Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today - an On going Thread #3]

Frugal Dad .com ^ | July 23, 2009 | Frugal Dad

[Quix]

END TIMES LEVEL 2 PING LIST PING.

Useful and interesting info.

[Joya]

Winter of 84-85 I lived in Toledo, my kids were in kindergarten and first grade ... we lived in the Old West End, the upstairs half of an old house that had been made into a duplex. The foyer and staircase up were unheated and I hung a blanket at the top of the stairs to stop the draft. It looked funny, but it made is so much easier to keep our little home warm.

[Posted in memory of Sherry Middaugh.]

[Joya]

Have you posted the recipe for Mary’s Orange Cake?

[Joya]

3030, reference for later:

[This guy I am not sure of his name] have 6 video clips on you tube describing my simple solar homestead, solar cabin, and the systems I use to run the homestead. Each clip is about 5 minutes long. you can watch them all or pick the ones you are interested in.

1- Solar Homesteading Introduction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXu45MHrnTk

2- Simple Solar Homesteading Intro continued...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyPkT5P5ysQ

3- Solar electrical system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLnZLypphgk

4- Cabin Interior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FacIm3bHbYc

5- Composting toilet and solar tv:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdG6hOqFTd0

6- Loft and office:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZLJ3CkgdZE

Also have my song Follow your heart on youtube if you like country/folk music:

- - - - - - ‘As a kid, i would camp outside every chance I would get. Would never sleep in a tent unless a deluge of rain. Even in the coldest of weather I would sleep well. I would take a flat rock, heat it in my campfire, then wrap it in a thick turkish towel and use it for a pillow. If really cold, would do 3, one for the head, one for the kidney area (buried to ground level, and one for my feet. Slept warm as toast. Those areas as well as wrists are where you lose most of your body heat, and also gain it. The rocks wrapped in towels would stay hot all night. Best sleep ever.’

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[nw_arizona_granny]

Frugal, Free, need an idea, patterns, things, you name it and she has it listed in her links.......

http://www.myhq.com/public/p/a/pahgan/

[nw_arizona_granny]

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[I did not read the links, some look interesting...granny]

---

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[nw_arizona_granny]

Investigating The Potential For The Expansion Of Urban Agriculture In The City Of
Edinburgh

A recent increase in urban food production has been stimulated by both the recognised
advantages which it brings in terms of health, recreation and urban sustainability
and by the solution which it represents to the many problems associated with the
globalisation of the food system, urbanisation and increasingly intensified agriculture.

The City of Edinburgh has experienced not only a growth in the number and diversity
of urban food growing projects over recent years but also a rise in waste, carbon
emissions and both human and environmental health problems.

This study aimed to address these problems by assessing current food production
and subsequently quantifying the room for expansion of food growing in the city.

Case studies were conducted detailing information on 16 different food production
projects within the City.

---

Association of American Geographers calls for papers on urban agriculture

Urban Agriculture (UA) is undergoing a renaissance in North American cities. Over
the past few years, communities and individuals have launched innumerable initiatives
to farm and garden in empty lots, at schools, in back yards, and on roofs and stoops.

This renaissance has led seed companies to report record sales, prompted Michelle
Obama to plant a model garden at the White House, and motivated municipal governments
to open public parks to UA. Far from being a new phenomenon, however, this renewed
interest is building on a historical legacy of UA as a critical part of North American
urban culture and landscape.

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Permablitz - Eating the suburbs - One backyard at a time

Permablitz: new word, noun

1. An event in which volunteers use permaculture principles to transform a suburban
garden into a place that produces its own food. A combination of the words permaculture
- a design system for sustainable living and land use - and Backyard Blitz a television
program in which backyards receive a makeover.

The rules of a permablitz are simple: if you want a permablitz crew to turn up to
your place, you have to help out on at least two other working weekends before they
will do so. In addition, Palmer defines a permablitz as a day in which “two or more
people come together to —

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Cultivate vegetables! Soviet poster ca. 1930

Workers are encouraged to cultivate vegetables near factories. On the poster, a
realistic still life is combined with a modern constructivist background. It is
issued by the publishing company of AChR, the Association of Revolutionary Artists.

This organization is the main promotor of Socialist Realism and develops a stranglehold
on the visual arts.

