Barney Helps Gary Read the Paper

Luckily this chair is extra wide so Barney can help Gary read the paper. Barney is more like a dog than a cat, he follows us around where ever we go in the yard or the house except when he is napping. Notice we have a throw over the chair to contain the cat hair. It can easily be thrown in the washer to be cleaned.

This year he is finally using the cat house we made for him last year. Until recently he just looked in. I guess now he realizes it's just for him. We have the cat house on the front porch where the screen room is. The cat house has insulated panels in the floor, walls and ceiling and is set up off the ground. If the weather is cold he likes the house but if it's hot he likes the woven lawn chairs. He does come in at night; but during the day he likes to be out of doors. If Barney wants some wet cat food he scratches my pant's leg. He has us pretty much trained to his liking now. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Spicy Dried (Dehydrated) Okra

Guess what I made? Spicy Dried Okra!

Here they are before dehydrating. Okra is really good for you. Besides dietary fiber they contain tons of vitamins and minerals. Click the link to read all about their nutritional benefits.

 Slice the okra lengthwise leaving the tips and stems on.

 Toss with light amount of olive oil to get the spices to adhere to the okra.

Sprinkle in your favorite spices. I used a small amount of cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper. Place them open side up and dry for approximately 6 hours, depending upon the thickness of your okra. You can use the larger okra for drying as long as they are still pliable. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Saving Money & Space by Dehydrating

Today it just dawned on me I can save money purchasing vegetables in season or on sale and dehydrating them. Later I can re-hydrate the vegetables and they'll be fresh as new. Another benefit to dehydrating food is they take up much less space to store and are not as heavy.

Here are four video's I found very helpful to learn more about dehydrating foods. Topics covered are how to prepare fruits and vegetables, when to blanch, what to dehydrate, how to store, etc. There are several other videos in the series which you also may find helpful.









Another reason to have food on hand occurred to me this week. A pipeline in Alabama burst and all gas stations in our town ran out of fuel. If we have food and supplies on hand during an emergency we won't have to go to the store as often. The third video has a few political comments but it doesn't hurt to listen to another point of view. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Sun Dried or Dehydrated Tomatoes

All summer long I should have been making sun dried or dehydrated tomatoes and other produce. But I just thought about it this week. It's amazing how much moisture is removed by drying. I'm using roma tomatoes because they contain less moisture than most other tomato varieties. I slice the tomatoes very thin and put them in the dehydrator till completely dry. When I lived in California I dried tomatoes in the sun on screens. At the time I was amazed no insects seemed to get on the tomatoes while they were drying.

I have an electric dehydrator which I tried to sell at the flea market last year but no one wanted to pay me beans for it so I decided to keep it. Now I'm glad I did. These and other dried produce will be healthful snacks during the winter. They can also be re-hydrated and used in recipes. Maybe this week I'll try drying some apples. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.