Just a quick post before I head out to the garden.
I subscribe to two magazines (well one was a gift I love): Cooking Light and Mother Earth News. I keep back issues of both and in the case of Cooking Light, I save a year or so and then go back some time in the winter and cut out the recipes and things I've really liked.
Cooking Light has an article on Pickling and another called "Farm in the City" concerning Chicago's Green City Market.
Mother Earth News always has the most awesome things right when I need it, such as a Beginner's guide to Drying Food, Organic Pest Control, and Solar Energy, and a letter from the editor on the Art of Homesteading. "We define homestead s any home that provides an example of sustainability and beauty." (p. 6)
Many of us are so busy with our gardens to maybe not otherwise notice the magazines, but these are two greats this month. They might just be worth a trip to the library (or an online visit to their websites) if you are not a subscriber.
Do you take monthly magazines? Which ones? How do you use/reuse them?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Word from a harvest Book
On Drying Food "There is now a strong trend among gardeners to think dry, just as farmers have been doing for thousands of years, and as many gardeners still do in countries where each person is directly responsible for producing at least some of his own food. The reason is that more Americans are thinking about gardening as a way to produce food that will be used all year long. Pressed by rising food prices, international uncertainties, and worries about power shortages, they are looking more to a small plot of land as a means to supply food for the family table all year long."*
This sounds a whole lot like modern sentament but this book is actually the *"Organic Gardening Harvest Book", by the editors of organic gardening and farming, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA 1975. Fourteenth Printing 1984.
There is a lot of talk about total economic collapse these days. These are tough conversations that frankly scare me a bit - and make it so that we are preparing to make do because I think that the climate and economic situation is dire enough that tough times are on their way.
But I also think it is always healthy to have a ballast to this thinking. For me that balance is that every decade (yes even the 1980's) has had this kind of thinking going on. Every generation and envisioned their generation as being the last - whether from religious apocalypse or a man-made one.
I have to take the attitude that I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. I think that the most responsible way to live is to not be utterly dependant on a system of grocery stores, and economic systems. It think stewardship of God's earth (not the human's earth) means we have to reduce our wasteful and trash-producing ways and to try and leave something for generations to come.
So even if TEOTWAWKI doesn't arrive, hopefully other generations will - and that there will be someting left for them.
This sounds a whole lot like modern sentament but this book is actually the *"Organic Gardening Harvest Book", by the editors of organic gardening and farming, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA 1975. Fourteenth Printing 1984.
There is a lot of talk about total economic collapse these days. These are tough conversations that frankly scare me a bit - and make it so that we are preparing to make do because I think that the climate and economic situation is dire enough that tough times are on their way.
But I also think it is always healthy to have a ballast to this thinking. For me that balance is that every decade (yes even the 1980's) has had this kind of thinking going on. Every generation and envisioned their generation as being the last - whether from religious apocalypse or a man-made one.
I have to take the attitude that I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. I think that the most responsible way to live is to not be utterly dependant on a system of grocery stores, and economic systems. It think stewardship of God's earth (not the human's earth) means we have to reduce our wasteful and trash-producing ways and to try and leave something for generations to come.
So even if TEOTWAWKI doesn't arrive, hopefully other generations will - and that there will be someting left for them.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Independence Days #11
The harvest is just beginning here and I suspect it will be can your buns off through September now.
1. Plant Something: Nope
2. Harvest Something: The neighbors were letting their raspberries die on the bush so I couldn't stand it any longer and picked one and half cups which I made into 1/2 pt. of Mr. Greenjeans favorite jam.
Harvested several pounds pickling cucumbers (and dill and peppers) and made 14 1/2 pts of spicy dill pickles. Took two jars to land owners. This recipe called for sugar which I reluctantly put in thinking it must be required for the preserving but I don't like the flavor (yes, I have that extra jar that didn't go in the water bath that I'm tasting out of). There is another batch of cukes on now so I'll try a different recipe.
Today Mrs. Neighbor is coming over and we are going to pickled peppers. We don't know exactly what we have - not for lack of labeling - but because her two year old went along and "collected" all the tags we'd put in the ground. We'll pickle the long skinny yellow ones, then lay a fire in the Weber and roast and freeze the ones that look hotter. The tomatoes are all green so this will preserve the peppers (with wonderful flavor) until the tomatoes are ready.
Mrs. Neighbor got our first Zucchini - she'd been hungry for that Zucchini. The slicing cucumbers are just about upon us with a vengeance.
