# Homesteading Singles Thread- October



## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Nothing much here today. I reseasoned my skillets one turned out good the other turned out blotchey. I had my back door replaced today.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

not much doing here either. got my garden put to bed for the winter. leaves are falling and I will soon have to rake those and put in bags. been raining hard all day. back at my crafts now. right now i'm working on a Regency Period poke bonnet for my Jane Austen tea party in dec. ~Georgia.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

I got my free firewood today, will split tomorrow. Then I will be done.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Been concentrating on the yard and house maintenance more than anything else this week. I did get some spraying done in the hay fields yesterday, but just in a few spots with briars and wild cherry. Some bald spots around the yard and driveway entrance still need attention (composted manure/grass seed/mulch), and there's some shade trees that need pruning. Think the weather needs to get colder before I do that however. The weather has been perfect all week, but they keep predicting rain (now heavy rains) for Sunday, the day we hold our family reunion. Oh joy.

Never had much luck with seasoning cast iron Tambo. I finally bought some of the Lodge pots/pans that were pre-seasoned...and now my cornbread doesn't stick. It's magic.


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## Groene Pionier (Apr 23, 2009)

canning the last tomatoes (yeah!), the last 15 liters. I made wine vinegar batch today and will finish that within 2 weeks with a final batch (a total of 5 liters). Going to prepare vegetables for another piccalilli batch. My children love the stuff. Will be making some more sandwich spreads on Friday. I have to admit I am very tired. 
Looking in to the possibility to buy a semi professional bread oven. Not sure yet. Busy days


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

You make me tired. You are amazing with all you do. I'm splitting wood today and closing up shop outside. Going to wrap faucets, roll hose, maybe paint a little. Have to get that painting done. Thankfully only a small section of new wood.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Not much going on other than getting fence estimates to re-fence my garden, the goat pens and the back pasture. Once I have taller, sturdier fencing I plan on adding a few more boxes and planting a fall garden.

The new piggies are doing well. They are 12 weeks old and we have been giving them extra goat milk...should make them taste even yummier!

3 of my rabbits are bred (hopefully) so we hope to have a lot of rabbit meat soon.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Came home sick today. Offices are evil germ factories. There's a 24 hour type flu going around so I expect to be crummy tomorrow then well in time for my vacation day Friday. At least it was timed well.

All I did all day was put the legs on the new hutches and put up some cheapo stick-on shades in the sunroom because it overheats so easily in the sun. Mittens has already moved in and there's room to grow out the next litter on the bottom. It can stack 2 more on top if I really get into this meat rabbit thing, but they are $100 a pop so I'll wait and see


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Picked some really good red autumn olive berries today in the yard. Tomatoes and pepperss haven't been hit by frost yet, squash vines are still good, agastache,lemon balm, pineapple sage, bergamot still ok for leaves. Cat mint has died back as had many other mints and herbs. Hazelnuts have been collected and now all that's left is late pears, apples and rose hips. Silverberry, lemon balm and goji berry blooms are just faded. Laying out the cardboard to get a jump on next years garden.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Nice rabbit cages, vigilant! I bought some on Craigslist...you may be able to find them in good condition for a lot cheaper than $100.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Thanks Shan. I've been keeping an eye on craistlist for a while now (that's how I found the rabbits) but haven't seen anything I could use. These will last me a good long while though.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

The wild roses have little hips that are red in clusters and are consistently invasive as the birds drop them all over and little bushes pop up under the fruit trees and bushes so I harvested the many clusters along with orange bittersweet berries on the invasive vines that climb anything anywhere for the chickens. They'll turn red in the pen and eventually be eaten although not preferred. I used to have a problem with barberries, but that's under control. Found just 1 little bush trying to grow too young to berry and pulled it out. Dandelion leaves are coming up tender like spring again so the rabbits got treated along with the usual. Stretches the feed. Saw a wasp nest hidden by the leaves that are gone now the size of a basketball 1+1/2 stories up and will knock that down in January if a snow up until then doesn't weigh and snap the not too big branch on an ash tree. The days are getting shorter so I won't be running out at 7am much longer which is a good time to pick fallen fruit before the assorted wasps/bees come out for their share.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

trying to get at my Christmas baking. made a couple plum puddings today. put a full cup of rum in it. I went outdoors to do some rakeing and the water boiled away to the one on the right so it burnt a bit, I cut off a couple inches . the rest is delicious. my friend and I will eat that one tomorrow with hard sauce made with lots of rum. ~Georgia.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Rum....Yummmmmm!!!


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Dandelions are blooming again, lettuce and turnips are producing and stinging nettle is having a run of new foliage.


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## cedarcreekranch (Nov 24, 2010)

Newfieannie, that brings back memories to me! My mom was born and raised in NL and her sister used to make the plum puddings and she always made a Christmas cake, too. The cake she made about this time of year, poured rum all over it and let it 'steep' until the big day. She also used to make what she called 'lassie buns' that were out of this world! Thanks for reminding me of her this evening!


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

This is the first baby born on the little urban homestead! 










Fluffy, my French Angora doe, had what's quite possibly a baby hippo last night 










And I come bearing a fall recipe to share. All the veg in this one was grown in my backyard this year.

