tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71944039276504658152024-02-07T18:05:28.639-07:00Family, Food and FirearmsA Well-Armed Housewife's perspective on all of the important *F* wordsWell Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-80736684608378552552014-10-22T00:26:00.001-06:002014-10-23T08:41:36.265-06:00The Power of DenialAn interesting thing happened to me the other day. I got thrown of the library for carrying a concealed handgun. <br />
<br />
I'm pretty familiar with handgun law in my state...heck, I <i>teach </i>handgun and concealed carry law to people hoping to earn a concealed carry handgun permit in my state.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY32rNNXKTGdl0bUfQqmsFqnxvJJARvB2mO8lrIUGjUqHnGtuOd1AbpeiGCZqrzBZ89LWLBQS0CBH_LVTja96QWfBUQWogJJqouMsQxej7koNLMKiMXt43ZWlwcfq7sd7yYm5ogb2Cb4/s1600/Firearm-Signs---Industrial-43467BBVPLYALU-ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY32rNNXKTGdl0bUfQqmsFqnxvJJARvB2mO8lrIUGjUqHnGtuOd1AbpeiGCZqrzBZ89LWLBQS0CBH_LVTja96QWfBUQWogJJqouMsQxej7koNLMKiMXt43ZWlwcfq7sd7yYm5ogb2Cb4/s1600/Firearm-Signs---Industrial-43467BBVPLYALU-ba.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
So, I know that public buildings cannot prohibit concealed carry on the premises without metal detectors being installed at every entrance, full time armed security guarding every access point, and securely storage for patron's firearms outside the building.<br />
<br />
In fact, even to prohibit OPEN carry of firearms in a public building in my state, the facility needs to clearly post appropriate signage at every entrance. Since none of those were in place at my local library, I naturally assumed that I could patronize this tax-payer funded, public establishment unharassed for my choice to carry a firearm, as I have for the last 5 or more years.<br />
<br />
As a homeschooler, the library is a priceless resource. And now that my oldest is consuming literature at a rate of approximately 1,000 pages per week, it is a necessary one. For the last several years, the kids and I spend a couple hours a week at the library. I sit in the back at a table in the children's section either working on my computer or knitting, while my kids search for books and play computer games on the library's electronics. It was a day exactly like any other when it happened.<br />
<br />
As I sat quietly in front of my laptop, peeking over now and again to monitor my kids use of the library's electronics, a librarian came over searching the ground for something she appeared to have dropped. I knew the librarian, and had talked with her many times. Once she even complimented me for my children's ability to navigate the search feature of the electronic book catalog.<br />
<br />
So I looked up and smiled, wondering if I could help her find whatever she had dropped.<br />
<br />
She meekly whispered, "firearm?" I stared at her blankly.<br />
<br />
Then she asked me point blank, "Do you have a firearm?"<br />
<br />
My gun was concealed, so I didn't need to tell her I was armed. But I also knew full well that the library had no signage prohibiting even the open carry of firearms, so rather than lie or dodge the question, I simply replied, "yes."<br />
<br />
Shocked by my response she quickly stated, "You're going to need to take it outside and leave it in your car."<br />
<br />
Bless her little heart! I think she truly believed that the inanimate object on my belt would suddenly jump out of its holster without my permission and start discharging rounds in the children's book section! So dangerous this object was, in her sweet uneducated mind, that it must be immediately quarantined from the general population. Yes, the car is a much safer place for such an unpredictable item! Of course, I could stay...I was fine, safe, trustworthy. But that pesky hunk of metal? No way.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvnX7XV-QRe47JKvXeeFG5K_ZYd3wvYUoEm8N8s3SOtWUfPD022lZmj9ltQT7Md9fSZ3tPilmsmr1l8N_Sv-byevAdFmr5UlG1Aj3YIZW6OLRuD7dUjsLoTCN6zES9lGthKVG9vsuP20/s1600/index.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/AVvXsEhCvnX7XV-QRe47JKvXeeFG5K_ZYd3wvYUoEm8N8s3SOtWUfPD022lZmj9ltQT7Md9fSZ3tPilmsmr1l8N_Sv-byevAdFmr5UlG1Aj3YIZW6OLRuD7dUjsLoTCN6zES9lGthKVG9vsuP20/s1600/index.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>I explained that I was violating no laws by carrying it in the library. I informed her that I had the right to protect my children and myself, and that right was protected by the federal constitution, the state constitution, and state law. <br />
<br />
Now slightly flustered by my lack of alarm at what she believed to be a threat to everyone's safety, she plead, "There are no weapons allowed in the library! It's library policy."<br />
<br />
Calmly, I asked her to produce a written copy of the library's policy.<br />
<br />
From my perch at the back table of the children's section, I watched the librarian scurry to the main info desk. She consulted with several other staff members, walked into the back room. A few moments later, a short gray-haired woman who I recognized as the library director marched toward me, flanked by the little librarian and a Birkenstock-wearing, long-haired library patron, who I surmised was the tattle tail who got me into this mess.<br />
<br />
The library director shoved a printed copy of the library's "policy" on firearms at me. I perused it briefly, with the library hens hovering over me. Sure enough, along with an endless list of prohibited devient behaviors, including stalking library patrons, having sexual intercourse in the library, bringing unauthorized pets in the library, the website printout read, "No weapons of any kind allowed in the library, except by law enforcement".<br />
<br />
I looked up at the Director, and asked her if she was aware that state law gave me the right to carry a firearm into public buildings? This was her chance to exit stage left and bone up on the law before plunging the library headlong into a lawsuit, but she opted to keep going, and stated with smug satisfaction, "I have the right to prohibit you from exercising that 'right'." Strike 1.<br />
<br />
I asked her what provisions the library had in place to guarantee my children's safety if they were going to prohibit me from protecting them. She confidently informed me that if there was a threat, they would call the police. I asked her what her plan was to keep kids safe while they waited for the police to arrive. She said she'd rather not think about it. The library's official solution for keeping my children safe is...you guessed it...DENIAL. Strike 2.<br />
<br />
I asked her if the library had fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, and had been inspected by the fire chief to ensure compliance with fire code. "Of course," she replied. "Do you plan to have lots of fires?" I asked. "Would you call the fire department if you did have a fire? Wouldn't you try to put it out first?"<br />
<br />
Now I had crossed the line. How dare I drag these well meaning shepherds of knowledge and learning kicking and screaming out of their denial!<br />
<br />
She told me I could leave the library immediately or she would call the Chief of Police right now and have me arrested. Strike 3. <br />
<br />
Once again, I took stock of my options. I wasn't doing anything wrong and I had broken no laws; in fact, I was just getting warmed up on the whole firearms education stuff. On the other hand, I was all alone in enemy territory with my children. There was now a growing crowd of library patrons who were NOT my allies, and past experiences with local law enforcement have taught me that they're not always concerned about upholding the law.<br />
<br />
I decided to cut my losses, a decision the Hubby chastized me for later. But before gathering my things, and herding my children out the door of the public library, I obtained the Director's business card and assured her this wouldn't be the last of me.<br />
<br />
I won't go into all of the details of the events that followed my expulsion from the library, but sufficed to say that I felt it my duty to encourage the library to bring its policy into compliance with state law. I am happy to say that months later, my lovely local library has changed its concealed carry policy, and after it all my children and I proudly patronize the library weekly, and yes, I still lawfully carry a firearm every time I step foot in that...uhhh...*begin sarcasm* <i>blessed clearinghouse of knowledge, wisdom, and academia</i><b> </b>*end sarcasm*.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Here's what I learned from this whole <strike>ordeal</strike> experience:<br />
<br />
<b>Denial is a powerful disease.</b><br />
<br />
One of the reporters covering the story asked me in an interview, had I had considered other people's comfort when I carried my gun into the
library? My immediate response was,"I am not responsible for other people's comfort
and I am certain no one considered my comfort when they
threw me out of the library for wanting to protect my children." <br />
<br />
But later on, the reporter's question struck me as incredibly strange. Do we truly live in a culture where I am expected to surrender my instinct for survival in order to put strangers at ease? Holy smokes. This perpetuation of denial trend is more dangerous that I thought!<br />
<br />
Perhaps concealed carry in America has done a great disservice to
our rights and freedoms by taking guns out of the public realm. Though concealed carry was originally lobbied for by those who carried firearms for protection for the tactical advantage it gave them in an emergency, it has now become the armed citizen's curse by emboldening the denial of an entire generation of Americans. The library can't do anything about whether or not I carry a firearm, but by posting a sign prohibiting OPEN CARRY, they can make it so they don't have to look at armed people. <br />
<br />
<b>Denial is dangerous.</b><br />
<br />
Denial soothes the populous into believing that if they just
comply, follow the rules, keep their heads down, don't piss anyone off,
don't do anything to stand out or draw attention to themselves,
everything will be all right. I bet that's exactly what the Jews thought in Hitler's Germany. <br />
<br />
Denial convinces society as a whole that there will always be
someone around to protect us when we need it, so there's no need to
come up with a back up plan, or to put ourselves in positions to maximize our chances for survival until the appropriate authority arrives.<br />
<br />
And even more tragically, denial assures otherwise incredibly intelligent people that their children are safe from violence at school, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what the solution is, or if there is a solution at all. But I'm confident of a few things. The mere fact that I carry a gun and make preparations to take responsibility for my family's safety makes people uncomfortable. If I cater to the denial that has infiltrated our society, the world will not be a safer place. However, if there ever is a life threatening emergency, the same people who hate me today for exposing their denial will demand I protect them when their lives are threatened. And more than likely I will, if it's in my power to do so.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-68516009996864559772014-08-24T17:18:00.000-06:002014-08-24T17:18:11.313-06:00Problems Preserving Peaches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, I made my annual <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2011/08/palisade-peach-pilgrimage.html" target="_blank">Palisade Peach Pilgrimage</a> and this year, the family came too.<br />
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We had a blast tasting and picking peaches. <br />
<br />
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At the end of two days, we came home with several cases of ripe delicious peaches.<br />
<br />
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Once home, the race was on to get them all put up and preserved before they rotted in the boxes. If you don't know what that involves, check out this post: "<a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2011/08/processing-all-those-peaches.html" target="_blank">Processing all those Peaches</a>".<br />
<br />
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Maybe it was because I was rushing to get everything done. Maybe it was because my canning skills have suddenly failed me. Maybe it was because I didn't have a team of helpers canning with me this year. Or maybe it was just the curse of canning peaches, but literally, everything that COULD go wrong when canning peaches DID go wrong: jars failed to seal, jars broke in the canner, and several jars overflowed their juices all over the place leaving a huge void where there should be peaches.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
After all of that trouble, I did a little research to address each possible peach preserving peril and pitfall, so you can be positively prepared if they ever happen to you. <br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><u><b>PROBLEM #1: Jars fail to seal</b></u></span><br />
<br />
<b>Symptoms:</b><br />
Button on jar lid doesn't "pop down" when it cools, and when you push on the top of the lid, it moves.<br />
<br />
<b>Possible causes: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Bad or old lid</li>
<li>Too little or too much head room in the jar</li>
<li>Forgot to wipe rim</li>
<li>Didn't process long enough </li>
</ul>
<b>What to do about it:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>If all of your lids seal but one, put the unsealed jar in the fridge. Sometimes, the rapid change in temperature will force the hot air out and create the vacuum necessary for the jar to seal. If it seals this way, leave the band off the jar for storing so that, if the seal fails, you know right away.</li>
<li>If it doesn't seal, keep it refrigerated </li>
<li>Never re-use canning lids, unless they are designed to be re-used (like <a href="http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/" target="_blank">Tattler </a>lids) </li>
<li>Follow recipe instructions precisely to avoid sealing problems in the future</li>
<li>Make sure you take altitude into consideration and adjust canning times accordingly. </li>
</ul>
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<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><u><b>PROBLEM #2: Jar breaks inside the canner</b></u></span><br />
<br />
<b>Symptoms: </b><br />
This one's pretty easy to diagnose. You suddenly see the entire contents of a jar floating around in the canner, OUTSIDE the jar. <br />
<br />
<b>Possible causes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Old jar</li>
<li>Cracked jar</li>
<li>Jar created suction to bottom of the canner</li>
<li>You drop jar in the canner (that's what I did)</li>
</ul>
<b>What to do about it:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Depends on what stage of the canning process you're in. For me, it happened with the first jar I put in the canner. So I turned off the heat on that canner and fired up another one to process all the other jars. Meanwhile, I fished out the broken bottom of the jar, dumped the now contaminated water, refilled it with clean water, and put it back on the stove.</li>
<li>If it happens while you're processing all of your jars, just continue processing and deal with it later. After you've pulled out the remaining good jars, let them cool and then wipe them down with a soapy wet cloth. Clean out the canner and get back to it.</li>
<li>It's a good idea to check your jars for imperfections before you start filling them with boiling hot contents. And make sure the jars haven't cooled before you add the boiling hot contents.</li>
<li>Also, use a rack on the bottom of your water bath canner to prevent jars from forming a suction to the bottom.</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><u><b>PROBLEM #3: Liquid boils out leaving excessive headroom (AKA "siphoning")</b></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSxiXvXevX_9Gerw8BA0LqXTgZSyVA6DkLs-OQbgrFAXDt6v0Q7yOA_5LyGCbhViX06AqmK7foG3cDIx8ifJHnYw2Bgq6npX2b7dOcGGQGmhKeJspFwLbHW6XlYZMvP7O719OwJ5q1Ps/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSxiXvXevX_9Gerw8BA0LqXTgZSyVA6DkLs-OQbgrFAXDt6v0Q7yOA_5LyGCbhViX06AqmK7foG3cDIx8ifJHnYw2Bgq6npX2b7dOcGGQGmhKeJspFwLbHW6XlYZMvP7O719OwJ5q1Ps/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_231991080"></span><span id="goog_231991081"></span><br />
<b>Symptoms:</b><br />
You pull the boiling hot jar out of the canner and liquid starts bubbling and spewing out of the jar through the lid, getting sticky stuff everywhere. When it cools, it looks like you forgot to fill half of the jar with peaches and syrup.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Possible causes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Too much fruit in the jar; jar is too full</li>
<li>Didn't release all the air bubbles after adding syrup</li>
<li>Didn't wipe the rim</li>
<li>Too much or too little headroom</li>
<li>Didn't let the jars "rest" after their time in the canner</li>
<li>Temperature outside the canner is too cold</li>
<li>Mysterious other reason</li>
</ul>
<b>What to do about it:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>If you lose a significant amount of liquid to siphoning, but it still seals, it's fine. But, as a precaution, take the band off to store it so you know right away if the seal fails.</li>
<li>If it doesn't seal, refrigerate the jar.</li>
<li>Peaches are notoriously unforgiving. Follow instructions precisely. </li>
<li>Make sure your headroom is perfect. </li>
<li>Use a knife or spatula to release any air bubbles trapped between the fruit, and fill the jar back up to the proper head space. You may want to do this step two or three times, just to be sure.</li>
<li>One website I read said you need to take the lid off the canner to vent it for 10 minutes before pulling the jars out. Also, I was canning outside at midnight, and the abrupt change to the cool nighttime outdoor temp could have made the siphoning worse.</li>
</ul>
At the end of the day, sometimes sh*t just happens, even when you do everything right. Accept that you get to eat a jar or two now, and move on with life. I recommend eating them over vanilla ice cream.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-66012274592429906162014-08-10T20:51:00.000-06:002014-08-10T20:51:38.777-06:00Freezing green beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This spring, I planted a row of bush beans. I had a bunch of old seed, and I wasn't sure how fertile they were, so I dumped all of the seed packets into a bowl and spread the seed melange willy-nilly into the row I'd prepared for them.<br />
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As it turned out, most of the seed was still fertile, and grew vigorously in the mild, wet weather we've had this year. Consequently, I've ended up with an unprecedented harvest of green beans overall.<br />
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This morning, I went out and picked a 5-gallon bucket full. The beans were so fresh and crisp that they snapped off the plant at the stem, so I didn't even need to snap and string most of them when I got them into the house. I just washed them, snapped them in two pieces and threw them in a colander to prepare them to freeze.<br />
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To freeze beans, you must first blanch them in boiling water to stop the enzymes and bacteria in the beans from robbing their flavor, nutrients, and color in the freezer.<br />
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1. Heat your water to a full rolling boil. I added a pinch of salt.<br />
