Taters Are In

Late for our area but, they are in the ground.

 Yup, this year those spuds are in the garden and the buckets are empty.

I’d not had much any success with the potato buckets the past 3 years.  I harvested enough last year for a large skillet of fried potato’s. That’s all…. Not worth the time or water doing that again.  So late yesterday afternoon I learned to run the tiller.  I tried to get it going earlier in the afternoon but my arm strength is not quite enough to pull the cord hard enough, or fast enough.  Of course,  Mr. Fix-It came home and gave it one flick of his wrist (or so it seemed) & it was started right up dag-nabit! I figure there is no sense having these “tools” and not know how to use them.  Besides, the more I learn to do the less work it will be for him fit in after he gets off work…..and I won’t need to wait on him. Anyway, I was able to squeak in 3 20 ft. rows. They will get a few hours of late afternoon shade but it was the last useable space I had.  Next year we’ll mark out another section and have it prepped and ready to spud it up.

Everything else is growing well so far.

The lettuce is thick and filling out great.  I do expect the upcoming heat to put an end to that though.

Strawberries are still blooming and baring fruit.  I think we have 6.5 gallons in the freezer so far.  I’m pretty pleased with that as the first official picking season for these plants.

Squash…all but one have good growth

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Beets and turnips are both up and need some serious thinning

The beans are putting on a good showing

Blue Lake and Roma beans..

The weeds?

Growing like gangbusters!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,sustainable living,garden,gardening,green things

What a Beautiful Day!

Overcast and mid 60’s.  A rare cool day so I spent pretty much all day in the garden.

I was up and outside right after my morning coffee.  After this past week of high 80’s mid 60’s felt like heaven & I wanted to take advantage of it while I could

Although it’s late in the season for us I put in 4 rows of peas.   I love them fresh off the vine (rarely do any make it in the house) or dried.  Ever munch on dried peas?  Best snack there is!  Since I’m the only one around here that like them I figured 4- 25foot rows should be enough *snort*

 

If it’s to warm I’ll have time to plant something else….maybe.

Half of my Mothers Day tomato plants went in this plot, a few behind the garage & I still need to find somewhere for the rest. I considered using the regular tomato bed now that I have the rabbit poo but the one surviving plant has rusty leaves *sigh* From what I read on line in 3-4 sites say not to replant tomato’s in that spot for 5 years or you will continue to have the same problem.  Nothing I read stated I couldn’t plant other things so I believe pumpkins will be put in there..

I went back through the bean rows and reseeded bare spots.  I’m using blue lake bush beans again.  The harvest last year was wonderful.  They are really taking off so I’m hoping they do well again. Last year I had a heavy hand with the seed and over planted…this year I was a bit more careful….hence the bare spots.  I also have a few rows of the wide Italian green beans in.  The oldest loves them so I though I’d surprise her with a few baskets of beans

The rhubarb bed was weeded and the plants look pretty good.  I’ve not had much luck with the tiny corns before so this year I put in plants & have high hopes they make it.   That or I’ll run to the market and stick some stalks in the bed LOL!  I think it would break Mr. Fix-It’s heart if they die

Weeding I found this growing in the corner of the bed

I’m pretty sure its squash so it defiantly needs a new home

Finally cut all the tall grass around the newly planted blackberries. Afraid I’d wack the plants with the weed wacker I thought I’d use the old grass clippers..That was a joke, they wouldn’t cut hot butter!  I ended up running inside grabbing some old craft scissors, plopped my rear on the ground and started cutting. The neighbors across the field are now positive I’m crazy LOL!

  My brother in law must have read my last post and brought me rabbit poo.  So all the berries, well everything in the garden was dressed with some “good stuff”

The strawberries are producing like crazy.

Thank you Mama Pea for all the tips!!

Spinner flower trying to scare off the birds

Our first pickin was literally a handful.  The second day filled a quart container.  This afternoon  I picked over a gallon & there is probably another gallon to be picked in a day or so. I pulled out 3 of the nicer plants, trimmed off the berries & potted up to set runners for next year.