Bean Chowder

3/4 cup dry navy beans
3/4 cups potatoes, diced
1 1/2 tsp flour
3/4 cup tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 green pepper, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Soak beans and boil for 1 hour. Add potato and onion and cook 30 more minutes. Add tomato, green pepper, flour, and butter and stir until well combined. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes until thickened and add milk. Heat to serving temperature. Makes about 4 servings.

Originally seen in the book Cookin' With Beans and Rice (amzn.to/1a055Kq)


----------------------
EDITED TO ADD:
She surprised me with 6 more 12 hours later! I saw her panting later in the day then pulling more fur, so I thought she was up to something


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Just finishing up all that must be done to button up for winter. Finished mucking out the pig pen -- that's a great job to have out of the way! -- brought in tender plants. We've had early near-freezing temperatures the past couple of nights, though things will get back to normal tonight. Wrapped all my hose bibs and made sure irrigation pipe was drained. Stacked more split wood near the house but haven't had need of a fire yet this year. The house is well insulated so it never got very cold despite outside overnight temps.

Lights are back on in the hen house to keep them laying, but they went into a moult anyway because of an annoying power outage last week. We've had some weather here, lots and lots of early rain and wind. Oh, well. I have quite a few eggs ahead and probably don't need to eat so many anyway.

I also had a mature plum tree come down in the storm. It hadn't been looking so great anyway, so no big surprise. It was in an awkward place anyway. I'll be glad to replant a new one in another spot.

Apples are coming out my ears, but it makes the pigs happy! Still picking lots of blackberries, too. There is always chard in the garden and I'm mulching with cardboard, old hay and straw as everything dies back.

Good news for a culvert replacement project on my land that I've had in the works for the past couple of years. Looks like the funding is approved and we'll be ready to jump in next July. I will make a contributory payment, but the Soil and Water Conservation District will pick up the balance of the bill to make sure the project is done to their specifications for, ummm... soil and water conservation, I guess. In truth, mostly to facilitate spawning of the cutthroat and steelhead trout that traverse that creek.

Other than that, it's pretty and green again from all the moisture. We're having gorgeous days just at the moment... I appreciate it all the more for having endured all that rain!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Supper tonight. Chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies for dessert.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Okay, that did it... time to go throw something on the grill.  <tummy rumble!!>


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Tambo love love love your dinnerware!

Dinner looks fab too!


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Where's the meat in your meals, girls? It's just a sidedish without meat! lol!


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

littlejoe... I ain't grillin' noodles.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

littlejoe said:


> Where's the meat in your meals, girls? It's just a sidedish without meat! lol!


The recipe didn't call for meat but I think I will put some in it next time.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Got two loads of wood today, and one last week. Cottonwood...I know some scorn it, but I like it for ease of procurement. This load took 50 minutes for me to get. No bark, little to no trimming of small stuff, no piling of cut off limbs. This is the fourth load cut, since the chain was sharpened and it's still cutting great!

Basically I have access to cottonwood, elm, juniper, pinyon, and some occasional mulberry. Cottonwood and elm are the closest and most prolific. Elm takes a LOT more work, unless it's been standing dead for twenty years. And more time sharpening chains.

I've cut up pine at times, and it's easy, as well as not leaving much for ashes. Most other trees here are carrying bark, unless they've been dead for lengthy times. Bark is hard on chains because of the dirt hidden in the crevices.

I've burnt a lot of oak, but it was in the form of 100 year old RR ties. You couldn't cut even one up with a chain without the need for sharpening! A carbide tipped buzzsaw blade worked wonders though!

I/we have burned wood for heat, or supplemental heat for all of my recollected life. Seemed like all I did as a kid was cut wood.  I can't imagine being without wood heat?

I've got the first fire of the season going tonight in my old casa. A freeze last night, and a cool day with a stiff breeze kinda necessitated that. I'll be tired of it later...cleaning ashes, packing wood, and lighting fires when I'm tired. But it feels pretty darned good tonight! 

Hope you all have your firewood gathered. I've got more than a winters worth, but I never feel like I have enough?


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Crunched the side of the bed the other day, when I loaded a big bale of straw to add mulch to the trees using the stackwagon to load a big bale. It's electric over hydraulic, so there is no easing into things. Full bore or nothing! My wagon keeps gaining in character!  Probly time for a flatbed?


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Raeven said:


> littlejoe... I ain't grillin' noodles.


I didn't have a clue what you were grillin. noodles might be ok? I've cooked biscuits in my smoker just to see if I could. And they were grea...OK...good! haha! Havn't tried a cake yet?


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

littlejoe said:


> Got two loads of wood today, and one last week. Cottonwood...I know some scorn it, but I like it for ease of procurement. This load took 50 minutes for me to get. No bark, little to no trimming of small stuff, no piling of cut off limbs. This is the fourth load cut, since the chain was sharpened and it's still cutting great!
> 
> Basically I have access to cottonwood, elm, juniper, pinyon, and some occasional mulberry. Cottonwood and elm are the closest and most prolific. Elm takes a LOT more work, unless it's been standing dead for twenty years. And more time sharpening chains.
> 
> ...


I have all mine in. Had a cord given to me and I split it last week but it's way to wet from rain and laying on the ground. So I'm going to shuffle it off the driveway and cover for either spring or as being ahead for next year. Having the wood just gives a secure feeling. Weather has been so cold already that I've been burning wood already. Never have burned Elm, didn't know it was good. If I had known might have cut up the neighbors she had taken out. Probably would have had enough for a couple years.
Got a ton of jobs done today. First weekend off since May, weather cooperated so I'm feeling good. Couple of projects I want get done Sunday and I'm good.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

littlejoe said:


> I didn't have a clue what you were grillin. noodles might be ok? I've cooked biscuits in my smoker just to see if I could. And they were grea...OK...good! haha! Havn't tried a cake yet?


