tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70941617755230737022024-02-06T19:13:10.864-07:00A View From The CottageA blog about homesteading, frugal living and walking a Torah Observant life.Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-50865216060687172652021-01-02T18:38:00.004-07:002021-01-02T22:30:32.255-07:002021 Sabbath Wanderings, Sabbath #1. The Marah Pitstop, Why the Children of Israel had to Drink Bitter Water<p>For all of 2020 I had been praying for Yahweh to show me/us "a way through". He has done so in many ways, but there is so much more to be revealed, so I have been keeping my ears open. Today is Shabbat, a day where I have the quiet and peace to fine tune my spirit to Yahweh's voice. I know everyone hears from God in different ways, but for me, His voice takes on different characteristics depending on what He is saying to me. His Abba voice, (The Parent) can be loving and gentle, encouraging, edifying and patient. But His Parent voice can also take on the tenor of "the correction mode", firm, serious and strong, demanding accountability and encouraging Teshuva (the act of stopping what we are doing, turning around and returning to His Instruction). Still there are other voices: The Teacher, The Creator, The Scientist, The Healer, The Protector, The Prompter, The Humorist and more. I guess over time, my Sabbath Wanderings could explore all His voices, but for today I will talk about the voice that wakes me up in the middle of the Night... The Teacher. The Teacher's voice speaks a word or a phrase to get my attention and then over the following days fills in the rest of the lesson.</p><p> Earlier this week I was woken in the hours before daybreak, by this phrase, "The bitter waters of Marah." Recognizing that The Teacher was speaking, I wrote the phrase down and went back to sleep because history has taught me that it will take awhile for the rest of the lesson to percolate. I knew the story of the Bitter Waters of Marah was from Exodus, so I looked it up. The reference comes from Exodus 15:23-27. While I was waiting for "the rest of the story" to come, I looked up on the internet as many references to Marah's waters as I could find. Most of them talked about bitterness and complaining and how Marah was a lesson in obedience. Hmmm. Not the vibe I was getting. I was sure that there was a deeper understanding that that Yahweh wanted to reveal. </p><p>I was so excited!! Understanding why, has always been tantamount to me. I believe in faith, but I also believe in doing due diligence and asking for understanding, so that I have a firm foundation to build on for times when I must go on faith alone. Over my lifetime, The Teacher has opened up worlds of understanding for me and I have learned from experience that His scriptures are part of a cohesive whole, an intricately designed plan which he has laid out for us to <i>understand</i>. </p><p>Being a homeschool mom for 17 years, I know that lessons are best learned when a student is part of the process. Research, exploration, and questioning lead to doors of understanding opening and themes coming into focus. I won't bore you with all my thread pulling and research, but some explanation is necessary in order to see how a phrase in the night turned into an "Oh wow" revelation. </p><p>My first question was "OK, Why Marah? Marah's waters were bitter, why is that important?" I tried to find the modern day Marah on a map, but of course it wasn't going to be that easy. There is no map with x marks the spot for Marah. So I then looked for a map of the area that Moses and the Children of Israel traveled in the Exodus. There are several, I settled on one particular map, because of previous research I did on another topic (also very "Oh wow" but that is a story for another day). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEVZ5rmSLGvBQDhvJP7DS8G5GWA_zyf2HZ6yvQRaoTCort1rjOk_rkTg69aPtVHheX7MeDYjQx6ayvDovZv4JuCMnyRhNk3OzV_8yaMpsI2bHbrDXnQdNKN4uEUEGPhmKgKPHB-t_y20/s1024/ExodusColorNotesFramedCC+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEVZ5rmSLGvBQDhvJP7DS8G5GWA_zyf2HZ6yvQRaoTCort1rjOk_rkTg69aPtVHheX7MeDYjQx6ayvDovZv4JuCMnyRhNk3OzV_8yaMpsI2bHbrDXnQdNKN4uEUEGPhmKgKPHB-t_y20/s320/ExodusColorNotesFramedCC+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then I looked at information about this area on a modern day map and read up on the kinds of water sources in the area. There are bodies of water, much like the Dead Sea, that are high in saline content and other mineral deposits, since in antiquity this was all under the ocean. As time passed land rose up around the area and trapped the saline rich water inland, fresh water springs kept the area from drying up, but the body of water was virtually undrinkable. So somewhere a 3 day journey from the crossing of the Red Sea, lay one of these salt laden inland bodies of water, that the Children of Israel called Marah, which means bitter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My next question was, "but why stop at Marah if the water was undrinkable? Why not just produce water in a miraculous way as was done later?" Oh...there is a very good reason coming!! I could feel The Teacher guiding me through to find my next clues and then come to my "Oh wow" moment. So I asked, "what makes water taste bitter?" The answer is, when water is bitter, it is usually because there is a combination of some or all of these ingredients: sodium, magnesium, calcium, magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate. So what in this combination of ingredients is important to my quest? "Uh, wait... isn't magnesium sulfate another name for epsom salts?" Yes! It is! Epsom salts, are what is used for soaking sore feet, feeding tomato plants and as a gentle laxative. DING! DING! DING!! The clouds in my understanding started to part and light was shining down on the answer to my first question, "Why was drinking Marah's water important?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Children of Israel had just lived in a land filled with pestilence and plague. Even though most of them were in Goshen where they were shielded from the worst of the plagues, many were in service to Egyptian households outside of Goshen. God knew that they would carry bacteria with them from Egypt that could start widespread illness in their close quarter living conditions. This would make it necessary to have a detoxification pitstop at Marah! The combination of minerals in the water would make a laxative strong enough to purge them of the pestilence and plagues of Egypt. They had basically been preparing their bodies for a cleanse since the crossing of the Red Sea, having consumed their food supplies and drinking water and having fasted while they traveled the 3 days to Marah. So at Marah the detox process could be completed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> So here is where God the Master Scientist/Healer comes into play: He designed our body to fight off illness by having immune response supported by detoxification done by the liver. Bitter things that we consume can be purgative, but they can also stimulate the production of bile which aids in digestion and detoxification. Bile also breaks down fats so that it can facilitate the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, like vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to the body to protect it against bacterial and viral attack. So Marah was all about detoxing the Children of Israel to cleanse them from bacteria that could cause an epidemic. This was my first "Oh wow", but there was another coming...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I feel like this would be a good place to say "to be continued..." , but what I am getting to next is really important to our present situation with Covid-19. So please bear with me as I get to the other "oh wow" and close with a few modern day observations (or make a note to come back and read the rest soon).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to Exodus 15, the water was too bitter to drink, so God told Moses to throw wood from a certain tree into the water, which made it sweet enough to drink. So here is my next question: "why throw a tree into the water?" "What kind of tree could sweeten the water and make it drinkable?" This question had an easier answer because we lived in Costa Rica and I am aware of the cleansing and medicinal properties of the Moringa oleifera tree. So I looked it up and found that this tree has many species that are found around the world in sub tropical climates. In the area around the Red Sea the moringa tree is quite prolific. So more light was shed on the answer to my questions. Most likely, the tree used to sweeten, disinfect and cleanse the water was the Moringa oleifera.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bbkvEjTQxmMtimX0PCBgOcCt1R1FgdGnaDJtcdH-i9Q75mP3NtiRggDb-GH2K1MIaUGlmZaniUj8CGWmRgw99Hb-2vuhMenR1apF1xs1TrdpAavs3GSyTzpR4KNS29wKTo8TN1h2Afc/s300/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bbkvEjTQxmMtimX0PCBgOcCt1R1FgdGnaDJtcdH-i9Q75mP3NtiRggDb-GH2K1MIaUGlmZaniUj8CGWmRgw99Hb-2vuhMenR1apF1xs1TrdpAavs3GSyTzpR4KNS29wKTo8TN1h2Afc/s0/download.jpg" /></a></div><br /> This tree is famous for its ability to clear murky water and turn low, medium and high turbidity water into drinkable tap water in a couple of hours. Just a few crushed seeds can bond with particles and contaminates and cause it to settle to the bottom, then the clear, sanitized water can be poured off and consumed. The bark, roots, fruits and seeds can also be used to desalinate ocean water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMz2WsapYiP11SsTt3hqud6NKLWeMJiveKmfN_wGVCD8Oi3WoFsIwft86ONT5s-PuL3SekrIPDQDmptCgrJxCR5Ap2DqocZsG5F1vyG4QmlGC9NxU20CeOBqzLWTA1-OQaalKRWdufUU/s177/moringa+seed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="177" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMz2WsapYiP11SsTt3hqud6NKLWeMJiveKmfN_wGVCD8Oi3WoFsIwft86ONT5s-PuL3SekrIPDQDmptCgrJxCR5Ap2DqocZsG5F1vyG4QmlGC9NxU20CeOBqzLWTA1-OQaalKRWdufUU/w200-h136/moringa+seed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Marah would have been both murky and high in saline as well as having high quantities of other minerals that made it undrinkable. But with the help of the antibacterial, desalinating and cleansing properties of the moringa tree, the waters of Marah were sweetened, but still had the detoxing properties for a whole congregation cleansing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not only was it probably the moringa tree that used to sweeten the water, but it would have also helped fill the Hungry Gap until the time God sent the quail and Manna. Almost every part of the Moringa tree is useful. The leaves are similar to spinach in nutritive value. A serving of Moringa has 4x the calcium of a serving of milk, 7x the vit. C of an oranges, and 4x the Vit. A of carrots. Since green leafy foods have phyto- protein, even some amount of protein would be provided.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So my final questions to Yahweh The Teacher, are: "Why did you wake me up to tell me about Marah? What am I supposed to do with what I have learned?" I believe the answer is multifaceted, first of all it what I learned is pretty cool and it is always a good thing to get a deeper look at scripture and share what is learned. But why also revolves around the Covid-19 pandemic, our vulnerabilities to the virus and the shockingly prevalent negative attitude towards science and common sense health precautions that is costing precious lives. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is important to know how to take care of ourselves and to maintain our health. In the first 5 books of the Bible many, many principles are laid out for how to do just that. But for this moment in time I will talk about more general health information. Facing the pandemic can be less threatening if a few basic health principle are followed, to start with a good diet, exercise, rest and plenty of water will help the body to maintain good health. Then as with Marah, it is important to get bitter, foods into our diet to stimulate bile production and the assimilation of the Vit. D so vital to fighting off the virus. Some easy to obtain bitter foods like green leafies; kale, collards, swiss chard, dandelion greens, arugula and other bile inducing foods like eggplant and turmeric. These can be added to the daily diet to give us a better chance at remaining well. Also a periodic fast and cleanse to detox the body is a prudent thing to do during a pandemic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-qcors76KSUaEZ9EwgeU3zzlIpSjoHVSs9Mdm2d0QmUlicjCZTWZLTrTDabh3VhyphenhyphenYakbvwxzYMvpmu1kvDkJb3D98FgEd0WwRwYLeXMD0MRjbpCVDdzaHq1YQBGJFTjyHi07ZTHXDcM/s564/8df8362cdfceb122c8a589b2186a42f5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-qcors76KSUaEZ9EwgeU3zzlIpSjoHVSs9Mdm2d0QmUlicjCZTWZLTrTDabh3VhyphenhyphenYakbvwxzYMvpmu1kvDkJb3D98FgEd0WwRwYLeXMD0MRjbpCVDdzaHq1YQBGJFTjyHi07ZTHXDcM/s320/8df8362cdfceb122c8a589b2186a42f5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, I will say this plainly because I know no other way to put it, God is the creator of science. He set the boundaries of all created things and put them in motion within the framework of science. To "ignore the science" as is so often coined in the news these days, is to scoff at the principles that God Himself put spoke into existence. We do so at our own peril. The natural consequences of ignoring scientific fact, common sense and human decency, is to become infected with Covid and become ill, or to be an unaffected vector and give it to others; maybe to a loved one, maybe to a stranger, but the cost to them is high in any case. It seems that the bitter taste of our present need to protect ourselves and others is leading to complaining and resistance and non-compliance with basic health practices. God didn't ask the Children of Israel if they wanted to go to Marah, He took them there for their own good and then sweetened the water to help them drink it. Really, our present requirements do not need a lot of sweetening. How bitter is it to wear a mask, stay away from crowds, wash hands, and if you have to be around others keep your distance? Can you imagine what would have happened if the Children of Israel had refused to drink the sweetened water at Marah? I imagine it would look very similar to what is happening today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you for accompanying me on my Sabbath Wandering! Some days it is a walk around Heart's Ease Cottage with my camera, other times it is following a scriptural trail together, but whatever we are doing I am glad we are doing it together! I am of course happy to hear what you think, so feel free to share your thoughts and inspiration. Have a blessed day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-35178736840421130332019-08-22T11:23:00.000-06:002019-08-22T11:56:54.382-06:00Some Like it Hot, A Love Affair with Hot Peppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_JXkrRqGm4b8lNDEbYuwYLVBTuw86IsNR35k8bFRwb7TEY0fkePvzZZLf-t6jCz0s_bsFoSlUGXct1uFN-k9t7lQ4c1OpvuSDvP4WvP2wZOlfMeqNNPBvYaqe7Kp9o432doWgCXYYAY/s1600/Peppers+In+a+Basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_JXkrRqGm4b8lNDEbYuwYLVBTuw86IsNR35k8bFRwb7TEY0fkePvzZZLf-t6jCz0s_bsFoSlUGXct1uFN-k9t7lQ4c1OpvuSDvP4WvP2wZOlfMeqNNPBvYaqe7Kp9o432doWgCXYYAY/s320/Peppers+In+a+Basket.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I have had a life long love affair with spicy food. Not just spicy, but but the kind of spicy that could peel paint. I have to have an impartial taste tester (read Still Waters my husband) to verify that what I prepared for a dinner party isn't going to set someone on fire... Since what I think is mild, would be agony to those who are uninitiated.<br />
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For many years, about the only "hot" pepper you could find in the grocery store were very sad, slightly shriveled jalapeno peppers. So I had to grow my own peppers to get the burn I wanted in my spicy dishes. Although it has been too long ago to remember, my passion for fiery peppers may be the reason that I began to garden in the first place... But in 2019 it is possible to find a variety of hot peppers in higher end grocery stores and there are a number of ethnic markets who cater to cultures where spicy food is a way of life, so don't despair if you can't grow your own peppers to meet your needs. If to look around you will probably find a local source of fresh hot peppers!<br />
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In my garden I have two 3 ft. by 25 ft. beds of peppers. One bed is filled with a variety of sweet bell peppers in an array of beautiful colors ranging from yellow to deep purple, along with some banana peppers, paprika peppers and pepperoncini. The other bed is filled with "Hurts So Good Peppers" that I cautiously pick while wearing nitrile gloves. In this bed I have a spectrum of hot peppers, jalapenos, serrano, Thai bird chiles, cayenne, habanero, and ghost peppers. Next year I will add Carolina Reapers to the line up, since I waited too late to order and I couldn't get my hands on seed this past spring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOI5aCVXGcB2PJFpGGUPXtkHhLzIGyNOzCS7HsdyRWF2V7hH-22aL9yQSBE-9WxoSHVoFTPH5zqbDWjsGuEl3m4Be0hmlFY4TCl4KYtLtIBo0wswHqmNsnau1ZlJab1P6mysDJh7y_VNQ/s1600/Ghost+Pepper+on+Bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOI5aCVXGcB2PJFpGGUPXtkHhLzIGyNOzCS7HsdyRWF2V7hH-22aL9yQSBE-9WxoSHVoFTPH5zqbDWjsGuEl3m4Be0hmlFY4TCl4KYtLtIBo0wswHqmNsnau1ZlJab1P6mysDJh7y_VNQ/s320/Ghost+Pepper+on+Bush.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this Ghost Pepper just looks spicy...</td></tr>
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So how do I use all these hot peppers? Well, there are many ways to prepare these bad boys for use in cooking. Fresh peppers don't have a long shelf life, so I chop and freeze them for a just picked taste to add to raw salsas and other dishes where fresh is best. I make a cooked Habanero Mango Salsa when mangoes are in season and the India market has a good price on them. This salsa is good for knocking the chill off when the weather goes cold. It is delicious with chips, but also adds delightful personality to a humble bowl of black beans and rice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj739xb4jIg5I0GHD4YzfJN8_6h_yDTnpaL4E8pFvX4BSFTRnngTOIMx8cobuG1UUbqKFcbYH5gW4Y6DFYHUzqPaBGx-sw4msEbcIPJ3lgGm0o5v58kdxKe5JY2ND1vTPTWkfJWY6gWEgo/s1600/Habanero+Mango+Salsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj739xb4jIg5I0GHD4YzfJN8_6h_yDTnpaL4E8pFvX4BSFTRnngTOIMx8cobuG1UUbqKFcbYH5gW4Y6DFYHUzqPaBGx-sw4msEbcIPJ3lgGm0o5v58kdxKe5JY2ND1vTPTWkfJWY6gWEgo/s320/Habanero+Mango+Salsa.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have to make this salsa in bulk. It is a household favorite <br />
and we burn through a lot of it</td></tr>
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Some of the peppers lend themselves well to drying, but to keep my dehydrator from infusing pepper oils on my dried apples and other dehydrated foods, I never put hot peppers in my dehydrator: instead I use my Stack!t , if the Stack!t is full of drying herbs, I lay them out on screens in the shade to air dry when weather is fine. I often string cayenne peppers on threads with a needle on one end, that hangs in the kitchen where I can add them to the string as I bring them in from the garden day by day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpTWnYYtojcFVzvWN5IvmvhDYiHhHgAwFfA6dDUxODpUoQOb1ENBrH_AdJbfyPXRRA7ySQCyH6n1oCTn4_5Xwul1_5UNK4a-WK4m3cobYY4X12qdV0uUDnqNouUA4yz1J_EpF3r6Bu0Q/s1600/Cayenne+on+a+String.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpTWnYYtojcFVzvWN5IvmvhDYiHhHgAwFfA6dDUxODpUoQOb1ENBrH_AdJbfyPXRRA7ySQCyH6n1oCTn4_5Xwul1_5UNK4a-WK4m3cobYY4X12qdV0uUDnqNouUA4yz1J_EpF3r6Bu0Q/s320/Cayenne+on+a+String.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I keep a thread and tapestry needle hanging in the kitchen<br />
to string on excess cayenne peppers to dry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwu8oBop5ZpsdYyoB-Fzr44xv29qWqhrLuqs0g5HynyfbedLhaz_dqiRDPIG5lv6YpZWNijZVXWh4930g1AW6c4xwV5vcSKO0UrL8jJA7vhqm9RfZOblbR-v5KRJJw66Cdg0xKX7v6vtQ/s1600/Carolina+Reapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwu8oBop5ZpsdYyoB-Fzr44xv29qWqhrLuqs0g5HynyfbedLhaz_dqiRDPIG5lv6YpZWNijZVXWh4930g1AW6c4xwV5vcSKO0UrL8jJA7vhqm9RfZOblbR-v5KRJJw66Cdg0xKX7v6vtQ/s320/Carolina+Reapers.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I waited too long to order my Carolina Reaper seeds this year,<br />
but not to worry, my son generously shared some of his stash of his with me!</td></tr>
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I smoke many of the peppers and freeze them on trays then put them in doubled freezer bags. These can be taken out one at a time to use in cooking. I also combine these with other peppers that have spent 3 months fermenting, to make a "curl your hair" hot sauce. This sauce is sublime with high notes of orange peel and the deep rich flavors of hickory, mesquite and cacao. I also ferment the Thai bird chiles whole to use in Thai food or to add some heat to my raw, fermented, mixed vegetable Chow Chow.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLCYqzUJ3-LlXXQcCCzMTsazO_UxcQaakkFUzGhn1oB2HU4ezm_roIreJo464LIWxq4GzhQY4fprEai4UViKQsJU8LmgOiVJYE-35u3m0D0i9rRHquy0-TWrT0w2RLcoUtju7LPEIXYM/s1600/Smoked+Habanero+Frozen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLCYqzUJ3-LlXXQcCCzMTsazO_UxcQaakkFUzGhn1oB2HU4ezm_roIreJo464LIWxq4GzhQY4fprEai4UViKQsJU8LmgOiVJYE-35u3m0D0i9rRHquy0-TWrT0w2RLcoUtju7LPEIXYM/s320/Smoked+Habanero+Frozen.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I smoke habanero peppers and freeze them on a tray <br />
to keep them separate, then package in small freezer bags.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Some peppers have a great taste, but can over power the flavor of a dish with their heat. To have the greatest control over their contribution to a dish, I tincture these peppers in grain alcohol for a month or so. When they have infused their essence into the alcohol, I strain and bottle the tincture. I wear a mask, safety goggles and heavy chemical grade rubber gloves for this process, since even vapors can burn soft tissues and you definitely don't want to accidentally get any on your skin! I bottle this tincture in amber bottle (recycled beer bottle work great!) and cap it with a crimp style bottle capper. This tincture will last forever. For use in the kitchen, I have a 2 oz. amber dropper bottle that I keep with my spices so that I can add a drop or 2 to a pot of chili, Indian food or other dish that calls for some real heat and authentic ethnic flavor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOLBiK4rY_ZzEg0DDmoTafmWgwYuzwTyEDFYqON_eCQ5kgWRe_u_1k9IFVNFYfZ9XGt0Apvni5IrWyzSWaIgGs-5s4fePzxknQQifbSM5r9NXUhmBpR_x6Xy08Kxw4MD5KB-03PLPh-4/s1600/Ghost+Pepper+Tincture+with+Basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="934" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOLBiK4rY_ZzEg0DDmoTafmWgwYuzwTyEDFYqON_eCQ5kgWRe_u_1k9IFVNFYfZ9XGt0Apvni5IrWyzSWaIgGs-5s4fePzxknQQifbSM5r9NXUhmBpR_x6Xy08Kxw4MD5KB-03PLPh-4/s320/Ghost+Pepper+Tincture+with+Basket.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tincture Habanero, Ghost and Carolina Reaper Peppers in <br />
190 proof grain alcohol to use drop by drop in cooking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFJSvb_HumBQFG9Ls-32gOimq9ZfOn7pRocg53XJpu9Wo2ZoZeiM-u868Iq_awWM15W5FMyscTi-x5gqHO-rptdfsO8C6OThnsnayYV8D2fFokW07rZa-5lKHjU1L_1qOSqlO29ceK-I/s1600/Tincturing+Peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1016" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFJSvb_HumBQFG9Ls-32gOimq9ZfOn7pRocg53XJpu9Wo2ZoZeiM-u868Iq_awWM15W5FMyscTi-x5gqHO-rptdfsO8C6OThnsnayYV8D2fFokW07rZa-5lKHjU1L_1qOSqlO29ceK-I/s320/Tincturing+Peppers.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extreme care should be used when decanting this tincture.<br />
It could injure eyes and soft tissue, and you would experience<br />
an uncomfortable burning sensation for hours if you get it on the skin.<br />
Use safety glasses, heavy gloves and a face mask when <br />
pouring the tincture off into bottles. But don't let that put you off... <br />
the results are worth the caution you need to take!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The use of hot peppers has benefits beyond taste and an endorphen induced sense of well being, they can be used medicinally as well. The capsaicin, a constituent of all hot peppers, has many medicinal purposes. Most commonly, the cayenne pepper is used for skin applications, since it is less likely to be irritating to the skin. Cayenne capsaicin is used topically to treat Psoriasis and to reduce the pain of are muscles, R. arthritis, O.arthritis and Fibromyalgia. Capsaicin can reduce the incidence of cluster headaches, and help ease the pain during an episode. Scientific studies show undeniable evidence that capsaicin is effective in the treatment of cancerous tumors and aids in the apoptosis of cancerous cells, which would prevent cancer from occurring in the first place. It also causes an increase in metabolism which is helpful in weight loss efforts.<br />
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My passion for spicy food and my desire to use the peppers for medicinal purposes has led me to find many ways to preserve and use hot peppers. I hope that this post will inspire you to give hot peppers a chance or to try some new ways to use them!<br />
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I love comments and would be happy to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment!<br />
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*As a note of caution, spicy peppers are able to burn soft tissues, eyes and skin; they should be treated with respect. They can also can cause uncomfortable digestive distress for the uninitiated. Please don't try to prove how much fire you can take by ingesting a pepper or produce made with them, you could live to regret it.<br />
<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-10280618292348226532019-08-06T17:43:00.000-06:002019-08-06T18:25:13.472-06:00Now That's My Kind of Jelly! How to Make Low Sweet, No Muss, No Fuss, Set Every Time Jelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF2mhSZq9lQZrjK4VIDi1jynkw-3umNWwtB1DGZMSOtOWf_8sC6ImjxWb81U2Y8696fBJaxa0n5V_VTJBnwXLMIcgkbFmFCaU7h2J7hoGIlLTiQBl_UhctMGLowSaHDxwxHsq07Rvh6M/s1600/Jelled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1071" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAF2mhSZq9lQZrjK4VIDi1jynkw-3umNWwtB1DGZMSOtOWf_8sC6ImjxWb81U2Y8696fBJaxa0n5V_VTJBnwXLMIcgkbFmFCaU7h2J7hoGIlLTiQBl_UhctMGLowSaHDxwxHsq07Rvh6M/s320/Jelled.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Jelly making has been a traditional fall event at Heart's Ease Cottage for many, many years. When the children were small it was a late night venture, when I didn't have to worry about "littles" under foot. Once the kids were grown it was easier to make it a daytime project. No matter what the time of day it is, or time of year for that matter, setting the mood is an important part of the process. I fling the windows open, turn the ceiling fans on high, crank up the tunes and make a lovely mess out of my kitchen.<br />
<br />
I freeze fruits from our gardens over the summer to use in the fall. I also look forward to harvesting apples and pears from the mountain farms in the fall for jelly and other thing like fruit leathers and dried apple rings (but that is a post for another day). Many times I will cook down fruit and extract the juice for jelly, putting it in freezer bags to be made into jelly at a later date. This cuts the jelly making time down and decompresses the whole process a good bit. In recent years, I haven't often had a whole day to devote to a kitchen project, so breaking the process into smaller pieces makes it more likely that I will actually get all the way through to jars of jelly sitting on the shelf.<br />
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In the past, homemade jelly required more cups of sugar than cups of fruit juice in order to get the jelly to set. Our diet does not allow for much refined sweetener so a lot of the jelly was made for gift giving and not for our consumption. The exception would be Still Water's personal blackberry jelly stash, which he guards jealously and is reluctant to share even within the household...<br />
<br />
But then one day I made a discovery that changed what we could keep in our larder for our own use. Traditional pectin gels by a sugar/pectin/acid trifecta that can be a bit unpredictable and requires a huge amount of sugar to get the jelly to set. But much to my delight I discovered a citrus pectin that gels due to a reaction between the pectin and a solution of calcium carbonate. No sugar is required to get a gel and it's set is very consistent and reliable. The fruit juice sets to jelly as the mixture cools; no spoon testing required to determine if it will set!<br />
<br />
So rather than talk about how to make traditional apple pectin jelly, I am going to walk through the process of jelly making using citrus pectin and calcium carbonate. The product that I use is called Pomona Universal Pectin. It is a little pricey, but when you consider how much sugar can be eliminated from a recipe and the fact that you can get 22 cups of jelly out of a box, it is really quite a good deal!<br />
<br />
For our family wholesome and nutritious is tantamount. What we put in our body needs to nourish and strengthen us. We like sweets as well as the next person, but not at the expense of our health and immune system. So I was thrilled when I found a pectin that doesn't require sugar to set the jelly! (Ball makes a no sugar needed pectin, but it has dextrose in it and I am not a fan so I won't use it, and the set was never spectacular in my experience). Now I can have lovely fruit spread for bagels and sandwiches without having to poison myself with sugar!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3MXLGfa6iR1JQbVzf0AXzwhkMAiZvSltr9fjk4AjRnViwHVrJfAKHq_ApN6bCwqxKfKnsUDRXmjq-AWCWqzBE3ugaNbuE_EeAicC9-G1E2lqxZVqHvjmCuoApvqbGHGSZSlGkErR5us/s1600/Pomona%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1089" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3MXLGfa6iR1JQbVzf0AXzwhkMAiZvSltr9fjk4AjRnViwHVrJfAKHq_ApN6bCwqxKfKnsUDRXmjq-AWCWqzBE3ugaNbuE_EeAicC9-G1E2lqxZVqHvjmCuoApvqbGHGSZSlGkErR5us/s320/Pomona%2527s.jpg" width="217" /></a>The name of the pectin is Pomona's Universal Pectin. It has been around awhile, but the price always put me off and after my experience with Ball's "no sugar needed" pectin, I was reluctant to give it a try. Then Healthy Home Market went out of business and was selling everything a 75% off so I bought a box. I used it the next day and was so thrilled with the results that I went back and bought every box that was on the shelf!<br />
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What makes Pomona so great? No sweetener is necessary, since the jelling action come from a combination of citrus pectin, calcium and citric acid. Of course, you can sweeten the jelly to your personal taste with the sweetener of your choice. The directions cover a number of different ways you can sweeten your jelly, everything from no sweetener to stevia, agave, honey and yes should you choose to do so, sugar. It also can be used to make jello. But hold on! There is more good news! You can make as many batches at once as you like! Ball pectin cannot be doubled, but must be jellied one batch at a time because of the fickle nature of apple pectin. But Pomona Universal Pectin is made from citrus pectin and uses calcium to create the jell so it will consistently jell no matter how many batches you put in the jelly pot. Also one box of pectin will make 22 8 oz. jars of jelly, where Ball pectin renders only 8- 8 oz. jars per box. And if that isn't enough, there is no need for a jelly thermometer, no boiling to the jelly point and testing for set, you just add the directed amount of calcium to the fruit juice, mix the pectin with the sweetener and when the juice and calcium come to a boil; add the sweetener/pectin blend stir until dissolved and return to a boil for one minute. No need to check for set, just ladle into sterilized jars, clean rims, adjust lids and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. The jelly will set when cool.<br />
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So now that I have expounded on the virtues of Pomona pectin, I will share my recipe for Blueberry Lime Jelly!<br />
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<b>Blueberry Lime Jelly</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>One recipe makes 4 cups of jelly.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
4 cups of rendered blueberry juice<br />
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice<br />
the zest of one lime (I always use organic limes, conventionally grown citrus is sprayed with a fungicide that won't completely wash off)<br />
1/2 cup honey<br />
4 tsp. pectin<br />
4 tsp. calcium<br />
<b><br /></b>
For each batch of jelly that renders 4 cups, use 3 cups of mashed fruit and extract the juice by boiling the fruit with 1 cup of bottled apple juice or other juice that won't compete with the flavor of your fruit.(I use organic fruit and organic apple juice but the choice is yours).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_yZS2Ap6HyOamUrE9WQoIjDNVrfmZvvhygAhQBr2rxlmkrFPug6dUllIp_Pe-wCpdjYuu-Vti0sFAOra2bYH5zyEjsDEnIxDLr6gIRLdntM15aqYqWxakijRmHOgXoU7grVhKsOFubA/s1600/Blueberries2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_yZS2Ap6HyOamUrE9WQoIjDNVrfmZvvhygAhQBr2rxlmkrFPug6dUllIp_Pe-wCpdjYuu-Vti0sFAOra2bYH5zyEjsDEnIxDLr6gIRLdntM15aqYqWxakijRmHOgXoU7grVhKsOFubA/s320/Blueberries2.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crush the fresh berries and add apple juice. Cook over medium heat to extract the juice from the berries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTKsVqdaT6dLNhPEeBAbFnSCU_QPZF9zLtLxjRzgy-aWbVQavKgQmdz9rxaVJjsXcCZ1jh1subnyIUZJ4gTJPjK_C5RHdfJrIq2Qh6RbZlmg06pqOV0TRvwgj-dktbputiS0TLHK8X9I/s1600/Organic+limes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1046" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTKsVqdaT6dLNhPEeBAbFnSCU_QPZF9zLtLxjRzgy-aWbVQavKgQmdz9rxaVJjsXcCZ1jh1subnyIUZJ4gTJPjK_C5RHdfJrIq2Qh6RbZlmg06pqOV0TRvwgj-dktbputiS0TLHK8X9I/s320/Organic+limes.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only use organic citrus zest since commercially grown citrus is<br />
sprayed heavily with pesticides and fungicides that won't come completely<br />
off the skins when washed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpNJSct8HLYXZNXBd0yP2sZDV56NdxgX7eMMi6pHV1VugStzxv9pJZcDGiCE4CVJgB3RDv6HMFkWLUk9RTtKjNj6v1_2jVCbFcRyl68z3IZc80On6WRP8r7xVowkhtoPYano4Bojtr10/s1600/Lime+Juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="957" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpNJSct8HLYXZNXBd0yP2sZDV56NdxgX7eMMi6pHV1VugStzxv9pJZcDGiCE4CVJgB3RDv6HMFkWLUk9RTtKjNj6v1_2jVCbFcRyl68z3IZc80On6WRP8r7xVowkhtoPYano4Bojtr10/s320/Lime+Juice.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a plane zester that I swear by. The zest comes off the fruit in fine strands <br />
and leaves all the white pith on the lime. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbwklZ5rTJBrxbd5HD5aeU0930q95jzwUNO7DTA5wgb_q5eCyPPGH_f3sNZ2ptzA2NTdM73AdVvBZxWD7snkGC6qOgyiasgtdq_Y7H9OlBvbzPhTE5J-3i4c7FUSy7TUn9ajJmyZqHRk/s1600/Organic+Juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbwklZ5rTJBrxbd5HD5aeU0930q95jzwUNO7DTA5wgb_q5eCyPPGH_f3sNZ2ptzA2NTdM73AdVvBZxWD7snkGC6qOgyiasgtdq_Y7H9OlBvbzPhTE5J-3i4c7FUSy7TUn9ajJmyZqHRk/s320/Organic+Juice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I use organic apple juice, but any juice flavor you want can be used, just<br />
