Friday, August 29, 2014

Today's Update - 29 Aug 2014


Sigh.  No pictures today.  Just as soon as I started to take some the bottom dropped out and we've had nothing but stormy weather since.  I planted a papaya plant today.  I like papaya but it doesn't always like me if I eat it in abundance ... too much sweet equals too much acid for Mother Hen.  Ugh.  But oh so good.  Mmmmmm.

For those of you that can't grow papaya in your yard I've included some canning and preserving instructions from youtube.  You can treat papaya (as well as other tropical fruits) the way I treat deciduous fruit ... if you can't grow them fresh then find them on sale and preserve them for your personal future use.  I'll be getting bushels of apples in the not too distant future I hope and I plan on canning and drying like a crazy woman.  My mom just got about four bags of canning pears and said she'll preserve them for me as she loves doing that kind of thing but can't serve it too much because of my father's diabetes.  One year for my birthday she gave me a case of home canned pears.  I loved it. 

I try and find the work-arounds now that I might not have access to in the future.  Eating like a locavore is a great learning and teaching tool ... but one of the reason swhy trade started up in the world in the first place is because people by and large like a much wider range of food and seasoning options than what they can find within a day's walk of their of their home.

I got some of the stories updated and if there is time I will update more tonight.  Depends on whether the power starts cutting in and out like it seems to want to right now.

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
http://geekinherittheearth.blogspot.com/

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

Here are the videos as promised ...







Thursday, August 28, 2014

Today's Update - 28 Aug 2014

My Acerola (aka "Barbados Cherry") has some ripe fruit on it so I thought I would share.  This update will be a little on the short side but I'm running around like crazy.  Hopefully I'll have time for a longer one later.



The fruits aren't as sour as you would think something this high in Vitamin C would be.  They are actually pretty sweet and yummy ... very tropical in flavor.



The seeds aren't too bad but I'm not sure whether you can cultivate from them or not.  That's for a future research project.


I started updating late last night but gave out.  Here is what I have finished today.

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
http://geekinherittheearth.blogspot.com/

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/


Today's videos are on using powdered milk.  First couple are on making cheese from powdered milk, then there is one in there on making yogurt and cream cheese from powdered milk, one on making "feta" cheese from powdered milk and one for making "parmesan" cheese from powdered milk  All are interesting and potentially very useful for those that use and/or store powdered milk.  There are of course other cheeses - like ricotta, cottage, and mozzarella - that can be made from powdered milk but I'll leave that bit of research for another time.





Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Today's Update - 26 Aug 2014

Running late with the update again but it is just a reflection of how much I got accomplished today ... including a visit to the Social Security Administration offices to get a replacement SS Card.  I haven't had a new card is over 25 years and the one I had became so tattered before I laminated it that the DMV wouldn't accept it.  So that's where I spent my morning.  Ugh.

Here at the chicken coop I supervised some stump grinding ... rented a large one from Home Depot and took out 7 stumps of varying sizes so that we can commence with some projects around here.  Forgot to take pictures of things being ground down but below is the before and after of that large tree mess that we cleaned up.





The remaining stump is almost as tall as I am and the fence grew into it - or should I say the tree grew around the fence - so there is no grinding that puppy down because of all the metal inside it.  We took out all of the debris and wild potato vines choking everything and left just a little of the trunk on the ground to be dealt with as time allows.  I went out today and it had already become a snake habitat so it will likely be winter before I start crawling around that thing with a chainsaw and axe.  Uh uh ... they can have their little snake party zone with my blessing so long as they stay on the other side of the log.  They come out on my side and someone is going to lose their head and it isn't going to be me.

