I started my first seeds last week. Broccoli and Cabbage are cold weather plants so I'll set them out once they're ready. The other was the seeds from an heirloom bell pepper. I "harvested" the only fruit in November (I'd been covering it every night) and ripened it on the windowsill. I'm not sure if there are any viable seeds, so I planted some of those just to see if they germinate.
I pushed a shovel down in the dirt. The boxes are thawed inside the covers (lettuce is re-sprouting) but everything else is still frozen once you get about a foot away from the walls and fences.
You can see me pouting.
I want spring to come! Right now!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Whole wheat bread
We're trying to be healthy, so for the last few months I've been trying to make whole wheat bread.
Last year we harvested a test plot of hard red wheat (this year we're going to try kamut as well as oats) and got about a half gallon of wheat. When ground, two cups of wheat makes about 2 1/3 cups of flour.
Whole wheat bread is a little trickier than white bread, because white bread flour often has additives and extra gluten and such nonsense. So making a good loaf of bread from a white bread recipe is pretty much a no-brainer. Apparently I thought I wasn't being challenged enough.
My first attempt was a disaster, the loaf dry and small, with little visible rising. Adding additional yeast didn't make much difference.
The second attempt (after doing some research on the internet) was half whole wheat (half hard red, half kamut) rather than all whole wheat. I used it to make rolls for Thanksgiving, and while they weren't as puffy as I would have liked they were OK.
Then I tried half and half kamut and wheat, the other half white flour, and found an interesting trick on the internet.
The night before I bake, I mix all the liquid and half the flour (the wheat half) + half the sugar with a 1/2 t of yeast. I mix all that together and leave it in the refrigerator over night. If I'm making whole wheat bread I mix the rest of the flour with additional water and let that sit as well. If I'm just using white flour for the other half, the rest of the ingredients can be mixed in just before the first rise. Basically the wheat needs time to hydrate and the bran needs time to break down so it won't destroy what gluten there is. In the morning I add the recipe equivalent of 1/4 to 1/3 of the required water (so if the recipe calls for 2 cups of water I'll add 1/2 cup additional water, or a little more) and the remaining ingredients.
Everything else follows the recipe.
2 T yeast + 1/2 t yeast (yeast can be mixed in dry)
2 c water + 1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar (can replace with honey)
1/4 c shortening
1 egg
2 t salt
6 1/2 c flour
Mix 1/2 t yeast, 3 1/2 c flour, 2 c water, 1/4 c sugar, let sit overnight
Add remaining yeast, remaining water, remaining sugar, shortening, egg and salt. Mix in remaining flour as usual. Let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours), then beat down, divide and let rise again. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Made four loaves this morning, and the only difference between wheat and white is the flavor and the color. :)
Last year we harvested a test plot of hard red wheat (this year we're going to try kamut as well as oats) and got about a half gallon of wheat. When ground, two cups of wheat makes about 2 1/3 cups of flour.
Whole wheat bread is a little trickier than white bread, because white bread flour often has additives and extra gluten and such nonsense. So making a good loaf of bread from a white bread recipe is pretty much a no-brainer. Apparently I thought I wasn't being challenged enough.
My first attempt was a disaster, the loaf dry and small, with little visible rising. Adding additional yeast didn't make much difference.
The second attempt (after doing some research on the internet) was half whole wheat (half hard red, half kamut) rather than all whole wheat. I used it to make rolls for Thanksgiving, and while they weren't as puffy as I would have liked they were OK.
Then I tried half and half kamut and wheat, the other half white flour, and found an interesting trick on the internet.
The night before I bake, I mix all the liquid and half the flour (the wheat half) + half the sugar with a 1/2 t of yeast. I mix all that together and leave it in the refrigerator over night. If I'm making whole wheat bread I mix the rest of the flour with additional water and let that sit as well. If I'm just using white flour for the other half, the rest of the ingredients can be mixed in just before the first rise. Basically the wheat needs time to hydrate and the bran needs time to break down so it won't destroy what gluten there is. In the morning I add the recipe equivalent of 1/4 to 1/3 of the required water (so if the recipe calls for 2 cups of water I'll add 1/2 cup additional water, or a little more) and the remaining ingredients.