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2. Fill the colander with green beans and slowly submerge in the boiling water. Set the timer for 3-5 minutes. I set it for 5 since I'm at altitude and my beans were huge.<br />
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3. When the timer goes off, immediately remove the colander of beans from the boiling water and place it into another pot or bowl of ice water. This prevents the beans from cooking any longer, which might make them soggy or mushy.<br />
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4. Empty the beans onto some towels to dry.<br />
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5. Repeat as desired. You can reuse the boiling water up to 4 or 5 times. You will need to add more ice to your ice water bath after each batch.<br />
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6. When beans are dry, measure the amount of beans you want per bag and vacuum seal.<br />
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Alternatively, you can just fill up a few gallon Ziplock freezer bags and use a handful at a time. Store them in the freezer for up to a year.<br />
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My family eats frozen green beans all winter long, and home-grown is so much better than store-bought. But I don't need to tell you that! Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-11514544199378977362014-07-13T17:23:00.000-06:002014-07-13T17:23:07.008-06:00Homemade raw goat milk mozzarella<br />A few weeks ago, we got some dairy goats.<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/AVvXsEj5yQ6a5iLakb9YtLJHl9hybiJURYraxh08cvQU_gLkPWnmVd1aBYUmwTJ1ksRdtErcZN6pRXko9EDtBzu0onIaGNh9ZcZxaW3cCGc2Nju_eJp8ZiFO7aqTJEyc-VqSxuOwAyy-ZNZBtRA/s1600/Eunice+and+ginger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yQ6a5iLakb9YtLJHl9hybiJURYraxh08cvQU_gLkPWnmVd1aBYUmwTJ1ksRdtErcZN6pRXko9EDtBzu0onIaGNh9ZcZxaW3cCGc2Nju_eJp8ZiFO7aqTJEyc-VqSxuOwAyy-ZNZBtRA/s1600/Eunice+and+ginger.jpg" height="164" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Eunice and Ginger</td></tr>
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The hubby milks them twice a day and we get around 3 quarts of milk per day.<br />
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Fresh, raw goat milk is wonderful tasting--nothing like the grocery store goat milk, which I cannot and will not consume-- and much creamier than cow milk since it's naturally homogenized.<br />
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Since Little Sister is allergic to <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2012/12/no-dairy-necessary-hot-cocoa.html" target="_blank">most dairy</a>, she has been missing out on some of the finer things in life, as we haven't had access to a consistent source of raw dairy. The greatest sacrifices have been ice cream and pizza. Over the last few years we have occasionally bartered with raw dairy producing friends for an spare lump of mozzarella, but those opportunities are few and far between. Hence the goat acquisition.<br />
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Now that we have more milk than we can drink in a week, I have been able to make the wonderful dairy confections my poor little girl has been missing out on all these years. And you won't believe how easy it is to make delicious goat milk mozzarella!*<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3eivlP9aDXuWGkr1Xxh3SVt_VIRqv1-nxPVpFx9Ynw7DlgYjGFCfaxAc31-VCrZ0Yglj8igPylrBzFoRgMXLUn92JkKj8EUiyH-9h4OvVnOizfkrVaMVejMthFtlvrRasgYexcgxepM/s1600/photo+3.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/AVvXsEgy3eivlP9aDXuWGkr1Xxh3SVt_VIRqv1-nxPVpFx9Ynw7DlgYjGFCfaxAc31-VCrZ0Yglj8igPylrBzFoRgMXLUn92JkKj8EUiyH-9h4OvVnOizfkrVaMVejMthFtlvrRasgYexcgxepM/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a>First, gather your supplies. For mozzarella, the only weird thing you'll need that you may not already have in your pantry is <b>rennet</b>. You can order it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cheese+rennet&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=36278270259&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16218606144726731679&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6gaebhqikw_b" target="_blank">online </a>or buy at specialty cheese making shops, which are becoming more and more commonplace these days. It comes in liquid or tablet form. I used the tablets.<br />
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The rest of the items you will need are as follows:<br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNhlsSLFOiMYzNxZUdka_54CCalQpOeMQwm1bBVoqLsGUPsp4eny_j-UFBw5j6weGy8nUesS_8lE-B99rnwJREa-s11iEL789X0SNLqzI03gOUuVsh0jSYXREkjG2Hd0LqOazykG9q44/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNhlsSLFOiMYzNxZUdka_54CCalQpOeMQwm1bBVoqLsGUPsp4eny_j-UFBw5j6weGy8nUesS_8lE-B99rnwJREa-s11iEL789X0SNLqzI03gOUuVsh0jSYXREkjG2Hd0LqOazykG9q44/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a>
<li>1 gallon goat milk or cow milk (preferably raw, but definitely NOT high-heat pasteurized dairy)</li>
<li>1.5 gallon (non-aluminum) pot with a lid</li>
<li>Colander</li>
<li>Large bowl to pour the whey into when straining the cheese</li>
<li>A long knife to cut the curd</li>
<li>Thermometer</li>
<li>Measuring cups</li>
<li>Citric acid (available in the canning aisle) </li>
<li>Slotted spoon</li>
<li>Rennet</li>
<li>Purified water (not tap water)</li>
<li>Microwave safe bowl</li>
<li>Rubber gloves</li>
</ul>
<u>Step 1:</u><br />
Put 1 1/2 tsp citric acid in the bottom of your pot. Add 1/4 cup purified water. Pour in 1 gallon of milk. Stir with slotted spoon to mix.<br />
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<u>Step 2:</u><br />
Warm milk over medium heat to 90 degrees. Remove from heat. Dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup water. <br />
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<u>Step 3:</u><br />
Pour rennet solution into warm milk and stir with slotted spoon in an up and down motion. Put the lid on and set timer for 5 minutes.<br />
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<u>Step 4:</u><br />
Remove lid and check curd. It should be slightly firm, like a custard. <br />
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Take your long knife and slice the curd with several cuts going one
direction, then several cuts going perpendicular to the first cuts.<br />
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<u>Step 5:</u><br />
Return curd and whey to heat. Heat to 110 degrees. You can stir the curd gently with your slotted spoon to get it to stick together.<br />
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<u>Step 6:</u><br />
Separate the curds from the whey. You can either spoon the curds into the colander, or you can pour the whole thing in to the colander, but watch for the splash! Roll the curds around in the colander over the bowl of whey to drain as much whey out as you can.<br />
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<u>Step 7:</u><br />
Transfer the curd to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it for 60 seconds.** <br />
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Put on your rubber gloves. When it comes out of the microwave, pick up the curd and knead and stretch it to release the whey. The whey can squirt out all over, so I do this over the big bowl.<br />
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Continue to kneed and squeeze the curd until it starts to stiffen. When the curd tears rather than stretches, put it back in the microwave safe bowl and back in the microwave for 30 more seconds.<br />
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Remove, knead and stretch again until the curd stiffens. Put the cheese back in the microwave for 30 more seconds for the third and final time. When it comes out, <b>salt </b>the cheese before kneading. Knead and stretch one last time, and when you've pushed as much whey out as you can, plunge your cheese into an ice water bath.<br />
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After you're finished making the cheese, store your whey. <br />
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The whey is wonderful for all sorts of things. Hubby and the kids love it in smoothies.<br />
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It's also great for lacto-fermented pickles and the Hubby even found a recipe using whey to make a fizzy pro-biotic lemonade. If you don't want to drink it yourself, lots of people feed whey to their animals or use it in the garden to ward off powdery mildew.<br />
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After refrigeration, the resulting goat milk mozzarella is as good or better than any mozzarella you can find commercially. It grates well, slices well, and tastes delicious! <br />
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Here's a little appetizer I whipped up with a slice of tomato, a slice
of mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and a fresh basil leaf. Oh. My.
GOODNESS!<br />
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<u>A couple of final notes:</u><br />
<i>* The technique I shared is based on the recipe for mozzarella in Ricki Carroll's book </i><u>Home Cheese Making</u><i>, and there are dozens of similar recipes on the internet. Thank goodness for the homesteading pioneers that have made these recipes available for all of us dairy loving novices. </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>** For the anti-microwave purists, you can use a hot water bath to reheat your curd for kneading instead of using the microwave, but it is much harder to get all of the whey out, and your resulting cheese may be soft, more like "fresh mozzarella" which doesn't melt or grate well. When I finally found the microwave process, my cheese became consistently delicious so I highly recommend this technique. </i><br />
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<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-43355586815596467162013-11-30T16:21:00.000-07:002013-11-30T16:21:26.839-07:00The best Brussels sprouts ever<br />
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I have a confession to make. I love Brussels sprouts.<br />
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I know, it sounds crazy. Like most people, I have spent my life repulsed by their reputation, smell, and limp, gray texture. In fact, until a couple of months ago, I had only eaten them twice, and neither time motivated me to want more. But the Hubby's new diet has driven me to search the ends of the earth for vegetable, meat combinations devoid of starches, and it led me to give those tiny little cabbage like morsels another try.<br />
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Here's what you do to make the world's best Brussels sprouts.<br />
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Pick out some fresh sprouts from your farmers market or grocery store. They should be dense with intact leaves and they should not be brown or limp. Wash them thoroughly.<br />
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Trim the stem and slice each sprout in half longitudinally.<br />
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Blanche them in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Whatever you do, don't overcook them in this step!! The <i>second </i>they start smelling like Brussels sprouts, pull them out of the boiling water and drain them.<br />
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Meanwhile, cut a couple strips of raw bacon into chunks and slice a medium shallot. Plop a pat of butter (a tablespoon or two, don't be shy) into a large skillet over medium-high heat. As the butter melts, drop your shallots and bacon into the pan. Saute briefly before adding Brussels sprouts. Add the sprouts and stir to coat with butter.<br />
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Now, here's the key. Flip the little Brussels sprout halves so the flat (cut) side is down. Leave them there until they start to caramelize on the bottom, about 3 or more minutes. Mix again, relocate any stragglers, and let them sit until they also caramelize. Keep going until your whole pan has the nutty, earthy fragrance of caramelized Brussels sprouts and the bacon is slightly crisp.<br />
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This recipe is just as good with steak for dinner as it is reheated with eggs for breakfast. Quick and delicious, I make them at least once a week now and everyone who has shared them with us...even devout sprout haters...swear they will add Brussels sprouts back to their menus.<br />
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Here's the ingredient list in case you weren't paying attention:<br />
<ul>
<li>About 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts</li>
<li>1-2 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>2 strips bacon</li>
<li>1 medium shallot</li>
</ul>
Enjoy!! Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-83310868366636410962013-11-14T08:27:00.000-07:002013-11-14T08:27:03.221-07:00Canning applesauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was at the local farmers market grocery store and ran across a great deal on apples. Every one of their varieties of apples were just 88 cents per pound. I ran over and asked the produce man to round me up a bushel. APPLESAUCE!!<br />
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Last year I canned a few pints of applesauce using our tart apples, and it was really good once I sweetened it sufficiently. This year, our trees failed to produce a single apple so we went without the usual canned apple treats, until I ran across this screaming deal. After reading up on the best apples for sauce, I ended up purchasing about 30 pounds of MacIntosh and 30 pounds of Golden Delicious apples...which I got for around $35.00. The Golden Delicious are sweet enough that you won't have to add sugar at the end, and the MacIntosh adds just a hint of tartness without puckering you up.<br />
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Applesauce is the easiest thing in the world to make...if you have the right tools. One of the tools no home should be without is the <a href="http://www.victorio.info/food-strainer.html" target="_blank">Victorio food strainer</a>. My aunt bought me mine a few years ago when she found out I was canning (she has an apple orchard in California) and I have used it for so many canning projects since then that I'm not sure how I ever lived without it. With the special screens, you can make perfect, pain-free applesauce, tomato sauce, grape juice, pumpkin puree, and that's just what I've used it for. Countless other options are available.<br />
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So here's what I did.<br />
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Wash and sort the apples. Little Sister peeled the stickers off for me. We are learning patterns in math so I had her hand me apples in order...yellow, red, yellow, red. . Not exactly scientific, but this way, each pot I put on the stove had the same general apple distribution in it, and it was a great way to reinforce our homeschool lesson!<br />
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Cut the apples into quarters, removing the stems.<br />
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Put the apples into a large stock pot until full. Add water (or apple juice).<br />
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Boil apples for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft.<br />
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Spoon them into the Victorio and turn the handle. Presto! Applesauce emerges. Little Sister also helped turn the crank on a few batches, but it's a lot of work for a 5-year-old so she pooped out pretty quickly. <br />
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Because I had so many apples, I just kept rotating stockpots full of apples onto the stove. As one was boiling, I ran the previous pot through the Victorio and filled it back up with cut apples, reusing the hot water from the previous batch so it wouldn't take as long to bring the new batch to a boil. I always say that for canning you can't have too many large plastic bowls or large heavy stock pots. I was glad I had several pots for this project, or this simple process could have taken all day!<br />
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Once the boiled apples have been turned into hot applesauce, pour the applesauce into a heavy stockpot and keep it warm. Meanwhile, prep and sterilize your jars, and fire up your waterbath canner.<br />
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Check consistency of your applesauce. You do NOT need to cook down your applesauce if you make it with the Victorio, as it will come out really thick already. You may, however, need to add some liquid to thin your sauce. I canned my first 6 quarts and they overflowed badly when I pulled them out of the canner, and had all kinds of air bubbles in the jars. Apparently, this is because the sauce is too thick once they lose all of their moisture in processing. So in the other batches, I added a little of the strained cooking water and a bit of all-natural, unsweetened apple juice. To test moisture, look for a thin line of liquid to appear around a spoonful of your sauce, and it should be a soft mound on the spoon. After I made this quick adjustment, my subsequent jars also had a little spillage, but not enough to worry about, and every jar had a nice tight seal.<br />
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Taste and season the sauce to your liking. My first batch was au naturel, with no added sweetener or spices. I use this to cook with, or for baby food, or for kids with tummy aches. To the next batch, I added 4 tablespoons of cinnamon, plus a shake of nutmeg and a sprinkle of ground clove. That's it! No added sugar necessary! Delicious!!<br />
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Spoon the warm sauce into your hot, sterilized quart jars and process about 25 minutes (at sea level, 30 minutes at altitude). If you get any spillage like I did, make sure you remove the rings after the lid seals and clean the jars with soapy warm water. You don't want mold growing on the top! My ~60 pounds of apples yielded 18 quarts of applesauce, with enough
left over to feed the family each a big bowl as an after dinner treat. <br />
<br />
Little Sister announced that this was the best cooking project EVER, and the end result was definitely worth the effort. Eighteen jars of the best applesauce you have ever eaten worked out to be about $1.95 per jar. Happy canning!Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-7922532743099049902013-10-30T10:27:00.000-06:002013-10-30T10:32:01.927-06:00Eden Garden Update-Year 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce and spinach reseeded itself among the broccoli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been two full seasons since we completely converted our garden plot in the fashion described by a movie called <a href="http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/#movie" target="_blank">Back to Eden</a>. (See blog post <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2012/03/experimenting-with-eden.html" target="_blank">Experimenting with Eden</a>.) We have learned a lot since we started (See blog posts <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2012/05/first-eden-experiment-update.html" target="_blank">First Eden Experiment Update</a> and <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2013/10/eden-garden-update-year-1-lessons.html" target="_blank">Eden Garden Update-Year 1 Lessons</a>), and we can now count the project as mostly a success.<br />
<br />
As soon as the snow melted this spring, we
began seeing signs that the lettuce and spinach seeds that we sowed in Fall and believed
to be long gone were not only still viable, but had indeed germinated!
