Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

[nw_arizona_granny]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

[snipped]

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?p=167

Stop Global Warming and Rock your Garden with…Charcoal?
By admin | Oct 14, 2008

So have you heard of Terra Preta? If not, then do yourself a favor and watch this awesome video-

People have known about Amazonian Dark Earth for a long time, but not until recently have they pinned down what it is and where it came from. Even now there’s a lot of mystery surrounding it. Initially, it was thought to be the result of volcanic ash or sedimentation, but now it’s widely accepted that these amazingly fertile plots of ground in the Amazon basin, surrounded by very infertile tropical soils, were man made through the application of charcoal.

Instead of slash-and-burn, the ancient Amazonian dudes practiced slash and char, which involved burning at near anaerobic conditions. The wood isn’t incinerated into ash, but is burnt to a stable charcoal form. You know. Like briquettes.

The cool thing about charcoal is stuff sticks to it. Including soluble nitrogen, which is notorious for running away from your plant’s root zone as quickly as it possibly can. Charcoal also absorbs moisture, keeping your soil from drying out as fast. Charcoal builds soil tilth, increases soil CEC and acts as a veeeeery slow release fertilizer. It can’t be substituted for less stable carbon sources, like compost, but it seems like it could make quite a magical addition to a soil fertility program.

Also, being a very stable form of carbon, it reduces CO2 emissions. When plants die and decompose, they give off a lot of carbon dioxide. With Biochar, up to 50% of the carbon in the charred material permanently stays in the charcoal. So it’s green. Well…it’s actually black, but…yeah.

So where do you get charcoal from? Well, you can make it yourself from wood or plant material like corn stalks using a homemade biochar stove or gasifier.

Or you buy it. Lowes home improvement stores sell natural charcoal under the Cowboy Charcoal brand. With no fillers or preservatives, this should be fine to use in your soil. Biochar as a soil amendment is sold in some places, but good luck finding it and paying for it.

The answers to all your charcoal questions can be found here
http://biochar.pbwiki.com/

- A lot of research went into this resource and it covers just about everything. Theres also a lot of great info at http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/

This is a very exciting topic, and I’m glad it’s gotten so much attention of late. Please be sure to share it with friends! Have fun experimenting!
AddThis
6 Comments so far

1.
Emily October 15, 2008 8:32 am

Thanks for all the links! I have two bags of natural lump charcoal in my garage waiting to try this on a new bed I broke this summer. I have heavy clay, which is great for minerals but really does need some organic matter.
2.
gw October 15, 2008 9:06 am

Great article! I hadn’t heard about this until reading it on your blog. I may try some experimental beds incorporating charcoal and see what happens.

By the way, you have a typo — it’s Cowboy Charcoal, not Coyboy. The hyperlink is correct, just not the visible text.
3.
admin October 15, 2008 6:16 pm

Emily- I have the opposite side of the spectrum. My soil is so sandy I swear my garden looks like a beach sometimes.

gw- Thanks for the typo catch! Typos are the bane of my existence. Know that for every one you spot there were 20 or 30 originally.
4.
Jessica November 14, 2008 10:06 pm

I would watch the equation that store bought charcoal is the same as what is currently called “biochar”. Properly made biochar is created at much lower temperatures (450-500 C) than cooking charcoal (around-ish 700 C and above). This temperature difference is the key to good soil charcoal.

I very much applaud your post, getting out more discussion around terra preta/biochar is very exciting. If interested in Terra Preta/biochar Johannes Lehmann is the top scientist on this subject http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann.html. Some of his papers are very insiteful. But also I think good old fashion back yard experimentation is key too. I have used this gadget to create my own biochar http://www.woodgas-stove.com/. So far my observation is my plants really seemed to thrive, with the addition of around 1/3 biocar to soil.
5.
admin November 15, 2008 8:37 am

Jessica- Thanks so much for those links! Next time I have a little money I may pick up that woodgas stove and give it a try.

