Looking Back at 2013

I just realized that we're halfway through January, so I really need to get off my rear and take a look at how we did on our goals for 2013 and start planning for this new year.

This year's garden fared much better than in 2012, since we didn't have all that oppressive heat and drought.  But I couldn't grow a pepper or jalapeno this year to save my life.  This year, we'll be moving those into the concrete containers next to the garage since I accidentally discovered that they LOVE the heat reflected off the garage and retained by the concrete planters.  Hey...gardening is an art, right?  Sometimes you discover you're a Picasso and didn't know it.

Looking at the list of goals from last year, I think I may have been just a tad bit over-ambitious.  Look at how long that list is!  I mean, was I trying to plan out our entire year in one day?

We did accomplish some biggies:

1. Selling the 1893 Victorian that we lovingly restored.
2. Paying off the farm.  It's all ours now!
3. We didn't just replace the leaky roof on the addition.  We had professionals replace the entire roof for just the cost of materials + they put a membrane roof over the almost-flat addition.  No more leaks!
4. The garden beds are no more.  We bulldozed them over in favor of a much bigger garden in 2014.  I gave us a "D" on this only because I wanted to get a whole mess of horse manure dumped on it before winter and that didn't happen. 
5. There are some new additions to the garden:  2 new dwarf cherry trees and 3 new semi-dwarf apple trees.  And a crap load of blackberries.

Even though not everything on the list got accomplished, I still feel really good about what we were able to do in 2013.  And I feel even more excited about 2014. 

Speaking of 2014, how about some goals, girl?  And keep it light, would ya?

• Develop a plan for our much bigger garden.  Oh, the seed catalogs are a-flying.  More on that to come!
• Install solar panels to power our house.  I've been doing a ton of research on this and you wouldn't believe how easy this is to DIY.  Stay tuned and find out how to do this for FREE here in the KC area.
• Finish up renovations on the travel trailer and get it moved to the farm to make room for...
• Build a garage in the backyard.  We need space to store and work on tractors, etc.
• Successfully grow tomato from seed.  Last year’s try was pretty pitiful and the seedlings ended up VERY leggy.  I’d really love to experiment with soil blocking and grafting.
• Re-establish the strawberry bed. (Ahem..I may have let it the rye grass overtake the bed and kill it last year.)
• Grow corn and\or other edibles specifically for the chickens.  I’d like to see if I can cut down on the amount of chicken feed that we’re buying.  This one was on my list for last year.
• Finish the rain barrel project.  This will be expanded to include a water capture system for the new solar panels. 
• Build at least one compost bin. 
• Learn beekeeping.  I've already signed up for an all-day class from the Midwestern Beekeepers Association in February. 
• Become proficient in playing the 5-string banjo.
• Start an herb garden and learn how to dry and store them.  And, while I’m at it, learn how they can be used in herbal remedies and medicines.
• Enjoy every minute.

I think that's a pretty good do-able list and, as is typical when it's cold outside, I am now *chompin' at the bit* to get out there and get started.

How about you?  What’s on your project list for 2014?

New Events Added

 

Spring is coming, and now's a great time to get out there and learn some new stuff.  As I mentioned, I'm collecting events, classes, online webinars, in-person seminars, freebie talks, demos, etc. that have anything to do with farming, homesteading, livestock and all those other goodies. 

You can find the list of upcoming events on the Event Calendar (or click the link on the right sidebar).

This week, I've added a ton of really great stuff.  You'll find these on the calendar under the date indicated (or click the link to view or add to your own Gmail calendar):

Lecture: Permaculture Design of Urban Food Forests (January 18th)
This Master Gardener lecture by Michael Almon, the developer of Forest Floor Permaculture, a nut and fruit centered forest garden in Lawrence, KS.  In the permaculture garden of perennial food crops, there’s no need to till every year, much of the weeding is eliminated with groundcovers, shade trees and shrubs will bear food, and irrigation needs will be reduced. Cost: FREE

Vegetable Gardening Workshop (January 25th)
Vegetable gardening is as popular as ever, whether in your backyard or in one of the many community gardens throughout the metro. This workshop in Olathe, Kansas will help vegetable gardeners learn more and to be successful in their gardening efforts.  The featured speaker for the session will be Kansas State University Research and Extension Vegetable Specialist Cary Rivard, Ph.D. Dr. Rivard will discuss watering, weed control and growing great tomatoes.  You will also learn new tips for eating fresh from the garden presented by Olathe Medical Center.  Cost:  Registration is $5 per person and includes refreshments.

Cultivate KC's Annual Farmers and Friends Meeting (February 1st)
Come meet other growers and supporters and learn about Cultivate Kansas City’s projects over the past year.  The event will include pie, coffee, conversation, and learning together (and, if you’d like to bring a pie or two, it would be much appreciated!). The event will have a “Dreamers and Doers” panel, and some group visioning activities that are fun and creative.  The goals of the Annual Farmers & Friends Meeting are to create a space for peer-to-peer learning; to facilitate an opportunity for growers to connect to share challenges, solutions and enthusiasm; to share information about local resources; and to give a “whole systems” or big picture vision of urban growing in Kansas City. Each year the event strives to connect our daily work as farmers, gardeners, food advocates and friends to the vision of the community we want to build with a farm in every neighborhood and access to fresh, healthy, affordable food for all people.  Cost: FREE.  Please bring a homemade (and preferably homegrown or locally sourced) dish to share.