This was our first positive sign from our previously unimpressive mulch bed.<br />
<br />
I got a slow start on planting the rest of the garden due to a death in the family and a catastrophic knee injury that resulted in a 3 month lay up and surgery. It was all I could do to crutch through Home Depot to pick out vegetable starts in late May, and if Home Depot didn't have it, well, it didn't get planted this year.<br />
<br />
I coerced the Hubby into putting my store-bought starts in the ground, and I laid, with icepack on my elevated knee, staring out my bedroom window at the rising tide of bindweed spilling into the garden from the pasture. I emailed friends and acquaintances my desperate pleas for help pulling weeds in exchange for harvest rights, at least until I could sit in a chair and pull them myself.<br />
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Summer came, temperatures rose, and I finally ditched the crutches. Other than the spring greens, which had by this time bolted and gone to seed, the only thing that was doing really well was the bindweed. "Physical therapy" became a euphemism for weeding the garden, and was actually pretty effective from a mobility and muscle development standpoint, and my surgeon was rightly impressed with my muscle tone by my 3-month post-operative visit.<br />
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By July, I'd removed at least 1000 pounds of bindweed from in and around my vegetables. I was ready to burn the entire garden to the ground because my paltry vegetable plantings were failing to provide food in proportion to the amount of work I was putting into keeping them happy and weed-free. I decided I'd pull out the remaining bindweed and then rake the mulch down to the dirt to rip any tiny shoots that may be running undetected beneath the ground cover. Then we got a good rain.<br />
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About a week later, I went out to evaluate the effectiveness of my bindweed destruction plot and discovered something very interesting. Volunteers. Dozens of baby tomato plants were thriving in the part of the garden I'd abandoned because of last year's vole infestation. And the lettuces and spinach that I let go to seed after they bolted, had re-seeded themselves everywhere. I even found them in my pasture where I'd pitched the dead plants when I replanted the row. Of course, some mulch made its way to the other side of the fence as well, along with the dead piles of bindweed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeQSMQhRifi3_qlC2wp26pBKtZx-ZBjz6Khb8HTyfuc7lrRq_z9EbiHFv1KnYtaGrTMsdJqjCwhjTZQ2bcCokVrVAaIKqY4IPPbsy6Au49rHDfiA8LuMBkV2Q01WxEDzmMTDJKe9qCSU/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeQSMQhRifi3_qlC2wp26pBKtZx-ZBjz6Khb8HTyfuc7lrRq_z9EbiHFv1KnYtaGrTMsdJqjCwhjTZQ2bcCokVrVAaIKqY4IPPbsy6Au49rHDfiA8LuMBkV2Q01WxEDzmMTDJKe9qCSU/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato volunteers</td></tr>
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I now believe that all of those viable seeds were trapped somewhere in the mulch beneath the bindweed, and that by vigorously raking the mulch, I reunited the seed with the soil, and aerated the entire environment at the same time. This caused a flurry of growth in a way I hadn't seen to date in the garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce in the pasture</td></tr>
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I discovered that last year's less-than-impressive mulch bed is now practically a living, breathing organism all on its own. Colonies of pill bugs are evident, along with all of the beneficial companion bugs that help compost and break down soil. Worms are abundant and healthy and the soil just an inch down is moist and dark black with organic matter. What a marvel!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pill bug colony (I think)</td></tr>
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Later research revealed that my nemesis bindweed is actually renowned for restoring fertility to an area. The website <a href="http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/herbs/bindweed.html" target="_blank">Home Remedies For You</a> claims:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Bindweed finds other uses in restoring the fertility of agricultural
land that has been subject to the extensive use of chemicals and
pesticides. It is researched and believed to eradicate chromium, copper,
and cadmium from the soil.Bindweed also exhibits properties
similar to that of nitrogen fixing plants. The presence of calystegins
in the roots of bindweed act as a source of carbon and nitrogen to the
rhizobacteria that is responsible for nitrogen fixation. Thus, the
fertility of the soil is enhanced for agricultural use."</i></blockquote>
So to recap, the Eden Experiment does not work as advertised. It is not a solution to the problem of weeding, at least not in parts of the country where bindweed grows. It is, however, an excellent way to return fertility to your soil, create an optimal environment for plants to grow, and minimize water usage throughout the season. <br />
<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-91472512308573982152013-10-22T14:53:00.000-06:002013-10-22T14:53:52.460-06:00Eden Garden Update-Year 1 Lessons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In our first year of implementing the Eden Garden program, (See blog post <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2012/03/experimenting-with-eden.html" target="_blank">Experimenting with Eden</a>) we experienced some ups and downs.<br />
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<u>Successes</u><br />
Year one's garden produced a humongous harvest. My cucumber yield alone was nearly commercial in
scale as I was harvesting 10 pounds of pickling cukes per day. I was
able to give hundreds of pounds away in addition to canning 3 cases of
dill relish, 6 cases of garlic dill pickles, 2 cases of spicy dill
pickles and a case or two of my new invention, "burger stackers". I also
had great watermelons, peppers, and tomatillos, and a satisfactory
harvest of potatoes and slicing tomatoes. I made several cases of
different salsas and tried a great peach, pepper jelly recipe that I'm
determined to repeat.<br />
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<u>Failures</u><br />
The corn was a total bust as
we got corn smut (didn't know it was a delicacy until after we threw
away the infected ears), and we wound up trapping 5 pillaging raccoons,
but by then, they had consumed every ear of good corn left. The
zucchinis never survived the squash beetle infestation and the
monstrous cherry tomato plants turned into habitat for voles, which
threatened to take over the rest of the garden. It's hard to tell at
this point in the experiment how much of our failure was due to the 80
degree temperatures starting in March and the historic drought
conditions, and how much was related to growing pains in the new system. We do know that we definitely made a few mistakes that affected our success rate. This is what we learned.<br />
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<u>Mistake #1: Installing the new mulching system in the spring.</u><br />
While it kept the weeds at bay, the new mulch began composting at the soil surface and robbed the soil of the nitrogen it needed to feed our seeds, thus, most of the seeds we sowed directly did not germinate. In hindsight, we should have plowed our old garden under in the fall and installed the irrigation and mulch then. That way it would have had the entire winter to compost under the snow and perform its necessary nitrogen exchange, leaving the ground fertile by springtime.<br />
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<u>Mistake #2: Mulching over the seed.</u><br />
After sowing our seed, we covered the newly planted seed with the mulch, not even considering that the same mulch layer that inhibits growth of weeds would surely be a barrier to our new vegetable shoots as well. To combat this problem in later plantings, we left rows open until the shoots were above the mulch line, then pushed the mulch around the new greens.<br />
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<u>Mistake #3: Over and under-watering.</u><br />
With the mulch present, it's difficult to tell when the plants need water, because you can't just observe the dry soil. When we planted our starts, many of them shocked right away so we gave them plenty of water. They snapped out of it, but then looked droopy the next day so we watered again. We just kept watering any time one of the plants looked limp and droopy, and ultimately, many died. When we dug the poor plants up, we discovered they were sitting in a pool of water. We finally bought a moisture meter and used it each time we thought we should water. Mostly, we were completely wrong about when the garden needed irrigation and when it didn't. The majority of the plants snapped back when we used science, rather than passive observation to determine if the poor buggers needed water. <br />
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<u>End of year one</u><br />
At the end of the year, we put the garden to bed by pulling the large dead plants, and letting anything that fell off join the mulch to compost naturally over time. That means that frost damaged tomatillos, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, etc, were left on the surface of the soil to decompose throughout the winter, and the plants got pitched over the pasture fence.<br />
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Exhausted from an epic year of planting, harvesting, canning and freezing, we sowed just one row of lettuce and spinach in the fall, and built a row cover for the top, but one blasting windstorm ended our row cover, so we just left the poor seeds on their own until spring. Hopefully year two will reveal more success from the Eden Experiment.<br />
<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-27711235436083426482013-02-08T19:46:00.001-07:002013-02-08T19:46:47.644-07:00The ugly truth about vegetarian hens If you're like lots of egg eaters who don't own their own laying hens, you buy the fancy, vegetarian, cage-free, organic eggs at the supermarket.<br />
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Maybe you buy them because you care about the humane treatment of animals. Cage-free eggs mean the chickens actually walk around, doing what nature intended chickens to do, which is far better than the alternative. Those cheap eggs come from hens that spend their lives in a tiny, dusty, brightly lit prison cell, eating, pooping, and laying eggs, ultimately culminating in their sad, untimely deaths in a matter of mere months. Yes, cage-free is DEFINITELY better.<br />
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Maybe you buy the fancy eggs because you're making a conscious decision to eat healthier. Organic is good, vegetarian diet is <i>really </i>good. The chickens that lay your eggs need to be meat-free in order to produce healthy eggs, right? Surely the soy or other organic vegetarian protein source in their vegetarian feed offers the hens enough protein to produce tasty, high-quality eggs. Well, friends, that's the theory.<br />
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Here's the reality. Chickens are omnivores. That means, they're NOT vegetarians, and an "all vegetarian diet" is not what nature intended. It's also impossible to completely control what a chicken eats, <i>without </i>confining it to a cage 24 hours a day. As a result, healthy, cage-free birds find other ways to obtain their necessary protein from their environment. Outdoors, that means they have access to bugs, worms, snails, slugs--normal chicken fare. In a mostly indoor, cage-free environment, it means they will most likely be eating their own eggs, sometimes other chickens, and, lots of times, rodents. <br />
<br />
Case in point: A couple mornings ago, I went in to feed our hens and immediately realized my kids had left the lid ajar on the grain bin. This is what I saw when I opened it.<br />
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Yep, no fewer than 19 mice trapped in the bottom of the feed bin. Hmm. Now what? Since Boy was party to the violation that led to the rodent entrapment, I enlisted him to help me dispatch them, but not before our hen Pecky caught sight of the little buggers frantically scurrying and jumping up and down in the grain bin.<br />
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Pecky wasted no time. She reached down and plucked a mouse out of the bin before I could do anything to stop her, and then the game was afoot. Off she hustled, carrying the twitching rodent in her beak, being chased
by the other hungry, jealous hens, hoping to secure a place to enjoy
her prize without competition.<br />
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To extract the rest of the mice, Boy and I took turns tipping the grain bin and stomping the mice as they ran out. Boy wasn't really on his "A" game and let more escape alive than I would have liked, but never fear, the hens took care of the runaways, whacking the rodents in the head then carting them off to devour in private.<br />
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Each of our hens consumed at least one mouse, several mice got away, and we tossed a few dead ones into the pasture for some other hungry scavenger.<br />
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This was not the first time I've witnessed our hens in their omnivorous duties. In fact, once, I found myself giving the Heimlich maneuver to a hen who became distressed after running around for 15 minutes with a rodent body hanging out of her mouth. By trapping her and gently pressing her keel bone against the lower rail of the paddock fence, she inevitably expelled the over-sized mouse in her struggles, which freed her to peck around at the vegetarian delicacies once again. Odd, I know, but farm life just has its oddities.<br />
<br />
Just so we're clear, our backyard hens live pampered, cage free, indoor-outdoor lives. They are fed a normal chicken feed ration, plus vegetarian kitchen scraps, and are allowed to forage outside for greens and bugs when weather permits. Our eggs are top quality and delicious, and it is completely impossible to tell what exactly each hen ate before laying her latest egg. So, while it may be a selling point to the Organic Cage Free Egg industry that their "organic hens are fed a 100% organic vegetarian diet," you now know the ugly truth about the sinister nature of chickens.<br />
<br />
So, let's review what we've just learned:<br />
<ol>
<li>Not even organically raised chickens are vegetarians</li>
<li>No matter what you feed a cage free hen, in the end, she will eat what she wants, including mice</li>
<li>If you want to catch a bunch of mice all at once, leave the lid off the grain bin and come back in the morning</li>
</ol>
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<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-24127204586100100702012-12-19T22:50:00.000-07:002012-12-19T22:50:46.464-07:00No Dairy Necessary Hot Cocoa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A mom's group I attend issued us moms a Christmastime challenge: celebrate each of the 12 (or 10 or 5) days leading up to Christmas by doing something special and unique with the family. I like the idea of creating special seasonal memories for my kiddos so I decided I'd give it a whirl. They gave us a list of more than 40 ideas, some simple and some more elaborate and set us off to work.<br />
<br />
The kids loved the idea of a special holiday celebration each day leading up to Christmas, so we put stars next to the ones we liked and have checked them off as we do them. Our top choices included:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Set up a nativity set and talk about baby Jesus</li>
<li>Make & decorate Christmas cookies </li>
<li>Make red & green play dough</li>
<li>Have hot chocolate and toast before bed</li>
<li>Perform one random act of kindness</li>
<li>Listen to Christmas music</li>
<li>Dance to Christmas music</li>
<li>Watch a Christmas movie</li>
<li>Read a Christmas book</li>
<li>Drive around at night to see Christmas lights in the neighborhood</li>
</ul>
We haven't been all that structured about doing one every day, but we have managed check a few off the list in the past several days. Today, we arrived at "Have hot chocolate..." and I had to pause. Making hot cocoa may not sound all that monumental, especially in comparison to whipping up a batch of colored play dough, but Little Sister has a major problem with dairy, so hot cocoa is not something we've ever enjoyed at our house before.<br />
<br />
Little Sister's dairy issue is not what would be commonly referred to as "lactose intolerance". It's more like a pre-anaphalactic reaction to the protein structure resulting from the high-heat pasteurization process in most commercially sold milk products...see what I'm saying...nothing to be trifled with. When she was an infant, her entire face would inflate, her eyes swelling to the point that she couldn't see...and that was second hand dairy, if you catch my meaning (yes, I'm talking about breast feeding). The dairy effect is cumulative, in that if she has a tiny amount by accident, she's usually ok. Two tiny amounts, and she starts to get red around the eyes and mouth, three, and well, it's off to the ER. Strangely, she has no reaction to raw, unpasteurized dairy, but we lack the financial resources to spend $13 on a gallon of milk, not including cow shares and dues, so, we just avoid milk all together for Little Sister, and do rice milk or coconut milk instead wherever possible.<br />
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In addition to the dairy problem, I'm not all that nuts about hot cocoa, but my darling Boy reminded me that this time of year is not all about me. He was strongly in favor of the "Have hot chocolate and toast" suggestion, so I finally agreed to look in to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVepdJMoN0aDNORyuBGpXboPGd0Bn9hrPuSCw_FDIYeBcfvVljof8RwRALO6DLVlE6WLMeM1TGcIpU7I2jpuNAy57prAqq1VCUwsKuF5XHL-SWsn3JLcJEA66L0NrSZ1ePJp-RkRZRvHM/s1600/hot+cocoa+001.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/AVvXsEiVepdJMoN0aDNORyuBGpXboPGd0Bn9hrPuSCw_FDIYeBcfvVljof8RwRALO6DLVlE6WLMeM1TGcIpU7I2jpuNAy57prAqq1VCUwsKuF5XHL-SWsn3JLcJEA66L0NrSZ1ePJp-RkRZRvHM/s200/hot+cocoa+001.jpg" width="149" /></a>I started my search in the grocery store where I read the ingredients on several boxes of commercially sold hot chocolate mix. Yuck. In addition to containing milk or milk products, most of them are also loaded with a long list of ingredients that we generally try to stay away from. So I hit the internet. After finding many recipes that made batches for a dozen or more people (do people have hot cocoa parties, or own chalets in the Alps where cocoa is required by law, or what?), I finally came across a recipe for <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-vegan-hot-cocoa/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=vegan%20hot%20cocoa&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page" target="_blank">creamy vegan hot cocoa</a>, which appealed both because it used ingredients I readily had on hand, and it made just one cup. By making it in one-cup batches, I could make Little Sister her dairy-free version, and the rest of us could enjoy our creamy dairy filled recipe. I altered it as follows:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>No Dairy Necessary Hot Cocoa</b></div>