be sure that the flavor of the juice compliments the fruit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I usually make 3 or 4 batches at a time since the pectin works on multiple batches. Really, who only makes 4 jars of jelly at a time? I usually make enough jars to fill the canner.<br />
<br />
Once the juice has been extracted, ladle the cooked fruit pulp and juice into a strainer lined with cheese cloth.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYBTWhUs2rSHyOlk5nY07UINkIsRijpOrKgBdQ_gPPdnbc_lFGkibe7HP9cOhhCG3GK5n6fiEnxc_vcIO07_xC_ajqUwWUe_gECUjRKS9WV1itWhq6pribxAJcoRh5aZI_6AHxrV8A64/s1600/Strain+Through+Cheesecloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1021" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYBTWhUs2rSHyOlk5nY07UINkIsRijpOrKgBdQ_gPPdnbc_lFGkibe7HP9cOhhCG3GK5n6fiEnxc_vcIO07_xC_ajqUwWUe_gECUjRKS9WV1itWhq6pribxAJcoRh5aZI_6AHxrV8A64/s320/Strain+Through+Cheesecloth.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strain cooked fruit pulp and juice through a double layer of <br />
cheese cloth suspended over a pan by a mesh. strainer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Allow the juice to drip into a bowl or pan until it stops actively dripping. Then pull up the corners of the cheesecloth, twist the drawn up corners until tight against the pulp and twist and squeeze the remaining juice through the strainer until all the juice is out of the pulp. The total amount of juice needed is 4 cups of juice per batch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFPVwTsta3vvN5zMmUG1PIgYtMhZwpY7ZRdY6mwg02TXG5ov-6J6W5_6DF4WbvNjB7c86QOiVNzbRKZxiu7LEBv_TmTzz-qL0wQARLrrudhdFRQ2JAQEql4pngZ1H_V0gKiJOettdUjI/s1600/Dripping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFPVwTsta3vvN5zMmUG1PIgYtMhZwpY7ZRdY6mwg02TXG5ov-6J6W5_6DF4WbvNjB7c86QOiVNzbRKZxiu7LEBv_TmTzz-qL0wQARLrrudhdFRQ2JAQEql4pngZ1H_V0gKiJOettdUjI/s320/Dripping.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allow the juice to drip until it slows perceptibly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="997" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAckZYFz5NvaNB3DDyA_GdfSByHegzoszxXZTKld-9GrTZR9JxvW-uOEh-zqe9nVq_nEWXlHz_gqWMcFCH_TJlVEtCpY7lDsY5PygY1MsNvX9RJxqUcE4-GtuR1z93DjzZ2-XSDPXDVkw/s320/Extract+Juice.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="199" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the juice stops dripping by itself, draw up the corners of the cheesecloth<br />
and twist tight against to pulp. Twist, press and squeeze until all the<br />
possible juice is removed then compost the pulp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Remove the pectin and the calcium from the box, (the smaller packet is the calcium). In a small jar put the contents of the packet and add 1/2 cup water, put on a lid and shake until powder is completely dissolved in water. You will be using 4 tsp. of calcium per batch of jelly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hHe-bU901CKjft_f-sBSwrr-kM_B02nbDZW6D6zuS6I-2m5NOAf6O2o7AcuGpJsNdWEarUiW4T0wllsV4lIzI0OrZhTRGoOKKtqsywQhLm9hIhveGCSCg96kVM4T9uz3fthrgCs_hn0/s1600/calcium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1042" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hHe-bU901CKjft_f-sBSwrr-kM_B02nbDZW6D6zuS6I-2m5NOAf6O2o7AcuGpJsNdWEarUiW4T0wllsV4lIzI0OrZhTRGoOKKtqsywQhLm9hIhveGCSCg96kVM4T9uz3fthrgCs_hn0/s320/calcium.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix the packet of calcium with 1/2 cup water and shake until dissolved. <br />
Any leftover calcium liquid should be stored in the fridge.</td></tr>
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Put the juice in your jelly pot, add 4 tsp. calcium, 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice the zest of 1 lime, per batch, and heat to a boil. While the juice is heating, mix together well, 1/2 cup honey per batch of jelly ( you can add up to 1 cup of honey if 1/2 cup, isn't sweet enough) and 4 tsp. pectin.<br />
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Bring the juice to a full boil, add sweetener/pectin mixture and stir vigorously 1-2 minutes until dissolved. Once the liquid is at a full boil, take the pot off the heat an ladle into sterilized jars. using a spoon carefully remove any scum or bubbles from the surface of the jelly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCSPW_o2BmUF-NxUZOkJrPucA7byTanqOG8Pd95-sUY5YaA2vvbCoLJt3qle8ySb6_Owk4ghQK1GJj4wiRM90G0vpLpxqfTYcslXiT8BB_8NZVxI_urhPfWiZyumGpM-80K1ifwq8K0s/s1600/Remove+bubbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCSPW_o2BmUF-NxUZOkJrPucA7byTanqOG8Pd95-sUY5YaA2vvbCoLJt3qle8ySb6_Owk4ghQK1GJj4wiRM90G0vpLpxqfTYcslXiT8BB_8NZVxI_urhPfWiZyumGpM-80K1ifwq8K0s/s320/Remove+bubbles.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Clean the rims with a clean cloth, adjust lids and process in a water bath canner in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter and place on the counter to cool. The jelly will set once the jars and liquid are completely cool. Could take overnight to set.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5KCxzGxT8na56y1aD4RC4q0kl3CpZZrvXSJd-hCMc5N7Jnmfln6NIRvig5JWKEey1qJrsgRF0zD6_GLxNMB1J0rnIAUafqUCTQ6TQ4EdX7mMac-ksKnNlUnJQRyTOy2_6MMpxEDJwrs/s1600/Clean+Rim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="984" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5KCxzGxT8na56y1aD4RC4q0kl3CpZZrvXSJd-hCMc5N7Jnmfln6NIRvig5JWKEey1qJrsgRF0zD6_GLxNMB1J0rnIAUafqUCTQ6TQ4EdX7mMac-ksKnNlUnJQRyTOy2_6MMpxEDJwrs/s320/Clean+Rim.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp cloth, then apply the flat part of a <br />
two part lid that has been in boiling water. Add the band and adjust to just finger tight.</td></tr>
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*<i>Note: If you are used to regular ball pectin you will be surprised at how few jars of jelly you get per batch. The reason is that you aren't using 7 to nine cups of sugar per batch, so you are basically getting one cup of jelly per cup of juice. It is healthy and practically guilt free!</i><br />
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All the jelly I have made with this pectin has come out perfectly. There has been no loose or runny jelly, just firm spreadable jelly that is lightly sweet so that all the lovely fruit flavor comes through. If you try the pectin, or the recipe, please pop back to my blog and tell me what you think!<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-73085851704964589942019-06-27T16:06:00.000-06:002019-06-27T20:06:36.212-06:00What 40 Years of Growing Tomatoes has Taught Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Everyone has their own way of growing tomatoes. There those who trellis or stake, some that use store bought cages and others who make their own. Everyone has their own special way of feeding or caring for the plants once they are planted. I have no intention of telling people that they are not growing their tomatoes the "right way" way, but there are a few things I see people doing which limits their tomato production. So in this blog post I am going share a few of my tomato growing secrets and talk about some important things to know about growing tomatoes.<br />
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Since it is past seed starting time I will skip past that in this post and go straight to getting them in the ground and caring for them. Every year at tomato planting time I break out my fishing gear and head to my favorite spot to fish for fertilizer. I don't care what I catch, but I don't take large or desirable fish out of the lake. I will let someone who will eat them have those. What I want are the small guys and bottom feeders that no one will miss. Pumpkin Seed, small bluegill and catfish are what I hope to catch. Once I have a bucket full of fish I will head home and begin to plant my tomatoes. I dig a deep hole and place a piece of fish at the bottom of the hole. Then I trim off the bottom set of leaves or two depending on the size of the tomato seedling, and plant the tomato in the ground on top of the piece of fish then I cover them with dirt above where I trimmed off the leaves. Tomato can be planted deep in the soil. They will grow roots all along their stems which will help to anchor it and draw up more nutrients making for a stronger tomato plant. The fish is easy to access nutrition for the tomato while it is establishing in its permanent location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMSX5mCz57ntnfG3X4VgHsqWkoyfnHj6Hq9BG3pqSWTqSlDmvdK0C425CJs7eXVcVl01kRjNmx77bwDdEUW8cwYLgLxhf8P9faNUGwzPIr4G4MewH-zGgtrQdz6QUuaPY4mwtAe50Diw/s1600/Fish+and+Knife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMSX5mCz57ntnfG3X4VgHsqWkoyfnHj6Hq9BG3pqSWTqSlDmvdK0C425CJs7eXVcVl01kRjNmx77bwDdEUW8cwYLgLxhf8P9faNUGwzPIr4G4MewH-zGgtrQdz6QUuaPY4mwtAe50Diw/s320/Fish+and+Knife.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Readily available natural fertilizer to give my tomato the best start in life possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd10rVvSzj2j5-DU-4JfitvoYfYl3yhOJRlVIaH7BqR-QGR5qRqAHwC1ayAkXTdx0Q7DWqUML_-rmHq2PVyBmyMvA4FzK8cymkwgVPlcniT1QSkjcEFU3dP4I-D_F79L1jeC8J4oPzME/s1600/Fish+Tail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd10rVvSzj2j5-DU-4JfitvoYfYl3yhOJRlVIaH7BqR-QGR5qRqAHwC1ayAkXTdx0Q7DWqUML_-rmHq2PVyBmyMvA4FzK8cymkwgVPlcniT1QSkjcEFU3dP4I-D_F79L1jeC8J4oPzME/s320/Fish+Tail.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Half a Pumpkin Seed fish at the bottom of the tomato hole will provide easy to access nutrients and help prevent transplant shock.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlq_TMlY9fn-kfrQO8n8ulTvlYzlymX9_c8P2a5eM1e5o6nlzoG8vDwlnjd2GQz7ETB1GZgJtL9zQdDNHLgJs0L55F49Z6OUdzqKI0_N2Evc62d8fyQ0lCyssQVIF8MpWWh9eJRlBul8/s1600/TomatoPlant%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlq_TMlY9fn-kfrQO8n8ulTvlYzlymX9_c8P2a5eM1e5o6nlzoG8vDwlnjd2GQz7ETB1GZgJtL9zQdDNHLgJs0L55F49Z6OUdzqKI0_N2Evc62d8fyQ0lCyssQVIF8MpWWh9eJRlBul8/s320/TomatoPlant%25231.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
This seedling is ready for planting. It is large enough to stand up to some wind and driving rain and has plenty of leaf branches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c-U_tryOg8lj5cYpjg3VtSnVTGdKQJrz1tkf_Y2fzaZVw9n4BOniTmnG_VmBQdJpPFYwhMAbYSXhNkzMYh5DJNwEkSOkMQYBi_mvkz4b3csbg8jjmVxbzfKY48Rhq8nN1U7lV1m4Bdk/s1600/Tomato+Plant+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c-U_tryOg8lj5cYpjg3VtSnVTGdKQJrz1tkf_Y2fzaZVw9n4BOniTmnG_VmBQdJpPFYwhMAbYSXhNkzMYh5DJNwEkSOkMQYBi_mvkz4b3csbg8jjmVxbzfKY48Rhq8nN1U7lV1m4Bdk/s320/Tomato+Plant+%25232.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Here I have removed the bottom couple leaf branches so that I can plant it deeply in the soil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYAvLKBlieecop50XIeP8-XXFFKg4ksKM8NVd3jyxFH9zlnG2TRCfFJ8yO5TU6hLSB8zFvpv1n2K0oe8YTR9zQog4OO1oneW-XBQ_-__o62Kp9QZ_wHMbKedTjlCnDfhfdEwrfj9ScyM/s1600/Tomato+Plant%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYAvLKBlieecop50XIeP8-XXFFKg4ksKM8NVd3jyxFH9zlnG2TRCfFJ8yO5TU6hLSB8zFvpv1n2K0oe8YTR9zQog4OO1oneW-XBQ_-__o62Kp9QZ_wHMbKedTjlCnDfhfdEwrfj9ScyM/s320/Tomato+Plant%25233.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
The plant is deeply planted and will grow roots all along the stem under the soil to provide stability and better uptake of nutrients.<br />
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Here is what the plant looks like 6 weeks after planting. Healthy and laden with ripening fruit.<br />
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Once the tomato is given a nice deep hole and some easy to access nutrients, the next thing to consider is how to keep the plant healthy. Here in North Carolina, Early Blight is a real problem. Early Blight is a soil borne fungus that causes the leave to yellow and wither and will reduce the plants production substantially<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQe_KD3iQvF0Pb-46ZUbb1Y5YqwPS4S0QY2OPC2TbiKVd0it3yfK6G9iYc3X5eRlOrMX-BFP88yKPmPBLH25j4q7kG1zP0cIKmak6rLL5M0KwPKOPQme1CiRqkP2d8EEhk0loclLIf0G0/s1600/Tomato-early-blight_1_1-12wmver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQe_KD3iQvF0Pb-46ZUbb1Y5YqwPS4S0QY2OPC2TbiKVd0it3yfK6G9iYc3X5eRlOrMX-BFP88yKPmPBLH25j4q7kG1zP0cIKmak6rLL5M0KwPKOPQme1CiRqkP2d8EEhk0loclLIf0G0/s320/Tomato-early-blight_1_1-12wmver.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Blight fungus takes a perfectly health plant and reduces it to yellowing leaves and bare vines.<br />
(Photo from Google search no photo credits given)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Blight will also reduce production and cause misshapen or small fruit<br />
(Photo from Google search no photo credits given)</td></tr>
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It is very simple to prevent Early Blight. Since it is a soil borne fungus, all that must be done to prevent it is to provide a deep mulch or ground cover under the tomato plants that keeps soil from splashing up on the leaves. I use a landscaping cloth that easily passes water, bu prevents splash. It has the added benefit of suppressing weeds. Most years I also put a layer of wood mulch on top of the cloth to further prevent splash and help to hold in moisture.</div>
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Tomatoes prefer to be watered at their roots. Although this isn't always possible, if it is it will help to prevent fusarium wilt and powdery mildew. If you have these problems, then it is important to water at the roots and never touch the leaves of the plant when they are wet. </div>
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Tomato Hornworms can wreak havoc on your plants as well. There are a few tried and true organic ways to eliminate them. You can spray your plants with Bt, (Bacillus Thuringiensis, trade name Dipel) at the first sign of damage. It is a naturally occurring bacterium, that paralyzes the digestive system of leaf eating caterpillars. It is safe for humans animals and beneficial insects with the exception of butterfly caterpillars, so be sure to avoid getting the Bt on the plants where butterfly caterpillar feed, like dill, parsley and milkweed. I don't use Bt on my tomatoes, but I do use it on anything in the cabbage family since looper worms are difficult to control any other way. The reason I choose not to use it on my tomatoes is because it is easy to see where the worm are at work and pick them off and destroy them,. This given me one less area I need to spray. The only time I leave the caterpillars alone is when they have little white cocoons on their backs. The natural predator of the Tomato Hornworn is a parasitic wasp that lays its young in the back of the Hornworm. The young feed on the caterpillar, killing it and creating more predators for the worms. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato Hornworm<br />
(Photo from Google search no photo credits given)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_VN95DOp7oBTabH2rUbAwa7kPCfra5KKxLQKBdW6A7nvrBH1jwhgir4_caXXXhXcwKG9ph5qO_KvNKZe1Y25SZ6py-0DRINLap_yxH2GheGAhyx-O3sxsB3YeughEXX9wV1ayrSIjNA/s1600/hornworm-wasp-cocoons.jpg..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_VN95DOp7oBTabH2rUbAwa7kPCfra5KKxLQKBdW6A7nvrBH1jwhgir4_caXXXhXcwKG9ph5qO_KvNKZe1Y25SZ6py-0DRINLap_yxH2GheGAhyx-O3sxsB3YeughEXX9wV1ayrSIjNA/s320/hornworm-wasp-cocoons.jpg..jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remove but do not destroy the caterpillar that has these cocoons on its back.<br />
(Photo from Google search no photo credits given)</td></tr>
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Now that the tomato is protected from disease and pests, the next concern is how to increase productivity and quality of the tomato fruits. Tomatoes are heavy feeders so I feed mine a side dressing of compost when hey begin to bear fruit and feed them with a diluted solution of fish emulsion as a foliar feeding and at the roots every few weeks. Feeding is important, but the plants will really excel when they are judicially pruned to channel the strength of the plant to fruit production instead of spending energy on foliage. It also helps light reaches the fruit and helps the bees to find the flowers to pollinate. </div>
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I know that there is much talk in gardening circles about pinching "suckers" to increase production. But it is important to understand what the sucker really is. It is said that little leaflets that appear in the crotch of the stem and tomato branch are the "suckers" that tomato growers are encouraged to pinch, but if you pay attention to the habits of the tomato plant you will see that this in incorrect. In truth, the leaflet in the crotch will become a fruiting branch and the leafy branch that it is attached to to the stem of the tomato is actually the part that need to be removed. If you look closely you will notice that as the leaflet in the crotch grows, the leafing branch below will bend downward. This leafing branch will never produce flowers and should be removed, not the leaflet.</div>
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In the following series of photos I will plead my case and you can see if you agree with me. Below is a photo of the stem and leafing branch with the "sucker" growing in the crotch. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgRTuOj0LCCcrdo6HKfGki98sJnUNuLunKK4nVoVmzFtXhJbIBWj7j6zZyiXf00loXORsITRKu5_Zze6RB2mBQWv59nQWw8sAr6Fzi_0gUBYp3zTaj5X9NiW7NFlTloo8P6_vRUFjoIo/s1600/First+Pruning+Slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgRTuOj0LCCcrdo6HKfGki98sJnUNuLunKK4nVoVmzFtXhJbIBWj7j6zZyiXf00loXORsITRKu5_Zze6RB2mBQWv59nQWw8sAr6Fzi_0gUBYp3zTaj5X9NiW7NFlTloo8P6_vRUFjoIo/s320/First+Pruning+Slide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">It has been said that the </span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">"sucker" should be pinched, but in doing so you are actually removing the fruiting stem and leaving an non producting leafy branch.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmJGNdReDA6ChezVL7B4pc0oUZc29kX48HdRmYK7YaLdMfR3VSwm7vqaOcOd5E6Otxt0iZvLyoamug3sv50-ddHmfIFozLexcJ-7XvfKtnDDXyis_d66OBn0i3y5truTRZalhQapSX7w/s1600/Fruiting+Branch+Non+Bearing+Sucker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmJGNdReDA6ChezVL7B4pc0oUZc29kX48HdRmYK7YaLdMfR3VSwm7vqaOcOd5E6Otxt0iZvLyoamug3sv50-ddHmfIFozLexcJ-7XvfKtnDDXyis_d66OBn0i3y5truTRZalhQapSX7w/s320/Fruiting+Branch+Non+Bearing+Sucker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The leafy branch, "non bearing "sucker" that is pointing down will never produce fruit. It should be removed to allow for the fruiting branch to have the energy to produce more fruit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAklYnoGRlhQ19MF5gGLNjRDzWWHiRKeLJDJo1scIXxwU1k6ZrnoyrZeOGry6eMSJcAasyxjfw5sBHprDD3KUtyEg9xYhwK0vyaDqLGeN6FeGvmlNxuGL321jwLZ3lnR59G6bsuM2nfs/s1600/Cut+Here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAklYnoGRlhQ19MF5gGLNjRDzWWHiRKeLJDJo1scIXxwU1k6ZrnoyrZeOGry6eMSJcAasyxjfw5sBHprDD3KUtyEg9xYhwK0vyaDqLGeN6FeGvmlNxuGL321jwLZ3lnR59G6bsuM2nfs/s320/Cut+Here.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
When the leaflet in the crotch is a couple inches tall and the leafing branch is beginning to point downwards it is time to prune off the leafy branch leaving the center leaflet to become a fruiting branch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jtxegFABf6sEnslfRC4lcBUp5HleTDAOqC7Ztmg6iarLXjaavYyav_P5PCeTzJp71MRZFtXCl1F7MBhkP1TljUyHAXFwt-5MAmwbGBeB7_KrxFzUyUGdEsgDiKzCke7vjiinHaoYuNQ/s1600/Where+Should+I+Prune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jtxegFABf6sEnslfRC4lcBUp5HleTDAOqC7Ztmg6iarLXjaavYyav_P5PCeTzJp71MRZFtXCl1F7MBhkP1TljUyHAXFwt-5MAmwbGBeB7_KrxFzUyUGdEsgDiKzCke7vjiinHaoYuNQ/s320/Where+Should+I+Prune.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
The bottom circle shows that this is the leaflet growing in the crotch, the top circle shows the forming flower spurs. If you had pinched this as a "sucker" you would have reduced your production by 4 to 6 tomatoes for each one you pinched out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAEMsrEOdXBV-atCubi7aPMf6gtyRVUpAJY1TxYxLwMu1cA3O5bU0IT0cxYcc7blJghkopR926x82W4BgxlpRT5biN8JbFJ2qQtbybDhFi6z4-ApOCXkCFd5HBbDRPrAK-M3cMs2mBNM/s1600/Flowering+Spur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAEMsrEOdXBV-atCubi7aPMf6gtyRVUpAJY1TxYxLwMu1cA3O5bU0IT0cxYcc7blJghkopR926x82W4BgxlpRT5biN8JbFJ2qQtbybDhFi6z4-ApOCXkCFd5HBbDRPrAK-M3cMs2mBNM/s320/Flowering+Spur.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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The proof is in the pudding... What was originally thought of as a "sucker" that takes strength from the plant and reduces production, is actually a fruiting spur and the leafy branch that would be left if you pinched the spur is what should be removed to give strength to the spur.<br />
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Hopefully this is not confusing. I have tried to lay it out clearly, but if anyone doesn't understand, leave a comment and I will try to clarify.<br />
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Well I have probably talked enough about tomatoes today so I will stop here and continue next time with how I increase productivity in Determinate tomato varieties. Hope to see you then!<br />
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As always I love comments. They help me to feel like I am not just talking to myself :) Please feel free to ell me what you think or just to say "howdy!"<br />
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Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-72467918089402265982019-06-27T10:53:00.001-06:002019-06-27T10:53:19.591-06:00Some Thoughts on Tomato Varieties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfFDDptie5oMMW7yFsXuGmvORqPp3INN3llv1UON8flq40Jtf90yWQyECotM-4vWtHwvGJxEECD4OCHKhx9Ya5tdHtevjxzomO56EdocPtR5nXa2neJmW8J8Fcro1tKr6LlnchZVg6qs/s1600/Lead+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="978" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfFDDptie5oMMW7yFsXuGmvORqPp3INN3llv1UON8flq40Jtf90yWQyECotM-4vWtHwvGJxEECD4OCHKhx9Ya5tdHtevjxzomO56EdocPtR5nXa2neJmW8J8Fcro1tKr6LlnchZVg6qs/s320/Lead+shot.jpg" width="195" /></a>This post is overdue. My spring was full and blogging unfortunately took a backseat to an array of other things. So here we go, better late than never...<br />
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Tomatoes are serious business here at Heart's Ease Cottage. We only eat fresh tomatoes in season, since in the off seasons even the organically grown tomatoes at the store are a sad lot. So we really look forward to the day we can eat our fresh, homegrown, warm off the vine 'maters.<br />
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We start our tomatoes from seed in our indoor seed starting system. I have my favorites that I plant every year and usually try a new variety or two in search of new favorites. There are 2 kinds of tomatoes, determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties ripen heavy flushes of fruit at once and then after a few flushes will die off. Indeterminate varieties will produce less fruit at once, but with proper pruning and feeding will produce consistently over a long season.<br />
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For preserving I stick with the meaty Roma style tomato. <b>San Marzano</b> and <b>Amish Paste</b> tomatoes are my stand-bys. San Marzano is a determinate variety, as all Romas are, so they put on a lot of fruit that ripens in flushes, usually 2 large flushes and one smaller one and then the plants are done. You can eek out a few tomatoes from there on but it is really not worth the bother or the garden space to try and squeeze any more out from the vines. San Marzano is a heavy yielder of uniformly sized fruit, that is great for drying, canning as sauce and stewed tomatoes, and also works very well for salsa and relish. Amish Paste tomato is determinate, with thick, blocky tomatoes that have dense flesh and very few seeds. They make wonderful sauce and paste as well as dried tomatoes. Their one draw back is that they do not produce as many tomatoes per plant as the San Marzano. This is probably because the dense fruit takes longer to ripen. You will get one solid flush and a smaller second flush and then the plant is done. I would have to plant about twice as many Amish Paste Tomatoes to get the same amount of fruit as I get from San Marzano. So I use the Amish Paste tomatoes for specific purposes, paste and dried tomato powder, and grow San Marzano for the bulk of my preserving needs. I do have a way to extend the growing season of a determinate tomato variety, but I will have to write another blog post on that to keep this post from becoming a book. I promise I will share this technique in a future post!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixe4P0HGoBAi7pRAsCwSX7oPgh4bJRSDT5_Z_Sci5XAUfoohMPxwoZyueRpPKCtKvMsrULUXaE1_dGGjpweI1OvySAQi03ekhU2F3uzGeZx2uOrn41EMj0LqEweFHwmkR1hyphenhyphenhhn6twuI4/s1600/San+Marzano2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixe4P0HGoBAi7pRAsCwSX7oPgh4bJRSDT5_Z_Sci5XAUfoohMPxwoZyueRpPKCtKvMsrULUXaE1_dGGjpweI1OvySAQi03ekhU2F3uzGeZx2uOrn41EMj0LqEweFHwmkR1hyphenhyphenhhn6twuI4/s1600/San+Marzano2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Marzano is a good Roma Type Tomato for sauce, paste and drying<br />(Photo from Google search had no Photo credit posted)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpYaI6BKd7fMRZ8kBxIUhzN-sXqpvKLeSDfjxyFPZ93OSYADGRvvgH6N-FXINeLjoNogAEwS593OkwznqQ-yzs8JA4cwudWziabmwXV5oWsIw60OhyphenhyphenA60UFhPh9jyamy22_JhzoH0bWI/s1600/Amish+Paste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpYaI6BKd7fMRZ8kBxIUhzN-sXqpvKLeSDfjxyFPZ93OSYADGRvvgH6N-FXINeLjoNogAEwS593OkwznqQ-yzs8JA4cwudWziabmwXV5oWsIw60OhyphenhyphenA60UFhPh9jyamy22_JhzoH0bWI/s1600/Amish+Paste.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amish Paste Tomato is a blocky, meaty tomato good for paste, sauce and drying<br />(Photo from Google search had no photo credit)</td></tr>
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Indeterminate tomatoes do not make very good candidates for preserving. They have too much water and too many seeds. But they make great tomatoes for slicing and fresh eating. There are some indeterminate, open pollinated slicers, but I usually don't grow them. I grow heirloom and open pollinated varieties for many of the vegetables in our garden so that I can save seed, but since I grow a lot of varieties of tomatoes, I can't save the seed, so I grow a mixed bag of hybrid and open-pollinated tomatoes for fresh eating.<br />
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Many of the open pollinated and heirloom tomatoes are large, juicy fruits that can weigh a pound or more a piece and take forever to ripen. I don't like wet tomatoes for sandwiches because I hate soggy bread, so I prefer to grow a smaller 4-6 ounce hybrid tomato that gets ripe fast, fits neatly on my sandwich without overhang and won't make my bread soggy. I do grow heirloom varieties for eating straight off the vine like and apple or for slicing as a side dish with a sprinkle of basil strips and some freshly cracked pepper.... my mouth is watering as I type... but most of my slicing tomatoes are hybrid. Hybrids are also less prone to Cat Facing, and splitting since they don't suck up so much water.<br />
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So what varieties of indeterminate tomatoes do I grow? I am very fond of <b>Celebrity</b> (hybrid) for sandwiches, it is a nice 4-6 oz. tomato with a thin tender skin. I also grow <b>German Pink </b>(Open Pollinated), <b>Black Cherokee</b> (Open Pollinated) and some variety of orange tomato. Of course there is the <b>Sweet 100</b> (heirloom) cherry tomato that produces quantities of sweet, "pop in your mouth while weeding goodness" (only need one of these babies...), and <b>Yellow Pear</b> (heirloom), and the <b>Rutger </b>(Open Pollinated), an 8 oz <b>determinate</b> slicer that is has good flavor and not too many seeds. Others that I adore but haven't planted this year are the <b>Currant</b> tomato, which is a slightly larger than a pea sized tomato that is a powerhouse of tomato flavor in a tiny package. Warning this volunteers prolifically and where ever you last planted it is going to have a mass of volunteers the following year, brace yourself and treat them as weeds except for the one or two you want to transplant for this years consumption). <b>Indigo Rose</b> for it's beautiful almost black color and anathocyanin<span style="color: #545454; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">s</span></span> that have proved to help prevent cancer, I also really enjoy the heirloom Pineapple tomato. It is delicious, but often split and beaks on the vine because they take up so much water, so I only grow it on occasion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UxZdOKn_dYOQsiRXFnDSklg4arN1PlatAqj3QnP4wvICTJw-vuCE5J5jbjJC-jBab5MeLN87eEIFFaRNUVPExOZvTBNSTrR_c1C-E7CHqpbQdGbYVVg-9eSYrXGbDFIdhYr2PkX74L0/s1600/Celebrity%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UxZdOKn_dYOQsiRXFnDSklg4arN1PlatAqj3QnP4wvICTJw-vuCE5J5jbjJC-jBab5MeLN87eEIFFaRNUVPExOZvTBNSTrR_c1C-E7CHqpbQdGbYVVg-9eSYrXGbDFIdhYr2PkX74L0/s1600/Celebrity%25232.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrity is a hybrid, 4-6 oz. slicer with good taste and thin skin<br />(Photo found on Google search not photo credit given)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAbLGpMMVKiG1oaJIMFt7axJrs1xemrLUTQpSn4AZeBzL5klSMW7wYJPHOksdTdJPkCN37P6feiyzgzV-MiqskvKhupyED9B2r5Q3rUGmGamBeXcmDAHl83uUVQ-GV0_i7jOHxIek0UQ/s1600/Rutger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAbLGpMMVKiG1oaJIMFt7axJrs1xemrLUTQpSn4AZeBzL5klSMW7wYJPHOksdTdJPkCN37P6feiyzgzV-MiqskvKhupyED9B2r5Q3rUGmGamBeXcmDAHl83uUVQ-GV0_i7jOHxIek0UQ/s1600/Rutger.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rutger is a determinate open pollinated slicer. It has a good flavor and size but is not a long season variety<br />(Photo found on Google search no photo credit given)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUQg8hU4j0bvYb0UC-gNpmsVFPBmw4UOuwwVN72DVXHHVsOEmAZxItqr0te9RVLWFjss_f1NYArG8G22t8Upc66674w5dwmtVynlK028haEdPCHXuc2_6EZUSUmps8V3f91MVeNnzLI0/s1600/Indigo+rose2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUQg8hU4j0bvYb0UC-gNpmsVFPBmw4UOuwwVN72DVXHHVsOEmAZxItqr0te9RVLWFjss_f1NYArG8G22t8Upc66674w5dwmtVynlK028haEdPCHXuc2_6EZUSUmps8V3f91MVeNnzLI0/s1600/Indigo+rose2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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Tomato varieties I don't bother to grow: <b>Mortgage Lifter</b>, it is so huge I can't get it out of my tomato cage without great effort and it is sloppy wet, mealy and won't keep, I don't grow <b>Beefsteak </b>for the same reason. <b>Big Boy</b> isn't prolific enough to give it garden space. I don't grow <b>Grape</b> tomatoes because they are shaped like a torpedo and are a choking hazard, (personal issue...).<br />
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So what do I do with all these tomatoes?? I will tell you in an upcoming post that will include some of my favorite fast and easy recipes. But for now I am trying to catch up on overdue blog posts so I will end this here and start my next post and what 40 years of growing tomatoes has taught me.Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-6837638282038589052018-06-21T13:51:00.000-06:002018-06-21T19:13:05.140-06:00Taking Care of Hummingbird Visitors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfoXFRJCijDRb6b6_auCJ23fd5qhsz-ZuUP5IzC5XwZ0RYv13685X_RgexLk8d2kzZ8WmOeljCqtuccxc4B4Us1PSsXG1XJXq2AGz-VT5YI43NSt6EXqWcEJGNHn_PiqWPdkb2ieK9Xc/s1600/Hummingbird+and+zinnia%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfoXFRJCijDRb6b6_auCJ23fd5qhsz-ZuUP5IzC5XwZ0RYv13685X_RgexLk8d2kzZ8WmOeljCqtuccxc4B4Us1PSsXG1XJXq2AGz-VT5YI43NSt6EXqWcEJGNHn_PiqWPdkb2ieK9Xc/s200/Hummingbird+and+zinnia%25232.jpg" width="200" /></a>I look forward to the return of our hummingbird visitors every May. We usually see a hummingbird scout once or twice in late April flit in and check out the offerings and then dart way. The others show up consistently to visit the Cottage's gardens and feeders in May.<br />
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Since today is the day that I clean and refill the feeders, I thought I would chat about the care and feeding of hummingbirds. First and best for feeding hummers is to provide them with flowers that offer them ample tasty nectar. Trumpet vine, fuschia, nicotiana, salvia, honeysuckle, petunias, coral bells, daylilies, yarrow, to name a few. In our gardens, the hummers also regularly visit the paintbox colored zinnias and baskets of geraniums. We have so many flowers here and often see the hummingbirds darting and squabbling over the flowers all over the yard. But I love being able to hear the beat of their wings, their little chirps and see their brilliant colored plumage, so I put feeders close to the places we sit outside so we can have a front row seat to enjoy them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPhybUZJ2WdPGFXPlCwNuiCcsvskFaCp_Nf50izQw-lKf6kahKhFcycb_AbxLzNOcFB7a7vvfb3J-3qlcX9wfaHhzbyFep8rjRKXMHInWAno2eeSGeg2aeK2eEA2z9HQ6evBJJ3NsYok/s1600/Insitu%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPhybUZJ2WdPGFXPlCwNuiCcsvskFaCp_Nf50izQw-lKf6kahKhFcycb_AbxLzNOcFB7a7vvfb3J-3qlcX9wfaHhzbyFep8rjRKXMHInWAno2eeSGeg2aeK2eEA2z9HQ6evBJJ3NsYok/s320/Insitu%25232.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These feeders are visible from the veranda and the patio </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The veranda offers us a clear view of the hummers <br />
while keeping us out of their flight path.</td></tr>
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Feeding hummingbirds is easy and fairly inexpensive, all you need is sugar and water. The ratio of sugar to water is one part sugar to four parts water (example: 1 cup sugar to four cups water). I boil it for 5 minutes and then cool completely before filling the feeders. Use plain white sugar, not turbinado, or any other kind of sweetener, since these have properties that are not in their natural diet. Please, please, please, don't add red food dye to the sugar water. The dye is very bad for our little friends and it is unnecessary since the feeders are colorful and are attractive to them.<br />
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There are a few other things that I would like to mention about the feeders. Drawing hummingbirds to the feeder is a great way to enjoy a charming bit of Creation, but it is important to make sure that what is being offered will be healthy and safe for them to eat. Flower nectar is fresh and mold free, so what is offered in the feeders should mirror nature. Sugar water will ferment while sitting in the sun and mold will grow on the inside of the bottle and will hide in the flower shaped feeding receptacles. Fermented sugar water isn't healthy for the birds and mold is down right toxic to them. So if feeding them is something desirable, then going the extra mile to make sure it is healthy and safe for the hummers is important. I fill the feeders a couple times a week, especially when the weather is very hot. It will ferment and go cloudy in about 3 days, so to avoid waste I only fill the feeders about half full when it is really hot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz99bFcgJNGFWoaqzJVlzp7VrCCDZ54P4TL5XMdvLGGMdfYRz15f05JuzbungLwqsZy0HPLYEuUepPN74wu-_3F5Bdfvdrldcp8bi590UJAz72JIMMnyxBdPnj-L-kDpD-2UpLORJ88w4/s1600/Cloudy+Feeder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1029" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz99bFcgJNGFWoaqzJVlzp7VrCCDZ54P4TL5XMdvLGGMdfYRz15f05JuzbungLwqsZy0HPLYEuUepPN74wu-_3F5Bdfvdrldcp8bi590UJAz72JIMMnyxBdPnj-L-kDpD-2UpLORJ88w4/s320/Cloudy+Feeder.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It takes 3 days or less for the food to ferment in hot weather</td></tr>
