What No Bathroom...continued

Baths in the summer were taken more often and easier for everyone.  The hayfield crew came in hot, dirty and itchy, grabbing towels, suits (maybe) and a bar of soap as they headed for the icy waters of Boulder Creek, about ½ mile away. Boulder Creek’s headwaters located on Jug Handle Mountain and our house nested at its base.  A perfect swimming hole at the bridge, made a good place to get clean and cool. There was a lot of horseplay to bring a day of hard work to a close.  Proof that farm work is not all work and no play.  The younger kids were not forgotten in this ritual, since early in the morning, an old bathtub filled with water and left in the sun to warm during the day.  Before we were called to supper, all of us played, splashed and washed the dirt away, and then took a quick rinse in the cold water of the lawn sprinkler.

Water had to be heated for everyday needs, dishwashing etc. and washday.  Power outages and frozen pipes were always a problem.  If that happened, then we had to haul snow in, to melt for water.  It was never a problem to find snow in Lake Fork, but it still required many trips.  It takes a lot of snow to make that much water. 

I remember that Daddy installed a water heater in the spring, so we would have instant hot water.  But an indoor bathroom didn’t make an appearance for several more years.  By then we again really appreciated being able to turn on the tap for more hot water, stretch out in the tub, and sit on a warm toilet seat instead of making the cold trip to the outhouse.  Maybe this was when Daddy finally got to take a bath in his very own bath water...Hugs To All...OWAV:)  Written by,  Idella Ashton Allen

Joe and Blanche Ashton

1949 before we moved to Idaho.

More Memories...25º

Several years ago I started writing stories about my childhood and am now sharing  some of them with my readers...The next one is very different from the two previous blogs about making and eating bread...I was 8 years old when we moved from Utah to Lake Fork, Idaho and I have vivid memories of those growing up years...Also this style of writing is called "creative nonfiction," meaning that I might embelish if my memory is hazy...These are my memories, as only I remember them.

What No Bathroom

About two years before moving to Idaho, my parents added a bathroom to our house in Utah.  No longer did we make the trek outside in all kinds of weather to use the outhouse, or take a bath in the small round tub in the middle of the kitchen floor.  The shiny white tub sat in one corner of the new bathroom with a toilet next to it.  I remember sitting in a tub full of hot water, legs stretched out full length, soaking.  Then with a twist of the tap more hot water flowed into the bathtub and I could soak even longer. But now, we moved to a new house far away in Idaho, and again there stood an outhouse next to the woodshed. The trips to the smelly outhouse started once more.  It was winter and I hated sitting down on the cold wooden seat, the shock almost made you forget why you had left the warmth of the house, in the first place.  The early morning trip proved even colder than the night before!  In comparing this outhouse to the one in Utah, I liked this one better.  It had two seats, a shorter one for kids, where my feet touched the floor.  Here, in this harsh land I would soon learn to appreciate the little things in life.

      There was a fun side to the outhouse for our older cousins.  They ofen came in the summers to help with the haying.  One year, our cousin brought his new “city” wife,  and he always accompanied her on the nightly trip to the toilet.  The other cousins soon picked up on this, and started plotting to scare her.   First, they hid behind trees and howled like a coyote, which made her really nervous, but they wanted more of a reaction.   The next night they carefully placed a bobcat hide around the toilet seat, then hid in the hayfield and waited. When her bare bottom touched the bobcat fur, she didn’t disappoint them. I imagine the screams are still echoing from one end of Long Valley to the other.  

The weekly Saturday night bath was taken in a small round galvanized tub in the middle of the kitchen floor, in front of the wood burning range, the warmest place in the house.  We were lucky to have running water piped into the house from a well, but we didn’t have a hot water heater.  Bath night worked a certain way at our house.  Mom would have to heat water on the wood stove in several kettles and then pour them into the tub and put more water on to heat.  She then added cold water to get the right temperature.  Then Mom took the first turn because she was the cleanest of the dirty.  After she finished, hot water was added and I was next.  Then we followed up the line in order of age, hot water added with every person.  Daddy was always the last in line, and I don’t know if he ever got to take a bath in clean water.  Hugs To All...OWAV:)  To be continued.