Everything else follows the recipe.
2 T yeast + 1/2 t yeast (yeast can be mixed in dry)
2 c water + 1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar (can replace with honey)
1/4 c shortening
1 egg
2 t salt
6 1/2 c flour
Mix 1/2 t yeast, 3 1/2 c flour, 2 c water, 1/4 c sugar, let sit overnight
Add remaining yeast, remaining water, remaining sugar, shortening, egg and salt. Mix in remaining flour as usual. Let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours), then beat down, divide and let rise again. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Made four loaves this morning, and the only difference between wheat and white is the flavor and the color. :)
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Nip it in the Bud
In the last few weeks I've been hearing a lot of people talk about illnesses, mostly colds. Everyone wants the magic bullet that will kill the thing before it becomes debilitating.
There's an old phrase that some might have heard but few would know the meaning of.
"Nip it in the bud" literally means to nip (or cut off) the bud before the fruit appears. If you don't want the fruit, kill the blossom. If you don't want the cold, you need to catch it when it first shows its head rather than waiting until it's gnawing at your ankle.
There is no magic bullet that will kill a cold, but there are a lot of things you can do to keep it from becoming a monster. The same things that kill any other disease.
First, a healthy immune system. Vitamin C and D support immune system function, as do zinc and selenium. Vitamin B is another important vitamin for immune system function. Ironically, most of these items are found in fresh fruits and vegetables, something that was once much more difficult to acquire during cold season. Coincidence?
Lots of sunshine will take care of the D problem (although during the winter we all mew ourselves up like we're hibernating). Antioxidants also help build a strong immune system, but they are easily destroyed by excess heat--i.e., eat fruits and vegetables raw or steamed rather than boiled. Processed vegetables out of a can are better than nothing, but most of the nutrients are gone.
Another irony--the vitamins taken out of our food are re-processed and sold as vitamins on the shelf. But that's a rant for another time. Where were we?
Oh. If your immune system is in peak shape (which very few are) it will throw off the effects of most bacterial or viral diseases easily.
So when a cold rears its head, you need to take action.
1) A tablespoon of honey, morning and night. Taken on bread, in an herbal tea or simply from a spoon, honey has a multitude of beneficial vitamins and minerals that make it a miracle food. Too bad the bees are dying, huh?
2) A clove of crushed garlic every night (and every morning if your stomach will handle it). Eat it WITH the skin. Don't peel it. Whether in a capsule, a bowl of spaghetti or raw, garlic is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-biotic all rolled into one tasty little package.
3) Vitamin C, as much as your system can handle. If you have the chewable vitamin C, use them as lozenges rather than the chemical drops you buy from the store. Save those for the sore throat stage. Orange juice, pineapple juice
4) Drink. Lots. Drink water until you leak, but leave the sugar drinks and caffeine drinks strictly alone. That's a general rule for all the time, because they make you lose more water than you get from them. It's the definition of a diuretic.
5) Sleep deprivation is one of the most common maladies in the modern world. If you can go to sleep an hour earlier or get up an hour later, it will help.
6) Destress. A no brainer, but sometimes the most difficult to do. Meditation, breathing exercises, reading a good book--whatever it takes.
There's an old phrase that some might have heard but few would know the meaning of.
"Nip it in the bud" literally means to nip (or cut off) the bud before the fruit appears. If you don't want the fruit, kill the blossom. If you don't want the cold, you need to catch it when it first shows its head rather than waiting until it's gnawing at your ankle.
There is no magic bullet that will kill a cold, but there are a lot of things you can do to keep it from becoming a monster. The same things that kill any other disease.
First, a healthy immune system. Vitamin C and D support immune system function, as do zinc and selenium. Vitamin B is another important vitamin for immune system function. Ironically, most of these items are found in fresh fruits and vegetables, something that was once much more difficult to acquire during cold season. Coincidence?