I realize there is a difference between biochar and store bought charcoal. However, from what I’ve seemed to pick up from reading, charcoal does have many of the same benefits in the soil. I may be wrong though.
6.
Jessica November 18, 2008 4:14 pm

You’re right there are a lot of articles out there that talk about the benefits of any charcoal you put in your soil. Which like anything has some truth to it. With store bought charcoal you might be missing more of the volatiles, good stuff present in the original biomass which the bugs like. Tars are also created in the process of breaking down of biomass, made at low temp these are good but at when made at higher temperature the tars are less helpful and less of the volatiles are present. These don’t mater for cooking but do matter for plants. More info on this here: http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/charcoalquality

Also the lower temp created biochar has more surface area for critters and minerals to gather.

Leave a Comment

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?p=3

A Tale of Two Cantaloupes
By admin | Jul 24, 2008

I planted only two varieties of cantaloupe this season. One is barely recognizable as a cantaloupe (until you smell it), and the other looks much closer to what I see sold in the store but without the netted surface. So maybe I’m not growing any cantaloupes at all.

I’ve been trying to figure out basically all my life what the differenceis between a cantaloupe and a muskmelon, but apparently it’s one of those heavily guarded secrets that only the few and privileged are allowed to know “Mr. President, I was sent from Department X, you need to be debriefed on cantaloupes.”

Nevertheless after countless hours of investigation I’ve determined that most people believe that Muskmelon is an overarching category of which cantaloupe- the netted varieties- are a small part of. Smooth-skinned varieties are muskmelons. Apparently, Honeydew melons (which I don’t particularly care for) would be called muskmelons while Cantaloupes would be called Cantaloupes. (Duh!)

However, of the two varieties I grew, neither have netted skin, but both taste similar to those netted things in the stores, so I’m going to call them cantaloupes. ‘

The two varieties are called (on the packets), Banana melon and Charentais, the latter being a French heirloom, the former being a freak of nature. Don’t ask me how on earth you pronounce the latter, but from what little I know of French words it’s probably one syllable and not at all how it looks like it should be sounded.

Charentais is a delightful little melon (mine averaged out at about 4 and a half inches in diameter), with a deep orange flesh, very heavy aroma, and annoying tendency to split on the vine. Fairly bountiful too, I wish I would have kept count of how many I picked off my six plants, but they were many indeed. Plenty more than our family could eat at one time. The flavor was, without a doubt to me, one of the best cantaloupes I’ve ever tasted. Very sweet with a wonderful texture that landed smack dab in the middle of too soft and too crisp. I’ll definitely be growing these little babies again. Maybe even take them to the Farmer’s Market next year. The splitting is a problem. It seems it you leave the fruit on the vine a few seconds longer than the plant would like, it splits. It’s a sure-fire way of telling that they’re ripe, though. :P

Banana melon- These things still scare me. I had never seen anything quite like it before I ran across it’s description in a catalogue and couldn’t pass it up. These vines are a bit more vigorous then Charentais, and the fruit is MUCH larger, not to mention the fact that they look decidedly more like a Yellow Zucchini or overripe Cucumber than a Cantaloupe. Observe-

Despite the fact that it is much larger, it has a hollow center (think Papaya) that really brings down the ACV (actual cantaloupe volume) value. The texture lives up to it’s name, being very creamy, almost like a banana, but with your normal (if inferior) cantaloupe flavor. Really didn’t care for the taste of this guy too much, but he’s quite a conversation piece. Try it out. You can get the seeds at Seed Saver’s Exchange.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?cat=11

Grow Akebia- The Full-Shade Edible Fruit
By admin | Aug 20, 2008
1 Comment

Plants cost too much money. Every year for the past three years I have put aside a little cash for the fall planting season, when I order the plants my heart is lusting after the most. It’s usually around 150 dollars or so. This, for me, is a decent chunk of change.

There’s always one or two or three plants that get bumped off the list because I ran out of allocated funds. Akebia (Akebia quinata) had been on that list for the past two years now. This year, it’s at the top of the list. Both alphabetically and priority-wise. I’ve simply put it off too long.

Akebia, also called Chocolate Vine is, by all accounts, a remarkable little dude. The most remarkable thing about this plant is it’s ability to grow, flower, and fruit in full shade. A common complaint of suburban and urban gardeners who wish to grow some of their own food is the lack of sunlight in their limited growing space. Well, complain no longer! You may be scared off at first of it’s remarkable vigor, being able to grow up to 40 feet a year. While this is a scary thought indeed, keep in mind, before ruling it out, that you can always keep it trimmed back.

