Homesteading Thread #1, In Honor of Granny

billyjoesfoodfarm ^ | 12/30/2012 | me

[teenyelliott]

So, I'm sure at least one person here on FR has wondered what happened to me, maybe two of you. Before I really really stopped posting, many of us had discussed the possibility, and or the desire, to get out of the city to our own little homesteads and try to grow some food, for security, for peace of mind, for whatever reason.

Well, my family did it.

Two years ago we made the jump. We bought a place in the country, and have spent the past couple of years setting up our little homestead. We have a big garden, many chickens, some ducks, some guineas, some sheep, some goats, and a barn for all of them. A woodstove, a hand pump well, even a solar chicken coop.

Any of my old pals, and any new ones, come check us out! Would be pleased to hear from you, and share what we are learning.

Please ping any of my old buddies that you know of; I seem to have misplaced my old ping list!

[teenyelliott]

I have kids and a farm. That means lots of growing pains, and lots of sore muscles. Solution? A tube sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

We actually have several hot socks in multiple places so that we always have access to one. We have been using these for years, and they are so much more effective and convenient than heating pads; no cord, you can move around wherever you want, and the rice inside will conform to the body part where it is placed.

I have seen others suggest dried beans rather than rice, DON'T do it!! Made that mistake one time, and my whole house stunk for the rest of the day.

And for small bumps and bruises, freeze leftover condiment packages. Perfect size for fingers and toes.

[CottonBall]

Let me know how you like them.

My guests gobbled them up (and took the rest home!)

[CottonBall]

All the photos of animals on my site are ours. If you are talking about the banner photo up top, that is Wally, our little Southdown Babydoll wether. I have a bunch of his wool sitting right here to wash and process, if I ever have time!!!

Yes, the banner, that's what I meant. Wool? How neat! Do you spin it into yarn? That is something on my list to learn. Do you know you are living my fantasy life, LOL?

[CottonBall]

Just ordered it - thanks for the tip!

[CottonBall]

Th oven thing, I assume it is the heat that causes the jars to seal. I made some applesauce a few months ago, and it was so hot when I put it in the jars they sealed all by themselves, without traditional canning.

Pretty neat - one less step to do! In thinking about it.....the high heat causes the air in the jar to expand, so when the lid is put on when the jar and contents are hot, there is less air molecules in there than at room temp. When it all cools, there is a sort of a vaccum as the molecules shrink closer together into a smaller volume. I imagine that creates the suction that holds on the lid. Probably the same method as when doing conventional canning.

I'm sure DelaWhere explained this to me once and I just forgot. He is a great combination of engineering and homesteading. Although I don't think he ever called what he was doing 'homesteading', it was just his way of life. Granny was, of course, everyone's grandma and DW was either our grandpa or kind uncle, depending on your age. Those old threads are priceless.

And I know granny is pleased watching her memory, work, and efforts being revived by you ;)

[CottonBall]

Oops, mentioned you without pinging you!

All good stuff - we miss you here. There’s a granny memorial homesteading thread being created here and of course, you came to mind.

[teenyelliott]

And I know granny is pleased watching her memory, work, and efforts being revived by you ;)

I hope so. I'm not sure how many people will read or contribute to this thread, but I did have a complaint today about someone who was on the old ping list who didn't want to be pinged to this one.

For anyone else, if you were on Granny's old ping list and you do not want to be pinged here, please let myself or CottonBall know so that we can remove you.

[teenyelliott]

DON'T THROW OUT CITRUS PEELS!

My article about using dehydrated orange peels in my tea, for the vitamin C,( Went to Town, Came Back with Germs), got me looking for other uses for citrus peels. They smell great, but I don't like wasting them in a garbage disposal, and though I do have a mulch pile for composting, it has become more and more rare that I put kitchen scraps in it.

Not only can can you dehydrate almost any fruit scraps for tea, but vegetable scraps can be used in soups and stocks, and some can be regrown (see Growing Celery From Scraps).

The article excerpt below is from wikihow.com, and has several links to recipes and how-to's for candied peels, brandy, etc...

Citrus peels can be used in myriad ways instead of simply tossing them out or composting them. In a household that consumes many oranges, lemons, grapefruit,tangelo, and other citrus, making use of the peels can save you money and produce some wonderful results. This article presents a few suggestions to get you started.