Missouri Beginning Farmers 18th Annual Greenhouse Growers School (February 6)
This is a whole-day event in Columbia, Missouri that covers topics including growing your profits,  an intro to hydroponics, high tunnel design and construction, compost, biofuelds, etc.  Cost is $30.

Missouri Beginning Farmers Webinar Series
MBF is also hosting a whole slew of FREE online webinars on goats, beginning farm financing, and other topics.  They're all on the event calendar.

5th Annual Kaw Valley Seed Fair (February 8th)
The annual Kaw Valley Seed Fair in Lawrence, Kansas is a pre-spring celebration where people can share seeds, information and other resources.  The fair features a free seed exchange that includes books, catalogs and other gardening and seed-saving materials, plus exhibits, local producers and food for sale. Cost:  FREE

Planting and Preserving Workshop (February 13th)
Have you tried to grow enough in your garden to save for the winter, but ended up with too many hot peppers and not enough tomatoes? Do you want to preserve your harvest but have no idea where to start? This workshop in Wichita, Kansas will walk you through what you need to know to plant a garden that will fill your canning jars or freezer. During the second half of the class, you will learn about different preservation methods and what tools and materials you will need to be successful.  Cost: $5.00.

Women Managing the Farm Annual Conference (February 13th - 14th)
The Women Managing the Farm Conference was created to aid women who are helping to grow the nation’s food supply whether by design, marriage or inheritance.   "The Heart of Agriculture" is this year's conference theme.  Over the two days of the conference, presentations regarding business planning, health, managing employees and more will be interspersed with opportunities for networking and learning from others attending the conference. Pre-conference workshops will also be available this year to provide hands-on learning opportunities.   Cost: $145 through 1/30/13; after that date, $170.

KC Master Gardeners Spring Seminar (March 15th)
Join the Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City for their 13th annual Spring Gardening Seminar. There are myriad of interesting topics, including edible landscaping, seed saving and starting, pruning, native species planting, and much more.  Cost: $49 before 2/14; $69 after that date.

Mega-List of Heirloom Seed Suppliers

Where have I been the past couple of days? 

 

Knee-deep and wading through this gigantic list of sources for heirloom seeds that I found over at Off-Grind.info. (If you're  not sure what "heirloom" means, click here to find out).  If you're an organic grower or heirloom variety nut like me, then you'll definitely want to check this out.

 

When I started going through the list, it only had 100 entries and now it's up to 230 suppliers from the US, Canada and all over the world!  Sorted by state, it's easy to see if there are any close to you.  I guess I'm kind of amazed that there aren't more listed in Missouri or Kansas.

 

There are so many different "undiscovered" varieties of veggies that many of us have never tried before. And some of them have been lost over time because no one was actively saving seeds from those plants.  So I'm so glad to see this list of seed savers is growing.

 

This year, J. wants to try growing some beets and I'm looking at the variety called Early Wonder from Baker Creek Seeds.  It dates back to before 1811 and is a full-bodied beet that is supposed to be perfect for pickling, which is what J. wants to do with them.  Should be a fun learning experience because I hadn't even tried a beet in my life until about a week ago.

  Can you believe that?

 

How about you? 

Are you going to try out any heirloom varieties in your garden this year? 

 

 

A Welcome Warm-up

Yesterday, it was 64 degrees.

 

That's certainly MUCH more hospitable climate than what we had almost two weeks ago as the Polar Vortex whirled overhead.

 

So I put on a sweatshirt, grabbed the copy of "Lone Survivor" that I had bought J. for Christmas and headed outside to supervise recess for the girls. 

 

Like me, they were happy to get out after being cooped up (literally!) for 5 days and spent several hours destroying the compost pile and digging around in the freshly dug garden.

 

Apparently someone was having so much fun that they couldn't be bothered to go back to the coop to lay, so they left their egg sitting in the middle of the muddy garden plot.  My shoes must have weighed an extra 5 pounds each after I went out to retrieve it.

 

It was a nice reprieve from our normal January cold.  A beautiful day that, like a rare bird in your camera lens, you have to capture before it is gone in the blink of your eye. 

 

And now we're back in the 40's.  Still, that's better than -5!

 

After putting the chickens in the coop for bed time, I finished the last few pages and then headed inside.  If you haven't seen the "Lone Survivor" movie, I recommend that you do.  It opened nationwide to over twice what they thought it was going to, and I'd like to think that's because we Americans still support and respect our military. We tried unsuccessfully to get in twice and finally got to watch it during the first showing on Sunday morning.

 

I found it a hard movie to watch, and I was glad that I read the book before I saw it, as I could hear Marcus Lutrell's own words in my mind as I watched.  Of course, the movie does take some liberties with what really happened, but that's to be expected.

 

Well, trees are budding and the snow is almost gone.  Seed catalogs are arriving daily.  Can you smell Spring in the air?  What do we have?  7 more weeks?

 

 

When Life Gives You Apples..