Reaction to the edibleness of Akebia seems mixed. The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the flavor is pleasant. However, many people seem turned off to the fact that there really isn’t that much food on a fruit, which is mainly seeds. Apparently you have to work hard getting to the sweet jelly with little reward. However, there seems to be other edible uses for the plant…none of which I can vouch for having not tasted it myself yet (sniff sniff).

From the PFAF profile (check the site for references)-

Fruit - raw. Sweet but insipid. The fruit has a delicate flavour and a soft, juicy texture. Lemon juice is sometimes added to the fruit to enhance the flavour. The bitter skin of the fruit is fried and eaten…Soft young shoots are used in salads or pickled. The leaves are used as a tea substitute.

In the edible garden, plants that have multiple uses and can grow in difficult areas are very valuable indeed. Vines even moreso since they have the ability to make use of vertical space. I’m perfectly willing to shell out the dough for a couple of these guys.

Keep it growin!

---

This next site is an amazing site, with information on plants that you do not find every day, the is also a Yahoo Group for the site, or was for years....granny

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Akebia+quinata

Akebia quinata - (Thunb.)Decne.
Akebia
Author (Thunb.)Decne. Botanical references 11, 58, 200
Family Lardizabalaceae Genus Akebia
Synonyms Rajania quinata - Houtt.
Known Hazards None known
Range E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat Woods, hedges and thickets in mountainous areas[58]. Forest margins along streams, scrub on mountain slopes at elevations of 300 - 1500 metres in China[266].
Edibility Rating apple iconapple iconapple iconapple icon 4 (1-5) Medicinal Rating apple iconapple icon 2 (1-5)
Physical Characteristics
icon of man icon of climber A decidious Climber growing to 12m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant)The plant is not self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover; North Wall By; East Wall By; West Wall By;
Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Fruit - raw[2, 105, 177]. Sweet but insipid[3]. The fruit has a delicate flavour and a soft, juicy texture[K]. Lemon juice is sometimes added to the fruit to enhance the flavour[183]. The bitter skin of the fruit is fried and eaten[183]. The fruit is 5 - 10cm long and up to 4m wide[200, 266]. Soft young shoots are used in salads or pickled[183]. The leaves are used as a tea substitute[105, 177, 183].
Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anodyne; Antiphlogistic; Bitter; Cancer; Contraceptive; Depurative; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emmenagogue; Febrifuge; Galactogogue; Laxative; Resolvent; Stimulant; Stomachic; Vulnerary.

The stems are anodyne, antifungal, antiphlogistic, bitter, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, galactogogue, resolvent, stimulant, stomachic and vulnerary[174, 178, 218, 238]. Taken internally, it controls bacterial and fungal infections and is used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, lack of menstruation, to improve lactation etc[238]. The stems are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[238]. The fruit is antirheumatic, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic[218]. It is a popular remedy for cancer[218]. The root is febrifuge[218]. The plant was ranked 13th in a survey of 250 potential antifertility plants in China[218].
Other Uses

Basketry; Ground cover.

The peeled stems are very pliable and can be used in basket making[174]. Plants have sometimes been used as a ground cover, but their method of growth does not really lend themselves to this use[208].
Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh
The flowers have a spicy fragrance, reminiscent of vanilla.

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[200]. Prefers a good loamy soil[11]. Succeeds in acid or alkaline soils[200]. Prefers partial shade but succeeds in full sun[3, 200]. Succeeds on north facing walls[219]. Plants are fast growing and can be invasive[200]. Dormant plants are hardy to about -20°c but they can be somewhat tender when young[200]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. This species grows very well in S.W. England[11]. Plants are evergreen in mild winters[11]. Resentful of root disturbance, either grow the plants in containers prior to planting them out or plant them out whilst very young[219]. Plants are not normally pruned, if they are growing too large they can be cut back by trimming them with shears in early spring[202]. The flowers have a spicy fragrance, reminiscent of vanilla[219]. Plants are shy to fruit, they possibly require some protection in the flowering season, hand pollination is advisable[3, 11]. Plants are probably self-sterile[11, 182], if possible at least 2 plants should be grown, each from a different source. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Surface sow in a light position[133]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[133]. Stored seed should be given 1 month cold stratification[113, 133] and can be very difficult to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[11, 113]. The cuttings can be slow to root[200]. Cuttings can also be taken of soft wood in spring[113]. Root cuttings, December in a warm greenhouse[113]. Layering in early spring[1]. Very easy, the plants usually self-layer and so all you need to do is dig up the new plants and plant them out directly into their permanent positions.
Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Plants for Problem Places - North Facing Walls and Deep Shade, The Woodland Edge Garden.
References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka’s Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I’ve come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants. 0
A good Japanese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 0
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