---

Vegetable Garden at Tower of London ca. 1870-1900

An exterior view of the Tower of London showing Middle Tower with guards and a vegetable
garden in the foreground.
Photographer: York and Son
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All stories here:
City Farmer News [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102743830482&s=1304&e=001zgHxNN2nvZqzbJDFhAWaklc7IIj9x1sxSFpXMLJLH0IVegG5nQUKC0y1zyNQcnbScZp7d8Jq0YphcZd-NhfUNTuPlwLfYJvLpCe57yAwClOHM_2ARYKk-A==]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks, glad your nap left you feeling better.

This cold weather is not agreeing with me either, it will be a long cold winter, I suspect.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Quilts work wonders in draft stopping, so do old parachutes, if you can get them.

This place has add ons and it is nothing but draft sources.

I use a lot of the thicker plastic that sells in rolls as a painters drop cloth, cover the source and tape it down, or even as a drape over a window.

[Quix]

tHANKS THANKS.

I think you’re right about a tough winter..

There’s some foam stuff in a can that dries rigid . . might be expensive. Can fix a lot of drafty type holes.

[Quix]

Packing bubble wrap from wallmart helps, too.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Have you posted the recipe for Mary’s Orange Cake?<<<

Mary used a Duncan Hines Orange cake, added bits of her ground up and dried orange peel and then made the See’s regular fudge recipe and put a layer in the middle, she might also drizzle it over the top and sides.

When I first met her, the first year we lived in Wellton, she was selling a bunch of junk off her old farm, and we heard of it and went to see if we could buy the Model A Ford in her yard.

It wasn’t for sale, we bought stuff and in a couple moving trips, got to talking about quilts and she invited me to tea.

She became that once in a lifetime friend, that never leaves your thoughts for long.

Early on, I wanted a cigarette and went out to smoke on the back steps, she came out and asked if Bill took sweets in his lunch, which he did.

She then brought out a nicely wrapped package of fudge to give to him.

I sat there looking at it and thought that I needed a taste, so, started to open a corner........she stopped me with “Ohh do you like fudge?

Yes!!!

“Well, I have some crumbs left that you can eat, that is for Bill.”

And that is how it went, she was more than twice my age and almost double Bill’s and they loved each other, it was a joy to share it, Bill’s big blue eyes would light up, when he saw Mary and my favorite photo, is of the two of them, on a picnic that we went on.

Mary set the pace for Thanksgiving, she told her 6 kids, “sorry, but Ruth and Bill do not have anyone here and so I will go to them....”

And that is how our Thanksgiving tradition of going on a picnic got started.

It ranged from a can of spam and a can of pork and beans that first year, and all kinds of meals after that, to on our last one, a full turkey dinner, in the middle of a ghost town, for her daughter Mabel had come from Virginia and had 2 kids with her, who expected a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Still today, tukey dinners in the house, bore me to tears.

[nw_arizona_granny]

That foam does work, I have used it before, and use old plastic to stuff the holes, LOL, my family fusses that I keep saving old dirty plastic bags, but my brother saw them this morning and used them to stuff an open vent....

The packing bubbles will work too.

[Quix]

And the packing bubbles between 6 mill plastic sheeting work better.

[Joya]

Thank you DelaWhere. So glad I really read back through my pings. I appreciate your help. I am going to paste your info again for myself as I am challenged when it comes to finding these answers later when I need them. Thanks again.

= = =
U checked out the site and it is a very workable solution.

http://thriftify.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/build-your-own-wind-generator/

Thriftify!

DIY Wind Generator for under $200
May 6, 2009 · 2 Comments
Photo: Mike Davis

Photo: Mike Davis

Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your own wind generator made out of basic materials like PVC pipe and sheet metal. Author Mike Davis explains how he started on this project:

I started by Googling for information on home-built wind turbines. There are a lot of them out there in an amazing variety of designs and complexities. All of them had five things in common though:

1. A generator
2. Blades
3. A mounting that keeps it turned into the wind
4. A tower to get it up into the wind
5. Batteries and an electronic control system

I reduced the project to just five little systems. If attacked one at a time, the project didn’t seem too terribly difficult. I decided to start with the generator. My online research showed that a lot of people were building their own generators. That seemed a bit too complicated, at least for a first effort. Others were using surplus permanent magnet DC motors as generators in their projects. This looked like a simpler way to go. So I began looking into what motors were best for the job.

