Thought I would share my recipe for cornmeal muffins/bread. It's loosely dervied from the Purity Cornmeal Bread recipe that used to be on the package 30 years ago. For the longest time, I used a blue teacup with a broken handle as my measuring cup, but it finally completely broke, so my recipe is based on whatever cup I have to hand, and the ingredients are in fractions of that cup.
Preheat the oven to 375F for a loaf, or 400F for muffins. Make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
In a largish bowl, put in 1 cup each of cornmeal and flour. Add 1 spoon of baking powder (sized to match the amount of dry ingredients), salt, and about 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar. At this point, you can add 1/2 to 2/3 a cup of chopped dried or fresh fruit, kernel corn, onions, peppers, or whatever for either a sweet or savoury muffin.
In the cup, break 1 large egg (or 2 small eggs), and add enough oil to make 2/3s of the cup. Add to cornmeal-flour mixture. Add 1+ cups of canned milk (other milk will do but it changes the flavour); basically the amount will be a little more than 1 cup, aiming for a batter which is somewhat thicker than the usual muffin batter. Finish with vanilla extract to taste.
This batter should make about 1 doz. regular sized muffins, and takes between 14-17 minutes to bake, depending on the humidity, the oven and how large the muffin tins are. Alternatively, you can make a loaf (in a largish bread pan), and it will bake in approximately 18-22 minutes.
They freeze well; however, for at hand eating, once they are completely cooled, put them in a closed container or a baggy.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Urban Homesteading
I have just finished reading the post from Canadian Doomer about the whole Urban Homestead "trademark" stew: "Urban Homestead NOT a Unique Trademark".
Just out of curiosity, I did a search of the Library of Congress titles list, for the exact term "urban homesteading" and found 57 titles, the oldest of which dates back to 1974. Most of the titles were from the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board which was established in New York City in 1974. Are these people going to tell this organization that has been existence for the last 37 years that they are not entitled to use their duly registered name?
Why, even the meaning given to the phrase "urban homesteading" by the original legal users of that phrase has a complete different meaning: "The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board was founded in the midst of New York City’s economic crisis of the 1970s. While landlords abandoned their buildings en masse, the city found itself with over 11,000 buildings on hand and no idea what to do with them. UHAB became a voice for the residents living in those buildings – longtime New Yorkers who had no intention of leaving.
"Turning buildings over to the residents began as an experimental idea. But soon the city was convinced it could be sustained. The first year UHAB offered training in Harlem, 200 buildings learned how to cooperatively govern and operate their own buildings."
Furthermore, this term is in common usage, and has been since the early 1970's with a variety of meanings related to self reliance in an urban setting, and clearly is not eligible for trademark status. Read Canadian Doomer's post. And buy the books of those writers who are being victimized by the family who shall go unnamed and shall be shunned. And keep on using the words Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading. It's your right!
The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series)
, 2008
Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living
, 2011
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Homesteading
, 2011
Just out of curiosity, I did a search of the Library of Congress titles list, for the exact term "urban homesteading" and found 57 titles, the oldest of which dates back to 1974. Most of the titles were from the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board which was established in New York City in 1974. Are these people going to tell this organization that has been existence for the last 37 years that they are not entitled to use their duly registered name?
Why, even the meaning given to the phrase "urban homesteading" by the original legal users of that phrase has a complete different meaning: "The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board was founded in the midst of New York City’s economic crisis of the 1970s. While landlords abandoned their buildings en masse, the city found itself with over 11,000 buildings on hand and no idea what to do with them. UHAB became a voice for the residents living in those buildings – longtime New Yorkers who had no intention of leaving.
"Turning buildings over to the residents began as an experimental idea. But soon the city was convinced it could be sustained. The first year UHAB offered training in Harlem, 200 buildings learned how to cooperatively govern and operate their own buildings."
Furthermore, this term is in common usage, and has been since the early 1970's with a variety of meanings related to self reliance in an urban setting, and clearly is not eligible for trademark status. Read Canadian Doomer's post. And buy the books of those writers who are being victimized by the family who shall go unnamed and shall be shunned. And keep on using the words Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading. It's your right!
The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series)
, 2008 Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living
, 2011The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Homesteading
, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Healthy Living
I just received the latest newsletter from Backyard Food Production, and if you don't already subscribe, I strongly recommend that you do so. The article is Part 1 on a series about health, and that it's more than just eating right. I recently subscribed to this newsletter and have found that it is a no-fluff resource that always gives me something solid to think about.
Anyway, just as a bit of a teaser, and so you know why I really like this newsletter, the focus on the series is that the foundation of good health is diet and exercise. Now, this is not "going on a diet", and "hitting the gym for a workout". This is a lifestyle choice that focuses on eating food that has not been stripped of its value by chemical farming and over-processing, and a physical approach to life that rejects sedentary pursuits punctuated by harmful "workouts" that abuse your body.
Marjory Wildraft and the Backyard Food Production Team mention two books that have actually helped them be healthier, one of which is available through their bookstore: Born to Run, and Pain Free
.
Anyway, just as a bit of a teaser, and so you know why I really like this newsletter, the focus on the series is that the foundation of good health is diet and exercise. Now, this is not "going on a diet", and "hitting the gym for a workout". This is a lifestyle choice that focuses on eating food that has not been stripped of its value by chemical farming and over-processing, and a physical approach to life that rejects sedentary pursuits punctuated by harmful "workouts" that abuse your body.
Marjory Wildraft and the Backyard Food Production Team mention two books that have actually helped them be healthier, one of which is available through their bookstore: Born to Run, and Pain Free
.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
If you want to have a good laugh...
... please check out this post from over at Living on a Dime. And have a tissue handy because you will laugh till you cry!
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