kappydell

My biggest windows face the street, and this is west of us, so the sunny afternoons can quickly become unbearably hot, making air conditioning work overtime and baking the indoors. 

We tried curtains (the cats swung from them until they were shredded).  We tried Blinds (the dogs broke them so they could monitor the street and bark at every passerby they saw). 

We tried thge cling plastic - the cats learned to peel it off for fun and on thermopanr picture window it caused breakage!  Not recommended for doublr paned windows.

We were getting desperate, even being afraid we might have to board them up to solve the issue.  While brainstorming, I remembered that in my childhood we painted Christmas decorations on the windows with tempera (water based) paint.  You could not see through the decorations, but some light got through the paint, which was very pretty.  

We went to Walgreens and for the cost of 1 bottle of tempera paint ($1.80) and a couple of brushes ($2) we painted our living room windows white on the inside.  It looks teriffic, glows a bit in the western sun, keeps the room cooler, and the critters cant wreck it (HA!)  From the outside it is as if we had white curtains drawn.  Passersby can no longer look into our home.

So if you are looking for a way to block the sun and increase privacy without breaking the bank (ever price curtains, especially if you have several rooms to do?  Yikes!)

Just get a bottle of tempera paint (washes off with water if you do not like it, no scraping the windows with razor blades to remove) and a couple of brushes.  Paint them plain, paint them fancy, but you might find painting them is an answer to your dillemma.  In the pics one window is before, one after.  Notice the difference?

 

 

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Today we decided it was time to do something about our west windows.  The living room, my bedroom, and Marys bedroom windows all face west, which faces the road.  

We tried putting curtains up for both privacy and to cut the heat.  No-go.  The cats swung from them like tarzan until they were shredded.

OK then, we tried venetian blinds.  That was worse.  In their quest to see outside so as to watch for passers by to bark at, the dogs wrecked those in short order, with the cats able assistance.

 

Last night we were brainstorming and I mentioned that as a child we had painted the windows with tempera paint, which is easily removed with water if one wants to., for Christmas.  So today we went to Walmart and bought the tempera paint in white, and 2 brushes.  Total cost, $3.84.  A whole lot cheaper than the usual window coverings.  Mary painted window #1 tonight, and it looks great!  It looks so much nicer than boarding them uip in desperation, LOL.

 

Our other mission accomplished was taking the Thompson hunting rifle I won to the local gun shop.  We fired a friends similar rifle, and the recoil was too much and the darn thing is HEAVY.  I had given it to Mary as a Christmas present, and she asked if we could trade it for something else she would like and could use.  She picked out a new SMITH & WESSON 9mm semi auto pistol, and we traded even up.  (Around here you can hunt with handguns, so what the heck.  I dont care if the meat in the pot was shot with a 9mm or a cannon.  As long as it is available for dinner, LOL.)  Mary is delighted, she loves it, her birthday comes up in March so I told her happy birthday.  The shop owner REALLY liked the rifle so he gave us a nice deal.  BUT..........We gotta quit all this gallivanting around though...housework is piling up!  

 

In the photos, one window is done, one is not.  Inside and outside views.  Notice the improvement?  I love it when we find a CHEAP solution!

Our income taxes came badk!  Hooray!  We had extra $$ to get thosethings we need but had kept putting off "til payday....maybe".  The inflation does not help that issue much, but we all know that.  

First thing we did was check the grocery store we always buy our meats at (they really do have the best meats in the whole county!)  They had whole rib-eye slabs on sale for $8.98 a pound.  They were gorgeious so we bought us some, then called our friends who asked us to grab them a couple too.  The Mr in that couple had been ospeaking wistfully about not having had a steak in "forever" so now he has a whole lotta steak.  I kept envisioning him standing in their kitchen, grinning away, while cutting up those rib eye slabs into steaks for their freezer.  We have a running joke with them...Mary and I called ourselves "Frick and Frack F--king Freaky Fast Freight and Delivery Service" one day while dropping off some things we had picked up at wal-mart for them.  It stuck.  The Mrs got us two T shirts and lettered them up with that name on the back, andl the names "Frick" and "Frack" on the front.  (I'm Frack).  We about busted a gut laughing.  They are the ones who warned us to fill our cars and gas cans when their son (stationed in North Carolina) saw gas prices shoot up by $2.50 a gallon overnight.  We filled up before the gas went up here, and passed the warning along.  We try to look out for each other - good friends and neighbors are harder to come by than they used to be.

