A Gift that Serves

The unit that we received is the Alexa Echo Show 8 from Amazon. I wasn’t sure how much we would actually use it. But for us, it has been so handy. I tested positive for Covid the day after Christmas (The nightmare after Christmas!). I went home with several medications and a new inhaler. This Covid bug is a nasty little piece of work. It left my brain a bit foggy and my body so tired that I found it hard to stay awake.

That’s where the Echo came in. I was able to set reminders for each medication, and when they were due Alexa would announce a reminder. Alexa has become my personal assistant during this illness. She is also good company when you find yourself quarantined in a room alone. I am still learning what Alexa can do, and I am excited to learn. So this country bumpkin has found a tech gadget that I like and would actually recommend.

What She Can Do

I was instantly amazed at its ability to play songs on demand. She can also play live local newscasts, and Youtube videos, watch movies, find recipes for you, act as a photo display for your digital photos, answer questions, and give news updates and weather forecasts. She can log into podcasts, play white noise to help you sleep, recommend books, keep track of a personal calendar, and make lists, among other things. I am still learning all that the Alexa Echo is capable of doing but what has been most useful is her ability to set reminders. Oh, you can even change the name of your device to one of several supplied names. There is even the option to have it use different accents and voices.

What I Wish She Could Do…

As amazing as this little device is, there are a few things that I wish she could do. It would be amazing if I could print the lists that I have created or recipes that I have found using its search engine. You can set one contact as an emergency contact call, but you can’t use Alexa to call 911. It will not take place of an emergency call device.

Is it worth the investment?

These little units are not very expensive ( thus the frugal living part). You can pick one up for under a hundred dollars. The stand had to be bought separately. For the Echo to work, you do need an Amazon Prime Account. You also need the Internet, unlimited is probably best. Luckily we had both of those already. The Echo can link to some android phones and to iPhones. The Echo can be linked to accessories such as smart plugs used to turn outlets and devices off and on at will. It can be linked to both indoor and outdoor video cameras that work as security monitors when you are away from home, giving peace of mind that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. In our case, I figure the accessories will make their way to us as gifts over the next few years. I wouldn’t mind a security camera aimed at my garden. Maybe I can use it to keep a few critters away, says she jokingly!

On a more serious note, I have Meniere’s Disease. The Echo will allow me to set my daughter as my one emergency call contact. I know it will be as assuring to her (to know that if I get sick and her dad is not here, I can easily contact her) as it will be for me. This feature alone makes the Echo worth the investment.

This is the unit that we have: Alexa Echo Show 8. We received a stand with ours for Christmas, and there are several other accessories that you can get to use with your Echo. I see a new video doorbell in the near future, and maybe a few other upgrades as well. But I can say that this is one of the best Christmas gifts we could have received.

I Love Our Echo Show 8

The past year brought many changes. Some good, and some heartbreaking. I learned that I can run a cash register at a new job! We became grandparents. We lost loved ones, and the state faced several natural disasters. I started the blog. We grew a backyard garden. And now, we have a “sorta-smart” home!

If this didn’t seem like an article on “country” or “frugal” living when you started reading, well I hope you have changed your mind. I found the Alexa Echo 8 to be a frugal option for those who want to add a bit of security to their home, simply love listening to music through an amazing speaker system, or need a hand with organization. As for the country part, well I plan to use her calendar feature to record when I should plant different crops, and use her reminder feature to remind me to water the plants. Whether your New Year starts by buying an Echo or making plans to move you forward in a whole new direction, I hope that it will be an amazing year for you all.

You all stop back by soon,

Vikki

The post Reviewing the Alexa Echo Show 8: Frugal Way to a Smart Home appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

The Most Amazing Gift Ever

Before the pandemic hit, I had made a bucket list of things that I had wanted to do but had not gotten around to doing. As the list took shape, I noticed a pattern emerge. I missed my childhood connection to the outdoors and foraging for wild foods and herbs (though I still do this in a limited fashion). I longed to once again grow organic foods for our home. My list evolved into ideas for possible blog posts. The problem was that I was not an experienced blogger or writer. I had no idea how to start. I just assumed that my dream of blogging would stay just that, a dream.

My husband decided to give me a gentle push. Without telling me what he was up to, he started building a blog site for me on Word Press. When he presented me with the site, it was still in a rough-draft stage. But the bones were there, ready for me to give it life. His confidence in me pushed me past my fears and into an exciting adventure.

Forward from a List

The blog took on a life of its own. I started pulling items from my “possible blog-post list” and went to work. My first posts were about making grapevine wreaths and other things I had learned as a child in Appalachia. I knew that I wanted to write about my experiences growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. And based on those experiences, I started blogging about frugal living, crafting, gardening, and nature. All of these topics were basic to life in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

The research and preparations that it took to write each post were very time-consuming. Then there was the planning for future articles. After writing those early posts, I started planning a small backyard garden.