[nw_arizona_granny]

This did not grow for me outdoors, but I have grown it for a house plant for years.

It will live and produce 2 or 3 years in 6 or 8 inch flower pot, makes a lovely hanging vine and when you need greens for a sandwich, you pinch off a few leaves....plant about 4 seeds per pot.

When I raised Cockatiels and Parrots, they got a fresh leaf every day.

granny

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?cat=11

Malabar Spinach
By admin | Aug 9, 2008
4 Comments

As promised, I’ll be talking about Basella alba, or Malabar spinach. I grew this guy for the first time last year. I had known about it for some time but kept putting off growing it, despite what a promising addition to my garden it seemed to be. You see, I usually get a little bummed over the fact that my garden has no coloring to speak of. Everything is frikkin’ green. So I’ve been trying to break up the monotony by planting things with a little color to them. Or at least plants with colorful flowers or fruit. Malabar spinach fits these qualifications nicely. In fact, it’s often grown as an ornamental. It’s red stems, white flowers, and dark purple berries make quite a statement.

The best thing for me, is this plant’s incredible heat tolerance. There’s a summer gardening lull in southern Louisiana where not much wants to grow besides okra and cowpeas. I’ve found Malabar spinach to take the oppressive summers as good or better than the best of ‘em. Certainly better than I do. It’s also practically immune to disease and pests. In fact, I can’t recall seeing a leaf look even moderately unhealthy.

It’s a vine, by the way, and a long one at that so you need some type of trellis. I personally like a cattle panel cut a little more than half way and bent over (see pic). It’s a little pricey, but it comes out looking relatively attractive and is strong.

The seeds start easily, and can probably be direct sown, but I like to start mine in pots so I have more control over moisture. They’re a little slow to get going- I transplant mine when they’re only about five inches tall into heavy mulch. I’ve had a few transplants mysteriously disappear by what I’m assuming were cutworms (okay, so I lied about no pests). If you have problems with them in your area I’d put some kind of collar around the plant.

There are two major drawbacks to growing Malabar spinach.

*
First- It’s a wee bit difficult to harvest. No, difficult’s the wrong word. It’s just plain boring and takes forever. Especially after flowering when the leaves seem to all magically shrink. The best way to do it, is just clip the top six inches on every vine. The tender stems can be eaten as well. In fact, if you stay on top of it, you won’t need a trellis since you can form a bush by keeping it only a foot or so tall. Just pick off the stems once they reach six inches longer than your determined bush size. Otherwise, you’ll be picking one leaf at a time which would try the patience of the Dahlia Lama.
* Second- All the books and articles you read on this plant will no doubt refer to it as mucilaginous. I rather doubt that this is a real word, but it’s definitely caught on in reference to malabar spinach. I call it “slimy”. Slimy merely sounds unappetizing. “Mucilaginous” sounds disgusting and is harder to spell. But however you name it, it is slimy, and there’s really nothing you can do to make it go away.

Which has led me to an interesting observation. Everyone I have let taste this plant has either loved it or hated it. No middle ground. As for me, I hated it, but found that it really is an acquired taste. After forcing it down a few times (I couldn’t let it go to waste, now could I?) I grew to like it, and now I’ll eat it just as readily as any other greens. My cousin on the other hand, loved it the first time and kept going back for refills.

All in all. It’s a great, reliable source of summer greens. One of the few, so beggars can be choosy.

By the way…this isn’t the first plant I’ve come across with Malabar in the title. What the hey is a Malabar?

Hey, hope ya’ll are liking the blog. Here’s a few plants I’ll be profiling in the near future- so keep checking back! I also intend to start writing entries on different biological gardening methods I use and the ecology of gardening.

