Quick update on Garden News July 18, 2008

The garden continues to flourish and produce, despite my novice care.  The Snap peas are delicious and Caleb often climbs in the garden to help himself to the sweet little pods, my sweet pea eating sweet peas….

The beans grew past their invasion, and they should be blooming soon!  Mmmm beans.  The squashes and zucchini are trying to take over the carrots and my lettuce is out of control!  It’s better than I could have hoped for!

Stay tuned for a crazy vision that Seth and I have.  It includes Yurts, tree forts and ziplines… oh and we’re not kidding, it’s gonna happen!

Kombucha, Kvass and the rest of life’s happenings July 2, 2008

Okay,  for some reason I can’t figure out how to seperate these pictures and place them where I want in my post.  So… and they’re out of order.  Anyone with wordpress that can offer some advice  would be greatly appreciated!

Okay, there’s a few pics of Kombucha (The dark tea looking stuff)  a few pics of the Beet Kvass process and some pictures of the gardens and Caleb with a hose…. which was a funny event.

Kombucha…. ahhhhh. It’s my favorite drink. Slightly effervescent, slightly tangy, slightly sweet and just a tad bit alcoholic. It does wonders for the gut. It helps to create balance in the bodies natural bacterias with it’s enzymes and probiotics. It does so many things so wonderfully. So I decided to just make some. I’ve heard it’s easy and cheap, which works well for me because I am also easy and cheap…. hmmmm…. you know what I’m trying to say.

So here’s the formula

Black tea (it must have caffeine)

white sugar

and a scooby (or the culture that eats the sugars and makes it fermented)

you also add a bit of either apple cider vinegar or some previously made kombucha.

1. Brew like 4quarts of tea, let sit to luke warm temp

2. add sugar, about 1 cup

place scooby in mixture, cover with light cloth, like a cheese cloth. Let sit for 7-14 days. It’s delicious.

I plan on bottling it in old Grolsch bottles to let it get more fizzy. However I keep sneaking little tastes so this first batch is just about gone as you can see.

Kvass. Beet Kvass to be exact. Actually I made Beet Ginger Kvass. I like adding ginger. Again, this is a fermented tonic of sorts to aid in digestion, mental clarity and overall health. This one’s a bit more tangy, a little bit salty… but because my tummy likes it, I like it.

To make

Whey (when raw milk seperates it produces cheese and whey)

Filtered water

Salt

2-3 organic beets

Ginger (optional)

I added a few tsp of sugar

1. Chop beets into little cubes

2. place in a 2 quart jar (or in my case several little ones)

add a bit of salt (sea salt is preferable)

3. add whey and water (about 1 part whey to 5 parts water)

4. add minced ginger and the bit of sugar (I haven’t found a recipe that calls for sugar in this, but I’m going to try it)

5. Seal securely and place in moderately warm area for 3-5 days or until bubbles form. You can then refrigerate to allow it to continue to ferment for a more effervescent effect. This is what I plan to do because the fresh stuff tastes too salty. I’ve read of people leaving it to sit in the fridge for over 6 months before they drink it! I’m glad I have beets in my garden, I’ll hopefully be able to make several batches.

Other than those 2 experiments, here’s how my garden’s looking. The beans are finally starting to take off. Yay!

Caleb enjoys helping me water….. as well as watering himself and anyone in his way.

I have to say, for the amount of work an organic garden is… it’s totally worth it!

It’s SUMMER!! June 20, 2008

Make sure to get funky cause it’s finally summer, and we finally have sunshine. I thought this little clip would be a nice way to welcome summer solstice. These guys are my favorite and I effing love this video. Make sure you catch the drum solo at the end. It’s a thing of Beauty.

Treasure Trove vol. 2 June 18, 2008

I came across this great idea today. Making Paper pots for your plant starts! I’ll have to remember this for next year! Gone are the days of using those plastic seedling pots and trays!

Speaking of trash I cam across this. Disturbing. Hawaii has an abundance of trash and wants to ship it to the NW. Think of the fossil fuel being used! Think of the amount of plastic being produced just to bundle TRASH!!! Seriously?????

And on a more positive note, a high school friend of mine was fortunate enough to attend one of Joel Salatin’s conferences on how to heal the planet one plate at a time. You can view them on YouTube in a 6 part series. Here’s part 1.

If you’re not farmiliar with Joel Salatin and his famous farm. Here’s a Link. You may just be one person or a family, but it’s going to take alot of individuals to make up an army big enough to take down corporate trashy-food America.

On another note, what kind of shoes are you wearing? Do you wear shoes that are supposed to support your arches and minimize shock and fix your back, blah blah blah. What did they do back in the day before NIKE? Can you imagine the issues the romans and greeks had with those flat leather sandals? Actually I doubt they really had any problems. Let nature take it’s course and wear a shoe that gives your foot the freedom to preform the way it’s supposed to. Soft soled shoes with no arch support people. And heels, chuck em. They are a huge reason why your back aches and your knees throb and the arches of your feet fell like crunchy marbles. Here’s some shoes I’m saving my pennies for….

The Vibram Five Finger shoes. They may look creepy, but I’ll be laughing at all y’all with your Nike Shox.