The tops of our apricot tree (too tall to reach) are getting ripe and falling to the ground and so am harvesting ground apricots for the chickens (trying to keep ahead of the Spaniel whom I don't want to get them). Harvested grasshoppers from the garden for chicken feed.
3. Preserve Something: Um, see above narrative.
4. Prep/Manage: Went to yard sales and found two matching infant car seats and an umbrella stroller for Mrs. Neighbor (who is 8 mos. pregnant) and gave them to her - I knew that's something she needed. She was thrilled - I guess the car seats were the expensive kind, and they were as clean as new.
Searched and searched for fabric covering for the seats in the trailer but ended up buying the cheapest heavy fabric Walmart offered (canvas). Wow, I noticed price increases there. Yes, I hate going to Walmart but we are in the middle of no where with a walmart and a Lowes.
Accepted an old wall cabinet a neighbor was throwing away. He kind of didn't get it that I wanted to lay it on it's back and plant strawberries in it.
Examined apple trees, peach and plum trees and found a pear tree in the Garden's yard.
Did the chore of taking homemade Beef Stew, Chicken soup, Chicken broth, Frozen party yum yums... out of the garage freezer, thawed them (to get them out of the ball jars) and thew them away. It was a very hard experience but I know that that freezer thawed for an unknown time (repeatedly) and that none of that food could be trusted. Next week I'll clean it.
5. Cook something new: Nope just getting by in the heat.
6. Work on local food systems: The first farmer's market was on with only one small vendor. The produce just isn't ready here, and they were having trouble getting vendors who produced in sellable amounts. The dog park group was there, and people were taking orders for peaches and some folks were playing music... hopefully it will do better through the year.
7. Learn Something new: I really learn a great deal from the food storage group. I have everything to learn about lacto fermentation, but I'm going to try some of those cucumbers lactofermented.
From Sharon's site, I began to think of my garage as cold storage. I had been thinking cellaring, but really, we went a winter without a 'fridge a couple of years ago and just kept our food in the garage.
1. Plant Something: Nope
2. Harvest Something: The neighbors were letting their raspberries die on the bush so I couldn't stand it any longer and picked one and half cups which I made into 1/2 pt. of Mr. Greenjeans favorite jam.
Harvested several pounds pickling cucumbers (and dill and peppers) and made 14 1/2 pts of spicy dill pickles. Took two jars to land owners. This recipe called for sugar which I reluctantly put in thinking it must be required for the preserving but I don't like the flavor (yes, I have that extra jar that didn't go in the water bath that I'm tasting out of). There is another batch of cukes on now so I'll try a different recipe.
Today Mrs. Neighbor is coming over and we are going to pickled peppers. We don't know exactly what we have - not for lack of labeling - but because her two year old went along and "collected" all the tags we'd put in the ground. We'll pickle the long skinny yellow ones, then lay a fire in the Weber and roast and freeze the ones that look hotter. The tomatoes are all green so this will preserve the peppers (with wonderful flavor) until the tomatoes are ready.
Mrs. Neighbor got our first Zucchini - she'd been hungry for that Zucchini. The slicing cucumbers are just about upon us with a vengeance.
The tops of our apricot tree (too tall to reach) are getting ripe and falling to the ground and so am harvesting ground apricots for the chickens (trying to keep ahead of the Spaniel whom I don't want to get them). Harvested grasshoppers from the garden for chicken feed.
3. Preserve Something: Um, see above narrative.
4. Prep/Manage: Went to yard sales and found two matching infant car seats and an umbrella stroller for Mrs. Neighbor (who is 8 mos. pregnant) and gave them to her - I knew that's something she needed. She was thrilled - I guess the car seats were the expensive kind, and they were as clean as new.
Searched and searched for fabric covering for the seats in the trailer but ended up buying the cheapest heavy fabric Walmart offered (canvas). Wow, I noticed price increases there. Yes, I hate going to Walmart but we are in the middle of no where with a walmart and a Lowes.
Accepted an old wall cabinet a neighbor was throwing away. He kind of didn't get it that I wanted to lay it on it's back and plant strawberries in it.
Examined apple trees, peach and plum trees and found a pear tree in the Garden's yard.
Did the chore of taking homemade Beef Stew, Chicken soup, Chicken broth, Frozen party yum yums... out of the garage freezer, thawed them (to get them out of the ball jars) and thew them away. It was a very hard experience but I know that that freezer thawed for an unknown time (repeatedly) and that none of that food could be trusted. Next week I'll clean it.