3 Tbsp sugar<br />
3 Tbsp rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or cow's milk (<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/13/soy-controversy-and-health-effects.aspx" target="_blank">Why shouldn't I use soy milk?</a>)<br />
4 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa<br />
Splash of vanilla extract (I used about 1/4 tsp)<br />
Tiny pinch of salt <br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<br />
Combine sugar, milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt in a large mug. Pour in boiling water into mug and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Top with mini marshmallows, and/or whipped cream (for dairy friendly consumers). <i>Ok, I know marshmallows aren't exactly health food, but really, sometimes sacrifices must be made in favor of fun.</i><br />
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To me, hot chocolate is painfully sweet and this recipe is no exception, however, the flavor of this cocoa was wonderful and it was indeed creamy, as advertised. The kids got their fix of chocolate and sugar, and felt like mini-grown ups with their coffee mugs and toast. Overall, the chocolate coated smiles made it worth every minute of the resulting sugar high.<br />
<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-35987806356576934312012-09-01T19:54:00.003-06:002012-09-01T19:54:42.669-06:00Making elk sausage at home<i>Breaking news:</i> Hubby harvested a gorgeous, huge, six by seven point, bull elk in the first hour of the first day of the 2012 archery season!<br />
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This victory comes after 10 years of going hunting every weekend of archery season and coming home empty handed. It also represents the first bull elk the Hubby has ever taken. No small feat on all counts, but the most exciting part by far is the staggering amount of meat this beast brought our family.<br />
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Steaks, roasts, burger, and sausage galore! The hubby does the butchering and I package everything in vacuum seal bags. The grinding and sausage making is a family affair, though. Over the years, I've come across some excellent sausage recipes and I share three of my favorites below, but first a few tips about sausage making.<br />
<br />
<u>TIP 1:</u> Keep everything cold, if not frozen for best results. Put grinder implements in the freezer until just before grinding. Keep fat frozen until you grind it and meat so cold it's almost freezing. This keeps fat from emulsifying and smearing through your sausage and preserves perfect consistency.<br />
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<u>TIP 2:</u> When filling sausage casings, fill one whole casing at a time. Wait to twist individual links until after the whole casing is filled.<br />
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<u>TIP 3:</u> Dry links before cutting and vacuum sealing. I hang my connected links over the laundry rack for an hour or two before cutting the links apart and sealing them. (If you do use a laundry rack, just don't forget to leave the dog outside, as sausages hanging at canine eye level are tempting fare indeed)<br />
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* * * * * * ** * * * * * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Recipes</b></i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *</div>
<b>1. Bulk Breakfast Sausage:</b><br />
This is a delicious sausage I package in bulk for biscuits and gravy or sausage patties with breakfast. It's also amazing in egg casserole recipes that call for sausage.<br />
<ul>
<li>10 pounds game meat</li>
<li>5 pounds pork fat</li>
<li>2 1/2 Tbsp sea salt</li>
<li>2 1/2 Tbsp fresh ground coarse black pepper</li>
<li>1/2 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li>1/2 tsp clove</li>
<li>1 tsp allspice</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp garlic powder</li>
<li>4 Tbsp rubbed sage</li>
<li>1 1/2 ground ginger</li>
</ul>
Coarsely grind game meat and fat back separately. Add spices and mix by hand, then run spiced mixture through coarse grinder again. Vacuum seal in 1 pound packages.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *</div>
<b>2. Bobby Flay's Elk Sausage:</b><br />
Last year was the first year I tried this one, and it was an absolute favorite. Brilliant on the grill or in recipes, I'm making this one in lieu of Italian sausage this year. I've given you my modified version, but you can find the original recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/elk-sausage-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<ul>
<li class="ingredient">10 pounds elk meat (or other game meat)
</li>
<li class="ingredient">5 pounds pork fat</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 Tbsp dry thyme<a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/thyme/index.html"></a>
</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 Tbsp dry oregano<a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/oregano/index.html"></a>
</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 Tbsp dry sage
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup salt
</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 cups finely chopped onion
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup or more finely chopped garlic<a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/garlic/index.html"></a>
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup crushed red chili pepper flakes
</li>
<li class="ingredient">10 to 15 feet sausage casing</li>
</ul>
Coarsely grind meat and fat separately, add seasonings & run through grinder into sausage casings. Twist links and dry before packaging for storage.<br />
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *</div>
<b>3. Bratwurst:</b><br />
For more flavor, I used a dark beer for the brats. We all enjoy them throughout the year on a crusty bun with sauerkraut and spicy mustard.<br />
<ul>
<li>10 pounds game meat</li>
<li>5 pounds pork fat</li>
<li>6 Tbsp salt</li>
<li>2 Tbsp sugar</li>
<li>3 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li>1 tsp coriander</li>
<li>3/4 tsp celery seed</li>
<li>4 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>1/2 tsp marjoram</li>
<li>3 tsp ground ginger</li>
<li>1 cup beer</li>
</ul>
Coarsely grind meat and fat separately, add seasonings & run through
grinder into sausage casings. Twist links and dry before packaging for
storage.<br />
Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-20751653071666129422012-07-09T00:04:00.000-06:002012-07-09T00:04:33.276-06:00Shooting from coverLast weekend our gun club hosted its monthly defensive pistol match. I desperately needed some time away from the kids after a few hot (100+ degree), activity-filled weeks, and was craving a bit of grown-up competition, so the Hubby agreed to take over the parenting duties for the morning so I could trek up to the range.<br />
<br />
The weather was glorious, as the typically windy range offered only a light breeze, which was sufficient to take the edge off the 90 degree heat, but not enough to make shooting a hassle. Fewer than the usual number of participants took part, but the ones who came were energized by a state IDPA match that many of them had attended the weekend before.<br />
<br />
As we walked the course, it became apparent that the majority of the stages were to be shot from behind cover. Since it's pretty hard to haul up barriers and walls to shoot behind when you're on your own, I relish the opportunity the DP gives me to practice what I can't easily practice solo.<br />
<br />
The five stages were fast, fun and varied. The first was drawing from a seated position behind a table to eliminate three threats in a "doorway", Clint Eastwood style. The second was performed from a surrender position behind barrels, with a wall dividing threats to the left and right. I botched this one as I got excited and thrust my leg out from behind cover, drawing a procedural penalty.<br />
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The third one was my favorite. Rather than describe it, I had my run filmed so I could show you. Here it is.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="197" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OY1DeZmsGII" width="350"></iframe>
</div>
You'll hear me reminding myself to "stop at the edge", rather than repeat the procedural error I made in the prior stage.<br />
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The other two stages involved a combination of steel targets and silhouettes, that needed to be engaged from both sides of barriers, or between two walls.<br />
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I had the distinct opportunity of shooting with some really expert pistol shooters. In fact, the two top shooters from the match were in my group. It was great watching these guys quickly, accurately navigate the courses of fire, but it also made me aware that there's a big difference between shooting from cover for a speed match, and shooting from cover in a tactically sound, real-life simulation.<br />
<br />
For instance, I've always been taught that shooting from cover is a little like a game of cat and mouse. Unlike the defensive pistol course, in real life, you wouldn't exactly have a predetermined number of bad guys standing quietly behind a corner waiting to be shot. Your job, therefore, is to find any sneaky bad guys, while simultaneously avoiding exposing any part of yourself to their line of fire. To achieve this objective safely you must slowly, methodically work your way around cover, being ever vigilant not to expose any part of yourself, while simultaneously identifying and eliminating the threats. Running through the course quickly, like the sharp shooting fellas in my group so effectively did, would more than likely cause you to miss someone, or to poke out some body part too much and make yourself a target.<br />
<br />
The basics of shooting behind cover are what's known as "slicing the pie". This technique entails working your way around your piece of cover in a small, incremental, systematic way, so as to never expose any part of you to something you don't already have your gun sites on.<br />
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For a little visual assistance on "slicing the pie", I borrowed this handy graphic from a fellow female firearm blogger named <a href="http://apolicewife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Police Wife</a>. <br />
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In the image, you are the blue guy, safely located behind cover (top of dotted arrow). As the graphic illustrates by the straight arrows, which represent your line of sight, you can not see the red guy from the first location, behind the wall. To find your target, you slowly work your way down, one "pie slice" at a time (follow the dotted arrow) until you have a direct line of site to the red guy, then shoot.<br />
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Most people start very close to the corner of the barrier. I did, in the match because, let's face it, I feel safer when I'm snuggling up next to the piece of cover that stands between me and an armed bad guy. But if Mr. Bad Guy is right next to the wall on the other side, and sees my gun muzzle poking out from behind cover as I methodically slice the pie, he could easily grab it and disarm me right then and there. This graphic actually illustrates that better use of cover comes when you work from farther back away from the wall itself. <br />
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The only other critique I had for my run on course 3 was that I missed the tactical reload between barrier 1 and barrier 2. If I'd been thinking tactically, rather than worrying about that infernal shot clock, I would have stripped the magazine from the gun while I ran from cover 1 to cover 2, retained the not-quite-empty one, replaced it with a full one, and been ready to engage with a fresh load of 20 rounds when I got to cover 2. Instead, I ran dry 2 shots in at cover 2, and had to hide behind cover to reload. This would have likely been the end of me in a real-life scenario, as the bad guys would have known where I was, and that I was out of ammo. That is NOT a situation I ever want to be in!<br />
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Hopefully this enlightens some about the use of cover for defensive pistol shooting. As always, I'd love your comments!<br />
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<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-44093587805806046192012-06-23T00:25:00.000-06:002012-06-23T00:25:17.149-06:00Many facets of being a Well-Armed HousewifeThis post is simply to illustrate that there is more to being a Well-Armed Housewife than just packing a sidearm. Being truly "well-armed" means knowing how to respond in a crisis, whatever form that crisis may come in.<br />
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Case in point: Little Sister's 4th birthday. This year I decided to make her birthday cake and cupcakes from scratch. Usually, I scurry down to the local grocery store, flip through the book of theme cakes, wait for the kid to arrive on a selection and place my order. But this year, in a tiny effort to free ourselves from grocery store dependence, and with the belief that I may possibly be able to produce something more food worthy than high fructose corn syrup laden confections, I elected to take on the challenge.<br />
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Years ago, I made carrot cake cupcakes from scratch, without correctly adapting the recipe for high-altitude baking. The resulting hole in the center of each cupcake required me to apply the frosting like Spackle to conceal the crater. Determined not to make the same error, I spent several weeks researching recipes and the related adaptations for high-altitude preparation. It's important to note that <i>Joy of Cooking</i> alone has 4 pages of warnings and recommendations related to baking cakes and cupcakes. I swallowed hard and persevered.<br />
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Once I decided on two cupcake recipes, one for chocolate and one for vanilla, I started researching how to decorate them. Little Sister wanted roses, you see. I searched out recipes for homemade butter cream frosting and I checked out books at the library and craft stores, purchased the decorating tips, parchment icing bags, and the other doodads for the job. For a week, I attempted the technique using cheap store-bought frosting and failed desperately. Roses are something that people must spend years perfecting because mine just looked like piles of goo. Back to the drawing board.<br />
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Next stop, YouTube (which, incidentally, is going to make how-to books entirely obsolete, as you can learn so much more about anything by watching someone do it, rather than by following some cheesy hand-drawn illustrations in a how-to book) I came across a hilarious series of <a href="http://happyhappycake.com/" target="_blank">videos </a>on decorating that re-inspired me. With new resolve, I set out to ice the cupcakes with zinnias. Practicing on the back of a bowl with dollar store frosting for a full week, I triumphantly mastered the zinnia. Hooray.<br />
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Now we arrive on the actual birthday, and the day before the big party. I wake up early to start baking. I baked 48 chocolate and vanilla cupcakes (for the party) and had just enough chocolate batter left over to make a special, coordinating 8" round cake to put the candles on for little sister to blow out at the party. Everything went as planned. Cupcakes were baked, cake was cooling on the counter.<br />
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Enter Fern, the chocolate Labrador <br />
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I only share all of the aforementioned background on the intensive planning and execution of the cupcake process so you can fully appreciate what happens next. Here's how it goes down.<br />
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I hear crying in the kids' rooms and scurry out of the kitchen to assess the situation. I'm in Boy's room for maybe 90 seconds, and when I return to the kitchen, I see the cake on the counter with a huge bite missing, and Fern below it, swiftly attempting to wolf down the evidence. Little Sister comes around the corner behind me, and, seeing the half-eaten cake and the dog eating it, bursts into tears and runs to her room shrieking, "my birthday is ruined".<br />
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Admittedly, at this point, if I had been armed, I might have simply shot the dog. In fact, I had quite a lovely 2-second fantasy about doing just that, but then, I couldn't help imagining the looks on my children's faces as they witness me executing the family pet. I also couldn't figure out how I would explain the blood stain and bullet hole in the floor to perspective home buyers...so I regained composure (sort of) and dragged the dog outside by her skin (or it may have been some other body part, I was really too angry to care) and came back in to assess the damage and console the birthday girl.<br />
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Here's where the well-armed bit comes in. As I survey the damage to the cake, I recognize that while I couldn't, in good conscience, serve a salvaged dog-eaten cake to my guests, I could surely cut off the contaminated portion, and we could eat what was rest as a family. When I sliced off the chunk, I noticed the cake's new shape lent itself to that of a slice of watermelon. Lightbulbs went on.<br />
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I ran into sobbing Little Sister's room and suggested that not only could I save her birthday cake, but SHE and her brother could help me decorate it. She brightened and I set about icing the odd-shaped cake. I then turned the decorating over to Boy and Little Sister, as they dumped half a jar of red and green sprinkles over it. We strategically placed a few chocolate chips to emulate watermelon seeds, and by golly, the watermelon birthday cake was a resurrected success.<br />
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When we all sat down to birthday cake that night, each one of us agreed it was perfectly decorated and delicious, and all in all, no worse for the wear. So the moral of this story is: when the dog eats the birthday cake, it takes a well-armed housewife to make watermelon. Adapt and overcome, my friends.<br />
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PS. The cupcakes and party were a total success too.<br />