And speaking of wild potatoes I finally found some time to take some pictures of the encroaching monster vines we do battle with every season ... every week during the summer.  First off the "wild potato" in question is actually better called the "Air Potato."  There are actually cultivated varieties of the Air Potato over in Africa and Asia where it is eaten as a staple but the feral suckers we have growing here in Florida and in Georgia are pretty nasty.  Raw they have a bitter taste ... not poisonous taste just nasty.  Supposedly they can be poisonous to some people ... they've got something called steroids in them ... but I've eaten them with no ill effect.  Now that's not to say I recommend them.  However, if it is starving or eating a feral air potato I'll eat the potato.  Of course I'm adventurous food-wise and have eaten all manner of things that would make most people make that gacking noise when you heave real big ... worms, crickets, roaches, ants, scorpions, snails ... you get the idea.  With age I've moderated my adventuresomeness but not much.  LOL.

Below you'll see how the air potato does the same thing as kudzu ... it takes over an area and smothers all other vegetation out.


This is the very back corner of our property where some of our land slides into a drainage system where ponds and canals spill over into each other and then into the swamp that has been transformed so that it spills over into retention ponds and lakes all up and down the highway.  We'll never totally eradicate them because it would take the cooperation of several neighboring properties plus the county and the people who manage the wetlands in this area of the state for multiple years running.  So no, not going to happen.

To give an example of how invasive the vines are, the gate you see in the picture was cleared and cleaned off one month ago.  The vine can grow up to about 8 inches a days so the experts say ... under the right conditions I'm pretty sure it can grow more than that but it isn't worth the time for me to measure it.  The Elephant Ear in the picture is taller than I am by several feet so that should put what you see in some visual perspective as well.

The potatoes start itty bitty where the leaves and vine meet.


As the vines grow, they twist around each other as well as what they are growing on and the "potatoes" - which are actually more rightfully called a yam - get all knotted up.


Eventually the vines will knot up so much that the least little thing like wind, rain, or an animal slinking through will cause the "potatoes" to fall off to the ground where they pretty much immediately start sprouting to grow yet more vines.  The potatoes can also lay dormant for several seasons until the right conditions occur.

The potatoes you see in the pictures above are really small - about thumbnail size - but they can and often do grow to fist size.  As a kid the air potatoes of all sizes were the weapon of choice in the "woodland wars" where you picked sides and you played until you couldn't stand it anymore or you got called in for dinner before dark set in too much at which time you scrubbed until your skin was red and then your mom painted you up with calamine lotion to keep you from scratching the mosquito and chigger bites into sores.  Oh, those were the days.  LOL

Well here are the stories that got updated today.  Not as many as I wanted but still a good handful.  I will try and get to some of the others before the weekend.


And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
http://geekinherittheearth.blogspot.com/

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

The videos are also about the air potato.  Maybe a little on the educational side but I think it is prudent for all of us to know what is both edible and inedible in our environment, especially those things that we might look upon as potential sources of calories and nutrition at some point.













Monday, August 25, 2014

Today's Update - 25 Aug 2014

Long day.  Looooong day.  Looooooooong Monday. 

I had planned on putting up some stuff earlier in the day and did manage to post stuff here and there but I'm just now able to send out the update announcement.  My brain is still in a blender so this is going to be a bit short.  Hopefully tomorrow's will be better.

Here are some better pics of the banana stalks.  The fruit are still to thin for me to cut and bring in so I just have to hope that the 'coons and possums don't find them too soon.



After days and days of rain we've been without for several and right when we are seeing some record breaking heat indexes.  Yesterday was 93 degrees with a "feel like" temp of 115 plus all the humidity.  Did manage to get a huge amount of brush burnt off but the wind today knocked down about two dozen palm fronds.  I swear two steps forward, three steps back.

Here's the stories that I got some work finished on:

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
http://geekinherittheearth.blogspot.com/
I took down all of the posts (there were about four or five) that had the run on formatting.  I'm repairing the posts and putting them back up.

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/


Today's videos continue with the banana theme ... my son loves Monkey Butter.  There is just one thing that I do different from the majority of the videos available on this; I leave out the coconut because some people in my family are sensitive to it.  And speaking of, I need to go get my banana bread out of the oven before it dries out so I'll see you tomorrow.