Smoked cake... I dunno. Maybe vicker could pull it off, but I couldn't. 

LOL re your biscuits! Yes, one can cook on almost any kind of fire, but it doesn't mean it's going to be Betty Crocker worthy, does it?  

Reminds me of the Osso Buco I made once over an open campfire.... I make a mean Osso Buco, but this batch was much too close to the open flame and instead ended up as a family legend of how NOT to make it. They still laugh about how bad I burnt it. My husband barely saved the cast iron Dutch oven.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

I suppose you might have added the "Osso Busco" to confuse me? What the heck is it? My cooking skills are severely limited to meat, taters, gravy, and an occasional can of veggies. I buy a bag of salad once in a while to diversify, but it usually turns into liquid before I get it et.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

LOL, no, littlejoe... I never try to intentionally confuse anyone -- lest they do it back to me. (Happens way too often!)

Osso Buco is just veal shanks braised slowly for hours in a tomato wine mixture with aromatics (carrots, onion, celery), served usually over polenta (yellow corn meal mush) and topped with a gremolata (fresh-chopped garlic, Italian parsley and zested lemon peel). It's a snooze to make with a nice, slow oven -- quite a little more tricky over an open fire, as I learned!! Holy cow, it was a challenge to get the stink out of that poor Dutch oven...


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Osso Buco, aaaahhhhh. Best Osso Buco I had was in one of those back alley restaurants in Rome. It was owned by Sardinians. You had to knock on the door to get and no one spoke English. Fun getting a cab back to the hotel. LOL I haven't eaten it since--can't bear to alter my memories of that delicious meal eaten in their courtyard under a starry Roman sky.

Oh well, back to New Jersey. LOL Not too much going on here. Flu shot season means I work some mean overtime. Making hay while the sun is shining so to speak. Did order three new Top Hat blueberry bushes for the patio containers and 1/2 pound of garlic for fall planting. Canned up 9 pints of applesauce. We brought home a bushel of apples from upstate. Made some pies and dad made the applesauce the other day so all I would have to do is can it. Have just under a quart left over for immediate eating.

My freelance work has paid off--literally. The client actually paid both invoices at once (he usually doesn't do that). He is a good client--offered to help put my garden in while I was recuperating from the surgery. Well anyway, got the student load paid off and now all I have left in the to be paid off pile is the truck (about 12 months but less because I'll take the student loan payment and pay extra principal on the vehicle loan).


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Ooohhh, Leslie, what a romantic moment with Osso Buco! I might be tempted to never eat it again in the absence of such a backdrop, either.

Nowadays, the biggest challenge to making it is finding veal shanks. With veal in general falling out of favor with the meat-consuming public, little cows' shanks are darned hard to locate, and stupid expensive when I do. 

Good job on the debt reduction and canning tasks! :goodjob:


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Thank you Rae.

Have you tried the Osso with shanks other than little cows legs?


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

I make lamb shanks in the same way and they are also good, but not a lot less expensive than veal. Seems the minute you add the word, 'shank' to the package, the price shoots up into the stratosphere and they 'shank' you at the register. 

I should have a surfeit of pigs' shanks in the freezer in another couple of months... I'll let you know how that turns out.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Autumn olive is very good with whipped cream over angel food cake. Little Joe is not alone with the what's Osso Buco and Gremolata. I haven't had good veal in so long.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Here's another good, quick fall dessert recipe:

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
chopped pecans or other preferred nut (besides your SO)
raisins or some other preferred dried fruit (besides your SO)
sugar (or sugar substitute, if you're watching the tonnage) to taste
cinnamon to taste
a pinch of salt (if you can have it)
PAM or a bit of butter, depending on your preference

Spray a microwave-proof dish with a little PAM or grease lightly with butter.

Layer apple slices and raisins in the bottom. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon; add a few little pieces of butter (no more than a teaspoon). Sprinkle chopped nuts over. 

Repeat layers till you run out of apple. Salt a little bit if desired.

Cover with a bit of cling film (it won't hurt just this once!). Microwave for 2-3 minutes, till apples are soft and flavors have mingled.

Top with vanilla ice cream or a bit of cream, if you like. Enjoy hot.

Like a fast piece of pie without the crust, and uses up those apples!


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Sounds flexible.


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

LOL, yes, it is.

Bonus: The house smells like you simmered potpourri for quite a long while, too.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

This thread needs a bump above the duplicate so I've got pics from my hike this weekend










And babies


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I am not to the end of the pears on the tree yet, but tomorrow I have to get the last of them in. The chickens got pears, the rabbits got pears, the family got pears, coworkers got pears. I was going to finish picking them today, but then a new (two years is new) neighbor came over and told me she was going to be one of my kids teachers next year and commented on the pears and then I said you want some and she said no thanks. DD and I started picking like we were too busy to talk and then as soon as she left DD and I kind of looked at each other like that sucks lol. Then we went to a local farm and bought a 50lb sack of potatoes for 20.00- 2.00 more than last year looking for special squashes (seed packets heh heh), but there was none.