Lots of sunshine will take care of the D problem (although during the winter we all mew ourselves up like we're hibernating). Antioxidants also help build a strong immune system, but they are easily destroyed by excess heat--i.e., eat fruits and vegetables raw or steamed rather than boiled. Processed vegetables out of a can are better than nothing, but most of the nutrients are gone.
Another irony--the vitamins taken out of our food are re-processed and sold as vitamins on the shelf. But that's a rant for another time. Where were we?
Oh. If your immune system is in peak shape (which very few are) it will throw off the effects of most bacterial or viral diseases easily.
So when a cold rears its head, you need to take action.
1) A tablespoon of honey, morning and night. Taken on bread, in an herbal tea or simply from a spoon, honey has a multitude of beneficial vitamins and minerals that make it a miracle food. Too bad the bees are dying, huh?
2) A clove of crushed garlic every night (and every morning if your stomach will handle it). Eat it WITH the skin. Don't peel it. Whether in a capsule, a bowl of spaghetti or raw, garlic is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-biotic all rolled into one tasty little package.
3) Vitamin C, as much as your system can handle. If you have the chewable vitamin C, use them as lozenges rather than the chemical drops you buy from the store. Save those for the sore throat stage. Orange juice, pineapple juice
4) Drink. Lots. Drink water until you leak, but leave the sugar drinks and caffeine drinks strictly alone. That's a general rule for all the time, because they make you lose more water than you get from them. It's the definition of a diuretic.
5) Sleep deprivation is one of the most common maladies in the modern world. If you can go to sleep an hour earlier or get up an hour later, it will help.
6) Destress. A no brainer, but sometimes the most difficult to do. Meditation, breathing exercises, reading a good book--whatever it takes.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Winter Garden Update
I went out this morning and my potatoes and pepper (inside the hoop house) were dead. I dug them all up and planted peas.
So it appears that potatoes are an OK late season crop in the hoop houses, but the "Sandy" temperature last night was in the high twenties and we're typically 5 to 10 degrees below the posted temp in the winter, so it might have gotten down into the teens. In either case, potatoes don't do well at 38 degrees (assuming that the temp in the hoop house remained 10 degrees above the outside temp). Lettuce, carrots, beets and onions are just fine. Lettuce and spinach continue to sprout.
I put up a "high" hoop house for the cabbage and broccoli. We'll see how well that does in the first wind-storm. :)
So it appears that potatoes are an OK late season crop in the hoop houses, but the "Sandy" temperature last night was in the high twenties and we're typically 5 to 10 degrees below the posted temp in the winter, so it might have gotten down into the teens. In either case, potatoes don't do well at 38 degrees (assuming that the temp in the hoop house remained 10 degrees above the outside temp). Lettuce, carrots, beets and onions are just fine. Lettuce and spinach continue to sprout.
I put up a "high" hoop house for the cabbage and broccoli. We'll see how well that does in the first wind-storm. :)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Off the topic
Sorry I'm so wishy-washy on this blog. Right now other things take precedence--like a job hunt and...
My hoop-houses, since nothing herbal is growing.
I have two hoop-houses this year. Last year was our first test. With two water bottles inside the temperature never got low enough to freeze the plants. The water bottles release their heat, so they're the first things to freeze. The bottles did freeze a couple of times (when the temperature got down into the teens), but nothing else inside even got nipped. I'm guessing that another water bottle in each would bring the survivable temperature even lower. Anything that touches the plastic will freeze, and the condensation on the plastic also froze quite regularly. It's amazing to lift the cover in the morning and have ice snap off, but the green inside hasn't been affected.
The hoop-house on the east has beets, lettuce and spinach. On the west, I'm experimenting so that one has potatoes, carrots and a pepper that I'm hoping will survive the winter. We'll see. Right now it's looking pretty sad and not growing.
We harvested our first out of season potatoes today, and I dug up the dill because it was infested with aphids. So I now know that I need to pay attention to insect control...
We've been eating salad (fresh from our garden) for the last month. :)
My hoop-houses, since nothing herbal is growing.