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<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-31555926298509797172012-06-02T20:12:00.000-06:002012-06-02T20:12:32.959-06:00Turtle nuggetsUntil recently, when someone told me we'd be eating turtle, I instantly imagined a lovely dessert with chocolate, caramel and pecans. Then the Hubby found a snapping turtle on the road and decided he wanted to eat it. "T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. Turtle" is what he calls it. (For those of you not up on "prepper" jargon, that long acronym stands for The End Of The World As We Know It.) Ok, ok, redneck jokes aside, I rolled my eyes and tried to get in to the idea of consuming reptile.<br />
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My only reptilian culinary experience was with alligator fritters, which I found tender and delicious. They were lightly battered, had consistency like fish, but were decidedly more chicken-like in flavor. I was cautiously optimistic that snapping turtle might lend itself to the same mild flavor.<br />
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As we got closer to the day when we would actually prepare the turtle, while the kids were huddled around the stock tank admiring it resting benignly beneath the water, I began to lose my
nerve about dispatching the thing. It seemed harmless enough, after
all. But then the Hubby enlightened me to the well publicized fact that
snapping turtles are responsible for maiming cattle every year, as they
bite off the teats of wading cows. Well, that did it. With new
resolve, I gave the nod and the Hubby began his quest to find a decent way to prepare our new game meat.<br />
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Hubby scoured the internet for info on killing, cleaning, and cooking snapping turtle. Thankfully, the southern part of the U.S. is loaded with the things (imagine herds of udderless cows with hungry, frustrated calves) and there are no shortage of hillbillies with video cameras ready to impart their wisdom on YouTube.<br />
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First you need a good "whomping stick". You don't actually kill the turtle with the stick, you just "whomp" it in the nose like you're driving a golf ball down the fairway, and then run up to its head while the turtle is seeing stars and decapitate it before it wakes up and takes off your hand.<br />
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Once head and turtle are separated, you need a cutting board with a nail protruding from it, sharp side up. That's for sticking the turtle parts on so they don't crawl away while you're slicing the meat off of them. Oh, yeah. Reptile muscles require no connection with a nervous system to continue to operate. That's why snake heads can still bite you after they've been removed from the body. I didn't quite anticipate the impact this uniquely reptilian adaptation would have on me. I usually have a pretty strong stomach for butchering and processing game, but something about limbs recoiling as they're being severed turned even my stomach. I couldn't watch, so there are not many pictures of the processing part.<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/AVvXsEhuSo6lidY2v_Hg6ki7O1WVmOVb1aahxeHWGQxBreTmzc9BAHjcI5eh5XF-qHNYajqBJD3Y4fH4YDkFCkOVPXV_gxSw5Ish8kaYMNBp-QlMckPJGBUXSy5pAloULuvCTABUqiNfx-MwXYE/s1600/snapping+turtle6web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSo6lidY2v_Hg6ki7O1WVmOVb1aahxeHWGQxBreTmzc9BAHjcI5eh5XF-qHNYajqBJD3Y4fH4YDkFCkOVPXV_gxSw5Ish8kaYMNBp-QlMckPJGBUXSy5pAloULuvCTABUqiNfx-MwXYE/s320/snapping+turtle6web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big biting muscles mean there is lots of good meat on the head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once the meat was in the bowl, it could have been mistaken for pork, if it weren't for the fact that the pieces were still twitching. All the pieces went into a soup pot filled with water and were boiled for about 2 hours. <br />
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We drained the meat, and Hubby created a batter. As usual, he used every spice in the cabinet so I have no idea how to tell you to reproduce it. Sorry. I did observe him dipping the pieces in egg batter, then rolling them in his seasoned flour, breadcrumb mixture.<br />
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Then, we pan fried the nuggets.<br />
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Amazingly, the nuggets were delicious. They were decidedly more dense than alligator, with more of a pork-like consistency, and no fishiness. The kids loved it so much they wanted more turtle nuggets for dessert, begging in sing song "we want turtle, we want turtle". And to think we have friends whose kids will only eat peanut butter and jelly.<br />
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While I'm fairly certain a chain of Turtle-Fil-A restaurants will not spring up across the U.S., I can confidently state that snapping turtle is indelibly inked onto a growing list of T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I. menu items. Who knows, I may even eat it again in a non-starvation survival scenario. <br />
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<br />Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-4003756998480179242012-05-25T18:24:00.000-06:002012-05-25T18:24:55.628-06:00First calf of 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Not long after we moved our cattle to their new farm, SS told us a story about her formative memories of cows and calving. Apparently, her father was driving home on a snowy spring day when he spotted a neighbor's newborn calf stranded, shivering in an irrigation ditch. Hoping to extract it, he left little SS in the passenger's seat of his truck and climbed in the pasture to fish the freezing calf out of the water. The mother cow took exception to his altruism and proceeded to bludgeoned him half to death in front of his terrified daughter. For her entire life, this memory has plagued SS, but she was able to overcome it to allow us to house our cattle at her farm.<br />
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We assured our friend that her scenario was unlikely to be a problem for us. We have tame cows after all, and May babies. No snow, no attack mommas. Nevertheless, SS is still a bit dodgy about going in the pasture with the bovines, fearing an unsolicited confrontation with one of them.<br />
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On May 9th, I got a call from one of the folks who frequents SS's farm informing me that Momma Cow was acting like she was in labor. Contractions, stringy stuff emerging, etc. As I was about an hour away, I texted the Hubby to tell him the news, and he hustled out to find Momma grazing comfortably, with no calf in sight. Hubby headed into the pasture to look for signs of birth, and quickly discovered the afterbirth...but still no calf. Now turning to Momma Cow for answers, Hubby suddenly recalled SS's calf in the ditch story. Off he marched to the irrigation canal that bordered the cow pasture and found the hot wire that keeps the cattle out of it had been destroyed. Uh oh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPR_bcBMM97wPjx5qssgr3J0-3md2KGQuRqQ_SW0UgYAPvZLXRafrR59WwJjsea8kBCOPTd8VJVLeaS8xzn02FctH80G9R9qwmXsm-pv5EC0CEfIIDmjMHFREGGb7isf06dVyOr7TCU4/s1600/5.12+Buoy+005web.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/AVvXsEiMPR_bcBMM97wPjx5qssgr3J0-3md2KGQuRqQ_SW0UgYAPvZLXRafrR59WwJjsea8kBCOPTd8VJVLeaS8xzn02FctH80G9R9qwmXsm-pv5EC0CEfIIDmjMHFREGGb7isf06dVyOr7TCU4/s200/5.12+Buoy+005web.jpg" width="146" /></a>There at the bottom of the canal, was a tiny, very cold newborn calf. His two little front feet were struggling to maintain a foothold on the sheer edge of the canal and he had quite a shiver going. Hubby realized that if he climbed down to grab the baby by himself, he might be stuck as well, so he called the farm friend for help. She held his belt while he hung over the bank of the canal and collected the tyke.<br />
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Momma Cow took it in stride, even while Hubby vigorously rubbed the newborn dry. SS soon appeared on the quad and Hubby climbed on the back holding the baby calf, and Momma, now a bit concerned followed closely behind calling to her baby as she walked. Slow and steady, they moved Momma and baby to a new pasture...without a deep canal. Hubby laid little guy in the sun and stepped away to see him hop to his feet and nurse.<br />
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You may recall this calf is the one sired by Stenberg Coalition 509 which I blogged about in "<a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-online-for-baby-daddies.html" target="_blank">Shopping Online for Baby Daddies</a>", and he's our first bull calf. We dubbed the little fella "Buoy" after his aquatic adventure and he is growing and gaining weight well. Thankfully, he has suffered no ill effects from his early struggles, though he remains the only of our cattle to have been baptized.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-24642309331987052222012-05-06T16:23:00.000-06:002012-05-06T16:23:23.627-06:00Snake day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5h2_Gq9YyxVx66nBaYSEQskySvz-osDFhDPZ80qXcVCcNKFgxz86UklRQO1bvBfEC_F1uUdefAQdD6FL6W1yEcXLu8wwbV8OVOQdyn-Yccu0bUzD3S16AhDN1_TEMVGycSSPsWXtI50/s1600/89914_580_360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5h2_Gq9YyxVx66nBaYSEQskySvz-osDFhDPZ80qXcVCcNKFgxz86UklRQO1bvBfEC_F1uUdefAQdD6FL6W1yEcXLu8wwbV8OVOQdyn-Yccu0bUzD3S16AhDN1_TEMVGycSSPsWXtI50/s200/89914_580_360.jpg" width="200" /></a>Yesterday's weather was warm and overcast. Perfect snake weather, as it turns out. While next to the cow pasture, we spotted a small, quick olive green snake, that I think was either a Yellow Bellied Racer or a Smooth Green Snake. Then, over at the horse barn, no fewer than 3 bull snakes were spotted, two of which had to be removed from the barn so they wouldn't be a nuisance to the barn's inhabitants.<br />
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When we got home from visiting our cows, Boy hopped out of our car and immediately shrieked in fear as he nearly stepped on a snake sunning itself on the driveway. Excited, but admittedly very scared, he described the snake as "small and black with a yellow stripe." A garter snake, I deduced.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywvYRFYGH8wWhBK0jVWA84oK-fJRMouEQs5HZ-3P8dmDYGaLAsShRMqP6cKjKvAbNu0Pgi34QbsarRI8TcUNqQmhglpwcxF5Z6WcgQmx7jdmd1eK1OP7HmKN_WThNPU8p5VNvrXTaqi0/s1600/gartersnake.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/AVvXsEjywvYRFYGH8wWhBK0jVWA84oK-fJRMouEQs5HZ-3P8dmDYGaLAsShRMqP6cKjKvAbNu0Pgi34QbsarRI8TcUNqQmhglpwcxF5Z6WcgQmx7jdmd1eK1OP7HmKN_WThNPU8p5VNvrXTaqi0/s200/gartersnake.jpg" width="200" /></a>I used to see little garter snakes all the time when I was growing up, and found them beautiful and non-threatening. Relieved the snake now reportedly hiding in my patio garden wasn't something big and bitey, I suggested Boy guard the spot where it entered the garden until his daddy came home. He thought that was a good idea and set about watching the flower bed intently for the next several minutes.<br />
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A few minutes later, I heard the Hubby pull up in his diesel truck. He was as excited about the snake sighting as the Boy was, and grabbed a stick to gently move apart the leaves of the perennials to search for the hiding serpent. A few more moments passed, and I poked my head out the front door to check progress of the two serpent hunters, and came face to face with the largest garter snake I had ever seen, mouth agape and body coiled around my husbands arm.<br />
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I don't love snakes. I appreciate their role in the ecosystem, but they do make me a bit uncomfortable. My brother LOVES snakes, and every other creepy crawly reptile and amphibian. As a kid, he caught and kept all varieties of snake, frog and lizard in numerous terrariums in his room. As an adult, he actively searches out encounters with reptiles, hoping to capture and photograph them. Even with the amateur herpetologist in my family, I felt a mild sensation of nausea sweep over me, as I considered that the beast my husband was now wrangling was easily within striking range of my children without me even knowing it.<br />
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I asked my wide-eyed boy if that was the "little" snake he saw, and he shook his head, so I couldn't help wondering what happened to that little garter he claimed to have seen...was it still in there? Or was it consumed by this hissing behemoth that my husband was now handling? I may never know.<br />
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We gave each child a chance to pet the huge garter, and then we released it back into the garden to keep up its duty of eating the critters that eat our plants.<br />
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Though I may not love the idea of snakes all around me, they are a simple fact of life in the country. They bring far more benefits than detriments to our farm, as they control pests of all types. And in the 10 years we've lived here, I've seen fewer than a dozen snakes. So all in all, they make better neighbors than many of the human nuisances we have about.<br />
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I do have to admit, this particular snake sighting does make me a little more wary about poking an un-gloved hand into any dense undergrowth here on the property.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-67969050203727709882012-05-05T17:41:00.000-06:002012-05-05T17:41:10.599-06:00First Eden Experiment UpdateAbout 6 weeks ago, I filled you in on a new gardening concept from a movie called <i>Back to Eden</i>. You can read all about it in my post <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2012/03/experimenting-with-eden.html" target="_blank">Experimenting with Eden</a>. Since then, we've noted some interesting aspects of this gardening style, some that are good, and some, not so good. Here's the list.<br />
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1. As promised, the soil does stay much moister now than without mulch. <br />
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2. The worms LOVE the new layer of mulch, and are now evident in astounding numbers. In fact, I can scarcely sink a trowel into the earth without uprooting a half dozen fat crawlers. <br />
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3. The weeds are no where near as bad as last year, with the exception of our old friend Perennial Bindweed. This European invasive weed has been known to bubble asphalt driveways, so it's no surprise a 6 inch layer of mulch hasn't slowed it down. Even the bindweed is easier to pull though in the mulch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23oDx2JI7MKu8GcnDinIhuFxVOpZbh7c_i5hUEZLTLk53hxcY4w8piqz13zboATY7FuKZltO0HPPhYz4gTPkmmjGi0g4WAWr__gjPtg1gTy3VEILK1E0G8te-60a-oORzHl1GtjjDOec/s1600/blog+038potatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23oDx2JI7MKu8GcnDinIhuFxVOpZbh7c_i5hUEZLTLk53hxcY4w8piqz13zboATY7FuKZltO0HPPhYz4gTPkmmjGi0g4WAWr__gjPtg1gTy3VEILK1E0G8te-60a-oORzHl1GtjjDOec/s320/blog+038potatoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato patch</td></tr>
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4. The potatoes and onions are happy and prolific in the mulch. The movie claims that no mounding is necessary for potatoes using the "Eden" method, but that remains to be seen. I was pleased to discover though, that my potatoes are strongly out performing the ones at the nearby demonstration gardens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqkG_3Gmdqk1USubSmpt4qSct1Hrt5Pd3BafNQYMjRuTbkzYKZN2-s5dOHqrK7U-xCfpS3-VZDS7vCoRPEXSBLi9qKP6UbA1ysjHCOpKv1eX8zu7G_uea2_qPtlDmWuDb6cigqM999AE/s1600/blog+040onion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqkG_3Gmdqk1USubSmpt4qSct1Hrt5Pd3BafNQYMjRuTbkzYKZN2-s5dOHqrK7U-xCfpS3-VZDS7vCoRPEXSBLi9qKP6UbA1ysjHCOpKv1eX8zu7G_uea2_qPtlDmWuDb6cigqM999AE/s320/blog+040onion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow onions from sets</td></tr>
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5. Only a few rows of my direct-sown seeds have emerged. Of those, only one or two are thriving. The others like the beets & lettuce died instantly, and the radishes stalled in their maturation and are the same size now as they were 3 weeks ago. We have speculated at length about why this is happening. The theories include bad seed, predation, cold evening temps, longer germination period because of the added layer of insulation, or that the deep mulch too heavy for seedlings to push through. It is clear, however, that I will either have to re-sow many of the veggies I planted, or buy starts from the nursery to catch up on production. Fortunately, we started so early this year, that I should be able to keep up with prior years' production even after replanting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAy8cAHSk9w2UNw9ipQEDhqFpzIADLHkSzVVHJYnZGq2_t2X3k16Rn4h6P0kDpnhuZdlBAeUAAh3IPt1WLI-TKFit32O0eGtw9Iw-4_pjVTkqMLSJ7tlwF2bKRVsA0gv_M9zZytcBHp0s/s1600/blog+035dill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAy8cAHSk9w2UNw9ipQEDhqFpzIADLHkSzVVHJYnZGq2_t2X3k16Rn4h6P0kDpnhuZdlBAeUAAh3IPt1WLI-TKFit32O0eGtw9Iw-4_pjVTkqMLSJ7tlwF2bKRVsA0gv_M9zZytcBHp0s/s320/blog+035dill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dill seems happy!</td></tr>
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6. Several transplanted starts have stressed badly and burned up their leaves. This is another mystery. I picked up a bunch of starts from the greenhouse, hardened them off over a few days and put all but one of them in the ground. The soil was moist and I planted them close to the drip line. Within 3 days, the starts I planted in the garden shocked badly, but the one I kept out and didn't plant was fine. The survivor was still in the 4-inch pot so it would have been even more affected by the evening temperatures or daytime sunlight if that was the problem, so I am frankly totally baffled...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdJ54esmHn-DG89JValEP9VYHNbF22ZCRaP7rvgZnuZ-FGLXhxnclLZVPCgIVF6OYuqYseqmrjPOIT2yCcfAOb5uQgKqww9qt6UrBn7mZjhYII-qnDbCLaSb6bT1FCRQPb6WNQ6N5d50/s1600/blog+036melonstress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdJ54esmHn-DG89JValEP9VYHNbF22ZCRaP7rvgZnuZ-FGLXhxnclLZVPCgIVF6OYuqYseqmrjPOIT2yCcfAOb5uQgKqww9qt6UrBn7mZjhYII-qnDbCLaSb6bT1FCRQPb6WNQ6N5d50/s320/blog+036melonstress.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon in shock</td></tr>
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Basically, this continues to be a learning experience as we determine what works and what doesn't. Periodically, when I'm feeling frustrated, I look over at our parsley plant, and am encouraged. Parsley, you see, is a single season annual here in our climate, and is notorious for being temperamental about reseeding. However, its placement here in the mulch by our patio has allowed it to be productive beyond our wildest dreams, and it comes back larger and with renewed vigor every season. It's the parsley that reminds me that this is a good system designed by God, and I just have to learn how to work with it, not against it, and remember to give it time.<br />