5. Cook something new: Nope just getting by in the heat.
6. Work on local food systems: The first farmer's market was on with only one small vendor. The produce just isn't ready here, and they were having trouble getting vendors who produced in sellable amounts. The dog park group was there, and people were taking orders for peaches and some folks were playing music... hopefully it will do better through the year.
7. Learn Something new: I really learn a great deal from the food storage group. I have everything to learn about lacto fermentation, but I'm going to try some of those cucumbers lactofermented.
From Sharon's site, I began to think of my garage as cold storage. I had been thinking cellaring, but really, we went a winter without a 'fridge a couple of years ago and just kept our food in the garage.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Independence Days #10
Back on track and ready to post:
1. Plant Something: Scattered Rob's balls. No, No, his seeds - the flower seed balls from his give-away. (Sheesh, only Rob could make it this difficult to do something so innocent ;-)
2. Harvest Something: Well the first of the garden foods are coming on. We've had a couple of cucumbers enough green beans to feed the rabbit, and the first peppers. I picked a couple of gallons of cherries (froze them). I've harvested wild alfalfa to feed the chickens and rabbit, and gathered grasshoppers in the field by the garden and fed them to the chickens.
3. Preserve Something: Frozen cherries, moved dried mint to bag for tea, hung more mint to dry. Pickled the single cucumber like my Grandmother used to with oil and vinegar and onions - then ate it!
4. Prep Something/ Manage things: The chicks are big enough that they should start going outside. Mr. Greenjeans and the girls are out fixing a chicken wire roof to the run. We have pigeons and hawks here. The Hawks will go for the smaller birds I think but the pigeons will bring disease.
Purchased an outdoor camp type stove but made of case iron so that I can do canning and can cook without electricity (still runs on propane). We have so missed cooking on cast iron that I imagine we'll be doing a bit more cooking out doors in the heat.
Purchased the next door camper trailer for $500 (small 1974 model). Have been fixing it up - painting, sealing, made curtains.... This is where I slipped up and went to IKEA for some fun stuff that looks cute. This is one big bug-out box or an extra space to put someone who comes to us, or is a space to go camping and berry collecting, fishing, hunting (OK we don't hunt but there may be a time). Maybe I'm just justifying a purchase. I'm having fun painting it blue and white and making covers and curtains and pillows for the bed...
Cleaned the chicken coop.
My first cycle using Diva cup. By the end of the day I'm sold - 'nuf said.
5. Cook Something new: My parents brought a fine ham bone from a party they hosted. It still had some slices for sandwiches and my dad said he wanted white bean and ham soup. My mom was mystified because this was not part of their diet in the last 55+ years. I bought white beans, made soup from this and that and by golly if it wasn't the best tasting soup we've ever eaten. Mr. Greenjeans asked if I were storing white beans.
6. Work on Local Food systems: Getting ready for our town's first farmer's market beginning at the end of July. Might take a few years to get up an running. Too bad there aren't more foods coming ripe. Not to many vendors yet.
Our neighborhood garden in growing. It is the opposite of a permaculture garden but it is the way the fellow who owns the ground has always done it.
1. Plant Something: Scattered Rob's balls. No, No, his seeds - the flower seed balls from his give-away. (Sheesh, only Rob could make it this difficult to do something so innocent ;-)
2. Harvest Something: Well the first of the garden foods are coming on. We've had a couple of cucumbers enough green beans to feed the rabbit, and the first peppers. I picked a couple of gallons of cherries (froze them). I've harvested wild alfalfa to feed the chickens and rabbit, and gathered grasshoppers in the field by the garden and fed them to the chickens.
3. Preserve Something: Frozen cherries, moved dried mint to bag for tea, hung more mint to dry. Pickled the single cucumber like my Grandmother used to with oil and vinegar and onions - then ate it!
4. Prep Something/ Manage things: The chicks are big enough that they should start going outside. Mr. Greenjeans and the girls are out fixing a chicken wire roof to the run. We have pigeons and hawks here. The Hawks will go for the smaller birds I think but the pigeons will bring disease.
Purchased an outdoor camp type stove but made of case iron so that I can do canning and can cook without electricity (still runs on propane). We have so missed cooking on cast iron that I imagine we'll be doing a bit more cooking out doors in the heat.