*
Cassabanana
*
Cinnamon VIne
*
Achira
*
Jerusalem Artichoke
*
Pyrethrium
*
Fragrant Spring Tree
*
Kiwano

Much love,

mrtumnas

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I find that I still do better with southern folks, and my sister was shocked at my choice of words, she was born in San Diego in 1945, so she is almost not related to those of us who came west, from Texas as fruit tramps.

My dad's mom and dad left Iowa in 1931 in their 1929 Dodge with a mattress on the roof, their two daughters in the back seats and whatever clothes they could carry, headed to California to look for work. Grandpa painted houses for a while and ended up building nearly a hundred houses in Stockton, and when he was killed in a traffic accident in 1944, Grandma was quite wealthy. But she was always very humble, and a devout Christian. The last time I saw her I was maybe ten years old, in 1963, just before my mom divorced my dad. I loved her so much! They were salt of the earth people.

I wonder how many people we have like that any more. There are lots of them here in Fresno but it seems most of them are older.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Scott found a woman who makes an herbal cancer cure in Kingman, that several people he works with swear cured them, I haven’t checked the formula, but suspect it is the same as the Nurse developed in Canada about 50 years ago.

You are talking about Essaic Tea. I have some but I haven't taken any yet, but now that you said this, I will start.

There's also a universal remedy called Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS), have you heard of it? A fellow named Jim Humble discovered it when he was working in South America. It's derived from stabilized oxygen. It's not very expensive. I have that too... I think I will start taking it for these dumb little ailments I am getting (impetigo, cold sores, etc.).

We are going to Whole Foods later today so I will look for the Lavender Essential Oil. Thanks for explaining what the difference is, I might well have bought the fragrance kind.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Jerry Baker’s ALL-SEASON GREEN-UP TONIC

Feed your yard every three weeks, in the morning, during the growing season with my All-Season Green-Up Tonic:

1 can of beer,
1 cup of ammonia,
1 cup of dishwashing liquid,
1 cup of liquid lawn food, and
1 cup of molasses or corn syrup.

Mix and apply to everything in your yard with your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer to the point of run-off.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/pressure-cooker-vegetable-soup-with.html

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Bean SoupThis gorgeous vegetable soup with giant beans is the first real meal I’ve made in the new pressure cooker that came in the mail, although I’ve used it several times to cook plain beans. I loved the way using the pressure cooker kept the vegetables and ham so brightly colored, and this was loaded with flavor. I’m sharing the recipe, although I’m by no means a pressure cooker expert, so any experienced pressure cooker users are welcome to chime in with suggestions in the comments.

The giant white beans were from a small Italian market in Boston, and I seasoned them with garlic and some wonderful bay leaves from Italy (via Ilva!) I hope the giant white beans and the use of Italian bay leaves make this a good entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, now sponsored by Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and hosted by Siri’s Corner this week.

The only disappointing thing about making this was that some of the beans lost their skins after they’d been pressure-cooked and the beans fell apart a little. I did a little research through google and found that even famous cooks have had the same problem with these beans. It didn’t matter of course, but I liked the looks of the whole beans better.

I cut the vegetables and ham into fairly large pieces, approximately the same size as the beans, for a chunky look to the soup. You could definitely cut them smaller if you wanted a more blended looking soup.

I pressure-cooked the beans first for ten minutes with garlic and bay leaves, added to flavor the m. Then I added the vegetables and some pieces of ham and cooked the soup for three minutes. I put pieces of ham rind in during the second cooking time to flavor the broth even more, then fished out the rind and threw it away before serving the soup.

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 cup giant white beans, soaked for 8 hours in cold water (or use any white beans)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves
1 onion chopped in 1 inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then into thick half-circles
1/2 cup chopped celery, cut into pieces same size as carrots
1 cup ham cubes, about 1 inch square
ham rinds to flavor soup (or use Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate or barbecue sauce to flavor the broth)
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Soak beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight, drain water and throw away. (You can also cook beans without pre-soaking, but they will take a lot longer to cook.) Put beans in pressure cooker with 3 cups water, bay leaves, and garlic cloves. Lock lid on, then turn on heat and ring cooker to high pressure and cook ten minutes, then let pressure release slowly. When pressure has been released, remove and discard bay leaves and garlic cloves, but keep all bean cooking liquid.

