Girl U Can't Do That Here

Cloudy & gloomy as usual but warm start to December and most of January been in the mid-40's 

That was a comment I heard over the small portion of back fence behind the greenhouse from a guy I only know by our brief exchanges that happen whenever he's on the tail end of the shoe leather express. He has a tag to differentiate between the other people who walk or bike my neighborhood but after today I'm renaming him Giveup. 

Today there's a fence between us. On occasion it's my street as he gives a holla, a comment or question as he stands lighting a cigarette across from my city lot. Seems every time I see or smell someone lite up I wonder how they can afford food & smokes. Then as I find myself inhaling just a bit too deeply I remember how much I loved that first cigarette of the day with coffee. Usually for me it was dawn, on a fire escape the last break before 0600 meds and quitting time. 

Most of the time Giveup, asks me what I'm planting. Other times he tells me he needs a gardener flashing a broad smile bright even @ a distance. 

Once I quipped back that I can't I'm on parole. Say anything with a straight face a calm stare. The myth become fact. 

He gave a hearty laugh. 

Stared. 

Then said, "yeah, it's the ones who don't look like they would ". 

True that I nod.

This day though he was in a more talkative mood counting down the reasons why I can't gardening here like this meaning here as in New York. 

Here as in this city. 

Here as in my city lot.

I heard the words cold, snow, freezing, but I wasn't listening. 

His cigarette smoke just seemed to hang in the air between us as he leaned up against the fence less than 40 feet away. I tasted coffee thick with creamer. 

He spoke a bit more something about see u in the Spring. Then the words Florida, got people, I'll be thinking of you, smile flashing bright. 

Then he trudged up to the city sidewalk from where he had been standing in the vacant lot behind my house. 

I am fully aware I can't do that here.  

He shook his head, apparently I had spoke my mind out loud.

Inside the cold frame I transplanted found celery no doubt from kitchen scraps. It's a commercial brand since I didn't plant any seeds.
Hopefully since it sprouted up in late October/November it will be hardy enough to last through the Winter.  Center is fancy salad greens that I planted a week ago. I don't expect much turn out maybe come March. Far right is old stand by Swiss Chard.

Maybe a second layer of 4 ml plastic?  As if it couldn't look any more trashy.

~~ pelenaka ~~

Resolutions my Ghetto Amish A**

Resolution # 1- grow vegetables like a drug dealer.
I'm really serious about this, been thinking about it for a few months. Seems like there isn't a week that goes by that there isn't a news story about a grow house raided by a local police task force or in combination with DEA MIB. Doesn't really seem to matter if it's rural or urban.
These ganga growers have a green thumb I'd love to emulate ... legally ... let me clarify legally & in an off grid method. I can only imagine the overhead (electric bill). Could you imagine having premo peaches in Winter ?

Resolution #1a - Cold weather gardening - who knows maybe one cold Winter day I just maybe able to steam up some Broccoli fresh from the backyard.

Resolution #1b - Vertical gardening. There has just got to be more gardening space that I haven't found.

Resolution #2 - Eat healthy as if $ was no object.
K, I had to put down my coffee before I electrocute myself with my lap top. Like that can really happen. Yeah I think it can with careful shopping (Swagbucks & Amazon) & more effort put into bartering, foraging, gardening, & gleaning.
What I want is to increase the amount of our pantry style cooking (eat what you store-store what you eat), but make healthy food choices as it pertains to us (diabetics).
I also want in increase the amount of whole grains we eat not just whole grain pasta or whole wheat bread as we've been doing. I want to have whole grain pie crusts & cakes.
I've been eyeing this book No More Bricks! Successful Whole Grain Bread Made Quick & Easy Great reviews posted on amazon, would love to chat with anyone who owns a copy.

Resolution #3 - Walk the talk when it come to DIY solar projects (solar room heaters). I have been saying we are installing one for what two years now. Someone needs to be slapped ...

Resolution #4 - Camp, specially bike camp or more specific bicycle touring/camping. It's the next stage up from my usual everyday urban bike commuting that I do. There's some challenges we have to over come but I can so see Woodsrunner & I on a tandem recumbent bike heading out of the city to do a weekend of survival camping. I should say that it's not a shared vision @ this time.

Resolution #5 - Go old school more. Learn or in some cases prefect our homesteading skills. Sewing is one (I actually was gifted a treadle). I have two black trash bags full of clothes that I want to upcycle into shopping bags, camping gear, clothing, biking & gardening stuffs. I also want to learn to make whole wheat pasta.

Resolution #6 - Finish our old house. There are just way too many DIY projects that we have either talked about or started that need to be finished. Everything from restoring the remaining woodwork to the a new metal roof on the main portion of the house. There is also a wall & door that needs to be re-installed (early 1980's remodel why would you take away a bedroom, why?).
Our time table to stay here in the city has been extended due to the Great Recession. Not so much Woods recent unemployment but more due to the housing market.
Seems we are surrounded by foreclosed homes.

Resolution #7 - Enjoy my life ... enjoy my husband ... enjoy my children ... enjoy.

Resolution #7a - Be a better Presbyterian = be a better person. Gonna need prayers on that one.


~~ pelenaka ~~

I FISH NY

Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime.

Sending him fishing, he comes home a happy man.

Here's a link to the New York State Environmental Conservation website - halfway down the page is an email link for you to submit your name & address for a free I FISH NY Guide to Freshwater Fishing in New York State map.
Free map, dig some bait outta the garden, pack a lunch, then head on out to commune with nature and hopefully fill the freezer. Or just get off the old urban homestead for the day.