All the squash is up, the salad cucumbers are up but the pickling I re-seeded. I figured if nothing is showing after 10 days…reseed. I may be making a LOT of pickles!

I went out in the morning and other than stopping for lunch kept going till 5 pm.  I kept waiting to get tired.  I was ready to stop but, it felt so darn good to be out and productive! 

Now, if it all produces…I’ll have a few full jars In the basement

Hope you had a great day

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening on the cheap,gardening,sustainable living

EPA-to-outlaw-many-wood-burning-stoves

I don’t want to think about what stupidity is coming next!

Now we have 1 more thing to worry about then coming and checking

http://www.sott.net/article/256170-EPA-to-outlaw-many-wood-burning-stoves

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,off grid,natural heat,EPA

Plans Change

We decided to hold off moving forward with anymore of the remodel here for a while. 

We are looking in to purchasing the property next to us to move family closer.

We’ve spoken to the property owner (the lady with the bushes which I offered to trim)  and she is more than willing to sell. She actually was the one who brought it up this summer…now its up to the financial end & what the property will appraise out to.  Maybe more than we are willing to go but, she jumped at the idea so I feel pretty confident we can work some arrangement out. The house is just a 2 bedroom but sits on a full unfinished basement the length of the house.  With both properties it would give us just about 5 acres & combined as it was originally.  Since we are now unfortunately in the city limits we couldn’t have anything more than chickens but, we could have one heck of a garden and orchard.

The plans and plotting is rolling full force but, I don’t want to get my hopes up to much (yeah right) till it’s a done deal.  I just know we will feel a lot better having them closer.

Hunting season is on!  He’s been twice now without any luck.  Both times they saw huge deer coming out of the woods at dusk.  It was as if they were saying naner naner naner!  Just as well, the weather had warmed up & we would’ve need to pay for processing rather than do it here.

And, look what I found local!  I read about these from ……Sue? Sandy? Debbie?(I’ll credit who when I remember) These jar sealers will be wonderful to use with the items I’ve dehydrated.

I have the adapter hose on order….I thought it odd they sold the sealer and not the hose too but I’m part way there! 

So, with plans changing that means my learning curve had been altered dramatically.Our “steps” to sustainability have become leaps & I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to have all kinds of questions & some may seem silly like…

Shortening…it always seems to sour before I use a whole lb.…and its only $1.00 more for the full lb. apposed the the 8 oz. size.  Is it possible to melt it into wide mouth canning jars and water bath seal it in usable/manageable sizes? I don’t want the big honkin can in my fridge.

I bet you just knew that was the first question I’d throw out there right?

Have a great weekend

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,changes,sustainable living

 

To Much Sun!

I had a hard time getting moving this morning.  I think I had a tad to much sun yesterday.  It was Isaiah’s last day of freedom before school started today and we played all day.

We spent the afternoon at The Falls Of the Ohio looking for and finding fossils, looking at rock formations and small water pools full of crawdads. We kept well hydrated but I forgot when you’re out on the rocks the temperature is 15-20 degrees warmer and… it was 97 when we started.  We were out on the main bed by the river for a few hours before I started getting the shakes and new it was past time to leave. But, he had a lot of   fun using the brochures to identify the various fossils imbedded in the rock…and then he remembered many of these same fossils are in the rocks of the patio”floor”

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One of the stones on the patio.

So when we got back to the house, he had to wander the patio finding and identifying even more while I drank water and stood in front of the fan.  I’m pretty sure he was just as excited with his patio finds as he was with the fossil beds!

This morning was catch up day &started with a “Gotta-do” list a mile long ..but I accomplished very little.

I didn’t wake up till 8am and felt like I’d been out drinking the night before! Not very good way to start the day that’s for sure as it was already 90.

My plan was to be up and in the garden early, the beans still need picked.  Yeah,  I’m pretty sure there are now a few past eating stage but I’ll save as seed for next year. .

