The turkeys are FINALLY GONE!
I can finally regain my yard. I'll be going out with a new friend to the farmer's market this weekend where one of my farmer friends will be bringing me new herbal plants to begin the long, hard process of bringing my yard back to the lush, green, peaceful place where I can lay in my hammock, drink beer and listen to the birds sing rather than take a dust bath every time the wind blows.
Those of you with poultry know what that means. :)
I'll also be heading to another friend's farm where they have allowed me to have full range of their 100 acres to roam and search out wild food. I'll be teaching as I go, so it will be fun to pass along the information to other people besides my very attentive husband.
And good news! I'm heading back to school again. Finally going to finish my pre-med degree so that I can begin the long process of applying to medical schools. Things have suddenly turned around! Thank you to my angel for offering to pay for my last three classes. I'm the only biology and chemistry tutor at my school that has been attending classes and honor society meetings for TEN YEARS. LOL
That's all folks. Keep those neural pathways exercised.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Regaining control of my yard
The turkeys have eaten everything in my yard. Gobs of medicinal and culinary herbs painstakingly gathered through my travels and inquiries over many years. My family garden where I planted all the favorite flowers of those loved ones both here and gone on. It's time to regain my yard, and control of my sanity. The turkeys will be gone and eaten up this week, as long as the heat holds off so I can butcher them in relative comfort. I will have to can most of them, since the freezer space is at a premium.
While working on my yard and landscaping, I will be building a chicken aviary with the help of my friend, a woodworker. Thank you to his wife for loaning him out to me yet again. (Good friends are like good books, you keep going back to them. This same friend will come over this weekend to help me change my brakes since my car is desperately in need of stopping power and I haven't maintained my own vehicle for 10 years or more.) Remember, ladies, every woman should know how to change a tire, and check their oil. Real women know how to change the oil and reset calipers.
Once the poultry is gone and transformed into eatable form, I will attempt to regain my yard. It's hard work and I feel for those single women out there, I know how they feel - to work a sixty hour week, come home to make dinner, clean up, drive the kids around, play games with them, help with the homework, take care of the pets, and then stay up past everyone else's bedtime to clean and try to get ahead on tomorrow's meal preparation. I will miss my stepkids desperately this summer, but it's good for them to get away right now to get away from their pain, and it will be good for me to get caught up on the deferred maintenance around here.
Stay tuned everyone. I will be taking on chores this summer such as putting on a new roof (yes, all by my lonesome... anyone want to volunteer to help me?), powerwashing the house and deck, building a new deck, building an aviary, planting a new lawn (Lord, please help this one stick), and renewing and reclaiming my gardens. Not having to worry about cooking and picking up after anyone (well, other than my other two teenagers, DSS20 and husband, of course) and shopping for food will do wonders for my to do list.
While working on my yard and landscaping, I will be building a chicken aviary with the help of my friend, a woodworker. Thank you to his wife for loaning him out to me yet again. (Good friends are like good books, you keep going back to them. This same friend will come over this weekend to help me change my brakes since my car is desperately in need of stopping power and I haven't maintained my own vehicle for 10 years or more.) Remember, ladies, every woman should know how to change a tire, and check their oil. Real women know how to change the oil and reset calipers.
Once the poultry is gone and transformed into eatable form, I will attempt to regain my yard. It's hard work and I feel for those single women out there, I know how they feel - to work a sixty hour week, come home to make dinner, clean up, drive the kids around, play games with them, help with the homework, take care of the pets, and then stay up past everyone else's bedtime to clean and try to get ahead on tomorrow's meal preparation. I will miss my stepkids desperately this summer, but it's good for them to get away right now to get away from their pain, and it will be good for me to get caught up on the deferred maintenance around here.
Stay tuned everyone. I will be taking on chores this summer such as putting on a new roof (yes, all by my lonesome... anyone want to volunteer to help me?), powerwashing the house and deck, building a new deck, building an aviary, planting a new lawn (Lord, please help this one stick), and renewing and reclaiming my gardens. Not having to worry about cooking and picking up after anyone (well, other than my other two teenagers, DSS20 and husband, of course) and shopping for food will do wonders for my to do list.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wild foods season is here
I'm back. Took a long time off. Sorry all.