This easy to follow guide is available on Mike’s website. Link.

Categories: DIY
Tagged: wind generator
2 responses so far

*

Kate // May 6, 2009 at 10:35 PM

He makes it sound easy!
*

David // May 17, 2009 at 12:44 AM

Fantastic angles on the whole thing, keep it up guys, a fantastic read, I really enjoyed it.
Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2712 | View Replies

- - - - - - -
You may want to read all the way through, because he overcame the problem he had with a weak area of the blades later in the article and that seems a very logical fix. DW

[nw_arizona_granny]

The California Rare Fruit Group is great resource.

Pawpaw fact sheet: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pawpaw.html
Persimmon fact sheet: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orchard_eclectic/

[nw_arizona_granny]

1. Home-Brewed Hot Sauce
Posted by: “angelchef

Home-Brewed Hot Sauce

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, finely cut
1 can (4 oz.) tomato paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 can jalapeno peppers* See note at bottom
4 cloves garlic, flattened with a knife, finely chopped
2 tbsp. vinegar

In a heavy-gauge saucepan, pour in liquids from tomatoes and peppers. Add cut-up tomatoes, tomato paste, onion and garlic. Cut stems from peppers and discard. Cut peppers into fine pieces and add to other ingredients. Put saucepan on high heat. As soon as mixture begins to boil, reduce to low temperature and simmer 2 - 3 hours, stirring frequently. Mixture will thicken as liquid boils off. Allow mixture to cool; stir in vinegar. Put into (8 oz. home canning) containers and refrigerate or freeze. Freezing helps sauce retain flavor.

Makes 4-6 (6 oz.) containers.

Note: 10-1/2 oz. can will be tasty; 12-oz. can will give sauce a zip; a 16-oz. can will make a really hot sauce.

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2. Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Posted by: “angelchef

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

1-1/4 cups each cooked black turtle beans, cooked fresh corn kernels
3/4 cup each finely diced red onion, rinsed; red or green bell pepper
2 jalapenos, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
to taste salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Combine all ingredients except parsley and mix well. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and add parsley before sering.

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3. Atkins Chili
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Atkins Chili

This Atkin’s chili recipe is made with ingredients that are approved foods in the Atkin’s Diet. The foods in this chili recipe can be eaten during the induction phase of the Atkins Diet. You can still lose weight and enjoy great tasting chili!

o 1 Tablespoon olive oil
o 1 large chopped onion
o 6 large garlic cloves, minced
o 2 medium jalapenos, minced
o 2 lbs ground sirloin
o 2-4 Tablespoons chili powder (adjust according to personal taste)
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o pepper to taste
o 1 16oz can diced tomatoes (make sure no sugar added)
o 2 cups chicken broth (again no sugar added)

Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute about 8 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add ground sirloin and cook until brown, breaking up meat with a spatula as it cooks. Add chili powder, salt, pepper, and jalapenos to the meat and onions. Stir in died tomatoes and chicken broth.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 and a half hours.

Note: Wear gloves to mince the jalapenos. If you want your Atkin’s chili a bit spicy, then mince the seeds and membranes with your jalapenos. If you want your chili milder, then remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos.

Note: Be sure to check that your spices, tomatoes, and broth don’t contain added sugar. If they do, you will have to count them as part of your total carbohydrate intake for the day.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recipes_for_Health
Need some healthier recipes? We cover everything from lowfat to diabetic

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4. Seafood Chili
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Seafood Chili

o 4 Tablespoons olive oil
o 2 cups chopped onion
o 2 leeks, white part only, chopped
o 10 garlic cloves, minced
o 5 Teaspoon dried oregano
o 35 oz Italian plum tomatoes, not drained
o 16 oz clam juice
o 2 Cups dry red wine
o 1/2 cup chili powder
o 5 Teaspoon toasted cumin seed
o 1 Tablespoon salt
o 1 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
o 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
o 12 Littleneck clams
o 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
o 1 1/2 pound grouper cut into 1 inch pieces
o 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
o 3/4 pound Bay scallops
o Fresh cilantro for serving

Heat oil in heavy saucepan over low heat. Add onions and leeks. Cover and cook until tender, usually about 15 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, and cook another 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking up large pieces with a spatula. Stir in the clam juice, wine, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 1 hour. Add bell peppers and simmer for 20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to a brisk simmer. Add clams and mussels. Cover and cook until shellfish open, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any shellfish that do not open. Gently stir in grouper and shrimp. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add scallops. Cover and simmer until fish is just opaque, about 3 minutes.