 

Anyway, we stocked up on beef, some 5 lb bulk pkgs of chicken were on sale for $1 a pound (that is cheap nowdays for here). and the things we find there but no place else.  Over at Walmart we picked up extra basics for personal care (soap, deoderant, undies & sox) storage foods we use a lot of, and lots extra canned cat food - then went to the grand opening of Ollies (a discount store) and got bedding sets (upper & bottom sheets & pillowcases in each set) for $10 ea (she is queen size so we saved quite a piece there) some large size plush throws for $5 each, things like that.  Wish their towels had been cheaper...maybe next time.  

 

We ordered Hydromousse for Mary to use on the lawn and my anti-snail copper tape for me to put on the garden.  I ordered the walking onions and walking garlic sets, too.  All of which we had been wanting for some time, just trying to wiggle out the money to get them.  The inflation has hit everyone hard, us included.

 

With the uncertainties over war now, and folks talking about Putin mabe doing a cyber attack on internet or banks, things are going fast so our tax return came back at just the right time.  We got in, got our stuff, got out.  Then we drew out remaining money from the return in cash, leaving enough to pay bills in there.  More and more folks are doing this, hope it does not cause a "panic" in the financial sense, but I would not be surprised at anything anymore.  Putin and China are stirring the pot for all they are worth.  

Today was a good gardening day and Mary & I got some garden work done that needed doing.  We had replaced and expanded our garden fencing to make it more sturdy and were considering putting in a third long raised bed, since one of the neighbors mentioned that she might want to plant some things if we had garden space she could use..  So today we went out and dug away the soil in one raised bed to straighten up the side boards - they had develoed an outward lean.  It went amazingly quickly - an hour or so - with both of us digging, then levering it up straight and pounding in new retaining stakes.  Then Mary called that neighbor, but she had decided not to raise anything, so we did not have to put in an extra bed for her use (which was what we were considering).  Instead we can expand and revamp the strawberry bed as we do not think it likes its current location.  I can move in some pots for herbs instead - it keeps them from spreading and fighting each other to take over a big bed abd I can customize the soil blend for each herbs preferences  I like the half-barrel style planters, and have a lovely rosemary bush in one, so I'll be looking to move other ones into that unused fenced in area.  I have saved kitty litter pails for temp use as we develop our herb plantings.

 

We also discussed getting yet another wheelbarrow, but after some discussion decided to get a 450 lb load bearing garden wagon.  It is getting harder for us to manage a wheelbarrow (actually Mary, I cant handle one very much at all) and a 4 wheeled wagon would be much easer to move things in.  Of course payload is not as big but we are working around that part.  As Marys back deteriorates, it will be less painful for her to move things via wagon, too.  For larger loads we have a wagon that hitches on the riding mower - now that baby can hau l some STUFF!.  Plus we are mulling over putting in a side door to the garden enclosure so we can back the pickup truck in when we have compost or dirt or truck sized loads, and then we can unload where needed saving time and effort.  Tweaking things again...LOL!

 

 

 

  

 

Still feeling down over having to put down one of our dogs (cancer).  He was my little shadow...whever I went he followed and guarded me (heaven knows from whatk LOL) then laid beside me as I tyoed on the laptop in the evenings.  He had a little ged bsdie mine, lower so he couild get into it easily, and he loved sleeping there.  I will miss my little min-pin.  But I am grateful forthe time we had.  We never knew his age or entire history, just that he had been abused, and when he came he did not know how to be a dog (bark, play, run, etc because he had been caged most of the time and I suspect alone.)  He enjoyed playing with us and the other dogs, adored the kitties, and was very snuggly.  Duke, I will miss you.  But I am glad you came and lived with us for a couple years, and I know you loved us in return.  Sleep well, little buddy.  