It's elderflower fritter time. I have been searching out the best bushes for years now, and I have them recorded in my GPS device so I can just find them when I need them. Doing that with all my wild foods.
1 C flour, 2 T sugar, 1/2 t baking powder, 3/4 c milk, 2 eggs, beat all together, dip flowers, fry. Make sure not to eat the green stems.
Also, milkweed flower buds can still be had. Daylily flowers, pickerel weed, ramps, yum yum yum. Cattails are coming soon. Sadly, Japanese knotweed is past. However, the daisy leaves are still good and you can still get some salad greens such as stinging nettle or goosefoot.
I'll start posting again now that the season is here and I have more time.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Getting to look a lot like Thanksgiving
First, let me start by saying, happy birthday Mom.
Well, it's getting late in the year now. My camera has been broken (never let a child take it to school with them for ANY reason) so I can't post pictures of the birds.
I had a nice long conversation with my cousin this week. He's making cheese, and I have all the ingredients, but not the time. I have another crazy weekend this week, so no good then. However, I was hoping to make a wheel or two very soon. Maybe by next Christmas we'll have a bunch of aged cheeses to hand out.
Michael has made his liquid dessert, which is a dark porter with chocolate and vanilla. Can't wait to give some of that away, it's always a hit.
Tonight I will begin to make the starter culture for my ginger beer. I failed last two attempts, which I blame on the house being too hot in the summer. So, we're going to try again now.
Speaking of which, I haven't spent too much time talking about our other livestock - the bacteria. Right now on my counter is a neglected and forlorn SCOBY (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) which is used to make a great drink called kombucha. It's a cultured tea that's been drunk for thousands of years as a health tonic. It's cleansing to the liver, but the kids just call it yummy. I'll make up some tea tonight to give it a start again.
Also on my counter is another type of mother culture, kefir grains. That makes yet another yummy, healthy drink. Another mix of healthy, beneficial yeasts and bacteria, kefir has been credited with curing everything from A to Z. I'm giving it to my oldest dog right now, as I believe she is coming down with a slight case of cancer. So, we shall see if this helps her at all. Again, the kids drink it up and adore it in their morning shakes.
As it's getting cooler, it's time to culture more on my counter. I should have a batch of sourdough starting soon, and a friendship bread also. Likewise, a batch of sauerkraut (or five) and kimchi.
Folks, if you are not making your own cultured breads, vegetables and drinks, now is the time to start. What can I say, but it's easy, packs a powerful, nutritional punch, and is associated with long, healthy lives. Oh, and it's so tasty - YUMMY, getting hungry.
Blessings all as we prepare for our winter, I pray that you are all warm and comfortable and not affected by the storms blowing outside all of our doors.
Well, it's getting late in the year now. My camera has been broken (never let a child take it to school with them for ANY reason) so I can't post pictures of the birds.
I had a nice long conversation with my cousin this week. He's making cheese, and I have all the ingredients, but not the time. I have another crazy weekend this week, so no good then. However, I was hoping to make a wheel or two very soon. Maybe by next Christmas we'll have a bunch of aged cheeses to hand out.
Michael has made his liquid dessert, which is a dark porter with chocolate and vanilla. Can't wait to give some of that away, it's always a hit.
Tonight I will begin to make the starter culture for my ginger beer. I failed last two attempts, which I blame on the house being too hot in the summer. So, we're going to try again now.
Speaking of which, I haven't spent too much time talking about our other livestock - the bacteria. Right now on my counter is a neglected and forlorn SCOBY (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) which is used to make a great drink called kombucha. It's a cultured tea that's been drunk for thousands of years as a health tonic. It's cleansing to the liver, but the kids just call it yummy. I'll make up some tea tonight to give it a start again.
Also on my counter is another type of mother culture, kefir grains. That makes yet another yummy, healthy drink. Another mix of healthy, beneficial yeasts and bacteria, kefir has been credited with curing everything from A to Z. I'm giving it to my oldest dog right now, as I believe she is coming down with a slight case of cancer. So, we shall see if this helps her at all. Again, the kids drink it up and adore it in their morning shakes.