 
 
 

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Today's Update - 23 Aug 2014


Some of you asked about quilting.  Well I don't quilt to any extent these days.  I can, I just don't have the appropriate time to dedicate to it; and it is a dedication of love and time to make a quilt.  The one pictured above is the quilt that my mom made for my oldest daughter when she married two years ago.  Below is a panel that Mom made for me Christmas before last.  It is "3D"; meaning it isn't just a flat picture but the "feathers" and "leaves" and etc. are all individual pieces that stand away from the background of the quilt.  She's done numerous wall panels for the kids over the years and all five of mine still have at least one of them hanging on their walls.  Mom is very talented.

 
 
 
Now to show you part of what we've been up to today ... taking down a dead and dangerous tree.
 

The ladder in the foreground of the above pictures is a 32' aluminum ladder.  They were using it to tie ropes near the top of the tree to control where it was going.  They did a really good job.  The nasty thing was covered in wild potato vines that kept trying to pull it this way and that.

 
 
 
As you can see from the following picture it shattered on impact with the ground.  It was such a relief just to have the tree down.  It was so rotted that it wasn't even worth saving for firewood.
 
 


If you look in the second tree picture above and then look to the left of the tree that was felled you will see one of my stands of banana trees.  You can see pretty clearly the bunch hanging off of one of the trees.  To the right of where that picture was taken I have a stand of plantains and I have some bunches growing over in there as well.  The kids are all eager for the bananas to ripen (assuming I can keep the varmints out of them) and I will be canning some of them.

I managed to get another chapter for Enduring transcribed, but not Georgie.  I'll try and do some of that later this evening or tomorrow. I'm also working on MJOTZY and trying to get the next "month" edited and then pieced so that blogger doesn't choke on it.  I'll work on it and hopefully have something up next week.  I also need to work on the next chapter of Eidetic Sunshine and hopefully I'll have that by Monday.

Today's updates otherwise include all the usual suspects .............

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

Today's videos are in answer to a question I received about canning bananas.  Not nearly as hard or as crazy as it may sound at first.


 




Friday, August 22, 2014

Today's Update - 22 August 2014


The beautyberries will soon be ready to pick again at our other property.  The pictures you see here are some that I picked last year and made jelly with.  The kids used the last jar of it at a "tea party" they had with some friends.  It was one of those special tea parties where the girls made everything from scratch and had fun surprising their friends ... homemade herbal iced tea, homemade herbal finger sandwiches, homemade farmer's cheese, beautyberry jelly, and homemade crackers.  They always have a couple of new girls in the group and it is funny for the others to watch the faces of the "newbs" has they are told what they are eating.  Gotta admit it is a hoot for me as well.  LOL.

 

The day wasn't as eventful as yesterday - thank goodness - but tomorrow is expected to be a real crush as I have to pick up and take some girls to the mall (OMG!) and then bring them home for a sleep over.  My college age daughter needs to be carted over to a friend's house for a birthday party.  The tree cutters are supposed to be back to finish off the big, dangerous tree that didn't want to come down last Saturday.  And miscellaneous other stuff.  Hubby said he'll take the 10 year old with him and then off to work and our college age son said if hubby can't then he will. 

Did manage to get most of my writing to do list accomplished but I still haven't gotten to Georgie yet.  Hopefully that will happen tomorrow as I wait for the girls at the mall's food court.  We'll see ... that's the plan anyway.

Today's stories updates include .....................

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

The videos are of making beautyberry jelly and then the "Eat the Weeds" episode on beautyberries.

Enjoy!



Thursday, August 21, 2014

Today's Update - 21 Aug 2014


The picture you see is what is left of part of my sugar cane stand ... and 007's burrow. I've got some clean up.  Sigh.  Let me explain because I know that sounds totally strange.