J. and I just hit paydirt. Nope, not the lottery kind (although, wouldn't that be nice?) While picking up some groceries at the local Hyvee, I found some seriously awesome coupons for $2.00 off any apple purchase and $2.00 off any meat purchase. Not only were we able to pick up 10 pounds of ground beef for just $49 cents per pound, but we also came home with box full of 30 pounds of apples FOR FREE. Awesome!

So now what to do with them?   I can't decide either, so how about we start with baked apples and apple chips?

 

Baked Apples

 

These are so yummy and easy to make and, boy, do they make your house smell great while they're baking.  All you need is a baking dish, some apples and some butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  You can even get creative and top them with some raisins or pecans also. 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 large good baking apples, such as Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup boiling water

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Wash the apples and remove their cores, leaving about 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.
3. Place the apples in a baking dish.
4. Melt the butter in a pan (or in the microwave).  I like to do this in a microwavable measuring cup because it's easier to pour the mixture into the apples.
5. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until mixed.  Pour the  mixture into the apples until they are just about to brim over.
6. Add boiling water to the baking pan.
7. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.
8. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.

 

Trust me, these are yummy!   But we've still got 29 pounds of apples left and I want to make another favorite snack:  apple chips. 

 

 

 

Apple Chips

 

J. and I fell in love with apple chips after trying a bag of them at the local theater.  I rushed home after the movie to find out how to make this healthier alternative to potato chips and was pleasantly surprised to find that it's pretty darn easy.  That is, if you have the right tool:  a mandolin slicer.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 medium sized apples

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sugar

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F.
2. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar to combine. Or just use pre-mixed cinnamon-sugar.
3. Decide whether or not to core your apples.  Just in case you don't know:  apple seeds are poisonous, but you'd have to eat a ton of them before they ever effected you.  Not coring them will give you a star shape in the middle of your chips, so they'll be prettier than if you core them.  J. doesn't like the core, so we cored all of ours.
4. Slice the apples thinly with a mandolin slicer or a  very sharp knife.  Trust me, you want to use a mandolin slicer because it only takes about 20 seconds to slice the whole apple with one.  You'll be there are all day if you try to use a knife.  I know...I tried it and then ran out to get a mandolin.





5. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, and place the apple slices side by side on the parchment, in a single layer. Make sure not to overlap the apple slices or place them on top of each other, otherwise they won't crisp up.


6. Sprinkle the apple slices with the cinnamon sugar. 
7. Bake the apple slices for 1 hour, then remove them from the oven and flip them over. The apples will be floppy, but they will crisp up later.



Return the apple slices to the oven for another hour
Turn the oven off, letting the apple chips cool completely in the oven. This is when they will crisp up. Store in an airtight container.

 

Did I mention that these are fat free? And, if you don't want all that sugar, opt for a sweeter apple like HoneyCrisp or Gala and just dust with a little cinnamon.  I suspect you're going to end up addicted like we are, because these are just plain yummy.  And, again, baking apples or apple chips will make your house smell delish.

 

By the way, these are great to make when you're done baking something else and the oven is already heated up.  Just turn the heat down to 225, slice some apples up and go!

 

If you try either of these, let me know how they turn out.  We have Jonagolds, which are a combination between a Jonathan and Golden Delicious.  They're sweet, but not as sweet as Honeycrisps are but they held up well to the baking.  If you use other varieties, I'd love to hear how they turn out if you don't mind leaving a comment.

 

Hope you enjoy these two recipes!

 

 

More Events: Maple Sugaring and Cropland Investing

I just added two new events to the calendar tonight that might be of interest.  While there are lots of online events on the Cranky Puppy Events Calendar, these two are local to the Kansas City area.  So my apologies to those of you who are not in the immediate area.

The first class is FREE and it's one that J. and I wanted to attend last year, but the class filled up within just a couple of hours of the registration opening up.  Trust me...I have this on my calendar and on my speed dial for February 1st, because I.will.not.miss.this.sugaring.class.this.year!

Maple Sugaring

Location: Burr Oak Woods Nature Center
Date: Saturday, March 1, 2014, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Cost: FREE

Ummm....maple syrup!  In our culture of a supermarket in every neighborhood; it is almost magical and spectacular to be able to make something delicious to eat out of some liquid flowing out of a tree. Savor this wonder of nature by learning how to pick the right tree, tap it and collect the sap, and then make delicious syrup from native trees. For more information, email burr.oak@mdc.mo.gov.   Note that registration for this begins February 1st at 816-228-3766 (all ages). 

The Missouri Department of Conservation has lots of great activities and classes for all ages.  Check out the list at http://mdc.mo.gov/events/location/Burr%20Oak%20Woods/heading/Burr%20Oak%20Woods%20Nature%20Center.

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Investing in Cropland

Location: Tomahawk Ridge Community Center, 11902 Lowell Overland Park, KS 66213
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2014, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Cost: FREE

Have you ever daydreamed about a house in the country, rolling farmland, and dusty country roads?  How about quitting your day job to become a farmer?  Well, it all starts with land.  On January 14th, Bill and Brad Gaughan, founding partners of Rural KC Real Estate, will discuss the opportunities, the risks and the process for investing in cropland.

 

For more information or to register, visit KCLandSeminar.com or call Rural KC at (913) 837-4665.