Always wash the peel extremely well before use. If possible, prefer organic sources rather than those which have been sprayed, especially for any food or internal use. If you can't get organic fruit, use a very good fruit and vegetable scrub to remove chemical traces.

There are many types of citrus, including orange, mandarin, kumquat, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pummelo, citron (citrus apple), tangerines, etc.

LEMON - There are so many potential lemon peel uses that entire chapters in books have been devoted to it.

- Peel a lemon and use it to bathe yourself in the shower. It leaves your body and hair smelling fresh and clean.

- Citrus peels such as peel of lemon work well for roasting chicken. Put peel into the chicken and roast. You will find a great smelling and good tasting chicken.

ORANGE - •-Use the peel to keep your brown sugar soft by putting it in the packaging with the brown sugar.

•-Make candied orange peel.

•-Make preserved orange peel.

(Of course my contribution here is to dehydrate them and use in medicinal teas)

OTHER USES FOR CITRUS PEELS:

•-Use to flavor water. Add any citrus peels to a pitcher of water and put in the refrigerator. Now you can enjoy the taste of water even more.

•-Use any type of citrus peel and candy it. It is very sweet and a great snack for the kids.

•-Make marmalade, chutney, jam, and savory sauces using citrus peel.

-Add a slice of citrus peel to brown sugar to stop the sugar from going hard.

Read the entire article here...http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Citrus-Fruit-Peels-in-the-Home-and-Garden

[CottonBall]

Please don’t get discouraged! I am reading and learning from and enjoying your posts. And your website.

The contributions to granny’s threads were hit and miss too, with people coming to the threads more often when something happened that made them want to prep more! Something political or of a natural disaste nature. Sometimes it was slow, with only granny posting most things. Bless her, she had the persistence and patience of a saint!

When I get notices on the prepping ping of new articles, I’ll post this thread there - I used to do that way back when too. The two topics merge very well together, IMO.

[teenyelliott]

I have a drop spindle, and have a friend who has a wheel. She has turned some of my wool into beautiful yarn. So far, I haven't mastered anything, too much that I am trying to learn all at once!!

I have some pretty significant health issues, we don't have the strength that we had in our 20's, we have no farming or livestock experience, and we sure as heck aren't rich. But we are doing this anyway, because we believe it to be the right thing for us and our children at this time, for a myriad of reasons.

Like I have said before, anyone can do what we are doing; you just have to DO IT!!

If you really want it, you'll get there, even if you can't get your dream location or your dream property.

[CottonBall]

Please don’t get discouraged! I am reading and learning from and enjoying your posts. And your website.

The contributions to granny’s threads were hit and miss too, with people coming to the threads more often when something happened that made them want to prep more! Something political or of a natural disaste nature. Sometimes it was slow, with only granny posting most things. Bless her, she had the persistence and patience of a saint!

When I get notices on the prepping ping of new articles, I’ll post this thread there - I used to do that way back when too. The two topics merge very well together, IMO.

[teenyelliott]

12 Low-Tech Tools You'll Always Use

They're guaranteed to save you money, no matter how fast technology advances.

White vinegar. Household cleaner, laundry aid, window/mirror cleaner, vinegar is easy on the environment and so versatile. Oh, and you can cook with it, pickle with it, run it through your washing machine or coffee maker to clean out the gunk…the list goes on. The best part: You can buy a gallon of this multipurpose wonder for about $4 at any grocery or convenience store.

Baking soda. This humble household staple can be a bug bite poultice, tub cleanser, teeth cleaner, coffee mug whitener/cleaner, and refrigerator scent sucker, and it costs less than $1 a box—or you can go big so you'll always have it on hand and buy a 13.5-pound bag!

Wooden clothespins. Use them for anything and everything: line-drying clothes, hanging photographs or your child's latest artwork, closing snack bags, or even—in a pinch—as a paper clip. You'll pay about $5 for a sleeve of 24 at your supermarket.

Clothesline. Ever smell fresh line-dried towels? Mmmmm. A 50-foot length of sturdy rope will cost you around $5 and save you bundles—as much as $228 per year if you line-dry all your loads and clean 15 loads every two weeks, the way the average American family does (you can calculate exact savings based on your own laundry habits here).

Hot water bottle. Its damp heat makes it a perfect electricity-free bed warmer, muscle relaxer, or cramp remedy. Buy a sturdy one made of real rubber and it'll last you for decades. Available for $15 from Vermont Country Store.