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</div>Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-26258203125265601202012-05-01T17:19:00.000-06:002012-05-01T17:19:04.698-06:00Wild Asparagus HuntingIn December of 2011, we lost an 8-month long battle with the Town we live in over property rights. We endeavored to defend our farm's 100+ year agricultural use in the face of a 20 year-old zoning code that allows horses, but not cows. After the town judge found us guilty of "possession of cattle", we began to search for cow pasture, which resulted in God leading us to a very unique property, with some wonderful new friends, just 4 miles away from our town.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFIOBkING7uPi50JJNxZmCb5jXVRIah9kk2teYe4vrN5hIowG852_n91wpOnPCdHkEQckG9g0gGgdjr2L8NQIcladyWFzD-VitXx-7n2N4yu8bAU0W3HsmZ0jLqaNxw0oN2K70NI8JqM/s1600/4.12+cows+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFIOBkING7uPi50JJNxZmCb5jXVRIah9kk2teYe4vrN5hIowG852_n91wpOnPCdHkEQckG9g0gGgdjr2L8NQIcladyWFzD-VitXx-7n2N4yu8bAU0W3HsmZ0jLqaNxw0oN2K70NI8JqM/s320/4.12+cows+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our new friends, SS & FF offered to house our cattle in their pasture in exchange for us doing a little work around their 140 acre farm. As their farm is outside of city limits, they experience all the freedom and autonomy we only dream of having on our place. They can lawfully hunt, fish, farm, shoot, grow, house livestock, and do whatever else strikes their fancy. So it's probably no surprise that for the last 3 months, we have spent nearly every weekend at our cows'
new home, building fences, planting trees, cultivating garden areas or
just sharing meals with SS, FF & their kids. <br />
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Last weekend when we visited the Farm to work on a new section of fence, I found SS down at the edge of the lake with a bag and a knife harvesting wild asparagus. I've only ever heard tales of asparagus growing wild in ditches and along waterways, and had never hunted it myself, but I grabbed a bag & headed over to see if I could participate. SS turns out to be a legendary asparagus hunter, spotting the tender new shoots amidst the dead marsh grass & old gray stalks. A total novice, I had to identify a stand of live, leafed-out stalks to recognize the emerging harvest, but got better at spotting our quarry toward the end. I've scarcely had so much fun and I think hunting produce actually
fulfilled some ancient primal gathering instinct that has long been
ignored.<br />
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We came back to the house with two grocery bags overflowing with asparagus stalks. I brought mine home and soaked them in cold water to minimize the bugs and grit, and then prepared them by snapping off the woody ends, drizzling them with olive oil, and then sprinkling fresh minced garlic and salt over top. After soaking for around a half hour, I threw them on the barbecue until they were tender, but still crisp. This is my new favorite way to prepare asparagus courtesy of another friend and culinary genius, LP.<br />
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The kids were a bit put off by the much stringier texture of the wild asparagus, but I found the top 4 inches of the stalks to be sweet, tender and better than any bruised, wilted asparagus hailing from the grocery store.<br />
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A few stalks were too mature to eat, so I threw them in a glass of water to see if I could force them to seed. If I'm successful, I will plant my own perennial asparagus in my garden.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-76539325906586192132012-03-19T23:33:00.000-06:002012-03-19T23:33:01.468-06:00Experimenting with EdenA couple of months ago, I was introduced to a movie that literally turns traditional vegetable gardening on its head. It's called <a href="http://backtoedenfilm.com/#movie" target="_blank">Back to Eden</a>. As soon as you're done reading this, watch the movie. It will blow your mind.<br />
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All along, I've been doing gardens like everyone else. Clear the ground, till it, amend it, plant it, water it, weed it, repeat ad nauseum. This movie will put an end to it all.<br />
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Last year's garden area was 24' x 32'. Each bed was outlined with weed fabric to delineate growing space from walking space, making the actual surface growing area less than half of the total square footage of the plot. We ran out of room for all the things we wanted to grow, and found ourselves limited in what we could add later in the season, mostly thanks to sprawling pumpkin plants.<br />
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This year, we decided to cultivate an additional 15' x 48' strip adjacent to the original garden, to give the space hog veggies their own bed with lots of extra elbow room. As we tilled the ground in the new plot and added compost to amend its soil, all I could think was "how am I going to weed all of this?" You'll perhaps recall my <a href="http://familyfoodandfirearms.blogspot.com/2011/06/weeding-garden.html" target="_blank">ode to weeding</a> from last year...<br />
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Then we saw the movie. TEASER: I won't have to weed the garden by hand any more. (I know. You NEED to watch the movie)<br />
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This weekend, we prepared our newly expanded garden area using the process outlined in the movie. I will describe the simplicity of the process.<br />
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Step 1: Smooth the plot.<br />
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Step 2: Lay down irrigation. Ok, so they don't actually have this step in the movie, but it mostly takes place in Washington state and we live in the high-plains desert, so, to be on the safe side, we added it. We use Netafim driptube with emitters built in. It's the same stuff we used last year, so the process to this point is identical to what we've done every year. Last year, we would have quit here, but this year, we added another step.<br />
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Step 3: Cover the whole plot with 6 inches of wood chips. (!!) Crazy, huh? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tyFrsD0mLGJ5zImQAZg6C26_PYkq0M_q0tnDNibYLNeRavhuTVrWX3KXKDow7EDuMHqZcI2Y3tMUEAzjv-pzmeJEayNyM0mFMzdOpdzsWeyafBsHxOqMulAb4z7aFLkxRB_yli_6gBY/s1600/garden+for+blog+011web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tyFrsD0mLGJ5zImQAZg6C26_PYkq0M_q0tnDNibYLNeRavhuTVrWX3KXKDow7EDuMHqZcI2Y3tMUEAzjv-pzmeJEayNyM0mFMzdOpdzsWeyafBsHxOqMulAb4z7aFLkxRB_yli_6gBY/s320/garden+for+blog+011web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8N-hoXGUSBYcN5GRRw8qBm2IH0q7injTVhFmZX6vETaBREY2c-A6n-D8DrcpXN5GqItyHGHZ2-VLOGc0vieoBFs3Xf5HYnVfgcHoUNZz7xGCkkJZPj3ZpgPPxZ0Z1JcoKNk4Id0g7Jc/s1600/ok5466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8N-hoXGUSBYcN5GRRw8qBm2IH0q7injTVhFmZX6vETaBREY2c-A6n-D8DrcpXN5GqItyHGHZ2-VLOGc0vieoBFs3Xf5HYnVfgcHoUNZz7xGCkkJZPj3ZpgPPxZ0Z1JcoKNk4Id0g7Jc/s200/ok5466.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to the movie, God, in His infinite wisdom didn't design the ground to be bare. That's why He sends weeds, or leaves, or grass, or whatever to cover it, the minute we idiot humans disturb it. In fact, the ONLY place you will find bare earth is where people have disturbed it. Stop God from covering it and you toil non-stop with endless weeding, spraying, and watering. Leave it uncovered for too long, and you end up with the Dust Bowl.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ojvkAtwylMGnJ5WgoV6Brwxs7CsMhy3IfEdKer7w0Yzrin-eag22NrlXZc-YiO6TvJw4G0LvGsiLKNOnWxe9UTFB7ttqI9Optp-FWybo0RE_yOQt20FJXBEcDvezULJVMbXQngN1S4w/s1600/Forest+Floor+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ojvkAtwylMGnJ5WgoV6Brwxs7CsMhy3IfEdKer7w0Yzrin-eag22NrlXZc-YiO6TvJw4G0LvGsiLKNOnWxe9UTFB7ttqI9Optp-FWybo0RE_yOQt20FJXBEcDvezULJVMbXQngN1S4w/s200/Forest+Floor+II.jpg" width="200" /></a>In contrast, where the earth is covered with leaves, bark, decomposing matter of all varieties, life is abundant and diverse, and moisture is prevalent and available, requiring virtually no supplemental irrigation. The decomposition of the mulching material amends the soil naturally, compaction virtually disappears, along with the hours of weeding, digging, tilling and toiling.<br />
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Here's what our plot looks like now with its beneficial layer of wood chip mulch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Upi7lBUCR63pJqXzzmJ062t_udmoiLua9JeXZBXEXUEGiNZxkgobDzEVcWNKqgbco2zA3BRuq1swbT-dmQ3z4PCvkwRw-m4cdhPzLgFy079-GycA_mPmZzOaoIFAJ4k15a96dqaeWNM/s1600/garden+for+blog+012web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Upi7lBUCR63pJqXzzmJ062t_udmoiLua9JeXZBXEXUEGiNZxkgobDzEVcWNKqgbco2zA3BRuq1swbT-dmQ3z4PCvkwRw-m4cdhPzLgFy079-GycA_mPmZzOaoIFAJ4k15a96dqaeWNM/s320/garden+for+blog+012web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you're any good at math, you're probably wondering how we could afford that much mulch. Even with our landscaper discount, it would still be cost prohibitive to buy all that mulch. But that's the beauty of this system. You don't need fancy, colored wood chips. Just plain old, ground up yard waste will do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXc5Muq1dfml_BjpSlueXyW9LWzDXIXBxNte9qb5reaZ6k9cfxxa0Qkc-1o51LTRqN98-g5-vDTHhxcrtMTBcfrXAkbeGWljkX0jQ40eyXbmqYtXElJk8euZib0iTvHf_TDAoCwSgtoU/s1600/10.11+Snow+storm+damage+016web.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/AVvXsEjHXc5Muq1dfml_BjpSlueXyW9LWzDXIXBxNte9qb5reaZ6k9cfxxa0Qkc-1o51LTRqN98-g5-vDTHhxcrtMTBcfrXAkbeGWljkX0jQ40eyXbmqYtXElJk8euZib0iTvHf_TDAoCwSgtoU/s200/10.11+Snow+storm+damage+016web.jpg" width="150" /></a>As it turns out, our town has a yard waste recycling center, and the have a huge pile of chipped up yard waste. This year, the pile is about 10 times its usual size because we had a massive storm in October that devastated most of the mature trees in the state, ours included. One phone call to the town and they practically begged us to take the beautiful, steaming, partly decomposing pile of ground covering off their hands. We were glad to oblige, and took 8 dump truck loads.<br />
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It's still a little too early to plant here, but I'll let you know how that goes once we get to it. Meanwhile, watch the movie...here's the link again so you don't have an excuse not to watch it immediately. <a href="http://backtoedenfilm.com/#movie" target="_blank">Back to Eden</a>. Enjoy.Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-82835663662579376022012-03-11T16:18:00.001-06:002012-03-11T23:16:17.501-06:00First real ride on Domino<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUyuHHtte8M_V84fTAdmtQzejFUnLVP95aWWEVpYaIOiR-zI2T4qG6i6s7oQcMJawHtE7gKVJ0Eo4Qx9bz8EYzxxeL_321vDOIBTHDOmdwF3yyb1lAyOa5FvuCYNp8BmbW48iqrh_bMI/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+052web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUyuHHtte8M_V84fTAdmtQzejFUnLVP95aWWEVpYaIOiR-zI2T4qG6i6s7oQcMJawHtE7gKVJ0Eo4Qx9bz8EYzxxeL_321vDOIBTHDOmdwF3yyb1lAyOa5FvuCYNp8BmbW48iqrh_bMI/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+052web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Today I rode my beautiful mare, Domino for the first time. Ok, technically, I threw my leg over her and took her for a lap around the round pen earlier in the week, but this was the first REAL ride.<br />
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Domino came to me in early October, 2011. She had been a pasture ornament since the time four years earlier, when she almost killed her owner. The story I got was that she had been a lovely riding horse for 10 years until she suddenly began some erratic and dangerous behavior. First, she fell over on a trail ride when her owner put her foot in the stirrup. Then, several months later, her owner took her to a clinic, and seconds after getting on, the mare took 2 steps and went straight up in the air, flipping over backward, breaking the saddle, and nearly killing her human passenger, who managed to bail out just in time.<br />
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Most horse people know, as I do, that this is usually a behavior issue, and once a horse learns to go up in the air to avoid pressure, it is rarely repairable. That was the official assessment of the clinician present for the horse's final ride. So when it was suggested that Domino needed a home, and mine would be perfect, I immediately said "no thanks."<br />
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But then I met Domino.<br />
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From the minute I met her, she showed none of the usual symptoms of a "flip-over horse" that I was expecting to see. She dropped her nose to the ground when I applied pressure to her poll, she backed and moved forward with my lightest touch. I agreed to work with her for a few days to see if she would be a good fit and in 3 days of round pen work, she was supple, responsive, careful and sweet. She displayed none of the traits of a horse that goes over backward in fear or anger, as she was purported to do.<br />
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As you may be aware, 2011 was a challenging year for our family. Many a fruitless battle was waged and lost. By October, I began to feel I needed to do something productive to recharge my spirit. Domino became that catalyst. Knowing there was a strong possibility I would never be able to actually ride her, I agreed to take her anyway, reasoning that I could always breed her if she didn't work out as a riding horse. And, since the cows had to find new homes, Blacky would need a new companion.<br />
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When the trailer containing Domino pulled onto our property, Blacky didn't even look up, probably convinced we were just bringing in a new cow. But once he got a whiff of equine, he let out a whinny I will not soon forget. He came to the fence to meet her, and it was love at first sight. One hurdle passed, now the work would begin.<br />
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First off, I scheduled her a massage and a chiropractic evaluation. It was the chiropractor who gave me a new piece of info, and a clue to the flipping and falling. It was her opinion that Domino may have contracted a mild case of a neurological disease several years ago, that left her with slightly diminished nerve function. Nothing that the body couldn't rebuild with the amazing redundancy God builds into every living organism, but enough to have caused some short circuiting that may have resulted in erratic, unbalanced behavior...like flipping over.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDedUT2csxzVrdOiTmBOLQA-2NwAxbDRtwoKzEKO0E3cnjC5NuNzPtug5lP1hFlydPibygt8AH8sg_PsWzXnKVj5vsqDJCobvE5HvtrzWxRv-TgSm4qQSBoMStJdUwy_ubLzCwrzHFag/s1600/domino+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDedUT2csxzVrdOiTmBOLQA-2NwAxbDRtwoKzEKO0E3cnjC5NuNzPtug5lP1hFlydPibygt8AH8sg_PsWzXnKVj5vsqDJCobvE5HvtrzWxRv-TgSm4qQSBoMStJdUwy_ubLzCwrzHFag/s200/domino+021.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Since October, I have spent every windless day over 40 degrees doing groundwork with Domino, building trust, and loving every minute of it. Domino is something special. She buries her head in my arms, nickers when she sees me, and grants me all of the adoration my stoic old gelding never offered. Plus, she's gorgeous. Bright bay with four white stockings, and a few splashes of white to add to her sparkle.<br />
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She is one of the most sensitive horses I've ever worked with, and a bit of a worry-wart. But, once trust is established, she is golden. So, it was with great optimism that I approached our first ride. And I was not disappointed.<br />
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In my prior groundwork, I learned that she is not comfortable or happy in a bit. A more responsive horse to pressure, I have not yet found, so rather than try to force her into a bit of my choosing, I simply switched to a bosal. This appears to be a perfect solution.<br />
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First, I worked her under saddle on the ground. A few times each direction.<br />
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Then, I got on. She was even more relaxed and less worried than the first time I got on earlier in the week. Progress already.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblOM_llkiz6AM8pz9wGxZ5caNplW8Zu6n4pR6xNOjsoTsKHt7qHHtFAI-CUAIqAWMU9pI3Pyly8nmCTX7u18h_WBm52XS5exhh2oqQYlujUeAT_sw06Xee9ISvvFV4Ct6j-Ppm83WUqM/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+004web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblOM_llkiz6AM8pz9wGxZ5caNplW8Zu6n4pR6xNOjsoTsKHt7qHHtFAI-CUAIqAWMU9pI3Pyly8nmCTX7u18h_WBm52XS5exhh2oqQYlujUeAT_sw06Xee9ISvvFV4Ct6j-Ppm83WUqM/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+004web.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
The first few steps...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB040smlUdJNB61J3837ewf9owx87jEgXA8DDTU8VGt7ot30z1oYzUINRb29l97UO1zJRgCo3rWxuloWZWoSOdayHfngiQNWdDTSt2Ltt2wVNfqlsBwhouD00J6e7grcjQ9kkMCnitRLQ/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+008web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB040smlUdJNB61J3837ewf9owx87jEgXA8DDTU8VGt7ot30z1oYzUINRb29l97UO1zJRgCo3rWxuloWZWoSOdayHfngiQNWdDTSt2Ltt2wVNfqlsBwhouD00J6e7grcjQ9kkMCnitRLQ/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+008web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Change direction and suggest a little leg yield...<br />
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Another change of direction and a few more laps.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TAPo9gOg7AED3rH4aahtaELWLze5EVXb-wfxmWa5jQDiJmxF45bdY_I-LvHRlzfagrV9sQRsWXL13LE-XDK2rhBqJ6y5wEwmpmORdLmd03J791WeiqyDpKjTbxjS-eZPa_Z9uRWLmqM/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+029web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TAPo9gOg7AED3rH4aahtaELWLze5EVXb-wfxmWa5jQDiJmxF45bdY_I-LvHRlzfagrV9sQRsWXL13LE-XDK2rhBqJ6y5wEwmpmORdLmd03J791WeiqyDpKjTbxjS-eZPa_Z9uRWLmqM/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+029web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Nothing to worry about...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqlU_N1y7c8eclPGJX9GAKQ1qhGg-fbL8GOGRypUZ1mI_rTDCF5iA3IctYXKys1NvqXOoJRb-FESdvEl_d01jWaV2iHsakFnt_7o1Y_4cBcTWTtNGbv76Fbb-2qCmniYbzaxeXcfMJC0/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+016web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqlU_N1y7c8eclPGJX9GAKQ1qhGg-fbL8GOGRypUZ1mI_rTDCF5iA3IctYXKys1NvqXOoJRb-FESdvEl_d01jWaV2iHsakFnt_7o1Y_4cBcTWTtNGbv76Fbb-2qCmniYbzaxeXcfMJC0/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+016web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I spent a good 20 minutes atop Domino, and she was lovely. Soft, supple, responsive at walk, trot, halt and back. She yielded easily to leg pressure, and while I felt she was a little weak behind, but it's nothing shocking given the fact that she's been out of work for four years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well done, Domino. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZzEmaJHwoaVIwDVk0yf_6VM_t7HldevGVtINK6TS1HrKLkcYIwFE3xIWYEECh1ZR5fsHokVuiNWfQK4gvtnt8Q364zHv6XA_zyAB_R_AMBhlMdXBuZ1Dnik16IJlG7AQ9BTjZXmIntU/s1600/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+035web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZzEmaJHwoaVIwDVk0yf_6VM_t7HldevGVtINK6TS1HrKLkcYIwFE3xIWYEECh1ZR5fsHokVuiNWfQK4gvtnt8Q364zHv6XA_zyAB_R_AMBhlMdXBuZ1Dnik16IJlG7AQ9BTjZXmIntU/s320/3.11.12+Riding+Domino+035web.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-75221805375287303022011-09-04T23:38:00.000-06:002011-09-04T23:38:25.417-06:00Dove hunting and its delicious result<br />