Idella and Mona about 1945

Mona and Idella, the summer before

we moved to Idaho 1950

More Stories from long ago...24º

Continued..
     
  Bread was a mainstay in our life, we ate it for every meal and, hopefully, the ten loaves that Mom had baked on this day would last our family for a week.  She enjoyed baking bread, and managed it weekly, as well as doing the laundry, ironing and cooking three meals a day. She helped milk cows twice a day and gathered and cleaned eggs to sell.  

I can still see Mom, always up early, dressed in blue jeans and shirt, measuring flour and sifting it into a large round dishpan, using the flour sifter for a measurer instead of a cup.  Five or six sieves made an extra large batch of bread.  She pushed her hair off her forehead, using the back of her hand, then with her hands, she made a “well” in the flour.  Next, she poured warm water into the well, sprinkled yeast over the water, and left it to dissolve, before  adding sugar, salt, lard and flour, until it formed a sponge, this sponge, she covered with a towel, and left it to rise and bubble until after breakfast. 

      After we finished eating and washed the dishes, Mom returned to mixing the dough, working in more flour with a spoon until it was so stiff that she put the spoon aside and started kneading with her hands.  She kneaded this large ball of dough until it was shiny, smooth and elastic and with a flourish, she rolled it in a little melted butter tossed it in the air and it came down, landing in the pan with the rounded side up ready for the first rising.  She always let it raise twice, then shaped it into loaves and put it into bread pans to raise again before it was ready to bake.  This was an all day job so the bread was cooling and ready to eat when I got home for school.

I don’t remember any bread ever going to waste. Leftover beef roast, bread and milk, made up our supper most nights.  A bread pudding, spiced with cinnamon, dotted with raisins and baked to a golden brown, would be dessert for Sunday dinner.  Sage dressing was made and cooked around a pork roast on another special day.  Breadcrumbs were used for breading pork chops or to stretch a meat loaf.  Other times, French toast swimming in homemade choke cherry syrup was a change, from the usual bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. 

  On rare occasions, Mom mixed a small batch of bread dough to make what she called “scones,” but I now know it as fry bread.  Balls of dough would be stretched thin into flat round circles, dropped into hot lard and fried until golden brown.  Quickly drained, they were then covered with butter and jam and eaten with gusto, butter and jam dripped off your chin. Cinnamon rolls was another of her specialties, vanilla frosting covered the tops and they were slightly warmed in the oven before serving.  Light as a feather, dinner rolls graced our table on special holidays.  Mom had a special way with yeast dough and still practiced this art until two months before she died at age ninety-six...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Time to milk the cows (age early 40's.)

Still mixing dough, (age 90)

Stories from long ago...26º

 Memories, maybe this explains why I love eating and making bread..  

Homemade Bread

Walking home on a cold fall day, the wind whistled like a train, passing over a crossing.  I pulled my coat tightly around my body, wishing I had remembered to grab mittens and hat as I left home in the early morning.  But I was sure my sister would be along soon and drive me home.  I tucked my chin into my chest and walked fast against the wind.  My thoughts turned to our warm house and the warm crusty bread that might be waiting on the counter.   I would run awhile then slow to a walk, looking back for the familiar pickup.  Why didn’t my sister come, didn’t she know I was freezing cold?  It was starting to snow, first hard little kernels, like beebees dropping out of the sky, each one stinging my face.  Then they turned to moist flakes, and caressed my face like a babies wet kiss.  I pulled my coat tighter, ducked my head and pushed harder for home, evidently my sister had to stay for cheerleading practice.  It was snowing hard by the time I reached home wet and cold.  