Interchangeable-head screwdriver. Mine is a Buck Brothers with a bright orange handle. It packs two different-size flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers in a compact head-and-handle package, and in a pinch, it doubles as a lever. Oh, and when the bits are out, they say you can use the steel housing as a ¼" nut driver. (And there are those times when you just need a nut driver.) These usually run you less than $5!

Castile soap. Don't let the high upfront cost of castile soap ($7 for an 8-ounce bottle of our favorite brand, Dr. Bronner's) turn you off. You can use it for everything—and we do mean everything: as a shampoo, household cleaner, dish soap (all without adding phosphates to the environment), laundry detergent, and even pet shampoo. Smells good, too.

Bungee cords. From strapping down things on your car or bike to strapping down furled sails on a boat or tying your bedroll to your backpack when camping, these stretchy curvy-ended workhorses have saved many of us from having to pay to replace expensive stuff. They're handy around the house, too, and they've even made the transition to being a popular strap for swim goggles.

Read the entire article at http://www.rodale.com/easy-ways-save-money

[Revolting cat!]

Manual computer. Don't need no lectricity!

[CottonBall]

Please don’t get discouraged! I am reading and learning from and enjoying your posts. And your website.

The contributions to granny’s threads were hit and miss too, with people coming to the threads more often when something happened that made them want to prep more! Something political or of a natural disaste nature. Sometimes it was slow, with only granny posting most things. Bless her, she had the persistence and patience of a saint!

When I get notices on the prepping ping of new articles, I’ll post this thread there - I used to do that way back when too. The two topics merge very well together, IMO.

[teenyelliott]

12 Low-Tech Tools You'll Always Use

They're guaranteed to save you money, no matter how fast technology advances.

White vinegar. Household cleaner, laundry aid, window/mirror cleaner, vinegar is easy on the environment and so versatile. Oh, and you can cook with it, pickle with it, run it through your washing machine or coffee maker to clean out the gunk…the list goes on. The best part: You can buy a gallon of this multipurpose wonder for about $4 at any grocery or convenience store.

Baking soda. This humble household staple can be a bug bite poultice, tub cleanser, teeth cleaner, coffee mug whitener/cleaner, and refrigerator scent sucker, and it costs less than $1 a box—or you can go big so you'll always have it on hand and buy a 13.5-pound bag!

Wooden clothespins. Use them for anything and everything: line-drying clothes, hanging photographs or your child's latest artwork, closing snack bags, or even—in a pinch—as a paper clip. You'll pay about $5 for a sleeve of 24 at your supermarket.

Clothesline. Ever smell fresh line-dried towels? Mmmmm. A 50-foot length of sturdy rope will cost you around $5 and save you bundles—as much as $228 per year if you line-dry all your loads and clean 15 loads every two weeks, the way the average American family does (you can calculate exact savings based on your own laundry habits here).

Hot water bottle. Its damp heat makes it a perfect electricity-free bed warmer, muscle relaxer, or cramp remedy. Buy a sturdy one made of real rubber and it'll last you for decades. Available for $15 from Vermont Country Store.

Interchangeable-head screwdriver. Mine is a Buck Brothers with a bright orange handle. It packs two different-size flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers in a compact head-and-handle package, and in a pinch, it doubles as a lever. Oh, and when the bits are out, they say you can use the steel housing as a ¼" nut driver. (And there are those times when you just need a nut driver.) These usually run you less than $5!

Castile soap. Don't let the high upfront cost of castile soap ($7 for an 8-ounce bottle of our favorite brand, Dr. Bronner's) turn you off. You can use it for everything—and we do mean everything: as a shampoo, household cleaner, dish soap (all without adding phosphates to the environment), laundry detergent, and even pet shampoo. Smells good, too.

Bungee cords. From strapping down things on your car or bike to strapping down furled sails on a boat or tying your bedroll to your backpack when camping, these stretchy curvy-ended workhorses have saved many of us from having to pay to replace expensive stuff. They're handy around the house, too, and they've even made the transition to being a popular strap for swim goggles.

Read the entire article at http://www.rodale.com/easy-ways-save-money

[Duchess47]

Please continue pinging me to this thread. I very rarely post or contribute but I always read and enjoy. Thank you for including me.

[teenyelliott]

Really beautiful way to always have fresh herbs in the kitchen without taking up counterspace for pots!

[teenyelliott]

Third time's a charm. ;)

The prepping articles would be great! That's an area I don't cover which will be useful to many, I'm sure.