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Once a week I take them all down, scrub, bleach and rinse them very well before refilling them to make sure that there is no mold growing in the containers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHOFtiwaNVXuzf3qkTNzqOfU3-5eTTpgFcr_2ALKPuFUkvDg7h5CHtUAoId4yJDwsH6TMQdS6mSRP2ubCahyGAiu-sGdq5H1fH-Z3Tyc8DWmWirpmOOlVeMM9Gm4tyQBdJkzeYXp5aBM/s1600/Bleaching+Pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHOFtiwaNVXuzf3qkTNzqOfU3-5eTTpgFcr_2ALKPuFUkvDg7h5CHtUAoId4yJDwsH6TMQdS6mSRP2ubCahyGAiu-sGdq5H1fH-Z3Tyc8DWmWirpmOOlVeMM9Gm4tyQBdJkzeYXp5aBM/s320/Bleaching+Pieces.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once a week I bleach and scrub the feeders and then rinse them well in clear water<br />
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to make sure there is no bleach residue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAPh86QGlM9nye4DFYXKJoETMfN2MbIl6W5otphCvE7JFCti0hpVe5faAswmGGcNrU42Ms2FfWeeU9VUL_6rtIDDSS0nVsYhmNh-RmG4O5jVJJIcsJn0aIteu_ZzKPDydzyP2oAQ-o8Q/s1600/Clear+Feeder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAPh86QGlM9nye4DFYXKJoETMfN2MbIl6W5otphCvE7JFCti0hpVe5faAswmGGcNrU42Ms2FfWeeU9VUL_6rtIDDSS0nVsYhmNh-RmG4O5jVJJIcsJn0aIteu_ZzKPDydzyP2oAQ-o8Q/s320/Clear+Feeder.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal clear and safe for the birds to eat.<br />
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That way when I see the little guys zipping around the feeders I know that what they are eating is tasty and wholesome.<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-41067456261722403232017-02-04T11:16:00.002-07:002017-02-04T11:16:19.160-07:00Fire on the Mountain Tonic, the Natural Flu Shot<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This post was originally on my other blog... <a href="http://www.aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com/">www.aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com</a>, but since this is cold and flu season, and some of the readers of this blog don't follow my other blog I thought I would repost it here. There has been news of a new outbreak of bird flu, that has been causing deaths not only in birds, but cats and then humans... so with the possibility of a new flu being on the loose, it is important to protect yourself before the flu strain reaches the USA. Since this strain is new, there is no pharma synthesized flu shot to protect you from it or other new strains of flu that will come down the pike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't take flu shots... Someday I will write a post on why, but for today I just want to talk about what I do instead of introducing heavy metals,(Thimerosal/ethyl mercury) and live (although "weakened"), virus into my system. There are natural ways to make it through cold and flu season without succumbing to every bug that is being passed around the office and lurking on every shopping cart handle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To start with, it is important to be diligent to thoroughly and frequently wash your hands when in public places. Keep your hands away from your face and your fingers out of your mouth. Use a non alcohol based hand sanitizer when you can't wash your hands. I use lemon essential oil that I keep in a key fob case with 7 other essential oils. I just drop a drop or two on my hands and rub them together front and back. Then I breathe deeply from the bottle to get the lemon vapors up into my nostrils. Lemon will kill many pesky germs on contact and is much safer to use than the alcohol based sanitizers. Be mindful that there are a lot of people who take no precautions when they are sick, don't cover their mouth with their forearm instead of their hands when they cough or sneeze, come to work with a fever, sneezing and coughing, go shopping and touch shopping carts with hands that they just sneezed into, eat out and use their germ infested hands to serve themselves from the salad bar or drink dispenser.... all while spreading the wealth of their illness with everyone who may come in contact with them or things that they have touched. So whenever possible, avoid public eating and other potential harvest fields of germs like public bathrooms. I know it isn't possible to avoid all public contact, especially if you work in a place that wants you to show up for work, sick or not... but taking precautions like hand washing and avoiding what contact you can with the public at large will cut your risks of infection down a lot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Besides exercising diligent germ fighting hygiene measures, there are some very effective proactive natural medicine routines that you can use to fight off illness. All of my family has their own bottle of Thieves, (Young Living, good but very pricey), or in our case 4x, (Secrets of Eden, it is the same thing as Thieves but a lot more affordable). We take it a couple times a day proactively, and use it more frequently if we are in public or feel like we are coming down with something. We have a infuser for our car that plugs into the cigarette lighter. We keep either 4x or lemon essential oils going in the car infuser so we are breathing it into our nostrils and into our lungs where it can kill bacteria that we may breathe in while in public. I also brush my teeth with it, using a drop or two on my tooth brush along with my home made toothpaste, or a drop or two in the water receptacle of my Waterpik. This kills germs as well as promotes good oral health. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While practicing health hygiene and using essential oils to stave off infection is effective, we go one step further and our version of a flu shot... Fire tonic. This tonic is a powerful tool against flu virus' and bacterial infection. Unlike the</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAG6_O0sdvjuIT0dyiqRFnHZ10NVxHU7OTZTfsN35vv61vkKf_KV9izQVQQ5QqSxhpLfEzUfttxAqpzIl5n4B4UhyphenhyphenzJX3NgfLdRkjdEZcsD-_1no3x-LBCEec39uJh9LR9xeP8ZIh3VI/s1600/Tonic%252326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAG6_O0sdvjuIT0dyiqRFnHZ10NVxHU7OTZTfsN35vv61vkKf_KV9izQVQQ5QqSxhpLfEzUfttxAqpzIl5n4B4UhyphenhyphenzJX3NgfLdRkjdEZcsD-_1no3x-LBCEec39uJh9LR9xeP8ZIh3VI/s320/Tonic%252326.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">flu shot which is made in a lab using live virus or virus byproducts, and stabilized with heavy metals like ethyl mercury, Fire Tonic is made in your kitchen, using fresh, living. organic (where possible), ingredients. The flu shot must be administered by a "medical professional", where you can take the Fire Tonic at home with no co pay. I will warn you that it takes some getting used to, but the benefits far outweigh its fiery personality. There are many recipes for tonic out there, but for the most part, the basic ingredients are the same, raw organic apple cider vinegar with mother, (from now on referred to as ACVM), horseradish, ginger, garlic and hot peppers. My recipe takes things a step further, to bring in some other germ fighting immune strengthening components. This tonic is taken daily, a shot glass full as soon as the tummy is ready for it. Once you get used to the fiery jolt, you will start to look forward to your daily "shot", and will enjoy the mood elevating, endorphin buzz you will get from it...<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are two basic ways to make this tonic, one is to put the fresh ingredients together in a blender, put the blended ingredients in a 1/2 gallon jar and let it steep in ACVM for several weeks. Then strain and press all the ingredients through cheesecloth, to derive the fiery liquid gold. The other way is to arrange the ingredients in a jar, add water and salt and let it ferment naturally for 4 weeks, then strain, press and bottle. Each has its own virtues, the ACVM has many health benefits, and the fermentation of the other adds much needed probiotic bacteria to the mix. Either one is effective against virus and bacterial infections. I have decided that for my family, it is best to make both. The vinegar based tonic stores for the long term, very well, the fermented tonic requires refrigeration, or if not refrigerated, to be used up in a week or two after full fermentation ceases, so when possible we use the fermented version daily and keep the vinegar version on hand for times when we don't have the fermented version available and for longer term storage.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In my recipes I use these basic tonic ingredients:</b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Horseradish</u>-</span></b> which is full of vitamin C and B complex, minerals, potassium, calcium, iron and enzymes. It prevents scurvy, is an expectorant, can treat tonsillitis, and is a natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, as well as many respiratory ailments. It can kill the bacteria that causes bronchitis, strengthens the heart, increases resistance to cancer, is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifies the liver to eliminate carcinogens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKP7A5HiuWcPET90LU_ALd2365jJ2CYQkgnJ3r1oKkdr3w2KyPwDyYiEueI-SC_BXX2ENoetR1ZNDXKI6sAjXNQzHaERzasSjUbRf2ah6wAryzelSJDKuQnTmUfB0b39Tam9NBgX1i7E/s1600/Tonic%252321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKP7A5HiuWcPET90LU_ALd2365jJ2CYQkgnJ3r1oKkdr3w2KyPwDyYiEueI-SC_BXX2ENoetR1ZNDXKI6sAjXNQzHaERzasSjUbRf2ah6wAryzelSJDKuQnTmUfB0b39Tam9NBgX1i7E/s320/Tonic%252321.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ginger</u>-</span></b> a natural blood thinner, reduces cholesterol, lowers fever, is sedative and antibacterial, anti-fungal, and settles the stomach and soothes intestinal distress. Contains gingerol a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. May reduce muscle pain and soreness. Lowers blood sugar levels and improves heart health. Improves brain function and may guard against brain degradation and dementia. Reduces menstrual pain. The substance called 6-gingerol aids in the prevention of some kinds of cancer, (pancreatic, colon, breast and ovarian cancer, testing and research continues).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Onion</u>-</span></b>A potent diuretic, it is antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, it is an effective expectorant, making it useful for use colds, flu and persistent coughs, Onions are rich in quercetin, which has been shown to prevent heart disease, by stopping cholesterol from attaching to arterial walls and prevents blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Hot Peppers</u>-</span></b> contain capsicum which supports the immune system. It also acts as a natural decongestant and has warming properties that alleviate chills. It has anti- inflammatory and analgesic properties which make it a useful pain killer. Helps treat cancer, peptic ulcer, menopausal problems, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Relives the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Is good for the skin and treats psoriasis.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPidM9Tqkp8D2GU_BLLaU-actBnOlPpsn1QZ25f3MCR_3LLQHeTOLfb_IpeYHl-x0vJyi-PGzxr3-ph7V7TFOkkEdkesytqOkMKzAoumnC2lVfdHP_TS5P5PmScyS9hXitWEzxxLFbhc/s1600/Habanero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPidM9Tqkp8D2GU_BLLaU-actBnOlPpsn1QZ25f3MCR_3LLQHeTOLfb_IpeYHl-x0vJyi-PGzxr3-ph7V7TFOkkEdkesytqOkMKzAoumnC2lVfdHP_TS5P5PmScyS9hXitWEzxxLFbhc/s320/Habanero.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Raw Apple Cider Vinegar</u>-</span></b> is a natural antiseptic, anti-fungal, is great for digestion, detoxifying, lowers blood sugar levels. It can help with weight loss by promoting satiety and lowering glucose and insulin levels. Helps reduce blood pressure. Has been observed to reduce the size of cancerous tumors and can kill cancer cells. It can cut down on nighttime leg cramps, (an indication of a potassium deficiency), When coupled with honey, apple cider vinegar helps relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis pain in part is caused by metabolic waste that is stored in the connective tissue, the pectin, acetic acid and mallic acid in ACVM absorbs toxins and helps to flush them from the body. It alkalinizes the body and clears out acid crystal build up in the joints. It is a great source of the nutrient potassium, which is often in low levels in RA patients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And I add to the basic ingredients:</b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Turmeric root</u>-</span></b> An effective anti-inflammatory. Low level inflammation is in large part responsible for almost all chronic illness, including heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's, and other degenerative and auto-immune conditions. Curcumin is the substance within turmeric root which has most of the medicinal properties. Curcumin reduces inflammation at the molecular level. It is an antioxidant, so it eliminates free radicals and stimulates the body to increase production it's own antioxidant enzymes. It improves brain function by boosting BDNF, the body's neurotrophic factor, thus improving brain function and lowering the risk of brain disease.The molecular changes caused by cucurmin prevent cancerous cells from forming, having an affect on active cancer as well as preventing the division of cancerous cells. Curcumin can cross the blood brain barrier, a rare attribute, and is able to interrupt the progression of Alzheimer's and help the brain to heal. Arthritis, in some cases is more effectively treated with curcumin than with pharmaceuticals. It has a profound affect on depression, actually proving more effective in clinical studies than Prozac for alleviating the symptoms of depression. It does this by boosting the BDNF levels and increasing the body's ability to produce it's own serotonin and dopamine. It is hard for the body to absorb turmeric, but with the addition of piperzine, a substance found in black pepper corns, the absorption rate can be improved by 2000%. so turmeric should always be used in combination with black pepper. Do not use if pregnant!! Can cause uterine contractions.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Lemon</u>-</span></b>Although lemon is acidic outside the body once it is in the digestive tract it becomes alkaline. So lemon is a good ph balancer for the blood. Lemon is high in vitamin C, increasing the immune system's ability to fight off infection. It increases the production of bile aiding in digestion efficiency and dissolves uric acid which causes joint pain and is a component of some kinds of kidney stones. It can aid increase the body's ability to burn fat. Helps to maintain eye health. Detoxifies kidneys and liver.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rosemary</u>-</span></b>Is a powerful detoxifier and has a calming effect on the nervous system. Rosemary contains rosmarinic, a compound that improves blood circulation, increasing the flow of oxygen rich blood to the brain. This improves concentration, alertness and promotes relaxation. It is anti-microbial. Rosemary contains components that fortify the immune system. It stimulates the adrenals, providing more energy while it elevates mood and calms nerves. Inhibits the growth of bacteria like e. coli. Protects the lungs from irritation and inflammation from environmental toxins.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Black Pepper</u>-</span></b> It is useful in fighting the common cold, constipation, indigestion, anemia, impotency, muscular strains, dental disease, pyorrhea (a dental disease), diarrhea, and heart disease. It contains manganese, iron, potassium, vitamin-C, vitamin K, and dietary fiber. Black pepper is also a very good anti-inflammatory agent. It aids in digestion by increasing the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, will detox the body by promoting sweating and urination. The outer shell of the pepper corn breaks down fat cells so that they are more easily accessed by the body , thus aiding in natural weight loss. So be sure to use whole pepper corns, cracked with a blender or mortar and pestle, to gain all the benefits that black pepper has to offer. But most importantly, it is necessary to use turmeric and black pepper in combination so that the body can take up the health benefits of turmeric. Without using black pepper with turmeric most of the healing properties of the turmeric pass through the body without being absorbed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAezuTU8frLyNhyJyXhLRfhjdQii88HtujiGNWJl2CVB-OfOixEE-u6QuFjL_bZkO-DfbR6dv8togAKk61nOZlXSyfD_DlCV3ygb5KpdzORJlU3O2POnXB_Ko6FgRzELy3UGqLfU8ti0/s1600/Tonic%252319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAezuTU8frLyNhyJyXhLRfhjdQii88HtujiGNWJl2CVB-OfOixEE-u6QuFjL_bZkO-DfbR6dv8togAKk61nOZlXSyfD_DlCV3ygb5KpdzORJlU3O2POnXB_Ko6FgRzELy3UGqLfU8ti0/s320/Tonic%252319.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All ingredients that can be organic should be... I know that it is hard to find some of these ingredients in organic.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;"><u>Fire on the Mountain Tonic # One</u></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">(Fermented)</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ingredients</u></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2 cups of habanero peppers, </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">split,</span><b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(</span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">for those who are able to take the heat</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">)</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, </span><b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">or 3 cups of jalapenos,</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> cut into 1/4" rings. If using jalapenos, then omit the next ingredient in the list, they are added to this amount for a total of the required peppers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 cup fresh jalapeno, </b>cut into 1/4" rings</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6 whole bulbs of garlic</b>, cut in half through the equator, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reserve two halves to be kept intact</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> break apart the rest and bruise/mash with the flat edge of a knife. (No need to peel the cloves)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>12 inches of fresh horseradish root</b>, Scrub with a brush but do not peel, cut into 1/2" cubes </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 large hand of fresh ginger</b>, or enough ginger root to equal 2 cups sliced ginger, washed and sliced into 1/4" thick slices. Do not peel.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 cup sliced turmeric root</b>, (10-12 rhizomes of fresh turmeric)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/4 cup black peppercorns</b>, bruised and cracked in a mortar and pestle or given a quick whirl</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in a bullet blender, you don't want it powdered just bruised and cracked.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 large onion</b>, root end and tip end cut off, loose skin removed, (leave the rest of the skin on), then cut into thin slices</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2- 6" sprigs of rosemary</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4 1/4" slices of lemon, </b>(wash lemon well before slicing)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/4 tsp. salt</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/2 capsule of probiotic acidophilis, </b>(optional)<br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Purified water to fill jar</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>Equipment</u></b></span><br /><br /><b>Apron</b><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sharp knife</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Mandolin with slicing blade,</b> optional but makes things more uniform and goes faster</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 half gallon Mason jar</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4 oz. mason jar</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Plastic wide mouth Mason jar lid </b>(can be found at Walmart in the canning section, or purchased on Amazon,com), <b>or a piece of plastic wrap and a two part metal Mason jar lid</b>, (</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> *Due the fact that metal that is not stainless steel can taint the fermentation process, it is necessary to use a plastic lid or put a piece of plastic wrap between the rim of the jar and the two part wide mouth mason jar lid.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Glass craft beads to fill the 4 0z. jar</b> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Mortar and pestle or bullet-type blender</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Plastic sandwich bag</b> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Nitrile or latex gloves</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>8"square pyrex dish or comparable sized plastic container with 1 inch sides</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Strainer</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Funnel</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>16x16" square of cheese cloth</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Quart sized Mason Jar or two or glass bottle with tight fitting lid that will hold the volume of rendered liquid</b> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wipeable,impermeable tablecloth</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Instructions</u></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cover your work surface with wipeable tablecloth. Why? Well, the turmeric root will <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bRd3fvTy-k-yMexpZgHt8BbYS4eznS4nXpEf8ZooPB9i5Vru7R2G9OU71Iczg9G82EEqTx5cWXud40jZCesarObihctteNcGSN9cgupn-7BSjIeeBE95K06a6SFK3X_-7yyxIGk8KIY/s1600/Layers%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bRd3fvTy-k-yMexpZgHt8BbYS4eznS4nXpEf8ZooPB9i5Vru7R2G9OU71Iczg9G82EEqTx5cWXud40jZCesarObihctteNcGSN9cgupn-7BSjIeeBE95K06a6SFK3X_-7yyxIGk8KIY/s320/Layers%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a>stain whatever it touches and it will not come out. Don the apron and make sure to put on your nitrile/latex gloves. If you have sensitive skin, double glove your hands.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sterilize both 1/2 gallon and 4 oz.jar by pouring boiling water to the brim and leave sitting until cool enough to handle. Pour off water and dry jar with a fresh, clean towel. Lay the 1/2 gallon jar on its side and place lemon slices around the walls of jar on 3 sides, then take a couple of handfuls of horseradish cubes and place them in the jar to hold lemon slices to the sides. Set jar upright and place last slice on the forth wall of the jar. Place remaining horseradish in the jar. Then put in a layer of turmeric root, and then the onions. Place two halves of garlic bulbs, cut side out against the side of the jar on opposite walls of the jar, on the other two walls place the rosemary sprigs, then back fill with a layer of ginger, then jalapeno slices, and habaneros (if using), topping off with the layer of freshly cracked black pepper and the garlic. Press down on the veggie in the jar firmly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dissolve the salt in 2 cups of water, pour into the jar and then fill the jar the rest of the way with water to just cover the top of the veggies. The veggie and water level should come to just below where the neck of the jar begins to taper in some, <i>(This will leave you room to put the smaller 4 oz. jar and glass weights in.)</i></span><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrzH-mMndv5hoHbUrgTvzvX3HPHaLfN12bxywuzOTNeaLeoJNITAN9JahszVgdriVDWZLntYQr99oBohKjdtQhPTei5r9fo6f1PAS_OCzmXQOtgmHOhQOH9Y66XyduEwIxm935IMqzv8/s1600/Tonic%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrzH-mMndv5hoHbUrgTvzvX3HPHaLfN12bxywuzOTNeaLeoJNITAN9JahszVgdriVDWZLntYQr99oBohKjdtQhPTei5r9fo6f1PAS_OCzmXQOtgmHOhQOH9Y66XyduEwIxm935IMqzv8/s200/Tonic%25232.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i></i>Take the plastic sandwich bag and place it over the mouth of the 1/2 gallon mason jar, with fingers press down gently, arranging the plastic bag so that it is in contact with the entire surface of the vegetables.</span></span><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNOEbyBy7XNWXLglV0vExfzhL9cupGty6sMGa_ZBVzXszPzLzxzh0zDdE_1Wneuzb_BXoq13Qodj2GgJ2WcsuEuSIHFzlABMygQnha9rHJ9CKeUlwwFhHVPYG__eOFSFvC5ceivYaOYg/s1600/Tonic%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNOEbyBy7XNWXLglV0vExfzhL9cupGty6sMGa_ZBVzXszPzLzxzh0zDdE_1Wneuzb_BXoq13Qodj2GgJ2WcsuEuSIHFzlABMygQnha9rHJ9CKeUlwwFhHVPYG__eOFSFvC5ceivYaOYg/s200/Tonic%25233.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Take the 4 oz. jar filled with glass beads and place it in the mouth of the jar, on top of the plastic bag.</span></span><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOaKDr1MSPQv_Ot5m4Tp7XLgGHc6KKDQenxVByylDOe1KxDCNjJ9i9hzSXPA9fspSjj8JuNz0eIx8Hl3pF1BxuSpk4BglF8iOnwTA6PV5tDL9lt7lQxgBK1ZWqBqlLl80Je2O1KYFYDc/s1600/Tonic%252325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOaKDr1MSPQv_Ot5m4Tp7XLgGHc6KKDQenxVByylDOe1KxDCNjJ9i9hzSXPA9fspSjj8JuNz0eIx8Hl3pF1BxuSpk4BglF8iOnwTA6PV5tDL9lt7lQxgBK1ZWqBqlLl80Je2O1KYFYDc/s200/Tonic%252325.jpg" width="132" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Place 1/2 gallon jar in a casserole dish or in the sink then press down on the smaller jar, some liquid will flow out of the 1/2 gallon jar, (<i>which is why it is in a casserole dish or in the sink</i>). Take plastic lid that fits a wide mouth Mason Jar and put it on the 1/2 gal. jar and screw down tight. If the lid won't go on, it may be necessary to take the 4 oz. jar out and press the veggies down harder to make room for the weight jar, (<i>some fluid is sure to go over the edges so make sure the 1/2 gal. jar is on the plate or in the sink</i>) , then replace the weight and screw plastic lid on firmly. Invert the jar once or twice to dislodge air bubbles and look to make sure the veggies are completely submerged. If not, take the lid off, the weight jar and sandwich bag out and top off with a little water. replace, sandwich bag weight and lid, then invert again.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At this point, place the 1/2 gallon jar in a casserole dish or other plastic container to catch any liquid that might bubble out of the jar during the fermentation process and place out of the way, in a quiet corner of the kitchen counter. Invert at least twice a day for the first week, then once a day for the next 6 weeks. </span></span></span><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IX-4Hu0jqR3Spd7mWj1NXm7s8eumb1fdzQBVUWVsHSeMtgubMRJQWpnga9x1j8H5SA8yapJ0dcTpBU2Ugu2_8v9i5buUdqKaeAyD9rh9Sep9RJkB5uziZ4rda2BWm6_f5q0hLkAa5hM/s1600/Tonic%252322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IX-4Hu0jqR3Spd7mWj1NXm7s8eumb1fdzQBVUWVsHSeMtgubMRJQWpnga9x1j8H5SA8yapJ0dcTpBU2Ugu2_8v9i5buUdqKaeAyD9rh9Sep9RJkB5uziZ4rda2BWm6_f5q0hLkAa5hM/s200/Tonic%252322.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the end of the fermentation pour off the liquid from the veggies into a bowl and place the veggies in the blender. Pulse until the veggies are well broken up, but not a puree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Pour the veggies and liquid back in the 1/2 gallon jar or into a bowl or other receptical that can hold it all if you are using the 1/2 jar as the storage container, and place a strainer lined with a layer of cheese cloth in the bowl that held the liquid previously. Stir the contents of the jar well and then slowly pour through cheese cloth, a little at a time. When the liquid level begins to approach the bottom of the strainer, stop and pour liquid off into the storage bottle. Continue to pour off and decant until the jar is empty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There will be solids left in the cheese cloth that still have liquid in them, so using a pair of latex gloves, (<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">remember there are hot peppers in this mix and they will burn the skin on bare hands</i>), gather up the corners of the cheese cloth and twist them together until they begin to apply pressure to the contents of of the cheese cloth, then gently twist and squeeze the cheese cloth "bag" until no more liquid will drip out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyuGHfIfOaojfnKwCumbJqG-bJSAP3L_wscDcgnedg2r7KuQ-l6Ch4vf3IZHCAJGY72zCPKE_wgzq-ykm64VuqkalGIC3dDIBRdS-4vq1V2a1x_zgmp7zy921PWT4U4AU_KKesGK6pLM/s1600/Tonic%252313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyuGHfIfOaojfnKwCumbJqG-bJSAP3L_wscDcgnedg2r7KuQ-l6Ch4vf3IZHCAJGY72zCPKE_wgzq-ykm64VuqkalGIC3dDIBRdS-4vq1V2a1x_zgmp7zy921PWT4U4AU_KKesGK6pLM/s320/Tonic%252313.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Deposit the contents of the cheesecloth into the compost container and set the cloth aside on a plate or in a bowl to be dealt with later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once all the liquid is squeezed out and in the storage container, cap it tightly and store in the refrigerator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>* Note about clean up...</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Carefully rinse the cheesecloth, being sure not to get the residue left in the cheese cloth on your skin, clothing or stainable surfaces. and then submerse in a pan of hot soapy water, leave to soak for a couple of hours and then with latex gloves, hand wash cloth and hang dry. Reserve this cheese cloth for this particular process since the turmeric will permanently stain it and no matter how often you wash it, the pepper oils will linger in the cloth fibers.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <b><u>To use: </u></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqfDo8MLh41SoeLusigpgYeG1FCLtgHI_1XSxRJlAZ76g4FWAaoEHQODF088XGM5TYBBLBcGahG8EVE03Qk6w6API0dP5Z1b8Z7AZvHJSn0ISddOhMdDuUnDyoPtnErf_Y6LuC6zJ8Ng/s1600/Tonic%25234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqfDo8MLh41SoeLusigpgYeG1FCLtgHI_1XSxRJlAZ76g4FWAaoEHQODF088XGM5TYBBLBcGahG8EVE03Qk6w6API0dP5Z1b8Z7AZvHJSn0ISddOhMdDuUnDyoPtnErf_Y6LuC6zJ8Ng/s320/Tonic%25234.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Measure 1 - 1 1/2 ozs. in a shot glass,( <i>a good place to start, but eventually you want to be up to 2 oz. per dose</i>), and drink in 6 oz. of water, add a little honey if necessary to get it down, (<i>or do what I do and just throw it back it one mouthful and swallow...not recommended for the uninitiated or faint of heart...</i>), and oh yea... best taken on a full stomach.... This tonic will cure what ails you and will keep your immune system strong so that you don't catch every bug that is floating around out there. How does the old saying go...? "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger..." Really, I am not trying to scare you off... this stuff is great for your immune system and will strengthen you, protect and heal you from so many ailments it is worth the effort to make it and acquire a tolerance to it's fiery nature, but you will need to take it slow and build up to the recommended dose. Drink it mixed with as much water as necessary to make it comfortable for you, but you want to get the whole dose down, so don't put it in so much water that you don't get it finished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;"><u>Fire on the Mountain Tonic # Two</u></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ingredients</u></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br />2 64 oz. bottles of organic apple cider vinegar with mother, </b><i>(Braggs make a very good one, but it is expensive. I have found a very acceptable option at Sam's, Nature's Intent organic apple cider vinegar with mother. It is much more affordable and I can't taste a difference. The important part is that it is organic, raw and has "mother" in it, which is a collection of living organisms composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, which turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2 cups of habanero peppers, </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">split,</span><b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(</span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">for those who are able to take the heat</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">)</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, </span><b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">or 3 cups of jalapenos,</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> cut into 1/4" rings. If using jalapenos, then omit the next ingredient in the list, they are added to this amount for a total of the required peppers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 cup fresh jalapeno, </b>cut into 1/4" rings</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6 whole bulbs of garlic</b>, cut in half through the equator,</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reserve two halves to be kept intact</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> break apart the rest and bruise/mash with the flat edge of a knife. (No need to peel the cloves)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>12 inches of fresh horseradish root</b>, Scrub with a brush but do not peel, cut into 1/2" cubes </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 large hand of fresh ginger</b>, or enough ginger root to equal 2 cups sliced ginger, washed and sliced into 1/4" thick slices. Do not peel.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 1/2-2 cups sliced turmeric root</b>, (12-15 or so rhizomes of fresh turmeric)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/4 cup black peppercorns</b>, bruised and cracked in a mortar and pestle or given a quick whirl</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in a bullet blender, you don't want it powdered just bruised and cracked.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1 large onion</b>, root end and tip end cut off, loose skin removed, (leave the rest of the skin on), then cut into thin slices</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2- 6" sprigs of rosemary</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4 1/4" slices of lemon,</b>(wash lemon well before slicing)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/4 tsp. salt</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>Equipment</u></b></span><br /><br /><b>Apron</b><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sharp knife</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Mandolin with slicing blade,</b> optional but makes things more uniform and goes faster</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2 half gallon Mason jars</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2 4 oz. mason jar</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2 Plastic wide mouth Mason jar lid </b>(can be found at Walmart in the canning section, or purchased on Amazon,com), <b>or a piece of plastic wrap and a two part metal Mason jar lid</b>, (</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> *Due the fact that metal that is not stainless steel can taint the fermentation process, it is necessary to use a plastic lid or put a piece of plastic wrap between the rim of the jar and the two part wide mouth mason jar lid.)</span><br />