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## redrex (Jun 29, 2013)

@ Tambo,,,, May I suggest seasoning with virgin olive oil.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I forgot to mention I was pulling curley dock along the woods line that started from seed this year to keep the population within reason and the top of the roots were as thick as my pinky thickest and all between 6 inches and a foot, but clinging to the roots were what looked like blue aphids or bug eggs and other roots they were greyish blue. We were passing them around debating root sucking bug or egg. I have to go back on that and get a pic enlargement to figure it out. I thought I'd seen everything (even a beetle the size of a mouse that likes to bore oak tree roots in its larval stage).


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Yellow-Dock-Root-Cut

http://www.iherb.com/Yellow-Dock-475-mg-90-Veggie-Caps/2973
I would never pay for some weed that grows in my yard along with
http://www.iherb.com/Nature-s-Way-Burdock-Root-100-Capsules/1843

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Dandelion-Root-500-mg-100-Capsules/545

People I've worked with 5 years were shocked when I mentioned my age as they thought I was 10 years younger just a month ago. Maybe this stuff factors in reading some reviews on the burdock root. I would never buy it though.


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## SimplerTimez (Jan 20, 2008)

Nothing but work, work, work, and more working here  I'm tired. Thankful it is Friday...yay!

I did help my mom set out lettuces at her garden, and I'll come back tonight and show the results of her banana trees this year, I'm quite surprised!

Happy Friday all, have a wonderful day!!

~ST


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I thought of you trying to take a pic of a little brown tree frog, but it dropped into the underbrush and that was that.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Dandelions today

Lemon balm today
 [URL=http://s116.photobucket.com/user/chinzilla2006/media/220_zps96bbfffa.jpg.html]







[/URL]
mint and variegated silverberry today...let's just say all today.
 oregano
Shoe is 8-1/2 for mucking around, but I wear an 8. Late season happy plants.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Nasturium growing up on the rose of sharon and raspberries.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

The tail end of pretty.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Late volunteers coming in for winter

Pineapple sage finally blooms.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I do like pineapple sage. I saw a bumble bee today out on the mums on my front deck. it was about 3 times the size of the ordinary BB I have here which are big anyway. I've never seen anything like it. course as someone here says. if there are no pics. it didn't happen. I had my camera battery on charge at the time. i'll check around again tomorrow. supposed to be sunny and warm again. ~Georgia.


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## SimplerTimez (Jan 20, 2008)

doodlemom said:


> Picked some really good red autumn olive berries today in the yard. Tomatoes and pepperss haven't been hit by frost yet, squash vines are still good, agastache,lemon balm, pineapple sage, bergamot still ok for leaves. Cat mint has died back as had many other mints and herbs. Hazelnuts have been collected and now all that's left is late pears, apples and rose hips. Silverberry, lemon balm and goji berry blooms are just faded. Laying out the cardboard to get a jump on next years garden.


You really make me miss my place Doodle :/ But happy for you and your harvest!

The people that bought it, they aren't into gardening a'tall 

~ST


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Doodle everytime I'm in the vitamin aisle at work and I see something like those you posted, I always think "I bet Doodle grows that in her backyard." LOL

Got my new blueberry bushes and garlic in the mail yesterday. Planted them this morning. I still have one bulb of the garlic left--I ran out of room in the garden. I can use it for cooking right?

And next week at this time I will finally have a new mattress on my bed. I am so looking forward to a good night's sleep.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Yeah you can use it for cooking TI. Blueberries and garlic will do great where you are!


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

I've been busy planting stuff the last couple of days. Did a flower bed with bearded iris and daffodils, finally got one of the raised beds up and filled with soil, sowed it with salad greens and such, and set out a few cauliflower and cabbage starts that I got really cheap into big containers. I put a few daffodil and tulip bulbs around under the trees near the house so that I'll have lots of pretties to look at next spring. 

Mary


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

There was frost all around me today, but not quite this close to the lake yet. The garden beds are nearly done being put to rest for the winter.

And it's Day 10 for the angora babies. From what I've read they should be opening their eyes any time now. She lost her runt today, but the rest are pudgy lil hampster sized buns.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I hope to have more rabbit babies soon, too. I bred 3 does yesterday!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

The softess fluffiest loaf I've baked yet. Closest to sandwich bread I've baked.


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## SimplerTimez (Jan 20, 2008)

Nothing homesteady of my own (kind of difficult with even a real home, lol), but people share with me.

From a baby farmer friend (he doesn't farm babies, he's just a baby himself) with severe social anxiety that I keep in E-mail contact with, living vicariously through their farmer's market endeavors and such, sent me GARLIC! I know, who gets excited about a package of garlic (me!)

View attachment 16405


My mom's banana harvest (I helped move the trees!)

View attachment 16406


Me and my grandson who turned two last weekend, and whose party wore me slam out (7 hours of 25 kids? Argh!)

View attachment 16409


And my roses coming into full bloom. I love this Pinata rose, three different colors as the roses pass through each phase.

View attachment 16407


View attachment 16408


~ST


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

SimplerTimez said:


> Nothing homesteady of my own (kind of difficult with even a real home, lol), but people share with me.
> 
> From a baby farmer friend (he doesn't farm babies, he's just a baby himself) with severe social anxiety that I keep in E-mail contact with, living vicariously through their farmer's market endeavors and such, sent me GARLIC! I know, who gets excited about a package of garlic (me!)
> 
> ...


Nice picture of you ST.


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## redrex (Jun 29, 2013)

@ Tambo, can I get your bread rescepie?


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## JohnnyLee (Feb 13, 2011)

redrex said:


> @ Tambo, can I get your bread rescepie?


Yeah! Me too! Oh, wait, I am on the Paleo Diet, no bread, and no beer, or sugar, or flour, or wheat, grains, legumes, peanuts, beans, corn, etc. etc.

Never mind! lol


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

redrex said:


> Can I get your recipe?


3 cups AP Flour
1 TBS yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water

I put yeast in warm water with a little sugar and let sit a few minutes.
I put 2 cups flour and salt in bowl.
When yeast was frothy I added it to flour. When it was mixed I added the rest of flour. I kneaded it for awhile. Rubbed olive oil on it covered the bowl with a towel and let rise maybe an hour or so. I punched all the air out then put it in the loaf pan and let rise again. I baked it at 250 for 40 mins. At 35 mins I basted the top with butter turned the oven up to 350 for about 5 mins until the top was golden brown. 

The things I did different this time that I didn't do before was bake it at a lower temp for a longer time and punched all the air out then let it rise again. Either one of those could have been why it turned out so soft this time. The trick will be getting it to do it again next time.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

JohnnyLee said:


> Yeah! Me too! Oh, wait, I am on the Paleo Diet, no bread, and no beer, or sugar, or flour, or wheat, grains, legumes, peanuts, beans, corn, etc. etc.
> 
> Never mind! lol


I know it's going to be worth it Johnny but dang that sucks!!


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## redrex (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks Tambo, I'll be bakin in the morin.


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## JohnnyLee (Feb 13, 2011)

tambo said:


> 3 cups AP Flour
> 1 TBS yeast
> 1 tsp salt
> 1 cup warm water
> ...


Wow, I think I have seen that recipe somewhere? If you add honey instead of sugar, and add a tbsp of olive oil, you get AWESOME pizza crust! :goodjob:


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Babies! The first one opened it's little peepers today. I'm having so much fun watching them grow up.



















Mama with her nest










The first frost is expected tomorrow, so the tomatoes were all pulled out and I'm busy canning. This is crushed tomatoes and ketchup, both from the Ball Complete Book. I'm going to do another batch of Condensed Tomato Soup from SB Canning tomorrow.










And, one of the last things left in the yard.


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## JohnnyLee (Feb 13, 2011)

Looks like fall has fallen here, got close to freezing last night here, and it's only 59 degrees here now. Just got off the phone with the people that own all that land south of here. She said she would email me a bit later about what is available, and if the old land I had there was still available or not. So, got the ball rolling I guess.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Only thing going on here today is waiting for my new mattress set to be delivered.:nanner:

Finally gonna get a good night's sleep this evening. Good thing too. I just did about 15 hours of OT this past week and guessing I'll be doing half that this week. Working tomorrow. Poor me. 

My garlic is already sending up some shoots. Gotta get some mulch on it real soon.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

I bought a kayak for my birthday. I would've taken a picture of it but it was dark when I got home. This is what I bought.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...=2586&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=373037303132#reviewsInfo


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Awesome! Because of you I have one on my wishlist for next season...lol. Some friends are dang expensive


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Nice buy Tambo. Use it in good health!

Old Town used to make an 8' canoe that I always had my eye on but never got around to buying. The one I have now is 15' aluminum trapper canoe and I'm finding the older I get the harder it is for me to handle.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

A guy just gave me a 17' flat back canoe! I already have a 2 HP motor for it. Going to drag it with my snow machine to a remote lake and fish it next summer. Then try another lake the next year and so on.......


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Tommyice said:


> Nice buy Tambo. Use it in good health!
> 
> Old Town used to make an 8' canoe that I always had my eye on but never got around to buying. The one I have now is 15' aluminum trapper canoe and I'm finding the older I get the harder it is for me to handle.


I wanted the Old Town Vapor Angler but I would have had to order it. I chose this one but it is quite a bit heavier. I am going to make me a dolly for it so I can get it around better.


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

My incubator is peeping too. Blue Copper Maran chicks. I have one out and one trying to get out.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Tambo, I would LOVE to see what they look like when they get their feathers in! They sound like they would be beautiful!!!


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Our nights have been in the low 20s and teens the past couple weeks so we are FINALLY getting some fall color! A friend gave me a big box of apples so will be making applesauce and apple butter in the crock pot this week.  Cleaning up the garden and yard this weekend.  Cleaned out the chicken house last weekend and boyfriend make me a new outside nesting box (attached to the back of chicken house with openings inside house to it) with a roof door so that I can just lift it up and pick up eggs from the 2 nest boxes without even going inside. The chickens LOVE it!!! I use cross cut paper shredding from school for the nesting material. Nice and soft.  Makes for clean eggs too.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Our first snowfall of the season yesterday morn. Didn't last long, but cold enough to stick to the ground for a while. Hard heavy frost this morn...had to wait a few hours to pickup some feed bales.

Flies and skeeters are gone. Big dryland flying hoppers is all that are left, and there are many! Been thinking about getting guineas again? Hoppers have been bad the last three years, more due to weather circumstances than anything else, I think?

Remembering last year... first of November there was a big fat grasshopper impaled on a apple tree spike by a butcher bird. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcherbird It was still alive, but burnt pretty dark by frost. They often impale lizards and grasshoppers on a barbwire fence line.

I like the seasons!


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Pictures


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Wrong thread.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I've got something like this for my canoe from Eastern Mtn Sports. Up at the cabin, I keep mine in the garage but have to walk it down to the dock (down a hill and around a curve or down the steps).



tambo said:


> I wanted the Old Town Vapor Angler but I would have had to order it. I chose this one but it is quite a bit heavier. I am going to make me a dolly for it so I can get it around better.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Hey! I'm on the road for October I guess, helping a friend move home to WA from Phoenix. Have an rv but no running water/bathroom/gas etc(we do have a little gas camp stove, I just mean the gas doesn't work in the rv). So using hobo skills! Have met some full timers, sweet old folks in some places where they "boondock" (free squatting). We get asked "how long you been at this?" so I guess we got the dusty look ha. Saw a sweet little windmill setup for an rv, many have solar and wind gennies. 

Got into the Palm Springs Art Museum for student rate, just because we asked ha!

OMG, Quartzite, I have to go back, it is Nirvana for crazy rock people! I was spinning in the rock store all happy sparks bouncing from all that crystal BAM! ha!

Used the sun to make toast today on the cast iron fry pan lid. Eating chicken on the edge of salmonella Armageddon(but wow, not sick! ha), almost picked the skull out from a coyote mummy, but settled for a bleached shin bone.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

get r done wyld...!!!!!!!!


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Somehow I missed the banana tree pic on this thread. That is awesome she grows her own bananas.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

fresh rosemary makes great deodorant, I picked some at the library. getting jugs filled at am/pm mini mart sink--prob they let us because we bought gas. hard to find fresh water in a town that doesn't want homeless.


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## JohnnyLee (Feb 13, 2011)

Went fishing this afternoon, stayed until almost dark, but didn't catch anything! lol That's why it's called FISHING! lol


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

Went to the old house yesterday to tear down one of the sheds there, so we can re-use it to shelter the sheep. Got a fair amount of it dismantled. We will wait till it is all down before taking the trailer and fetching all the lumber back here.

The proto type high raised bed is working great. I have some salad greens in it and they are peeping out. Not sure if we have enough time left before a freeze, but I just wanted to see how they would be to work with. I do have some bubble wrap and fabric I can throw over this one if I need to, though.

Brought my dehydrator back. I need to get the basil, oregano, rosemary and mint all cut back and dried before the plants need to be protected overnight. They are all in pots so they will be easy to overwinter.

Mary


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

JohnnyLee said:


> Went fishing this afternoon, stayed until almost dark, but didn't catch anything! lol That's why it's called FISHING! lol


Wished I'da went fishing instead of trying to work. Twisted an axle off in the truck trying to cross a ditch at the field bottom. ----it! I knew better, but there wasn't a load and a half in this small field. tried to call the guy to fill it in for a crossing, and realized he was probly in church. Yep, I can do it! put the front axle in and didn't like the depth. Went to back out and Bam...chang...chang....chang! Cheet! I've heard that sound before! Weighing close to 50K on two axles, and your tires don't get much slippage.

I've never had any luck lake fishing here JL! I like backroads out of the way places. Small cricks and rivers is what works for me....when I get to fish?


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## JohnnyLee (Feb 13, 2011)

Well, sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you.

[youtube]aPVLyB0Yc6I[/youtube]


Plenty of creeks and ponds around here just gotta scout them out.


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## redrex (Jun 29, 2013)

@ Tambo;;;You need to come over to my neck of the woods and give your new toy a workout on the Ocoee. Best white water east of the Mississippi!!!!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

woot! found the missing link, a second hidden fuel filter. we are now strongly charging the hills at a respectable 30 mph and the flats almost 70! SO GOOD be rolling again!

Also finally found a place that sells butane fuel cans--our everlasting "lamp oil" gave out this morning. Hithertoo I've been cooking rice in the sun and making sun coffee.

Had a nice walk up to the foothills, rather toehills of the northern mountains. My rambling feet found a cairn in nowhere someone else had made. I turned and saw it, placed a rock on top. I wondered what magic pulled me there to look up and see the little cairn?

Also marveling how much garbage in this desert. Been picking up bits of rusty things and worn glass to make some artsy fartsy stuff. Will post later  

My friend found the second fuel filter when he finally broke down and stopped at a Mexican shade tree mechanic, after going over the engine and etc with a fine tooth comb. I hugely appreciate and admire a person who can work on cars and has the patience and stubborn cheapness to do it himself to the bitter end. RV is running great now 

Thanks for your awesome juju eyeball Elkhound!


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

We had our first freeze this week. I've seen local friends comparing out temps to Alaska's current conditions and it's depressing!



















Been busy getting the beds tucked in for winter. The bunnies have done a great job producing organic matter for me all summer.










And have I mentioned the baby bunnies?  This is the first one I caught out of the nest on Day 15 with mama.










And Day 18


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Cool temperatures are a great time for baking.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Making nasturtium peppercorn vinegar and apple pies today.
2 cups nasturtium blossoms, including spurs, washed and dried
â¢ 1 cups nasturtium leaves
â¢ 1/4 cups chopped chives
â¢ 2 stems of rosemary
â¢ 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
â¢ 4 cups white wine vinegar





Read more: http://www.motherearthliving.com/fo...ights-3-nasturtium-recipes.aspx#ixzz2iYNeLU8q


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

This is going to be a fun day of experimentation.
[YOUTUBE]U2iUCqD0cbA[/YOUTUBE]


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I'll stick to basil.:yuck:


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

doodlemom said:


> I'll stick to basil.:yuck:


So, it did not taste good?


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

You keep a neat and tidy house. Nice.



vigilant20 said:


> Came home sick today. Offices are evil germ factories. There's a 24 hour type flu going around so I expect to be crummy tomorrow then well in time for my vacation day Friday. At least it was timed well.
> 
> All I did all day was put the legs on the new hutches and put up some cheapo stick-on shades in the sunroom because it overheats so easily in the sun. Mittens has already moved in and there's room to grow out the next litter on the bottom. It can stack 2 more on top if I really get into this meat rabbit thing, but they are $100 a pop so I'll wait and see


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Are you eating the dock leaves as well or just the root? The root is a strong purgative if taken in the right amount. The leaves are good. The leaves air dry nicely and then cook quickly once you toss them in boiling water.





doodlemom said:


> http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Yellow-Dock-Root-Cut
> 
> http://www.iherb.com/Yellow-Dock-475-mg-90-Veggie-Caps/2973
> I would never pay for some weed that grows in my yard along with
> ...


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## Groene Pionier (Apr 23, 2009)

doodlemom said:


> I'll stick to basil.:yuck:


It is quite peppery isn't it? We did like it though!


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Don't try making pesto with parsley it is gross also.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

if I had to live on what my garden produced this year I would not survive for more then three months. 

Blessed be.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I was under the seckel pear tree today which has been long picked clean looking for the evil invasive things that grow under a fruit tree and saw garlic mustard making a comeback. Amazing that the garlic mustard went to seed and died down about July and then comes back tasty and tender this time of year. That is one non native invasive I enjoy and let thrive. It's a nice under story plant that prefers the side of roads.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Transplanted some Siberian kale, seeded some lettuce and mache seeds, dug up the sweet potatoes, pulled some carrots, turnips, and radish, scrounged up some dock, plantain, and dandelion greens, cooked and ate kelp for the first time, learned to make a nice cream and white wine sauce for fish, made a sauce of dock, dandelion, and thyme and rosemary in white wine to go over fish and roasted potatoes, made a sweet potato with bacon, melted cheese and fresh chives, got drunk on Friday night, got drunk on Saturday night, got drunk on sunday night around a pit fire, wrote a love song, ate a cucumber sandwich, watched season 8 and 9 of the office, was happy Dwight and Angela realized in the end that they had true love and got married, went to lowes for plaster and the greeter did not greet me, went to the cashier to pay and she greeted me, went to the security guard to have her mark my receipt so I could leave and she greeted me.

Ok month so far. Blessed be.

Next week is Halloween, my favorite holiday. 

Q: Why did the vampire never make it far in life? A: He never set any ghouls for his life.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

City Bound said:


> was happy Dwight and Angela realized in the end that they had true love and got married


Wow. I didn't know that. Quit following the show after about year six I think.


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

I have been getting ready for winter cleaned out the garage area and have the ATV and car inside for the winter. Need one more cord of wood cut and split.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Ramblin Wreck said:


> Wow. I didn't know that. Quit following the show after about year six I think.


Yeah, it was pretty romantic also, at least I think so. Also, Dwight finally becomes the regional manager and finally gets his black belt, hahah. He also inherits a massive farm from his aunt, Angela finally confesses that her baby is Dwight's, him and jim finally become good buddies, and Michael Scott shows up to be his best man at his wedding, so Dwight really wins in the end.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I've got the fall cleaning bug. The house has been scrubbed down and I started doing a bit of decorating. My room went to pink camo and I hope to get some log furniture soon. The bathroom has a fun fishing theme. The yard front and back are cleaned out now and got a fresh layer of mulch.










And my little angora family was moved to one of the new cages which are quite a bigger than the hutches. Here's a slightly frazzled mama in her new cage on day 20. The babies are out of the nest now and starting to nibble on pellets.










And just taken was this little guy, it's now day 22. They are really growing...especially their giant heads


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## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Your yard looks great Lynn. Did you say you plan on covering log furniture with gasp Pink Camo?


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

tambo said:


> Your yard looks great Lynn. Did you say you plan on covering log furniture with gasp Pink Camo?


Haha yep, if I can ever afford log furniture


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Broke open a jar of beet stems that I pickled in the summer. Nice and crunchy. Added them to chicken salad instead of celery and it worked just as well but better because they added the vinegar tang to the salad at the same time.

Chard stems work well also. Turnips stems taste awful in opinion.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Different varieties of big hip roses like rugosa taste different. I found one that reminds me of sun dried tomatoes when it starts wrinkling and am packing it in olive oil in the fridge for pasta salad. Found some hazelnuts I missed and szechuan pepper I forgot all about.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

City Bound said:


> Broke open a jar of beet stems that I pickled in the summer. Nice and crunchy. Added them to chicken salad instead of celery and it worked just as well but better because they added the vinegar tang to the salad at the same time.
> 
> Chard stems work well also. Turnips stems taste awful in opinion.


