Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
An excellent article on gardening, by Garden Girl.
A good thread to check out for the gardeners.
granny
Weekly Gardening Thread — It’s ALMOST April!
Garden Girl | 3/27/08 | Garden Girl
Posted on 03/27/2008 1:32:50 PM PDT by Gabz
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1992688/posts?page=3
Here's an interesting thread with some practical survival tips. FReeper NW Arizona Granny has been kind enough to start the thread and keep the conversation going.
Granny,
The way this thread is coming along reminds me of a set of books I bought back in the early 80’s called either the Foxfire, or Firefox.
Like this thread it was chock full of great oldtimer ways to grow stuff, build stuff, old Wisdom, health tips from the past, just like we are doing here!
Dang it! My house burnt to the ground in ‘89, and I lost my beloved library (which brought a tear to my eye) so I no longer have them.
This is turning out just as good! See? Prayer IS Powerful!
March 27, 2008
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T O D A Y ‘ S Q U O T E
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Let the world know you as you are, not as you
think you should be, because sooner or later, if
you are posing, you will forget the pose, and
then where are you? ~Fanny Brice
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T O D A Y ‘ S T I P S
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Home and Hearth: Cleaning Shower Doors
HARD WATER STAINS
How do I remove hard water stains from Sliding Glass
Doors? ~Debbie
There are tons of recommendations for cleaning glass
doors, teapots and other glass, of hard water stains. Many
people use lemon juice or vinegar. I use vinegar on my
glass teapot, soaking it overnight and it works great! On
a door you could spray on the vinegar thoroughly, let it
set awhile and scrub it off with a sponge. I’ve also heard
a lot of people love Orange Glo or Orange Pledge for this
also. I’m guessing it’s the orange oil in the products that
work so well.
SUBSCRIBER TIPS
I’ve had the same problem cleaning a shower glass door.
I’d tried borax, vinegar, etc.; everything ever recommended.
Today, I experimented by using a single-edged razorblade.
It removed all the hard water stains and soap scum. The
shower door now looks brand new! ~Debbie
After cleaning my glass shower door after moving in I
take Lemon Oil and wipe the shower side of the glass
with it. The Lemon Oil prevents soap scum and hard
water deposits from building up on it. It does not
streak or leave a haze when it dries. I learned this
trick from a house cleaning company years ago. I also
use the polish for cars on my bathtub and tiles in the
shower. This helps a lot with the cleaning. ~Jeanette
I used to clean houses for a living, & only one thing
works for shower doors: Apply lemon oil, the kind in
a bottle, like Olde English. I get Carroll Brand from the
janitorial supply store, and it works better than others,
but you have to buy a gallon at a time, which lasts
years! Just wipe it on, and stains are gone - the door
is clean & beautiful! ~Cheryl P.
We were in the Air Force and had to go through
inspections when we moved out of base housing.
The inspector told me to clean doors and ceramic
tiles with oven cleaner and then apply baby oil to
a rag and rub a small coat of baby oil on the walls
and doors, soap etc. will not stick. Makes cleaning
next time a lot easier and your shower shines. (To
inspect, they take a razor blade to the doors and
walls). You will pass every time. Just make sure
you have lots of fresh air. ~Weezie
I have a great tip I found to clean shower walls, tub
walls and glass shower doors. Easy Off Oven Cleaner!
It works— spray and let set for approximately ten minutes.
Wearing rubber gloves, wipe clean with a wet cloth and
rinse well with very hot water. Clean away any leftover
Easy-Off with regular cleanser. The cleans years of soap
scum that you can never get off with regular cleansers.
Do not spray metal surfaces, Easy-Off will eat away the
chrome. ~Angie W.
More: Tips on removing odors from your home-—
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/odors.html
WOW! Who made the new Topic Title? Great job!
My inlaws had a huge pen and when the wind would change directions and blow toward their house...ooooo we, the smell.<<<
That is the problem, a large pen with too many hogs.
We had several pens, the pallets were free and we watched the dump for other building supplies, so kept building pens....