<b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Nitrile or latex gloves</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>9x13" pyrex dish or comparable sized plastic container with 1 inch sides</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Strainer</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>16x16" square cheesecloth</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Funnel</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>12x16" or larger piece of cheese cloth</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1/2 gallon mason Jar or glass bottle with tight fitting lid that will hold the final volume of liquid</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wipeable, impermeable tablecloth</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>Instructions</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cover your work surface with wipeable tablecloth. Why? Well, the turmeric root will stain whatever it touches and it will not come out. Don the apron and make sure to put on your nitrile/latex gloves. If you have sensitive skin, double glove your hands. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sterilize all jars by pouring boiling water to the brim and leave sitting until cool enough to handle. Pour off water and dry jar with a fresh, clean towel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Place all ingredients except for the lemon slices in a blender in batches and blend with just enough vinegar to get things moving in the blender. Divide the blended ingredients equally between the two 1/2 gallon Mason jars and drop 2 lemon slices in each jar. Fill to the top with the apple cider vinegar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Cover tightly with the plastic lids or with a piece of plastic wrap and the two part mason jar lids. Place in a tray or on a plate so that anything that might leak out drips on the tray and not your counter top. Place in a quiet part of your counter top where you will see it and remember to invert the jars twice a day for a week and then once a day for 4-6 weeks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When ready, extract the tonic using the technique in the recipe above. Decant into storage container, just make sure that the tonic will fill the container leaving as little airspace as possible, to prevent any oxidization. This tonic is shelf stable and does not need to be refrigerated, although it does go down better if it is cold. Since this tonic takes awhile to make, (6 weeks), and will last indefinitely. It is a good idea to double or triple the recipe, to make sure you have plenty on hand and don't have to make it very often.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrLYd1NrKG5jOAf8ai4ScT7SfJWwyxgI1ZCE4XpNPxhNzTzHLUndIUbUwhT3jNivUUdDpVE6OAEj6bnoOJUJcHhv5B9jlhypkEocofAvyV26WYeqL2v8rQO_dBLkhQrhUw6YJAZIDC74/s1600/Tonic%25237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrLYd1NrKG5jOAf8ai4ScT7SfJWwyxgI1ZCE4XpNPxhNzTzHLUndIUbUwhT3jNivUUdDpVE6OAEj6bnoOJUJcHhv5B9jlhypkEocofAvyV26WYeqL2v8rQO_dBLkhQrhUw6YJAZIDC74/s320/Tonic%25237.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>To use: </u></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Measure 1 - 1 1/2 ozs. in a shot glass,(<i>a good place to start, but eventually you want to be up to 2 oz. per dose</i>), and drink in 6 oz. of water, add a little honey if necessary to get it down, (<i>or do what I do and just throw it back it one mouthful and swallow...not recommended for the uninitiated or faint of heart...</i>), and oh yeah... best taken on a full stomach.... This tonic will cure what ails you and will keep your immune system strong so that you don't catch every bug that is floating around out there. How does the old saying go...? "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger..." Really, I am not trying to scare you off... this stuff is great for your immune system and will strengthen you, protect and heal you from so many ailments it is worth the effort to make it and acquire a tolerance to it's fiery nature, but you will need to take it slow and build up to the recommended dose. Drink it mixed with as much water as necessary to make it comfortable for you, but you want to get the whole dose down, so don't put it in so much water that you don't get it finished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>A note or two, A recipe and some serving ideas:</u></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Virgin Mary</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 stalks celery including the leaves, plus extra for serving</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">several dashes Worchestershire sauce, <i>* vegans be aware Worchestershire has anchovies in it!! There are brands of vegan Worchestershire that can be purchased your local natural food/gourmet store.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><span style="line-height: 13px;">1/8 tsp. or less to taste, celery seed</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 limes, juiced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">48 oz. good quality tomato juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blend together all ingredients and store in a closed container in the fridge. For each beverage to be made, measure out 6-8 oz. of Virgin Mary blend and add 1 1/2 - 2 oz. shot of Fire on the Mountain Tonic. Stir well and enjoy with a celery stick swizzle stick. If you have had a particularly hard day, throw in a shot of good quality vodka, and have a Bloody Mary instead, relax and enjoy the burn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Just a few other ways to get your tonic dose in...</b>(besides just gripping the counter and throwing it down... wheezing and gasping until the burn stops... (just kidding... kinda...).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mix a shot of tonic in with an individual serving of salsa and eat with chips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add to salad dressing for a taco salad, or top your tacos with a blend of tonic and salsa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add to a rice dish once it is not piping hot from the pot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>*Note#1-</b> Since the whole idea behind this tonic is to consume the raw, living, fresh juice of the vegetables </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">full of vitamins an enzymes</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, cooking with the tonic would defeat the purpose, so if you are adding this tonic to a food preparation, make sure the tonic is not cooked.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">**Note #2- </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While there is an initial burn when consuming the tonic, at first their may also be a burn on the way out... uh... how do I say this delicately... have you every hear of Mexican Heart Burn?? Anyway, the burn that you may experience initially when going #2 will stop once your body is used to the tonic.</span></div>
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Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-82213660119693415572016-10-08T12:50:00.000-06:002016-10-08T12:50:01.821-06:00My New Stack!t Herb Dryer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9nAu3VLg_k4M8fJpI3ltKmyteK4WExc9k5_WIXWTFBGeJUw51Hyj-LTIDLPj6uq3zS-7TgKoM_IawKxs0_TEG2_uEU_9edcC9HTlema_kgrWITmnCWpVjb2i_40k-YS8r43CzlFcdkc/s1600/Garlic+Chive+Seed+Heads%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9nAu3VLg_k4M8fJpI3ltKmyteK4WExc9k5_WIXWTFBGeJUw51Hyj-LTIDLPj6uq3zS-7TgKoM_IawKxs0_TEG2_uEU_9edcC9HTlema_kgrWITmnCWpVjb2i_40k-YS8r43CzlFcdkc/s320/Garlic+Chive+Seed+Heads%25232.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
The gardens are still lush, pretty and producing. I hate to cut things back, but the season is winding down and it is time to start cutting the herb garden back and preserving the harvest. Some things like tarragon are just now starting to put on blooms, so I will leave them for a little while longer, but the garlic chive seed heads, bay leaf and lemon verbena need to be harvested now.<br />
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Both lemon verbena and bay leaf are tropicals and need to be brought inside before a cold snap takes them. The garlic chive seed heads need to be cut now so that I can let them dry in a place where they will not drop their seeds before I can collect them.<br />
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While I was at Prepper Camp this year I purchased a nifty net hanging food dryer. It is called a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/STACK-Dry-Rack-Zipper-2-Feet/dp/B00JDE7MI2">Stack!t</a>. It is great for drying herbs and other leafy things that my Excaliber blows around too much. The net sides and shelves allow good air circulation, and the zippered access doors make it easy to add or remove one kind of herb while not disturbing the rest. But the best thing about the Stack!t is that it can be hung by either end. There are D-rings and hanging straps on both ends, so you can collapse the whole unit, herbs and all and invert it, then hang it again from the other end. This way you can turn the herbs without handling them. Love it!!The only drawback is that Skittles thinks it is a toy for her and she bats it around and scales the sides like she is rock climbing... (bad kitty...).<br />
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Since Hurricane Matthew was on its way, there was a potential for the winds and rain to ruin some of <br />
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my harvests, so I have been cutting things back and drying all week. Yesterday the breeze was high, but the air was dry, so I hung the Stack!t from the eave of the house and let the breeze help do the drying. I brought the dryer in before the rains started yesterday evening. Today the dryer is hanging in the sitting room, snug and dry out of the rain. The lemongrass blades are already dry, but the bay leaves and the garlic chive seed heads will still be drying for a few days.<br />
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All in all I am very happy with my purchase. It is great for herbs and other leafy things, but I wouldn't recommend it for wet things like apple slices since it is fabric and would absorb the liquid and become sticky. The Stack!t has a nice storage case that can be hung on a hook or on a hanger in the closet. But here at Heart's Ease Cottage the Stack!t will be employed full time drying my medicinal herbs and culinary herbs until the frost comes!<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-68429222645053893972016-10-01T17:53:00.001-06:002016-10-01T18:00:52.790-06:00A Sabbath Walk Around Heart's Ease Cottage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sabbath is a lovely time to stroll through the gardens and soak in all that is going on there. The east side gardens have grown to rain forest proportions. I almost feel like I need to break out my machete to get past the lemongrass planters on the veranda, but in truth I wouldn't touch a thing.<br />
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I love all the lush growth, the late season exuberance lifts my spirits and I try to spend as much time as I can out in the gardens. Before long frost will take all my flowers and I will have to hold on to the memory of their bright blooms all through the colorless cold months ahead. But for now I will soak it all in and enjoy. The tarragon is getting ready to bloom. The late season wild asters add an ethereal shade of blue to the back of the herb garden. Both the rosemary and bay laurel are reasserting themselves now that the Black Eyed Susan flower seed heads are being cut out.<br />
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Soon it will be time to cut and dry the garlic chive seed heads so that I can save the seed.<br />
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The night blooming jasmine has finished blooming for the year and has begun to climb the chimney. I will cut it back soon so that we don't catch the vines on fire when we start using the chimney for the year. The bay laurel, (left side in the background), is 5 feet tall. It is a tropical so I need to take it inside before the first frost. I will cut the top 3 feet of branches, harvest the bay leaves and dry them, that will leave me with a plant that I can take indoors. I will also divide the lemongrass, harvesting about half of it and cutting the rest back to a more manageable size, since it is also a tropical and will live indoors for the winter.<br />
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The espaliered Granny Smith Apple tree needs to be cut back for the season so that the new fruiting spurs develop close to the lateral branches.Our Turkey fig has completely blocked the path to the three month pantry, I have cut it back already but it just put out more growth and there are figs on the branches so I will wait until the figs are ripe to remove the offending branches. Until then I will just push my way through when I need to get to the pantry! Skittles is making sure she gets in a s many of the photos as possible...<br />
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At this stage in the season, the summer vegetable garden is winding down, the tomatoes are mostly done and many of the beds have been cleared for the fall garden. Our volunteer pumpkin has be allowed to run amok on the empty beds while we get the seedlings going for the fall crops. I have harvested and cured many pumpkins already this year. Several have been cooked and frozen or dehydrated into pumpkin leathers. We have given some away and we still have some growing out in the garden. I guess it is a good thing we use a lot of pumpkin!<br />
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As the pumpkins begin to ripen I prop them on a pot to keep the roly polys from eating into the bottom of the pumpkins. Once the neck dries and the vines die back I will cut the stems and put them in a sheltered place with good air circulation to cure for a week or two so that they will keep for use during the winter. A the moment, the vines are still putting on flowers and growing more pumpkins, some of the later pumpkins will probably not get ripe before the frost, and eventually we will need to clear the beds so that we can put in the late fall garden, but for now I will leave them and hope they will finish off before I need to pull up the vines.<br />
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A pumpkin blossom decorates the comfrey plant. Da has made me permanent beds for my medicinal herbs so soon the comfrey plants will be moved to their permanent bed now that the weather is cool enough for transplanting.<br />
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A dew covered Black Swallowtail caterpillar is munching away on the parsley. I plant about 50 parsley plants every year so that there is enough for juicing and for sharing with the butterfly caterpillars. I do have to inspect the parsley I harvest for juicing very carefully, so I don't end up running caterpillars through the juicer.<br />
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Well, Skittles and I wish you well and thank you for coming to stroll the gardens with us! Have a great day!<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-91751666649421222962016-03-16T11:37:00.001-06:002016-06-05T12:48:37.057-06:00It's Not Too Late for a Spring Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi1koDzxOJ4WY5XURTtBvbrvY0RX3g8eyZjeny0dfNYH2MAqmgNJ192fWRWcDNFeX8yb2RclkxSES7T63GG4ICp02DcOGqRH61I3M3V0k6yrPGhftOyt_hGGUGWGCv5FX7mWmT8gy7xI/s1600/Planting+Cabbage%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi1koDzxOJ4WY5XURTtBvbrvY0RX3g8eyZjeny0dfNYH2MAqmgNJ192fWRWcDNFeX8yb2RclkxSES7T63GG4ICp02DcOGqRH61I3M3V0k6yrPGhftOyt_hGGUGWGCv5FX7mWmT8gy7xI/s200/Planting+Cabbage%25231.jpg" width="200" /></a>Our normal gardening schedule was completely thrown off when we had to move out of the house and take up residence<i> in</i> the garden, due to black mold that was caused by water damage in the kitchen. With all the tasks that come with a major construction project, Much to my dismay, I did not have the time or the brain cells to plan and plant a garden. So we did not have our fall garden or an early winter garden, late winter garden or an early spring garden to speak of... just the stalwart chard and kale plants that have been growing continuously for the last 3 years, (I will write a post about them another time). But if I have anything to do with it, I <i>will</i> have a spring garden!<br />
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We have some seedlings growing under lights, for the rest I swallowed deep and <i>bought</i> seedlings for plants I knew there would not be time to grow from seed, (we normally grow almost all of our plants from seed under lights in our walk-in closet). Since we depend on the green leafy veggies like kale and chard for juicing, they have first dibs on the seed starting shelves. Tomorrow I will take the kale seedlings out from under lights, re-pot them and set them out on the deck to grow another week or two before we plant them out in the garden. Then I will be able to squeeze in a few flats of lettuce and oriental greens before I have to turn the growing shelves over to the tomatoes and peppers that must be started soon if I want them to be transplant size by late April/ early May.<br />
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Normally by this time of year my cabbages are the size of my head and I am gearing up to ferment sauerkraut, (we ferment rather than pickle sauerkraut), and dehydrate cabbage for use later. But this year I am just now getting my seedlings set out. I am not really worried though, it is not too late for a spring garden, I just had to select varieties that mature early, so that they will be ready to harvest and the beds will be empty when it is time to plant out the warm weather crops in May.<br />
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Most years I plant Dutch Flat cabbages for sauerkraut and Jersey Wakefield and January King for fresh eating and dehydrating. The Dutch Flat cabbage, makes on average a 12 pound head, takes 90-105 days to mature and likes to spread out so they need a 36" spacing between plants. This year since I need a short season variety, I am planting Stonehead, a medium 3-4 lb. dense cabbage, that matures in 50 days. They can be planted about 20" apart so I can just have one bed of cabbages, and if they are a little late finishing off, I will still have room in other beds to get my warm weather crops in the ground. I will miss my dutch flat cabbages though, you can make a lot of kraut with a 12 pound cabbage!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ctFvyuQTMF3iF61HtUwjBcBnSHWUo5P3IunBshC4LtHbj9uL1Vrd25tTUgkWEsfIujWu_nL6wW4UD3N-ZGtPh_gNILpOT0JT7t3L0euRHjBsfK7Ds-DHxUvd6AZSQdWsE29dg4Vb0Ng/s1600/FB+Cabbage+Post%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ctFvyuQTMF3iF61HtUwjBcBnSHWUo5P3IunBshC4LtHbj9uL1Vrd25tTUgkWEsfIujWu_nL6wW4UD3N-ZGtPh_gNILpOT0JT7t3L0euRHjBsfK7Ds-DHxUvd6AZSQdWsE29dg4Vb0Ng/s200/FB+Cabbage+Post%25231.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
It was perfect gardening weather yesterday. It was slightly overcast, there was a nice breeze and it was about 75 degrees. I got several flats of seeds planted and got my cabbage plants in the ground.<br />
When planting out cabbages, I use a technique that I learned in 1978 from John Seymour's book , <u>The </u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/676392.The_Self_Sufficient_Gardener" style="text-decoration: underline;">Self-Sufficient Gardener</a> , (see my review of this book <a href="http://aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com/2015/01/raised-beds.html">here</a>). I make up a bucket of thin mud and add a handful or two of pulverized garden lime, (not the pelletized kind that you lime the lawn with), and stir it up well. Then when I have the hole dug and the my home made organic fertilizer at the bottom of the hole, I dip the root ball of the cabbage plant in the lime/mud slurry. put the plant in the hole. It is important that cabbage roots are in good contact with the soil so I press down firmly around the base of the plants until there is a depression all around the stem of the cabbage.<br />
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I use the mud /lime slurry for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that cabbages appreciate a little extra lime since they grow best with soil ph between 6.5 and 7.5. The second and probably most important reason is that the higher ph will deter <a href="http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/PhotoPages/Crucifers/Clubroot/CruciferClubFS2.htm">club root</a>, a disease that not only damages your cabbages, but also will infect the soil and will continue to be a problem for years to come. We use this technique every year as well as rotating our crops so that disease and pests don't have a chance to build up in the soil.<br />
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Once the cabbages are in the ground, I water them deeply and then scatter an organic slug bait round the plants. I use Gardens Alive, <a href="http://www.gardensalive.com/product/escar-go-slug-snail-control/pest-control">Escar-Go!</a> It is very effective and will not harm pets or beneficials. I spotted a cabbage looper moth while I was planting the cabbages so it is time to break out the butterfly net and once the cabbages have a chance to settle in I will spray them with <a href="http://www.lifeandhome.com/safer-5163-caterpillar-killer-concentrate-8-oz.html?gclid=CPmzvd7axcsCFVQ2gQodttMOlw">BT </a>(bacillus thuringiensis, known by label as Dipel, I can usually find it at Lowe's but if not just follow the link). It is an organic biological pesticide, that will take care of any caterpillars that may pop up on the cabbages and kale. Bt is really great! It won't harm pets or flying beneficials, (although it will kill butterfly caterpillars if you spray it on plants that they feed on like dill, and parsley, but I don't spray anything but the cabbages and blue kale, so my butterfly caterpillars are safe, but look out cabbage looper moth caterpillars!). About 50 days from now we will have lots of cabbages to make into tasty, healthy, naturally fermented sauerkraut... Yum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX941zF65Yns5kOjdt0IignMl45K6hNO9Sba24kxUKxvAelei4OTAjOMGlt8OqNH6X8lIXse14biYWglVnQxxP5S5e5dGVSFtF-9dn7FH2fADgQG2kDQotd_WydMq562B5GSE-jB-7Eq8/s1600/Skittles+the+Garden+Kitty%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX941zF65Yns5kOjdt0IignMl45K6hNO9Sba24kxUKxvAelei4OTAjOMGlt8OqNH6X8lIXse14biYWglVnQxxP5S5e5dGVSFtF-9dn7FH2fADgQG2kDQotd_WydMq562B5GSE-jB-7Eq8/s200/Skittles+the+Garden+Kitty%25231.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skittles our little rescue kitty is "helping" me with my garden chores.</td></tr>
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Tomorrow I will be transplanting seedlings, starting more seeds and planting some herbs that I bought today. It has been lovely weather so I am looking forward to being outside! Have a great day!<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">**Oh and just an note... any words that are this blue color in a post are links to either more information, where to buy something or another post that I have written on the subject. So be sure to go back and follow the links when you are finished reading the post!</span><br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-24365319358969393662015-11-14T17:18:00.000-07:002018-08-09T05:37:12.955-06:00Oi-Sobagi, My Vegan Version of Korean Fermented Cucumber KimcheeMy<a href="http://aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-road-to-health-is-paved-with.html"> last post</a> was about eating fermented foods for health and to help reverse the affects of the Standard American Diet, (also known as S.A.D), so I thought I would share my tutorial on making one of my favorite fermented foods, Oi-Sobagi.<br />
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I ran across a video on youtube.com last year, made by <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/">Maangchi</a>, who specializes in Korean foods. Her video is very thorough and made it easy for me to give fermented cucumber kimchee a try, but her recipe isn't vegan, and she recommends eating it fresh, with just a side thought about fermenting it. So I have developed my vegan naturally fermented version of Oi Sobagi that I eat practically every day.<br />
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The initial process is a little time consuming, but the end result is well worth the effort!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCS7RVMO_UFUB2CqV0ycRg80sdL5nDL5sllcXdSb1rx6KHnds8cuMxNp0YxcngwhT3EBHaBEof2ooxXoA48srOdkk22cI7v4FchpUCo7fGqehVtNeZntQWMvqzZdlxiqSatNVoIS0Jg8/s1600/Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCS7RVMO_UFUB2CqV0ycRg80sdL5nDL5sllcXdSb1rx6KHnds8cuMxNp0YxcngwhT3EBHaBEof2ooxXoA48srOdkk22cI7v4FchpUCo7fGqehVtNeZntQWMvqzZdlxiqSatNVoIS0Jg8/s200/Ingredients.jpg" width="135" /></a>7x11 inch Pyrex baking dish with tight fitting plastic lid or equivilent sized plastic food storage container with tight fitting lid.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 lbs. cucumbers, (persian cukes or pickling cukes, but not the 8" smooth waxy skinned type, they will turn to sludge) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enough salt to rub on cukes, 1/4 cup or maybe more</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup buchu, (garlic chives I get from the oriental market), or bunch of green onions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 cloves garlic, peeled </span></div>
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1 large white onion, peeled, cut in half through the equator,1/2 slivered other put in reserve to be blended.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup Korean hot pepper flakes, *note..regular red pepper flakes will not work with this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup or agave</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tbsp. tapioca flour, <span style="font-size: x-small;">(unbleached white flour will do in a pinch, but is more starchy that tapioca flour which can be found at any Asian market Bob's Red Mill also carries it)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp hot sesame oil, <span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on the International food aisle in most grocery stores)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 heaping tbsp. dried wakame and 1 heaping tsp. dried Hijiki, soaked for 15 minutes then drained, <span style="font-size: x-small;">(found in Asian market or at links below)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 daikon Radish, matchsticked</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 capsule probiotic <span style="font-size: x-small;">(optional, this recipe will ferment on its own, but it ferments slower and in warm weather there is more risk of it molding so I add probiotic for a quick ferment).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2" piece of ginger, peeled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Split cucumbers lengthwise, stopping 1/2" from the stem end of the cucumber. Do half-turn and split again. the cuke should fall open slightly when stood on its end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Sprinkle salt over each of the spears, making sure to get it into the center. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Note this technique makes for a very attractive presentation, but if you just want to slice them in forths lengthwise it will be less time consuming, you just have to handle the cukes more carefully when turning and rinsing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Set aside. Turn the cukes in the bowl moving the ones on the bottom to the top, every half hour for 2 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, with a mandoline, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-Spiralizer-4-Blade/dp/B00AW3B5MM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447533716&sr=8-2&keywords=spiralizer+spirooli">Spirooli</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> or a sharp knife cut carrot and daikon into matchsticks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I use the Spirooli for the daikon,i</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">t makes quick work of the daikon and then you can cut the spirals into smaller 1-2 inch long pieces. </span></div>
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Cut the Buchu into 1 1/2-2 inch lengths, if using green onions split lengthwise and then cut into 1 1/2-2 inch long pieces.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Heat water, dissolve tapioca power until thin paste is made. Place tapioca water, chili oil, half of wakami, (make sure wakame and Hijiki are soaked and drained before using!!), half of chili pepper flakes, ginger, 1/2 of white onion, and the garlic in the blender. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, the agave or maple syrup, then add the capsule of probiotic and blend until a smooth paste.</span> </div>
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Wearing gloves to protect your hands from the chili oils, work chili paste, reserved chili flakes and the remaining wakame and the hijiki into the other vegetables,(carrots, daikon, onions slivers, green onions or buchu),then Mix thoroughly to cover all the vegetables with the chili paste mixture, set aside. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After 2 hours, rinse cucumbers thoroughly using 3 rinses; drain and pat dry gently. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When cucumbers are rinsed and drained, stuff each with the paste/vegetable mix; press firmly to close cucumber around stuffing somewhat, or if you chose to just cut the cukes in lengthwise quarters, make a layer of the cukes in dish and cover with the vegetable/chili mixture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Place snugly together in container that seals tightly. Cover the surface of the cucumbers with plastic wrap to seal out air and press lightly to remove any air bubbles trapped between the cucumbers. put lid on container, making sure it is completely closed. Leave sitting out on counter to ferment for 2-4 days ( <i>depending on how sour you like it. I let mine go 3-4 days, tasting every day starting at day 2 to see when it is the right degree of sour...it depends a lot on the temperature and each environment is different</i>), removing lid twice a day to press gently on plastic wrap lining to remove air bubbles. Do not remove plastic wrap.When pressed, liquid should start to rise around the edges of the container. At the end of two days the Oi-Sobagi should smell appealingly sour, they are ready to eat </span>at this point, but you may leave it up to 4 days to achieve your desired degree of tart.<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Place container in fridge. </span><br />
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Oi-Sobagi is delicious served with a small bowl of jasmine rice, or chopped and added to a dinner salad of mixed greens and other vegetables. I find that with the Oi-Sobagi on the salad no dressing is required, so it makes for a very lo-cal salad. It lasts for weeks on end in the fridge after being fermented... unless you are at my house... then it's days are numbered, since I just can't get enough of it!</div>
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Please don't be intimidated by the ingredient list, the ingredients are easily obtained from an Asian market or online, (I have made a list of links for then ingredients below). </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Chili-Flakes-Gochugaru-Tae-kyung/dp/B005G8IDTQ">Korean red pepper flakes</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wel-Pac-Fueru-Wakame-Dried-Seaweed/dp/B008MMJTX2/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1447532553&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=wakami">Wakame</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A1B7EC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002IAQSQA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=12HSWGYN20T216S6ACXY">Hijiki</a></div>
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Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-27157839643506020082015-11-14T12:37:00.000-07:002015-11-15T07:20:13.382-07:00The Road to Health is Paved with Dietary Changes, Part One- Fermented FoodsIn a recent post on<a href="http://aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com/2015/09/lunch-from-preppers-pantry.html"> </a><a href="http://aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com/2015/09/lunch-from-preppers-pantry.html">www.aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com </a>I mentioned the importance of incorporating naturally fermented foods into the diet. I thought that the subject was important enough to discuss here at length, so here I go...<br />
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The Standard American Diet, also known as S.A.D., is fraught with dietary hazards. Americans love their meat and potatoes, white bread, simple carb snacks and soda. In moderation, some of those choices aren't a bad thing, but moderation is the key word... Unfortunately, much of the American diet is made up of these foods. Drive-thru hamburger or chicken sandwich dinners with fries and a soft drink are standard fare, (<i>as evidenced by the number of florishing fast food restaurants),</i> and a frightening amount of chicken fingers, hamburger, pizza and hot dogs are fed to American children. Even meals consumed at home are often made up primarily of processed foods, high in salt, simple carbs, sugar and fats but short on nutrients, enzymes and roughage.<br />
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Eating the S.A.D is a recipe for health suicide. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, a suppressed immune systems, digestive issues, kidney and gall bladder problems, metabolism issues and obesity, are common ailments that are directly related to the poor American diet. We are one of the best fed nations in the world and we are literally slowly starving to death. Processed foods like white bread, sugar, soda and fried foods, are comprised of mostly simple carbs or fat, with little nutritional value, little or no roughage and far more calories than are reasonable to consume for the nutrition they provide. But worse than that is what actually happens in the gut (digestive system), when food that contain white flour,(which is mostly simple carbs and water insoluble gluten), highly processed foods and fats are consumed on a regular basis. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestinal_villus">villi</a> in the intestine become coated with the cloying, paste-like combination of water insoluable gluten and fat, impeding the absorption of vital nutrients. Over time this coating builds up on the walls of the intestines, acting as a tooth for other intestinal debris to cling to, so less and less nutrition can be absorbed, putrification ensues and toxins build up in the intestines causing inflammation. The lack of nutrient absorption causes the body to go into "starvation mode". In starvation mode the brain tells the body it is hungry, so the person eats, but due to the goop in the gut, little nutrition makes it to the blood stream, and the signal that the body needs food continues to be sent out. The person eats more but the body is still starving... This toxic, inflamed, starved environment is the root cause of gastrointestinal disease, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, and a host of auto immune disorders that are running rampant among the U.S population, and not only in adults, but in children as well.<br />