 

Potatoes and Trees

Now what do those two things have in common, you might ask? The answer is that it's time for you Missourians (or Kansans) to put in your orders if you're looking to expand your orchard or plant organic potatoes this Spring. These both go fast, so don't dilly-dally around!

Bulk Seed Potatoes from Cultivate KC

 A great organization here in KC called "Cultivate Kansas City" puts together a combined order for Kansas City area growers with Potato Garden so you can get certified organic and certified natural potatoes at a bulk rate.  These are non-GMO and are naturally grown without the use of chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, or synthetic fertilizers.  They're also guaranteed to be disease free.

Now for the particulars of how this works:

1. You must purchase a minimum of 50 pounds total, although you can specify a mix of varieties.
2. Click here to view the catalog and place your order.  You can pay with PayPal immediately or mail a check in (the check must be received within 3 business days). 
3. Processing Fee:  There is a $5.00 processing fee for each order (this is hidden on your invoice but will show up when you pay online.)
4. Shipping costs: are paid when you pick up the potatoes (around 30 cents per pound).
5. Sales tax:  If you are a gardener growing for personal consumption, you must pay Wyandotte County Sales Tax of 8.925% upon pickup.  If you are a farmer and will be selling the potatoes you grow then you must fill out the Agricultural Exemption Certificate upon pickup.  If you work with a non-profit, school or religious organization and hold a Tax Entity Exemption Certificate with the Kansas Department of Revenue, you must present a copy of your Tax Exempt Certificate and pay for your order with a company check in order to be tax exempt.
6. Pickup:  When the seed potatoes arrive (usually sometime in March, depending on weather), you pick up your order on the scheduled day. As soon as we know the delivery date, we will schedule one day only for pickup. If you cannot attend, you must send someone to pick up your order.  The pick-up location will be determined based on the size of the order, but will be at or near the Gibbs Road Farm (4223 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, KS).

Tree Orders from the Missouri Department of Conservation

Just a reminder that we are well into the period where you can order some free tree or shrub seedlings from MODOC.  As usual, they are offering a  wide variety of shade, ornamental, and edible tree seedlings.  The price per pack of 10 year-old seedlings is $6 to $64, depending on variety. Orders can be submitted via Internet, mail or fax and must be received by April 30, 2013. 

For more information and the order form, visit http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/seedling-orders-and-planting-guide/seedling-order-how.

Note from Cranky:  J.'s stepfather has planted almost his entire acreage with walnut and pecan trees through this program and we're considering starting to plant on our 40 acres so the trees will be established when we build our house.  This program is an extremely cheap way to get some quality tree seedlings.  They're around 12" to 18" tall when you receive them, so they'll take some time to grow up and be fruitful.  If you're interested, get started now because they usually run out of the most popular very early.

Way Too Cold

The Farmers Almanac for this week says "Warmest days January 6th through 8th."  Good grief, I hope not!

There should be a law against having to go to work when it's this cold!

On the news today, they said that you hadn't seen weather this cold in the Kansas City area if you were younger than 40.  First of all, that made me feel really old.  But then I realized that I must have been too young to remember it because, well.....I don't remember it ever being this cold.  Not to be graphic, but you know it's cold when you go outside and your boogers freeze in your nose.

 

I suppose I shouldn't even be whining, since it's negative 40 to negative 50 in Montana, North Dakota, etc.  Holy cow!  Are you guys OK up there?!

 

Change is coming though, with a gradual warm-up here starting Wednesday and a weekend that's supposed to solidly in the mid to upper 40's.  Anything beats this.  I certainly know that I and the chickens will be glad to be able to get out after being "cooped up".  *grin*   See what I did there?

 

Speaking of the coop...the temp inside is holding at 23 degrees.  Not idea for us humans, but the hens should come through this cold spell just fine.

 

Stay warm, my friends!

Dangerous Cold: Don't Forget Your Animals!

 

It's 7 degrees outside right now. Brrrr! Put a negative sign in front of that and that's where our temp is supposed to be when morning breaks. With the wind howling outside (I can hear my wind chimes singing on the deck), the wind chills are going to be around -30 to -40 when we head off to work.

Folks, that's dangerously cold and in a territory that hasn't been seen around these here parts since I was born over 40 years ago. Temps like that can freeze exposed skin in a matter of minutes, so be careful to get all bundled up if you have to go outside.   (By the way....check out what the Almanac says over there on the right sidebar.  "Warmest on the 6th", my *^&$%##%%$!)

Okay, I know you guys know this but it's probably worth saying again.  Remember.....if the cold is dangerous for you, it's dangerous for your animals also. Please bring your pets inside if at all possible. If you can't, make sure they have a warm place to get to and keep an eye on them for any signs on hypothermia (shivering is a good sign). Obviously, you probably aren't going to bring your chickens in to hang out in the family room with you (although my friend Paula used to!). But I thought I would trot out some tips from one of my original posts from back in 2012 on how you can keep your feathered friends warm and toasty when cold weather hits.

 

Chickens basically have nice feathered coats, so they're relatively cold hardy.  We prepared for the cold by shutting them in the coop, putting the brooder lamp up over the roost and adding a ceramic heater.  As a result, the current temp is running 20+ degrees higher than the outside temp.  Also, the hens put off quite a bit of their own heat as well so they'll keep each other warm while they're roosting. 