LOL, not a surprise, Bill didn’t like my projects.
A pallet will make a fine pen for goats , day old calves and hogs.
Another trick that many may not know, is that there is often free grain to be had at the loading/un-loading side track for the trains.
I was working at the local coffee shop/waitress, during the time they were building I-8 freeway.
The head man of the Asphalt group, had a fun/ornery streak in him and he got me involved in a range war.
Early in the morning, the ranchers were there for coffee, when Vern discovered that I was making payments on a registered Nubian Buck to join Lucy and Misty, he decided that the ranchers should donate to the fund.
Every morning, he would hit the ranchers up for a donation to King Louie’s price.
Not what cattle men want to do.
One day he arrived with a load of barley, and made sure that the ranchers knew what was in his pickup.
The train siding that his supplies came too, was unloading it for the cattle ranchers.....LOL.
So the ranchers had to help me feed my animals too...
It was considered legal then to scoop up what was left on the ground, when the train cars moved and we gathered it for years.
We laughed for years, as the time went by, some of the ranchers had a goat or two and would phone the house, ask for Bill and want to breed their does.
Bill had a standard answer: “King Louie is her goat, I do not make appointments for him”....
[He would have, been glad to make the appointment, if he felt so inclined, or it was some one worth helping, like Grandpa Brimhall, but that is a story for a later date]......
King Louie’s daughters took best of the fair, at the Yuma fair the year they were entered, the trophy was taller than the goat.
Your dad is a wise man, he was getting vitamin C, into you and you did not know it.
I envy you, you are planting my garden at the wrong address.
When you have a jar of pickles or peppers that please you, try pouring the left over fluid into a small sauce pan, bring to a heat, don’t boil and add the vegetables you have on hand and like to eat raw, fill the pickle jar with the vegetables and pour the fluid over them, when cool, refrigerate them.
A cheap way to get pickles.
For years I kept a bottle of sweet dill pickles going, when the pickles were eaten, I replaced them with sliced onions.
I am so sorry that you lost both a home and books, that is almost more than one person can bare.
It is Foxfire and parts of them are found here and there on the internet.
I did not have the entire set and think that only one of mine is left.
Yes, Foxfire is the goal that I had in mind, when I started this thread, there is so much one can learn and no way to learn it all in one lifetime.
We need to think of the things we need to know and dig into them.
I fought having my teens look or act like a hippy, those were awful years......except that it was the hippies who did more to bring back the survival on nothing line of thinking.
Many of the fine articles we read today, are based on a hippy article.
I found this site a couple days ago and have not had the time to check it out, thought at the very least, it would be a good one to google, not for the book, but for the many subjects on the book list, take a look at the link:
Hi all, found this website
http://www.villageearth.org/Publications/ATLibrary/ATLBookList.html
It’s a CD based collection of books about appropriate technology etc, ag, how to, the list is extensive.
1050 books all up.
Sounds amazing to me, but it is pricey. $500 plus.
And if you can’t use a PC, then a waste of money.
I’m thinking I’ll buy it. The ones I really like, i’ll get printed and bound while I still can.
Here is the list.
continues and it is a list too big for even me to post.
[Please note, it is the blog owner talking about buying the books, not I....]
Thank you for the kind words, but it is you and the others that have made this list work.
My thanks to all of you.
Thank you for sending a ping to your list, our thread is growing and all are welcome.
To learn, takes teachers and there are none finer than our Freepers.
Please if you do find a link that should be under survival; post the link here.
I did not know your ping list existed and would love to be on it.
Welcome to our thread.
WOW! Who made the new Topic Title? Great job!<<<
“We did”.
Yes, it is a good job, except that I do not know what ‘zaq’ means and the google did not tell me a lot.......I did see at the bottom one link with the word cannibal in it.....as in eating meat?
I tend to think of you all as “The Group”, thinking “The Thread”, does not convey the importance of this thread.
You must not forget that they voted in “Stink Bait” as our own private Freeper code word.
And I think it is fitting that it is also used by the Garden Thread.