As it's getting cooler, it's time to culture more on my counter. I should have a batch of sourdough starting soon, and a friendship bread also. Likewise, a batch of sauerkraut (or five) and kimchi.
Folks, if you are not making your own cultured breads, vegetables and drinks, now is the time to start. What can I say, but it's easy, packs a powerful, nutritional punch, and is associated with long, healthy lives. Oh, and it's so tasty - YUMMY, getting hungry.
Blessings all as we prepare for our winter, I pray that you are all warm and comfortable and not affected by the storms blowing outside all of our doors.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The first snow is falling
Last night I went to bed with flakes falling, and this morning they were still falling. Not heavily, just a dusting, just enough to say that Samara has seen her first snow. The turkeys are huge, the ducks are ready for slaughter, and I still have yet to build the plucker.
Life on the farm when you have to work full time as well.
The goal, I suppose, is to get debt free and quit my day job. The goal seems far away. The first step is to write down the goals, place the steps in motion, and declare them. Stay tuned.
We have stopped fostering for the rescue we were with, there was too much drama. I don't need drama, I just wanted to help dogs. Life goes on, and the dogs will find another home, I suppose.
My next door neighbor has shot the fox, the wife called to let us know. Brandi's response was "oh, is he OK" and she reportedly replied "No, honey, he's dead." LOL - growing up in the country.
I am in the process of cooking down some pear butter, and the kids went wild for the carrot cake jam out of the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I'm probably going to make seconds of that. I have half a bushel still to can up and they're getting soft.
Here are some pictures of Samara to share. She's a big girl now. Whenever we let Zen out with her happy mask on to spend time with the family, Samara gets all gooey, bowing and prancing and just making a fool of herself. Zen has yet to play with her in the house, but she's shown signs of thinking about it. She's a big girl, and just a joy to have, despite her constant chatting.
Life on the farm when you have to work full time as well.
The goal, I suppose, is to get debt free and quit my day job. The goal seems far away. The first step is to write down the goals, place the steps in motion, and declare them. Stay tuned.
We have stopped fostering for the rescue we were with, there was too much drama. I don't need drama, I just wanted to help dogs. Life goes on, and the dogs will find another home, I suppose.
My next door neighbor has shot the fox, the wife called to let us know. Brandi's response was "oh, is he OK" and she reportedly replied "No, honey, he's dead." LOL - growing up in the country.
I am in the process of cooking down some pear butter, and the kids went wild for the carrot cake jam out of the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I'm probably going to make seconds of that. I have half a bushel still to can up and they're getting soft.
Here are some pictures of Samara to share. She's a big girl now. Whenever we let Zen out with her happy mask on to spend time with the family, Samara gets all gooey, bowing and prancing and just making a fool of herself. Zen has yet to play with her in the house, but she's shown signs of thinking about it. She's a big girl, and just a joy to have, despite her constant chatting.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wild harvest
I love to harvest the wild greens in the early spring, I adore the cat tails, and the daylilys, and later the elder flower recipes, followed by the elder berries.
Nothing is as good, though, as the fall harvest. Walking through the conservation areas with the deep, delicious smell of wild grapes on the air. This year we have a huge harvest due to the rains. The black walnuts, wild hazelnuts, black cherries, Jerusalem artichokes, and Autumn Olives. I'll be heading to the dairy this weekend to get some raw cream so I can use the black cherries to make a childhood favorite, black cherry ice cream. It's a taste that grows on you, as it's more musty than the cherries you get in the stores.
I'll be soaking my first harvest of hazelnuts today in a brine solution, to release the enzyme inhibitors they contain. Later, I'll dry them in my dehydrator. The next batch will be soaked and candied in our maple syrup for a healthy snack for the kid's lunches.
