Modern Homesteading Mercantile a.k.a. 2nd Hand Store

Yesterday Woodsrunner & I headed out to rural Genesee County for a few errands. While there we stopped off in Indian Falls @ an awesome modern day homesteading mercantile. As the sign reads Your 2nd Hand Store.
For an urban homesteader, a fugal homesteader like myself it's like going to the mall with a pocket full of coupons and some change in my pocket. While this isn't a true mercantile in that I didn't see any food for sale for the average fugalista or treasure hunter it's a gold mine; cloth & sewing supplies vintage patterns, sick room equipment, dishes, pots and pans, furniture, appliances (more on that later).

There is the usual "antiques" which to a homesteader really translates into lifestyle tools. This hand cranked wringer would require both elbow grease to use & restore. The wood is solid on this model, surface rust only but the rollers would need to be replaced. I've often wondered if something like a rubber inner tube could be slid over each roller, a sleeve. Just something I've been playing with in my head. The hack would have to be of clean laundry quality of course.  

A lamp to read by - there were no Aladdin Lamps but plenty of good usable complete oil lamps, as well as parts to be had. Sconces & candle holders, wick snuffers too.

See anything you need?

 For a mercantile like this you should dress accordingly. Clothes that you can crawl around in. I also like to have a fanny pack or a nail apron (think waitress apron two big pockets), that I keep camera, note pad & pen, tape measure, baby wipes for hand washing.  If I'm shopping for a specific item like a lid for a fry pan I have those measurements.

Medical prepps

Good things come to those who search - hemo stats, cuticle scissors, tweezers. To the right was bar supplies like ice strainers & shot tumblers.

Sausage making - Breakfast, Italian, Polish, and yes even Blood. 

Manual meat grinders and a few that did more. The large one might be a cherry pitter. To the left is a container full of poultry trivets, cooling racks & toaster oven shelves. * Note to self bring camp oven to fit for extra shelves !

Valuable tool come Apple harvesting time.

Some homesteading tools are in mint condition minus the box. Notice the aluminum colored press? I didn't when I snapped this pic. Might be something I haven't realized I can't live without.

Stop, look, touch, consider with an open mind. 

Sometimes a homesteader's tools are hiding in plain sight. On this shelf was a Squeezeo style food strainer (center tool with wooden handle), four red bottle cappers, more manual grinders, and some shop tools.

I saw a few non-wire bail canning jars, huge selection of funnels & tongs along with water bath canners or pots that would work. No pressure canners but quite a few pressure cookers.

Next Saturday is shop small local biz day an add marketing campaign sponsored by American Express - FYI bring cash. We have always found everything here reasonably price so I've never attempted negotiating.
 
If your in the area stop by 48 A to Z. Please give Ginger the owner a shout out from me.

Do you have a favorite junk store full of hidden treasures ?


~~ pelenaka ~~

Urban Wagon

Every once in a while you get a gift that keeps on giving.

This is one such time.

My soul mate gave me a big 'ss safety yellow garden wagon for Christmas.

While many will equate this gift to receiving a new plow blade there is a method to his madness once you look deep enough. It's a multi layered gift.

On the most obvious level anyone who knows me knows that I am a gardener. Even in a space deprived garden as ours a good garden cart is a must have. Potted Irises can be very heavy.

Not to mention a great cache of wood shavings from a near by freshly ground tree stump courtesy of city works.

Next this urbanbilly cart is a must have for curb shopping & dumpster diving.

Or using the shoe leather express to go to tag sales in our hood.

Neighborhood grocery shopping.

Farmer's market down the avenue.

Then there is this reason which by far is the one that is most near to my heart.

Collecting firewood for our as yet installed wood stove.

Free firewood means that the original outlay of $ for the completed wood stove project is recouped all the more quickly. Quicker return on our investment along with the eventual concept of free heat = cash surplus.

Or to put it simply the very real possibility to become a one income family.

Imagine having time to enjoy my role as a Wife and Mother without being a co-bread winner.

Time to volunteer.

Become a Master Gardener.

Imagine. Just imagine.

We recently had a huge warm up here in Western New York with day time temperatures reaching near 60 in some areas. Along with the warmer day came high winds two days later. Gust of 75 miles was recorded @ the Buffalo International Airport.

100 + year old Maples didn't have a chance.

While DD #2 was more than happy to glean on our city streets DD #3 keep two houses back @ all times so not to be associated with us urbanbillys. She basically was our look out since the contracted tree service feels that city residents who remove fallen trees are thieves. With the rise in demand for firewood cord prices are over $125 in some areas.