When I was a teenager I first read a reprint of this bulletin by George Washington Carver and was fascinated.  Since I have founbd a great number of his bulletins fromn the Tuskegee Institute, on many as0ects of subsistence farming.  But what I like best is that after he tells you how to grow a particular southern croo, and why, and how to utilize it, he generally gives a great number of recioes which are very good indeed.  So he has become one of my historical go-tos on basic farm crops, especially in that he spacialized in cros for the Southern and susbsistence farmer.  Fascinating and useful, too.  

He did bulletins on acorns as animal feed, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, wild plums, how tu build worn out soils, peanuts, tomatoe, sweet potatoes, foraging greens, poultry raising, raising hogs, canning and preserving, to make some of the b ulletins I have cached.  All geared toward the small farmer rather than big business.  Just my cup of tea!gw carver how to grow the peanut and 105 ways of preparing it.pdf

cast iron is indeed "da bomb"  Inside, outside, over a fire....with a side of good thick pot holders of course, LOL.  

Finally went back to church.  Hadnt been in a month due to the covid, and I wasnt about to share THAT with my fellow choir members!  New music now, fortunately I read music so was up to speed with only 1 run thru.  It felt SO good to be back, although I was keeping up with the scriptural readings and such and watching on the live stream, it just is not the same.  Then a quick stop by Walmart, then Kroger.  Got the frozen bread dough that is Marys fave, and some garlic bread to go with our super bowl lasagna dinner.  I have been working in the kitchen, putting Christmas baking things away, tossing nuts that are too old to store any longer, and generally doing cleaning & tidying.  WE HAVE AN ISLAND AGAIN!  I forgot how big it was.  Next job is to tackle the "tupperware cupboard" .  All the margarine containers I have neatly stacked can be cut back drastically....I doubt I will need 150 of them at one time, LOL.  Besides it will make room for the screw top plastic jars I use to hold my home made shake and bake, and other mixes (gravy mix, baking mixes) I use on a nearly daily basis. 

The granola recipe I am trying suggested storing the granola back in the cardboard oatmeal container to store....NOT!  It will hold it volume wise but nnot weight wise - honey coated oats are heavier than plain ones, if anybody had thought to check on such things.  So  into those plastic screw top jars it goes.(The dollar store had tbem in 2, 3, and 4 qt sizes).  After finding some NO SUGAR ADDED peanut butter it even comes in a slightly larger jar, which is nice.  The mayo jars nest nicely inside to save space. (Ooooo.  How little it takes to inpress this chickie!) The other thing I just gotta toss is my surplus spice shaker jars.  I dont make that many seasoning mixes, just a sugar free taco shaker and a ranch flavor shaker, a sugar shaker and a cinnamon-sugar shaker = fot toast - are what I use most, otherwise my spices go in singly.  I even save the cleaned out parmesan cheese shaker jar to put flour in to flour the board for kneading or rolling out baking items.   So far I've managed to keep the plastic cake covers (CM likes to buy red velvet cakes now and again) down to 6 as they exactly fit over our dinner plates to keep winged creatures away in the summer.  But 6 is enough, already.

 

So I want to keep going the momentum while I seem to be in the mood to thin things out.  It does not happen often.

 

 

 

 

well thats a new one.  for some time now odd charges have been creeping on to our bills to hide the fact that they are charging more.  some examples I have run across...