But, other than putting up heaters or brooder lamps, here are some other things you can do to keep your hens toasty:

1. Keep their water from freezing.  Either use a heated dog bowl or the farm\critter supply stores sell heater bases that go under the galvanized chicken waterers.  If you have neither of these, make sure you check their water regularly and break up any ice that may have formed.
2. Use a wooden roost for them to sleep on.  Galvanized metal is way too cold for their feet. Also, make sure there is room for at least 6 inches between each hen.  When it's cold, they will fluff out their feathers as added insulation and they'll need room to do so.
3. Fight frostbite.  Combs and feet aren't protected by all those feathers and are susceptible to the cold - especially if you have large breed chickens with large wattles or combs.  One way to prevent frostbite is to cover them with Vaseline, petroleum jelly or even olive oil.  Do this after they've gone to bed for the night and it will be much easier.  Trust me. 
4. Give them a treat.  While not a replacement for daily food, feeding scratch, sunflower seeds, and cracked corn as a treat will actually help to raise a hen's body temperature. Just a couple of handfuls every evening is what I normally feed.  And I've been known to give them some yummy warm oatmeal as well.
5. Use the deep litter method.  Rather than cleaning the coop every month, just deep clean the coop in the spring and layer on a fresh layer of bedding every month.  As it packs down, it will provide insulation to the coop and the hens enjoy scratching it up if you throw some corn or sunflower seeds in there.  I initially thought this would  smell to high heaven but, believe it or not, it doesn't!
6. Shovel a path.   If it snows, clear a path in the run or the yard for them so they don't have to bust through snow and get wet. If you're a chicken herder like me, you know that chickens hate getting wet. 
7. Collect eggs regularly.  This doesn't really help the chickens, but it will prevent your eggs from freezing.

I hope you found these tips to be useful.  If you've got any other tips about keeping our beloved chooks warm (other than plopping them in front of the fireplace), I'd love to hear them.  Leave me a comment!

Lots O' Learning Opportunities

My fav seed catalog so far...Baker Creek Seeds!

 It's that time of year....you know, the time when your poor mailman starts muttering under his breath because you've gotten so many seed catalogs that he can't stuff them all into your overflowing mailbox?  Such is my exuberance for gardening that I think I may have to have mercy on his poor soul and go buy one of those huge rural mailboxes.  Or maybe I can ease the pain with some tomatoes and fresh eggs...hmmm, that's an idea!

So the catalogs are starting to arrive and it's a good thing, because it's so stinking cold that your breath freezes before it ever leaves your lungs.  Nope, not going outside right now.

But catalogs aren't the only way to scratch that gardening itch.  I've just spent the better part of today updating the Events Calendar here at Cranky Puppy with all kinds of online and local Kansas\Missouri workshops, seminars and online classes.  Lots of them are free or only a nominal cost and they cover all kinds of topics:

• Urban gardening\farming
• Managing a small orchard
• Fruit tree or small fruit production (blackberries, strawberries, etc.)
• Keeping chickens
• Permaculture and composting
• Organic pest management (insects, weeds, etc.)
• Pond management
• ...and more!

Some of these events require advance registration, so I recommend you browse through the extensive calendar now, see if there's anything you're interested in and get registered quickly.  Some of these are known to fill up pretty quickly - especially the Conservation Extension classes.

This is everything that I could find, but there is more to come because I'm still waiting on several of my sources to post their workshop schedules for 2014.  As I get more details, I'll be sure to post the additions here and let you know.

It's a great time to commit to learning a new skill or exploring a new topic.  What are you waiting for?

Warm, Homemade Pretzels

An inch of snow caused havoc yesterday and I was glad to step out of the freeze-your-face-off cold and into the warm house after work.  I'd been craving pretzels all weekend and it seemed like the perfect time to make them.  If you're looking to warm up also, why not try making some of these ooey, gooey homemade pretzels?  Guaranteed to warm up your tummy and your house and they smell yummy when they're baking.  Warm bread and a fire...who needs more?

Soft, Homemade Pretzels
(Makes 1 dozen pretzels)

Ingredients

4 teaspoons active dry yeast (instant yeast is fine; about 1 3/4 packages)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping
1/2 stick butter, for topping

Directions

** I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook to do the kneading, but you can do this by hand as well.  Just be prepared to have your hands hurt because this dough is pretty rubbery.
 

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt.
3. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture.
4. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two more tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.
5. Lightly oil a large bowl (Pam or other spray is fine), place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets.
7. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in 4 cups hot water; set aside.
8. When risen, turn dough out (do NOT flour the surface of your work space!) and divide into 12 equal pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a rope about 24 inches long and twist into a pretzel shape.  It will seem they are too thin but they will plump up when they're dipped and baked.  Or you can get lazy and just cut each piece in half and do twists (see pic below).  
10. Once all of the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda-hot water solution (flip so both sides are good and covered by the water-soda solution.  This step is what actually makes them into pretzels and gives you the awesome crunch on the outside.
11. Place pretzels on baking sheets. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
12. Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 8 minutes.
13. Brush with melted butter as soon as they are out of the oven.



A little bit of pretzel feng shui?

I was going for a tic-tac-toe in that picture above but *somebody* ate some of the cross bars.  *cough*  It may have been me... *guilty look*  I couldn't help it!  These are so yummy right out of the oven.  I guarantee all 12 will be gobbled up in 10 minutes. 