Mom met me at the door.  “Della where are your hat and mittens?  You are going to catch your death of cold.”   She scolded me, as she helped me out of my wet clothes.  As we hustled into the kitchen and I stood, clad only in my underwear, before the wood cookstove, the smell of warm bread surrounded me, my stomach growled like a bear waking from his long winters sleep.  I forgot how cold and wet I was, my mouth watered and I reached for the knife.  Mom quickly thwarted that as she sent me upstairs to change into my dry chore clothes.  Our animals had to be taken care of.  I changed clothes and ran back down stairs sure that Mom would have a slice of bread waiting for me.  I could hardly get it in my mouth fast enough.  The heel, warm, and crusty, slathered with homemade butter, melted in my mouth.  I added homemade strawberry jam, and washed it down with a glass of cold milk.  I could have eaten the entire loaf and my mouth waters just thinking about it.  I can taste it as if it were yesterday.  All too soon I trudged toward the barn, milk bucket in hand, Mona was pulling into the driveway, home at last. I didn't stop to talk, the cows were waiting to be milked. Hugs To All..OWAV:)...To be continued

   

February Sunshine...22º

African Drumming/Celtic Music was on the program at the Josephy Center last night...Pam picked me up and we joined a full house (not packed, but a good crowd.) for a fun evening..."Baba O'Reilly" is the name of the group, originally two groups joined together for a night of music and dance...A small group of people, young and old, danced like no one was watching, to the enjoyment of all.

Years ago, my friend Pat and I, as Josephy volunteers, attended nearly all of the programs at the Josephy Center, then Pam and I continued that practice until the last two years, when we started talking about going but never quite made the commitment...After going last night, we both realized we have missed these programs and visiting with people, that we don't see on a regular basis...Maybe we can enjoy more programs this year." 😀 Continued tomorrow.

2/23/20  Time got away from me yesterday...A trip to Imnaha was on my agenda with friend Joyce...Our friend Arlene and her husband were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary...I had deviled eggs to prepare and a batch of bread dough rising...The eggs turned out great, bread has good flavor but is a replica of giant "hockey pucks."...We shared it with good friends, that understand when I have a failure!

Joyce and I go back to 1973, when we moved to Joseph, both of us forest service wives..My only trip on the infamous road to Dug Bar was with her.at the wheel...We talked nonstop yesterday on the ride to and from Imnaha...Joyce and I worked together in the Joseph school cafeteria, and Arlene drove the bus to and from Imnaha and took money as kids came through the lunch line...We had some great years there before administrative changes and money shortage took their tole on us and our program.

The anniversary party was a great success with people from far and wide to help the couple celebrate...Norm and Arlene have spent most of their years in Imnaha, before spending the last 8 or 10 winters in Costa Rica...They are truly adventurous people..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Trees are turning

Spring is near at Imnaha

More About Food...12º

At our twice weekly water therapy class, we each do our own exercises instead of working on the same thing as a group...There are usually 10 people in the pool and some are jogging in place, others are bicycling with the help of a noodle, and some use styrofoam water weights, and some are just floating around...Plus everyone is talking, because this class is not only about exercise, but also about socializing...One of the most popular topics among this group is food; cooking, eating, and kitchen gadgets that make cooking easier...We exchange recipes, ideas and talk about what is in the crockpot for dinner, while we exercise.

Many conversations can be going on at one time, and last week I heard biscuits mentioned, so I listened in...I've tried many recipes for biscuits and never been totally satisfied with the result...I came home with the following recipe from "Epicurious."

They were fast, easy and delicious!..We had them smothered in sausage gravy for Sunday breakfast and since Herb is not wild about biscuits (unless you cover them with strawberries and whipped cream), I have slowly eaten the rest...Maybe just a few nibbles, or an entire biscuit with Huckleberry Jam, and there was a small serving of gravy left and I love leftovers for breakfast!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS..The only change I made to the recipe was: I removed 2 TBLS of flour and used it to thicken the sausage gravy.

Light and fluffy, right out of the oven.

Leftovers, oh my!

YIELD 

12 Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

1. • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
   • 2 teaspoons baking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1 teaspoon sugar
   • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
   • 1 cup buttermilk (cold)
   • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes), plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing biscuits

PREPARATION

1. 1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps (see photo below). 2. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Using greased 1/4-cup dry measure, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (biscuits should measure about 2 1/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches high). Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. 3. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Another Pie Day?...13º

Coming up with daily meals is difficult for me in winter...Summer and fall are easy, when fresh veggies and fruits are always available...Buying leaf lettuce, broccoli crowns, cauliflower etc. from Safeway gets old fast and I tend to rely heavily on meat and potatoes with various salads...Trying to eat fruits in season, leaves us with apples, oranges, bananas and occasionally fresh pears...I look at the precut fruit trays that Safeway puts out and am tempted but I know that melon is not from "Hermiston," and the flavor is lacking...On Sunday I was racking my brain for a different dinner and decided to try pizza again.