[another link that is full of info]
http://www.foodsubs.com/Cultmilk.html
Cultured Milk Products
buttermilk Notes: Despite its name and creamy consistency, buttermilk is relatively low in fat. It’s sometimes tolerated by people with lactose intolerance since some of the lactose is fermented by bacteria. Most of the buttermilk found in supermarkets is cultured buttermilk, made by adding a bacterial culture to low-fat or nonfat milk. More authentic and tasty, though, is churn buttermilk, which is the liquid that remains after milk is churned into butter. Since recipes often call for just small amounts of buttermilk, many cooks use reconstituted powdered buttermilk. Substitutes: Combine one cup of milk (or soymilk) plus one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, and allow to stand for ten minutes OR Combine one cup of milk plus two teaspoons cream of tartar, and allow to stand for ten minutes OR Combine two parts plain yogurt plus one part milk OR plain, low-fat yogurt OR sour cream OR molasses (in batters that also call for baking soda) Cooking hints: Churn buttermilk may require longer baking times than ordinary commercial buttermilk.
clabber cream = clabber = clabbered cream Substitutes: créme fraîche (thinner consistency) OR ricotta cheese (especially suitable as a pasta filling) OR buttermilk cheese (as a pasta filling)
crema Notes: Cremas are the Hispanic version of sour cream. This category includes crema Mexicana, which is similar to crème fraîche, crema Centroamericana, which is a bit thicker and sweeter than crema Mexicana, crema media, which is like whipping cream, crema Mexicana agria, which is thicker and more acidic than crema Mexicana and often used for savory dishes, and crema Salvadoreña, which is thick like sour cream. Where to find: Mexican grocery stores Substitutes: crème fraîche (not as sweet or creamy) OR sour cream (more likely to curdle when cooked in a sauce)
crema Centroamericana See crema.
crema media See crema.
crema Mexicana See crema.
crema Mexicana agria See crema.
crema Salvadoreña See crema.
créme fraîche (creme fraiche) Pronunciation: CREM FRESH Notes: This slightly sour thick cream doesn’t curdle when it’s heated, so it’s ideal for making cream sauces. It’s also used for appetizers and as a dessert topping. To make your own: Warm one cup heavy cream to about 100°, then add one or two tablespoons of sour cream, cultured buttermilk, or plain yogurt (make sure you buy a brand that contains active cultures). Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least nine hours before refrigerating. Substitutes: crema Mexicana OR equal parts sour cream and heavy cream OR clabber cream (thicker consistency) OR sour cream (This has a lower fat content, and so it’s more likely to curdle if boiled with an acidic ingredient.) OR yogurt (This will definitely curdle when boiled.)
jocoque = labin Notes: This is a Mexican product that’s halfway between buttermilk and sour cream. Substitutes: salted buttermilk OR sour cream OR yogurt OR crema
kaimaki See kaymak.
kashk See qurut.
kaymak = kaimaki Substitutes: clotted cream OR creme fraiche
kefir Pronunciation: keh-FEER Notes: Kefir is like a thin, drinkable yogurt. It was originally made in Turkey out of camel’s milk. It comes plain or flavored. To make your own: Add a tablespoon of plain kefir (with active cultures) to milk and keep it at roughly 110° for several hours, then refrigerate. Substitutes: yogurt (tarter and thicker) OR kumiss
koumis See kumiss.
koumiss See kumiss.
koumyss See kumiss.
kumiss = koumis = koumiss = koumyss = arjan Pronunciation: KOO-miss Notes: Like kefir, kumiss is a beverage made from milk cultured with bacteria. Asian nomads originally made it with the milk of camels or mares, but commercial producers now use cow’s milk. Substitutes: kefir
labin See jocoque.
prostokvasha Substitutes: yogurt
quroot See qurut.