This year, I am going to do something more than just fruit leather with the autumn olive. We found an absolutely massive amount of them at the conservation area we had been gathering our groundnuts at. Each bush is literally touching the ground under it's own weight. Autumn olives are one of the highest contents of lycopene known. We are not much in our family for jellies and jams, so that leaves us with dried berries, pie fillings, frozen berries, and just berries in syrup. However, as the fruit leather is a favorite, and needs no added sugar other than it's natural sugars (if harvested after the first frost), we will be running both dehydrators full on for the next month or so as we try to make enough for the winter and to carry us through until next harvest. I also found an Autumn Olive wine recipe. It sounds delicious. This year will be my first attempt at making wine from wild grapes, so I think I will try this also. For those of you unfamiliar with Autumn Olive, it's a red berry with silver speckles on it, and it tastes a bit like raspberry, but after drying, it's very much like a grape-raspberry mix. Taste varies from bush to bush, and it can be astringent, so finding a good bush is important. It can be quite tart unless you harvest after the first freeze, when the sugars develop.
AUTUMN OLIVE WINE
* 4-5 pounds Autumn olive fruit
* 2 lbs granulated sugar
* 1¼ tsp yeast nutrient
* ¼ tsp tannin
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* 1 tsp pectic enzyme.
* 3 qts water
* Lalvin RC212 (Bourgovin) wine yeast
Nothing is as good, though, as the fall harvest. Walking through the conservation areas with the deep, delicious smell of wild grapes on the air. This year we have a huge harvest due to the rains. The black walnuts, wild hazelnuts, black cherries, Jerusalem artichokes, and Autumn Olives. I'll be heading to the dairy this weekend to get some raw cream so I can use the black cherries to make a childhood favorite, black cherry ice cream. It's a taste that grows on you, as it's more musty than the cherries you get in the stores.
I'll be soaking my first harvest of hazelnuts today in a brine solution, to release the enzyme inhibitors they contain. Later, I'll dry them in my dehydrator. The next batch will be soaked and candied in our maple syrup for a healthy snack for the kid's lunches.
This year, I am going to do something more than just fruit leather with the autumn olive. We found an absolutely massive amount of them at the conservation area we had been gathering our groundnuts at. Each bush is literally touching the ground under it's own weight. Autumn olives are one of the highest contents of lycopene known. We are not much in our family for jellies and jams, so that leaves us with dried berries, pie fillings, frozen berries, and just berries in syrup. However, as the fruit leather is a favorite, and needs no added sugar other than it's natural sugars (if harvested after the first frost), we will be running both dehydrators full on for the next month or so as we try to make enough for the winter and to carry us through until next harvest. I also found an Autumn Olive wine recipe. It sounds delicious. This year will be my first attempt at making wine from wild grapes, so I think I will try this also. For those of you unfamiliar with Autumn Olive, it's a red berry with silver speckles on it, and it tastes a bit like raspberry, but after drying, it's very much like a grape-raspberry mix. Taste varies from bush to bush, and it can be astringent, so finding a good bush is important. It can be quite tart unless you harvest after the first freeze, when the sugars develop.
AUTUMN OLIVE WINE
* 4-5 pounds Autumn olive fruit
* 2 lbs granulated sugar
* 1¼ tsp yeast nutrient
* ¼ tsp tannin
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* 1 tsp pectic enzyme.
* 3 qts water
* Lalvin RC212 (Bourgovin) wine yeast
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fall planting time
It could not POSSIBLY be time to plant garlic already. Is it? Yes, it is. Sigh.
Time to get your garlic orders in, a recent email says from Seed Savers Exchange.
Yes, it's time to peruse catalogs and select bulbs to plant in the next few weeks.
Not much longer, and we will be seeing frost on our greenery, and then shortly after that, falling leaves on the frozen ground. Beautiful, but such a quick passing to such a short summer. It seems as if we had 3 weeks of summer this year.
Yes, folks, there is even a time for rain, and it was this year.
Peace.
Time to get your garlic orders in, a recent email says from Seed Savers Exchange.
Yes, it's time to peruse catalogs and select bulbs to plant in the next few weeks.
Not much longer, and we will be seeing frost on our greenery, and then shortly after that, falling leaves on the frozen ground. Beautiful, but such a quick passing to such a short summer. It seems as if we had 3 weeks of summer this year.
Yes, folks, there is even a time for rain, and it was this year.
Peace.
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