 

1.  after asking people to "round up" their power bill so other people could get electricity the power company quit asking.  They went to congress (in 
WI) and just got permission to add on a percentage surcharge to "keep Wisconsin Warm" or some such name.  Sneaky way to subsidize them for govt mandated "free" heat during the cold months after athey were forbidden to turn off non-payers' electric during cold months.  Not voluntary anymore.  Needless to say when I found that on my bill I told them they could stick their voluntary begging for rounding up to help "the poor".  GRRRR

 

2.  Trash pickup charges in many olaces have been added on to tax bills....they USED to be covered in regular taxes but the politicos did not want to "raise taxes" so they took the sneaky way and called it something else.  No discussion, no debate, no citizen input.  Ditto 

'snow removal'.....'water line maintenance'....

 

3.  How bout the folks that are required to pay a "minimum" electric bill even though they are off grid or have reduced their electric usage far below the norm?  God forbid the electric company does not get its bite from every household, so a minimum fee was calculated based on average electric bills.  No way can you get away without paying your "fiar share" even though you choose not to use as much power, if any.  Pretty high handed methinks.  

 

4.  Heck hospitals have been charging $10 or more for a tylenol after forbidding patients from bringing any meds from home.  They call it a safety issue, but that is excessive.  Not to mention all the extra charges I keep finding when I check my insurance bills.  My insurance company loves me because I catch those...the medical billing dept not so much. I hear them gritting their teeth when I point out their er, mistakes.

 

We are all just geese to be plucked.  Politicians been doing it for years.  Then big business got into it.  Now anyone tries it that thinks they can get away with it...and they usually do.  (*sigh*)  But once in a while I can get some of the more egregious charged dropped, or reduced, at least once.  Is it any wonder I yell at the TV every time one of those ads comes on telling people to call in to get their "free" stuff because they soimehow magically "deserve" more and more stuff?  (Whatta bunch of poverty pimps.  No wonder politicos think we are stupid and need to be wearing chains.)    

 

I bet you ladies know of even more greedy moves...

follow the money......

Years ago i had a dial gauge canner I got at resale shop tested at my local county extension office.  Only place I ever heard of that did it.  

Nasty ugly weather all over the country lately!  Today was relatively normal for winter, so out to check the garden we went.  Most things survived the unusual cold, in fact some of the cabbage is getting ready to bolt so we picked those 3 heads.  Mustard greens (Florida Giant) are HUGE - one leaf makes a serving.  Also picked some collards.  The collards are gorgeous, so is the kale.  No problems with the sub freezing nights we had at all.

The broccoli has small heads but we are hoping they will start growing as it warms a little.  Brussels sprouts are always a gamble - they are very short but are making heads just the same.  Apparently they stay short in the cold.  The lettuce in the greenhouse did very well - it is done nowo though, we picked it and ate it.  The surprise today was the green onions we put in.  They grew HUGE, and they look like mini leeks with long white heads, and flat leaves.  Not your average scallions, and thats "fer shure"

 

Meanwhile, at our Walmart there is a dearth of pet foods, and people foods are in short supply.  We dont mind that so much, our freezers are full, and so is our pantry.  BUT we are checking the cat and dog food aisles every time we get near a Walmart in case they stocked. When they do stock, they are gone in a matter of an hour or two.  Fortunately we find enough on our travels so far to keep the pets fed.  When Mary drove to the VA to get her all clear covid test, we stopped by the walmart there and scored 6 cases of cat food (SCOOOORE!!) Not that we would normally drive that 90 minutes solely for that, but we figured we'd check as long as we were passing by.