By the way, we were definitely lazy and didn't roll these out to 24 inches, which is why they look more like pretzel knots than those nice big mall pretzels.  They taste just the same, though, and there's no harm in being lazy is there?  I mean, no one's looking...

For some fun variations, sprinkle with cinnamon or garlic, or serve with a beer cheese dip or ranch dressing.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know if you come up with any fun variations.

Stay warm, my friends!

2014: Lion or Lamb?

2014 came in like a lion, or at least I think it did.  After a 50 degree weather reprieve on New Years Eve, the first day of the new year brought us sub-20 degree weather and an inch of snow.  J. and I brought Henrietta in to her second home in the basement because the temps are expected to drop significantly from here as that storm passes by up north.  The heated doggie water bowl just isn't able to keep up with such low temps, so her water is constantly frozen.  And, despite having a heater in her house, she would rather roost on its roof.  I would hate to go out and check on her only to find a hencicle!

 

I suspect, like all of you, I am hoping for a better year than last.  2013 was a year of ups and downs and it ended with me being sick for the last 3 weeks.  Lucky me...December was a whirlwind of trying to get shopping done in between two bouts of the stomach flu and a nasty cold.  Modern medicine is to blame...I went in for to get a prescription refilled and came out with sulfa meds for a sinus infection.  Those totally screwed me up and started the whole downward spiral.  (I'll never take those again!)  I'll spare you the details but suffice it to say that it was NOT a lot of fun. I almost missed the big family Christmas gathering at his mom's house because I was still running a fever.  I'm oh-so-glad I went though, as it was a ton of fun even if I didn't feel all that great.  J. and I didn't even wrap our presents to each other this year, there was no tree (and I LOVE Christmas trees!) - we just didn't have the energy for all of it.  And you can tell from my absence over the last 3 weeks that I haven't had the energy for blogging either.

 

But I'm still vertical, back to 100% and that's all behind us now...and we are ALL going to have a great year in 2014, right?

 

Right!

A Nasty Winter So Far

Heavens!  Well, we haven't gotten all that ice and nastiness here, but we did get a dusting of snow a couple of days ago.   This is day 3 of me having the stomach flu (yeaaa...) and, with the temps dipping down to the low teens for over a week, I had to run out and check today to make sure Henrietta was doing OK out there all by herself.  The cold air hit me like a chair in the face.  Wow, is it cold!

J. set her up with a new "furnace" in her coop and we had wrapped most of the chain link with tarps, so she seems to be nice and toasty so far despite the weather.  Now if we could just get her to actually go in the coop by herself rather than roosting on top of it!  Poor J. has been reduced to duck-walking under the roof of the pen, grabbing her, and stuffing her, amid much protest and squawking, into the coop.  She must agree that it's nice in there, because she doesn't come out until morning.

As if having a patient to take care of wasn't enough, J. also has had to deal with the fact that our on-demand hot water heater blew its control board and it's not under warranty.  So we've been without hot water upstairs since yesterday.  I couldn't stand it any more and washed my hair in the kitchen sink downstairs.  That's something I haven't done in a loooonnnngggg time.  The new board should be here tomorrow and, hopefully, I will be back at work and come home to a nice hot shower.  *sigh*

Also, hopefully, I'll feel much better tomorrow and can get back on track with posting because I've got a ton to share about what we've been up to.  In the meantime, I did come across a funny photo on ICanHazCheezburger that I thought I would share.  I couldn't help but giggle when I saw this.

 What do you think?  Photoshop or not?

Way Over the Top

Hi, all-

My apologies for having been offline for the last 2 weeks, but I've got some crazy stories to catch everyone up on.  Alas, I won't have time until this weekend when things finally quiet down a bit.  In the meantime, I just HAVE to post something that J. found on the Neiman-Marcus website.  We went a little over the top in building our chicken coop, but this so-called Beau Coop is WAYYYYY over the top. Don'tcha think?

Photo by Neiman Marcus

 
I wonder how many people will be whipping out the credit card for this baby at $100,000?

Now, granted, it includes a consultation, grounds survey and two additional onsite visits from an "expert".  And it does have a chandelier (every well-heeled chook should have one of those, right?)  But I'm pretty sure my hens are quite happy and my raised garden beds have done quite well for well under that budget. Her coop doesn't even have a trellis over the door or a fancy mural on the wall like ours!

Tell you what....if you're reading this and you've got the money to burn on this thing, give me a ring.  I'm willing to help build you a similar chicken palace and FOUR raised beds for the paltry sum of $75.000.  It's a bargain!

A Potato Farmer I Am?

With cold weather coming and our plans to change the garden next Spring, I needed to get the potatoes dug out this weekend.  Truthfully, I was pretty sure I was going to find nothing in there.  You may remember that we tried rather unsuccessfully to grow potatoes in plastic laundry tubs in in 2011. We didn't grow potatoes, but we did have a bumper crop of bugs!

Then we built some raised potato bins in 2012 and, after a scorching hot summer that year, the potatoes died and we were too comfy in the air conditioning to even venture out and dig around to see if anything was left.