I have two hoop-houses this year. Last year was our first test. With two water bottles inside the temperature never got low enough to freeze the plants. The water bottles release their heat, so they're the first things to freeze. The bottles did freeze a couple of times (when the temperature got down into the teens), but nothing else inside even got nipped. I'm guessing that another water bottle in each would bring the survivable temperature even lower. Anything that touches the plastic will freeze, and the condensation on the plastic also froze quite regularly. It's amazing to lift the cover in the morning and have ice snap off, but the green inside hasn't been affected.
The hoop-house on the east has beets, lettuce and spinach. On the west, I'm experimenting so that one has potatoes, carrots and a pepper that I'm hoping will survive the winter. We'll see. Right now it's looking pretty sad and not growing.
We harvested our first out of season potatoes today, and I dug up the dill because it was infested with aphids. So I now know that I need to pay attention to insect control...
We've been eating salad (fresh from our garden) for the last month. :)
Friday, October 25, 2013
Another interesting tidbit
I know I haven't been very active on this blog recently, and I palologize. :) Been crazy-busy, but this morning I want to write about something new.
Sometimes I wake up with my left hand numb. It doesn't affect movement, it isn't painful, and working the hand makes the numbness go away relatively quickly.
I did some research on the topic and it appears that there are many causes, from heavy metal toxicity to heart attack.
Of course, heart attack would normally be in the right arm, but it's still a possibility.
We don't have a well (municipal water is tightly controlled) so heavy metals are unlikely.
The simplest (and most common) cause of temporary numbness appears to be carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel is caused by compression of a nerve as it runs through your wrist and usually affects people who use their wrists a great deal, such as people who spend a lot of time on the computer. It can be caused or exacerbated by extra weight, so often the first thing prescribed is to lose those extra pounds. The second thing prescribed is often surgery, but there are other options. Using an ergonomic keyboard (one that supports the natural movements of the wrist) is probably the most effective. Support your wrists while you type, even if it's just books lined up along the front of the keyboard.
My problem doesn't fit carpal tunnel, so I kept looking.
Most of the options fit in the "nerve damage" category. Causes could range from a sudden addition to your weight training regimen, to a sudden blow or trauma to the shoulder. i.e., did you recently help someone move or build a fence? Sleeping wrong (or long periods of inactivity while you sleep) can also cause the nerves to go to sleep temporarily.
The Brachial Plexus is a set of nerves that runs down the neck and into the arm. Once the nerves pass the shoulder the group breaks up, so depending on where the pressure is any of the nerves (or the whole group) could be affected.
It can also be environmental. I think I may have narrowed mine to constrictions around my shoulder from my pajamas, pressing on that nerve. I also wonder if my dreams are causing me to tense the shoulder and compress the nerve. It is always the left hand, and apparently the nerves of the right hand are situated differently than the left so they're not as likely to be compressed.
Please note that if there are other symptoms (nausea, pain, dizziness, etc) you should seek medical attention.
Going to be an interesting test, eliminating factors one by one until I can identify the problem--and then target it.
Sometimes I wake up with my left hand numb. It doesn't affect movement, it isn't painful, and working the hand makes the numbness go away relatively quickly.
I did some research on the topic and it appears that there are many causes, from heavy metal toxicity to heart attack.
Of course, heart attack would normally be in the right arm, but it's still a possibility.
We don't have a well (municipal water is tightly controlled) so heavy metals are unlikely.
The simplest (and most common) cause of temporary numbness appears to be carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel is caused by compression of a nerve as it runs through your wrist and usually affects people who use their wrists a great deal, such as people who spend a lot of time on the computer. It can be caused or exacerbated by extra weight, so often the first thing prescribed is to lose those extra pounds. The second thing prescribed is often surgery, but there are other options. Using an ergonomic keyboard (one that supports the natural movements of the wrist) is probably the most effective. Support your wrists while you type, even if it's just books lined up along the front of the keyboard.
My problem doesn't fit carpal tunnel, so I kept looking.