While beans cook, chop onion, carrot, celery, and ham. Add vegetables and ham to beans and cooking liquid, along with ham rinds (or one of the substitutions above.) Lock lid and turn heat back on, then cook 3 minutes at low pressure, turn off heat, and let pressure release slowly. Remove ham rinds, and serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

South Beach Suggestions:
This soup would be for phase two of the South Beach Diet, due to the carrots. I’d serve it with some hot South Beach Diet friendly whole wheat bread.

More Pressure Cooker Dishes You Might Like:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
I write about pressure cookers and do a round-up of recipes at BlogHer.
Azorean Spiced Beef Stew (Mohla) from Hedonia
Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Cooking with Amy
Split Pea Soup with Herbs de Provence from I Am Gluten Free
Vegetable Soup from Once Upon a Thyme

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Some Holiday Gifts you can make, from Martha Stewart:

From:

Recipe Booklet How-To

A collection of holiday recipes, accompanied by a sweet sample, is a gift that will be appreciated for years. The cheery presentation adds to its appeal. Pass on your culinary traditions to friends.

Recipe Booklet How-To
1. To make one booklet, cover the exterior of a blank greeting card with patterned wrapping paper using a glue stick.

2. Remove the flap from an envelope that will accommodate 3-by-5-inch recipe cards.

3. Glue the front of the envelope to the inner right-hand side of the greeting card.

4. Stuff the envelope with recipe cards, printed by hand or on a computer.

5. Finish by affixing a label to the front of the booklet.

First Published: December 2004

From:

Quick Breads, Easy Presents

When done with a little flair, a small gesture is much more meaningful. Look, for example, at the quick bread. It takes almost no time to make -- quick breads don't require rising or kneading -- but can be a wonderful gift for a hostess or a neighbor.

Quick breads are quick because they're yeast-free; the batter is mixed and put straight into the oven, with baking soda, baking powder, or eggs to give it lift. (Baking powder should be no more than a year old; baking soda, however, will last about three years, as long as it's protected from humidity.) The result is something that seems more like cake than bread (think classic banana bread). The flavors, often sweet, can also be savory.

All are ideal gifts. They taste good and look good, particularly when prettily packaged. Offering quick breads to friends with such care is more than a small gesture. It is a personal one, showing the best sentiments of the season. Give one of these delicious homemade breads as a special holiday present:

Chocolate Marble Bread with Ganache
Carrot and Dried-Currant Muffins
Rosemary Cornbread

It's a Wrap
Try these simple packaging ideas -- they're as easy as the breads themselves. Present muffins in the tin they were baked in, with any drips wiped off, of course. Wrap it in a cellophane bag and then in linen with frayed edges; tie on a tag -- and the recipe if you like -- with twill tape. Bake cornbread in wooden molds, which then serve as gift boxes (they can't be reused for baking). Cover bread in cellophane, then put in a loaf box from a baking-supply store and wrap with loose-weave cotton fabric and sewing thread. Bake bread in a can and cover with rounds of waxed paper, then a round of tissue paper or striped cotton; the whole is neatly tied with waxed-linen thread.

First Published: December 2004

Personalized Blend

Spice up a gift of coffee by creating a distinctive flavor. Mix one or two teaspoons of cinnamon or nutmeg into a pound of freshly ground coffee beans; or scrape the seeds from four vanilla beans with a paring knife, and add them to a pound of coffee. For the best flavor, use a medium-bodied coffee, such as one from Kenya or Colombia. Scoop into a coffee bag with a coated lining, available at kitchen-supply stores. Finish with a ribbon and a decorative sticker.

Download our sticker template.

From:

Mulling Sachets

They're warmhearted gifts: spice bundles for hot cider. Cut cheesecloth into two 6-inch rounds; layer. In center, place 1/2-inch cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 pods cardamom, 4 black peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. Tie with twine. Set several in tin, and tie with bow and holly sprig. Adhere decorative label.

Attach a note with the following directions: "Place one sachet in mug, fill with hot cider, and steep 3 to 5 minutes."

