Queen's Edge Farm: Racial Issues

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Racial Issues

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/holder_race

Frankly, this news article bothered me. I mean it really seemed typically one sided...the black side of things, as professed by the man in the article.

I don't consider myself a racist at all. I grew up in the D.C./Maryland area in the 1970s, and the majority of my friends were black, though one was white and the other part Filipino. My best friend in 5th grade was a girl named Tracy Austin, I wonder how she is doing today?

When we moved to San Antonio there were not any blacks in our schools, only hispanic. It was kind of a culture shock to me, because black friends and neighbors were all I knew. I was shy and had a hard time making friends, this was compounded by the fact that many of the hispanic girls mature early, and were kind of rough talking. I was constantly threatened and ridiculed by these girls in school. Eventually in high school I did make friends. My two best friends at that time were Laura and Lisa, both hispanic. But I didn't think of them as my hispanic friends, they were just Laura and Lisa to me. I didn't and still don't choose my friends based on their race, but on how they treat me, and what we share in common.

Having said that, let me address the article. I don't believe we are a nation of cowards when it comes to race. What I have noticed and learned is that it is perfectly okay for a black person to make a statement regarding race, whether their own, or commenting on how "unfair" whites are to them. But if a white person makes a comment back they are then considered racist. Well, you can't have it both ways. Either every American is free to make a comment, good or bad, about race, or no one should speak about it all. To me it is irrelevant. I believe people need to be judged by their contributions, their behavior, and attitude and not the color of their skin.

Let's take our illustrious president for one. I don't like him, period. It's not a black/white race issue, because frankly he is more Arab than black. The reasons I don't like him have to do with his politics, and the short time he has been in office had just proved my fears and suppositions correct. He is a socialist, and is going to wreak havoc on our individual freedoms. But that is not the discussion here.

I am tired of hearing about race. If you are white, black, hispanic, American Indian, or whatever get over yourself. You are entitled to nothing that you have not personally worked your butt off for. In today's society you are only oppressed if you allow yourself to be, this doesn't mean you get to be obnoxious and force your way through life. This type of attitude only breeds resentment, and makes others of your race and culture look bad. No one in this country is entitled to free housing, food, medical care, education, etc. Where has the American work ethic gone? If you want something, work hard for it, don't complain that you don't have something because of your race. That is a cop out, and does not make me feel sorry for anyone.

If you live in a bad neighborhood, move. If it is that bad, and you are in fear for your life, walk out. You don't need money to move, just go. If you stay, you get what you get. If you have a poor job or education, work harder to get ahead, don't expect something because you happen to be a "minority".

I also don't believe in distinguishing people by African American, etc., you are either one or the other. There is no such thing as African American or Mexican American. You are American period (if legal), and are identifying culturally as black or hispanic. I don't identify myself as Irish, German, Scots American, I am American. I am proud of my heritage, and I love St. Patrick's Day, always have. My kids have a small part of American Indian thanks to a great-great-great grandmother (around the Trail of Tears era an Indian woman named Mary married into my husband's family). Our family is a true melting pot of cultures, blended into what it means to be an American.

I am not a coward when it comes to race, but the American people have been ingrained to be "politically correct" and it hasn't been PC to talk about someone's color for the past 40 years. My suggestion is that we need to remember that if you are a legal citizen, we are all Americans, and need to work together to make this country great and to maintain our individual freedoms. Stop letting the government and those dissenters side track you with the race discussion. It's counterproductive.

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Grandma's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs active dry yeast or 5 tsps if using bulk yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not too hot)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, butter, margarine
2 tsps salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 to 12 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

Yield: 4 loaves

Soften yeast in warm water, springkle in a tsp of the sugar
In LARGE mixing bowl blend sugar, shortening, salt and milk until shortening is melted. Add cold water, cool to luke-warm. Stir in yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover with foil or damp towel. Let rise in warm place (85 to 90 deg) until light and doubled in volume about two hours. Punch dough down by plunging fist in center. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Roll out one fourth of dough to a 16 X 12 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 TBSP of melted butter. Combine 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or more to taste). Sprinkle mixture over dough. Starting with 16 inch side, roll jellyroll fashion. Either cut into 16 1 inch slices or leave as a whole loaf. Place on a greased pan, cover and let rise in warm place until light, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix one box 10X sugar with 2 tbsps water. If too stiff, add more water until icing consistency, add a drop of vanilla too. Spread on baked bread while bread is still warm.

2010 Homestead Stats

Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small washpan or bowl that holds about 2 gallons.

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the washpan. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Transfer soap (using a funnel if necessary) into empty plastic laundry holders, milk containers (I use my empty glass milk bottles and old Fab containers) Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

5 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds of ripe grapes)1 (1 3/4 ounce) box of sure-jel pectin7 cups sugarBefore getting started it is best to clean the entire kitchen, making sure the sink is empty. Bleach the sink and all utensils used in making jelly (I do this as I sell my grape jelly as part of my homesteading business.)

Wash the canning jars in warm soapy water, and rinse well. Set off to side.

Place a large pan of water on the stove to heat. Once it starts steaming, place lids and rings in the bottom, and 2-3 jars (depending on if you use actual jelly jars or pints) to sterilize.

Next make the grape juice using clean washed grapes (make sure you use rubber gloves when picking or washing wild grapes)To 3 1/2 pounds of clean grapes (6 cups of grapes) add 1 1/2 cups water.Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.Strain and squeeze out all of the juice with cheese cloth (see paragraph below)
I didn't have cheese cloth, so I poured the grape mixture into a large spaghetti strainer with a large pan underneath. I had to stir it around some as the skins and seeds would sink to the bottom, and clog the colander up. Stirring allowed the liquid to drain out. I then used a large metal spoon and squished it some to get more of the juice out.

In a very big pan, put 5 cups of the juice (it’s okay to add no more than ½ cup water to even out amount)Add the fruit pectin to the juice.Mix well.On high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil, again boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove jelly from heat, skim off foam
Use a large spoon inserted inside the jar to lift CAREFULLY out of the water. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE JAR OR THE RIM WITH YOUR HANDS.
Ladle jelly into hot jars, place a lid and ring onto jar (do not tighten yet).
Set jars to the side. After a while you should start hearing “pings” as the jar seals.
When jars are completely cool, tighten rings and store on pantry shelf.**SIDE NOTE: Wild Mustang Grapes are normally ready the end of June, so be prepared. Keep an eye open for vines on the side of the road, or any that friends and family may have growing in their yard. Many people just let them grow and don’t do anything with them, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a good supply. Also, the more you pick off the vine, the more the vine produces new grapes, so you probably won’t EVER run out of grapes to use until the vine dies or you get sick of making jelly. Good luck and feel free to contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com for questions.