coconut oil
laundry detergent, 291–292
lip balm, 285–286
soap, 283
Coffee Cake, Strawberries and Cream, 268–269
coffeemaker cleaning, 293
cold process soap, 114, 115, 282
Container Candles, 286–287
cookies
Drunken Rum Cookie Logs, 261–262
Molasses Cookies, 260
cooking tips and techniques
butter making, 248–249
canning, 249–253
corncob stock, 254
dried beans, 235–237
flour tortillas, 237–238
herb/flower infusion, 256
lard making, 246–248
popping popcorn, 242–243
pumpkin puree, 269–270
Quick Mix, 243–245
vanilla extract, 258–259
Corn Bread, 237
Corncob Jelly, 254–255
corncobs, uses for, 254–255
Country-Style Green Beans, 241
Cracker Candy, 259
cracklins, 247, 248
cream cheese
cream cheese frosting, 272
facial mask with, 284
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake, 268–269
Crochet Dishcloth, Ruffled, 294–295
Crock-Pot, 237, 247–248, 280
desserts. See sweets and desserts
Dishcloth, Ruffled Crochet, 294–295
Drunken Rum Cookie Logs, 261–262
essential oil
candles, 286
homemade cleaners, 293
moisturizer, 285
potpourri, 297–298
soap, 282, 283
Facial Mask, Chocolate Cream, 284
fat rendering, 246–248
flat braid wick, 288
floor cleaner, 293
flowers
Candle Jars with Pressed Wildflowers, 289–290
Flower and Herb Jellies, 256
food for cut flowers, 295–296
Fried Bologna Sandwiches, 233–234
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
frostings and icings
burnt sugar icing, 275
cream cheese frosting, 272
powdered sugar icing, 266, 269
rum frosting, 261–262
fruit muffins, 244
furniture polish, 293
gift ideas
candles, 288, 290
canned foods, 249, 252
potpourri, 297, 298
Pumpkin Bread, 269–270
Ruffled Crochet Dishcloth, 294–295
vanilla extract, 258–259
ginger, potpourri with, 296–297
Glass Cleaner, 293
Grandmother Bread, 230–231, 234
Gravy, Biscuits and, 245–246
Green Beans, Country-Style, 241
hand cream, beeswax, 284–285
Hand-Dipped Tapers, 287–289
health and beauty
Beeswax Lip Balm, 285–286
Beeswax Moisturizing Cream, 284–285
Chocolate Cream Facial Mask, 284
See also soap
Herb Jellies, Flower and, 256
Hickory nuts, in potpourri, 297, 298
Homemade “Pop-Tarts,” 265–266
honey
facial mask, 284
lip balm, 286
Wild Mint and Honey Soap, 283–284
household cleaners, 292–294
ice cream topping, 257
icings. See frostings and icings
infusion of herbs/flowers, 256
Iron Skillet Upside-Down Pizza, 234–235
jellies
Corncob Jelly, 254–255
Flower and Herb Jellies, 256
in Homemade “Pop Tarts,” 265
Kitchen Cleaner, 293
lard
laundry detergent, 291–292
making, 246–248
soap, 282–283
Laundry Detergent, 291–292
Lavender-Basil Soap, 283
lemon juice
cleaner with, 293, 294
cut flower food, 295–296
furniture polish, 293
lemons, in potpourri, 297–298
limes, in potpourri, 297–298
Lip Balm, Beeswax, 285–286
lye
laundry detergent with, 291–292
soap making, 113–115, 280, 283
main dishes
Beans and Corn Bread, 235–237
Biscuits and Gravy, 245–246
Iron Skillet Upside-Down Pizza, 234–235
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
Mint and Honey Soap, Wild, 283–284
Moisturizing Cream, Beeswax, 284–285
Molasses Cookies, 260
Monterey Jack cheese, 240
mozzarella cheese, 49–50, 231–233
Mrs. Randolph’s Strawberry Cake, 94–97, 275–276
muffins, 244
nuts
Apple Dumplings, 268
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie with Walnuts, 264
Cracker Candy, 259
Nut Cake, 271–272
with popcorn, 243
oatmeal
Apple-Oatmeal Soap, 282–283
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie, 264
facial mask with, 284
oils, fragrant. See essential oil
olive oil cleaner, 293, 294
orange pomanders, 298
oranges, in potpourri, 297
pancakes, 244–245, 257
pepper jack cheese, 231–233
pepperoni
Pepperoni Rolls, 231–233
Upside-Down Pizza, 234–235
pie
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie, 264
Sweet Potato Pie, 262–264
piecrust, 263
pineapple, 257
pinecones, in potpourri, 297–298
pinto beans, 235–237
Pizza, Iron Skillet Upside-Down, 234–235
popcorn, popping, 242–243
“Pop-Tarts,” Homemade, 265–266
Potpourri, Apple Spice Simmering, 296–297
Potpourri Mix, Winter Citrus, 297–298
powdered sugar icing, 266, 269
pressure cooker, 237, 250
Pumpkin Bread, 269–270
Quick Mix, 240, 243–245
raisins
Molasses Cookies, 260
Pumpkin Bread, 269–270
Whiskey-Raisin Apple Butter, 253–254
Ruffled Crochet Dishcloth, 294–295
rum
Banana Split a Jar, 257
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie, 264
Drunken Rum Cookie Logs, 261–262
vanilla extract, 258
Sandwiches, Fried Bologna, 233–234
saponification, 114
sausage
Biscuits and Gravy, 245–246
Pepperoni Rolls, 231–233
savory lard, 248
schmaltz, 248
side dishes
Beans and Corn Bread, 235–237
Country-Style Green Beans, 241
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
soap
Apple-Oatmeal Soap, 282–283
coloring and fragrance, 281–282
Laundry Detergent, 291–292
Lavender-Basil Soap, 283
making hot process, 113–115, 280–282
molds for, 282
soap calculators, 115
Wild Mint and Honey Soap, 283–284
spreads
Banana Split in a Jar, 257
Whiskey-Raisin Apple Butter, 253–254
squash