Ugh, my brain has been going so many different directions today that it is a wonder I ever walked in a straight line.  First thing this morning there was this god-awful racket in the yard.  Hubby and I run out there and a strange dog had gotten into our property and was trying to dig out our resident gopher tortoise who we all call 007 ... yes I know, strange name for a turtle but it actually fits this particular turtles personality.  The kids are screaming because 007 is like a family mascot and lives very close to the house and will even sometimes come very close to them.  He is also why I have to fence off my herbs and keep my looseleaf lettuce in barrels on my lanai. 

Darth Molly - all 90 pounds of her - is going nutso because there is a strange dog in the yard upsetting "her" kids.  For some reason over the last couple of weeks Darth Molly the Black Lab has finally found her barker and her protection gene and her ridge from the top of her head all the way to the base of her tail was standing at attention ... she looked like she had a full-body Mohawk.  Hubby went to get his gun to shoot the other dog off because the dog just looked flaming dangerous (terrier/boxer mix once I had time to calm down and look at it).  Well I had grabbed my outdoor broom and was trying to shoo the kids away from the screen when the dog turned and charged.  Have I ever mentioned I used to play softball?

Stunned, the dog shook its head and then tucked its tail because it realized that there is only one alpha female in my yard and she'd just run up on her.  I checked to make sure that she wasn't nursing puppies ... when she rolled over on her back to show her belly and realized she must be fixed.  Which told me she probably belonged to someone in the neighborhood.  Hubby grumbled at the rude awakening and would have said throw her back in the swamp where the muck on her said she came from but I'm a sucker.  So I know kids are waiting for at all the bus stops and I walk her the long way around and eventually ask the gaggle of kids at each stop if they knew who she belonged to. Nothing.  Nada.  I had just turned to come back home figuring I had been on a fool's errand when this older teenager stops his car and I start thinking I don't need this kind of trouble only the kid goes, "That's my grandmother's dog!"

"OK, can you prove it?"

He gave me the suspicious glare and said, "She's been missing for three days.  She's our dog, you can't have her."

"I don't want her.  She tried to eat our turtle this morning.  But I'm not just going to dump her without some proof.  People steal dogs for the dog fight arenas and I'm not going to let that happen."

Well his ruff went down and he said, "Hang on.  I'm going to call my grandfather."

I wanted to say "you do that" but didn't because the adolescent male is an unpredictable and alien species.  Soon enough an older gent comes out and we do the ol' Southern how-dee-do and sure enough the dog belongs to them because he even brought a picture along.  I look the dog in the eye and tell her to stay where she is put and stop trying to eat things that don't belong to her.  The kid thinks I'm crazy but the grandfather thinks its funny and says, "My wife tells her the same thing all the time."  The boy heads to school after making sure his grandfather is going to be ok and then the grandfather and I get to talking and they've got a blueberry hedge and he's going to give me some starts and tips on how to fix the soil so they'll actually produce.  Guess the dog episode was worth it after all.  LOL.

Get home to find it being aired out.  Seems my ten year old tried to make pancakes without telling anyone but forgot to oil the pan and ... well, you can imagine.  He wanted to make me breakfast ... or so he claimed ... so I couldn't exactly tell him off but I did make him clean it all up which taught him a good lesson. 

Had to hunt all over town for the aqua herbicide we need to spray around the pond because it is totally, totally out of control again because of all the rain.  And when I did find it the stupid stuff cost an arm and a leg and if I hadn't been able to talk them down it would have cost a kidney too.

Tree contractors for power company came out at the request of the neighbor and when they dropped the limb off of a dead tree they crushed one of the spigots we have around the outside fence of our front yard.  Water was shooting every where and it took forever to fix because that spigot was tied to the house which meant we had to turn the water off to the house and the girls and I were in the middle of a load of clothes and a load of dishes in their respective washer machines.

And numerous other annoying flotsam  ... but I did get Enduring typed so I hereby thumb my nose at all the things that tried to interfere with me trying to something accomplished today.

Today's stories updates include .....................