Tools consist of a few hand saws & a battery operated sawz all.

Working on conquering my phobia of chain saws.

~~ pelenaka ~~

p.s - Hubby & DD #2 enjoyed a brisk walk on Monday glean another wagon load of wood.

1/6 of a cord collected. Need to set aside a total of 4 cords for next Winter.

Backyard Lasagna

Lasagna filling for the most part made from our homestead garden minus the raw milk & vinegar used to make a soft ricotta style cheese, & ofcourse the Parmesan cheese.
Everything else such as the Swiss chard used in place of cooked spinach, the diced Onions, dehydrated Green Bell Peppers, and all the Italian herbs such as Basil and even the Bay Leaf ( houseplant ) were grown within 18 feet of my kitchen.
The raw milk came from a dairy in my county so easily within say 15 miles. I'd give you the exact GPS but then I'd have to kill ya 'cause buying raw milk is illegal here.
The tomato sauce was made with a quart of stewed toms put up last Summer.
I strayed when it came to the pasta a loss leader from mega mart for 99¢ a box.
Bad locavore, bad!

So here is the first of what will indubitably be more Winter Goals than I have energy for ...
This Winter my goal will be to learn to make pasta such as lasagna from locally grown ingredients.

Run down on our version of veggie lasagna -
$ 2.50 for a gallon of very fresh whole milk from cows that are actually pastured, $ 1.00 worth of grated Parmesan cheese, $ 1.00 something with tax for the pasta = $4.50 for huge dish that fed 4 for 2 meals.
Forgot to add in the cost of the canning lid on the quart mason jar that the home canned stewed tomatoes came in. Being a bit OCD huh ?
You get it though, right ?
It's about being self reliant.
Maintaining direct control over our food supply.
Utilizing your pantry goods.
Cost effect organic produce.
Sitting down to a family dinner with good food.

Now when the vines start producing then we can have a nice Red to go with this.

~~ pelenaka ~~

This is how I plan my garden - 1st planning a menu then planting toward that menu.

Mindset

Got a windfall of Persian Limes from a friend who got them from a friend who originally got them from a food ministry who got them from a local mega mart. While the temptation to cut, squeeze, strain, and salt the nearest goblet in preparation of traveling to Margaritaville was great I made the decision to opt for long term storage. Future hopes of Lime curd and marinades for chicken won out. Directions posted from a query to HomesteadingToday forum provided directions based on a Ball Canning book.

2 lbs. of Limes gave me a quart and oh about a fourth of a pint of fresh Lime juice. Utilized half jelly jars for the containers since I doubt I'll need more than a few ounces at a time.

Lime juice retails for $4.39 a quart.

Limes were free, lids & jars were a B-day gift, energy to can also free.

Nonelectric food processor (knife & 1930 glass juicer).

While it can be said that canning up a few pounds of Limes was a waste of time I prefer to look at it as expanding my urban homesteading preservation mindset.

Sharpening my skills.

Besides I'm a type A personality.

Couldn't let a few Limes slip past me now could I ?

~~ pelenaka ~~

Press this Baby!

This has nuttin to do with nuttin except well to brag on my Husband's skill & as an incentive for me to cut some cheese. You see I'm pretty much burned out on homesteading.

Well not all homesteading activities just the canning aspect. Actually not the entire canning aspect just the jar washing/sterilizing/water bath canning/wipe down & label/stocking shelves aspect. Followed closely by the renovation of my old house such as stripping of woodwork and installing replacement windows, and repainting the porch. Next up is staining woodwork & doors, painting & reasembling door hardware (100 y.o. screws).

So on what is my first night off after picking up extra shifts due to call offs DH & I are going out to an area outside of Buffalo to a wine tasting/vintage car show/antique event http://www.clarencehollow.org/index.php3 .

So whether or not I come back with an attitude adjustment tomorrow there is Rainbow Chard to preserve, Green beans to can, & if it ever stops raining perhaps Roma toms to put up also.

Oh and Broccoli to harvest.

Perhaps I'll stop by the local mega mart and grab a shopper's flier to read. Dose of economic reality should snap me outta it.

$2.50 per lbs. for Green beans.

51,000 Americans lost their jobs in July.

Gas @ Hess is $4.18 a gallon.

It's time to cut the cheese.

~~ pelenaka ~~

good buys @ a tag sale this week were a dozen & half of wide & reg. canning jars for $3.50

3 100% white cotton sheets sets & 4 sets of pillow cases all pre 1970's for $16.