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So what does any of this have to do with fermented foods? Well, the conversation is actually much larger than just the need for consuming naturally fermented foods. The conversation really needs to be about tossing the S.A.D and replacing it with a diet rich in fresh, living foods,complex carbohydrates and and clean proteins, as well as detoxing and cleansing the body, but fermented foods is a good place to start. The root of all illness is inflammation and the gastrointestinal tract, or the gut, is critical to overall health. In order to reverse the life threatening effects of the S.A.D., beneficial bacteria must be introduced to the digestive tract. Naturally fermented foods are full of life. They are teeming with vital beneficial flora to help with digestion and gut health. These bacteria promote health by stimulating the immune system, improving the digestion and absorption of nutrients, and inhibiting the growth of pathogens in the digestive tract, thus reducing disease causing inflammation. They create a hospitable environment for the healing and restoration of the body's natural balance to begin.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Vegetable medley, spiced beets, green cabbage sauerkraut<br />
with carrot, apple and caraway, sweet and hot daikon radishes,<br />
and beet and red cabbage sauerkraut with allspice.<br />
These will provide our family with tasty, living foods, teeming<br />
with vital probiotic bacteria.</td></tr>
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While naturally fermented, unpasturized foods will by themselves not undo the all damage done by the S.A.D., it is a good place to start. There are many forms of fermented foods, raw<br />
fermented sauerkraut, raw fermented vegetables, unpasteurized miso, and home made yogurt to name a few. Most store purchased versions of fermented foods are likely to be pasteurized which destroys the living bacteria thus defeating the purpose. If you want to make use of probiotic bacteria to improve your gastrointestinal health, you will probably need to make your own probiotic foods.<br />
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Why do I need to make my own fermented foods? Can't I just take a probiotic tablet and be done with it? Well...some is better than none. Probiotic capsules can help, but they are not able to stand up to the strength and strains of the real deal. While the numbers of bacteria in a probiotic capsule may sound dizzying, 50 billion+ living bacteria, it pales in comparison to the 10 Trillion bacteria in a serving of fermented sauerkraut. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">1*</span>Two oz.s of home fermented sauerkraut has more probiotics than a bottle of 100 count probiotic capsules. Translated this means 16 ounce of sauerkraut is equal to 8 bottles of probiotics." It is not only the number of bacteria that counts though, it is also the kinds of bacteria that is important. Naturally fermented foods have as many as 28 different strains of beneficial bacteria, (numbering in the trillions per serving), depending on the kind of vegetable and the environment it was fermented in. A medium grade probiotic cap will contain 5 strains of bacteria, while the top of the <span style="font-size: xx-small;">2*</span>line brands may contain 10 strains. Commercially produced yogurts are cultured with two strains of lacto bacilli.<br />
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As with most things discussed on the internet, there are all kinds of numbers being bandied around and all kinds of discussions and debates on the web about the best way to introduce beneficial bacteria into the diet. I am not really interested in the arguments that float around the internet. I have tried to present substantiated info in what I write where it is possible, but what I live by and try to promote is to <b>K.I.S.S</b>, keep it simply sustainable. Creating your own fresh, wholesome fermented foods is both simple and sustainable. As long as you have fresh veggies, salt and a clean container you can ferment your own foods. As a bonus, fermented foods not only help populate your gut with a variety of beneficial bacteria to aid in gastrointestinal health, they will nourish your body with the nutrients, enzymes and fiber that are available in the vegetables themselves. You can't get nourishment or fiber from a probiotic capsule.<br />
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There is also the budgetary impact to consider, raw fermented foods are prohibitively expensive to buy in the store, if you can find them at all. Foods fermented at home cost no more than buying the ingredients for a side dish to a meal. The prep time for fermented foods are short, and once they have been through the fermentation process, will last for weeks (or months), in the fridge. At our home I keep a number of jars of fermented foods in the works, since we consume them daily and nothing is left in the fridge for long! <br />
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If you are troubled by I.B.S., acid reflux, gas, bloating, diarrhea, obesity, metabolism issues, or any of a long list of auto immune disorders, like M.S., Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Crohn's, Fibromyalgia, Type 1 Diabetes and more, creating a healthy environment where beneficial bacteria can colonize is a good first step in restoring the body's natural balance and healing. If you are blessed with good health and have no physical issues, now is a good time to get ahead of the curve and establish the habit of eating fermented foods before you do have a problem.<br />
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If you are interested in learning how to make your own fermented sauerkraut, here are a couple of links to tutorials I have written on this blog. <a href="http://aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com/2013/02/making-raw-sauerkraut.html">Making Raw Sauerkraut</a> and <a href="http://aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-day-at-hearts-ease-cottage.html">Red Cabbage Sauerkraut</a> (scroll down some on the post to find the recipe). And here is my newest recipe, <a href="http://aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com/2015/11/oi-sobagi-korean-fermented-cucumber.html">Oi-Sobagi, also known as cucumber kimchee</a>.<br />
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I will be writing a post a week for several weeks on The Road to Health. Moving away from the Standard American Diet, and beginning the journey to a diet designed to promote health. Please feel free to ask questions and comments are always welcome! Hope to see you again soon!<br />
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Resources:<br />
http://articles.mercola.com/<br />
http://agriculturesociety.com/healthy-living/all-probiotics-are-not-created-equal/<br />
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2168044/<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1*</span>A quote from<a href="http://www.mercola.com/forms/background.htm"> Dr. Mercola</a>, an osteopathic physician and best selling author of books on health.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2*</span>https://labdoor.com/rankings/probiotics<br />
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Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-82485386546985526172015-09-22T19:06:00.000-06:002015-09-22T22:00:07.057-06:00Life at Heart's Ease Cottage, Living Outside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, yesterday was 26 years since Hurricane Hugo turned our lives upside down, (click <a href="http://aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-we-became-preppers.html">here</a> for that story). In ways our present situation is very similar... we are once again living outside while the interior of our house is in shambles. This time though we have power, the grocery stores have food and the hardware store shelves aren't bare, and we don't have an infant and 7 year old to try and shelter and feed. We are vastly better off than that! But still it is almost humorous, (I did say <i>almost</i> humorous...), that we are living in a tent in the garden on the anniversary of Hugo.<br />
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Why are we living in a tent in the garden you ask? Well, that is kind of a long story, but the short of it is, that the refrigerator was secretly leaking under the stove and cabinets. Over time the wet wood started to mold. I am severely allergic to mold, I started suffering from headaches, sniffles and a cough that wouldn't go away, but I couldn't figure out why. One day I stuck my head deep in a cabinet to get my large stock kettle and smelled mold. We immediately began to investigate and found the culprit. Now the floors are all torn up, the cabinets and my beloved ceramic counters will have to be demolished to get to the water damage underneath, sniffle... and since I can't be in the house with all the mold that is now open to the air, we are living in the back yard.<br />
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I have a kitchen set up out on the deck under a canopy, we have a table to eat at and some Adirondack chairs to relax in out on our back deck. Our tent is set up on my yoga platform near the deck at the back of our vegetable garden. The weather has been kind and life is going on pretty much business as usual. I am hoping that fall is a little late this year and the cooler nights hold off for awhile, since it looks like we could be out here for at least several more weeks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">The offending fridge is serving in the outside kitchen until the repairs are done and then it is going to salvage even though it is only a couple years old. I am not taking any chances of it leaking again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">The work area may be a bit Spartan but it functions pretty well. </span></div>
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Heart's Ease Cottage is still a source of joy and peace to me, even in her damaged state. I can't be inside but who really needs to be when it is so beautiful outside! Everything is so lush, the hummingbirds are battling it out for the feeders, (10 hummers in all I think, although it is very hard to count them), the bees are all over the flowers and blooming herbs, busily prepping for winter, there is a lovely breeze and the garden is still producing.We are turning over crops as things get tired, the tomatoes will soon be done and will give way to lettuce, oriental greens, kale and cabbages. The peppers are in full swing and will be so until frost takes them, mature kale and Swiss chard are providing loads of lovely green leafies for meals and juicing. I just planted more squash and cukes that will produce more slowly but will provide us with goodies until the frost gets them. I have peas in and a new bed of beets. There are new seedlings for 3 kinds of kale, turnips and oriental veggies ready for planting as soon as I can get to them in. Some beds are fallow, waiting for me to plant fava beans, which are winter hardy. They produce huge beans in early spring, and fix nitrogen on their roots that will feed the soil when they are turned in after we harvest the beans in late spring. We use fava beans as a cover crop, but like buckwheat, they feed the soil and as a bonus they feed us too!<br />
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Rather than just talk about it, let me take you on a stroll through the gardens...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU6S4z8hFfF5XUNKS3QBFECzfQ6etT4sJhCVros_Sr2Xz-lpbqBIz8h39JkdUzfOIlLmqI8QIwCXvv5jtKvZNkPd5W413b51m48-bUn4OnHo0LgVSbSNQjHOG0cY-KsRkQj42WPe38IM/s1600/2015_West+Side+Flower+Beds%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU6S4z8hFfF5XUNKS3QBFECzfQ6etT4sJhCVros_Sr2Xz-lpbqBIz8h39JkdUzfOIlLmqI8QIwCXvv5jtKvZNkPd5W413b51m48-bUn4OnHo0LgVSbSNQjHOG0cY-KsRkQj42WPe38IM/s320/2015_West+Side+Flower+Beds%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">The west side flower beds are 3 feet high and growing</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcR6WVbF_YQEd5tGuu9Ek7JIsAmPPkcjC8pZ1JCaKAKewA7AdTVmgw7OfSX4bMK89V1AZ9cz66q_I5zpE22363SWQoyCLyW-4Oopu-kNEq8UkNbnEe4W3oFZK5GKNlLxtrjMJ0SFno5Y/s1600/E2015_Veranda+Flowers%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcR6WVbF_YQEd5tGuu9Ek7JIsAmPPkcjC8pZ1JCaKAKewA7AdTVmgw7OfSX4bMK89V1AZ9cz66q_I5zpE22363SWQoyCLyW-4Oopu-kNEq8UkNbnEe4W3oFZK5GKNlLxtrjMJ0SFno5Y/s320/E2015_Veranda+Flowers%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The east side Veranda garden is lush too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpST8kGPpoZmO37shlHOcJr2RRIyJYQEl4-8UtYr5SGNinGUZVmHklhWieM_C-BzMdY5vuuB8UF58ZmRaLXGvQRcDoM0TOsE7jaeIWAaH3INNUbg84B_SfSqCGZt-gLFgKYe_azkllSZQ/s1600/2015_Watering+Can+Garden%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpST8kGPpoZmO37shlHOcJr2RRIyJYQEl4-8UtYr5SGNinGUZVmHklhWieM_C-BzMdY5vuuB8UF58ZmRaLXGvQRcDoM0TOsE7jaeIWAaH3INNUbg84B_SfSqCGZt-gLFgKYe_azkllSZQ/s320/2015_Watering+Can+Garden%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Watering Can Garden", as we call it, is full of herbs and flowers. Some are done for the season, others are getting ready to come on. Next up, the bright yellow flowers of tarragon and the scarlet cascading blooms of pineapple sage.<br />
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This side of the herb bed holds many culinary herbs like rosemary and pesto basil as well as medicinal herbs and flowers<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lil' Swiss Miss, our 1957 Swiss Colony Camper is all decked out in pink flamingos, impatiens and fuschia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdgldEAHJl7sx7a-GmRvdpM0NKQneUXoiV2qc8kEH9yTeEPU_qhYxbriNQU7U7JUx5dWmlvxyXPTbv9woUx93e1R-Kmp7ux3IolAGuDjB9DGHYicwTXa8cwMSMpnyfM1M6zPjtTGaaMI/s1600/2015_Pergola%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdgldEAHJl7sx7a-GmRvdpM0NKQneUXoiV2qc8kEH9yTeEPU_qhYxbriNQU7U7JUx5dWmlvxyXPTbv9woUx93e1R-Kmp7ux3IolAGuDjB9DGHYicwTXa8cwMSMpnyfM1M6zPjtTGaaMI/s320/2015_Pergola%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The pergola where Lil' Swiss Miss presides is a cool place to sit in the heat of the day and view the herb garden and frog pond .It is also a great place to watch the birds.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe9s0aEvvog3KI-JoN89kFk2-UzqYhaDGNrln8Nhww2MNz65MXa3Q0eLh5IgX-M9O225kQcmpoMShsPVguKbNgIOUFToRcna7Q7mq6yvPGtxIv0TqPJFZCN2i21FEHSmUqzYrwYURqQo/s1600/2015_Frog+Pond%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe9s0aEvvog3KI-JoN89kFk2-UzqYhaDGNrln8Nhww2MNz65MXa3Q0eLh5IgX-M9O225kQcmpoMShsPVguKbNgIOUFToRcna7Q7mq6yvPGtxIv0TqPJFZCN2i21FEHSmUqzYrwYURqQo/s320/2015_Frog+Pond%25231.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gold fish in the frog pond are almost the size of koi. The frogs were shy and leaped into the water just as I took this photo </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxWGScE0Q85xn8XsfPU-Ct83HKsA5B_UQopqfDa2LjpjaP5TS4GrUYVzW-0Fe3kY2VmLv28uMNA7jm5klb4iYAn0mfWNfHSCyRGYEBr7GfzsjN9nA1ZN7s9fIUJj8iOqYzCR5W6AocOQ/s1600/2015_Habaneros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxWGScE0Q85xn8XsfPU-Ct83HKsA5B_UQopqfDa2LjpjaP5TS4GrUYVzW-0Fe3kY2VmLv28uMNA7jm5klb4iYAn0mfWNfHSCyRGYEBr7GfzsjN9nA1ZN7s9fIUJj8iOqYzCR5W6AocOQ/s320/2015_Habaneros.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of two pepper beds is full of hot peppers. In this bed are habanero, jalapeno, serrano and Thai bird chiles. The other pepper bed has sweet peppers, like bell and banana peppers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_hq1nWBdZkIpAYZYM028D8DyV0H8nCkX-bWnlcjXrdIH1uuif-HiMDFAH6r2ODQsjDDiu1z_p3rQUje_UJjv8SwAXcr-ukzVJZo0Fa2scRotYSIa3bAqVWrq12Z5gYF7CX9sfbVwTE8/s1600/2015_Late+Tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_hq1nWBdZkIpAYZYM028D8DyV0H8nCkX-bWnlcjXrdIH1uuif-HiMDFAH6r2ODQsjDDiu1z_p3rQUje_UJjv8SwAXcr-ukzVJZo0Fa2scRotYSIa3bAqVWrq12Z5gYF7CX9sfbVwTE8/s320/2015_Late+Tomato.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last of the tomatoes are ripening and then I will clear the bed for cabbages.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have still got pumpkins coming on and some large ones ripening</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1imq5QASwqzktscfFMDZPaVXWWWU51OIjj_0p_VOijwT-SLAk37nk731uuVTGYXNran1Mit5sm13QiK0u0XXnFHHv9qCgzKDaKWbLhv0yylE_OHIlVaUi-N5zcgP4-p47kA3eYytW2Vw/s1600/2015_Swiss+Chard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1imq5QASwqzktscfFMDZPaVXWWWU51OIjj_0p_VOijwT-SLAk37nk731uuVTGYXNran1Mit5sm13QiK0u0XXnFHHv9qCgzKDaKWbLhv0yylE_OHIlVaUi-N5zcgP4-p47kA3eYytW2Vw/s320/2015_Swiss+Chard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beds of kale and Swiss chard have been producing since last fall. Some of the perpetual spinach and Swiss chard (a bed not shown) are three years old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hlLyi-wqTH4Rky6JYil-4dacpRL_9GrNW4OLC1GgQroXvP0bVmUNwJ6l3tO0DgpIpUqQ-Gn3aHoRSK_esoKQ44q2PCl5AhHVPn6kPZAoeaRn-RcNJFgWudEl2LBpJmhRZtHGxvW4Amg/s1600/2015_Ginger+and+Turmeric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hlLyi-wqTH4Rky6JYil-4dacpRL_9GrNW4OLC1GgQroXvP0bVmUNwJ6l3tO0DgpIpUqQ-Gn3aHoRSK_esoKQ44q2PCl5AhHVPn6kPZAoeaRn-RcNJFgWudEl2LBpJmhRZtHGxvW4Amg/s320/2015_Ginger+and+Turmeric.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will have to dig up my ginger and turmeric before the frost and let it over winter inside. I can harvest as needed from it's pot during the winter and then plant it out again in the spring to finish off.</td></tr>
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There is much more going on, but I am sure you are tired of scrolling by now so I will say good bye for today and hope that you will come back for a visit again soon!</div>
Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-52587727774235991182015-08-25T00:55:00.000-06:002015-08-25T09:34:59.818-06:00Tagg<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Portions of this post were originally from a post I wrote almost 3 years ago on my other blog <a href="http://www.artofaletter.blogspot.com./">www.artofaletter.blogspot.com.</a> Here is the original story and the conclusion:</span></i><br />
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I sometimes think that I like animals better than people, but as much as I love animals I never thought we would have an indoor dog. My youngest son inherited my weak lungs and struggled terribly with asthma as a small child. We had animals, but they didn't live indoors. Then at the age of 14, it had been two years since he'd had any trouble with his asthma, and he had expressed many times a desire for a dog, so we decided to get him one.<br />
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We home schooled our kids, so this seemed like a perfect research assignment for school. E.M. was to research which breeds of dogs met our criteria, no dander, no shedding, not high strung or yappy. His research found several breeds that fit the bill. The breed that appealed the most was the West Highland Terrier. He also studied about crate and obedience training, animal first aid, and how to teach them tricks. So a few days before his 14th birthday, we set off to search the pets stores to find a Westy puppy.* (I know, I know... a pet store puppy, w<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">hat about the whole "puppy mill" thing? </span></span>For an answer to this question read the paragraph at the end of the post). We made a list of the stores that had a Westy pup for sale and began our exploration.<br />
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The store we went to had one Westy pup and someone was looking at it when we got there, so we just cruised around looking at the other animals while we waited for them to finish. The door to the service area of the puppy nursery was a dutch door and the top of the door was open, so as we walked by we caught sight of a puppy that was out on the floor getting a bit of exercise. The woman who was watching him while he was out of his cage was unpacking boxes and there was packing paper on the floor around her feet. The puppy raced by her, grabbed one of the pieces of paper and ran with it as fast as he could, until she caught up with him and took the paper. I turned and saw stars in my son's eyes... <i>Oh dear,this was not the Westy puppy... it was a little buff Cocker Spaniel... Cockers <b>shed</b>... (the requirement for no shedding was <b>mine</b>, since I knew I would end up being the one to clean up the hair, and was the only household member who would care if the black pants they were wearing looked like the dog slept on them, etc.)</i><br />
But I knew that look... so we asked if we could see him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe6BvEWBgJfpJqMxd6q0wLoxL4yq4hKtPtJjdG-7EamfPWky-F_dCcITk-kLfshb74_DyF0d-ppNIMMEDS013JcUBo8WIq7kqQEIrn-BkblWbp5zQ6xShEa57hbzCPhu6sosdx-Z4yV8/s1600/Tagg+and+Erin+First+Day+at+home.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe6BvEWBgJfpJqMxd6q0wLoxL4yq4hKtPtJjdG-7EamfPWky-F_dCcITk-kLfshb74_DyF0d-ppNIMMEDS013JcUBo8WIq7kqQEIrn-BkblWbp5zQ6xShEa57hbzCPhu6sosdx-Z4yV8/s200/Tagg+and+Erin+First+Day+at+home.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
The woman opened the dutch door to let us in and the pup took the opportunity to snag a piece of the packing paper and dash out the open door. We turned to see the little stinker making his escape down one of the isles, the paper blocking his view as it flapped up over his head. E.M. took off after him, fearing that the front door of the store would open and he would get outside. Ever tried to catch a puppy out on a lark? It is not as easy as you think.... after a try or two at grabbing him, he decided to try another approach, he sat down, patted the floor in front of him and acted like he wanted to play. The pup stopped, looked at him, dropped his paper and ran towards him at top speed. When he got within range, the puppy bounded onto E.M.'s lap and tagged him on the chest with both feet. He then jumped off, avoiding capture, but stopped just out of reach, and turned to looked at him as if to say, "Tag! you're it!" Needless to say, the Westy puppy never had a chance... Tagg went home with us that day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ho_r0InQfR5X2j7HRrGumNiza6SYgyB4eDZadsYX5bspk-057Yus_88wGnlb7iWHykJnD8oHZATJ-TlWZnmUcJuB8M-zKVWAodaiG1rl4MEBx4nBZis6lz4rPleXdeW2JlIhdPjctwc/s1600/Tagg+in+Azaleas+_2+yrs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ho_r0InQfR5X2j7HRrGumNiza6SYgyB4eDZadsYX5bspk-057Yus_88wGnlb7iWHykJnD8oHZATJ-TlWZnmUcJuB8M-zKVWAodaiG1rl4MEBx4nBZis6lz4rPleXdeW2JlIhdPjctwc/s200/Tagg+in+Azaleas+_2+yrs.jpg" width="150" /></a>E.M. had educated himself well on puppy training, and Tagg was a champ. Crate training was a breeze, obedience training went well, "Sit", "Stay" and "No" were well understood and usually complied with, there was really only one problem... Tagg had a paper addiction, specifically toilet paper or tissues. He never touched books or magazine, and only chewed up the occasional school work, but he couldn't resist toilet paper. If you left the house and forgot to put the T.P. out of reach, I would come home to a toilet papered house. It would be everywhere, shredded into tiny pieces. If a friend came to visit and there was a tissue in her handbag, I would find Tagg up to his shoulders in her bag, helping himself to her tissue. I would shout his name and his head would snap up, one side of his lip tucked up and his mouth full of tissue, he would give me a sheepish look and spit out the soggy wad of kleenex. He knew he shouldn't do it but he just couldn't help himself. Even at the age of twelve, if someone forgot the close the bathroom door when we left the house, we would come home to find Tagg looking like "the cat who ate the canary", with a piece of T.P. stuck to his jowl and confetti trailing from the bathroom to the front door.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQtBgufpEYu960nOoN1SBwyjUqqL1xclWjRo8YBhgnHTAiw1tNACXozFmO1k1WVKFvDzaQYVAcWvrNGL6p5OGy8JnXn5Ctpx0mnXU6vOvX2J01ugY_zZWoWTMiMBTjNod6hdjZ3UL9SI/s1600/Tagg+smelling+flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQtBgufpEYu960nOoN1SBwyjUqqL1xclWjRo8YBhgnHTAiw1tNACXozFmO1k1WVKFvDzaQYVAcWvrNGL6p5OGy8JnXn5Ctpx0mnXU6vOvX2J01ugY_zZWoWTMiMBTjNod6hdjZ3UL9SI/s320/Tagg+smelling+flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Tagg is the only dog I've ever met who smells flowers</td></tr>
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He learned many tricks, that entertained us and others who came to the house. When I was struggling with mobility issues due to a Fibromyalgia relapse, I trained him to pick things up for me. If I dropped a piece of clothing that I was folding he would pick it up for me. If I knocked my reading glasses off the table, he would gently pick them up and drop them in my lap, smudged with slobber, but at least I didn't have to pick them up! One day long after my relapse, when I was feeling good again and didn't need Tagg's assistance anymore, I was sorting pieces of fabric, a pile to keep, a pile for Goodwill. The Goodwill pile was at my feet on the floor. I was looking at the stack of fabric in my lap when I felt Tagg's presence at my feet. I looked up to see what he wanted, and I saw him standing there, wagging his tail, with the pile of "Goodwill fabric" in his mouth. His eyes said "Here Mommy, you dropped these!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIZUc3EYYO0rvHhkaTKbFH0HUd1e-PAkyvZrolYnGVln8aAgOJ8CulZFMmaKBX5ufneALdbSjbtM5vvfwPmlIHxNvS58zdOB6P0b5wSOBCw3NQ1N6DIH8iUe81xl-TE6HEF9vNkoKrYA/s1600/Dawn+and+Tagg_Costa+Rica+2009_web2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIZUc3EYYO0rvHhkaTKbFH0HUd1e-PAkyvZrolYnGVln8aAgOJ8CulZFMmaKBX5ufneALdbSjbtM5vvfwPmlIHxNvS58zdOB6P0b5wSOBCw3NQ1N6DIH8iUe81xl-TE6HEF9vNkoKrYA/s320/Dawn+and+Tagg_Costa+Rica+2009_web2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">"Momma Dawn" and Tagg in Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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He wouldn't eat store bought dog treats and would looks at you like he was being punished if you gave him one. He was afraid of the Kong chew toy that I paid $15 for, (you know the one that has the hole in the middle that you can put peanut butter in...), and he left his heavy pointy ended, well gnawed beef bone strategically around the house where my bare feet will find it. He hogged the couch and snored so loud that I needed to turn the volume up on the movie I was watching.<br />
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He would leave enough hair on the floor to produce a new Cocker Spaniel every three days if I didn't have his long beautiful coat clipped short. He had been banned from every groomer for 20 miles, for being "difficult" about having his feet clipped. I didn't know what I was going to do about getting him groomed, until I met Dawn, Tagg's godmother and premier dog whisperer at "Furry Godmother's",(Dawn is the local pet groomer and dear friend, who has a gentle and effective way of helping animals deal with their fears and neurosis.) She even traveled down to Costa Rica when we lived there to groom him, (of course that was just one of her reasons for the visit, but bless her, she brought her clippers and she and her husband clipped him outdoors ... I still remember the winds catching balls of his fur and carrying them high into the rainforest...Sigh.)<br />
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Tagg was my protector. When my husband went off hiking and I was alone in the house, he would patrol the house, going from room to room periodically, and then settle down to sleep in the doorway to my bedroom until it is time to do the rounds again. If on the leash, he wouldn't let anyone within leash reach of me, <i>anyone, </i>friend or foe... No Fedex guy, phone line repairman, or neighbor checking their mail would ever go unwarned that he is on duty. He would alert me if I don't hear the oven timer going off, if the phone was ringing in my purse, if the washer was out of balance and was walking across the floor... he has even saved my life by warning me of a gas leak in the kitchen... A kettle of water I put on to boil sloshed over and put the flame out underneath the pot, gas had been pouring into the house for a long time while I was in the back room working. He ran to the family room and barked then ran away, when I didn't follow he came back and barked again, then went to the kitchen and barked and barked until I came and found him barking at the stove. The smell of gas was strong, if the space heater had been on the whole house could have gone up in flames! He was my hero...<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmE8_ZcFiWLmPG2fxsdn_ukvQdTzz3IocF27q4ZP1bRVW310BjiPPwXcPKFhUyy8T2xhMY8ArNY8VGTD8rvMNkp2S-1F0_I2dQcg1ppTcn-Sn-KRZVrjRfMqrjbU32AIQGtjuwi9iS8I/s1600/tagg+looking+out+window.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmE8_ZcFiWLmPG2fxsdn_ukvQdTzz3IocF27q4ZP1bRVW310BjiPPwXcPKFhUyy8T2xhMY8ArNY8VGTD8rvMNkp2S-1F0_I2dQcg1ppTcn-Sn-KRZVrjRfMqrjbU32AIQGtjuwi9iS8I/s320/tagg+looking+out+window.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Watching for the mail person to come</td></tr>
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Tagg was also my comforter and councilor. He would lick away my tears and offers his upturned tummy to be rubbed when I felt sad. He looked at me with his soft brown eyes that spoke louder than words, and told me that he loved me no matter what and that everything will be alright. If I left the room, he would go with me. He kept my floor clean in the kitchen and spent half of his days dusted in flour or spotted with carrot juice, since he insisted on laying at my feet while I was working in the kitchen. He never judged me, never held a grudge or pointed out my faults.<br />
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When Tagg was 8 years old, I started seeing some wasting around his right hip and though it didn't seem to bother him I kept it in mind and worried that it there might be something wrong. But he had always been barrel chested and slim hipped so I let it go for the time being. Then one day when he and I were out for a walk on the greenway, he took a miss-step and his hind leg slipped off the walkway. He yelped and limped/ dragged his right leg. I checked to see if he had an injury, but there wasn't anything visible. I massaged his right hip and gave him a few minutes to shake it off. Then we tried to walk back to the car, but he couldn't walk more than a step or two without crying out, So I picked him up, which hurt too... It was at least a 1/2 mile back to the car so it was a long walk for both of us. It was hard for me to get my arms around him in a way that didn't hurt his hip, and carrying 40 pounds for that distance, meant I had to stop and put him down so that I could catch my breath. I think we were both wishing for a wagon at that moment.<br />
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I took Tagg to the vet, where my previous fears were confirmed; Hip Dysplasia. I was told there was little that could be done for him, except for surgery, which isn't always very successful. So I went home and did some research. I found that eating a diet of raw meat and vegetables can help to strengthen the connective tissues and increase synovial fluid production. So I started grinding chicken thighs up, added blueberries, carrots and peas and fed him that twice a day. I also found a product called <a href="http://www.nzymes.com/store/pc/index.asp?gclid=CPDBrbX79LQCFQUFnQodhxQA7g">Nzymes</a>,which is used to improve synovial production in animals with joint issues. After a few weeks on the raw diet and the Nzyme tablets, Tagg began to walk normally again and showed little if any favoring of his hip unless it was stressed or moved wrong. So Tagg's life began to return to normal, but in the back of my mind I knew that this wouldn't always be the case.<br />
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Tagg has been so much a part of my life, a constant, loving and true companion. The dog that started<br />
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out as a birthday present for my son had become like one of my kids to me. What would I do for one of my kids? I would do anything within my power to take care of them, protect them, love them... Their pain is my pain... If Tagg needed me to carry him, to help him up and down, to feed him by hand, I would gladly do it. He has always been there for me, and if it was within his power, I know that he would do whatever I needed him to do, I would do no less. But I was then faced with a situation that every pet owner/ animal friend dreads... what if this hip issue doesn't get better enough to allow him a quality life? What if the rest of his life is spent in pain, unable to play or take a walk, having to bear the humiliation of diapers? When do I, as the person who is responsible for his care and accountable to God for his well being, say that it is time to end his suffering? When is his life no longer of any good to him? I couldn't ask him, I could only guess what he considers a good life, but I think he would say a good life is to be able to love and protect his family, to be an active part of our lives. So I prayed that God would give him healing and and allow both of us more time to be together.<br />
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Fortunately, with God's healing touch and a continued dietary regimen, the Dysplasia symptoms disappeared. So, we got our old Tagg back. His mobility returned, his energy was appropriate for a 10 year old dog, and he appeared to be pain free. So I dodged the bullet on having to make a hard decision about his future. Two and a half years have passed since his last bout with his hips,and he has lived life to the fullest, but about 6 months ago he began to have a persistent cough. After much investigation we discovered Tagg had an enlarged heart due to congestive heart failure. He coughed and hacked a lot and was a little short of breath, even though he was on meds,, but kept going about his life, being his sweet, cheerful self. As the months passed his condition worsened, he couldn't get his breath, and had difficulty eating and sleeping. He could no longer play or go on long walks, but he still had his zeal for life and a happy disposition, continuing the self assigned role in our family of protector, encourager and comedian.<br />
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Then came the day when all he could do was lift his head off the floor and wag his tail when he saw us. He was obviously in pain and I knew it was time to step up and make the dreaded decision to have him put to sleep. Where I had questions in the past about what he would want me to do, this time I was certain I was doing the right thing. His eyes said he was ready to go. We are very fortunate, we have a vet that makes house calls. She came today to ease his passing. He went to his final sleep peacefully at home with his family around him.<br />
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His passing leaves me with a heavy heart, an empty house, and too much quiet. I feel so strange, so lost, unable to think. I don't want to eat or sleep, I don't want to do my daily tasks. I just want to stop... to sit, to think of nothing, to feel nothing. I want to hide from the inevitable, fast approaching wave of grief. I know it will come,<i> I have had much experience with grief... </i>and I know I will be defenseless against it for a season. But I also know that there will be a day when the grief will recede, when my days will start to feel "normal" again and life will go on.<br />