 

Christmas lights are now down, we are putting away the special baking and decorating items, and getting ready for spring.  Trying to get some spring cleaning in early, before we hit the garden again.  We would like to expand the raised beds and put in a third one;  I can then convert the small raised bed (3x4 feet) to walking onions and another one to walking garlic (I did not know garlic came that way, it should be interesting.)  One of our neighbors wants to put some tomatoes & lettuce in our garden, and Mary told her it was OK, so part of the new bed will be for her.  On our flower plans, I finally found a source for the TALL chrysanthemums that I remember from my childhood.  They make spectacular bouquets, and I love them, but have only seen "cushion" mums otherwise.  So I will be ordering half a dozen of the tall ones.  This spring I will be scoping out the wooded area to plan out wild medicinal herb plantings.  First I need to catalog what we HAVE though.  Then judiciously supplement with edible & medicinal "wild plantings" to let them get a good head start before we (heaven forbid) have to depend on them due to medicine shortages.  Next week I see my doc to get a clearance physical to get my cataracts fixed (FINALLY!!!  ).  I look forward to seeing the lab results on cholesterol since taking a raw clove of garlic daily.  Im actually getting to enjoy the taste, and I suspect that is why my covid was so much less than Marys.  Hot stuff, but that "bite" lets me know its working.  Just call me a garlic-head, LOL.  

TY for the good wishes and happy times.  Chainsaw Mary caught covid; gave me a very mild case but we weathered things and are all covid free now.  Nasty stuff.  I told Mqry not to feel bad she was just tuning up our natural immunity, LOL.

I am sorry for your loss Joyfilled but happy that you will see her again in heaven.  Prayers to you and your family for coping and consolation.

 

Had a plkeasant thanksgiving here, too.  Just Mary and I.  All our family is gone or scattered.  Turkey thighs (we only cooked our favorite cuts) stuffing & green bean casserole.  Mary had mashed potatoes & gravy too.  Tried a sugar free, crustless pumjpkin "pie" but did not like it.  The spice mix I had had too much cloves in it and I loathe cloves in pumpkin pie.  Guess I'll make my own blend and use that next time.  

 

Lit up our christmas lights last night.  Passing cars slowed down to look.  One neighbor called as we were turning things off, asking us to turn it back on again for her children.  Glad Mary took that call.  She said "come by tomorrow night, they will be on again nightly until Christmas.   It looks good.  We finally have enough room to do justice to the larger sie blow up decorations Mary likes best = 10 feet tall is not unusual.  Lots of lights.  adding tweaks as we find room for improvements - a solar light inside the pop up tent at Santas HO HO HO Resort, to light it up from  the inside.  Solar floodlights to light up the signage, things like that.  I also got some photo sensor light sockets forfront and back porch lights because I keep forgetting to turn them on or off.  Maybe we can save a few pennies on the electric bill.  Mary thought our water heater was leaking, as there was water on the floor near where it is built in, but fortunately not, it was a milk bottle filled with water that had sprung a leak.  An easy fix, toss it out and replace it with another.  We keep a couple gallons of water near the back door for the dogs dish.

 

I did get an unexpected early Christmas present today.  A phone call from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officer Association (I have lifetime membership since retiring).  They had a raffle...$40 per ticket to sign up for 30 days worth of drawings for firearms or various kinds.  Winning entries are put back in the kitty for later drawings, so theoretically one can win multiple times.  Better odds than the lottery, and I like the associations scholarship programs and free (for members) campground.  So I sent in two just for fun.  Well I won a varmint rifle - a Thompson Center Compass bolt action rifle.  MSRP $400.  They will sent me the certificate, and I will get it shipped to my local shop here in GA.  What a nice surprise!  I was just wondering yesterday whether to look up their web site and see who was winning what and today they call.  Maybe I should get a lottery ticket, LOL.  

Salmon (most fish( cans beautifully.  I have even canned catfish which many dont like because it gets very soft in texture almost like a spread.  I dont mind since I usually use it in sandwiches anyway or in patties,  Either way fish mush works fine for those and since I add seasonings to the jars I get flavored fish pates!  Smoke flavor and jalapeno are my favorites so far.

 

As far as ground beef I add "Minnesota mix' to it after browning and pressure can it with the meat at beef pressure and time for a meat sauce.  

Minnesota Mix is tomato-celery-green pepper-onion combination uually waterbathed as a sauce base, chili base, casserole sauce base, or as a side dish like stewed tomatoes.  

https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/canning-minnesota-tomato-mixture      

mikki, winteer veggies can survive colder temps than 32 degrees F...