I decided I’d just stay inside and catch up on household chores which I’ve fallen behind on (where are the cleaning fairies when you need them) and then remembered the feed bag stuffed to the brim of corn Larry brought home last night.

So much for the cool indoors!

Shucked, ready to be blanched, cut and frozen

I’m glad I was able to work in the shade and keep the boiling water heat outside

Can I tell you I love having those new steps, it made hauling loads of husks and cobs back to the compost bin a breeze.

Cooler temps are on the way for the weekend but in the mean time, Don’t forget to pace yourself in this heat

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Falls of the ohio,preserving,sustainable living

 

 

Finally something to can!

 

Yesterday morning I popped out of bed as soon as my eyes opened.  I had to go and look at the steps, just to make sure they were really there & it wasn’t a dream. Generally I don’t make it past the kitchen without coffee in the morning so… I know I was a stumbling mess going outside, still in my night shirt doing a odd hop step. We have a sisal door mat and the odd hop step was because my foot landed on a “gift”…a furry full sized dead mole. 

A gift from a feral cat who has decided it owns us.

She’s put on weight and really filled out since she’s been hanging around.  She was a scrawny matted mess when she first showed up

Now,  I don’t really want it to own us, I want it to move on. but it’s earning it’s keep & we’ve worked out a system. I feed him bits Monday, Wednesday & Friday & the days in between he hunts and brings me gifts…..Like Moles, mice,  baby rabbits & baby moles, frogs and parts of frogs.   My caffeine deficient brain was just not ready for that!

What a way to start the morning ugh!

The day did get better, Isaiah & I ran to the grocery for canning lids & scored a few great deals in the produce department.  I’ve found Mondays are the “new stock day”…anything left from a prior shipment has to be marked down..even if it’s still good!  Apparently after the episode of bad spinach a few years ago, they can no longer mix shipments in the produce department.  I picked up a bag with 4 huge heads of perfectly fine broccoli for .59 cents, a bag with 5 lbs. of rhubarb for $1.59 , a bag with 3 of celery for .59...and 45 LBS of peaches for $15.00.  All organic,  all perfectly fine!  Score! 

So my afternoon turned out pretty busy.

  The celery all went in the dehydrator, I’ve 6 pints of rhubarb sauce cooling on the table,

7 quarts & 9 pints of peaches.  These peaches I’d had, the others from today need to ripen a few more days. I went ahead and set the canner up outside and it was wonderful keeping the heat out of the house.  I’d prep & load the jars inside and use a roaster pan to carry the hot jars outside.

What a blessing!

My garden (the parts that survived) like so many is just now really starting to produce… If all those blooms actually turn into pumpkin I’ll have enough to supply the entire county!

After reading how many have lost everything I’m not complaining!

 

The beans need picked today /tomorrow, I’ve some tomato’s harvested with more to come

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Cherry tomato’s are taking off this year

a few herbs, peppers and some beets.  Although I know the weather is out of my control, I’ve been feeling like I’m letting the household down with very little canned to date.  Like so many others, the garden & it’s production is my contribution to the finances.

 

These watermelon have all grown like gourds..I think inconsistent watering?

It’s how I’m able to stay home.  So when there is nothing to put by, it makes me feel like I’m not pulling my weight. 

It also reaffirms my thoughts of canning enough for 2 years every other year.

Yet sweet deals like today sure do help my attitude and the pantry!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,state of the garden,sweet deals,food storage,dehydrating,preserving,sustainable living

 

 

 

Is this amount OK?

What is the saying ….make plans and God laughs?

My plans for planting salad greens this morning have changed.  Last night we had some heavy rains storms which left the garden a soggy mess.  It needed raked well of any weeds left after tilling.  We had a real good crop of stink weed going for a while & I don’t want to be fighting them all summer.

With the change in plans I ended up in town for a groceries, eggs & a few other things (oh, for chickens of my own!)  Any way, as I was checking out something caught my eye.  The statement above my total bill had changed from prior visits. It went from.”Is this total correct” to “is this amount OK?”  Are you kidding me????