I couldn’t wait for it to get warm enough to start working in the yard. My big project for the summer was going to involve garden-scaping and then recording my success or failure along the way.

How Does Your Garden Grow

With no-tiller, I had one choice and that was to do the work by hand. I pulled out a shovel, an ax, and a rake and went to work. We removed a dead tree from the yard the year before, so there were still roots embedded all over the yard. Using a shovel alone wasn’t going to cut it (pun intended!). Charles wasn’t too happy with my chopping the roots in the ground with his ax, there was just no other way to clear out the roots.

It took me several weeks to get the veggie plots dug, de-rooted, and raked smooth. The ground was hard and very compacted from foot traffic and roots. The texture of the soil was also very clay-heavy, it needed the soil loosened to aid aeration. I bought organic compost to turn into the plots as I turned the soil. Eventually, I was ready to plant. I visited a local Amish Greenhouse to buy the seedlings and got them into the ground.

Harvest

The growing season turned out to be very dry and I ended up watering the veggies nearly on a daily basis. I worried that I was wasting my time. But I refused to give up. My mother had often made use of a mixture of 1 teaspoon Epson Salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 sugar, and 1 gallon of water. Putting her old plant food recipe to use, I would use about 2 cups of the mixture around the base of the plants and then water the plants well. The garden took off.

Before long I had cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes coming in. I was able to can green tomato salsa, pasta sauce, zucchini bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles, and garlic dill pickles. On top of this, we had fresh organic veggies to add to meals and salads. There was even an abundance of tomatoes for sharing with friends and neighbors. My experiment with growing popcorn was not as profitable. I ended up with a pint of popcorn (some little critters really enjoyed the young corn plants). The herb garden provided fresh herbs and tea. My pollinator garden was a joy to watch as little visitors buzzed about the blooms.

Was It Worth It?

I will admit that I made mistakes in my choice of how many seedlings to plant, and where I planted them. Meaning: I hated to throw away any seedings and tried to find space for them all which caused overcrowding of my plants. Even with the mistakes, the garden was well worth the work.

Investment vs. Payout

It is now the first week of November, and the time to pick veggies from the garden has passed. I have no idea exactly how much we saved by growing squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes this year. Looking at the prices of produce now, I know that we more than recouped the $65 that I invested in seedings and organic compost. That is not even taking into account all of the sauce, salsa, and pickles that we have on hand for use this winter.

Now as the days grow shorter, and the nights grow increasingly colder I am starting to plan for next year’s garden adventure. I dream of outings to the nursery with my dear friend Glenda, and days of planting seedings in the warm spring soil. I look forward to expanding my herb garden to include my favorites to make into tea blends, and for adding to my homemade soap. Did I make mistakes this year? Oh yes. Will I do things differently? Absolutely. Our mistakes push us to learn new skills and methods.

Harvest time is a time for reflection, a time to regroup and to plan, and for the soil and gardener to rest for a bit. The yard seems asleep now. The last of the flowers are nodding off for a long winter’s sleep. Halloween has passed, and the Holidays are approaching. The foods that I canned from my backyard garden harvest will not just give us quality organic foods during the winter, but they are going to provide unique gift-giving opportunities as well.

Planning your own adventure in backyard gardening? You can find heirloom seeds for starting your own seedlings at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Now is a great time to plan for next year’s harvest.

If you have enjoyed this post, you may want to want to read about the beginning of my adventure in garden scaping.

Thank you for visiting my site.

Come again soon, happy fall y’all.

Vikki

The post Harvest From the Backyard appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

Nothing is better than pancakes that are made from scratch. You can taste the homemade goodness in every bite. Whether you top them with honey and butter, molasses, or homemade maple syrup, they taste like home! This easy-made from scratch buttermilk pancakes are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to 600 BC in ancient Greece when a description of warm pancakes is recorded in the writings of a poet.

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) becomes a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent – the pancake breakfast is born in 1100 AD. 

During the 1800s milk replaces other liquids commonly used in the batter and maple syrup was added as a topping. In the 1870s the American flapjack becomes known as a pancake.

