THE TRAYER WILDERNESS COOKBOOK- HOMESTEADING THE TRADITIONAL WAY- VOLUME I

BOOK REVIEW

THE TRAYER WILDERNESS COOKBOOK- HOMESTEADING THE TRADITIONAL WAY- VOLUME I

Tammy Trayer, wife, mother, webdesigner, homesteader and accomplished author has written a truly wonderful cookbook.  Tammy and her family, husband Glen and son Austin, live totally off-grid in the wilds of Idaho in a cabin that the family made themselves. Their family's website is trayerwilderness.com and is a source of incredible knowledge, inspiration, tools, resources and above-all a great deal of spiritual uplifting. Their website and YouTube channels are very popular and more and more are finding them as a great resources whether you are living off-grid, trying to be more responsible with your use of time and resources or trying to add more meaning to you daily living.  

Tammy has written this amazing cookbook, with skills, tips, tricks and lessons that she has learned over the years and recipes that she has developed which serve to fill the body, mind and soul of the people that she loves.  The recipes are wholesale, nutritious and filling, as you can image they would need to be with a family living off-grid and doing basically everything for themselves with very few modern things.

Regardless of yours and/or your family's individual health needs or concerns, this cookbook contains recipes that will cover you call. Traditional recipes, with ways to make them gluten-free and/or dairy-free as well are included. She also provides many tips, tricks and resources for the various materials and ingredients that Tammy uses in her cooking. She even has a canning and fermenting section, along with sun cooking recipes as well as the resources to locate all of the items that she uses and relies upon. This book is packed and the resources for the various ingredients and items used are included. Cookware recommendations are covered as well as various preparation methods. Dehydrating and solar cooking are covered and water bath canning too.  Each item is truly given the Tammy Trayer Seal of Approval and have been used and worked with by the author herself.

Tammy has used her own off-grid, traditional lifestyle to create the recipes in this book. Her son's health needs have been the inspiration for the gluten free and dairy free changes that she has made to her cooking. She also uses essential oils in her cooking and is a great advocate for the educated and well research use of essential oils in cooking and general well being needs.

The Trayer Wilderness Cookbook covers a variety of situation and health needs in a truly original and delicious way. From condiments, breads, beverages, breakfasts, meals, snacks to desserts, Tammy's book has you covered. Your tummy will thank you for trying these recipes. To pick just one favorite recipes is difficult but if I must I would certainly say The Trayer Wilderness Hot Pepper Jelly, page 40, is wonderful. I have made this and my family, husband and son in particular, adore it and I have given it as gifts at Christmas time and it has become a requested item from family and friends.

As Tammy herself says in her Cookbook "It's more than a cookbook- it's know how galore". I couldn't agree more.  This is a cookbook which I would very highly recommend. Available on Amazon and at http://trayerwilderness.com/store/books.

Gentle readers, I thank you for reading this review that I was privileged to write.

HEALTH MATTERS PART III

After waiting for what seemed like years, but was really only a week and  a half, we received the call that Joey and I had both been anticipating and dreading.  The pathology results from the biopsy had come in!  Now I literally had my stomach in my throat when I heard the doctor's assistant on the phone telling me they had the biopsy results and she needed to schedule the follow-up appoint with the doctor.  She actually scheduled the follow-up appointment and only after I could speak again and asked she told me "oh the pathology results are fine, no cancer seen".  I honestly do not know how I was still able to stand up.  Thankfully I had a pen and paper on the table in front of me and had already written down the appointment date and time otherwise I don't think I would have been able to recall what I had scheduled.  Joey was sitting at the table just staring at me and when I started to cry he almost lost it.  Well after being together almost 26 years and married 23 plus years at that point, you'd think the man would know that I cry whether its good news, bad news or confusing news. But at that moment Joey was sure that it was bad and he was scrambling trying to figure out what to say to me. I got off the phone and after I gathered my wits about me,  I was able to tell him the whole conversation and that I needed to see the doctor for a follow-up and she would decide when I would need the next mammogram.  

Phone calls were made to my daughter at college and to my big brother. My friend Jacqueline was at work so she got the information via text message, I'm afraid that her fellow workers had to hear her scream with relief. My brother, typical for Eugene, just said " I told you it would be fine". Always the police officer, just the facts madam, just the facts. Still I knew he was very relieved just the same. Alexandra was relieved as well and so were Joe and Emma-May. 

The follow-up appointment went fine, the doctor (who is wonderful) was very kind, explained the full results and that she wants another mammogram done in March and if that comes back fine then I will be able to return to my annual mammograms. 

Thus ended this particular piece of drama for our family.  It surely will be replaced, just as sure as the sun rises and sets each day. I will say that I am so grateful that my faith has been getting stronger over the years, I really don't know what I would have done during this very stressful time if I didn't have that faith. God is good.

                                            The End Kind Readers.