This year, we had a full bin of volunteer Yellow Finn potato plants (well, I certainly didn't plant them!).  Digging them out was pretty easy - I just grabbed two of the vertical corner boards and tilted the whole bin over (click the link above to see how the boxes are built) and then used a hand spade to pop them up.  They were all very near the surface, so it was easy peasy..

As you can see, I got a dizzying array of sizes!

Most of what popped up first was those little bitty ones that are about the size of a pea.  Talk about discouraging!  But the more I dug, the more the larger ones started to show up.  Those potatoes on the right are about average size for Yellow Finn, which are very similar to Yukon Gold.

I also found a couple of plants that I thought were really educational about how potatoes grow.  Check this out...

The plant grows upward from the original cut potato (from the eye) and then the roots form just above that.  The new potatoes then grow from those roots.  You can really see those little potatoes forming on that plant on the left.  Neat, huh?

By the time dusk arrived and I was finished with the two bins, I had about half a bucket of potatoes - some are edible size and the others I think I'm going to use for seed potatoes for next year. 

Potatoes have a long shelf life and will easily last 7 or 8 months if cared for and stored properly.
So why don't we go over some tips for using and storing them?

• Clean potatoes before storing them. If you have sandy soil, just brush the soil off.  But if you have sticky clay soil like me, the potatoes will need to be washed. Make sure they are completely dry before placing them in storage or they will mold.
• Once they've been cleaned, they need to cure for a week to 10 days in moderate temperatures (65 degrees) and high humidity (85 to 95 percent).  This will harden them off and heal any injuries caused during harvest, so they'll last longer.
• Sort out any injured and diseased potatoes before storing them long-term. You'll want to east the ones that you hit with your shovel, any that have bad spots, etc. within a month of harvest because they won't last long.  
• Put the best potatoes in well-ventilated containers and store them in a dry room with constant temperature of 35 to 40 degrees and moderate humidity. The room should be kept dark, as light will turn them green and make them unfit for table use. Discard potatoes with an excessive amount of greening because they can actually be poisonous.
• Grow potatoes that keep well. Red potatoes don't keep as long as yellow or white varieties. Thin-skinned potatoes don't last as long in storage as those with thick skins, such as Russets.

Well, I know I have sure learned a lot about potato growing, and I hope you picked up a tip or two also.  If I were a Boy Scout, I'd be asking for my Potato Farmer patch because...well...I think I can now say I know how to grow potatoes.  :-)

Fall Arrives at the Farm

Whee! I'm back after a short hiatus -  J. and I went on a much-needed vacay to Branson, Missouri where we had a great time (even if I did come back with a cold that took me down for the last couple of days).  We planned the trip around a Charlie Daniels concert and, let me tell ya:  the man is a living legend.  He played at the Oak Ridge Boys theater, which was an incredible place to see a show, and what made it even cooler were all the vets that were in the audience.

Anyways, I've got some pictures to share from that trip in another post, but I wanted to focus first on how the farm looked when we left it. 

Everything seems to partying on as if it's still summer! 

Teensy little watermelons...

...forming on nice green vines...

...tomato plants loaded with green tomatoes...

...and the potatoes are sprouting because *someone* didn't dig them up quick enough.  Ahem!

When we got back on Veterans Day, I had planned to start on the garden cleanup but the weather turned freakishly cold that afternoon before I could get started.  Pretty much everything has died back now so we'll start on that today (in 45 mile an hour gusts!)

J. and I have been discussing some big plans for changing how the farm is laid out.  We're going to take out some of the raised beds and do a larger in-ground garden next year.  We'd like to get a load of horse manure and mix it with leaves to really get a nice garden plot going.  The eastern most bed is coming out to make way for the greenhouse that will, hopefully, let us get a jump start on plants in the Spring.  I'm so excited!

A Guy After My Own Heart

Many of you know that I'm a tried and true Jeep lover- at one time, we had 3 of them in our "stable".  My old black 1999 Cherokee has 140,000 miles on it (low for a 1999!) and has been relegated to hauling farm stuff and pooches, but it will have to rust into nothingness before I get rid of it.  I love it that much!  So I had to giggle when J. sent me this ad that he had seen posted on Craigslist.  Jeep owners are a breed apart and I think this demonstrates that perfectly.  It's almost worth a trip down to Oklahoma to meet him.

WARNING:  Some foul language included!

1997 Jeep Cherokee  (XJ)
220K Miles
4.0 L in-line 6
4WD
AUTOMATIC Transmission
Bright Red
Straight Stock
Crank Windows, no cruise, no tilt, no delay wiper, no nonsense
POWER MIRRORS!  Woo Hoo!

$1750

Here's the deal, kids:
This is a Jeep Cherokee.  This is not a luxury SUV, or a maintenance-free disposable import.  It has solid front axles, wind noise, and character.
It's a Jeep.  It rides like a Jeep.  It drives like a Jeep.  All of these are GOOD things.
It is not new, it is not pristine, it is used.  This will be apparent in the pictures.


If you do not own a toolbox, have never changed your own oil, and are scared of firearms: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.
If you have been posting on facebook all about how excited you are for pumpkin latte season: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.
If you get offended easy and often, whine to your co-workers, and bitch a lot: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.
If you feel you are owed anything in the world & have a bullshit job where you fail to produce: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.
If you own a bieber album, white oakleys, affliction t-shirts, or those candy-assed stitched-pocket jeans: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.
If you consider the 2nd Amendment an anachronistic relic and have never owned a firearm: THIS VEHICLE IS NOT FOR YOU.