[CottonBall]

Thank you for saying that, Duchess. It’s hard to know who is out there, quietly reading.

So here’s another recipe: I”m going to try to limit my recipe contributions to dishes made with stored foods, so those of us in prepping mode (vs homesteading, since we don’t have a farm yet!). Unless I cook something I find people like and then I’ll post it here anyway!

Here’s one made with barley. I never knew I liked barley until I started storing it and figured I better learn how to use it. Now I”m a big fan. Chewier than rice, it seems more substantial and filling to me, needing less meat to go with it.

BARLEY INFO
___________________________________________________
Here’s a description of the grain I found:
Description.—Barley is stated by historians to be the oldest of all cultivated grains. It seems to have been the principal bread plant among the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. The Jews especially held the grain in high esteem, and sacred history usually uses it interchangeably with wheat, when speaking of the fruits of the Earth.
Among the early Greeks and Romans, barley was almost the only food of the common people and the soldiers. The flour was made into gruel, after the following recipe: “Dry, near the fire or in the oven, twenty pounds of barley flour, then parch it. Add three pounds of linseed meal, half a pound of coriander seeds, two ounces of salt, and the water necessary.” If an especially delectable dish was desired, a little millet was also added to give the paste more “cohesion and delicacy.” Barley was also used whole as a food, in which case it was first parched, which is still the manner of preparing it in some parts of Palestine and many districts of India, also in the Canary Islands, where it is known as gofio. Of this custom a lady from Palestine writes: “The reapers, during barley harvest, take bunches of the half-ripe grain, and singe, or parch, it over a fire of thorns. The milk being still in the grain, it is very sweet, and is considered a delicacy.”

In the time of Charles I, barley meal took the place of wheat almost entirely as the food of the common people in England. In some parts of Europe, India, and other Eastern countries, it is still largely consumed as the ordinary farinaceous food of the peasantry and soldiers. The early settlers of New England also largely used it for bread making. At the present day only a very insignificant quantity of barley is used for food purposes in this country, and most of this in the unground state.

Barley is less nutritious than wheat, and to many people is less agreeable in flavor. It is likewise somewhat inferior in point of digestibility. Its starch cells being less soluble, they offer more resistance to the gastric juice.
There are several distinct species of barley, but that most commonly cultivated is designated as two-rowed, or two-eared barley. In general structure, the barley grain resembles wheat and oats.

Simply deprived of its outer husk, the grain is termed Scotch milled or pot barley. Subjected still further to the process by which the fibrous outer coat of the grain is removed, it constitutes what is known as pearl barley. Pearl barley ground into flour is known as patent barley. Barley flour, owing to the fact that it contains so small a proportion of gluten, needs to be mixed with wheaten flour for bread-making purposes. When added in small quantity to whole-wheat bread, it has a tendency to keep the loaf moist, and is thought by some to improve the flavor.
The most general use made of this cereal as a food, is in the form of pearl, or Scotch, barley. When well boiled, barley requires about two hours for digestion.

General Suggestions for Cooking Barley.—The conditions requisite for cooking barley are essentially the same as for oatmeal. It is best cooked slowly. Four parts of water to one of grain will be needed for steaming or cooking in a double boiler, and from four to five hours’ time will be required, unless the grain has been previously soaked for several hours, in which case three hours will do. If the strong flavor of the grain is objected to, it may be soaked over night and cooked in fresh water. This method will, however, be a sacrifice of some of the nutriment contained in the grain. Barley thus soaked will require only three parts water to one of barley for cooking.

YUMMY BARLEY RECIPE
__________________________________________________________

And the recipe: it’s easy to make, yummy if you like a chewy casserole, although I do use less sour cream than the recipe states. Maybe start with adding half and then see how you like it.

Barley Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
2 tsp Olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp oregano
8 oz mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tsp salt & 3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked barley
1 tsp flour
1/2 cup half and half

Cook ground beef until brown and crumbled in large pieces. Drain and remove from pan. Add OO, onion, and mushrooms and cook 4-5 min. Season with oregano, marjoram, s&p. Cook 4 more minutes. Stir in half and half. Blend together sour cream and flour. Stir in sour cream mixture, barley, and neat. Cook over low heat until bubbly and heated.

[CottonBall]

Did I post 3 times! How embarassing....

Sorry all. The connection seems to be slow, and I’m not the most patient person.....I must’ve clicked ‘Post’ again and again...