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Life Is A Fractured Fairytale
http://lifeisafracturedfairytale.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Enduring on the Lake
http://enduringonthelake.blogspot.com/

Today's videos are on a few different things that I thought were interesting.  I love this kind of stuff, it is just so neat.  First one is on making homemade malted milk powder.  My kids like the stuff though I know not everyone does.  But it the Carnation stuff is really expensive.  Yippee skippy, now I can make our own.


This next video is on making your own yeast from potatoes.  I did this with my great grandmother one summer that I spent with her but she didn't measure anything, just looked at it and then kind of tossed it in the bowl or pan.  LOL

 
This video is on making a meatless "meatloaf" from lentils.  I did try this and it turned pretty well.  Definitely needed gravy though.
 


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Today's Update - 20 Aug 2014

My acerola cherry is going bonkers.  If you look at the picture, to the middle left, you see what looks like a green, marble-sized fruit half hidden by one of the leaves.  That is what they look like before they ripen to a deep, deep red.  Boy are they good and are very high in Vitamin C.  So high in vitamin C in fact that it is used to prevent scurvy and heart disease and it will interact with medications that are Vitamin C sensitive.  Even with its minor interactions the benefits far outweigh any issues for most people.  If you are on meds however just check with your doctor or pharmacist as they'll be able to give you specifics about your personal scripts.  The flowers are teeny tiny but they are really pretty.  Wish I could have taken a better picture but it is in with all of my potted trees that need planting and the angle was a little awkward as I was straddling a small bush.


Gotta laugh about one of the updates I did today.  At Mother Hen's Recipes you'll see I went a little crazy with the various pickled eggs recipes.  LOL.  There is a sane reason I promise.  A friend who has a small flock of fowl lost one of her main customers for her organic eggs and though she's since picked up several small customers to replace the big one she still wound up with a huge surplus of eggs.  Well her daughter's wedding is next weekend and the wedding dress she bought a couple of months back now unexpectedly needed some alteration.  My eighteen year old daughter and I knocked it out in no time flat and as a result we were gifted with many dozens of eggs.  Yippeeeeee.  Nothing like doing a good deed and suddenly reaping greatly in return.

As far as today's updates go, here you go ...

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Eidetic Sunshine
http://eideticsunshine.blogspot.com/

Life Is A Fractured Fairytale
http://lifeisafracturedfairytale.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

You'll see I don't have Enduring or Georgie up yet.  I'm going to work on them before I go to bed.  With luck at least one of them will be up before morning assuming blogger behaves.

Now for the videos.  Doing all the yard work and clearing some overgrown places had me fixing some additions for a "wild" salad.  Basically I foraged some dollar weed and some itty bitty dandelions plus a few flowers here and there to toss in with the domesticated looseleaf lettuce that I grow in containers on the lanai.  I decided a good foraging refresher was in order so I looked up dandelions on youtube and thought I would share.







 
 
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Today's Update - 19 Aug 2014

(Note:  there is a short post to some special people below the videos)

First day without rain since I can't remember when and who should show up before the cock crows - or in my case the Sand Hill Cranes yodel?  The tree cutters.  They were here most of the day and that meant that I was outside most of the day dealing with them and a nosy neighbor and the other type of flotsam that floats to the surface when you have things getting accomplished.  They didn't finish and will be back this weekend to drop the last, large very dead and dangerous tree and do a little bit of digging out around the pond so my aqua herbicide actually has a chance to work.

Was gifted with a pineapple plant by another neighbor.  He grows three different types of pineapples.  He had an extra "regular" pineapple plant that he gave me and he says that he'll start me a "Florida Red" after he harvests some of the fruit that he has that are nearing harvest.  I've been lusting after those for almost four years and he's finally got enough to part with a plant this time.  This neighbor also has "swamp guavas" growing wild on his back property line and he said I can have as many of those as I want if I'm interested.  Oh boy, he don't know me very well do he?  ROFL.  As soon as I get the rest of this mess I have in the ground I am definitely going after those swamp guavas.