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I believe that God imbues His animals with His character so that while they are with us they can be a living example of how we should live our lives. As a way of honoring his memory and dealing with his absence, I will try hard to live by the example that he modeled for me every day of his life; to find joy in the simple things in life, to never stop trying and love unconditionally and without stint. I know that Tagg did his job here on earth very well and I will take solace in the knowledge that now he rests in the presence of his Creator.<br />
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. <b>Tagg 2003-2015</b></div>
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<b> Rest in peace my lovely boy.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEne8qTEDb3Sb77r1Zy4O6Od7DW-9vDZfUJvbDRV1Z3fZw_xmoHAynSFGugH0aoPBSTeghVXUWKA7eXh09Q1PM3JebDWyhU03dVTcREl2KPPjUX3QVQzdglDTIFGEvWsQsTOcvfMHxeaI/s1600/IMGP4277.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEne8qTEDb3Sb77r1Zy4O6Od7DW-9vDZfUJvbDRV1Z3fZw_xmoHAynSFGugH0aoPBSTeghVXUWKA7eXh09Q1PM3JebDWyhU03dVTcREl2KPPjUX3QVQzdglDTIFGEvWsQsTOcvfMHxeaI/s320/IMGP4277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-90167046348739759512015-03-14T21:07:00.000-06:002020-03-17T08:28:57.831-06:00Veggie Stock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4M6_cQ4X_iWiEBgasd-W7vDadTW8FwtWWIcf3YDMoXAdpYtI2U-W0RGCheahy7sLiTCVSnfPKEQkuOODhntxo1ReAY0rmLdBG3BvtVsNT8-oXBHnWOUQNF4XGX4dL3mZZLzPRifEAPI/s1600/Veggiestock%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4M6_cQ4X_iWiEBgasd-W7vDadTW8FwtWWIcf3YDMoXAdpYtI2U-W0RGCheahy7sLiTCVSnfPKEQkuOODhntxo1ReAY0rmLdBG3BvtVsNT8-oXBHnWOUQNF4XGX4dL3mZZLzPRifEAPI/s1600/Veggiestock%231.jpg" width="135" /></a> A few days ago there was a post on a blog that I really enjoy following. The post was about making soup stock. Here is the link if you want to read the post, <a href="http://taylormaderanch.com/blog/fall-back-friday-myo-chicken-broth/">Taylor Made Ranch.</a> In the post, Tammy was making the most of a roasted chicken that she had prepared for dinner, picking the meat off the bones and keeping it for other meals, and then she squeezed the last goodness out of the bird, by putting the carcass in the crockpot to make soup stock. <br />
Back when we ate meat I used to do the same thing .It was satisfying to use everything but the "cluck", knowing nothing was going to waste and making rich yummy stock for use later! I don't make stock from poultry or beef anymore since we are now eating a plant based diet, but I thought it would be fun to share one of the things I do now to live up to my "Waste not want not" credo.<br />
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We store in bulk many of the food items that we regularly use so I have an outdoor pantry. During the winter months it stays stays around 40 degrees in the pantry. I store my 3 month pantry goods in there, but I also use it as a make shift of root cellar. I store my citrus fruits like grapefruits and oranges, as well as bushels of apples, and bags of potatoes and onions, and ropes of garlic. It works quite well, but eventually things will reach the end of their freshness and they will start to grow tops or sprout eyes. So periodically I will go through and cull out any veggies that are a little past their prime, cut them into chunks and and roast them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkzXl6fnKGXdCRctUMR2y5mynGfI38HUbxHxIULuRCpJxs2FxpSk9r-4KQJYTLGu4cqIl4OyQE36M_Q75ndjURto5s7x944uvZZVnSR-K1NoLSHsSoxKM_It0anqE6waMMnQP_NmWYkg/s1600/Veggiestock%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkzXl6fnKGXdCRctUMR2y5mynGfI38HUbxHxIULuRCpJxs2FxpSk9r-4KQJYTLGu4cqIl4OyQE36M_Q75ndjURto5s7x944uvZZVnSR-K1NoLSHsSoxKM_It0anqE6waMMnQP_NmWYkg/s1600/Veggiestock%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Culled veggies chunked for roasting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfU5qc0ACEENg9X5BRqlEzfPQ7Ji09XpAj0DKFgLKjgqmLbo3v3PFpnoDeykzjS9aHRDYx1IHkPHrFk1tQ9yIpDppfT9Lg1oxO5tra9w6xmAaVsV7AHC-qlDGACAC9PR4K1Ae3hSQ60s/s1600/Veggiestock%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfU5qc0ACEENg9X5BRqlEzfPQ7Ji09XpAj0DKFgLKjgqmLbo3v3PFpnoDeykzjS9aHRDYx1IHkPHrFk1tQ9yIpDppfT9Lg1oxO5tra9w6xmAaVsV7AHC-qlDGACAC9PR4K1Ae3hSQ60s/s1600/Veggiestock%233.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put the chunked veggies, skins and all on a large tray that has a thin
layer of melted coconut oil on it, then spray the tops lightly with my
olive oil filled Misto to prevent charring. Then I pop the tray in a 400 degree oven and roast until the vegetables are done through and caramelized.</td></tr>
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Once they are all soft and caramelized I put them in a stock pot or crock pot, (depending on how many culls I have), and add the bag of vegetable tops,ends and juicing pulp that I keep in the freezer for just such an occasion. I will cover the whole business with water, add salt and seasonings like fresh or dried herbs and whole pepper corns and put the pot on to boil. I boil the vegetables, adding water as needed, until the vegetables are cooked to a pulp. As it cooks, the house is filled with the redolent aroma of roasted vegetables... M-mmm, it make me hungry to think about it!!<br />
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At this point I let the contents of the pot cool and then put the vegetables and stock into a large cheese cloth lined strainer, with another pot underneath to catch the strained broth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLyAGuhBv3vOcazdWC0k6goTGYFAy1MKhWiZbY6Wr8wTo97L0tzFODDjb4bDJEj7oYSN9JQZOZUiwlrMYwbxVHMmWm-K16RG5sbMxSw5ptUfLepYkVXoA9DAicLmcPj8xoZ13fVjnDFo/s1600/Veggiestock%234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLyAGuhBv3vOcazdWC0k6goTGYFAy1MKhWiZbY6Wr8wTo97L0tzFODDjb4bDJEj7oYSN9JQZOZUiwlrMYwbxVHMmWm-K16RG5sbMxSw5ptUfLepYkVXoA9DAicLmcPj8xoZ13fVjnDFo/s1600/Veggiestock%234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I strain the stock in batches, pulling up the corners of the cloth and squeezing all the juices out before sending the pulp to the compost bin.</td></tr>
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The resulting stock is a lovely golden color, and the flavor is rich and full bodied. I usually can some for the 3 month pantry and put some in reuseable, stackable plastic containers, in the freezer. I use the stock for a soup base for many different kinds of soup, one of my favorites being Sambar soup. Sambar soup is a spicy, thick soup with its roots in Indian cuisine. It is great to warm you from the inside out on a cold blustery day! <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The stock is also a great base for a simple vegetable soup,vegan tortilla soup, or really, it is good enough to just serve hot all by itself!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGonpNRdAjeEtgz9olKDO21O5ruglUX5rfAVO45tCFhPZ9fUFbGZNu7pIsnKcvLtxLVREugP0cz79cd0NXOSrfeqMYpHU1XmyIBFT-xF-kJmoOC09_2uz4NpjzwPLytCpDeuaQqZ0ppE/s1600/Veggiestock%235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGonpNRdAjeEtgz9olKDO21O5ruglUX5rfAVO45tCFhPZ9fUFbGZNu7pIsnKcvLtxLVREugP0cz79cd0NXOSrfeqMYpHU1XmyIBFT-xF-kJmoOC09_2uz4NpjzwPLytCpDeuaQqZ0ppE/s1600/Veggiestock%235.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen, canned, or use it fresh, any way you use it this stock is great!</td></tr>
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<u><b> Sambar Soup</b></u><br />
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*Some of these ingredients may not be readily available in the local grocery store, but can be purchased at an Indian grocery or even a Middle Eastern market, or online.<br />
6 cups Roasted veggie stock, canned stock or water<br />
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*1/2 cup Toor Dal, (dried split Pigeon Peas, may substitute with yellow split peas)<br />
1 1/2 cups water to soak Toor Dal<br />
3/4 tsp. turmeric powder<br />
*4-6 drumstick vegetable, <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(found frozen at the Indian market, but can be optional... they are woody on the outside and must be removed before serving to the uninitiated, but once familiar with them, they can be split and the soft centers sucked out. It's flavor is a cross between a green bean and asparagus. It is optional but does add a nice nuance to the soup. Possible substitution? The stems of asparagus would do... and if you are just wanting to flavor the pot and pull them out it would be a good use for the tough lower stems of the asparagus that you would normally throw away)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*2 Tblsp. Tamarind paste, (can be found in Latino and Indian Markets, the Indian market carries tamarind paste that is in a ready to use resealable pouch. The Latino market usually sells the tamarind in a "cake" which you cut a chunk off of and soak before using to loosen and remove the seeds. If you can't find tamarind paste, a Tblsp. of dark molasses and a 1 1/2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar will approximate the tamarind flavor).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*1 1/2-2 Tblsp. Sambar powder,( purchase from the Indian market, online or do what I like to do and make your own! Recipe follows.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*1/2 tsp. Hing, also known as asefetida, (translated is means" it smells fetid".It is optional, but may be found at the Indian market.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 tsp. sea salt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tblsp. coconut oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. black mustard seed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp. fenugreek seed,( also known as Methi in the Indian store)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*10 curry leaves, (optional)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 red hot chiles, split and minced, seeded if you want less heat. Use latex gloves or you will regret it... )</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 cup chopped cilantro</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 carrots, chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 potatoes, cubed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 chayote, peeled, seeded and cubed (optional, but really nice addition, can be found in the vegetable section of many grocery stores, looks like a bright green pear).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can also add some celery, onion, chunks of sweet potato... whatever suits you, but know this, the soup is supposed to be more on the soupy side than the stew side... so make sure to have lots of broth if you add extra veggies. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">6 cups of water, (add more if the soup is getting too thick)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rinse the Toor Dal in a strainer until the water runs clear. Put in pot with enough water to cover, (not the 6 cups...that is for later), let soak 20 minutes, then drain. Add 6 cups veggie stock or water, 1/2 tsp. turmeric and 1/4 tsp. Hing. Simmer until dal is soft. take about half of the toor dal and some of the cooking water and place in the blender, add Sambar powder, the rest of the Hing and turmeric, salt, and tamarind paste and blend until everything is liquified. Add back to the pot, stir well and add drum stick vegetable, carrots, potatoes, chayote, hot peppers and garlic. Add enough water to cover vegetables and cook over medium heat until vegetables are just tender. 10 minutes before removing from the heat, in a small skillet, heat the coconut oil to very hot, add mustard seed and swirl until the seeds start to pop, then add fenugreek and curry leaves. continue swirling over heat to keep from burning spices.When fenugreek is starting to turn darker, remove from heat and pour into soup. It will sizzle so be cautious. Stir in well and cook a little while to blend flavors, 5 minutes or so. Serve in bowls and top with chopped cilantro.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Note: this is a spicy soup, if you are not able to stand much spicy heat, cut the Sambar spice back by half and leave out the red chiles. To keep from losing all your flavor when reducing the "heat", add 1 Tblsp. Garam Masala, or if you have to... 1 healthy tsp. curry powder.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <u><b>Sambar Spice </b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup coriander seeds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tblsp.cumin seeds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tblsp.Channa dal</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tblsp. Dhuli Moong Dal (split mung beans)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tblsp. Toor Dal (split pigeon peas)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp.brown mustard seed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp.10-12 black peppercorns</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">25-30 dried red chiles</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2-3 Tblsp. turmeric</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dry roast coriander, cumin seed, dals, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns and chiles 3-4 minutes in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, with no oil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat and place in a bowl . Cool completely. Transfer to a bullet blender or spice/coffee grinder, add turmeric and grind to a fine powder. Store labeled in an air tight container out of the light. I use this spice frequently so I make the whole recipe, but you may want to start by cutting the recipe in half. </span></span><br />
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<u><b>Garam Masala</b></u></div>
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This is my favorite home made version of Garam Masala, it comes from <u>The Passionate Vegetarian</u>, which ranks pretty high on my list of favorite cookbooks too!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Makes a generous 1/2 cup</b></span><br />
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1/4 cup coriander seeds<br />
3 tablespoons cumin seed<br />
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds<br />
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns<br />
2 sticks cinnamon, preferably Ceylon cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon whole cloves<br />
1 whole nutmeg<br />
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Combine all the spices, except for the nutmeg, in a dry heavy skillet. Toast over medium, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from skillet immediately to stop cooking process. Grate 1/3 of the whole nutmeg directly on to the other spices. Transfer to a spice grinder and pulverize into a fine powder. Store in a tightly cover jar and keep in a dark place. **<i> note although I try to eat as much as I can raw, I am not a stickler about condiments and spices, heat brings out the oils in whole spices and makes their essence more accessible. But if you prefer not to use the roasted spices you may just use them in their raw form and blend them without roasting.</i><br />
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You are welcome to re-post my recipes as long as there is a link to this blog post. Please don't copy my recipes without giving me credit.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blog hop this post is linked to:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/clever-chicks-blog-hop-130-with-auto.html">Clever Chick Blog Hop 130</a></span></span>
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<a href="http://www.creatingsilverlinings.com/corn-free-every-day-mar-14-2015/">Corn-free Every Day</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-59556640452944092822015-03-08T21:40:00.000-06:002015-03-09T09:31:05.439-06:00Using Your Canner Off Season Wintertime is a great time to dust off your neglected pressure canner and put it to good use. While there is much work for a canner to do at harvest time, often the canner spends it's winter sitting in the pantry with the extra empty canning jars and lids. But it is possible to keep the canner gainfully employed all year round. During the summer months and into the fall the canner is usually filled with green beans, tomatoes and other produce from the garden, the winter months offer a completely different fare, vegetable soup, chili, chicken pot pie filling, venison canned from a hunting trip, taco filling, assorted dried beans... The variety is endless and the time spent in the kitchen canning will give you a convenient assortment of home cooked foods at your finger tips for busy days.<br />
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One of my favorite off season canning projects is to put up dried beans. I am a real fan of black turtle beans, and use them frequently, but pinto, garbanzo, and cannellini beans also regularly have a place on our table. Having jars of home made beans on the shelf ready for use is a big help in meal preparation, since I don't have to remember to soak and cook beans before I can prepare a meal. <br />
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Canning beans is really very simple and the end result is far superior to what you can purchase from the store. To can dried beans first soak the beans overnight, I usually do about 10 pounds of beans at one time, but you can do whatever amount you want. Usually 1 pound of dried beans makes 4 pints of beans. So determine how many pints or quarts you want and soak the corresponding number of pounds of beans. I use a 22 quart stock kettle to soak my beans, but a dishpan would work too. Once the beans have soaked overnight cook them for 1/2 hour. If you don't have a large kettle and used the dishpan for soaking, then you will have to cook the beans in your pot in batches.<br />
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While the beans are cooking, sterilize your jars. You can steam sterilize the jars in the pressure canner, boil them, or put them in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. The flat part of the two part canning lid also needs to be boiled and then kept hot until used. <br />
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Fill the hot, sterilized jars with the beans, settling the beans as much as possible, then add 1/2 tsp. of sea salt to each pint jar or 1 level tsp. to a quart sized jar. Ladle cooking liquid into the jars. There should be about one inch of head room from the liquid and beans to the top of the jar. </div>
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With a clean damp cloth, wipe the rim of the jars thoroughly. then put the flat part of the lid on the jar and screw the band on until snug but not tight.<br />
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With the jar tongs arrange jars in the canner so that they are evenly spaced and not touching each other. Some canners have enough room for two layers of pint jars, other canners are only tall enough for one layer of jars.</div>
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Add water to the canner until it is two inches up the side of the jars. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Do Not Fill The Canner With Water!!</span> Put the lid on so that it locks tight and turn the heat to medium high. Leave the weight off of the canner spout and wait for the steam to start pouring out of the spout. It must spew a solid stream of steam for 10 minutes, to evacuate all the air from the canner, then put the weight on the spout and watch carefully as the psi climbs.<br />
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When the pressure approaches 10 psi, lower the heat. Adjust the heat
until the canner stays consistently at 10 psi. Set a timer for 1 hour
and 15 minutes for pints and 1hour 30 minutes for quarts, and watch to make sure that the canner does not go above
10 psi or drop below it. Be careful to not let the temp. go below 10
psi, if it does no matter where you are in the process, you will have to
set the timer to 1 hour and 15 minutes again. This is crucial so please
watch your psi gauge carefully. Once the time is up turn the heat off
under the canner and let it cool completely. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Do not take the weight off the spout until the gauge reads zero and the pressure stopper drops</span>, if you do the steam may give you a serious burn and all the liquid will be siphoned out of your jars.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Do not try to cool the canner by running water over it or putting cold rags on it</span>, just let the temperature come down on its own.<br />
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Once the pressure stopper has dropped and the pressure gauge reads zero, it is safe to open the canner. Please be cautious, there will still be steam in the canner. Lift the jars out of the canner using the jar tongs. Do not tip the jars, pull them straight up and out, any water on the lid will run down through the lid band and down the side of the jar so put a towel on the surface where you will be placing the jars. The contents will be boiling inside the jar for awhile, so don't disturb them until the jars are cool. You will know the jars have sealed when you hear a metallic pop, and the center of the jars are pulled down tight. If you press in the center of the lid and it can be pressed down and pops back up then the lid did not seal. Test all the lids and if any of them didn't seal refrigerate them and use them within a few days. If the lids are sealed, remove the bands, then wipe the jars with a soapy cloth, dry them and write the contents of the jars and the date on the lids.<br />
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That is all that there is to it! With just a few hours of intermittent attention, you can have a shelf full of tasty ready to eat beans, waiting for you to use in your kitchen creations! As always I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave me a comment!<br />
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This post is linked to:<br />
<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/clever-chicks-blog-hop-129-with-happy.html"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/clever-chicks-blog-hop-129-with-happy.html">Clever Chick Blog Hop 129</a>Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-32502357912589643782015-01-25T21:29:00.001-07:002015-08-25T12:07:20.376-06:00A Sister Blog for A View From The Cottage<a href="http://publicphoto.org/pics/2010/11/27/100-EUROS_Banknotes_72891-150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://publicphoto.org/pics/2010/11/27/100-EUROS_Banknotes_72891-150x150.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://publicphoto.org/pics/2010/11/27/100-EUROS_Banknotes_72891-150x150.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Since the 2008 economic downturn, many people in the USA have struggled with financial hardship, unemployment and under employment. On the world stage, the global economy is in turbulent waters, the E.U. Euro troubles, an election in Greece that could lead to Greece exiting the E.U., the Death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, oil selling at under $50 a barrel, (countries like Russia and Iran are suffering great financial strain since the health of their economies is dependent on $100 a barrel crude prices)... are just a few of the elements that could lead to global financial duress in 2015. For now, gas in the US is selling at amazingly low prices. For the short term that is great, but over the long haul, it will exact a high price on a global level, which in the end will be bad for the U.S. We do not stand alone, we are inextricably connected to a global economy. I am no financial analyst, but it looks to me like there could be dark days ahead for everyone.<br />
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I am not trying to be a harbinger of doom, as a matter of fact I am here to say that for a brief period of time the people of the U.S. are getting a reprieve from a long running financial crush. Now is a good time to put aside a little cash and make some decisions and plans for the future, while gas prices are low and most everyone has a little extra jingle in their pockets. It is a good time to look past the end of our noses, and realize that the reprieve won't last forever and there is much to indicate that things will be worse instead of better in the near future.<br />
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It seems like this is a great time to talk about what can be done to be better prepared for an emergency. It is suggested by the US government that each family have an emergency preparedness plan, (read more at <a href="http://www.ready.gov/">http://www.ready.gov/</a>,<a href="http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/"> http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters</a>, <a href="https://www.fema.gov/plan">https://www.fema.gov/plan</a>, <a href="http://www.community.fema.gov/connect.ti/cfghome/grouphome">http://www.community.fema.gov/connect.ti/cfghome/grouphome</a> ), the fact that the government is sticking its neck out and telling people they need to be prepared, should be reason for concern. Because they know that in the case of a large scale emergency, at least for awhile, each family in the U.S. that is affected, will be on their own... remember Hurricane Katrina....?<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/files/2011/05/GetAKit_Badge-e1305551585997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared" border="0" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1945" src="http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/files/2011/05/GetAKit_Badge-e1305551585997.jpg" height="124" width="150" /></a>Prepare for what? You ask... Well according to the Ready.gov, we should be ready for natural hazards, like storms and earthquakes, but also for pandemic, technological and accidental hazards, and terrorist attacks. CDC.gov. wants you to prepare for a zombie apocalypse... I kid you not... check out the link above, (the blog post is done quasi "tongue in cheek", but then again it never denies the possibility of a zombie apocalypse, it uses the term more often than is necessary to really be considered humorous... Do I worry about a zombie apocalypse...? No, unless you consider the masses of unprepared people swarming the grocery stores before a storm to be zombies... It can get pretty ugly when the word snow is mentioned and in a matter of second all the bread and milk in the store is gone ... those left with money in their hands and no food to take home to their empty larder to feed their kids, could resemble zombies...running through the parking lot to try and get to the next store before everything is gone. But I don't worry about joining the zombie horde to get food when a storm is coming, or when the power is out for weeks after big winter storm, because my larder is always full. <br />
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So, if I am not worried about a zombie apocalypse, what am I preparing for? My husband and I are preparing our family, home and land to be able to carry on with life, no matter what the circumstance. We are not preparing for a particular scenario, for Sh-t to hit the fan or the world as we know it to come to an end, although those possibilities always exist... we are just making sure that whatever storm is on the horizon we are as well equipped to weather it as we can be in hopes that our lives can go on as normally as possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NlVRra5i1vgBUYfJ3yIVaE1b9tx_O1ssZxGlLsK0tB3_RKoTPDEeAuisVsYYef4G5lHkRiH6yqKjo8Xs8gW7_7ApwFWaMhjndeXewLoWED5W3FpkRYn0iOFsGvtlk30flLNtQAKmRWI/s1600/Pantry+Portion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NlVRra5i1vgBUYfJ3yIVaE1b9tx_O1ssZxGlLsK0tB3_RKoTPDEeAuisVsYYef4G5lHkRiH6yqKjo8Xs8gW7_7ApwFWaMhjndeXewLoWED5W3FpkRYn0iOFsGvtlk30flLNtQAKmRWI/s1600/Pantry+Portion.jpg" width="95" /></a>So, since we presently seem to be having a calm, and there are no inidcations of an eminent storm... I am taking the opportunity to launch a new blog, <a href="http://www.aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com/">www.aprepperspantryjournal.blogspot.com</a>. A sister blog to A View From the Cottage. This blog is being written to assist people in making their own preparations, not so much for a zombie apocalypse, but for "life" to happen. While the Cottage blog is all about life on our little homestead, stories, recipes and tutorials on homesteading, self-sufficiency, organic gardening, health ,wellness, and our kosher/vegan lifestyle, Preppers Pantry Journal will be focused on Preparedness. There will be tutorials on many aspects of Preparedness; long term food storage, food preservation, emergency preparedness, survival craft, herbal medicine and first aid, and much more. There will also be tips and tricks for frugal prepping. Please come and check it out and see what you can do to be prepared! <br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-19892653386488026782015-01-20T11:59:00.000-07:002015-03-14T21:18:19.708-06:00Raised Beds <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8H2KUCgklUcDb7p-ZVptAinp63kCUj104dC8eTKdrZRhYQlPvLIrOdHCEv4Q_5NjbPEBSdwRaP5lvkgQ-wM4gVFVVt_s-pnx7k1uEzYZ48VoWSpY1xkuQ6rrRY4xFzT6Q5uoSiHFCg4/s1600/Raised+Bed%234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8H2KUCgklUcDb7p-ZVptAinp63kCUj104dC8eTKdrZRhYQlPvLIrOdHCEv4Q_5NjbPEBSdwRaP5lvkgQ-wM4gVFVVt_s-pnx7k1uEzYZ48VoWSpY1xkuQ6rrRY4xFzT6Q5uoSiHFCg4/s1600/Raised+Bed%234.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late Spring garden beds</td></tr>
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Many years ago, when I was first learning about organic gardening and self-sufficiency, I discovered a book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Seymour_%28author%29">John Seymour</a>, titled, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Self-Sufficient-Gardener-Complete-Preserving/dp/038514671X"><u>The Self-Sufficient Gardener</u></a>. This book was a goldmine of information and practical advice on everything from garden layout and preparing garden beds to a comprehensive guide to fruits and vegetables, and everything in between. I learned how to create a double dug, raised bed and prepared my first raised bed garden, using his book as a guide. I am, 34 years later, still using his book as a reference, (but not for making compost). He later wrote another book on the subject, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Self-Sufficient-Life-How-Live/dp/0756654505">The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live it</a>, which covers in more detail what he discussed in the first book, but then expands into the broader subject of a self-sufficient life. It is a wonderful book. I have checked it out of the library so many times that I sometimes forget I don't own it! It is on my wish list, and one day I will find a copy on Amazon at the right price, and it will be mine!<br />
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I started out using John Seymour's technique for making raised beds, but over the years my husband and I have developed our own technique, one suited to our climate and environmental issues.We have 3 foot wide beds, that vary in length from 15 to 25 feet long. The beds are deep dug and loamy with 25 years of compost. Many years ago my husband decided to dig out the pathways, turn that soil out the beds and fill the pathways 18 inches deep with wood mulch. The wood mulch keeps us from having to weed the paths, but it also composts over time and after 3 years is turned onto the beds as compost and we repeat the process. We also have a large compost pile where we compost leaves, lawn trimmings, and kitchen waste. It gives us ample compost to top dress our beds at the beginning of each planting season, (which is for us 3-4 times a year). My husband always jokes that we grow as much dirt as we do food... it is really not too far from the truth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFBen5RYp90M_QAwmw4qJHAMRJKaj9pzrNo9Vaws518WZwovUYZ2O8VLS369F7yKnOrCc3pmC31diIU4Z_L5f_cHvxSfgJp7jakf8ZTApSAYQ4XgRIHeQeXyijSKd-aC0hzLmKeWXFZk/s1600/Raised+Bed%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFBen5RYp90M_QAwmw4qJHAMRJKaj9pzrNo9Vaws518WZwovUYZ2O8VLS369F7yKnOrCc3pmC31diIU4Z_L5f_cHvxSfgJp7jakf8ZTApSAYQ4XgRIHeQeXyijSKd-aC0hzLmKeWXFZk/s1600/Raised+Bed%233.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Fall. The Beets are ready for harvest.</td></tr>
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Our raise beds feed us 365 days a year. They are practically weed free, well perennial weeds anyway... we started with hard red clay, that swamped in the rain and turned to bricks in the summer sun. Today you can bury a pitch fork to the hilt just by dropping it in the soil. It is dark, loamy, fertile soil almost 2 feet down, full of earth worms, and a healthy network of mycelium to break down organic matter and detoxify the soil. If we continue to care for it, rotate crops to prevent disease, and let the whole garden go fallow for a year every seen years, then it will continue to feed us for the rest of our lives.<br />
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Do you use raised beds? If not, what kind of garden do you have? I am always interested in hearing how other people do things... why don't you leave me a comment and tell me about your garden?<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-12285032750375718422015-01-17T13:09:00.001-07:002015-08-25T14:40:49.310-06:00Looking Back2014 was a big year for my family.There have been lots of really good things happening and a few not so good, but all in all it has been a great year. I am grateful and exhausted. Before we dive headlong into 2015, here is a quick look at what went on at Heart's Ease Cottage this past year.<br />
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Early in 2014 I had a several month bout with pneumonia, which put me behind on many of my garden tasks. The fact that we had a very long winter and late spring gave me a chance to play catch up once I was feeling some better... So we managed to have a nice spring garden in spite of sickness. Our summer garden suffered when our normally dry hot summer, was wet and cool instead. The tomatoes and peppers drowned in the months or so of non-stop rain, but I planted a second round of both peppers and tomatoes after then rains stopped. Other plantings seemed to cope better with the wet weather, so we still managed to have lots of beautiful fruits and veggies to eat, preserve and share.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShoG6vf0jnxh8n2f0vwX3jEm4VMQsYxq64WqbQyOHZUscFe3yTnRmUZciqnbjOngpXDxtxzrz4Km_2HDrfG6eOigQdWhwP782OdVmwMPl5lMunkCUkwP1Dci2INjQHzK91fDfwzrYogk/s1600/2014_First+Kiwis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShoG6vf0jnxh8n2f0vwX3jEm4VMQsYxq64WqbQyOHZUscFe3yTnRmUZciqnbjOngpXDxtxzrz4Km_2HDrfG6eOigQdWhwP782OdVmwMPl5lMunkCUkwP1Dci2INjQHzK91fDfwzrYogk/s1600/2014_First+Kiwis.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have waited 5 years for a harvest of Hardy Kiwi. There weren't many this year but next year we should have more.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemZ0n7NPcGx7043hyogiVPgzeVazwNEKVEsVa6sPQYxRYEedFxzxtcpfnzoreWPhLIBaurfUAF9mFBv_S-jMA0V6-_z-9XDZCiV7Cu-qcNUxMMSwIhXcBX3h5ZkXLz2gfRp8AwKv_jJo/s1600/Currant+Tomatoes%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemZ0n7NPcGx7043hyogiVPgzeVazwNEKVEsVa6sPQYxRYEedFxzxtcpfnzoreWPhLIBaurfUAF9mFBv_S-jMA0V6-_z-9XDZCiV7Cu-qcNUxMMSwIhXcBX3h5ZkXLz2gfRp8AwKv_jJo/s1600/Currant+Tomatoes%232.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Currant Tomatoes never fail to provide us with an abundance of tiny bursts of tomato goodness.They are larger than a pea and smaller than a grape tomato, but are packed with intense tomato flavor. They also provide plenty of volunteers tomato plants to share.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT70rJpXtr7gYcpghlBtClA7dN_R37oPb0j1Y2YBQYOHuBOL1ol0DPSXktHOM5VZto6cuIi4ST2TccHmY4jdLmx_qG6b1O1JSDnPHK2RukGgBBvgcTKdX3Us3iZ_YksA-_zBD4xPrt4M/s1600/2014_+Heirloom+Tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT70rJpXtr7gYcpghlBtClA7dN_R37oPb0j1Y2YBQYOHuBOL1ol0DPSXktHOM5VZto6cuIi4ST2TccHmY4jdLmx_qG6b1O1JSDnPHK2RukGgBBvgcTKdX3Us3iZ_YksA-_zBD4xPrt4M/s1600/2014_+Heirloom+Tomatoes.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the heirloom tomato varieties we grew.</td></tr>