~~ pelenaka ~~

RTRP by Proxy

Dehydrating old school

* reaches for phone in apron pocket,"hey what up".
"I'm @ Aldis thought I give you a ring confirm that were on for Friday", barter buddy gf in a relaxed tone. She must be shopping with out children.
"Yeah I'm good with Friday I've been gathering up stuffs to bring".
"Hey there's cranberries on sale ... discounted to 25¢ a bag ... I'm thinking chutney".
"What brand ... look alright ... I'm thinking orange cranberry sauce and dehydrating" My mind wanders to a biscotti recipe that was in Sunday's paper a few weeks back. Called for dehydrated cranberries of which I was all out. Make a few substitution whole wheat for white flour add extra vanilla. My coffee wouldn't be lonely.
"Ocean Spray ... no they look good but there gonna expires in a few days ... how many you want" ?
"How many's there ... wait I can't give you cash right away but I have TP coming in a few days ... wanna barter" ?
"Sounds good I won't pick up any then what brand ... how many ply ... " ?
"It's the good stuff quilted soft real soft 2 ply baby ... ".

LSS this was a great example of right time (after holiday sales) right place by proxy (trusted friend who shops like I think) along with biting off more than I chew with regards to dehydrating.
There's no firing up the solar dehydrator it's been in the low teens to single digit temps.
I'm down to just one base on my old brown Roncho.  Anymore than four trays filled and I risk mold.
Can't borrow bbgf's dehydrator she'll using it.
Really regretting not making or @ least buying a non-electric air dehydrator. I've added this to my wish list -Food Pantrie Hanging Food Dehydrator


I came up with this alternative which requires frequent fiddling with the berries.
Cast Iron Skillet is the easier of the two as all that is required is a clean hand to reach in and mix. Woodsrunner's heirloom cookie sheet is more labor intensive. I use chop sticks to flip each cranberry half.  The second shelf of the stand is working well with a dish towel redirecting the heat, as soon as the leeks are dry I can replace cranberries.
Hopefully it won't be more than a day of this. Stove's running @ full throttle it's so cold.

Planned preserving method - vacuum sealing with O2 absorbers in pint mason jars. Looking for 1 to 2 years of shelf life. I expect there will be allot of Cranberry Walnut Bread in our future so I'm happy with one year.

14 bags later cranberries have been either sliced (10 bags) for dehydrating or will be made in sauce (4 bags) and canned. An appropriate tune playing while I wield a paring knife.

All my life
Is changing every day
In every possible way

In all my dreams
It's never quite as it seems

Never quite as it seems 

 ~~ pelenaka ~~

Buttermilk on a Shelf

Repackaging for mid-term storage 1-4 years.

Along the lines of converting to a more pantry based menu I ordered Saco Powdered Buttermilk, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 6) after testing the powdered buttermilk we had bought last February from Niblack Foods in Rochester. Since I already bake bake & cook with powdered milk instead of fresh it's a nice alternative to having a cultured buttermilk product on the shelf.
Saco Foods, Inc. Middleton, Wisconsin.
Amazon worked out to be the better price even before I factor in that I bought the product with Amazon gift cards earned on Swagbucks (yeah me I've earned just over $400 this year).

Most if not all the bulk food orders are broken down for long term storage. The buttermilk powder was repackaged into pint mason jars that were sterilized for 10 minutes in boiling hot water, then air dried by the wood stove. Added one O2 absorber (bought last year from LDS website) per jar then vacuum sealed. The original expiration date is May 2015 but I'm sure with the air vacuumed, glass containers, and cool temps the buttermilk will be good for a year past that. I also froze the powder for a full week before repackaging to kill any an foreign matter much as I do when I repackage flour for extended term storage.
Cut out the directions from the manufactures containers to tape on each jar as a handy reference guide.

I left two in original packaging for immediate use, one went to a barter deal, the rest are sitting repackaged on a cellar shelf. Piece by piece I'm adding to our pantry and extend term food preps.

So far I've used this product to make Rye Bread, Buckwheat Pancakes, and of course sing it with me ...

Y'all ready to get busy? (huh huh!)

Now, buttermilk biscuits here we go

SIFT the flour roll the dough

Clap your hands and stomp your feet

Move your butt to the funky beat (huh huh)

This boy reminds me so much of my son and his dance routines back in the day. 

I miss those days my son.

~~ pelenaka ~~

Nut in my Coffee

A reader who read my post about coffee creamer on a syndicated news site that I'm linked to reminded me that my choice in creamers was an unhealthy one. And we homesteaders are nothing if not always striving to be healthy, right ?
One of the advantages of grocery shopping on Amazon is the expanded organic and hopefully healthy selection of items that due to both cost & local selection isn't always available to me.  So I wandered outside of my comfort zone (read addiction alley) and went with  MimicCreme Almond and Cashew Cream-Unsweetened, 16-Ounce (Pack of 6) Six 16 oz. cartons = $14.52 which included a promo code for a $2.56 discount. Today it's a few dollar's cheaper along with different package graphics. No shipping & handling because I ordered this as a subscribe & save.
Made in Albany, New York.

Would I order this again ?
I would despite the fact that I really prefer powdered fake coffee creamer, oh how I prefer it.
Product was as described and with enough Stevia good (ordered unsweetened due to diabetes).
I really enjoy that the other 5 cartons can be stored on a cellar shelf with out refrigeration. Right next to what is left of my order of artificial coffee creamer.

Raises a mug "Here's to drinking better", all the while thinking of the other creamer. 

~~ pelenaka ~~