Last week put up 8 Qt. of Cherry Pie Filling, 16 pt. of Cherries in syrup for ice cream toppings, oatmeal, or yogurt, and Maple syrup ( broke down a gallon jug into jelly jars for long term storage, yes canning can be used but not abused).

Planting

The best laid plans of Mice & Men ... I was planning on growing Opalka paste tomatoes for canning this Summer but the few that did sprout up were weak. So in a moment of desperation after being told at local organic greenhouse they had sold out of Amish paste seedlings I went commercial and bought Roma paste. There is always next Summer, (wiping away a tear).
I plant my tomatoes on their side to promote root growth. Roots will pop out all along the stems if buried. I leave about 2" to 3" peaking out. Within a day what was horizontal will be vertical reaching for the Sun. In a week or so I will repeat the process until the seedling is directly underneath the PVC trellis to which it will be tied to with twine.
The white powder on the soil is finely ground organic egg shells that I saved all winter. Free form of calcium which promotes flowering.
The red plastic is a tablecloth bought at the $ store. I read that the color will increase harvest by 20% when used as ground cover. Wonder what other applications it can be used for?
Time will tell.
6 pack Roma's were $ 2.49, bought 4 = $9.56
So I'm - $9.56 in canned stewed tomatoes category. Gonna have to make up for it in both increasing the harvest in general and foraging.





~~ pelenaka ~~

Inventory

On the Winter chore list is taking stock of our homesteading activities by examining our efforts. Food for example. This category is further broken down into sub categories - cost, effective method of storage, and need vs. want.

Keeping a well stocked pantry is by far our most fugal method of saving both money and time. On average we spend about $100 per month for a family of 5. This includes eggs (organic from a fellow rural HT'er), raw milk $2.50 per gallon, paper products, personal care items, commercially caned foods like pineapple, sugar, honey, baking supplies, grains, peanut butter & meats. By putting up our food both grown & commercial when it is the cheapest we can get up to a 300% return on the dollar. Coffee & sugar are two examples. Bonus is few last minute unplanned grocery trips usually during a snowstorm (priceless).

Tip - each month buy a grocery store gift card $25 or less to be used for discounted & loss leader specials only. Easy way to budget funds. Keep card in with coupons and calculator.

Second most valuable aspect is that making food preservation a family affair teaches values such as charity, teamwork, thriftiness and skills such as food preservation and living without money. No matter if my children grow up to be the next Bill Gates I know that if given a bucket of dirt, seeds, and canning supplies they will always be able to survive. Can you say Enron or negative outcome of NAFTA ? Or our nation's recent recall on Beef supplied for school lunches?

As you can see by late February this corner of our pantry is disorganized. All the best laid plans of farmer & caner have been put asunder by many hands looking for this jar or that.

Here's a quick run down of what is there among the many empty jars; applesauce, canned carrots, chili beans, cider, corn, dehydrated celery, eggplant, grape juice, jams - carrot cake, strawberry-rhubarb, red current, mulberry, pickles - b&b, dill, pie fillings-apple, peach, green tomato mince meat, salsa, spinach, tomatoes - stewed, and vinegar both apple & white. There is also a few jars left of squash butter a jam type spread good on cornbread. Total filled jars is 267.

Oh tucked in the back corner are about 6 pints of canned butter. My attempt at long term preservation of real butter bough as a loss leader ($1 per lbs.) Now waiting on a soap recipe.

So from organizing the shelves I have discovered that the squash butter should be canned in jelly jars & less of it. That we need @ least 40 quarts of chili beans along with an extra 20 quarts of stewed toms. That canned eggplant & spinach is the bomb in veggie lasagna so need is 10 quarts each for the year. On the subject of pickles despite what DH says he can't eat 6 pints of dills in a year.

That I should can up 2 quarts of Bread & Butter pickles for Church potluck in addition to 6 pints for home use.

Totally under estimated need of canned green beans, sweet corn, peaches, and dehydrated green bell peppers. Also need to find another type of juice to can.

Will also experiment with canning up jelly jars of fruit for packing in lunches. This would replace the expense & hassle of keeping fresh fruit in stock.

Now to work out the planting & acquiring (bartering/foraging/gleaning) list which preserving inventory is based on.

The only meat that we raise is rabbit which hasn't translated into a large percentage yet. Our meals generally run around 50% to 95% of self produced ingredients.

Fall/Winter menu -

S- Pot Roast & pie.

M- Chicken soup & baking powder biscuits.

T- Veggie lasagna (homemade ricotta, black olives, dehydrated mushrooms, onions, garlic, canned eggplant & spinach, & tossed salad).

W- Beef Veggie Soup, homemade rye bread or Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots & corn.