First Published: December 2005

From:

Popcorn Tins

Pack two kinds of homemade flavored popcorn in one bucket tin. Follow the recipes to make Macadamia Butter-Crunch Popcorn and Chocolate-Almond Popcorn. Purchase bucket tins at a home store. Then cut card-stock dividers to fit the diameter and height of the tins. Fill the containers by holding the divider in place and adding popcorn a handful at a time, alternating between the two flavors to keep divider from slipping. Finish with curled paper ribbon and gift tags.

First Published: December 2004

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

LOL!!

[nw_arizona_granny]

There’s also a universal remedy called Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS), have you heard of it? A fellow named Jim Humble discovered it when he was working in South America. It’s derived from stabilized oxygen. It’s not very expensive. I have that too... I think I will start taking it for these dumb little ailments I am getting (impetigo, cold sores, etc.).<<<

LOL, you sound like me, I knew to drink cranberry juice for bladder problems and hated it...So I would open it, drink a small amount and feed the rest to Bill and I would get better.

Your lavender oil will cure lots of the sores, but get a bottle of Oregano Essential Oil, it stinks to high heaven, has natural germ killers in it and that has been proven in hospital tests.

It is what I use for sinus infection and will knock one in a day or so, faster than anti-biotics will for me.

Again, all you do is remove lid, smell it deep 3 or 4 times and do it several times a day.

The other oil that I use daily is Spearmint, I have Peppermint, but prefer the Spearmint, as it smells better, works on aches and pains, on the pillow case for breathing and upset stomachs.

The Big Bear scanner, just said the National Weather Service has issued a special weather advisory, guess they think we are smart enough to go and find it.

And they are on another fire call.

Yes, it was the Essiac tea that I was talking about and I don’t know your MMS product.

After 3 years, Scott has started dating, and the lady will be good for him, but she has been putting off some tests and Scott is afraid she may have cancer.........I told him to tell her to get to the doctor and simply tell her the truth, he has already been down that road.........she knows , but , well I do understand, as going to a doctor is not high on my list.

LOL, the first that I bought was fragrance oil, that was when I wanted good smelling soap, then I began to learn...and am still doing so.

[upcountry miss]

Goodness! Didn't realize this thread was still going. Now I have to get busy and catch up! Haven't heard the rumor you speak of, but know in this area heritage seeds are popular. The company I spoke of is Fedco Seeds out of Waterville, Maine. Have purchased seeds from them for 10 plus years. They contract with local growers to get their seeds in quantity and sell at very good prices. Sometimes I get seeds without the quality I expect, but 95% of the time I am pleased. I know personally some of the growers that Fedco buys from so don't anticipate Monsanto putting Fedco out of business right off. I could go on and on about my seed-saving techniques but don't want to hog the band-width. I believe anyone could find Fedco on the internet.

[nw_arizona_granny]

My dad’s mom and dad left Iowa in 1931 in their 1929 Dodge with a mattress on the roof, <<<

Bill and his family did the same, left Iowa, had approx 6 or8 kids, [10 total], but settled in Portland.

They got to Redding, California, had car trouble, ran out of money and Bill a young boy was looking at the pea gravel in the driveway at the garage and found a gold nugget, his dad sold it and they went on.

We were in an old Buick, when we came, chickens tied to the running board and 3 kids, the other 2 girls are Californians.

We stopped at a burned out home, on a knoll about 60 miles from Yuma.

They killed the chickens and cooked them, and mom cleaned and dressed all of us, in our best flour sack clothes, as she was not going to California looking like a fruit tramp, LOL, as if that could be hidden.

Over the years, we stopped at that fireplace on the knoll several times and later I stopped as an adult, always drawn to it.

And then one day, there was a photo of it in a treasure magazine, someone stopped with a metal detector, searched the inside of the fire place and went away with jar of gold and silver coins. There were photos of it.

I never stopped there again.

Few people are hard workers today, my brother and I always had troubles at work, as we were hard workers and went to work to work, not just for the check.

Some how the New Orleans mentality has spread all over America.

If you ever get/find the tapes of Dr. Bill telling of his work at New Orleans during the disaster, you should listen.

Did you know that those people in the stadium could have been free, with a five mile walk, and would at the most need to go a short distance in ankle deep water, to cross a creek.?

