cool down all the way before taking off the lid? Did you fill the jars to full? Tom is always filling to full and then the seal doesn't hold.

Brutus, after hurricane Rita, our church sent out a bunch of kids to help clean up, Not very good at the job. Then when the older mature men that looked like a bunch of red necks came, they got in there and cut limbs and trees and hauled the wood to barn in a hurry. The moral of this story is most young folks have no work ethic. It's the fifty and beyond bunch who still think work is good for you.
For all the others who have gave me recipes for tenderizing, I think I have really learned something from you all. I like the plastic bag idea. Summerthyme I have never seen purple Basil, will have to look for it.
I have also found out that pork chops bbq on the gril are delicous. Back in the depression days it was weiners over and over. But they were different then. I don't believe they had all the nitrates in them. Also cheaper ones had cereal added. Actually made them quite good. They hung all stuck together from a rod in the store and the butcher would just wack off a few. During world war two they took less meat tokens also. My dad brought home some horse steaks one time, They were blood red and tough as shoe leather. Mom really got peeved at him for spending money on them. They took no meat tokens. For meat we had red tokens,[All meat was rationed during the war.] they were the size of our dimes and red.
The moral of all this I guess we had better start figureing out how to live on cheaper meat, I also look in the cheap meat bins, day old and have found some good buys. But at sam's as far as hamburger goes they have a long package of Ground angus and beef patties by Jensen Meat co. Been in business since 1958. For those who want to fry a few quick hambugers these are the best tasting meat patties I have ever tasted. I fry them up fast in a hot cast iron skillet and salt and pepper and they are as good as a steak. There are 18 1/3 pd patties in the long package. They last us a long time. Cost I think was 12 dollars. The package weighs six pounds. When you compare that to fresh ground [ ground chuck] for over three dollars a pound and frys out lots of fat, I prefer the patties. And they do not fry out lots of fat.
Irene

 

[LMonty911]

heathens, all!!! so negative about that lovely chuck!!

yes, tenderizing is the answer-anything with acid or alcohol will work. manual pounding is lovely. i am looking for one of the tenderizers my mom had when i was a kid- a square or rectangle that was metal protrusions on one side, but many sharp nail type protrusions on the other. about the size of brad needles. they are awesome, because you can mechanically break tough muscle fibers with the dull size, then cover the steaks generously with a tenderizer made of enzymes like i use, or whatever you like- mixed with your favorite spice. then pound with the needle type side and it takes the enzymes and spices right into the meat. broil bbq or fry in butter until med rare-yummmmmmmm.....

imo chuck has an even better beefy flavor than many of the more expensive steaks. a 3/4 to 1 inch steak, tenderized for awhile, can taste just as good as a rib eye-my fav steak. i think the secret is to find a steak with lots of marbelizing- that little bit of fat makes a huge difference in how tender and flavorful the steak will be.

if i have any steak that is too lean-then i roast it in liquid, after tenderizing. my fav is the old foil baked steak that got popular in the late 60s iirc, my mom used it on thick chuck steaks or a chuck roast.

youll need aluminum foil. a large enough piece of the wide heavy duty is best, but you can fold two of the narrower ones together on the long side if you can. works in a pinch, but i usually keep one roll of the wide heavy duty i use just for this, watching for them on sale or at the closeout store and a good enough deal i grab a couple. you are going to need to prepare enough to lay the steak and additives on, then pull up and fold the foil into a closed envelope for the steak. i lay that on a low-sided cookie sheet or roasting pan. tenderize the meat if you wish, then lay on the foil.

Sprinkle with a packet of onion soup mix (or a heaping tbs or more of beef bouillon, with onion diced or sliced thin, or a tbs of those little dried onions) then cover with thick sliced carrots, chunks of potato, sliced or dried celery bits (or some celery seed). kinda up to you what you use, and the veggies are optional but it makes the whole meal for you if you add them. then add your liquid about a cup for a roast size with the veggies, adjust to the size meat you have. -water is great, but you can be creative. wine works great, or half water/wine. or half tomato juice, V8, etc.a can of diced tomatoes with some added liquid is great too.