Heck no!!! That total is way to high! I bought the same items as last month and this months bill is about $10-15. higher. 

It looks like all the talk of hyper inflation is starting already.  Yet another reason to urging us further along the path of learning to do for ourselves.in a sustainable manner. 

Last nights rain brought a new crop of dandilions raising their bright yellow heads behind the house which reminds me I wanted to try my hand at making dandilion jam.   So I’m off to look up a few recipe’s. Might as well take advantage of what we’ve been blessed with right?

Any suggestions for tried and true recipes?

Technorati Tags: Katidids,dandilion jam,gardening

Projaholics…on the home stretch!

It’s been a while but after a lot of thought,I’m sticking my toe back in the blogging waters. Thank you to those who emailed offering encouragement to start back up.   Let see, where to start!

The addition is nearly  done!  We’re down to the finishing work.

My work room needs: the closet door track & doors installed and trim painted.   It’s the only room that had unpainted trim. We got a little ahead of ourselves on that one. (yes, we were to excited to wait)  After all the fussing I did about wanting color in my home, the paint color I chose is “Alpaca”.  A neutral cream-ish.  I thought I want a vibrant & bold color in here but after a lot of thought I went with something I could make bold and vibrant!  I’ve yet to find cabinets & counters I want or, am willing to pay for.   We’ve quite a few peddlers malls in the area I’ve been watching for counters & cabinets to repurpose. I think I’ll post on the local Free-cycle also.  It’s the time of year when a lot of home remodeling is going on & with any luck someone will be redoing their kitchen!

The laundry room is done.  The construction portion any way. Again I need to find a cabinet to go under the window. We have a repurposed counter stashed just waiting to be installed.

The Bathroom is painted (no trim yet) and has lights up.   Larry just created this beautiful tile floor, pretty darn good for his first tile work I think! The shower needs tiled next & once that is complete the vanity, sink & commode can be installed. 

The hall/entry area:    As this is the main entry area to the other rooms we’ve already bumped & nicked the walls a few times carrying things in. For now It’s painted, the temporary flooring is in and the closet door is up but to avoid re-doing work, we will finish this area last.

It’s been a long road getting here but we’re on the home stretch now!

Technorati Tags: Katidids,projaholics,addition,do it your selfers

Small Changes

Just one thing at a time,

I been looking at changes we’ve made this year in life style, choices & decisions of how we want to live our lives.

Most have been small & subtle, just one thing at a time. When we first started talking seriously about making the changes to live a self reliant/simplistic lifestyle & what they would be, it didn’t seem like we had that far to go. We’ve never been a family that uses box or prepared meals. We have tried a few in the past & were never satisfied with the end result, always adding a bit of this or that for flavoring & we could FEEL our bodies reacting to the MSG. So for us the simplistic changes have been minor.

One decision we have made is to change our food storage from plastic to glass bits at a time. I’m not actively running out and replacing everything at once but, using what I have or find around the house for starters.Even my favored Cream of wheat cereal is stored in mason jars & flours in larger glass containers. If your like me you have an entire cabinet devoted to plastic storage containers. Containers that breed like laundry & not a lid that fits to be found. I’ll be glad to eliminate that cabinet mess.

After reading up on the serious health risks and, the last post of Throw Back at Trapper Creek we’ve gotten pretty serious about clearing it out.

But, take a walk in the isles of a mainstream grocery store. Have you noticed how many of the foods purchased now come in plastic? Peanut butter, syrup,MILK, butter, beans, lettuce, carrots, meats…ketchup, mustard, cheese.its everywhere! And them you have margarine which basically IS plastic. Its hard to find items sold in glass jars anymore!

I can’t say we will we’ll be able to clear it all out but, we can start with controlling what comes into the house & work to replace what is already here. Moving forward, changing one thing at a time.

Technorati Tags: plastic,simplicity,changes katidids