And they waited for a bus to come to the front door.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I could go on and on about my seed-saving techniques but don’t want to hog the band-width.<<<

Welcome back, I hope you will talk about how you save seeds, there were questions on seed saving earlier, and I am not the one to answer them, as yes, I do save seeds, but not properly.

The wider variety of information posted here, the better it will be for all.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Excellent gift ideas.

I baked cookies for years, Bill liked to take them to those who he wanted to remember, his special customers, favorite waitresses, etc........if he was late with them, they would ask if they had been forgotten.

We moved to a little town of Chloride, and I baked cakes for the ‘bake sale’ and threw in a few loaves of sourdough bread.

I was told that they had a waiting list for my bread, seems all the old miners wanted it, and the other ladies could bake the cakes.........it was a once a month sale.

To me, this is the year to give food, in any form you can, it is all more expensive than it was a short time ago.

I have 8 pages of links open, and when I try to close them out, I wind up lost in posting...and opening more links.

The mixes recipes are always handy, when I feel like it and use my bread machine, I line up 4 or 5 bags and put the ingredients in the bags for a loaf of bread, then it is dump and water, oil and yeast and in the machine in 3 minutes.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Granny has single-handedly kept this thread going. RKBA Democrat periodically points people to it, that’s how I found it. I was overwhelmed! I hope you do post your seed-keeping techniques. It’s an important skill that most folks don’t have, and it used to be the backbone of farming. Everyone can contribute something!

[upcountry miss]

Lol-years ago, when anyone asked me when I was going to retire, I would say, “when they bring in the computers.” My daughter gave me her old computer when she updated so I still have my cream separator and several black powder rifles. I sure wish I had raw milk to separate- how I loved that butter, heavy cream and cheese I made.

[nw_arizona_granny]

[I would like this with a german chocolate cup cake in the middle of it........or thin bar cookies...The old fashioned powdered sugar frosting would work, I don’t remember the recipe, butter, pinch of salt, pow.sugar, cocoa, flavoring Vanilla, and a few drops of canned milk, is how I made mine....granny]

German Chocolate Cake Cookies
Rated 9.2 out of 10

Prep & Cooking Time:
Yield: 24 servings
Serving Size: 1.000 cookie
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes, plus extra for garnish
1/3 cup chopped pecans
48 chocolate wafer cookies
1 canister rich chocolate frosting

Directions:
Makes 2 dozen

These are the most amazing “in a pinch” cookies ever. When the holidays arrive and you’ve got too many things to do, these easy no-bake cookies will give you a little wiggle room. Your guests will be delighted with the results.

1. In a bowl, mix the frosting, pecans and coconut flakes together. On a clean surface, lay out half the wafer cookies. Place about 2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture on the cookies and top with the remaining half of the cookies. Squeeze slightly to form a sandwich. Dollop the top with an additional teaspoon of the frosting and sprinkle with a pinch of coconut flakes. Can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Recipe by Rori Trovato; photo by Luca Trovato
Nutrition Facts
Per 1.000 cookie
Total Calories:

153

Carbohydrates:

23.09 g
Total Fat:

6.63 g

Protein:

1.57 g
Sat Fat:

2.08 g

Fiber:

0.97 g
Cholesterol:

0 mg

Sodium:

137 mg
Diabetic exchange:

http://recipes.ivillage.com/recipes/index.cfm?fuseaction=recipePage&recipe=1555

[nw_arizona_granny]

Hang on to the cream separator, they are priceless today.

I ache, wanting a goat some days, with fresh milk, one feels so much better and sure as thunder eats better.

Yes, on making the cheese, that I miss and some of this store bought stuff, isn’t tasting right to me, I am beginning to suspect Chinese milk in it.

Cheese is my main food, LOL, goes with anything.

I hadn’t been retired long, when I went on the internet.

I had the computers from my office, but they did not have windows on them and were not big enough for it.

Isn’t the internet a wondrous thing, so much to read and one never gets to it all........like owning your own library..a big one.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Some of these links don’t work. Here are the working links:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-marble-bread-with-ganache

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/carrot-and-dried-currant-muffins

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rosemary-cornbread

http://www.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf2/houseblendlabel.pdf

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf2/mullingsachetlabel.pdf