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
str
awberries
Banana Split a Jar, 257
Mrs. Randolph’s Strawberry Cake, 275–276
Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake, 268–269
suet, 248
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
Sweet Potato Pie, 262–264
sweets and desserts
Apple Dumplings, 266–268
Banana Split a Jar, 257
Burnt Sugar Cake, 272–275
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie, 264
Cracker Candy, 259
Drunken Rum Cookie Logs, 261–262
Homemade “Pop-Tarts,” 265–266
Molasses Cookies, 260
Mrs. Randolph’s Strawberry Cake, 275–276
Nut Cake, 271–272
Pumpkin Bread, 269–270
Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake, 268–269
Sweet Potato Pie, 262–264
syrup, burnt sugar, 273–274
tallow, 248
Tapers, Hand-Dipped, 287–289
techniques. See cooking tips and techniques
toffee cracker candy, 259
tortillas, 237–238
vanilla extract, 258–259
vegetables
Beans and Corn Bread, 235–237
Country-Style Green Beans, 241
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
vinegar
cleaning with, 292–293, 294
cut flower food, 295–296
as laundry rinse, 292, 293
vitamin E oil, 285, 286
walnuts
Coconut-Oatmeal Rum Pie, 264
ice cream topping with, 257
washing soda, 291–292
water-bath canning, 249–253
Whiskey-Raisin Apple Butter, 253–254
Wild Mint and Honey Soap, 283–284
Winter Citrus Potpourri Mix, 297–298
yellow and zucchini squash
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms, 238–239
Summer Vegetable Pie, 240
Photographic Insert
The Slanted Little House.
Newborn and still wobbly, my Glory Bee.
Clover and Nutmeg, mother/daughter love.
Curly-wooled Cotswold sheep, left, with an exotic Jacob sheep, right.
Nutmeg’s first baby.
My chickens love me. Or they think I have food.
Walking my Glory Bee at Sassafras Farm.
My two horses at Sassafras Farm Zip, left, and Shortcake, right.
Woman attacked by horse and donkey, film at 11.
Cracker candy–eat yours before you tell the kids.
Summer Vegetable Pie.
The state food of West Virginia, Pepperoni Rolls.
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings.
Sweet Potato Pie.
My holiday favorite, Drunken Rum Cookie Logs.
Slicing homemade Lavender-Basil Soap.
Dried wildflowers turn pint jars into works of art.
Beulah Petunia on her way to the bull, wearing her flower.
My dear Georgia waiting for lunch at Stringtown Rising.
Annabelle’s puppy. I mean, lamb.
The river ford in summer. Stringtown Rising is just on the other side.
Clover the Christmas Queen.
Annabelle as a pup, with Coco.
Hand-dipped tapers lit on the table at Stringtown Rising.
Cookies at the gate! The gang’s all here.
Our house at Stringtown Rising Farm.
A wheel of my homemade farm-fresh cheddar cheese.
An old-timey favorite, Corn Cob Jelly.
It’s 5:00 somewhere.
I’m stylin’ in my chore boots every day.
It’s a monkey lamb!
Fresh sliced Grandmother Bread.
Fresh eggs straight from the staff, my chickens.
The dirt-rock road to Stringtown Rising, beautiful in the fall.
Coco at the gate at snowy Stringtown Rising Farm.
The steep, snow-covered driveway at Stringtown Rising. You can’t make me go anywhere!
Clover wearing a tiara, as well she should be.
Rooster meditating on the porch at Stringtown Rising.
One big happy duck family.
Beulah Petunia at her milk stand at Stringtown Rising.
Old-Time Burnt Sugar Cake.
Make your own vanilla extract with whole vanilla beans.
Molasses Cookies with farm-fresh milk.
My homemade container candles.
Beulah Petunia nursing a newborn Glory Bee.
The big red barn at Sassafras Farm.
My bottle baby lamb all grown up.
My little white farmhouse at Sassafras Farm. I love it!
About the Author
SUZANNE MCMINN, former romance writer turned intrepid farm girl, is the creator of the incredibly popular personal website www.chickensintheroad.com. A professional writer, teacher, and photographer, she is the author of twenty-six published novels and writes a bimonthly column for the Charleston Daily Mail. She lives in West Virginia.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Credits
Cover design: Laura Beers
Photographs: Jerry Waters
Copyright
CHICKENS IN THE ROAD: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor. Copyright © 2013 by Suzanne McMinn. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
HarperCollins website: http://www.harpercollins.com
HarperCollins®,®, and HarperOne™ are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers
FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McMinn, Suzanne.
Chickens in the road : an adventure in ordinary splendor / Suzanne McMinn. — First edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-06-222370-8
EPUB Edition AUGUST 2013 ISBN 9780062223722
1. McMinn, Suzanne. 2. Walton (W. Va.)—Biography. 3. Walton (W. Va.)—Social life and customs. 4. Farm life—West Virginia—Walton. 5. Country life—West Virginia—Walton. I. Title.
F294.W25M35 2013
975.4’36—dc232013007366
13 14 15 16 17 RRD(H) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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