Betty Crocker.com

Before You Start

When making pancakes you can choose to use either self-rising flour (see substitutions), or all-purpose flour, plus salt, baking powder, and baking soda. I prefer using the all-purpose flour method following the recipe below.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, or melted butter

Directions

1. Sift together: all-purpose flour and other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl mix: milk, vanilla, and oil (or butter if used instead). Whisk until smooth.
3. In a small bowl beat the egg slightly. Add egg to milk mixture. Whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to flour a small amount at a time and whisk until smooth.
4. Heat your iron skillet, griddle, or non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour pancake batter into the pan.
5. Spread the batter out a bit in a circle. Let the batter cook until you see little bubbly pits appear on the top of the pancake and the edges are slightly dry-looking. Carefully flip the pancake and brown the other side.
6. Remove the pancake to a waiting plate. Add a bit more oil to the pan if needed. Add pancake batter. Repeat until all your batter is used up.
7. Serve with Homemade pancake syrup and a dab of butter, or your favorite toppings.
8. Makes: 8 to 9 pancakes

Substitutions:

To replace all-purpose flour: use 1 1/2 cup self-rising flour, and shift flour after measuring (do not add salt, baking powder, or baking soda).

Buttermilk substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk substitute using one of the methods below:

• 1/2 milk + 1 tablespoon plain yogurt . Let sit at room temperature for five minutes.
• 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Let sit at room temperature for five minutes.
• 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar. Let sit at room temperature for five minutes.

Make It Ahead

Pancakes can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to two months. Simply prepare pancakes as directed. Allow to completely cool. Lay pancakes out on cookie sheet and freeze. One frozen, place in gallon size freezer bag and store in freezer. When you are ready to serve, remove pancakes from freezer and microwave for 30 seconds. If needed, return for 15 seconds at a time until thawed and hot.

I have a large toaster that can accommodate pancakes. I toast the pancakes, then move to the microwave for 30 seconds.

Get your Creative Chef Hat On:

The recipe above is for basic buttermilk pancakes. You can alter the recipe to create a family favorite by adding one of the following:

• 1/4 cup diced banana and 1/4 cup blueberries + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 cup apple, diced small
• 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
• homemade maple syrup, see my recipe for directions

Happy Cooking:

If you have enjoyed this recipe, subscribe to follow. I would love to hear from you, so drop a comment to say hello. I will be adding more thrifty recipes later on, so stop back by for a visit and check out what is newly added.

Thanks for stopping by,

Vikki

The post Easy Made From Scratch Buttermilk Pancakes appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.

Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, we never had store-bought pancake syrup. Instead, my mom would create a syrup using sugar, water, and maple flavoring. I loved her syrup, and it took me a bit of time to get used to the store-bought brands. I wanted to share this budget-friendly recipe that has long been a family tradition. This easy homemade pancake syrup has a unique flavor that always reminds me of my childhood home in the hills.

This recipe is similar to the one my mother used, but I did alter it a bit. She would melt the sugar over low heat before adding her water. The sugar scorched easily. I came up with a method that was a little more user-friendly. I also like using brown sugar instead of white, because it gives the recipe a richer flavor.

With the recent increase in the cost of living, I have decided to start using these old recipes again to be thriftier. Also, this method of making syrup is great for when you need syrup, but don’t want to run to the store to pick more up.

This recipe will make about one quart of imitation maple syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups dark brown sugar packed, then sifted.
• 1  teaspoon maple favoring
• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

• In a medium-sized pot, add water. Heat water to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Slowly add the brown sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time). Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add more sugar. Repeat steps until all the sugar has been added and is dissolved.
• Return to boil, then reduce heat to medium; let the sugar water simmer until thickened, stirring often. I simmer mine for about 20 minutes. Keep the sides of the pot scraped down. Do not let it scorch, or boil over.
• Handle with care, and remove from heat.
• Next, add your flavoring. Stir well to incorporate into syrup. I add vanilla because it makes the syrup taste like my mom’s, but it is optional.
• Allow syrup to cool completely before transferring to a clean quart mason jar, or another airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. Note: Never add hot liquid to a cool jar as it can burst.
• To reheat: Syrup can be heated in a microwave-safe bowl for thirty seconds before use. Take care that the syrup is not too hot to move or eat.

I am not sure how long this syrup will keep in the refrigerator; I try to not store it for more than a month.

You Are Ready For Breakfast

Shortly I intend to add recipes for made from scratch pancakes, waffles, and granola. I also found lean ground pork, and ground chicken breast on-sale yesterday. I ended up coming home and making homemade breakfast sausage, I will add that recipe soon as well. It seems that I am on a roll with breakfast foods at the moment, but in truth I look for sales at the food mart and adapt our menu to that. Thrifty living takes a bit of foresight and stocking up when you find deals. Now that you have a budget-friendly tasty maple syrup recipe you are ready to make an amazing breakfast syrup for family or friends. Follow this link for a recipe to make my easy made from scratch, buttermilk pancakes.

The Cup That Makes My Morning

Shop my coffee cup at Tabletop by ArtsyRobotz, or at https://www.redbubble.com/people/artsyrobotz/shop

Stop back by to see what is new, or rather what I have found on sale that I am putting to use.

Happy cooking,

Vikki

The post Easy Homemade Pancake Syrup Recipe appeared first on BeeVee Arts and Crafts.