Security blanket June 9, 2008

It’s a great feeling to stock pile.  To store up.  Have extras.  It gives me a sense of security.  I actually did a little personality test thing and apparently that’s what drives me.  Security.  Which is spot on.  That’s why I garden and make soup stocks and I love, I mean LOVE when I have a full cupboard and my jars are filled with dried goods.  I feel safe.  Like a little squirrel hoarding nuts, I made a HUGE crock pot load of turkey veggie soup, I have bread rising and I’ve got more beans soaking and sprouting for dinner later on in the week.  It gives me a feeling that I’m in control, of something anyway.  I drool over peoples blogs who have the space and resources for chickens and cows and composts and gardens and they sew their clothing and blankets and make their own soup from ash.  I’m so inspired by that!  I get the sneaking feeling that more and more of the population will be turning to this lifestyle as gas prices sky rocket and people are forced to stay home and make the most of their resources.  Is it awful of me that I’m okay with that?  Forced Community, it sounds great!  What I wouldn’t do right now to be able to by some land with a few other folks and get an intentional community started.  Anybody?  Anybody?!  There’s no time like now!!!

Props to all you organic gardeners June 5, 2008

Here are my gardens, as you can see something is eating my poor little beans.   You can get a better look by clicking on the pictures.   I sprayed them down with Dr. Bronners soap diluted in water as well as putting down some sort of earth stuff that starts with a D.  It’s supposed to kill little bugs and slugs, but something is still having a hayday on my beans.  And don’t get me started on my carrots.  Or lack there of.  Organic Gardening is HARD.  Any suggestions??

Sugar=Aging June 5, 2008

Aging can be linked to sugar intake!  Much the same way that a steak browns and toughens on the grill.  It’s a reaction called the ‘browning effect’.  Scientist believe that collagen, which glues our trillion cells together, is affected by glucose, which acts upon DNA causing mutations in this genetic material that permit the start and spread of cancer… Any sudden rush of glucose into the blood stream- from a candy bar, a glass of OJ, a couple tsp of sugar in your coffee- stresses the pancreas to produce more insulin.  Excessive sugar making the rounds of the bloodstream brings about cross-linking and again.

-From Nourishing Tradition by Sally Fallon

A struggle for balance June 5, 2008

I’m sure this is something we all wrestle with. Finding balance. A happy medium. I’ve decided if I can find that balance, like the pot at the end of a rainbow, that I’ll finally find peace and my restless mind can quiet down. There’s always a hundred things rolling around in my brain, everything fighting for priority. Money, health, God, family, friends, you name it……. How do you find balance? Is it through simplicity? Or is it through being flexible? Do I need to prioritize better? For example, if we are in a tight financial spot, do I splurge on the local organic and risk not having enough money for rent, or do I close my eyes and cook with GM over processed food that may risk or health in the end?  I feel so torn and stressed.  What do you do for balance?  How do you find time, energy, and resources to accomplish and provide and maintain your sanity?  Please share!  I need to know that someone out there is finding balance so that I know it can be achieved.

Somewhere, a dream is becoming reality May 23, 2008

My dream has become a reality….. for someone else, but it’s happening.  People out there are getting the picture, communal living with shared gardens and animals for sustainable living.  It can be done people… Check it out!  EcoVillage Portland

A lull May 7, 2008

Once in awhile, amidst the craziness I call life, there is a lull.  I greet it with open arms, happy for the reprieve.  I know it’s been quite a few weeks since I last wrote, but it’s been a few weeks since I’ve had a clear mind in order to arrange my thoughts here.  For some time now I’ve had a strange feeling that all was not right in my body.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew something was amiss.  One evening I became quite aware of what that suspicion was.   I felt as though I was having violent and exruciating contractions late one day, which settled into dull cramping.  After seeing a midwife, a doctor and finally a surgeon, my IUD was extracted from my uterus where it had become embedded.  So much for being an un-inevasive form of birth control.  The Paraguard IUD is made of copper which is supposed to  create an unsatisfactory environment for fertilization without the use of hormones.  I should have known, however that my body would be unhappy with a piece of metal in my body.  So now we’re on to the ‘natural’ method, aka counting my cycles…. which probably means I’ll end up pregnant.  Crap.  Oh well, I should enjoy this season of life and embrace it.  My body is at it’s peak health and is a perfect incubator, and I should rejoice in the fact that I am able to have children.  Still, our family situation is precariously balanced as it is, and I’m sure another squishy little body would throw things off.  But, what do you do?  I suppose the best you can.  We can choose to be positive with the circumstances, or we can choose to be pessimistic.

So anyway, I’ve got my garden planted, finally.  I was waiting for a week of consistent weather before getting started.  And by consistent weather, I mean no snow, hail or spastic weather patterns.  Which is exactly what we’ve been expierencing!  The weather seems to match the chaos in our household.  Hopefully with the increasing presence of the sunshine, we will see consistency in balance in the home!  So, in my garden I planted beans, peas, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce and spinach and I’m waiting a bit longer before I plant a melon, as it needs warmer temperatures.  I should add that I’m a complete novice.  I read the back of the seed packets, which I ordered from the National Gardening Co., and did my best to follow directions.  I covered the little seeds which need warmer temps with some mulch from yard clippings, hoping the composting grass will keep the seeds warm.  We’ll see.  I’ll post pictures soon.  I’m so excited, I feel like a brooding hen.

In other news, my son figured out the power of the word, NO….. joy.  this is going to be a fun stage.