 

https://www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/2021/04/14/winter-kill-temperatures-of-cold-hardy-vegetables-2021/

 

Winter-Kill Temperatures of Cold-Hardy Vegetables 2021

 

The winter 2020-2021 was mild, with our lowest temperature being a single late January night at 10°F (-12°C). We had one night at 11°F (-12°C) one at 17°F (-8°C), three at 18°F (-8°C also) and one at 19°F (-7°C). very little snow or ice. Similar to temperatures in the 2019-2020 winter.

 

The winter of 2018-2019 had lowest temperatures of 6°F (-14°C) in late January 2019, 8°F (-13°C) in December 2018 and a couple of 11°F (-12°C). In early January 2018, we had some extremely cold temperatures of -8°F and -9°F (-22°C and -23°C). Averaging our winter low over those four winters 2017-2021 gives 4.8°F (-15°C), within the zone 7a range.

 

Georgia Cabbage Collards, good down to 20F (-7C)

I’ve added in some temperatures for collard varieties (Georgia Cabbage collards, McCormack’s Green Glaze, variegated collards) from the Heirloom Collards Project, and also gained some info on spinach (Long Standing Bloomsdale), kales (Rainbow Mix Lacinato) and mustards (Chinese Thick-Stem) from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I’ve added in their suggestions on cold-tolerant early spring lettuces, Crawford, Simpson Elite, Susan’s Red Bibb and Swordleaf.

 

My results from other years still hold up.

 

Using the List

 

Unless otherwise stated, these are killing temperatures of crops outdoors without any rowcover. All greens do a lot better with protection against cold drying winds. Note that repeated cold temperatures can kill crops that can survive a single dip to a low temperature, and that cold winds, or cold wet weather can destroy plants quicker than simple cold. Crops get more damage when the weather switches suddenly from warm to cold. If the temperature drops 5 or more Fahrenheit degrees (about 3 C degrees) from recent temperatures, there can be cold damage. The weatherman in Raleigh, NC says it needs 3 hours at the critical temperature to do damage. Your own experience with your soils, microclimates and rain levels may lead you to use different temperatures in your crop planning.

 

Reflect spinach in the open got damaged but not killed at -9F.

 

Outdoor killing temperatures of crops (unprotected unless stated)

35°F (2°C):  Basil.

 

32°F (0°C):  Bush beans, some cauliflower curds, corn, cowpeas, cucumbers, eggplant, limas, melons, okra, some pak choy, peanuts, peppers, potato vines, squash vines, sweet potato vines, tomatoes.

 

27°F (-3°C): Many cabbage varieties, Sugarloaf chicory (takes only light frosts).

 

25°F (-4°C): Some cabbage, chervil, Belgian Witloof chicory roots for chicons, and hearts, Chinese Napa cabbage (Blues), dill (Fernleaf), some fava beans (Windsor), annual fennel, some mustards (Red Giant, Southern Curled) and Asian greens (Maruba Santoh, mizuna, most pak choy, Tokyo Bekana), onion scallions (some are much more hardy), radicchio, rhubarb stems and leaves.

 

22°F (-6°C): Some arugula (some varieties are hardier), Bright Lights chard, endive (Escarole may be a little more frost-hardy than Frisée), large leaves of lettuce (protected hearts and small plants will survive colder temperatures).

 

20°F (-7°C): Some beets (Bulls Blood, Chioggia,), broccoli heads (maybe OK to 15°F (-9.5°C)), some Brussels sprouts, some cabbages (the insides may still be good even if the outer leaves are damaged), some cauliflower varieties, celeriac, celtuce (stem lettuce), some collards (Georgia Cabbage Collards, variegated collards), some head lettuce, some mustards/Asian greens (Tendergreen, Tyfon Holland greens), flat leaf parsley, radicchio (both Treviso and Chioggia), radishes (Cherry Belle), most turnips (Noir d’Hiver is the most cold-tolerant variety).