then bring the long sides of the foil together over the top of the steak, fold the edges over a few times so its sealed. then do the same with the long sides. that's sealed and helps keep your steam/water/meat juices inside. but the pan with the foil packet in a preheated oven, may take about 2 hrs or so at 325 or 350. low and slow is best. if you heat the liquids you add up to simmering before you add it and let the meat warm a bit before you start cooking it goes much faster since it saves that time. i have also preheated the oven to 400 before i put the steak in, and then just change the temp to 325 after i put the meat in, that works too.

cook until the juices coming from the meat are clear or no longer pink. i usually check a time or two and wait until the meat comes apart when you put a fork in it and twist. take out the meat and veggies to a serving plate when done, and make a gravy from the liquid in the foil pack in the saucepan. i usually add water and milk till i have two cups liquid, then salt/spice to taste, add my thickener till smoothe and cook the gravy till done. serve on or with the meat

its really good once you get the hang of it, and makes cheap meat really tender and delicious. you can do almost any tough meat like this, just alter the spices/additions to taste. its not the steak house type steak, but its a great easy meal.

 

[Tygerkittn]

heathens, all!!! so negative about that lovely chuck!!

yes, tenderizing is the answer-anything with acid or alcohol will work. manual pounding is lovely. i am looking for one of the tenderizers my mom had when i was a kid- a square or rectangle that was metal protrusions on one side, but many sharp nail type protrusions on the other. about the size of brad needles. they are awesome, because you can mechanically break tough muscle fibers with the dull size, then cover the steaks generously with a tenderizer made of enzymes like i use, or whatever you like- mixed with your favorite spice. then pound with the needle type side and it takes the enzymes and spices right into the meat. broil bbq or fry in butter until med rare-yummmmmmmm.....

.

Like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Deni-MT45-Meat-Tenderizer-Blade/dp/B002R0FRHC/ref=dp_cp_ob_k_title_3



Oscar Mayer Premium hot dogs have no nitrates, and they're actually cheaper than the regular kind.


As for everything being harder, I really think it's the heat. It just saps the life out of you.

 

[nharrold]

Sounds like y'all are in the situation where you could benefit from one of the oldest, but no longer extant apparently, of human relationships --- the community.

I'm sure y'all have a lot you could teach the younger generations as far as survival skills, whereas the younger gens could help take up the slack on the heavy chores, like digging post holes, cutting firewood, and such. In an ideal situation an older couple like y'all could live in an area with a little cluster of homes containing different aged families where all could play off of everyone else's collective strengths. The younger, but less knowledgeable, could help knock out the heavy work and be learning from the oldsters who have tons more knowledge but are no longer well-suited to stuff like swinging an axe or toting packs of shingles up a ladder.

Well, Brutus, you apparently live in a different culture than do we, out here in the boonies of SW Oregon. Suffice it to say that the "young'uns" hereabouts simply do not want to do anything resembling hard labor. I, and other older neighbors like myself, have tried to hire young people to do simple but rigorous jobs that we can no longer do, such as cleaning gutters from a ladder, dethatching a lawn, processing firewood, digging post holes and stringing fence, mucking stalls, servicing equipment, etc. They simply don't want to do it; in fact, they just don't want to do anything at all. We've also found that one should pay them by the job, not by the hour, or they will take all day just to paint a small deck or outbuilding. So I just turn my TENS unit up a little higher, and do it all myself, albeit at a slower pace!

Big difference from when I was a kid after the war, when one was very glad to get any kind of work. I started when I was 14, at $.50/hr, 60 hrs/wk, no bennies, no SS, no vacations, no time off. And damn glad to have the job, I'll tell you. I reported on time, worked all my hours, and didn't sluff off; and still made honor roll at the high school.

I don't even want to speculate on what this devolution in work ethic portends for our country...

 

[summerthyme]

Deb.. unsealing after 2 weeks is almost certainly a failure in the canning process... they weren't processed at the right temp long enough, were contaminated, or siphoned (which compromised the seal). Did she force the cooling process to remove them from the canner? Were any of them visibly lacking liquid, and/or did the canner water smell like beans?

Someone needs to watch her can a batch of beans before she poisons someone or wastes a ton of time and effort. It's impossible to diagnose from a distance, but someplace in there, she's making a mistake.