September first is a bona fide holiday in our family. For generations, my hubby's family members have taken the day off of work and freed their kids from school to celebrate the opening day of mourning dove season.<br />
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When I first met the hubby (then boyfriend) I began joining him on this sacred holiday, and I have since learned to love dove openers. Unlike the wintertime water foul seasons, it's typically warm enough on September 1st to wear shorts. You pack a lunch, some water, and many, many boxes of shotgun shells and, if you're lucky, you come home with fewer than a dozen doves. If you're me, you come home with one bird...ok, so shotgunning fast-moving airborne game birds is not my strong suit. But my lack of success dove hunting doesn't keep me from going.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q03i8hjq9hAQDvxKDmdWrsC74Tmjj1FBVb22pL8xAEMnoGVD3ydJSQ6RJMZkOBoJH21WFiVi6qN0peZOH7aQWpZqmJgRrxPj7JACJGal7fM2b_v6BoYPQKjyJaL8Ud45QXBR-MxgQZc/s1600/Mourning+Dove%252C+flying+%2528CAspers%252C+2-09%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q03i8hjq9hAQDvxKDmdWrsC74Tmjj1FBVb22pL8xAEMnoGVD3ydJSQ6RJMZkOBoJH21WFiVi6qN0peZOH7aQWpZqmJgRrxPj7JACJGal7fM2b_v6BoYPQKjyJaL8Ud45QXBR-MxgQZc/s320/Mourning+Dove%252C+flying+%2528CAspers%252C+2-09%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year, we packed both of the kids, who were eager to participate in this family tradition. Though Little Sister is still too young and excitable to handle even a toy gun, Boy has demonstrated extremely disciplined gun handling skills with his toy guns and, as a result, was given his first shotgun for his 5th birthday.<br />
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This isn't any shotgun either. This JC Higgins 410 single-shot was his daddy's first shotgun, and his granddaddy's first shotgun as well. While Boy is still a bit too small to handle it by himself, he did get a chance to fire a round in the direction of a dove...with no success, but at least he was in good company. It was a fun morning, and the kids both came home dirty and tired, and we had a collective count of about 10 birds to show for our efforts.<br />
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The Hubby went out for the afternoon shoot, sans wife and kids, and came home with about 20 more. Out here, while there is a 15 bird limit on our native mourning dove, the larger, non-native Eurasian collared dove has begun to dominate the habitat and resources of the mourning dove, and is therefore considered a nuisance species. There is no limit on collared dove.<br />
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So what do you do with 30 or so dove? I typically make a fun little appetizer called <b>Dove Poppers</b> which is a <b>half dove breast</b> marinated in <b>Chipotle Tobasco sauce</b> atop a <b>cream cheese stuffed half jalapeno</b>, wrapped with <b>bacon</b> and then baked, but this year, due to the volume of little dove breasts in the fridge, the Hubby suggested a dove jambalaya...ooooh, I love it when he talks food.<br />
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So we began looking into recipes and managed to adapt a few to meet our needs. I was extremely disappointed with the store-bought Cajun seasoning options, so the Hubby found a great recipe for it as well and I included it here too, but feel free to use a store-bought one you like if you'd rather. The jambalaya was a <u>huge</u> success, and we both agreed it was our new favorite recipe for dove! It made a huge pot, and was perfect for a group, and the dove meat was fork tender, moist and delicious. Even people who turn their noses up at game meat would be hard pressed to find flaw with this recipe, so without further ado, here it is.<br />
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<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Dove Jambalaya</b></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into1-inch pieces
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 pound cooked ham, diced
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 pounds boneless dove breasts
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 package cooked andouille sausage
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
3 T butter</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 cups chopped celery
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 cups bell pepper, seeded and
chopped
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 large onion, chopped
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced
tomatoes, with liquid
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
4 cups beef broth
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
4 cups chicken broth
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
6 T. Cajun seasoning (recipe below)
divided</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
3 cups uncooked white rice
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sprinkle 3-4 T of Cajun seasoning
over dove breasts and toss to coat.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a large stockpot, cook bacon
over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and
set aside.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Add dove breasts to pot and brown
in batches in bacon grease. Return browned meat and bacon to pan and
add diced ham and sliced sausage. Set aside.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a separate pan, heat butter
over medium heat. Add celery, pepper, onion and garlic and saute
until soft.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Add veggies to meat in stock pot,
along with tomatoes, broth and 2 T. Cajun seasoning. Bring to a
boil, then reduce heat and simmer approximately 2 hours.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stir in rice and cover, setting
timer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking
to bottom of pot.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remove pot from heat and let set
10 minutes before serving.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Cajun Seasoning</b></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
5 T. paprika
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 T. fresh ground black pepper
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T. onion powder
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T. garlic powder
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T. dried oregano
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T. dried basil
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T dried thyme
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 T. salt
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tsp. white pepper
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tsp. ground coriander</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-57069644507431249602011-08-31T18:36:00.000-06:002011-08-31T18:36:58.294-06:00A woman's perspective on the best holsters for womenAt all of my defensive pistol events, my accuracy is pretty good, but my struggle with speed tends to place me at the back of the pack for final scores. Some of it is practice (or the lack there of), some of it nerves, but a lot of it is equipment. I'm not just making excuses here. I truly believe that most shooting gear is made by men and for men. As I am NOT a man, but rather a normal sized, athletically built WOMAN who has birthed two children, I've found that the equipment designed for <i>him </i>doesn't always work optimally for <i>her</i>.<br />
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I've tried dozens of holsters since I started carrying a firearm as one of my daily accessories: in the waistband (IWB), outside the waistband (OWB), ankle holster, drop holsters and thigh rigs. I think I own at least one of each, much to the Hubby's annoyance, who thought he lucked out by marrying a woman who hates shopping for clothes and has been satisfied wearing the same 4 pairs of shoes for the last 10 years. And lets face it, holsters aren't cheap! So here's the knowledge I have to share on the topic of obtaining the right holster for the lady marksman.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoILkzWIIjVVw19C14WV7zx7L0hrvJ8wR13_Qut3PeRt7BhhyphenhyphenNMfvU-4XeuwJZ3lpwRdn6evtmvg4XOHenDlCfX62QGOWTAWru2PJg7nfp061uj115ZlvQOHK5-K-PP6yRjggwKxUI50/s1600/blog+pix+086web.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/AVvXsEgDoILkzWIIjVVw19C14WV7zx7L0hrvJ8wR13_Qut3PeRt7BhhyphenhyphenNMfvU-4XeuwJZ3lpwRdn6evtmvg4XOHenDlCfX62QGOWTAWru2PJg7nfp061uj115ZlvQOHK5-K-PP6yRjggwKxUI50/s200/blog+pix+086web.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>My number one beef with holsters is that most common varieties and styles, whether for concealed carry or open carry are designed to sit on a fellow's hip. I don't know about you, but my hips aren't exactly like a man's. When I wear a holster on my hip, I'm constantly being pinched in the side and poked in the ribs by the grip of my gun. And then, when I draw, I have to tip over at the waist to the non-holster side to ensure my giggly bits are well clear of my draw stroke as I extract the firearm from its enclosure. Not exactly efficient, never mind comfortable to execute.<br />
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This year, after much begging, pleading and coercing, the hubby got me a new thigh holster for my anniversary (or birthday or mothers day...I can't really remember...don't tell hubby). Before shelling out the dough on the one I wanted, the Hubby bought me a random thigh holster from the gun shop. It had 2 thigh straps instead of one, but they were in entirely the wrong place. This is the one item of gun gear that I think would be MORE comfortable for a woman than a man if you get my drift...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V7RdjB39BFxS42Jzmp4NELtisOGRlGCg-bdfqFPsKLTw6Mxi2Uh-yGl6tXcvUhcYR_F_WL05vDzS6MNR4Wh42m5W79X4U3Lw_WNEbYN6YJzBwo79QjHW3F9Tb6fwUE_SdN86RxYVd7Y/s1600/blog+pix+084web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V7RdjB39BFxS42Jzmp4NELtisOGRlGCg-bdfqFPsKLTw6Mxi2Uh-yGl6tXcvUhcYR_F_WL05vDzS6MNR4Wh42m5W79X4U3Lw_WNEbYN6YJzBwo79QjHW3F9Tb6fwUE_SdN86RxYVd7Y/s320/blog+pix+084web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloanbGbL4smJxHy7kcQTzNxG0q1fOb79iqPx_sWFFzGcXkcqba1FAmXIxrpepoTPuo88ffg7xJtdGaSzh3IhzlAxLDg8h1Kwlg-biZ4YzVNY1gLj5vGssoX7638u_5NPvfF856qzpAoE/s1600/blog+pix+083web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloanbGbL4smJxHy7kcQTzNxG0q1fOb79iqPx_sWFFzGcXkcqba1FAmXIxrpepoTPuo88ffg7xJtdGaSzh3IhzlAxLDg8h1Kwlg-biZ4YzVNY1gLj5vGssoX7638u_5NPvfF856qzpAoE/s200/blog+pix+083web.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Speed Gear drop holster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But finally I won out and the Hubby shelled out the big bucks for the <a href="http://highspeedgearinc.com/proddetail.php?prod=HSG-DropHolster&cat=43">High Speed Gear Drop Holster</a> and I have to admit, it's the best holster I've ever owned. It's super comfortable, puts my gun in a great place to draw from, doesn't impede my movement at all, and is out of the way, yet accessible when needed. I even found when I went backpacking on our camping trip a few weekends ago, that I could actually carry a firearm AND a backpack simultaneously...something not easy to do with the usual holsters. Best of all is that my draw stroke is at least 2 seconds faster than it was with the traditional hip carry I used to use.<br />
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But let's face it, walking into the grocery store with this bad boy strapped to your thigh is bound to garner a few looks, and maybe a discussion with the security officer on duty. So when I'm not in "open carry country" I opt for the <a href="http://www.comp-tac.com/product_info.php?products_id=95">Minotaur MTAC</a> in the waist band holster.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoNzUvhykfYtoGaURKBucq07w19AmV_PGSr79pG0udhN20zyD1vR-rySSWD73WJXV7y3ZnV-8TglaCVuMWzfrTpJhyyGv8X6PA2aCc7W2PVuB1jm6o2hLylPlb9VZYdNvrkHJThg62N8/s1600/blog+pix+077web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoNzUvhykfYtoGaURKBucq07w19AmV_PGSr79pG0udhN20zyD1vR-rySSWD73WJXV7y3ZnV-8TglaCVuMWzfrTpJhyyGv8X6PA2aCc7W2PVuB1jm6o2hLylPlb9VZYdNvrkHJThg62N8/s320/blog+pix+077web.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGw-aKfTXHrf4zZkmRECl11Dnrl2VSoC_pxDpnNu2dX22CpNQk8kuC3a5Z1G_tu2Q91lYiQCOQMOOqfVhIM5yXmOSSTFF99hpnDEih7eazqsXO1Y23Y-YQwNpkfTqSoRwfBMZvYyaGk/s1600/blog+pix+080web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGw-aKfTXHrf4zZkmRECl11Dnrl2VSoC_pxDpnNu2dX22CpNQk8kuC3a5Z1G_tu2Q91lYiQCOQMOOqfVhIM5yXmOSSTFF99hpnDEih7eazqsXO1Y23Y-YQwNpkfTqSoRwfBMZvYyaGk/s200/blog+pix+080web.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open carry Minotaur MTAC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Instead of sitting on your hip, it sits at the 4:00 position (or 8:00 if you're a lefty like me) just behind the hip. By far, the MTAC is the most comfortable and versatile option for IWB carry, and it also has some additional unbeatable features: you can change out the "half body" (the kidex part that holds the gun) so you can use the same holster for all of your guns, and you change the 'cant' (angle the gun sits in the holster) to improve your access to it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs43NvgZ2_tmcntoPyBbovP401SDXcaonSXXGWN6M5EoFkfpozzCkKC7Bxa2mz4_r0aaofVLQDPjXUP_gGrciwxqT8nuJWKB8akhp6nS7BSDPdj8hPBBRiDF788DsxsWRt_9sKKKGkwE0/s1600/blog+pix+081web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs43NvgZ2_tmcntoPyBbovP401SDXcaonSXXGWN6M5EoFkfpozzCkKC7Bxa2mz4_r0aaofVLQDPjXUP_gGrciwxqT8nuJWKB8akhp6nS7BSDPdj8hPBBRiDF788DsxsWRt_9sKKKGkwE0/s200/blog+pix+081web.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concealed carry Minotaur MTAC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I find the MTAC is very concealable with a loose-fitting blouse, but unfortunately, you do need to wear a belt to carry it. Other drawbacks are that it's not comfortable for long car rides, and your chiropractor will hate you for what it does to your back. And some say that if you're in a confrontation where an attacker has you on your back, you'll have a hard time drawing it from your back. I guess this is why Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch teaches his students "Two is one and one is none" when it comes to carrying a gun. <br />
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I'm just grateful to live in a place where I can carry a gun, be it on my hip, in my waistband, or on my thigh. Now that you have a starting place for shopping for your next holster, maybe more of us mommas will start packing something other than a bling covered Coach bag, and the world will be a safer place for everyone.<br />
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Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-35978504603731342152011-08-29T00:00:00.000-06:002011-08-29T00:00:54.513-06:00Processing all those peachesSo the day after returning from my journey to the Western Slope for peaches, I had to start processing my fruit or risk losing it. I started by blanching peaches, a few at a time, then dropping them into my bowl of ice water.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFi5YpacunAnkoPMfw2wqZF8b_3xg2jTYkVe6-hFxkQSjeq2Q_JrP8lX5kL2CyCne1xbKOi72Pr7f2ZBv-Hn-YywAYhk5q1JAhpjkUE5pme4vgE-Ee9gTvt-k5Dz1udd2A1y2MB_sjM8/s1600/blog+pix+048web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFi5YpacunAnkoPMfw2wqZF8b_3xg2jTYkVe6-hFxkQSjeq2Q_JrP8lX5kL2CyCne1xbKOi72Pr7f2ZBv-Hn-YywAYhk5q1JAhpjkUE5pme4vgE-Ee9gTvt-k5Dz1udd2A1y2MB_sjM8/s320/blog+pix+048web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Then I slipped the skins off into a separate bowl and sliced the peaches into wedges.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqUHRyFUnlBFYnZl0MumCXswguSdMkPzZyH80ENzmfUdAm11ShCAtpWah8cSHfhPRkY6EMTEcN9rs4Z3zjwjrssrdlGbxcuzXCs-FlO0TBgbY6RE1VEveowUbT7XgBU9edV4HwvkaqSI/s1600/blog+pix+047web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqUHRyFUnlBFYnZl0MumCXswguSdMkPzZyH80ENzmfUdAm11ShCAtpWah8cSHfhPRkY6EMTEcN9rs4Z3zjwjrssrdlGbxcuzXCs-FlO0TBgbY6RE1VEveowUbT7XgBU9edV4HwvkaqSI/s320/blog+pix+047web.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
I first tried to simply half and pit them, but the flesh was so tender it practically disintegrated as I twisted the halves apart, so I resorted to slicing each peach into about 8-10 sections.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GWIp_9Iqrh2affx4vFT3FvBsp2ToOUKPisGSeOgIfQp2jJhgTF-VbVB-aFnfzuBp6z8gnfnr2kEsasyA3pfqRfVsjtVQ22HxELgSaXgn1S53MzyyrU0zHDyvQasNWcT9-0jytM9F7Q/s1600/blog+pix+051web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GWIp_9Iqrh2affx4vFT3FvBsp2ToOUKPisGSeOgIfQp2jJhgTF-VbVB-aFnfzuBp6z8gnfnr2kEsasyA3pfqRfVsjtVQ22HxELgSaXgn1S53MzyyrU0zHDyvQasNWcT9-0jytM9F7Q/s320/blog+pix+051web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I dropped the sliced fruit into a bowl of 1 cup lemon juice to 2 cups water, and saved the peels to boil down for jelly later.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lND3VYvqjn6pmwkpatJWbzq0Sn0Bz38teJgCRs3B8P_oKTKDyp4DRoW-DrMsidzL1dC26y_BY-bOBl7_1Uupg0NskxVwJSdQ7qo6uIf6KIu2VzUGOWnDXPSsjs0fVGzkLNAAe_qUjjc/s1600/blog+pix+052web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lND3VYvqjn6pmwkpatJWbzq0Sn0Bz38teJgCRs3B8P_oKTKDyp4DRoW-DrMsidzL1dC26y_BY-bOBl7_1Uupg0NskxVwJSdQ7qo6uIf6KIu2VzUGOWnDXPSsjs0fVGzkLNAAe_qUjjc/s320/blog+pix+052web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Then I sterilized jars and prepared the syrup. I prefer a really light syrup to a very heavy sugary one so I used a 1 to 3 ratio of sugar to water. As with pickling brine, I always prepare more than I think I will need so I don't have to stop midway through canning to boil more.<br />