Purchased the next door camper trailer for $500 (small 1974 model). Have been fixing it up - painting, sealing, made curtains.... This is where I slipped up and went to IKEA for some fun stuff that looks cute. This is one big bug-out box or an extra space to put someone who comes to us, or is a space to go camping and berry collecting, fishing, hunting (OK we don't hunt but there may be a time). Maybe I'm just justifying a purchase. I'm having fun painting it blue and white and making covers and curtains and pillows for the bed...
Cleaned the chicken coop.
My first cycle using Diva cup. By the end of the day I'm sold - 'nuf said.
5. Cook Something new: My parents brought a fine ham bone from a party they hosted. It still had some slices for sandwiches and my dad said he wanted white bean and ham soup. My mom was mystified because this was not part of their diet in the last 55+ years. I bought white beans, made soup from this and that and by golly if it wasn't the best tasting soup we've ever eaten. Mr. Greenjeans asked if I were storing white beans.
6. Work on Local Food systems: Getting ready for our town's first farmer's market beginning at the end of July. Might take a few years to get up an running. Too bad there aren't more foods coming ripe. Not to many vendors yet.
Our neighborhood garden in growing. It is the opposite of a permaculture garden but it is the way the fellow who owns the ground has always done it.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Forgive me for I have sinned
I have not been able to post with a clear conscience lately. I have written, but not posted because to post on my convictions and accomplishments while having failed so badly seems so fraudulent.
I keep having a conversation with myself that says that others too must stumble and fall - that all the folks working hard to live sustainable, simple lives must surely make some bad judgments. And I remind myself that I forgive others; and in doing so, I only ask of others that when they fall into sin (sin being a loaded word but here meaning recognizing ones action as against God, people, and deeply held beliefs of what is "right" in the world)that they make amends as best as possible and then turn anew in the direction they should be going and continue on. The word origin of the word "repent" means to turn around. It is therefore in my spiritual and religious tradition to confess and seek forgiveness or otherwise remain stuck in mire. Here, stuck in mire means not blogging because I'm not able to get over my errors.
Forgive me for I have sinned:
I have argued with my husband and been angry with my mother and out of my anger caused my youngest to cry. (What really sucks is that I lost the argument). In attempting to stick to my guns on my ideals I have been brittle. Specifically, family wants a summer vacation to San Francisco - it will cost everything we have saved and about twice that and we are still going. We have a big blow up when my parents were here and they took the other side and I lost the battle. I'm still mad and I'm going on vacation. Go figure.
In my bull headedness I purchased a small 1974 camp trailer (thinking local vacation and a traveling retreat or something to tow for bug-out). I have spent money at IKEA outfitting said trailer rather than finding things at yard sales and thrift stores.
I used Sevin on the squash bugs.
In my attempts at voluntary simplicity and making from scratch I have succumbed to despair, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. I have sulked.
I have not been faithful in prayer.
I and am heartily sorry for these my misdoings, the remembrance of them is grievous, the burden weighs heavily. I earnestly intend to turn anew, to live a life of simplicity and sustainability, to be frugal to hold to my beliefs to live in grace with my family, to be prayerful and be a right example to those with eyes to see.
And how do you deal with failure in your own lives? What is sin for you? Where do you experience forgiveness?
I keep having a conversation with myself that says that others too must stumble and fall - that all the folks working hard to live sustainable, simple lives must surely make some bad judgments. And I remind myself that I forgive others; and in doing so, I only ask of others that when they fall into sin (sin being a loaded word but here meaning recognizing ones action as against God, people, and deeply held beliefs of what is "right" in the world)that they make amends as best as possible and then turn anew in the direction they should be going and continue on. The word origin of the word "repent" means to turn around. It is therefore in my spiritual and religious tradition to confess and seek forgiveness or otherwise remain stuck in mire. Here, stuck in mire means not blogging because I'm not able to get over my errors.
Forgive me for I have sinned:
I have argued with my husband and been angry with my mother and out of my anger caused my youngest to cry. (What really sucks is that I lost the argument). In attempting to stick to my guns on my ideals I have been brittle. Specifically, family wants a summer vacation to San Francisco - it will cost everything we have saved and about twice that and we are still going. We have a big blow up when my parents were here and they took the other side and I lost the battle. I'm still mad and I'm going on vacation. Go figure.