T- Puerto Rican Rice with chicken or Homemade Macaroni & Cheese with tossed salad.

F- Homemade Pizza, or Haddock Fish Fry.

S - Veggie Chili & rice, corn bread or German potato salad, sausage.

Alternate is always Spaghetti & tossed salad.

The shelves are those plastic ones that hold a thousand pounds easily wiped down with a bleach solution. The lines that are in a square pattern are nylon clothesline bought at the $ store. Since I have both young children & cats the homemade netting helps secure jars.

~~ pelenaka ~~

"As God is my witness I'll never go hungry again", Scarlett O'Hara.

Homemade Liqueurs

These are our homemade cordials made with fresh organic berries & vodka. Red Current Cordial on the left and Wild Black Raspberry on the right. Both berries were foraged for free, the current courtesy of DH's long time friend and the raspberry a gift from our local power company's right of way. http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/2007/08/satellite-farm.html
Container's are those bud vases bought at the thrift store for under a quarter, then scrubbed cleaned. Topped with a new cork from the hardware store for $1 or under. Think I spent about $8 on the bottle of vodka which is still 1/4 full. Add ribbons & labels - saved off of packages or bought after the holidays on discount.
Note to self: find a cheaper source of corks & vases. Research making vodka from gleaned potatoes.
Cordials can be made with flowers, fruit, nuts, spices, and teas.
The reference book we used was, "Homemade Liqueurs Dona and Mel Meilach" 1979.
Bought for $1.75. Very well written & do-able in any one's kitchen. Used common everyday kitchen utensils.
Not pictured is a Cherry Cordial, cherries picked from a gf's urban yard.
Of the 3 my favorite is Black Raspberry. Unsure if my taste buds are tainted by the fact I am getting one over on the electrical company or it really is all that & more.

~~ pelenaka ~~

Walking the talk / God provides

Last Spring I had a plant sale to help finance my gardening addiction and finish paying off what is left on the purchase of my greenhouse as well as my new canning pot (see blog 6/23/07 Puttin Food by in da Hood), and more plants.

During the sale a very youthful looking senior stopped to browse. We soon got around to topics such as victory gardens, mutual acquaintances, cheese making, fruit production, gleaning and bartering. We exchanged contact info, he invited us to his church social later that month, then he went about his yard sale Saturday.

Well four months later there was a knock on my door. Smiling in a simple I thought of you manner this man brought me food for my table. Food for pantry. Food for my friends.

A deeper smile came to his face when I mentioned that I had been praying for some gleaning opportunities.

The day after he dropped off a few beets and squash he again knocked on our door. Bearing more along with the directions to a few fields of freshly machined harvested carrots and potatoes. Ironically only a few miles from our neighborhood.

Mechanical harvesting isn't 100% effective. There will be plenty if permisson is granted.

So later tonight when Husband finishes his shift @ work and daughters are itching to walk in the fall they will go gleaning.

In return for his generosity I repaid him in butter bought by way of another barter deal, and the promise of late fall yard work. With good pickings hope to also seal the deal with a few gallons of fresh cider pressed in our backyard (see blog 9/5/07 Off to the side of a tag sale & blog 6/29/07 Urban Cider Press).

Carrots will be crinkle cut & canned for us, dehydrated for rabbit feed, paid forward to a few neighbors & friends, become part of a barter deal in the days ahead.

Beets will be canned as relish, paid forward to coworkers, neighbors, and friends, dehydrated for rabbit feed. Made into wine and soup.

Squash and potatoes will be root cellar'd for later use in soups, butter, baked, breads for us & gift giving, paid forward, bartered perhaps.

The simple raised bed in the background grew chard & huckleberries this Summer. Considering removing it to set up my portable greenhouse as this is the one spot on my city lot that receives the most Winter Sun. It's an ongoing obsession for a later blog fueled by a crazy vintage MEN inspired project.

~~ Pelenaka ~~

Only lazy men go hungry - Mom who taught me to never loose my edge.

Garden Harvest for an August Dinner

Can't beat this simple tomato salad with a stick for organic freshness ... well you could but then it would be sauce instead of a salad.

Grew everything but that red onion.

Pictured in the bowl is heirloom Yellow Pear Tomatoes sliced length wise. Small white bowl is more pears along with every one's favorite Bloody Butcher, an early salad variety.

Simple easy table prepared salad mixing in finely chopped celery, red onion, and fresh basil. Sprinkle a dash of garlic powder, then taste with a pinch of salt. Top with your favorite dressing or leave plain. This tom is a keeper sweet & mellow cherry type - will plant @ least 3 for a bigger harvest.