kappydell

Had my first 'public' catfish fry...one where I fed guests catfish fillets we caught down at the river. It was raved over...just soaked them in buttermilk 1 hour, then breaded them with panko crumbs seasoned with Mrs Dash garlic & herb seasoning, then deep fried. OMG, now I remember why I had been resisting buying a deep fryer all those years. That stuff is addictive. I even made some extra for fish sandwiches the next day and they were excellent as well. Now THAT is what I'm talking 'bout when I think of summer...fried cat, with garden goodies on the side (coleslaw, tomato wedges, corn on the cob...all picked fresh). I think I gained 'bout 5 pounds! I have lots of volunteers to come eat again whenever I want to clear out the frozen 'cat fillets a bit, plus a couple others who heard about it and insist on being added to the invite list next time. On another fishy note, I put the 'suckers' I am pickling into the 2nd pickle (from the recipe in part one) so in a week I will go bearing pickled suckers back to my bow-fishing benefactor. If they turn out anywhere near as tasty as the pickled pike I made from that recipe, then he will probably scarf the extra pint I'm giving him on the spot! (I like to spoil those who give me free food; it encourages them to do so again....)

My room mate had the same trouble with one of her gardens. One time (and one time only) she told a neighbor to come over & pick a zucchini for dinner that night, and for the rest of the summer she kept coming over nightly to pick whatever veggies she wanted, leaving Mary with none. So we no longer give ANYONE permission to help themselves, or even allow anyone to see what we have. Right now I am helping a fishing buddy who is disabled by cleaning his fish when I clean mine, but that will not go on too much longer; he is able to do it himself (just does not like to) and his wife who loves to catch them won't clean OR cook them. Sheesh! I didn't mind showing her how to fillet fish, but I won't keep on doing it FOR them because she does not like to touch them... they both have to learn to do things they do not like once in a while (just as I learned it in childhood).

Today I scored 10 lb of frozen 'sucker' fish from the owner of a local bait shop. He got them bow-fishing, and says he does not have time to cook them. He will give to me in exchange for two pint jars of pickled sucker. Caught two channel catfish yesterday, and a two stringers totaling 20 bullheads (we were turned on to a new fishing hole...). Im sure cleaning a lot of fish, LOL! Getting out the canner to try the fake smoked (canned) fish recipe from the univ of Fairbanks, AK. True it is for 1/2 pints jars only, but so what? For canned fish I will open two jars...

  What do Lambs quarters look like Kappy? I keep looking a pics on the web but just can't figure out how to be sure in the real world.   Looking at photos on the web sometimes helps, and is a good start, but you need to look for triangular leaves with wavy (varies, sometimes almost serrated) edges, growing on little stems up a center stalk. They are often 'frosted' with white or sometimes pink on the upper leaves. The frosting is one of the most certain identifiers. Their stems are ridged too which is another good identifier. They have blooms that are very unobtrusive- just some little stalks with rough & tiny balls on them, clustered at the tops of the plant. The tops of taller plants (12 inches or more) and entire smaller plants (8 inches or shorter) are the most tender. They taste very much like beet greens, if you like those. (My dad still picks & eats them and he's in his 90's and healthier than many in their 50s. His sisters-in-law think he is one crazy dude, eating the weeds....) They are good boiled, steamed, or cooked any way you would cook greens. They dehydrate nicely, too - blanch them like spinach, then dry in a thin layer. On another note, tonight's menu was some huge catfish fillets (marinated in buttermilk 30 min, then poached with some Mrs. Dash garlic and herb blend, along with the first ripe tomatoes and some green beans from the garden. Everything home-raised, caught in the local river, and very fresh. I noticed a distinct difference in how I felt after that meal, as opposed to one from all store-bought foods...kind of weird.

I LOVE it, too. Traps are way cool for dealing with varmints - no ammo needed, and you can even set them in the city (where the neighbors might object to gun-fire...) Dogs & cats would not fit in these, either, so no complications on that point, either. So what's not to love, except snakes.

My room mate had leftover scalloped potatoes & ham (her favorite dinner, even reheated). I had catfish (she does not eat fish). Oh yes, soaked in buttermilk 30 min, then poached with Mrs. Dash garlic & herb mixture. Mmmmm. Made the garden fresh wax beans & fresh tomatoes almost an after-thought.