 

Large oat plants will get serious cold damage. Oats seedlings die at 17°F (-8°C)

 

Canadian (spring) field peas are hardy to 10-20°F (-12 to -7°C).

 

Ruby chard, good down to 15°F (-9.5°C). hardier than Bright Lights, but less hardy than green chard varieties.

 

15°F (-9.5°C): Some beets (Albina Verduna, Lutz Winterkeeper), beet leaves, some broccoli and cauliflower leaves, some cabbage (Kaitlin, Tribute), covered celery (Ventura), red chard, cilantro, fava beans (Aquadulce Claudia), Red Russian and White Russian kales, kohlrabi, some lettuce, especially medium-sized plants with 4-10 leaves (Marvel of Four Seasons, Olga, Rouge d’hiver, Tango, Winter Density), curly leaf parsley, rutabagas (American Purple Top Yellow, Laurentian), broad leaf sorrel, most covered turnips, winter cress.

 

12°F (-11°C): Some beets (Cylindra,), some broccoli perhaps, some Brussels sprouts, some cabbage (January King, Savoy types), carrots (Danvers, Oxheart), most collards, some fava beans (mostly cover crop varieties), garlic tops if fairly large, Koji greens, most fall or summer varieties of leeks (Lincoln, King Richard), large tops of potato onions, covered rutabagas, some turnips (Purple Top).

 

10°F (-12°C): Covered beets, Purple Sprouting broccoli for spring harvest, a few cabbages (Deadon), chard (green chard is hardier than multi-colored types), some collards (Morris Heading can survive at least one night at 10°F), Belle Isle upland cress, some endive (Perfect, President), young Bronze fennel, Blue Ridge kale, probably Komatsuna, some leeks (American Flag (Broad London), Jaune du Poiteau), some covered lettuce (Pirat, Red Salad Bowl, Salad Bowl, Sylvesta, Winter Marvel), Chinese Thick-Stem Mustard may survive down to 6°F (-14°C), covered winter radish (Daikon, China Rose, Shunkyo Semi-Long survive 10°F/-12°C), Senposai leaves (the core of the plant may survive 8°F/-13°C), large leaves of savoyed spinach (more hardy than smooth-leafed varieties), Tatsoi, Yukina Savoy.

 

Oats cover crop of a medium size die around 10°F (-12°C). Large oat plants will die completely at 6°F (-17°C) or even milder than that.

 

Garlic shoots poking through the mulch in January. Survive down to 5°F (-15°C), and if killed, will regrow from underground.

 

5°F (-15°C): Garlic tops even if small, some kale (Winterbor, Westland Winter), some leeks (Bulgarian Giant, Laura), some bulb onions, potato onions and other multiplier onions, smaller leaves of savoy spinach and broad leaf sorrel. Many of the Even’ Star Ice Bred greens varieties and the Ice-Bred White Egg turnip are hardy down to 6°F (-14°C), a few unprotected lettuces if small (Winter Marvel, Tango, North Pole, Green Forest).

 

0°F (-18°C): Chives, some collards (Blue Max, Winner, McCormack’s Green Glaze), corn salad (mâche), garlic, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, Even’ Star Ice-Bred Smooth Leaf kale, a few leeks (Alaska, Durabel, Tadorna); some bulb onions, yellow potato onions, some onion scallions, (Evergreen Winter Hardy White, White Lisbon), parsnips (probably even colder), salad burnet, salsify (?), some spinach (Bloomsdale Savoy, Long Standing Bloomsdale,  Olympia). Walla Walla onions sown in late summer are said to be hardy down to -10°F (-23°C), but I don’t trust below 0°F (-18°C)

 

Crimson clover is hardy down to 0°F (-18°C) or perhaps as cold as -10°F (-23°C)

 

-5°F (-19°C): Leaves of overwintering varieties of cauliflower, Vates kale survives although some leaves may be too damaged to use. Lacinato Rainbow Mix kale may survive this temperature.

