Mothers Down-Home Country Lore

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Readers' Tips to Live By

Mother's longest-running department is "Country Lore". To celebrate this 200th issue, here are top Lore tips from the 1970's. To make a contribution to future issues, send your tips, with photos if possible, to: "Country Lore;" MOTHER EARTH NEWS: 1503 S.W., 42nd St.; Topeka, KS 66609-1265 or send an e-mail to letters@motherearthnews.com . We'll pay $25 to $50 for each letter we publish.

Herbal Bath

A fter a long, dusty day of working in the garden, about all most of us can think of is a good hot bath. "But wait!" says Pat Mestern of Fergus, Ontario, Canada. "Raid your herb border first ... that is, if you want the most refreshing and sensuous ablutions you've ever enjoyed. Gather a goodly bunch of mint, lemon balm, fruit sage or chamomile. Tie the sprigs together (picking 'em at least 5 inches long makes it easier) and toss the aromatic bundle into your tub under the running water. A marvelous aura of herbs will permeate the steam while you soak and soap... especially if you use your bouquet garnish as a gentle sponge." It sounds downright habit-forming, Pat!

September/October 1978

Better Beer Bread

John Palermo of St. Petersburg, Florida, has discovered a surefire recipe for an unusual white bread ... and it's flavored with beer! Just put 3 cups of self-rising flour into a mixing bowl along with 3 tablespoons of sugar and one can of beer. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, put the dough into a greased pan, and pop it into a 350-degree oven. John warns that you should have plenty of room in your oven because the dough will rise "beyond all imagination."

After about 45 minutes, remove the loaf and brush a well-beaten egg on top of the bread. Place it back into the oven for about 15 more minutes to brown its crust. Wow, what a soft and flavorful treat! (And folks who never touch alcohol needn't worry about this recipe because all the alcohol evaporates away during the baking process.)

July/August 1978

Easy Logroller

You say you want to save money by burnin' newspapers in the ol' wood stove, but you don't want to shell out cash for a fancy logrolling gadget. Then save your pesos, says Columbia Station, Ohio's Leonard Sotz, and make your own paper rounds! Just lay a 1/2-inch stack of newspapers on top of a 2-foot piece of wire (a coat hanger works fine) so that both ends of the metal strand still show. Then roll the papers into a snug log, wrap the wire around this print cylinder and twist the metal's ends to secure your " Daily Times timber".

Mr. Sotz says you should only add paper rounds to an already hot fire. The Buckeye State wood-burner also notes that it you pick the wire out of the ashes when the flames die down—you can use the same log binder over and over ... for at least a year!

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