qurut = quroot = kashk = yazdie Notes: Reconstituted dry qurut (bottom picture) is an acceptable substitute for fresh (top picture). Where to find it: Middle Eastern markets Substitutes: yogurt (not as salty)
smetana = smitane = smatana = slivki Shopping hints: This is very hard to find in the United States, but some Eastern European markets carry it. Substitutes: sour cream (higher in calories)
sour cream To make your own: See Homemade Sour Cream posted on Kurma.net, or see the recipe for Vegan Sour Cream posted on the Veggie Table. Substitutes for one cup: Blend one cup cottage cheese plus two or three tablespoons milk or buttermilk plus two tablespoons lemon juice OR blend equal parts cottage cheese and plain yogurt OR blend one cup cottage cheese plus one-third of a cup buttermilk plus one tablespoon lemon juice. (Adapted from directions in the Joy of Cooking by Marion Rombauer Becker and Irma Rombauer. See my sources.) OR blend one cup cottage cheese plus two tablespoons lemon juice plus two tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise plus one-fourth cup nonfat buttermilk (adapted from a recipe in the New Laurel’s Kitchen Cookbook) OR Combine 7/8 cup buttermilk or yogurt plus three tablespoons butter or margarine (From a Gateway Virginia recipe. See my sources.) OR one cup buttermilk OR one cup well-drained yogurt (if making cheesecake, use whole milk yogurt) OR one cup sour milk OR let stand for 5 minutes: one cup evaporated milk plus one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar OR jocoque OR smetana (lower calories)
sour milk Substitutes: buttermilk OR Mix one tablespoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar with one cup of milk, let stand for 5 minutes.
yogurt = yoghurt Notes: This is milk that’s cultured with bacteria to make it thick and tangy. Ready-made yogurts are made from whole milk (with up to 4% butterfat), lowfat milk (with up to 2% butterfat), and skim milk (with up to .5% butterfat). Health buffs prefer brands that contain active cultures, which help keep their intestines populated with friendly bacteria. Many brands are heat-treated to destroy these cultures and increase shelf life. Yogurt often comes with added flavorings and thickeners. “Light” flavored yogurts are made with artificial sweeteners to reduce calories. Lactaid makes a lactose-reduced yogurt, but many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate ordinary yogurt, especially brands that contains active yogurt cultures. Larger markets also carry yogurt made from soy milk and goat’s milk, but these don’t work well in delicate desserts. Organic yogurts also are available.
To make your own: Add a tablespoon of plain yogurt (with active cultures) to milk and keep it at roughly 110° for several hours, then refrigerate. Where to find it: Dairy case of most markets Substitutes: sour cream (This is higher in fat and calories, but less likely to curdle if boiled with an acidic ingredient.) OR buttermilk (This substitution usually works well in baked goods, dressings, and sauces.) OR blend cottage cheese until smooth (not as tart) OR silky tofu (not as tart; doesn’t work well in delicate desserts)
Links
If lactose intolerant or allergic to milk, visit the No Milk Page. See also the Why Milk? page.
Copyright © 1996-2005 Lori Alden
**fresh rhubarb.**
Won’t grwo well in eastern NC. Some of my customers have had some luck growing it in the winter and digging it up when it gets hot, then putting it in the freezer til late fall. Worth a try!
Save
**An excellent article **
Thanks, Granny! I have a lot of fun with that! I’ve been writing it for over four years now. The owner/editor of the paper doesn’t garden and doesn’t care what I write about, so I get to play quite a bit!
Greenhouse is rocking and will be for a couple more months, so I may do more lurking than posting, but I’ve sure enjoyed your thread!
I intended to look at a couple googles, from the book list and since I have no self control...almost, this is what we have to search:
Navaho Indian Myths - Google Books Result
by Aileen O’Bryan - 1993 - Social Science - 187 pages
Here the chanting begins.2 It covers the two fetishes and the two ears of corn and the four clouds and the four vapors. There are many chants sting here. ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0486275922...
Yes, take a look:
Basic Seed Saving:
http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html
How can I recycle this:
Thank you for coming to read our thread, you are welcome to join right in, any time.
I am honored that you are enjoying the thread, Laughing as I say that I am also.