That would certainly work, the pressure cooking would dissolve the Y-bones, and once you cut out the 'mud vein' that is the only down side to carp. I'm buying a new pressure cooker next payday since I don't want to drag out the canner to try cooking just enough for one meal. BTW, the pickled carp was excellent! Not a Y-bone anywhere, and very tasty! I plan on canning some carp, too, since I like both salmon and tuna, and carp is said to taste like one or the other depending on what you put in with it. I'm sold on carp - their nice big size alone is enticement enough to try them. For anyone who might want it, here is the recipe I used (from the local DNR)It was designated as a good pickle for fish with Y-bones. PICKLED FISH Northerns are best. Cut fish in domino size pieces. Put in cold water for 1 hour or more. Then put in jars. Add 4 cups vinegar and 5/8 cup canning salt. Put in refrigerator for 1 week. Drain. Mix and bring to a boil 1/2 box mixed pickling spices, 4 cups sugar, 4 cups vinegar. Cool before putting on fish. Put layers of onion and fish. This is ready to use in one week. (Total recipe time 2 weeks) The only change I made is that I did not use pre-made pickling spice (too many cloves) but used 1 TB each mustard seed and celery seed, and 1/2 bay leaf per quart jar. I did have some extra pickling syrup left over (I made only 2 quarts to start) which made lovely coleslaw dressing with the addition of a little oil! I made 1 quart using just carp, another using just northern pike. Both were excellent.

((((dogmom)))) Parting with fur-children is very sad. My deepest sympathy.

Yay! Mary caught a carp. (The night after she caught a Northern Pike, much to the envy of all the others at the fishing lagoon.) She kept it solely at my request - she says they creep her out, looking like giant goldfish and all. So last night I I ate carp and did NOT die...matter of fact it was pretty good. Buttermilk kills the 'muddy' taste (that and removing the 'mud vein'). I think I scored it on the wrong side however - the Y bones did not dissolve in the cooking fat. Im pickling some, along with some Northern Pike (also known for Y-bones) using a recipe from the local Dept of Natural Resources. I'm glad Mary caught a carp, I have been craving that pickled fish!

I love eating out of the garden! Just picked the kohlrabi, which we cook and eat creamed (yum)and did the radishes last week. Replanted the empty spots with snap beans to help out the neighbor, whose beans are getting eaten by critters. Dogs keep critters out of our garden, so we are happy to help her out, especially after she said 'help yourself' to starts of lilacs and rhubarb!

Here I am in July, re-reading all this! Talk about planning ahead! Philbe, do you use the travel trailer in winter? We would like to use our RV for winter, too, but the price of the propane for heat would be huuuuge unless we can figure out some more insulating tricks. We loaded the water system down with RV anti-freeze last winter, but draining it out now is a real pain. I hope we can re-use it because there was a heck of a lot of it! I'd like to be able to take the camper traveling in the winter though, and NOT just down south to see my sister. Lets see...window air-bubble insulation & tablecloth curtains, check. extra warm slippers for the cold floor, check. electric blankets to warm things up before we get in under the quilts, check....

Hmmm - this is a new one I'll have to try too. I remember the 'drunken raisins' cure - tried it - it helped some, but not enough at the time to continue. Unfortunately, arthritis has so many causes, that there are many folk remedies that help some but not others. I had good results with apple cider vinegar & honey, but then I had an ulcer kick up and had to quit with the vinegar as it aggravated the ulcer. I never did try the pectin and grape juice cure also mentioned in my folk remedy research, because the liquid pectin that it used was not commonly found in my area stores, and the cure specified it had to be liquid pectin (certa is one brand) mixed with the grape juice and drunk down. Borax, I can find at my local Wal mart, and I can always use it for other things if it does not work...worth a try!

I'm no expert, but Mary & I are trying to learn catfishing too. We are 2 blocks from a large river full of them, and a nice fishing lagoon. Lately we have learned that they bite on nightcrawlers. Just bait a hook, making sure the worm in wadded up, hiding the hook (if they see the hook they avoid it). Put on a sinker to take it to the bottom. Cast near a weed bank, they hide in there and let it sink to the bottom. Take up the slack, then lay the pole down. Be sure you put it at an angle, so you will see it move when they bite and try to drag it away. When you see the line move, maybe the pole jerk, pick it up gently and take up any slack, then wait. Catfish like to play with their food, they won't swallow it until they nudge it around some. We lose those we try to snatch up too fast. When they take the bait, they will try to swim away with it (and your pole, if you don't pick it up...nearly lost a new one that way!). They are strong, steady tuggers. Give them some play, loosening up the drag a bit so they can pull line out, then when they slow down on the pulling, reel them in some. Back and forth, let them tug, then reel in when you get slack. Have a net ready, the ones we catch are either pan size, or 18 or more inches long. They are heavy, expect to crank a bit and make sure your hook is tied tight. They seem to swallow the hook, so you might need to cut it off (you get it back when you clean the fish). That is what we have learned so far, and the other more experienced fishermen tell us we are doing it right. Mary LOVES to catch cats due to their big size. She does not eat fish, but loves the catching part! The bullheads also hit on worms, so we usually do 2 poles each, one deep for catfish, and one shallow with a bobber, for pan fish. That way we usually get something, no matter what.