Did she tighten the lids down after removing from the canner? (a big no-no, unless you're using the Tattler reusable lids) Did she follow instructions on simmering/heating the lids before putting them on the jars?

As OaD said, not enough head space could be an issue.

I wish I could help more, but this is something that needs to be addressed "on the ground" so to speak. And be careful of feeding them to chickens... they're also subject to botulism poisoning.

Summerthyme

 

[summerthyme]

On the older hot dogs- believe me, they DID have nitrates!! That's what "saltpeter", or "Cure #1" was, and it was in every hot dog and other "lunch meat" type product, probably at rates 10X what they use today.

There ARE some good quality hotdogs around... locally, we get Sahlen's (which I think are made in Buffalo, NY- at least they used to be), in natural casings. They're still good, but they are NOT cheap.

Hebrew National hotdogs have a good reputation. But basically, any "hot dog" which is going to taste like "the old days" is $4 a pound or more... not exactly a bargain!!

It really frustrates us as dairy farmers, because for over a year, "bob calves" (newborn bull calves which aren't big enough to be raised for veal calves) have been bringing little or nothing- and they are what they make hotdogs from. So, farmers are getting paid $10 (15 cents a pound) for the calves (by the time you take trucking and commission out, you end up owing the sale barn money!) and the hot dog makers are charging $3 or more per pound. "All beef" hotdogs are $4 or more. Yes, it pisses me off.

So, I don't sell those calves. I butcher them out myself and either can the boneless meat for our little Border Collie, or freeze it bones and all for Bandit. Heck, I'm to the point where I'd shoot them and drag them back for the honest vultures rather than give them away to the manufacturers to get rich off of. But I can't stand waste, so I process it all and the dogs eat better than some people.

Summerthyme

 

[etdeb]

I really thin the problem is she did not pressure can, she hot bathed becouse that was how the canned 40 years ago. And I also was not real keen on feedig the spoils to chickens, I will pass all of this on to her.
Have you ever used frozen tomotoes for anything or the soups or stews?

 

[summerthyme]

Oh, LORD!!!

DO NOT Feed those to the chickens!!! And please, tell her that water bath canning wasn't even safe back then... My Amish neighbors do water bath beans.. for FOUR HOURS. And even then, they have more cases of "stomach flu" (read: food poisoning) than you'd like to experience...

I haven't frozen tomatoes in years (more canning jars than freezer space- that's saved for meat), but you can use them in anything you'd use canned or fresh tomatoes in (that you're going to cook, that is- they don't make nice salad fixings). I used to toss them in the blender or chop them up a bit in the food processor, as we don't like whole tomato skins in dishes, but basically you can treat them like you would any other tomato product... you'll get a "fresher" tomato flavor than you would from canned fruit.

Summerthyme

 

[Old as dirt]

etdeb, Thank the dear Lord they didn't seal. Someone is looking out for her. Get ahold of this gal and make sure she learns how to can Veg's. I can't believe she did a hot water bath on stringbeans. And yes the Amish do get sick from canning the beans. And don't feed to chickens, I make sure no one eats them, so be careful where you throw them.
Irene

 

[etdeb]

Dirt, it was Dot's DIL. Dot had said that she had picked the beans and was suppose to come up to use her canner, but did not. Dot and I are trading goods she cans and I swap LTS items. Rice, oats, ect. I am so glad you and her started writing.
Do you or have you ground wheat? Do you get cup for cup from the berries to the flour?

 

[sthrnfriedrocker]

I just want to say that this thread and all the valuable info in it is the reason I love timebomb so much and thank you all for posting such good and practical information.

 

[summerthyme]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I think it was a very GOOD thing that all those jars blew their seals. That's the best graphic lesson I can think of- far better than all of us screaming "don't water bath vegetables"- that it simply doesn't work.

It's worse when someone gets a good seal and thinks that means they're safe... some people are impossible to convince otherwise. And some get lucky for years, but all it takes is one contaminated batch, and then they have a disaster on their hands. And those are then the ones whose entire family will insist "home canning is unsafe"... even though it's just the dumb unsafe PRACTICES which poisoned them.

Hopefully, having wasted a ton of time and effort canning all those beans, she'll want to do it right the next time.

Summerthyme