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We added some really nice elements to our homestead this year, and subtracted a few as well. Da's work kept him hopping this year, but he still managed to run several large projects at home. I got a lot of planning and designing done while I was recovering from being sick, so that in May we could proceed to put the plans into action. We are very excited about how things turned out!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnf6oUq9tk7LJTTJux5rYFMvEF91zdexx5cbYGw1RQIx-Fa78oQavB6ZDgVTrl8u8eIfbpk0x9FSh9SRYnZNTZWohcGtGaEyU6DQd0nn29LGlgBkNEImcSF3leveka9HfiMAZ6aRW-eo/s1600/View+of+Herb+Gardens%232_July+12_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnf6oUq9tk7LJTTJux5rYFMvEF91zdexx5cbYGw1RQIx-Fa78oQavB6ZDgVTrl8u8eIfbpk0x9FSh9SRYnZNTZWohcGtGaEyU6DQd0nn29LGlgBkNEImcSF3leveka9HfiMAZ6aRW-eo/s1600/View+of+Herb+Gardens%232_July+12_2014.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The veranda and the gardens were both projects that were finished in May of 2014</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaHRxjo1x_5UDK5ypCDJCaNTd3XN3YhCJyr0e9XJh8yjVcPwq8YStIyat3P8dQ5pliu2XSSssJE5P8bxMWkR88Sg-3iDLmr3dgTQy5496YBGIJ5SdLnZA_r6f2oGSMisVjE-YJZdsEzw/s1600/Eastside+Deck+Rail%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaHRxjo1x_5UDK5ypCDJCaNTd3XN3YhCJyr0e9XJh8yjVcPwq8YStIyat3P8dQ5pliu2XSSssJE5P8bxMWkR88Sg-3iDLmr3dgTQy5496YBGIJ5SdLnZA_r6f2oGSMisVjE-YJZdsEzw/s1600/Eastside+Deck+Rail%231.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I designed the deck rail to reflect the theme of Heart's Ease Cottage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have finally gotten the bathroom walls finished. This painting is a depiction of a happy memory...maybe I'll tell the story some day if you are interested in hearing it...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1UtHxkY6aS8DdvdZpOVvS0Sy3y_kHSPViuSK8whq3LvNR7EOzhskbc9qKP0N_Q8iQAtLUxOb0qxg8fbZOIAGeoqERhLM5I940q5OyjnmOVAWQleam7pth2_7xdK3Lu1mli2icqZaXKY/s1600/2014_Bathroom+DragonFly_close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1UtHxkY6aS8DdvdZpOVvS0Sy3y_kHSPViuSK8whq3LvNR7EOzhskbc9qKP0N_Q8iQAtLUxOb0qxg8fbZOIAGeoqERhLM5I940q5OyjnmOVAWQleam7pth2_7xdK3Lu1mli2icqZaXKY/s1600/2014_Bathroom+DragonFly_close+up.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of the dragonfly.</td></tr>
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In September my husband and I made a 2 week road trip to Hamilton Ontario. On the Trip to Hamilton, we stopped in Niagara Falls, Ontario, stayed in some very unique AirBnB locations along the way, stopped in Pennsylvania to visit friends and saw a lot of countryside as we drove, both in the USA and Canada. We haven't taken a vacation in years, so this was a highlight for 2014. We had a lot of fun and put a lot of miles on my odometer. Niagara Falls was of course breath taking, but I really enjoyed the beauty and variety of the falls in Hamilton, Ontario.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls 2014</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Da and I at one of the many waterfalls in Hamilton.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Photo by Monique Campbell. </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Webster Falls, Hamilton Ontario</td></tr>
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We also had a couple of land mark life changes this year. Our youngest son married his sweetheart and the company that both my husband and one of our sons works for was sold and now they are working for a new company. The marriage was reason for much joy, but the business being sold lead to some scary times wondering if the new owners would be laying off current staff. As the dust settled and the shock wore off things stabilized and in the end, the entire staff was kept on the payroll. Whew!<br />
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December was full of taking care of medical things, three family members had some kind of surgery. Everyone is doing well and on the slow road to recovery. We have much to be grateful for! Now I just need to get caught up on all my winter garden chores and spend some time perusing the seed catalogs that are coming in daily, so that I will have some seed for my next round of plantings.<br />
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I hope that this finds you all well and happy and that you also had a good year. If you want to share some highlights of your 2014, feel free to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you! Until next time!<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-72530900948904416472014-07-14T09:05:00.001-06:002015-08-25T14:42:57.385-06:00So Many Projects.... Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have been as busy as the bees around Heart's Ease Cottage. So busy that this poor little blog has been sorely neglected. Several projects are coming to a close and the gardens are in full flush, so I thought I had better take a few minutes and catch you up on what has been going on.<br />
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For many years, Da and I have been planning a deck on the east side of our house. Until late last fall that project has been on hold due to foundation work that needed to be done and drainage pipes that had to be installed. As in most projects the "ground work" takes as long as the actual project, or longer... For some reason the foundation work was the point where our foot was nailed to the floor. It was daunting, the thought of grubbing around under the house, (too much of that during reconstruction after Hurricane Hugo), forming and pouring a footer in tight spaces, and getting someone to lay up the brick, just kept us looking elsewhere for projects that needed to be done. But then the frame on the glass door started leaking and needed to be replaced, but the foundation work needed to be done before we could replace the door, so we finally had to swallow deep and just do it. It wasn't so bad once we got started.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas8_XZdNr5b_0CF0lnBV0BHIKrWIcLKzW4jp0UI1JeWBiAtCWLjRRZUNd1EYerMaa-RTcKyzRk-YZg7Qr1MyKVm_N14Dtt7sJndQpAa0eHNaTx4bnKnYC3n07zof6BJCMcTpF51u0dtU/s1600/Foundation%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas8_XZdNr5b_0CF0lnBV0BHIKrWIcLKzW4jp0UI1JeWBiAtCWLjRRZUNd1EYerMaa-RTcKyzRk-YZg7Qr1MyKVm_N14Dtt7sJndQpAa0eHNaTx4bnKnYC3n07zof6BJCMcTpF51u0dtU/s1600/Foundation%25231.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Da mixes 16, 80 pound bags of cement by hand...Oh, his aching back!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6ZhH4vjnImS4dKgGKWnWgmWoNv-Z93-V2o-14lpTZulUYyJENixaHNzsE_APM0PUP5tcQLYZGWGMeC-lyHyhvKwwwc7VZXTK8fgv5cloraik78QiCkticGidTYIfrBCcDvH7RhkwPBw/s1600/Angie+in+trench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6ZhH4vjnImS4dKgGKWnWgmWoNv-Z93-V2o-14lpTZulUYyJENixaHNzsE_APM0PUP5tcQLYZGWGMeC-lyHyhvKwwwc7VZXTK8fgv5cloraik78QiCkticGidTYIfrBCcDvH7RhkwPBw/s1600/Angie+in+trench.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I work the cement into the form, level and smooth the footer surface as
well as abrade most of the skin on my forearms and elbows. </td></tr>
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With the digging, forming, mixing, pouring, tamping, leveling and smoothing behind us, we can now turn to our mason to lay the brick and put our energies into a final plan for the deck. We have had a nebulous idea of what we wanted for a deck, but when it came time to actually decide what we were building it wasn't as straight forward as we thought it would be. We had to think outside of our original plans to come up with something that fit the space, gave us a nice place to sit and enjoy the gardens but also gave us a mud and mess barrier from the gardens to the inside of the house. Finally, we had a plan and our carpenter extraordinaire George, was scheduled to help Da put the deck in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJqnsUNkH8yKXvyeGlhabbE1eAI1_8oEmQ955RQtmCF2PjR9Y2y8aWu51pD_Ki22OSRAwNQHr0lKkSJsZdCUrv8Sk0MXa54PzHz-eaM7h7ujTXUBRixixksXzrgvaC3uwwMs7DHJuaHA/s1600/Building+Deck%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJqnsUNkH8yKXvyeGlhabbE1eAI1_8oEmQ955RQtmCF2PjR9Y2y8aWu51pD_Ki22OSRAwNQHr0lKkSJsZdCUrv8Sk0MXa54PzHz-eaM7h7ujTXUBRixixksXzrgvaC3uwwMs7DHJuaHA/s1600/Building+Deck%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Da and George screwing down the decking.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The deck base and railing framework went up very quickly. The pergola was put in place and roofed with clear, heavy gauge, corrugated plastic roofing to allow protection from the weather without cutting out all the light. At this point, We needed to take a break for a couple weeks while I contemplated the design for the deck railing and made the master patterns.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5otdpY5gknbSpJ6-UJFldpxVroVBqy2mkuW9sqq1zNPeyUoB8gkWPpBeRU_OjljvW5UrwwGXUI6e5pZwMBzSrdM6KkriaT3hTF3qNM7_chgNoQudvptK03_yxwYnb1iN92wXwnTnBsc/s1600/Partly+Finished+Deck%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5otdpY5gknbSpJ6-UJFldpxVroVBqy2mkuW9sqq1zNPeyUoB8gkWPpBeRU_OjljvW5UrwwGXUI6e5pZwMBzSrdM6KkriaT3hTF3qNM7_chgNoQudvptK03_yxwYnb1iN92wXwnTnBsc/s1600/Partly+Finished+Deck%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rails are up and the pergola covered, now what to do about the railing....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlwXkT6m-GX_7Zv6Q1e-eSHAhLwDiwBzryxrQVFK1-uzxB4vR9DHDN5I2K-YY1WDbwfmZG3cum2UB3Qc4R-UXvk9Tuj4SOjsKxzPf8644VDDYTBx__hFiTHuSxzAaV-XGNUpMZXEdWoo/s1600/Partly+Finished+Deck%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlwXkT6m-GX_7Zv6Q1e-eSHAhLwDiwBzryxrQVFK1-uzxB4vR9DHDN5I2K-YY1WDbwfmZG3cum2UB3Qc4R-UXvk9Tuj4SOjsKxzPf8644VDDYTBx__hFiTHuSxzAaV-XGNUpMZXEdWoo/s1600/Partly+Finished+Deck%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the herb garden expansion from our new deck.</td></tr>
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I wanted a railing that didn't block the view of our herb garden from the house or from our sitting area on the deck. I also wanted to embellish the railing with hearts, as a nod to the name of our sweet little cottage. So at every opportunity I would sit on the deck or at the kitchen table and look out at the garden area, trying to imagine what my ideas would look like in real life. My solution was to purchase some of the spindles I was thinking of using and to make a kraft paper scale model of my heart motif and then set them in place and continue sitting viewing the gardens until I was satisfied that I had what I wanted. The next step in the process was going to be very labor intensive, so I didn't want to commit it to wood until I was sure I was going to be happy with it.<br />
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Once the decision was made, we scheduled time for George to come and help me make my dreams a reality. I designed and cut out a paper template with two patterns one for the large sections and one for the narrower entry sections. George used these paper patterns to make a plywood template that he would use to cut out my Heart's Ease motifs. It took a couple of tries to get it just right, George was very patient with me as I looked over his shoulder and made on site modifications... Once I was happy with the panel, George used the final template and cut out all my Heart's Ease panels. My heart was doing flips as I watched the first panels go up. It was just as I had envisioned it in my mind, only better!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbzt0ij85aXSJEbkdHbiB2KGpU3aJYV76zsOkXPfpz3lGkd0cPqBnqBPzbLXuTlT58w3Eqw_o9DCFUWSVFY1pF9mjcB9ukJgHbPX-6tJFl_HAGmt4JHcfIYBL-eQ9ddFnewmln-ZGUKw/s1600/Railing+Paper+Template.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbzt0ij85aXSJEbkdHbiB2KGpU3aJYV76zsOkXPfpz3lGkd0cPqBnqBPzbLXuTlT58w3Eqw_o9DCFUWSVFY1pF9mjcB9ukJgHbPX-6tJFl_HAGmt4JHcfIYBL-eQ9ddFnewmln-ZGUKw/s1600/Railing+Paper+Template.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting out the paper pattern that will be used to make the wooden template for my railing panels</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FGtiuibMo5gJpUV8bB3ocxAXWdKG7kj07yPTVWFBhsTLtFgvUlawEFnLBgWLrZihnLEjoR65kh8Rq5ZdEyvOPZXQnn1NZkrs3ZjhB9M6HRnm0ZbAdyFHP4lP98hl6Xl0kIIihZ14GH0/s1600/Making+wooden+Template+for+Railing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FGtiuibMo5gJpUV8bB3ocxAXWdKG7kj07yPTVWFBhsTLtFgvUlawEFnLBgWLrZihnLEjoR65kh8Rq5ZdEyvOPZXQnn1NZkrs3ZjhB9M6HRnm0ZbAdyFHP4lP98hl6Xl0kIIihZ14GH0/s1600/Making+wooden+Template+for+Railing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the template from my craft paper pattern. The template will not
only be used to cut the pattern, but will hold all the boards in place
while cutting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWu6qjl_a6DogQDSIH7eb54SLXiiyTA0mXDcIi4PM5EH2968-HsKaO0Fv7C0by6w64flIS-3qXboCYnZr0rKFOLAYaGbjkFFdsu5_BQlwhT68Qyl0MvGM5n4D2t5EW0aVkRBmaVeeyH8/s1600/Putting+on+Railing%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWu6qjl_a6DogQDSIH7eb54SLXiiyTA0mXDcIi4PM5EH2968-HsKaO0Fv7C0by6w64flIS-3qXboCYnZr0rKFOLAYaGbjkFFdsu5_BQlwhT68Qyl0MvGM5n4D2t5EW0aVkRBmaVeeyH8/s1600/Putting+on+Railing%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spindles and panels being put in place on the deck. Oh! How exciting!!! I think it looks great!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This project started last fall with the foundation work, the deck went in during April, and now it is mid July. It took awhile but the deck construction is completed. But I still have a lot of work to do, I need to sand the panels and go around all the heart panels and use a Dremel tool to clean up any rough edges on the motifs before I paint. Then of course, I need to stain the deck floor and caulk and paint the railing and pergola but the deck is now in use and I am enjoying every minute I can squeeze in out there.<br />
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The second part of this project is the expansion of the herb garden, followed by the construction of a large pergola cover for my vintage 1957 camper and the continuation of a privacy fence/kiwi trellis that will go behind the herb garden expansion. That work will commence next week. Once the camper pergola is done, we will pour a patio across the walk from the deck. That will finish off the east side of the house projects for this year... whew! I get tired just talking about it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm92733NMFdSwRJ02nFvQFlGMtcow4eFK9YcOtrFthfq1bG47D7hqjaLi6G_F3SEnwVV0DBrZ9KWOK8PfCYYRukPECod4CO7m840MZQ5IzD_yzbAKGOeMMNsgzwasJnvtGbV_mqkin4I/s1600/Finished+Deck%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm92733NMFdSwRJ02nFvQFlGMtcow4eFK9YcOtrFthfq1bG47D7hqjaLi6G_F3SEnwVV0DBrZ9KWOK8PfCYYRukPECod4CO7m840MZQ5IzD_yzbAKGOeMMNsgzwasJnvtGbV_mqkin4I/s1600/Finished+Deck%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the completed deck as of yesterday. Now all I need to do is get it painted!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Part two of this post, the herb garden expansion, will be coming up next...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBlWk2IYE23gg_FKunun-BSVdEghyLAB6g7HzNl5TP5iOaNy1g-U0VENTRLn2GoDellbhfR-zFPQXbrWGUsS4CvYBGl6jCNCYgrZqD9mIQgRgE3b_llh6Y_HTRClIrf619ad2mguxy_o/s1600/View+from+Deck+July+12+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBlWk2IYE23gg_FKunun-BSVdEghyLAB6g7HzNl5TP5iOaNy1g-U0VENTRLn2GoDellbhfR-zFPQXbrWGUsS4CvYBGl6jCNCYgrZqD9mIQgRgE3b_llh6Y_HTRClIrf619ad2mguxy_o/s1600/View+from+Deck+July+12+%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Be sure to stop by for a visit again, and as always I would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment! Until next time!Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-27227187219119462892014-04-24T21:32:00.001-06:002015-08-25T14:43:41.264-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1csgM1AP3VnLkxntbiyfc6lqYNqaxyDiC5qMRL8A60siDLppQR-Fchsi7jF816-nI2Hfg7KNJfs9eKsxUb6ieExE5_dmcwQOOxUcls_b8_EytouQLeA8XykuwoQ7uXC9jX5-WQ9U3g-o/s1600/Squirrel+in+Swing%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1csgM1AP3VnLkxntbiyfc6lqYNqaxyDiC5qMRL8A60siDLppQR-Fchsi7jF816-nI2Hfg7KNJfs9eKsxUb6ieExE5_dmcwQOOxUcls_b8_EytouQLeA8XykuwoQ7uXC9jX5-WQ9U3g-o/s1600/Squirrel+in+Swing%25232.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At this time of year, where we live in North Carolina it is sunny and warm with a hint of much warmer weather coming close behind. But this year so far has been quite different from the norm. We had a long, bitter cold, gloomy, wet winter that went well into spring. Spring has been about what we usually experience during the winter, temperatures in the forties with rain and very little sun. We had a heavy frost on our last frost date</span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and it has</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">been below freezing every night this past week. I am almost afraid to see what the summer will bring. Last summer we had 8 inches more rain than the state of Washington, when we usually worry all summer about water conservation. I don't get it... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> My garden is really behind schedule, partly because I had a two month long bout with pneumonia, which took a lot out of me, but also because the weather has been too cold and wet to get the spring crops in the ground. But on days when it isn't raining, I have been putting in cool weather crops like chard and lettuce, cabbage and kale. Maybe with the weather being so cool I will still get some cool weather crops harvested before it starts getting hot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> We have had many project underway at Heart's Ease Cottage over the winter and several are now drawing to a close. The foundation work we did in the late summer and the water management work my husband obsessed over all winter are completed, making way for a project that I have been dreaming about since we bought the house in 1989. We are building a deck off of the kitchen area with a covered area for having meals out of doors and flagstone patio area in my kitchen herb garden. The deck will soon be completed and hopefully someday soon it will stop raining, so I can begin implementing my new herb garden plans. I will be putting in a flagstone patio across the sidewalk from our new deck and expanding my present herb garden to reside along the left and the right of the flagstone patio. I am very excited!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I have been working on another project, a bathroom remodel. I am finally to the point of putting paint on the walls! The renovations began with me pulling up the composition tile, (not much fun by the way...), and putting down mosaic tile. I have wanted to do that for years. We replaced the sink and cabinet with a pedestal sink and closed in our deep square skylight tunnel, fitting the ceiling with a reflective tunnel and cover instead. Finally, all the construction work is finished and I have put the faux finish background on the walls, next I will be stenciling the walls with stencils that I designed and cut myself. The end is in sight and soon I will be doing a post on the whole project, including some tips and how-to's for the decorative paint finishes and stencil creation. Until then here is a photo of the progress of the project.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tRlTiSqbE08FAE9jKXaVTFt3Tf1IqOkuwUMkY_u0MyMTRpQ_7J6uPmC8Sl8AONY3zLnwvJAWDFB_33dPWhrgb2rXbTnlVyoX9S4qG2sYMNwjPS-TWteOC-YP-HOvs6roe0V_jikDfvc/s1600/Faux+Finish%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tRlTiSqbE08FAE9jKXaVTFt3Tf1IqOkuwUMkY_u0MyMTRpQ_7J6uPmC8Sl8AONY3zLnwvJAWDFB_33dPWhrgb2rXbTnlVyoX9S4qG2sYMNwjPS-TWteOC-YP-HOvs6roe0V_jikDfvc/s1600/Faux+Finish%25233.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-26812060640827847952014-04-19T20:52:00.000-06:002015-09-10T20:50:43.905-06:00Savory Mushroom Stock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKLPz_gpn2h0TA9XtWmyl7wOJH60ordymoGBB4_cxbJfZck-KEHdOxr8IU8PdGOtvHw9mQ1uaKqTAbOgfAaJW986o0UX9oef3j-jMtT29wtsALh2b791FkCaKSfQf3mrJlNVUoACXwFw/s1600/Mushroom+stock+ingredients%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKLPz_gpn2h0TA9XtWmyl7wOJH60ordymoGBB4_cxbJfZck-KEHdOxr8IU8PdGOtvHw9mQ1uaKqTAbOgfAaJW986o0UX9oef3j-jMtT29wtsALh2b791FkCaKSfQf3mrJlNVUoACXwFw/s1600/Mushroom+stock+ingredients%25231.jpg" width="133" /></a>For the majority of our meals I try to serve as much raw food as I can, but sometimes it is just nice to have a hot satisfying meal. I often slake this craving with soup. I love soup, it is so versatile and it goes a long way.<br />
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One challenge that I struggled with when I first became vegan was how to make a decent pot of soup. Most soups require stock, as a foundation of flavor. I have not found the vegetable bouillon available in the supermarket to be very tasty or healthy for that matter, and water with no flavor base isn't acceptable either. So I cast around for an alternative. I began experimenting with different vegetable combinations to make my own stock, and came up with several that I really enjoy making. But today the stock that I want to talk about is one of my most recent creations, a savory mushroom stock. This stock has a woodsy, rich flavor that works well for things like French onion soup, vegetable barley soup, borscht and other soups that would normally use a beef stock as the base.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbnCH0JL_wf_XlyoybtyePVQWsr4s7F7Ygq4vJ37U34sLylVpbNkb7ILMxPPhIvTW4tq3mJIf3GrwsWvIN4TwYTrrTYfUcieH2w58cV6ykb_oT-h4KmB3HYSXb6a_GAH-H9w4NuY0-sk/s1600/Mushrooms+in+a+Pot%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbnCH0JL_wf_XlyoybtyePVQWsr4s7F7Ygq4vJ37U34sLylVpbNkb7ILMxPPhIvTW4tq3mJIf3GrwsWvIN4TwYTrrTYfUcieH2w58cV6ykb_oT-h4KmB3HYSXb6a_GAH-H9w4NuY0-sk/s1600/Mushrooms+in+a+Pot%25232.jpg" width="133" /></a>We are fortunate enough to live near a city that has several very well stocked ethnic markets, one of which is an Oriental market that carries a variety of fresh mushrooms. For this stock I use fresh Shitaki, Enoki, Oyster, Trumpet, light and dark Beech, and Portabello mushrooms. But if you don't have access to a large variety of mushrooms, then use what you can find. Dried Shitaki mushrooms can take the place of fresh, and Cremini or Button mushrooms and Portabello mushrooms will make a flavorful stock and are pretty commonly found in most markets.<br />
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<b><u>Savory Mushroom Stock</u></b><br />
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A variety of fresh and dried mushrooms, like Shitaki, Enoki, Trumpet, Oyster, Beech and Portabello mushrooms to equal 3 to 4 pounds of mushrooms. <br />
2-3 large yellow onions quartered, skins left on<br />
4-5 whole heads of garlic, cut into two pieces through the center<br />
5 large bay leaves<br />
3-4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary <br />
several springs of fresh thyme <br />
water<br />
2-3 Tbsp. salt<br />
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In a large stock pot, (mine is 20 quart), place all the mushrooms, onions, garlic, bay leaves, fresh herbs and salt in stock pot. Add water to cover mushrooms and fill the pot about 3/4 full, (amount of water would vary according to the size of the mushrooms). Place lid on pot and set heat at medium high until the water is boiling. Reduce heat to medium or even medium low depending on your stove. You want the stock to be at a slow simmer. Simmer for several hours, until the mushrooms are reduced to mush and the stock pot is about 1/2 full. Taste and adjust salt to taste. Strain the broth off into another pot and let it cool. You should have enough stock to fill between 6 and 8 quart-sized freezer bags. Place bags stacked two deep on a tray and freeze. Freezing them on a tray will make them easier to store when you take them off the tray. I usually return the mushrooms to the pot, add more onions and garlic, herbs and salt, and water to cover. Then I put it in the crock pot and cook for several hours. This usually gives me a few quarts more of stock to freeze. I sometimes throw in some dried shitaki just to make sure there is plenty of mushroomy goodness in the second batch.<br />
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<u><b> French Onion Soup </b></u><br />
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2-3 large red onions, sliced thinly<br />
1 quart bag of mushroom stock, plus 4 cups of water<br />
2 cloves of garlic, pressed<br />
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning <br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1/2 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil<br />
Dash of vegan Worchestershire sauce<br />
1 Tbsp. barley miso<br />
salt to taste<br />
If you have an open bottle of red wine on hand that needs to be used, ( or you want to serve wine with dinner), 1/2 cup of red wine makes a very nice addition. <br />
Place all the ingredients in a pot and simmer until the onions are soft. Remove bay leaf and serve hot. If desired you can spread a piece of French bread with a very thin layer of garlic-infused coconut oil, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutritional yeast. Place under the broiler until golden, then top the soup with the bread. Yum!<br />
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You are welcome to re-post my recipes as long as there is a link to this blog post. Please don't copy my recipes without giving me credit.<br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-36358817710454638032014-02-01T21:30:00.000-07:002015-08-25T14:47:44.456-06:00Simple Things You Can Do Right Now To Be Healthier and Happier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is<i> </i>a list of some simple things that you can do right now that will help you to feel better and be happier. None of them cost a thing, you don't have to spend anything but some time. By practicing these few things you can enrich your life and hopefully the lives of those around you. Since this is a list of my personal beliefs and practices, I wanted to make sure that there is a basis in fact for what I am recommending to you, so I made my list and then began to research to discover if there is scientific basis for what I believe it takes to live a healthy happy life. Here are my thoughts and some links to scientific findings on the subject:<br />
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<a href="http://lifehacker.com/5876786/turn-off-your-phone-to-quickly-eliminate-stress"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i></i></span></a><br />
<b>#1 Turn off your phone</b>.<br />
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You don't have to keep it off all the time, just turn it off when you are trying to have some time for yourself. Be in charge of your phone, tell it when it is useful and when it is a hindrance to peace and sanity. Don't just put it down or in your purse or pocket, turn it off. The notification tones for e-mail and Facebook, or whatever notifications you receive on a regular basis, will draw you back to the phone far more than is necessary. The phone should be a tool, not a task master. You have a message center and an inbox, most things can wait for you to have a few minutes of uninterrupted peace. There is much concern about the affects of cell phone use on the body, it is after all a microwave receiver, should be treated as such. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here is <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5876786/turn-off-your-phone-to-quickly-eliminate-stress">More reading</a></i></span><br />
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<b>#2</b> <b>Breathe Deeply</b><br />
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The practice of taking slow deep breaths has many health benefits, oxygenates the blood, calms the nerves, and energizes the brain. Take time to pay attention to your breathing, to purposefully breath deeply and slowly, and soon you will see an improvement in your overall well being and mental acuity. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-health-benefits-of-deep-breathing.html">Here</a> is an article that goes into more detail.</span></i><br />
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<b>#3 Find Some Time to be Quiet</b><br />
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I know life is busy and the demands of the day often start as soon as you get your eyes open, but having a few minutes of quiet at the beginning, middle and end of your day will give you time to regenerate. This is not a time for thinking, this is a time for going still, blocking out everything and just allowing your mind and body to rest. It doesn't have to be for very long, even 5 minutes a few times a day will help! This would be a good time to practice your deep rhythmic breathing... Some of the health benefits of quiet time or meditation are: Lower blood pressure, IBS relief, a boosted immune system,increased fertility, inflammation reduction, and fights depression. <a href="http://www.healthambition.com/health-benefits-of-meditation/"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">For further reading.</span></i></a><br />
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<b>#4 Eat Colorful Food</b><br />
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Eating colorful foods will give the body<b> </b>a variety of nutrients to pull from<b>, </b>and be a cheerful feast for the eyes as well.<b> </b>Composing a colorful plate will not only insure that you are nourishing your body, but is key to good mental health since food supplies the source of power for your brain as well. Low calorie, colorful, raw foods may offer protection against obesity-related
neurodegenerative processes, cognitive impairment and reduced brain
volume and function. A diet rich in raw, colorful vegeatbles and fruits will boost both physical and mental health<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Look <a href="http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/food-thought/eating-colorful-food-has-health-benefits">here</a> and <a href="http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-healthy-affect-physical-mental-social-health-6972.html">here</a> for more info.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>#5 Go Outside and Get Some Sun</b></span><br />
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According to a group of studies published in a 2010 issue of the
"Journal of Environmental Psychology," research participants reported
feeling happier, healthier and more alive when they spent time in
nature. Exposing your skin to the sun for 30 minutes a day will provide nearly
all the vitamin D a body needs for a day, reduces stress and benefits
sleep. But it doesn't require a study to prove that being outside is good for you physically and mentally. Spend a few minutes out in the sunshine and you will quickly see for yourself how much better you feel. <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/436651-the-effects-of-sunlight-fresh-air-on-the-body/#ixzz2hd4TKaf3"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Read more </span></i></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">#6 </span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Go Barefoot</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking your shoes off and going barefoot in the grass, soil or sand allows your body to make contact with the Earth. <a href="http://magazine.foxnews.com/earthing-go-barefoot-better-health"><i>Earthing</i></a><b>, </b>as it is called these days allows the body to be grounded in literal terms. Being grounded allows electrons to enter your body from the earth, these negatively charged free electrons are potent anti-oxidants, which bind with positively charged free radicals destroying the free radicals by cancellation. Spending time with your bare feet in contact with the ground, at least 10 minutes a day, will allow free radicals in your body to be destroyed, which will help to alleviate inflammation, (inflammation being a major contributor to disease, reducing or eliminating inflammation is vital to good health). </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another study found that earthing changed the electrical activity in the
brain, as measured by electroencephalograms. Still other research found
that grounding benefited skin conductivity, moderated heart rate
variability, improved glucose regulation, reduced stress and boosted
immunity. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">More <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9099/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-going-barefoot.html">here</a>. </span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#7 Stop and Smell the Flowers</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walking through the garden crushing herbs between your fingers and smelling their pungent scents and inhaling the sweet aroma of flowers has been a pleasant pass time through the ages, but scientific finding would indicate that it is more than a pleasant pass time. Many herbs and flowers have the ability to heal, their essence when inhaled can cross the <a href="http://www.highcountrydoterra.com/essential-oils-and-the-blood-brain-barrier/">blood brain barrier</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null">,</a> carrying their healing essence directly to the brain, once in the brain, they can affect healing in the rest of the body. Studies have shown that hospital </span></span></span></span><br />
patients with plants in their rooms had significantly fewer intakes of
pain medication, more positive physiological responses (lower blood
pressure and heart rate), less pain, anxiety, and fatigue, and better
overall positive and higher satisfaction with their recovery rooms than
their counterparts in the control group without plants in their rooms. Although a walk in the garden will help your health and mental well being, having the essential oils on hand and using them regularly is something I would recommend.<br />
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<b>#8 Laugh </b><br />
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Laughter is<b> </b>good medicine.<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Smiling works too. Having a positive attitude and sharing it with others spreads the wealth and just may help to keep you healthy. Here are some scientific studies on the affects of laughter on the body.</span></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">An excerpt from from an article on <a href="http://webmd.com/">WebMD.com</a></span></i><br />
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<li><b>Blood flow</b>.
Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood
vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the
screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved
normally -- expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in
people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow.
</li>
<li><b>Immune response</b>. Increased stress is
associated with decreased immune system response, says Provine. Some
studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of
infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune
cells, as well.</li>
<li><b>Blood sugar levels</b>. One study of 19 people with <a href="http://diabetes.webmd.com/default.htm">diabetes</a> looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating,
the group attended a tedious lecture. On the next day, the group ate the
same meal and then watched a comedy. After the comedy, the group had
lower blood sugar levels than they did after the lecture.</li>
<li><b>Relaxation and sleep</b>. The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin's memoir, <i>Anatomy of an Illness</i>.
Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine
condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and
episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that ten
minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep. </li>
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<b>#9 Be Kind</b><br />
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Random acts of kindness not only helps the recipient, it helps the giver. Kindness can diminish the effects of disease, decrease stress, anxiety and depression and enhance self esteem, boost self confidence and strengthen the immune system.The saying "what goes around comes around" may well be rooted in truth. <i>Read more<a href="http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/component/option,com_crossjoomlaarticlemanager/Itemid,265/aid,1732/view,crossjoomlaarticlemanager/"> here</a>.</i><br />
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<b>#10 Be Grateful</b><br />
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When we experience the generosity, kindness and sacrifice of others for our benefit and adopt an "attitude of gratitude", the peripheral health benefits are numerous. Gratitude has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, and a higher long-term satisfaction with life. See <a href="http://women.webmd.com/features/gratitute-health-boost">here</a> for more...<br />
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If you have a suggestion for other simple ways to health and happiness please feel free to add them in the comment section. I would love to hear what you are thinking! <br />
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<br />Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-40285503118861899872013-10-05T13:53:00.000-06:002013-10-13T06:33:33.903-06:00The Carambola TreeOn the farm where we lived in Costa Rica, we had many kinds of fruit, oranges, mangoes, mandarines, water apples, mora, to name a few. But one fruit in particular, the carambola, makes me homesick for our tropical mountain top life. Carambola, or as it is known stateside, star fruit, grew on a large tree near the entrance to the farm. The trees branches brushed the ground all around, you needed to push your way through the branches and stand inside the canopy of leaves and branches, in order to find the fruit. In the soft green/gold light under the branches, you would see the carambola fruits hanging from the branches in numbers that were completely hidden from view when looking at the tree from the outside. It was a magical place, quiet and cool, the ground padded with fallen leaves. You could comfortably stand up inside; it would be a great place to meditate, or for a picnic if it weren't for the vicious little biting ants that also appreciated the shelter and cool. Sometimes I would go in there and just stand,( in my ant proof knee high rubber boots...), taking in the beautiful light and the aroma of ripening carambola.<br />
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One day while standing in my carambola tree hideaway, I was blessed with a wonderful encounter. I was just getting ready to pick some fruit for juicing, when I heard a rustling sound behind me. Not knowing what might be joining me, (a poisonous snake came to mind...), I stood perfectly still. Soon a bird with big orange feet came into view. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOCkxBrBE8-iMmi7Ssranbx2VEE3-8ZoWlNwIw9c982NOkGVIPLtEDkH2TTdCxt0husjJ41xvIKGFK7SUpBPdVWYI1jgTPdIzlJh_KlEoiCxnOEitugRflNDA2AJfAO29Y2wcuuMrkJ8/s1600/GreyNeckedWoodRail-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOCkxBrBE8-iMmi7Ssranbx2VEE3-8ZoWlNwIw9c982NOkGVIPLtEDkH2TTdCxt0husjJ41xvIKGFK7SUpBPdVWYI1jgTPdIzlJh_KlEoiCxnOEitugRflNDA2AJfAO29Y2wcuuMrkJ8/s320/GreyNeckedWoodRail-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the mountain, our Tico neighbors don't know the actual name for it, they just call them Pajero Pato, or duck bird. It is more officially known as a Gray Necked Wood Rail. <i>Photo<a href="http://naturalencountersbirdingtours.com/"> http://naturalencountersbirdingtours.com</a> since all my photos are taken with the bird in the shadows</i></td></tr>
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For many months I had stalked this bird trying to get a good photo of it, but it is shy of people and disappeared into the undergrowth when it saw me coming. I would often see a pair of them down the lane on the farm under the giant mango trees, dabbling in a puddle after the rain, or ranging through the tall grass on the south face of our mountain, but this was the first time I had gotten to see it up close. Really close! The bird seemed totally unaware of my presence and spent several minutes rustling and scratching around for something good to eat. I dared not move anything but my eyes and lamented that I didn't have my camera with me, but it was quite a treat to just to get to observe it so closely. In the shadows under the tree, the curiously constructed bird with its giant orange feet and duck shaped body, looked rather drab, the color of dead leaves and mud. But as it strolled past me and popped out from under the branches of the carambola tree into the sunlight beyond, its gray neck feathers shimmered with a brilliant green and the mud colored feathers at the base of its neck and back glowed golden orange. It was what I like to call a "God Moment", a moment in time that will never occur again, when the Creator of the Universe is made very real to me.<br />
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Like mandarines, carambola are a fall and winter crop in Costa Rica. During the time that they were in season we would drink our fill of mandarine/carambola juice with our breakfast in the mornings. It was so fresh and delicious! Here in the states, the carambola is expensive, and sub par, being that they are usually picked and shipped green, so they don't normally develop their wonderful sweet, tanginess. But the other day I was checking out a new Publix grocery store near us and saw that they had some promising looking carambola. They were yellow on the edges and pinky orange near the center, just like they were when we picked them on the farm in Costa Rica. They were also on sale at $1.00 a piece, so I cheerfully grabbed a couple so that I could make a tropical fruit juice for Shabbat breakfast.<br />
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So this morning, when we had our Sabbath breakfast out in the Lil' Swiss Miss, (our 1957 Swiss Colony camper), which consisted of a bowl heaped with apples, oranges, plums, grapes, kiwi and bananas, we also had a rich and velvety glass of tropical fruit punch. Oh was it good!<br />
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I made the juice by running it through our Greenstar juicer, but it can be done about as well, (maybe a little pulpier), in a good blender. Here is the recipe:<br />
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<b>Tropical Sunrise Punch</b></div>
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One ripe carambola</div>
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Six large mandarine oranges (also known as clementines), or 8 small ones, peeled</div>
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One orange, peeled</div>
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One very ripe Ataulfo or "champaign" mango (the small golden mango), or 1/2 a very ripe Tommy Atkins,(the large, thick bodied green and red mango), peeled and seeded.</div>
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3/4 cup fresh pineapple</div>
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0ne carrot<br />
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Run through the juicer and serve. If using a blender, blend all until smooth and strain to remove carambola seeds, citrus skins and pineapple and carrot pulp. It can be chilled, but I think the flavor is more pronounced at room temperature. Serves two in goblets, or four in juice glasses.</div>
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Sip and enjoy some of the photos I took of the birds that lived with us in Costa Rica! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM7Nru5pn2wde_Vo1trnzruiuaE0e8tdcRWHldFEGwObmyDXeFKdNcWC9s8vEunSYV03XR4_GdtEc6loqT8xQzPUX5j-Uv-S1dSJIyJ_a7OZ8mD3HgiOg7o23-0-q2cd5ovG91BQF_tk/s1600/toucan%232April2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM7Nru5pn2wde_Vo1trnzruiuaE0e8tdcRWHldFEGwObmyDXeFKdNcWC9s8vEunSYV03XR4_GdtEc6loqT8xQzPUX5j-Uv-S1dSJIyJ_a7OZ8mD3HgiOg7o23-0-q2cd5ovG91BQF_tk/s320/toucan%232April2010.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keel Billed Toucan on the farm, Sabalito Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXlIhJ9jWIOn0nfrtR1KodvNwaI8jUtVXRjm5UK21uTXRyxdOw484JN8c1zrHzWJIAFgxzzHucwro7Cqe5iIIXlD4Dy7d7f-5dInewsATiF5-GqdM14nu5d4tr8sBX3KbgxpI89T2hyphenhyphenc/s1600/woodnymph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXlIhJ9jWIOn0nfrtR1KodvNwaI8jUtVXRjm5UK21uTXRyxdOw484JN8c1zrHzWJIAFgxzzHucwro7Cqe5iIIXlD4Dy7d7f-5dInewsATiF5-GqdM14nu5d4tr8sBX3KbgxpI89T2hyphenhyphenc/s320/woodnymph.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood Nymph Arenal Observatory, La Fortuna Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOMxYM0fF_zOL93Uv7BHJTI165LkitZt9PWQzePcgUxg7tzXvXRZEZ9BpoAVo4YJRQOelutM68RkO9inEfyU_TK0OjiDNbtC8cOcxS765LCUTT45RN50Gj19EEOg7-nNRMCUxltGkuAQ/s1600/duckbirds%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOMxYM0fF_zOL93Uv7BHJTI165LkitZt9PWQzePcgUxg7tzXvXRZEZ9BpoAVo4YJRQOelutM68RkO9inEfyU_TK0OjiDNbtC8cOcxS765LCUTT45RN50Gj19EEOg7-nNRMCUxltGkuAQ/s320/duckbirds%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pair of Gray Necked Wood Rails dabbling in puddle on the farm, Sabalito Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5UP5kqmoI2n2rkUeTT9Na93-AgBk6tTbntiJJyMgdgtE93MjB0jtoi_4VZG2l6gATjtqkJf88HsoMVMjubmUNNK8Cvgsqya3O7TUcpZKcRreJPNT6HOOAbeTENFJcuQHvqB7dQxYBXs/s1600/Magpie+Jays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5UP5kqmoI2n2rkUeTT9Na93-AgBk6tTbntiJJyMgdgtE93MjB0jtoi_4VZG2l6gATjtqkJf88HsoMVMjubmUNNK8Cvgsqya3O7TUcpZKcRreJPNT6HOOAbeTENFJcuQHvqB7dQxYBXs/s320/Magpie+Jays.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magpie Jay on the farm in Sabalito Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYx1FHPB4mLDr_SPZJiD4GC17r-_hviHJsDWDAM2LmChLmWsRyR_1jcDdEE2bbfCwvHI9ia36IQp65LqEZ6FbKBg81ahflFo-Oyjiq8SXyKss27RSioj2BkvYckRvyWS2WKL4bSy3hcI/s1600/Blue+Crested+Mot-Mot+in+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYx1FHPB4mLDr_SPZJiD4GC17r-_hviHJsDWDAM2LmChLmWsRyR_1jcDdEE2bbfCwvHI9ia36IQp65LqEZ6FbKBg81ahflFo-Oyjiq8SXyKss27RSioj2BkvYckRvyWS2WKL4bSy3hcI/s320/Blue+Crested+Mot-Mot+in+Tree.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Crested Mot-Mot on the farm, Sabalito Costa Rica 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH_vLLVQu0BsBfBYqOyaVZNYv1C0dQZQwMCgPhQ9WksL8pBdPvMV8dWBEkzJgPhS1LUYKVK70J9QqImk9ewYfTOUJ74FBQB6MOzPCmpzYCO-Tfs7uyMZ7_VKQxSCxgG8Q29dHlLhtTsU/s1600/Chestnut+Mandabled+Toucan+in+Banana+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH_vLLVQu0BsBfBYqOyaVZNYv1C0dQZQwMCgPhQ9WksL8pBdPvMV8dWBEkzJgPhS1LUYKVK70J9QqImk9ewYfTOUJ74FBQB6MOzPCmpzYCO-Tfs7uyMZ7_VKQxSCxgG8Q29dHlLhtTsU/s320/Chestnut+Mandabled+Toucan+in+Banana+Tree.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut Mandible Toucan, Bijagua Costa Rica 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEO7qh0OwY5DEJnjFQ4GyEWxy7jJf1qAX_6aasQUtbMUzyZRiUSHQmu27Wh9dYD-n5ongUFAVrWPFT9TMQVwNIyeZWCbtkBxvVQWBIlbRdmfGhvhg3LWJZuC5EDHnBmA0tbWVgpPhXOM/s1600/Violet+Saberwing+in+Flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEO7qh0OwY5DEJnjFQ4GyEWxy7jJf1qAX_6aasQUtbMUzyZRiUSHQmu27Wh9dYD-n5ongUFAVrWPFT9TMQVwNIyeZWCbtkBxvVQWBIlbRdmfGhvhg3LWJZuC5EDHnBmA0tbWVgpPhXOM/s320/Violet+Saberwing+in+Flight.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet Saberwing in flight, Poas Costa Rica 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQlyhcgFLeZIQgtB_QdXajm5jJLsEoexiqYc7Xku_b-y97UNz9XEgPqAgxyDxZbgoytaCkDUHM7Gw70Ap1xbCoVHZycBGsBybFJXXLVZmCNfA-2fIN_nRGGRNUK_hjwtHrLVBuAjqWeA/s1600/Violet+Saberwing+Resting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQlyhcgFLeZIQgtB_QdXajm5jJLsEoexiqYc7Xku_b-y97UNz9XEgPqAgxyDxZbgoytaCkDUHM7Gw70Ap1xbCoVHZycBGsBybFJXXLVZmCNfA-2fIN_nRGGRNUK_hjwtHrLVBuAjqWeA/s320/Violet+Saberwing+Resting.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet Saberwing at rest, Poas Costa Rica 2011</td></tr>
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Pura Vida!</div>
Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7094161775523073702.post-91912579944005671592013-09-24T19:22:00.001-06:002015-04-16T12:34:29.156-06:00Thai Food Raw Style<div style="text-align: left;">
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Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, so when I started eating vegan raw I was afraid that would be the end of my love affair with Thai food, but I have learned how to have my cake and eat it too! I started experimenting with the basic ingredients of Thai cuisine and have come up with some recipes that satisfy my taste for Thai.</div>
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One of the main stumbling blocks to creating authentic Thai dishes that are vegan is that so many of the dishes use fish sauce in them. To omit the fish sauce in Pad Thai wouldn't leave much as far as taste goes, but I have come up with a recipe for vegan "fish" sauce that has all the taste of the sea, but is 100% vegan and raw to boot! The sauce requires a little forethought since it needs a day or so in the fridge to assume its full character. It is a good idea to make it at least a day ahead, when time allows, to let it mellow a in the fridge before using.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrXDdS4SRn37KnvbeobkQDX6JhS5W6uHf34tFxjNAF3QvW5r10-qCQ-7dLV-OXpdIQdMdpMRQQJ-zBhlBf-C0VhYtME256p94Bx5lJTsH0HPWDbMcEuBO3OcHb0CIKVjSHQ-QUNQCKak/s1600/Beginning+Photo_Fish+Sauce%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrXDdS4SRn37KnvbeobkQDX6JhS5W6uHf34tFxjNAF3QvW5r10-qCQ-7dLV-OXpdIQdMdpMRQQJ-zBhlBf-C0VhYtME256p94Bx5lJTsH0HPWDbMcEuBO3OcHb0CIKVjSHQ-QUNQCKak/s200/Beginning+Photo_Fish+Sauce%232.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Raw "Fish" Sauce</b></u><br />
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1/3 cup shredded seaweed, ( I use a combination of Wakame and Dulse)</div>
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1 1/2 cups water</div>
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2 fat cloves of garlic</div>
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1/1/2 tsp.peppercorns</div>
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1/2 cup Nama Shoyu or Braggs, or Tamari sauce.</div>
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1 Tblsp. Miso, red miso or barley miso</div>
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Juice of 1 lime</div>
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1/1/2 tsp. organic sugar, (or comparable amount of alternative sweetener)</div>
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1/2 tsp. ground ginger or 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger</div>
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1/2 tsp. garlic granules</div>
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1/4 tsp. chili powder</div>
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2/3 cup shitake mushrooms, fresh or dried and soaked </div>
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Srirachi sauce, chile paste or cayenne powder to desired level of heat</div>
Soak
the seaweed in the water, if using dried shitake then add them to the
soaking water as well. When the seaweed is hydrated, pour into a blender
and add fresh shitake, ( if using dried shitake, when they are softened
by the soaking water cap them and discard stems, then add to blender), blend to make a thick slurry. In a small personal blender place
peeled and mashed garlic cloves, peppercorns, your choice of soy sauce
equivalents, miso, lime juice vinegar, sweetener, and spices. Blend
together to a fine paste, then add to the mushroom/seaweed mixture and
blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Refrigerate and allow to mellow a few days before using.<br />
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With the "fish" sauce problem solved I went on to convert some of my favorite Thai recipes to raw/vegan and invited friends to dinner to test my recipes. The dinner started off with Thai Tomato Coconut Soup, then we had Thai Spring Rolls with dipping sauces and Pad Thai. The meal went over well with our friends and I was happy with the results. As with any foods that are converted from cooked to raw, there is the whole "but this food isn't hot" thing to get past, but then the raw food begins to speak for itself... it is clean and fresh, the textures are interesting, the flavors complex and the colors vibrant. You are getting all of the food's nutritive value, satisfying your mouth and your stomach, you can eat until your heart is content and have no guilt or fear for your waistline... Seems like a pretty easy trade off to me! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This coming Tuesday I will be
giving a demonstration for the preparation of a raw Thai Food meal at a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/61818596079/">raw food group</a> I belong to.
I am posting all the recipes for the demonstration here on my blog so
that you and anyone who attends the meeting can have access to the recipes if
they want to try them at home, so this post will be a little longer than usual.</i></span><br />
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<u><b>Raw Pad Thai</b></u></div>
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2-3 servings</div>
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1 pkg. Gold Mine raw kelp noodles, (available at Earth Fare or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Mine-Kelp-Noodles-16-Ounce/dp/B005LMCD8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379902693&sr=8-1&keywords=kelp+noodles">Amazon.com</a>)</div>
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or<br />
Happy Pho brown rice noodles with seaweed, (available at Whole Foods) <br />
1 cup bean sprouts</div>
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1 tsp. Sriracha or other chile paste, (optional but adds character)</div>
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1 Tblsp.Nama Shoyu, (soy sauce or Braggs depending upon your preference)<br />
1/2 tsp.Chili powder</div>
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1 Tbsp. Uma Plum vinegar<br />
1 scant tsp. sesame oil<br />
1-2 clove garlic, pressed or minced</div>
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1/2 tsp.garlic granules</div>
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2-3 green onions, cut into thin strips</div>
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2 large Medjool date, pitted and soaked in scant 1/4 cup water</div>
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2 Tblsp. tamarind</div>
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Several sprigs cilantro</div>
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Juice of one lime</div>
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Carrots, shredded</div>
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Zucchini, shredded or julienned</div>
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Broccoli cut into small pieces</div>
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Red bell pepper, cut into thin strips</div>
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Peanuts or almonds chopped</div>
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1/3 cup "Fish" sauce</div>
2 Tblsp. almond butter<br />
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Combine the "fish" sauce, the tamarind paste, Sriracha,(optional), chili powder, fresh and granulated garlic, sugar, vinegar, Nama Shoyu or equivalent. If you are using the Happy Pho Brown rice noodles, soak 3
balls of noodles in 115 degree water for at least an hour. Drain well.
If using the kelp noodles, drain well. Toss the noodles with half of the Pad Thai sauce and reserve the rest. Refrigerate several hours to allow the noodle to absorb flavors. Right before serving, toss noodles with remaining sauce, the carrots, zucchini, broccoli, and then top with bean sprouts, green onion strips, red bell pepper strips, cilantro and chopped nuts.</div>
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<br />
<u><b>Spring Rolls</b></u></div>
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Happy Pho Brown Rice Wrappers, (can be purchased at Whole Foods or online at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vietnamese-Brown-Rice-Spring-Wrapper/dp/B006UQUAQC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1379904779&sr=8-4&keywords=happy+pho">Amazon.com</a>) </div>
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Shredded, Carrots</div>
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Shredded, Zucchini</div>
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Kelp noodles or rice noodles</div>
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Napa cabbage, shredded</div>
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Pickled daikon radish</div>
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Basil</div>
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Cilantro</div>
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Bell pepper, cut in thin strips<br />
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Place a container of warm water near your works surface. Take one of the rice wrappers and soak in the warm water until it begins to soften. Place wrapper on clean work surface, smooth out until completely flat. Add small quantity of carrots, shredded zucchini, Napa cabbage,pickled daikon, basil, cilantro and bell pepper. On side of the wrapper closest to you, arrange the vegetables evenly over 1/3 of the wrapper, starting in an inch from either end to allow room to fold ends in. Add small quantity of kelp noodles to the vegetables if desired , then fold the side in over the vegetables. Carefully fold the side closest to you over the top of the vegetables and begin rolling the vegetables up "egg roll style" in the wrapper. Keep a gentle but firm grip on the roll and tuck the vegetables in as you roll to keep things tight.<i> If using the Happy Pho brown rice wrappers it will be necessary to soak and wrap the roll in a second wrapper, since the whole grain wrappers split fairly easily. If using regular rice flour wrappers, only one wrapper is necessary since there is no bran to make it less elastic. </i>Right before serving cut roll in half on a diagonal and serve with dipping sauces.</div>
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<u><b>"Peanut" Sauce</b></u></div>
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1 cup raw almond butter</div>
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1/4 cup coconut milk, make your own, (go<a href="http://www.rawmazing.com/fresh-raw-coconut-milk/"> here</a> for recipe, or you can make it from young fresh coconut pulp(not quite as rich as milk from mature coconuts), or if you aren't concerned about it being 100% raw, you can find canned coconut milk and coconut creme in most grocery stores.</div>
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1/3 cup water</div>
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Juice of one large lime</div>
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2 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or soy sauce</div>
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\2 tsp. "fish" sauce</div>
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1 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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1/8 cup cilantro</div>
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2 tsp. Srirarchi, chili paste or heaping tsp. red pepper flakes</div>
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2 tsp. Uma Plum vinegar</div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a blender,<b> </b>blend all ingredients well. Refrigerate.</span><br />
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<u><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><b>Spring Roll Dipping Sauce </b></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 red chile, (fresh cayenne or ripe red jalapeno)</span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 Thai bird chile</span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 Tblsp. minced garlic</span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 1/2 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1/2 cup organic sugar, or comparable quantity of sweetener of your choice dissolved in </span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1/4 cup 115 degree water</span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 Tblsp. "fish" sauce </span></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1/3 cup vinegar. (equal parts Uma Plum vinegar and rice wine vinegar)</span></div>
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1 large mango<br />
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Blend </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> ingredients </span>well in a bullet blender and serve with Thai Spring Rolls.</span><br />
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<b>Thai Tomato </b><b><b>Coconut </b>Soup</b></div>
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">This is a great way to start off a Thai dinner. This creamy soup only takes a few minutes, but it has a complex flavor and just enough "heat" from the chipotle to make you feel like you are eating hot soup!</span><br />
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Serves 4 as first course or 2-3 as dinner<br />
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3 cups cherry tomatoes</div>
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3 Tbsp.coconut oil</div>
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Juice of 2 limes</div>
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1/2 cup cilantro <br />
1 Tblsp.agave, maple syrup or honey<br />
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger</div>
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1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed</div>
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1 Tblsp. tomato powder, (optional but really adds something to the soup! You can find dehydrated tomato powder <a href="http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/tomatopowdercan.aspx#.UkG6D38hWvs">here</a>, or make your own using sun dried tomatoes blended to powder in a bullet blender.)<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1/3 cup chipotle en adobo or 1-11/2 tsp. chipotle powder </div>
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1/2 cup basil shredded thinly, (reserved for serving time)</div>
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1/2 avacado, cut in cubes, (reserved for serving time)</div>
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1/2 cup chopped cucumber, (reserved for serving time)</div>
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1 Tblsp.agave, maple syrup or honey<br />
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In a blender, combine all ingredients with 1/4-1/2 cup of water, (depending on the consistency desired. start with 1/4 cup water and ad up to 1/4 cup more if needed), and blend until smooth and creamy. Divide avocado and cucumber into individual bowls, spoon soup into bowls and top with basil strips.</div>
<br />
Blog Hops this post is linked to:<br />
<a href="http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/09/clever-chicks-blog-hop-53-with-two.html">Clever Chicks Blog Hop #53</a></div>
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Elle Mentalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734966446287632443noreply@blogger.com2