More fish! Mary & I are fishing quite often, for the last week catching pan fish. She was getting a little cranky on nights when things were slow. Well, tonight she got another good size catfish (5 lbs - much to the envy of the other fishermen present). She does not mind catching the panfish, but she reeeealy likes the big cats; she says they are as much fun to catch as the salmon we used to fish for 10 yrs ago. The big ones, she does not mind cleaning & cutting up. We also got 3 bullheads (mini-catfish), a couple bluegills and a sheephead. I like to see all the other fishermen hot-footing it over when we pull our stringers to see what we have as we seem to be an oddity - two older women (no husband/kids in tow)-just plain fishing. I told her now she has to get me that carp to pickle!

I told Mary we had to catch a carp - Im craving pickled fish...any sunfish I hope to salt down and dry (like salt cod used to be). Tonight we took more bait (chicken livers) out of the freezer to make up for tomorrow. Catfish & carp beware! Mary won't eat fish, but she loves to catch them; me, I eat what I take, be it by hook or by bullet.

Lambs quarters pulled and set aside when weeding the new strawberry bed...a nice 4-oz steak, corn (saved some for fish bait later) and mashed potatoes & gravy. Very simple and uneventful, except for the greens...they were so good I was GLAD my room mate does not eat greens!

I'd better get fishing if you are all dropping by for catfish! Tonight we caught some sunfish and another sheepshead. Tomorrow the water ski team will be putting on their practice/show (we go cheer them on - they do a great 5-high pyramid)so the fish lay low until the day after, then they come back hungry! As we catch our 'rough fish' I am breaking out the recipes I have collected for these often un-eaten fish to try. Methinks it might be a good thing to know how to cook, just in case we need to eat those fish to survive in a pinch. Yes, even carp will be tried (much to the shock of many). A good old-fashioned Door County fish boil has a variety of fish but leans pretty heavy on the salmon, so it is horizon-broadening time!

OMG...fried up some of my cats tonight (caught 3 more channel cats last night, so I filleted them for dinner)after marinating 5 min in buttermilk, dredging in crumbs seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder, and a shot of chili powder. I could not believe how tasty. I'm glad Mary does not eat fish, I would have had to be forced to share...Just for fun I also filleted the sheepshead I caught last night too. Not much meat, but what there was was excellent. Those cats though...I can see why people rave!

Now that the 'holidays' are long past, the ham prices around here are down by 50%...so I am buying and cutting up ham. How nice to have more ham bones in the freezer! (Last year it was turkeys, at least until the stores found out people were cooking them on the grills. Then the price went back up!). The sales are there, but you sure have to look harder... I remember when summer was the season of sale roasts, because everyone (except me and a few old-timers) wanted quick cooking meats for the grill instead (nostalgic sigh...) Lets see what comes along this year...

Beware of strings with those 'free' food stamps.... Yes I can live on $14,000 a year. Been living "poor" all my life - I keep thinking of one of the Foxfire books in which one interviewee said she was glad she lived 'poor' all her life, because she didn't miss what she never had.

This is a great book! It also has a girls' counterpart, "The Daring Book for Girls". Both are a fun read, with lots of cool projects to do with the kids (and to try yourself, just for fun!) ,.

We will be going fishing again tonight. Lots of recipes now to try out! Thank you all! Now if the 'cats' will cooperate (heeere kitty...I got chicken livers....!...and more nice fat nightcrawlers....!)

Mary (my room mate) & I picked up some fishing licenses yesterday (extremely cheap because we are both on disability). So today we went fishing just for fun (and because we hadn't since she came back to Wisconsin) and lo & behold she lands two 20 lb flat-head catfish! We were the talk of the fishermen present, who couldn't believe that two "old" ladies could catch such nice ones using home-caught nightcrawlers on a dead-line rig. (You know how much fishermen love their gadgetry...) But now how do I cook them? I'm used to Lake Michigan salmon, you just cut them into inch thick steaks and away you go. But catfish? I didn't even know they lived in Wisconsin. But you can bet we will be fishing some more.

220 minus your age, then multiply the result by .70 (70%) for the lower end, and by .90 (90%) for the upper end. I divide by 6 so I only have to count for 10 sec while exercising. Now those body mass calculators are what crack me up...some of them just ask your age, height & weight then give you a number. That can't be very accurate! I use the girth measurement technique, which is a little better, since I con't know where to find body fat calipers at a good price, but the math is daunting. Then again, different sources list different body fat percentages as normal, so it is all confusing. So I most often use the old ways for measuring body fat... how well do your clothes fit, and how do you feel? After all, that is the real question, not a bunch of numbers.

any way to prevent toting compost (or fisings) from place to place! Im using sheet composting - my pathways are covered with boards for walking to prevent soil compaction and muddy feet, and they also mark where the copost fixings go...just chop up and bury underneath, and put the boards back. Next year I move the planting rows over to where the boards were, and move the boards to where the rows were and start composting under them. That way the compost distributes itself! I am thinking of getting a kitchen compost bucket, but am not sure I want to shell out hte money for a fancy one. Maybe I'll 'repurpose' a plastic pail