Category: It Pays To Read

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Soda Cracker Recipe from the 1800’s

1800 Era Soda Crackers

I know, we ALL think we know what Soda Crackers are! If fact there is possibly no one in America that can’t describe in excruciating detail the proper composition of a soda cracker. Unfortunately, they’d be a little off.

Now, I am not a fan of all old recipes, because many recipes have been improved over the years, decades and centuries… however, there is value in seeing how things were once made because we often can learn from them.

Besides, it became obvious to me that I needed to learn how soda crackers were made in America if I was ever going to be able to put together one of the oldest recipes I have found for Macaroni and Cheese. Soda Crackers are a major ingredient in this recipe.

Here’s the basic ingredients:

4 cups flour + 1 teaspoon of soda (sifted together)
1/2 tablespoon of lard + 1/2 tablespoon of butter (mixed together)

1 egg

salt to taste

1 1/2 – 2 cups buttermilk

Process:

Make a stiff dough with buttermilk

roll out on a greased cookie sheet

prick with holes to allow the steam to vent ( score dough in a grid )

and bake 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes until brown

set out to cool.

My Comments:

Obviously, some of the original directions were very general… such as the addition of buttermilk was a ‘guideline’ left for you to determine the amount… the temperature was a ‘guesstimate’ in those days… but this is approximately correct by today’s standards.

Generally, a nice snack, not much by those who crave sugar, frosting and chocolate… but a remembrance of by-gone days… plus I need it for my yea ol Macaroni and cheese recipe.

Besides, it was fun … and yummy!

Roger Freberg

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Sarah Palin is Real

Pistol packin Ma MaOnetime speech writer for Ronald Reagan and syndicated columnist Peggy Noonan had an interesting quote in  today’s column  that seems to encapsulate the media’s frustration with their irrelevance:

“The mainstream media, which has been holding endless symposia here on the future of media in the 21st century, is in danger of missing a central fact of that future: If they appear, once again, as they have in the past, to be people not reporting the battle but engaged in the battle, if they allow themselves to be tagged by that old tag, which so tarnished them in the past, they will do more to imperil their own future than the Internet has.” 

Once again the clerics of the media like to snipe at a candidate for Vice President that offends their senses. I was asked once by someone in the media if I thought they were ‘biased’? I simply said, “How would you know you were not?” FDR, knowing that he lived in a world unconnected with the rest of America, would travel up to northern New York to meet an old friend who would give it to him straight. I suspect that Governor Palin’s appeal is certainly broader than the media’s worst fears… but time will tell.

Governor Sarah Palin represents the emergence of a once forgotten woman: mother, professional, married and holding many conservative values. I say ‘holding conservative values’ because although not all mothers are conservative, they all share certain common desires, wishes and dreams for their lives and for the lives of their children…. which almost by definition put them on the side with so-called ‘conservatives’ on issues described as ‘family values.’ Nothing makes a woman think about the future and experience a personal change in her perspectives than becoming an involved mother. Motherhood seems to make all the difference.

Gloria Steinem  ( not to be confused with being a ‘mutha’) recently was quoted as saying that all Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Hillary Clinton shared was an ‘X Chromosome.” The truth is that Sarah and Hillary just represent different point of view, one perpetuates the battle of the sexes, the other will work with anyone…. even men.

Yes, as a man, I prefer to ‘hang with’ women like Sarah Palin. They just seem more ‘real’ to me. Ask any man if they prefer a professional woman who likes sports, technology, real friendship, commitment and children… and few thinking men would walk away from that. Sarah Palin is real.

So, again, congratulations to  Governor Sarah Palin and especially to Senator John McCain  for the willingness to protect what is good about our country and yet have the courage to make those decisions for positive change and inclusion.

Roger Freberg

Laura Freberg, Ph.D. aka

‘nothin finer than a fine lady with a gun!’ — adapted from the Bruce Willis movie “The Whole 9 yards”

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What every happened to Cadbury Chocolate?

Chocolate Cheesecake like you never had before!

Laura’s birthday is coming up and she requested a Chocolate & Peanut butter Cheesecake. Sounded simple enough, I had vowed not to open a  coveted  10 lb. block of Peter’s Chocolate as it only came in this single serving size. ahem…

My plan was to find a ‘well konched’ chocolate alternative like Cadbury for my needs… but I couldn’t find it at Albertson’s anywhere? And the locals didn’t know where it had gone? So, I did discover that it still existed and here hangs a story of modern times of mergers and acquisitions.  Hershey holds the license in the United States.

So, I looked for something acceptable and found a couple of bags of plain milk chocolate miniatures made by Mars, Inc. under the  title of Dove... should be good.

By the way, the easy part of turning a chocolate cheesecake into a peanut butter cheesecake is rather simple. Divide the cheesecake mixture into two sections (depending on how much of one virsus the other you prefer… I like a 2/3 chocolate section and 1/3 peanut butter section).. after you pour the chocolate mixture into the pan, then in a swirling motion pour the peanutbutter mixture into the chocolate mixture leaving a spiral trail…. then bake.

We learn something new every day… I am glad Cadbury is still here… somewhere.

Roger Freberg

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riding the cancer bull one more time

Leroy Sievers riding the cancer bull one more time

Leroy has been writing a  blog for NPR  on his rodeo through cancer… something he himself has recently referred to as ‘bull riding.’ It is clear that he has a huge following and support… which although we all really fight this battle alone… because even the people we love are not always there at 3 am… still, this must be a source of comfort.

How people face death is often the true measure of who we are.

take another ride.

Roger

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Cal Midstate Fair: Fun, Animals & Cutlery

Lots of fun at the California Midstate Fair in Paso Robles!

Every year we travel the short hop to the California Midstate Fair in Paso Robles, California!

Obviously, Karla loves the Carousel and the animals… but there is always so much more… I enjoy shopping with the vendors! There were a few I spent an inordinate amount of time… particularly the folks from Cutco … they make interesting cutlery. I’ll buy a knife to see how it works for me… and this one had a lot of appeal.

My New Cutco Brand Knife.... so far... it works great!

It’s as sharp as it looks!

I did happen to watch the diddy on “Modern Marvels” that appeared on the “History Channel”. The story was interesting and well told.  Here it is!

Cutco on the History Channel
Looks like my new knife will get a work out tomorrow… if I like it, I’ll buy more.

Roger Freberg