The crust went together easily, raised nicely and rolled out thin but easy to handle...Again Herb and I have different ideas of what makes a good pizza....His is usually meat lovers and I look to garlic chicken with artichokes...The meat lovers is easy with frozen sliced Italian deli meats on hand...Roasted frozen tomatoes from the freezer, for the sauce and toppings of onion, olives, pepper and cheese...I also just happened to have chicken breast that I cut into small chunks and sautéed in garlic, salt/pepper, and lemon juice...Now was the perfect time to try heavy cream instead of Alfredo Sauce, as my niece, Blanche suggested...Everything was soon sliced/diced and pizzas ready to assemble...It was all easy until I had to pour plain cream on the crust...How much is enough and not too much...I went easy on the cream, spread it thin with the back of a spoon and added the chicken, artichokes, onion, pepper and cheese...The oven was at 425º convection bake...They came out looking good..(a little brown on the meatlovers, as I had it on the top rack too long)...The flavor was good on Herbs, mine was okay but I have to work on getting more flavor...It actually tasted better yesterday when we ate leftovers...As I reread this it sounds like recipes on the internet, that irritate me when they blather on and on before finally get to the recipe...No recipe here, just the blather!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Day old Pizza Pie

What was I thinking?...36º

I have never quite understood the thinking behind Valentines Day...It seems to be more tilted to, the guy is supposed to shower his "special valentine" with flowers, chocolates, mushy cards (that Hallmark is so good at) and candle light dinners for two!..Shouldn't this work both ways?

Maybe our first "VD" set the stage as to how that day would play out for us...Herb had completed his last semester of college, we had moved back to Valley County and into my Mom's empty house (she was working up the Big Salmon River for a fishing guide)...Herb's job with the Forest Service didn't start until June...We were flat broke, I was "with child" and wondering where all the "wedded bliss" had gone!..Luckily Herbs' parents had helped us through that last semester of school and my Mom's freezer and cellar was full and Herb got a job in the potato cellars to tide us over until June...I actually have no recollection of that Valentines Day, but I'm sure if there had been flowers, chocolates, mushy cards and candle light dinners (maybe if the power was out) I would remember...Maybe there was a "hug and a kiss."

I soon figured out that on any special occasion, Herb was happy with a pie, any kind of pie...For VD I  usually made a cherry pie...So last week, I searched the freezer for frozen pie cherries, none were to be found, but I found blueberries, he likes, and raspberries that I like...What possesed me to make two pies, one for each of us, I have no idea...The pies turned out very pretty and tasty, but one slice for dinner and a second slice for breakfast was enough pie!

John to the rescue, he gladly took home the pie that was left and they will tell us that it was delicious, ever if it wasn't...I will make sure and buy frozen cherries next time we are in La Grande...One pie for  two people is more than enough!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...We live in a beautiful place, our house is warm and cozy, we have way more than enough to eat AND we both got a "Hug and a Kiss," for Valentines Day.

As romantic as we get.

Blueberry and Raspberry.

Busy Weekend...Slow Week...21º

A fun time on Barton Hgts last Sunday...My "Hotsprings Buddies" came for soup, cards and most important, visiting...We planned our annual fall trip, booked a condo, (much roomier than our little cottage) and reminisced...I think what makes our group so much fun is that we are all very different personalities and tend to keep each other guessing...We keep connected during the winter months with lunches and games.