If, however, you have BALLS OF STEEL and consider adverse weather an excuse to do stupid shit: THIS IS YOUR JEEP.
Do you laugh at danger, and tempt fate? 
Have you ever uttered the words, "Hold my beer and watch this ..."?
While bored at work do you pick targets at random and think, "I could hit that from here with the .22 ..."?
Have any of your friends quit hanging out because you were too much fun?
Do you have the number of a friend with cash memorized for bail?
When you pass an abandoned flatbed farm truck along a fenceline do you consider taking on another project?
Is your ol' lady really sick of the random piles of parts, greasy footprints, and empty beer bottles in the garage?
    -could you not care less?
Do you have Jalopnik saved on your laptop AND smartphone?
Do you own a service manual for every vehicle you ever owned?
Do you still miss your first ride?
Can you carry on a two hour conversation discussing tools, scars, and hi-lift jacks?
Remember when tool companies had the balls to put half-naked beauty queens on their calendars?
Do you consider the Prius an abominable affront to the Gods of displacement, torque, and All Mighty Internal Combustion?

If you answered in the affirmative to the preceding: THIS IS YOUR JEEP.

DETAILS:
-I am the second owner.  First owner barely got it dirty and engaged the front axles once.
-I have remedied this excessive caretaking with muddy roads and a pile of fun.
-The motor uses a little oil.  How much?  I don't know, I'm not collecting statistical analysis points. 
    I check the oil, I fill the oil, I drive.  Not enough to bother me. 
-It leaks a little oil.  How much?  Not enough for me to care.  It has 220,000 miles, Poindexter!
    If you have a vehicle with 220K NOT leaking or burning oil, it's empty!
-Rear bumper has a big-ass crease in it.  I dented it backing into a concrete pole.  Sober.
    We drove away giggling, for the record.  Haven't fixed it.
-Driver's side door was caught by the wind, whipped forward, got into the LF quarter panel.
-Radiator has a small leak.  Pinhole.  I can replace the radiator or you can.  Really doesn't matter
    A new radiator and hoses will run $145.  If you don't want to replace them I will. 
    Add $250 to the price of vehicle.  This includes radiator, hoses, and labor (beer).  A freaking bargain.
-The badass little 4.0L bullet-proof in-line six starts and runs like the proverbial champ.
-Tranny and 4WD operate perfectly
-Tires will need replaced in a couple thousand miles.  I haven't upgraded because I had plans:
    Had planned a small lift, upgrade to 17" Wrangler wheels, and more aggressive tires.
    Life got in the way - it ain't happening. 
-Zombie stickers on the right rear window stay.  My daughter's idea, take it up with her.
-Flogging Molly sticker stays as well.  They kick ass, so there. 

QUESTIONS:
-Why are you selling?
    I can't justify owning it anymore.  Motorsickles, kiddos, work, travel, and beer have consumed my time and money.
    Someone else needs to appreciate the Jeep for what it is:  awesome mechanical artistry.

-What's wrong with it?
    Radiator.  Small oil leaks.  Driver's side door cosmetic issues. 
    And it's pissed it has been neglected and parked.  It needs rescued.

-Does the 4WD work?
    Hell yes.  Like a Dickensian Orphan. 

-Will you sell me the [engine / tranny / rear door / axle / etc.]?
    No.  I'm not in the salvage business.  Buy the Jeep.  Love the Jeep. Give the Jeep a home.

-Will you take [insert ridiculously stupid low number here]?
    No.  If I wanted [ridiculously low number] I would have asked [ridiculously low number]
    Want a cheap car?  Get your kid that lowered tuner piece of shit honda project down the road. 
    I think I'm plenty cheap for this bad mofo.

-Why is it still stock?
    Because I bought it for a daily driver with the intention of turning it into a project.
    I haven't had the time to do so.  So I am selling it.

-Can I put a 6" lift and giant tires on it?
    I don't give a shit.  But be sure to use quality components and for God's sake - get it aligned after a lift!

-Would this make a good car for my daughter?
    Hell.  Yes.  Not only a good car, a learning experience.  Introduction to vehicular maintenance.
    Additionally, there isn't really enough room in the back for that little bastard she's dating to try anything.

-Can you deliver?
    Within reason.  I'd drive it a hundred miles or so.  But really, you should come get it.  Look it over.  Have a beer.  Etc.

-Will you take a check / cashier's check / Western Union Transfer / Nigerian Promissory Note?
    Would you take a ball pein hammer to the forehead?
    No.  I'll take Cash.  Period.  Bring cash or don't show.

-Will you ship to -?
    No.  See above.

-No, really, all I have is [lowball dollar amount]?
    That's great, I don't give a shit.  Unicef ain't running this deal, and until they do I want $1750. 
    Why?  Because I don't HAVE to sell this little beauty.  Truth be known, I'd rather keep it.
    But if it's going to a good home - I will sell.  Unless you're an asshole - then no sale.

-Why are you such a dick?
    Everything is relative; you should see my friends.

Any other questions, feel free to reply to this email and ask.