In a Pinch

Sometimes when you "live out in the middle of nowhere", you have to improvise.  

Couldn't find any ear plugs when I needed my kids to do some hand tilling with our big rear-tined, noisy tiller, so as I rummaged around in the  "odd stuff you need on a farm" drawer full of bolts in all sizes, bells for the goats, keys to the various sheds, door knobs, hinges, nails, wire nuts, fencing staples, batteries, switch plates, pliers, extra well fuses, etc. I came across a couple of pencil erasers.........Humm...

Worked great!

also use them when mowing lawns, running the chain saw cutting firewood,

 or on days when mom is giving out directions for way too many work  projects!



Use an empty oil jug as a funnel, just cut the bottom out of it

Farm Ideas:  (tried and true remedies)

loose the cap end of your sprinkler line...just push in enough sage brush to block the stream,

or try hay or even weeds.

can't find your belt to hold your britches up....use a balin' twine, or one of your husbands old neck ties

forget to put on your shoes before you go to town....just hope they don't see your bare feet in the food joint, better yet, just go through the drive through.......ya, I have forgotten them more than once!

It is inevitable that when I am in the middle of a meal

I can't find what I know was in the cupboard yesterday.... 

and the grocery store is an hour's drive away......

(not that I go that often any-how)......

well, with teenage boys around 

things disappear from the cupboard faster than you can stock it. 

 Here are a few of my in a pinch cooking suggestions

add vinegar to milk to make imitation butter milk

if you made your powder sugar icing to runny and used the last of your sugar just add a little flour to thicken

wheat berries soaked and boiled until semi-soft make a pretty good nut substitute.

What are your "in a pinch" suggestions?