Top with cilantro and serve.

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5. Turkey Chili
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Turkey Chili

o 2 pounds ground turkey
o 1 cup chopped onion
o 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
o 1/2 cup green peppers, diced
o 1 cup chicken broth
o 2 teaspoon dried cumin
o 1 teaspoon dried oregano
o 1 teaspoon chili powder
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
o 1 can refried beans
o 2 15 to 16oz cans of kidney beans (not drained)

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey and drain. Add all ingredients to crock pot except the can of refried beans. Cover and cook on low 2 hours. Add refried beans to chili for thickening. Cover and cook on low for an additional 2 hours.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/
Looking for some new crockpot recipes? Casseroles?

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6. Indian-Spiced Vegetables in Sour Cream
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Indian-Spiced Vegetables in Sour Cream

1/4 cup LAND O LAKES Butter
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground corinander
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 medium (6 cups) cauliflower, cut into 2-inch pieces*
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalape�o chile
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES Sour Cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Hot cooked rice, if desired
Chutney, if desired

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet until sizzling; add cumin, coriander, ginger root, garlic, turmeric and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices begin to brown (1 to 2 minutes). Add chicken broth, cauliflower, garbanzo beans and jalape�o; stir to coat.
Place mixture in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or until cauliflower is very tender. Fifteen minutes before serving time, increase heat to High. Stir in peas and sour cream. Continue cooking until peas are heated through.

To serve, ladle into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice and chutney, if desired.

Makes 4 (1 1/2-cup) servings.

*Substitute 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen cauliflower.

TIP: Coriander is used both for its seeds, ground into the spice we use in this recipe, and for its leaves which we know as cilantro or Chinese parsley. The coriander seeds taste somewhat like lemon and sage, and are used whole or ground in cooking and baking. The pungent green leaves, resembling flat-leaf parsley, are used in Indian, Thai, Mexican and Caribbean cuisines.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving):
Calories: 370
Fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 45 mg
Sodium: 920 mg
Carbohydrates: 41 g
Dietary Fiber: 10 g
Protein: 12 g

This is another great group owned by *~Tamara~*

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Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Simply-Spicy/

[nw_arizona_granny]

And the packing bubbles between 6 mill plastic sheeting work better.<<<

Very good idea, at one time they built greenhouses with the 2 layers of plastic sheeting and had a blower set up to circulate air between the 2 sheets for maintaining the temp.

I think that I have enough of the bubble sheets to make a sandwich and have a couple windows to use it on.

Thanks for the idea.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Re: Hot Pepper Jelly
Posted by: “Kathy”

Here is my Hot Pepper Jelly that I make using commercial juice. I ONLY use the 100% juice product made by Ocean Spray.

I made a batch of the Cranberry Hot Pepper Jelly and it is soooo good. I like the cranberry best because it is not as sweet as the Raspberry Pepper Jelly. I also made a batch of Cranberry Raspberry that was great. I am thinking the Cranberry Pomegranate is next on my list.

Pepper Mash
Slice and puree in a food processor any amount of hot peppers. For every cup of mashed peppers, add 1/4 cup vinegar. Use vinegar as additional liquid to really puree the peppers fine.

I do not seed my hot peppers. I simple take the tough top stem off and puree away. Really easy this way!

Cook the pepper mash in the microwave until thoroughly cooked. It takes about 5-7 minutes per cup. Stir every 3 minutes. Puree again, if necessary, after cooking. I find the peppers puree a lot easier after cooking.

Hot Pepper Jelly
4 cups 100% juice
1 box powdered pectin
1/2 cup pepper mash (or more if a hotter product is desired)

Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.

Stir in:
5 cups sugar

Bring back to a full rolling boil and boil for 3 minutes.

pour into sterilized jars and BWB for 10 minutes. Makes 4 pints

Kathy

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodPreservationDryingCanningAndMore/