10 Envelopes

A couple times this past week I was reminded of something I did and one of my friends from our early marriage years did.  It was back when a 40 hour week and overtime hours if we were lucky brought a paper check home on Thursday. Can you imagine, we actually had to go to the bank and cash it?  No direct deposit or debit cards. 

Off to the bank we would go, cash it and take the total amount home to the.................10 envelopes.
They were neatly stacked in the top of a kitchen cupboard and all had one word written on them.  House, car, insurance, gas, electric, water/sewer, telephone, cable, taxes and groceries.  For four weeks we would divide the money up to what was needed in each envelope to pay the bills at the first of next month.  Then to the bank it would go so we could "write checks."  How about it!  In my opinion having all that cash gave the thought of where the money was going and how much.  After the envelopes were taken care of the extra money was put aside for whatever extras would be needed.  A few dollars for each of us and if lucky enough to put in the vacation jar.  Usually there was very little in the vacation jar by spring. 
The good thing, income tax return!  We always got enough back to load the kids in the car and head to Florida for 2 weeks.  $1,000 total cost for the vacation with enough money to buy groceries when we got home!  That amount won't even get you a place to stay now for a week now.  The best part of that 40+ hour work week, two weeks vacation with no worries and fun with the kids. I think I can remember every trip and every wonderful thing we did.  Disney,  the Magic Kingdom cost us $39.  plus food, drinks and souvenirs we bought for the day.  And I thought it was so expensive!   I must admit, things got a little tight at times in our early lean years.  There were times we had to "Rob Peter to Pay Paul".  Which meant, we might have to take money from an envelope, then figure out a way to "cut corners" "or tighten the belt" to get it paid back by bill time.  No matter, life was good and I wouldn't have had it any other way. 
Thanks Kenny for reminding me of the envelopes.

The only time I write a check now a days is to the Amish or our property taxes once a year.  As a matter of fact I was down to two checks last week.  When I called the bank to order checks it was with notice that I hadn't ordered checks since 1999!  Just order me the least amount this time.  Everything else is on line or with a debit card.  We don't even get to cash a check, all direct deposit.  Who would have thought? 

The days have been amazing at Cook'n by the Creek with cold nights and sunny warm days.  I planned on getting some raw farm milk for a batch of Salt Rising Bread but looking at the next 10 day forecast I will hold off.  The weather needs to be in the 30's during the day so the heat will come on in the house.  That way I can set the starter near the stove and it will ferment much better.  Maybe by hunting season.  I sure hope so, we need snow to keep these hunters happy.  No fun skidding a deer out on dry ground!  So, back to the SRB.  There is no salt or yeast in it.  So why is it called Salt Rising?  Because in the early days when woodstoves were used the pioneers usually had a big container of salt and kept it by the woodstove so it would stay dry and not gather moisture.  Apparently when the bread was raising they would set the bowl on the salt.  Thus, salt is rising the bread and shortened it to SRB. 

Here is an interesting read on SRB. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/04/23/305659383/bake-bread-like-a-pioneer-in-appalachia-with-no-yeast
 It also has a recipe, not like mine which was my Grandma Carries.  The article has a couple different versions of how it got the name and those versions make sense  too.  I like the story of the Pastor's sermon one time that used SRB to compare hardships.    “Life is like salt-rising bread. Sometimes it stinks, but in the end, it’s pretty darn good.”  Perfect!  Just remember, if you take on the SRB recipe.............your house is going to stink..............awful.  Once it's baked the smell goes away........or light a candle.

I didn't have to light a candle yesterday.  Fresh cranberries are in all the stores now.  I happened upon a cranberry orange bread recipe a few weeks back.  Along with a bag of cranberries I bought oranges since it called for orange zest.  I love zest in my rhubarb pies and thought it will probably give the bread a "wow" taste too.  It sure did, along with orange juice and orange flavoring.  The recipe called for raw cranberries.  For some reason I decided to put the cranberries in a sauce pan with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup of sugar.  I brought them to a boil and when the cranberries started popping and sugar was dissolved I took them off the fire and let them cool.  I used the cooked berries.  The house smelled so good with the orange and cranberry smell.  We had a couple slices with our morning coffee today and it is good!  The recipe is a keeper.  Next will be my favorite date and nut bread.  Each kind of bread I make from now on will be, one to enjoy and one for the freezer.   The cranberries I didn't use were saved to mix with our orange juice.  I used my little whir stick and made an orange/cranberry smoothie with it.  Very good, of course the cranberry sugar water helped the taste.  It's another cycle of changing food habits around here for cold weather.
 
Even though I had cranberries in the refrigerator waiting to make the Cranberry Orange Bread I couldn't resist buying Cranberry Orange Biscotti from The Cream n' Sugar Ice Cream Store in Coudersport the other day.  If we go to Coudersport and they are open it is "for sure" he gets a dish and she gets a cone of  Penn State University Creamery Ice Cream.  http://www.creamnsugar.net/ if you want to check out their website.  Although they have many flavors chocolate is the only kind we get, it is delicious and more like the old fashioned ice creams we had growing up, (geez, everything is hooked to a memory).  If you feel the need for a treat, stop and give it a try, they will be open through the winter months.  They also serve other homemade goodies along with soups and breads.  The Biscotti was delicious too, everything goes with a cup of  my Jamaican Me Crazy!


The Cranberry Orange Bread, just the right sweetness
with the refreshing tang of cranberries!

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe:
Beat-1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 4 TBSP softened butter, 1 tsp. orange flavoring and 1 TBSP fresh orange zest.
Add-3/4 cup orange juice and mix well.
Stir in 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda that have been sifted together.
Bake in a greased and floured bread pan at 350 degrees until center is done.  You can make one big loaf or 2 small ones.  Cool on wire rack.  If freezing put a paper napkin or paper towel in the freezer bag before freezing.  This will keep ice crystals from forming and the bread from getting soggy when thawing. 

The tall guy got the tall one, the short girl got the
short one!

This is where the sun comes up every morning for us.  This morning it was the moon.  How beautiful and by the weather forecast we will get a beautiful look at the Super Moon.  Get out and enjoy the view.

Almost full, just a little bit more.