Patricia Boley

I have used ketchup and mustard recipes from "Nourishing Traditions" for over a decade.  They are far superior and you can tailor the recipes to how often you use them.  The ketchup recipe goes south a bit earlier.  The mustard lasts a long time

I start my seedlings in March and use grow lights.  If the plants get too crowded (usually tomatoes and cucumbers) I put them in 3-inch pots or peat pots.  To harden them, I start gradually with 1-2 hours of later afternoon sun for a few days eventually building to all day in the sun on my back deck. I have seen a bit of sunburn.  Whenever I end up having to buy seedlings, this is the question I always ask "Have they been hardened?"

Dan Fish wrote:Germinating carrots.

Retaining moisture, especially in regards to wind.

I cover my carrots with the white agricultural barrier for about a month.  It really improves the germination rate.  I use little sticks to make a long tent out of it.

Nopales cactus salad (in Mexico)-delicious!
Rattlesnake-blech! did not taste like chicken, had to spit it out.
Nisperos (Canary Islands)-I guess these are similar to loquats.  Delicious!
Conch (Bermuda)-yum
Testicles-I don't remember from what animal. I ate it fried in cornmeal.  I didn't want anymore after that.
Sweatbreads-not a fan
Guinea hen-delicious
Road kill- (deer)-excellent
Feral pig- delicious
Quail-good
Wild turkey-good but legs were tough

I'll eat just about anything fermented-but not the 100-day old eggs.  I'm sure I've forgotten something.

Jasper and Jasmine, my mini Aussies.  Jasper is not good with poultry.  He terrorizes them.  Jasmine is great.  They make beautiful pups, too.

You don't need pectin for grapes.  I've been making Concord grape jam for the last few years since my grapes started producing.  Of course, the chickens get all the low-hanging fruit.

https://practicalselfreliance.com/grape-jam/

I made grape juice concentrate last year and canned it.  I am making more soon.

https://www.wyseguide.com/canned-grape-juice-concentrate/

I am surprised no one has mentioned using a ginger bug to make natural soda or ginger beer.  I've used the method many times, successfully.  It works too well sometimes.  You open a bottle and it geysers out so I have taken to opening a bottle in a clean bowl.  One must be careful when using store-bought ginger.  Much of the imported ginger has been irradiated, thus no longer has the yeast needed to create the bug.  Organic ginger, if you can find it, works well.

"I think one of the leading ways people online tend to rave about making good biscuits is to freeze the sticks of butter and grate them to incorporate them into the flour. It seems if your fat/oil soaks into the flour, that is what makes the biscuits dense and unappealing. I've tried many ways and many recipes, but have yet to equal the biscuits made with that darned Crisco!"

I freeze and shred my butter and quickly coat it with flour.  I also add 2T of Coconut oil because I think of hydrogenated vegetable oil as the spawn of the devil.  It gives my biscuits a bit of an exotic flavor.

Anne Miller wrote:Thank you, Patricia Boley, for reviving this thread!  Did you have a question?

Or did you just think my post was worth reviving?

My message is there but it somehow got into the wrong place!

I said I don't agree with the eggs thing and that scones usually have added ingredients like fruit and nuts and are more of a breakfast item (unless you like biscuits and gravy).

Anne Miller wrote:In the US, this is what we call a biscuit:


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These are made from a dough that might be flour, milk, and baking soda aka bicarbonate of soda.

I understand that in the UK a biscuit is more like a  cookie:


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Is the US biscuit similar to a Scone?
I don't think I agree with this.  I used several scone recipes from the web and none of them have eggs as an ingredient.  I think it boils down to two things: Scones usually have some additional flavorings or fruit added, also some savory ingredients like cheese and chives.  Biscuits seldom do.  Also, I think of scones as breakfast food whereas biscuits are for dinner (unless you are from the South and eat biscuits and gravy).



I asked and found this:

So, what's the difference between a scone and a biscuit? The answer generally boils down to one ingredient: eggs. Scones have them, biscuits don't.

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/285584/the-difference-between-biscuits-and-scones-plus-6-healthy-recipes/

These scones look delicious


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Since I have never tasted a Scone, do scones taste similar to the US biscuit?