In my bull headedness I purchased a small 1974 camp trailer (thinking local vacation and a traveling retreat or something to tow for bug-out). I have spent money at IKEA outfitting said trailer rather than finding things at yard sales and thrift stores.
I used Sevin on the squash bugs.
In my attempts at voluntary simplicity and making from scratch I have succumbed to despair, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. I have sulked.
I have not been faithful in prayer.
I and am heartily sorry for these my misdoings, the remembrance of them is grievous, the burden weighs heavily. I earnestly intend to turn anew, to live a life of simplicity and sustainability, to be frugal to hold to my beliefs to live in grace with my family, to be prayerful and be a right example to those with eyes to see.
And how do you deal with failure in your own lives? What is sin for you? Where do you experience forgiveness?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Freecycle Cherries
I put out a "wanted" on the freecycle and got a response for pie cherries. We didn't get tons but enough for 3 or 4 pies. Mr. Greenjeans loves cherry pie so we will have one on his birthday and another at Thanksgiving.
My Mom and Dad are here visiting and the picking time was at dinner time and so Mr. Greenjeans was in charge of the grill and I took Chibi and our ladder and went off. I felt slightly guilty leaving the company but we weren't gone long.
In all the activity of the evening, Ms. Bunny was left out in her exercise run after dark, when I thought to check on her, she had escaped. We all searched the bushes for her with flashlights but didn't find her. Mr. Greenjeans filled her feeder and changed her water and left the hutch door open for her to come home, but when I got up this morning, no Ms. Bunny.
I was standing at the sink dealing with cherries and looked up and there she was! She had climbed back into her cage and was drinking out of her waterer. I went out and greeted her and she put herself to bed for a long nap.
She is such a cool rabbit, I'm glad she came home.
My Mom and Dad are here visiting and the picking time was at dinner time and so Mr. Greenjeans was in charge of the grill and I took Chibi and our ladder and went off. I felt slightly guilty leaving the company but we weren't gone long.
In all the activity of the evening, Ms. Bunny was left out in her exercise run after dark, when I thought to check on her, she had escaped. We all searched the bushes for her with flashlights but didn't find her. Mr. Greenjeans filled her feeder and changed her water and left the hutch door open for her to come home, but when I got up this morning, no Ms. Bunny.
I was standing at the sink dealing with cherries and looked up and there she was! She had climbed back into her cage and was drinking out of her waterer. I went out and greeted her and she put herself to bed for a long nap.
She is such a cool rabbit, I'm glad she came home.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hummingbird Babies
We left the door open to our shed/ garage while building the chicken coop and a momma hummingbird came in an built her nest. I don't see her very much but the eggs hatched and we've been watching as the babies get big enough to peer over the edge of the nest.
Yesterday morning, I heard a distinct baby bird distress sounds. I went to the garage and the hummers were crying. I got dressed, looked up baby hummingbirds on the Internet and read that they are silent unless starving. I did feed their open mouths some sugar water but also read that they couldn't subsist on that and called a bird rehabilitator.
I watched all day - and especially at night for mama bird but never saw her. While hanging out there, I also caught grasshoppers for the chickens - ohh they loved that.
The bird rehabilitator's opinion was that Mom was around and trying to get the babies to fly by feeding them less. I guess I'm too much of a mama to hear them cry for food.
We'll wait and see. I must admit they don't seems as desperately hungry, and I did give them another snack but they also don't look as if they have any intention of going anywhere. I've tried to get pictures but the flash keeps going off making a blurry white photo.
At the moment Ms Bunny is cruising around the computer hutch making a mess of things so I'd better pay attention to her.
Yesterday morning, I heard a distinct baby bird distress sounds. I went to the garage and the hummers were crying. I got dressed, looked up baby hummingbirds on the Internet and read that they are silent unless starving. I did feed their open mouths some sugar water but also read that they couldn't subsist on that and called a bird rehabilitator.
I watched all day - and especially at night for mama bird but never saw her. While hanging out there, I also caught grasshoppers for the chickens - ohh they loved that.
The bird rehabilitator's opinion was that Mom was around and trying to get the babies to fly by feeding them less. I guess I'm too much of a mama to hear them cry for food.
We'll wait and see. I must admit they don't seems as desperately hungry, and I did give them another snack but they also don't look as if they have any intention of going anywhere. I've tried to get pictures but the flash keeps going off making a blurry white photo.
At the moment Ms Bunny is cruising around the computer hutch making a mess of things so I'd better pay attention to her.
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