Spring is a time to shut down the computer and go outdoors, you are lucky that you can work with what you love.
I like your writing and will be waiting to read the book you are writing.
You are welcome here when you can pop in, LOL, even as a lurker.
I do love what I do, and I have written several books. Writing is the easy part—getting published is the hard part! LOL
You said you were Cherokee? Eastern or western? My people are from eastern NC originally. I’m a Heinz 57—Cherokee, Welsh, Scotch irish....
Western NC—that would definitely be western NC. LOL at myself
http://www.frugaltimes.com/frugaltips.html
Tips for the Truly Frugal
Whether you are frugal by choice or by necessity, here are some
tips for saving money when money is very tight.
RECYCLING
In the Kitchen
*When you boil potatoes, always save the water. Use it in soups
and stews, or cool it and use it to fertilize your house plants.
*Empty plastic liners from cereal boxes make good freezer bags or
wax paper. Use for lunch bags also.
*Save plastic mesh bags to hold small items you want to run
through the dishwasher, use to scrub dishes, or place items in to drip dry.
*Save the packaging from convenience food and make your own. Fill
tv dinner trays with your own leftovers; jello and pudding cups with similar food, etc.
*Use old TV dinner trays to reheat food in the microwave.
*Cut off the tops of empty plastic milk cartons to use as funnels.
*Pour old baking soda from the refrigerator down your drain to freshen.
*Use pantyhose to hang onions and potatoes in your pantry. Store
in leg section, with knots in between vegetables. Hang from the ceiling.
GARDENING
*Roses love crushed egg shells. They help keep snails out of the garden.
*Save money growing your own food. Get a jump on the gardening
seasons by starting your plants indoors in potting soil placed in empty egg cartons.
*Use old garden hoses to drip irrigate your garden. Cut holes
along the length of the hose, and lay along plants.
*Be creative when it comes to containers. Some possibilities:
-Egg cartons; use to start plants.
-Old shoes, cute for ornamentals.
-Plastic milk and ice cream containers; cut to size and add drainage holes, or use to transport soil, rocks, or water. Cut tiny holes and place by plants for drip irrigation.
-Cracked mugs and bowls; use on the bottom of containers for good
drainage.
- Cardboard boxes; use on a temporary basis for short-lived plants.
-Old tires; stacked them up, and filled with straw to grow potatoes.
CLEANING
*Use old newspapers for cleaning glass and windows.
*Use old dryer sheets to dust. Place them on the bottom of
garbage cans and other areas of the house to eliminate odors.
*Cut up old, worn clothes for cleaning rags. Use old socks for
washrags. Place them over your hand for easy dusting.
*Cut the top off empty milk jugs, and use to store bathroom cleaning accessories. Use to hold your toilet brush cleaner, and then just discard when dirty.
STORAGE
*If you can, buy your ice cream in big 2 gallon buckets. They can be used for all kinds of storage, from food to toys, as well as sand buckets for children.
*Use empty soda bottles to store water. You can also use them to
water house plants when you are away. Cut small holes in the bottom, fill with water, and set inside the plant pots to slowly drip.
*Cut off the top of empty plastic milk containers to desired height to make storage containers to fit in drawers.
*Use ice cube trays for storage of small items.
*Use baby food jars to store small items. Screw the lid to the top of a shelf to save space.
*Use film canisters to store small items (like sewing notions) and small amounts of paint.
*Use empty luggage to store blankets, seasonal clothes, or gift items purchased in advance during sales.
*If you have items in storage areas with empty space, fill them with smaller items, and label them. Try to group things in a logical manner. Keep a master list on your computer.
*Store extra blankets in pillow shams that you can set on sofas and beds.
*Decorate large oatmeal containers and other similar empty containers with contact paper, pictures, etc., and use for storage of smaller items.
*Save empty plastic eggs that come out of bubble gum type machines: They can be used like plastic Easter eggs at Easter or to store small pieces of jewelry and keep earrings together.
*Use old shower curtains to cover wood stored outside.
[This is only a few of those on this page]
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