Most of the options fit in the "nerve damage" category. Causes could range from a sudden addition to your weight training regimen, to a sudden blow or trauma to the shoulder. i.e., did you recently help someone move or build a fence? Sleeping wrong (or long periods of inactivity while you sleep) can also cause the nerves to go to sleep temporarily.
The Brachial Plexus is a set of nerves that runs down the neck and into the arm. Once the nerves pass the shoulder the group breaks up, so depending on where the pressure is any of the nerves (or the whole group) could be affected.
It can also be environmental. I think I may have narrowed mine to constrictions around my shoulder from my pajamas, pressing on that nerve. I also wonder if my dreams are causing me to tense the shoulder and compress the nerve. It is always the left hand, and apparently the nerves of the right hand are situated differently than the left so they're not as likely to be compressed.
Please note that if there are other symptoms (nausea, pain, dizziness, etc) you should seek medical attention.
Going to be an interesting test, eliminating factors one by one until I can identify the problem--and then target it.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Emergency Preparedness #1
Emergency preparedness is not something you can just ignore, although most people seem to be trying. If I think my neighbors aren't my business, my attitude may change when I'm trapped inside my home in a flood or under six feet of rubble after an earthquake.
There are a number of different types of emergencies.
Individual, such as unemployment or a house fire.
Local, such as a flood or an earthquake--emergencies that are local in scope but affect a number of people.
Universal, such as a war or an extended depression.
All of these can be prepared for with a little foresight. First step, request the "neighborhood watch" area list. Since those areas already exist, you can use that foundation for your emergency planning.
Sample text for a neighborhood emergency preparedness flier:
Preparedness Meeting
Area Leader:
(Date, time and location)
List of families in the "area"
There are a number of different types of emergencies to be considered, from personal (such as unemployment or a house fire) to local (such as an earthquake, where help should arrive within apx 72 hours) and universal (which could be something like a major depression or a war). We would prefer to have a representative of each family or house at the meeting.
The following will be discussed:
Special Needs: In our area we have autism, dementia, and several others with various medical problems. These needs must be addressed in an emergency. A family medical survey has been included with this letter. Please fill it out and bring it with you. Do you (as a family) have sufficient medication, food, and water to last at least 72 hours? Do you have sufficient food, clothing and medication to last a year if necessary?
Abilities: In an emergency all special skills might be necessary, from babysitting to flying a plane. Please come prepared to discuss the skills of your family. Skills such as budgeting or writing a resume could be used in personal emergencies, so please come prepared to say whether or not you are willing to offer these skills to your neighbors in case of need.
Communication: What I propose is a fanout program. Each house has other homes within sight--those families would be your first priority after your own family is safe.
What we can expect from an emergency
There are a number of different types of emergencies.
Individual, such as unemployment or a house fire.
Local, such as a flood or an earthquake--emergencies that are local in scope but affect a number of people.
Universal, such as a war or an extended depression.
All of these can be prepared for with a little foresight. First step, request the "neighborhood watch" area list. Since those areas already exist, you can use that foundation for your emergency planning.
Sample text for a neighborhood emergency preparedness flier:
Preparedness Meeting
Area Leader:
(Date, time and location)
List of families in the "area"
There are a number of different types of emergencies to be considered, from personal (such as unemployment or a house fire) to local (such as an earthquake, where help should arrive within apx 72 hours) and universal (which could be something like a major depression or a war). We would prefer to have a representative of each family or house at the meeting.
The following will be discussed:
Special Needs: In our area we have autism, dementia, and several others with various medical problems. These needs must be addressed in an emergency. A family medical survey has been included with this letter. Please fill it out and bring it with you. Do you (as a family) have sufficient medication, food, and water to last at least 72 hours? Do you have sufficient food, clothing and medication to last a year if necessary?
Abilities: In an emergency all special skills might be necessary, from babysitting to flying a plane. Please come prepared to discuss the skills of your family. Skills such as budgeting or writing a resume could be used in personal emergencies, so please come prepared to say whether or not you are willing to offer these skills to your neighbors in case of need.
Communication: What I propose is a fanout program. Each house has other homes within sight--those families would be your first priority after your own family is safe.
What we can expect from an emergency
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