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Once the jars were ready and syrup hot, I packed the jars with fresh peaches and ladled the syrup over, being extremely precise not to over-fill with either peaches or syrup. Half inch headroom MEANS half inch headroom with peaches because the syrup tends to boil over after the long processing time and if you fill it too full, it will boil out too much, leaving you with dry peaches at the top of your jar. I swept my plastic spatula around the inside to release any air bubbles, wiped the rims, and set the tops and plopped each jar into the waterbath canner to process for 35 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVsLZdGLRKtTz12qFmIGQ7qsfdbsV8gIFAKIZLhH0swbhFwPxxop_NQxb92nuduR809dw7-ympQr3x2tuAo1z3OkERlu7EnYDhDfNj9bbQukr6JGy0LB44Uk4FOaZcv2H9n4ZlpLlO3Y/s1600/blog+pix+053web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVsLZdGLRKtTz12qFmIGQ7qsfdbsV8gIFAKIZLhH0swbhFwPxxop_NQxb92nuduR809dw7-ympQr3x2tuAo1z3OkERlu7EnYDhDfNj9bbQukr6JGy0LB44Uk4FOaZcv2H9n4ZlpLlO3Y/s320/blog+pix+053web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Because there are so many things to boil for canning peaches, I had to do my processing in phases. I would stop prepping peaches when my bowl got full of fruit and then I would take the blanching water off the stove to put the syrup back on to boil. All the fussing and relocating of pots and bowls made the entire event extremely time consuming for just one person to accomplish, but the assurance of peaches through winter will be well worth the energy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDLElpIbXtMndgQ1bqpQYcXGu5lCpvwbK-OhLqRs8PAshtQGnkt5lXbplKMzrunyGCoNW9Sp5fkzrF6pfLZb1440OOC45L3NSE9g7AKQj-UuYJPNb-np4fXMgm41FC7JWfCm37MGaYbA/s1600/blog+pix+065web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDLElpIbXtMndgQ1bqpQYcXGu5lCpvwbK-OhLqRs8PAshtQGnkt5lXbplKMzrunyGCoNW9Sp5fkzrF6pfLZb1440OOC45L3NSE9g7AKQj-UuYJPNb-np4fXMgm41FC7JWfCm37MGaYbA/s200/blog+pix+065web.jpg" width="200" /></a>I canned 3 boxes of peaches the first day, but had 2 boxes left to process so I had to keep going. I froze a bunch of fruit by blanching, peeling, pitting and slicing the peaches, as with the canning, but then placing the slices on a non-stick cookie sheet and popping them in the freezer overnight. (The non-stick pan is vital as the peaches really want to adhere until the pan warms up and it's a bit of a trick getting them off...I used a spatula and a little elbow grease to pry them off and didn't damage the fruit at all) Then, once frozen, you can bag them up or vacuum seal them for use in smoothies or pies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcnEDNe-lpMYXf1qIncFl0wabyaAXtsqFyPOW2vYfu7HzWfjYpox6dnk1Yoxi7LXXKgckItLalqJuX8NpDgEyx73a8QhDzzZU38Vk-u7q_yrPk1xahyphenhyphen-lOBz15iiSQcBYgwaEd0MWh-g/s1600/blog+pix+056web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcnEDNe-lpMYXf1qIncFl0wabyaAXtsqFyPOW2vYfu7HzWfjYpox6dnk1Yoxi7LXXKgckItLalqJuX8NpDgEyx73a8QhDzzZU38Vk-u7q_yrPk1xahyphenhyphen-lOBz15iiSQcBYgwaEd0MWh-g/s200/blog+pix+056web.jpg" width="200" /></a>Speaking of pies, I also made the most delicious <b>peach crisp</b> ever.<br />
Here's the recipe:<br />
Grease an 8 x 8 pan.<br />
Peel and slice about <b>6 cups of peaches</b>.<br />
Add <b>1/2 tsp almond extract</b>, <b>1/4 cup of sugar</b> and <b>1-2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca</b> (depending on how juicy your peaches are) to fruit and let sit while you prepare topping.<br />
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In the Cuisinart, combine until the consistency of cornmeal:<br />
<b>1 cup all-purpose flour</b>, <b>3/4 cup white sugar</b>, <b>1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt</b> and <b>1/2 cup butter</b>.<br />
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Pour peaches into pan, pour topping over. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. As I said, this is the best peach crisp recipe I've ever made, but I doubled this recipe and wouldn't recommend doing that unless you are cooking for an army...it's so sweet and rich that you'll only be able to consume one serving per sitting. Better to make it twice than to make too much the first time.<br />
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Finally, with all the peach skins I had accumulated from days of blanching and peeling, I decided to make jelly. I poured the reserved juice from peeling, the lemony juice the peach slices soaked in before being packed in the jars, the peels and all the peach bits and bruised spots I'd pared out of the fruit I'd canned and frozen into a large stockpot and added about 2 quarts of water. I turned the burner on low and simmered it all for 2 to 3 hours until the skins were almost falling apart. Then I pressed everything through a seive. I considered using the jelly bag, but my counter was so messy from all the canning and processing, I just couldn't find the space to set the contraption up, so the sieve it was. I ended up with about 7 cups of very thick, nectar-like juice.<br />
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To turn it into jelly, I combined the juice with 2 packets of Sure-Jell fruit pectin, and brought it to a rolling boil on the stove. Once boiling, I added 5 cups of sugar all at once and stirred until the sugar was dissolved. I also added a dash of almond extract to enhance the flavor. Again, I brought it to a rolling boil, stirring constantly and set the timer for 5 minutes, then checked for set. It wasn't quite set so I boiled about 3 minutes more, and then ladled it into hot sterilized jars and processed in the waterbath for 15 minutes. The jelly turned out very sweet, so it was not my favorite, but my kids loved it. Fortunately, as you'll read soon enough, there's no shortage of jelly being made in my house.<br />
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Well, that just about covered my 5 boxes of peaches for this year. Just in time too, because the 2 boxes of pears I bought are now ready to process, and the 2 boxes of plums I harvested on Friday are beginning to smell overripe. Oh, and never mind the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, raspberries, apples and grapes that are all waiting in earnest for their turn for harvest and preservation. More on all of them later! <br />
Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-1706733249419508602011-08-27T09:28:00.000-06:002011-08-27T09:28:03.033-06:00The Palisade Peach Pilgrimage<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHJVHtMaaPT9TuI4SPe7B7qQKkRGm-bDzMi_eWHYi377XRovosI2NFju4K5OuoVd_NMbgF2t9O34SIgfAdfys3znyXTyTAu9exkBgnHJp65s69RUeJjQkK7Y6tJK83VY5_hJzCQBF_gA/s1600/blog+pix+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHJVHtMaaPT9TuI4SPe7B7qQKkRGm-bDzMi_eWHYi377XRovosI2NFju4K5OuoVd_NMbgF2t9O34SIgfAdfys3znyXTyTAu9exkBgnHJp65s69RUeJjQkK7Y6tJK83VY5_hJzCQBF_gA/s320/blog+pix+058.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
I won't lie. I was in desperate need of a couple of days away from the family to rest and return rejuvenated. So when I checked online and found that this weekend was the Palisade Peach Festival on the Western Slope of Colorado, I recruited my good buddy Cathy and we planned a mommies-only road trip to the other side of the mountains.<br />
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After an excited, chatty 4 hour drive through the Rocky Mountains, we rolled into the charming town of Palisade, CO to find a historic main street featuring few quaint stores and a lovely art gallery. We picked up a brochure for the fair at a cute boutique and attempted to navigate our way to the peach festival on foot, but Cathy and I are both navigationally impaired (my husband thinks it's related to our shared hair color) and we wound up miles from the fair and ultimately had to take a shuttle to get us back on track. (We did however get an interesting, albeit sweaty tour of parts of downtown Palisade.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42I68rCM3fC5NOG9x2YgXb0ZWdzwgsU4Jeq_HEhCJnUP1-7zRJKXXKAgvY8fohgfOJAF2DHq7mjgMjUd7jhOxRgZQ5D9vsPEmPJjAP0ugbSuJGjRwHsN7Zg71dMro5_xBt7c5zIyra-w/s1600/blog+pix+035web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42I68rCM3fC5NOG9x2YgXb0ZWdzwgsU4Jeq_HEhCJnUP1-7zRJKXXKAgvY8fohgfOJAF2DHq7mjgMjUd7jhOxRgZQ5D9vsPEmPJjAP0ugbSuJGjRwHsN7Zg71dMro5_xBt7c5zIyra-w/s320/blog+pix+035web.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once at the peach festival, we found it lacked some of the excitement we were expecting from the peach capital of Colorado. At one point, while we munched our overpriced fair food, a voice burst over the loudspeaker to announce that the entry table was in desperate need of $1 and $5 bills, as the Palisade Bank had been robbed that morning and was thus unable to provide them with change. On the bright side, there was a textile arts fair taking place at the same venue that captivated our attention for over an hour, as we got weaving demonstrations and chatted with llama experts about raising fiber animals.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a_02nt5M4gMtyj6sw_tBlvRid_7Pv_UP6nU5wo1U-9vOW0t8gMDh2NzIDSlb2NQtpr8GVjG6kXh4e7n62W7GM78TbG7FqfprMdFIl0oiUnFUfsfhZ5gzjQmhkvRF0JISROch2guVXKI/s1600/blog+pix+045web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a_02nt5M4gMtyj6sw_tBlvRid_7Pv_UP6nU5wo1U-9vOW0t8gMDh2NzIDSlb2NQtpr8GVjG6kXh4e7n62W7GM78TbG7FqfprMdFIl0oiUnFUfsfhZ5gzjQmhkvRF0JISROch2guVXKI/s320/blog+pix+045web.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We left the festival and began the trek to procure the peaches we would be taking home with us. Once in the growing region, it was clear why this is such a great place for fruit! The trees were gorgeous, the topography unique and compelling, and the climate hot with abundant water. Vineyards and orchards were everywhere and the fruit stands dotted the side of the road, each one urging travelers to stop and try their home-grown goods. We felt compelled to acquiesce.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81Aq2P5KDv0xqqPn16X9Jds1E20Jru2xXeAbyZAI1ejRftG1I5AyvfDLEMt1Q4agz8x-xuMKf9YvxShUGBhjtpANgMs2Wn15QS0iwCA7X6ZV4K9u75MDqQGmEe69e-8vQmNuZSsqsw58/s1600/blog+pix+037web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81Aq2P5KDv0xqqPn16X9Jds1E20Jru2xXeAbyZAI1ejRftG1I5AyvfDLEMt1Q4agz8x-xuMKf9YvxShUGBhjtpANgMs2Wn15QS0iwCA7X6ZV4K9u75MDqQGmEe69e-8vQmNuZSsqsw58/s320/blog+pix+037web.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div> </div>We cruised from stand to stand, chatting with growers, sampling fruit and haggling prices. One stand had a variety of peach called Roza, which was the most delicious peach I've ever tasted with its intensely sweet nectar soft delicate flesh that simply fell off the pit. They are a relatively large peach, and we even came across one that likely weighed over one pound! We decided we'd come back Sunday for our 10 or so boxes of ripe fruit at $15 per box. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxr80yvNPIpiQavkb2mTkZEp1qqA9LlbKcob50nrRHw9I0FVHJlxFCyAkfkph3gJ4Zo3dI485Da9jFm89_NM4cTUrTm3BuO67S523wIU2O8WYJsRMSsePmYxVRcktJC7fB44moH7F9r_U/s1600/blog+pix+044web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxr80yvNPIpiQavkb2mTkZEp1qqA9LlbKcob50nrRHw9I0FVHJlxFCyAkfkph3gJ4Zo3dI485Da9jFm89_NM4cTUrTm3BuO67S523wIU2O8WYJsRMSsePmYxVRcktJC7fB44moH7F9r_U/s320/blog+pix+044web.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
After our fruit exploration, we spent the rest of the day getting lost on our way to the hotel. At one point, as we chatted away, enjoying the blissful experience of being able to complete a sentence without a preschooler interrupting us for a potty break, we looked up to notice a sign saying "Leaving Colorful Colorado." Apparently, in our quest to reach Grand Junction where our hotel resided, we'd failed to get off the I-70 highway and wound up in Utah. A quick (illegal) U-turn on the highway got us back on track, but it made me think that maybe my hubby is right about the hair color thing.<br />
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On Sunday, we arrived at the first pre-screened peach stand ready to buy our 10 or so boxes of Roza peaches only to discover that the vendor had just 3 boxes left of the $15 a box peaches, but she was glad to sell us the firmer, less ripe boxes for $20 a box. Grrrr. <br />
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We hussled up to the other, emergency backup stand, where we had decided to buy our pears to see if they had any of the $18 per box peaches they advertised the day before, and as with the other stand, they were "sold out" but we could buy the "better" boxes (not Rozas) for $25 each. Well, we bought our pears there (pear price was the same as the one quoted the day before) and cruised back to the first stand to pay $20 a box for our favorite flavored fruit. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV6pRgdBssrNMR9AfIxVlP_WzQbnAmWf7Z44ky-yYO0dKPquWeoNqmV2TuNJSZw6KP6rmPQ2YWuyOQBl28WvyJZbXqWcOIwuAZVRLX-3t3oXIeyVL16HXjUstEBBjP6Zxy66QBhwyY7Q/s1600/blog+pix+040web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV6pRgdBssrNMR9AfIxVlP_WzQbnAmWf7Z44ky-yYO0dKPquWeoNqmV2TuNJSZw6KP6rmPQ2YWuyOQBl28WvyJZbXqWcOIwuAZVRLX-3t3oXIeyVL16HXjUstEBBjP6Zxy66QBhwyY7Q/s320/blog+pix+040web.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>We loaded up the back of the SUV and headed back over the mountains, happy, satisfied and full of peaches and stories to tell the kids.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>All in all, $20 a box for the best peaches in the state isn't a bad deal, nevermind the $80 in gas and $50 for lodging we each spent making the journey. Of course, $130 for a weekend of relaxation, fun, fellowship and a break from parenting was a darned good investment in my personal sanity if you ask me.<br />
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We did make a few notes for next time:<br />
<ol><li>Buy peaches when the price is right and the inventory is there, and then store them in the hotel room if necessary</li>
<li>Don't go to Palisade Peach Festival weekend and expect to haggle for better prices on peaches </li>
<li>Buy twice as many boxes as desired and sell them for twice the price at home to offset the fuel and lodging expense</li>
</ol>Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194403927650465815.post-44148870104009640312011-08-11T23:41:00.000-06:002011-08-11T23:41:08.847-06:00Attack of the killer zucchini!I forgot to harvest my vegetables before we went camping last weekend, so we came home to a couple of killer zucchini.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38SV06gXrt6SD-ab-eXm8cGmUnpWAWYoXLH09TqCgX568dOV2Hqb0-etC3uQ7iFye-iSTUhM2cUFWBCM4GB6pxzkhrvtG9hsmdp2291BQXRvagj_xtX5-4RfVkutMT2wQRaEeG7BvDg0/s1600/blog+pix+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38SV06gXrt6SD-ab-eXm8cGmUnpWAWYoXLH09TqCgX568dOV2Hqb0-etC3uQ7iFye-iSTUhM2cUFWBCM4GB6pxzkhrvtG9hsmdp2291BQXRvagj_xtX5-4RfVkutMT2wQRaEeG7BvDg0/s320/blog+pix+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
What a wonderful vegetable! They thrive on neglect, grow in the worst soil and produce in spite of every hardship. Each year, they exceed all my expectations with their voracious production, and each year I'm forced to exhaust my entire recipe library to manage the bounty.<br />
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But what do you do with those monstrous overgrown zucchini squashes? I read a <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_ef1fedf2-c726-11df-8c9f-001cc4c03286.html">report </a>last year about a Montana woman who fended off a snarling bear using her 14-inch zucchini as a weapon. Then, there are the Italians, who stack the huge squash outside their house like cord wood before feeding them to the pigs, according to Barbara Kingsolver's book<i> Animal Vegetable Miracle</i>. For me, it's totally excruciating to imagine "wasting" perfectly good produce on the livestock, especially if it hails from my own garden, and by now you surely know that if something was busting into my house, I would not be using a zucchini to defend myself... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSPIMjMk8E8e_E4DFCgq5zpPDgnGxmLK5nzAYKwzcsX_LzFBsaqR47Z5H8KAJCxiWVAhyHGpeZztT078QFQ8dLwKe1-VhD23lxVX-BPcC8Jp0jqzNtUG37RAgFi_duCiD8JxktzSxwPE/s1600/blog+pix+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSPIMjMk8E8e_E4DFCgq5zpPDgnGxmLK5nzAYKwzcsX_LzFBsaqR47Z5H8KAJCxiWVAhyHGpeZztT078QFQ8dLwKe1-VhD23lxVX-BPcC8Jp0jqzNtUG37RAgFi_duCiD8JxktzSxwPE/s320/blog+pix+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, my first tried and true solution to zucchini overload is zucchini bread. I shred tons of zucchini every summer with my Cuisinart shredder attachment and make batches of bread in bulk, often baking 6-8 loaves at a time. Once made, I wrap the cooled loaves in tinfoil, seal the wrapped packages in a Ziplock and pop them in the freezer. The frozen loaves last well for up to a year, which is much better than just freezing shredded zucchini.<br />
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Over the years, I've discovered that packing a still-frozen loaf for a camping or hunting trip is a perfect breakfast solution, as it travels well in it's solid state, and once thawed (usually by morning), tastes delicious and doesn't dirty any dishes to enjoy.<br />
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I have two other favorite solutions for these freakish gourds: The first is a deliciously upscale pureed cream of zucchini soup, courtesy of Julia Child, and the other is a definitely down home zucchini casserole. Check the recipes, share them with your friends...you know you're gonna need them if you don't already!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">*****************************************</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Zucchini Bread </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">(makes 2 loaves)</div><ul><li>3 eggs</li>
<li>2 cups sugar</li>
<li>1 cup oil</li>
<li>3 cups flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>3 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>3 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>2 cups grated zucchini</li>
<li>1 cup walnuts (optional)</li>
</ul><br />
Combine all ingredients, pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">************************************************</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b>Cream of Zucchini Soup</b> </div><ul><li>1½ pounds of zucchini</li>
<li>½ cup minced shallot, or an onion, chopped</li>
<li>3 tbsp. butter</li>
<li>6 cups chicken broth</li>
<li>1½ tsp. wine vinegar</li>
<li>¾ tsp. dried dill weed</li>
<li>4 tbsp. quick-cooking Cream of Wheat</li>
<li>1 cup sour cream</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cut zucchini into half-inch chunks. Cook shallots or onion in butter until tender, but not browned. Add zucchini, broth, vinegar, and dill. Bring to a rolling boil, then stir in Cream of Wheat. Simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes. Puree with immersion blender (or in food processor or blender), adding sour cream, salt and pepper. Serve chilled.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">**********************************************<br />
</div><b> </b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Zucchini casserole</b></div><ul><li>6 cups zucchini, diced in 1/2 inch cubes</li>
<li>1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup</li>
<li>1 cup sour cream</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped onion</li>
<li>1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped</li>
<li>1/2 cup grated carrots </li>
<li>1 can of mushrooms (drained)</li>
<li>1 package dry bread stuffing mix</li>
<li>1/2 cup butter, melted</li>
</ul><br />
Grease casserole dish. In a large saucepan, cook zucchini, carrots, onion and peppers until crisp tender. Mix in mushrooms, condensed soup and sour cream. In a small bowl, mix together stuffing and melted butter. Spread half stuffing into greased casserole dish. Add zucchini mixture. Top with remaining stuffing mix. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.<br />
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Well Armed Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13807597022716201843noreply@blogger.com1