Herb and I recuperated the rest of the week...It is hard work having company..."Just kidding."...Speaking of kidding, it was a sunny day yesterday anf friend Debbie posted photos of her baby goats and I thought it would be fun to pay them a visit...Herb and I were soon following Debbie to the pens that house goats, sheep and chickens...We arrived at feeding time for the four "bummer kids." Herb and I each held a bottle, Debbie held two...It took the kids, no time at all to drain the bottles and with full bellies, they stretched out in the clean straw for an afternoon nap...I hope to go for another visit a few days when more "newborn kids" will be there and I can hold and cuddle them...I miss animals but know how much work they are so will leave the raising to other people.

Back home, I had a small pan of rolls rising and ready to bake for our dinner, along with pork roast, mashed potatoes and salad...While the rolls and potatoes cooked, I shaped the rest of the dough into loaves...My day ended at 8pm when I carried packaged loaves downstairs to the freezer and filled the woodstove for the night and called a day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

One little kid!

Warm loaves.

Rain and Wind...31º

After watching videos from all of Eastern Oregon yesterday, I think Joseph came out the winner, at least from my vantage point here on Barton Hgts...Our snow accumulation 6 to 8 inches here, was less than the surrounding cities...La Grande got anywhere between 10 to 15 inches in two days and then it rained for a day...Major flooding all along I 84 closed that highway from Hermiston to the Idaho border for most of the day...Since we don't have a TV, I rely on FB and friends/relatives for news reports...Here on Barton Hgts we sit high and "not dry," but certainly not flooding...Again we count our blessings.

Update, we try to stay close to home in the winter, but Herb had a Feb 12th appointment with a doctor in Bend, OR., on our doctors advice...We haven't made any ER visits since last fall (Knock on Wood) so now rescheduled that for April, when travel should be better for us...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...It is quite bleak looking outside so here is our latest special breakfast.

French toast smothered in

 huckleberry compote along

side fruit and bacon.

Forecast was close...38º

It was a snowy, rainy day yesterday...I shoveled the deck twice, Herb got the plowing done before the snow got wet and heavy and the night warmed up...Not sure if we have icy roads but will be very careful going down our hill today...We didn't get a huge amount of snow and I think the storm is over for the time being...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...I might have to resort to some old flower photos, so we can get a glimpse of spring.

It was a Monday, Funday, Doughday....20º

When my neighbor Linda, asked if I would teach her to make bread, I said "Sure I will."...Early yesterday morning I mixed a small bread recipe and had it on its second rise, when she came through the door at 9am...She was soon following the recipe and mixing the second batch...When it was ready to knead, I realized that she was more experienced at this than I thought and really wanted to make a more flavorful bread, lighter dough etc.

By the time she was done mixing her batch, mine was ready to shape...thee small loaves, one round, one long and one in a loaf pan...We sat down for a visit before we kneaded the second batch, put it in a gallon zip lock and sent it home for her to shape and bake however she wanted to...We talked about adding whole grains for texture and more nutrition, taking more time and letting the dough rise several times before shaping, this helps with flavor and lightness...Also using molasses or honey for sweetener...She called last night to thank me and we will soon make plans to start feeding my sourdough starter and our next project, making sourdough bread.

Ready for the oven.

Baked and ready to eat.

Ready for the freezer.

Garlic bread or submarine sandwich?

It was a fun morning and we both ended up with loaves of bread to eat, share and freeze, plus I got to visit with my neighbor of 20 years... We have chatted briefly, about gardening and visited at yard sales, but never sat down for a visit...I question my life being busy and what I've missed out on over the years...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Monday Morning...9º

Snow over the weekend, just enough for me to sweep the deck and sidewalks, and Herb to run the 4-wheeler to plow the driveway and parking area...Temperature dropped during the night and a starry sky looms overhead...The sun will be rising soon.

After all that sweeping and plowing we worked quickly in the kitchen to make breakfast...Herb does most of the prep work and I cook...We soon sat down to a sausage/vegetable omelet for our breakfast...What a good way to start out a Sunday!

                                       

I have an ongoing project this winter (helps to keep me from going crazy), that I work on sporadically...My stash of fabric, mostly given to me, over the years, makes for some bright and cheerful potholders, to give as gifts along with a warm loaf of bread.

 Speaking of bread, I must get a move on...My neighbor will be here at 9am to learn how to make bread or at least hone her skills...A challenge for me...Hugs To All...OWAV:)