I add turnip stems to beef barley soup and stuff like that.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

doodlemom said:


> I add turnip stems to beef barley soup and stuff like that.


 
Do you find the stems a little too strong in flavor or do they mellow when cooked in a soup? I used them potato salad cut up small and that was not too bad.

Love the rose hip exploration. What are you doing with them?

I was in Dorset this Sept and the local people had some really nicely planned hedgerows full of blackberries, rosa ragosa, and other edibles. One cottage had a hedge of rosa ragosa around their cottage with the biggest hips I have seen in my life, they were the size of small plums and as succulent as tomatoes . Bought a local wine from made from hips, one made from nettle, and the other made from blackberry. The blackberry tastes the best.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Tried making rose hip jam-ok, tea-ok, mincing into various dishes-kinda going somewhere, mixed it in sweet pickle relish to use to make macaroni salads and tartar sauce. Pack it in olive oil for cold tortellini salads The little fiddly hips go to the chickens. I used to use the little hips as vitamin c tea. Naturelover had wonderful pics of her rose hip adventure on HT a while back. With the turnips I grow purple top. The flesh is white turnip flesh and I've seen the greens described as mustardy, but maybe like how corned beef takes over the flavor of stuff the beef broth does the same as I cook it to the point the turnip flavor has been muted. Going to see if I can grow my favorite rose hip seeds and these black szechuan seeds that are the less desirable part of the peppercorn. I can picture the beautiful nicely planned hedgerows you describe. Sounds lovely.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rose-H...=rose hip&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

My poor barren yard 










The midgets are on day 25. One day he'll fill this whole grooming chair like his parents.










And a fall recipe to share:










Beef Barley Soup (Crockpot)

1 lb beef round steak or 1 lb beef chuck, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup green beans
8 ounces tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup barley
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 bouillon cube
2 1/2 cups water

Brown the beef in a skillet. In crockpot, layer carrot, celery, green pepper, onion, corn and green beans. Add browned beef. Cover with remaining ingredients. Without stirring, cook on low for 10-12 hours. I cooked on high for 6 hours and needed to double the liquid. Makes 4 servings.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

My kids would love that! For myself I just make a soup out of whatever trying to make it taste good that's growing around. There's some kind of genetic thing that forces me to put garlic in even if the recipe doesn't call for it.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

doodlemom said:


> Tried making rose hip jam-ok, tea-ok, mincing into various dishes-kinda going somewhere, mixed it in sweet pickle relish to use to make macaroni salads and tartar sauce. Pack it in olive oil for cold tortellini salads The little fiddly hips go to the chickens. I used to use the little hips as vitamin c tea. Naturelover had wonderful pics of her rose hip adventure on HT a while back. With the turnips I grow purple top. The flesh is white turnip flesh and I've seen the greens described as mustardy, but maybe like how corned beef takes over the flavor of stuff the beef broth does the same as I cook it to the point the turnip flavor has been muted. Going to see if I can grow my favorite rose hip seeds and these black szechuan seeds that are the less desirable part of the peppercorn. I can picture the beautiful nicely planned hedgerows you describe. Sounds lovely.


Exactly, mustardy. The stems have like a mustard green flavor.

I make rose hip tea also but with store bought hips. I don't have enough land to grow enough roses for hips. After I make the tea I take the rose hips that are left over and I smash them up and add honey to make a simple spread to go on toast. One thing that is really good in the summer is iced rose hip tea, very refreshing. Rose hips are good blood builders and sources of iron.

Have you ever heard of using rose petals for thickening jam rather then pectin? I saw that on tv once but never read up on it for further understanding.

Oh, the hedgerows can be lovely. They are very sensible, you get a fence and you get food. In England they traditionally plant apple trees, roses, and various berries in the hedgerows as well as trees for lumber harvesting and coppicing. it is like a food forest in permaculture except that it is also a living fence to keep cattle in pasture and out of grain fields, then you can have a gate through the hedgerows to get from one pasture or field to another. They also act as wind breaks and walls to create micro climates. They also use the hedgerows to hunt birds and rabbits to eat.

Talk about sustainability, some of the farms in Devon and Cornwall have been in the same family for over 300 years and they are still lush and productive. That blew my mind. That is some seriously good land stewardship.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I've never heard of the rose petal pectin thing unless I forgot lol. You make me think which is awesome because in trying to answer a question sometimes I learn which I just did about carrots as a source of pectin...Interesting, but I'll stick with apples. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

You make me think also.

I was poking around on youtube and found some vids on making jam and jelly from rose petals but I could not find anything on using rose petals to gel a jam. I will look into it when I get some free time and see what I can dig up. Commercial pectin is expensive and so are apples, it would be good to find a free alternative.

Roses and apples are cousins. A rose petal jam: http://red.food.com/recipe/my-love-is-like-a-red-red-rose-rose-petal-jam-conserve-301796

Wow, I was reading that link you posted. It is scary how they take simple pomice and peels and then butcher and process them with chemicals to make commercial pectin. Scary. Sounds too gross to ingest.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

http://books.google.com/books?id=Va...nepage&q=aluminum precipitates pectin&f=false


http://www.idosi.org/wjdfs/wjdfs5(1)/12.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056430/


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

I'm carving pumpkins with my mind drifting off to Reagan /alzheimer's /jelly beans / pectin/ aluminum lol


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Yeah, I avoid cooking in aluminum cook ware. Nasty stuff.


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