Bad news is because I was outside most of the day working I didn't get a chance to type in the parts for Enduring or Georgie but I did manage to figure out that the there was an old story that I didn't have up and needed to finish posting to so that I can mark it completed.  Remember Dovie Killarney?  Well she is finally going to get finished up as well.  Got so many stories bubbling and toiling away that I need a score card.  LOL.

These are the additions since the last update:

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/ 

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Teaghan
http://teaghanandsloan.blogspot.com/

Larkspur in Eden
http://larkspurineden.blogspot.com/

There Is No Such Thing As A Thornless Garden
http://thornlessgarden.blogspot.com/

When All Doors Close
http://whenalldoorsclose.blogspot.com/

Eidetic Sunshine
http://eideticsunshine.blogspot.com/

Life Is A Fractured Fairytale
http://lifeisafracturedfairytale.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years
http://mjoyzy.blogspot.com/
Finally was able to get April (part 3) to load and post. 

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/
This is the "Dovie Killarney" story that never got finished at its original posting location.  Well now it is so I'll post it a bit at a time to give me some breathing room when I need extra time to work on the other stories.

Before I get to the videos I want to post a recommended recipe.  Actually it is thanks to my daughters that I'm posting this.  They were reading some of my bookmarks and blogs and found it at the Honeyville website and while the original recipe uses Honeyville products exclusively, my daughters made the Apple Pie Cupcakes using our own home storage and staple items.  For instance, instead of their brand of yellow cake mix they used a knock-off brand yellow cake mix we already had in the cabinets.  Instead of the heavy cream I rotated out a can of Media Crema out of my pantry that needed it.  Instead of fresh whole eggs, they used some from a can of powdered eggs I have open and use for baking anyway.  Etc. Etc. Etc.  They did use their brand of freeze dried apples but that was more because I already had a can open that I had dropped during my kitchen/pantry reorganizing and really dinged the can to the point it needed to be opened and used post haste.  I dropped it from ten feet up onto a concrete floor ... that should tell you how dinged up the can was.  LOL.  The one big different thing they did was back off the amount of frosting they put on each cupcake.  Honeyville's picture makes it look like they put it on like whip cream.  [shudder]  Gives me lockjaw just thinking about it.  Instead the girls made extra cupcakes and filling and then the amount of frosting called for and only put a thick "X" on the top of the filling ... sort of like hot cross buns.  Here is what Honeyville's version looks like.  Ours were similar, just less frosting and a little messier.



Now today's videos are on canning butter and making ghee, two different processes.  I do this about three or four times a year.  The ghee actually doesn't need refrigeration after opening, even here in the Swamplands of America.  The ghee also has a slightly stronger and richer taste than regular canned butter.

As with some of my other food experiments this is not recommended by the food industry powers that be.  Might not even work well if your pantry area or basement is prone to freezing temps or excessive heat but then again, no canning products would.  As with anything else I recommend taking your time, sterilize, sterilize, sterilize, and using copious amounts of commonsense.  What I might well risk doesn't mean that you have to go the same route.  Remember, this is an experiment and you need to take the care you would with any experiment, especially one involving food.









 
Last but not least I want to thank everyone for your kind remarks and personal emails.  You know who you are - there have been way too many of you to name individually nor would I want to embarrass or out any of you that way.  It did bother me that the kids are the ones that saw some of the nastiness and alerted me to it, and it didn't reflect very well on that place to a bunch of lurkers that I am friends with in the real world but it is what it is.  I just want those that have enquired to know that I'm fine and not "in a decline" or throwing a hissy or having a snit or taking my ball and going home or any other kind of dramatic silliness.  I left quietly because I did not want to create any issues.  Saying anymore isn't very helpful or constructive at this point and would just enflame things more.  'Nuff said and that's all she wrote on the subject.  I just really want those that were supportive - whether verbally or with kind thoughts - to know I appreciate it.  If anyone wants to reach me or need something out of my research files I'm here and you can contact me through the comments section.  Even if you log in as "anonymous" I'm more than happy to reply with an answer and do what I can.