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ice cream sandwiches, freecycle, paranoia, and other homestead stuff
09:03 AM, Wednesday, August 2, 2006
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I was going to start by saying that there have been no homestead happenings this week, but after I finished, I realized I have a plethera!I dried some apricot leather; and all I do is sit and eat it. I think I need some more! I rolled mine up in cereal bags, and it seemed to work well. I have done a number of tips from you, and I love them all! 1) someone suggested making "ice cream sandwiches" with graham crackers and yoghart.... I did that about 4 weeks ago now. I did not think I would like them; I am not a big yogart fan, so I made them for a cold, and relatively healthy, kid treat. My goodness! I eat them almost more than the kids! I made some with vanilla and some with strawberry, and then I took some plain and mixed in my low-sugar raspberry jam and made some of those. Even my overly-picky dh loves them. the craziest thing: if I am craving a chocolate cookie or some such thing, one of these ice cream sandwiches satisfies! So THANK YOU to whoever suggested that! 2) someone else posted an "Apple Oatmeal Bar" and since I had about 5 apples wrinkling in my fruit basket, and yesterday was cool and rainy (what a relief after 2 weeks of 100+ days), I decided to make them. Ummmm.... even my FIL liked them. he has just been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerades, etc. so we have been seriously curtailing his dietary options. this was perfect. I think the recipe called for too much salt, next time I will use 1/4 t instead of 1/2, and maybe add some brown sugar to the mix... but really a winner! 3) I have started my Freecycle career: I have gotten rid of my junk - and people want it! that is the wierdest part of all! go figure. I wonder if you can freecycle tree produce, ya know, I'll come clean up the fallen fruit if I can harvest the rest to take home.... that would be a lovely way to get free produce.... 4) I have borrowed homesteading books from the library - the one by the Robinson's from the 50's and a newer one: Storey's basic country skills : a practical guide to self-reliance. My husband just laughs, but I think he is liking the idea more and more as time goes on. Speaking of which, I think I have given him the final reason we should move to a homestead. One that speaks directly to him and his desires for our family: Safety. I tease him sometimes that he is too paranoid (which is good, over all, but it does tend to drive me nuts on occasion). About 2 weeks ago, a 5yr old girl was lured out of her yard and into a neighbor's house - just within sight of her own, next door, across the street, ya know, not far - where he immediatly killed her and later desicrated her body. this in SLC, so close to home. When I told this story to my husband, he went paranoid again about letting the kids play outside. I said that this is why I want a LARGE homestead and an equally large (in proportion) dog or two. that way we will know if anyone comes into our yard and talks to our children. his response was that if we afford it, he would move tomorrow. so, anyway, now I have convinced him. I just wish it wasn't this way.... On a happier note: My strawberries are starting to produce! I cannot believe it! I was not expecting anything until next year, but we are getting about 20 berries a week - some are tiny taste-size only, but our own fresh strawberries! there is a strange thing about my strawberry patch, though... it is about 30 feet by 3 feet, smashed between two driveways (which I am hoping will keep snails and slugs away) and when I planted them, I managed to get all but 6 feet thouroughly weeded and mulched with organic compost. By the time I got around to weeding the last six feet, the weeds were bigger than the strawberries and I had a hard time finding my plants (I had been spot-weeding the other footage - easy enough to do when the weeds are tiny and you don't need soft, damp, workable soil to get all the roots). When it was all cleaned out, and I compared the two sections, the plants in those 6 feet looked bigger, greener, had more blossoms and berries AND were sending out more runners than the others who had been weeded and mulched! any ideas on why? you would think 'twas the other way around. anyway, those are our homestead happenings. I love thinking of my life this way. even in the burbs, tied to a job for someone else, we are homesteading. Oh! and I forgot to mention: I hand-pollinated a pumpkin blossom (to preserve the strain) and it worked! I was so afraid I would kill the female blossom doing that, but it worked! YEAH!!! Leave a Comment { Last Page } { Page 158 of 206 } { Next Page } |
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