 

 

A cover crop mix of winter rye, hairy vetch and crimson clover.

Credit Kathryn Simmons

-10°F (-23°C) Austrian Winter Field Peas and Crimson clover (used as cover crops).

 

-15°F (-26°C) Hairy vetch cover crop – some say down to -30°F (-34°C)

 

-20°F (-29°C) Dutch White clover cover crops – or even -30°F (-34°C)

 

-30°F to -40°F (-34°C to -40°C): Narrow leaf sorrel, Claytonia and some cabbage are said to be hardy in zone 3. I have no personal experience of this.

 

-40°F (-40°C) Winter wheat and winter rye (cover crops).

 

Hoophouse Notes

 

Winter crops snug in our hoophouse in a December snowstorm.

Photo Pam Dawling

Our double-plastic hoophouse keeps night time temperatures about 8F (4.5C) degrees warmer than outdoors, sometimes 10F (5.5C) degrees warmer. Plus, plants tolerate lower temperatures inside a hoophouse. The soil stays warmer; the plants recover in the warmer daytime conditions (it seems to be the night+day average temperature that counts);

 

In the hoophouse (8F (4.5C) degrees warmer than outside) plants without extra rowcover can survive 14F (7.7C) degrees colder than they could survive outside; with thick rowcover (1.25oz Typar/Xavan) at least 21F (11.6C) degrees colder than outside.

 

For example, salad greens in our hoophouse can survive nights with outdoor lows of 14°F          (-10°C). Russian kales, lettuce, mizuna, senposai, spinach, tatsoi, turnips, Yukina Savoy survived a hoophouse temperature of 10.4°F (-12°C) without rowcover, -2.2°F (-19°C) with. Bright Lights chard got frozen leaf stems.

 

Lettuce Notes

Lettuce varieties for a solar-heated winter greenhouse or hoophouse in zone 7a: (hardiest are in bold) Buckley, Ezrilla, Green Forest, Green Star, Hampton, Hyper Red Rumpled Wave, Marvel of Four Seasons, Merlot, New Red Fire, North Pole, Oscarde, Outredgeous, Pirat, Red Cross, Red Sails, Red Salad Bowl, Red Tinged Winter, Revolution, Rouge d’Hiver, Salad Bowl, Sylvesta, Tango, Winter Marvel, Winter Wonderland.

 

Cold-tolerant early spring lettuces include Buckley, Crawford, Green Forest, Hampton, Merlot, New Red Fire, Revolution, Simpson Elite, Susan’s Red Bibb and Swordleaf.

 

Notes on Chicories and Endives

 

Verona Red radicchio, hardy to about 20°F (-7°C).

Photo Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Chicories and endives fall into two groups, but they are confusing because the common names sometimes suggest the opposite group than they are botanically. Here’s the best info I have.

 

Cichorium intybus, commonly called chicories, are mostly heading crops. The group includes radicchio, both Treviso and Chioggia – hardy to about 20°F (-7°C). Belgian Witloof endive (the kind for forcing chicons) is also a chicory. It dies at 25°F (-4°C). Sugarloaf chicory is the least hardy chicory, and dies at 27°F (-3°C).

 

Cichorium endivia, commonly called endives, are mostly loose-leaf crops, less cold-hardy than intybus types (chicories). This group includes Frisée types and escaroles, which are also known as Batavian endives. They generally survive down to 22°F (-6°C), although Perfect and President endives can survive down to 10°F (-12°C) – can anyone confirm or deny this?

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I planted last winter using her data as guide and had a wonderful winter garden - better than summer as all the usual pests were either dormant or dead.

Collards are wonderfully sweetened, like kale, by below freezing temps.  They took quite a few hard freezes last year and kept going and growing.  Since I pick the outer leaves and leave the growing inner ones, they just kept getting taller, and taller....and 6 plants kept me and several other people well supplied all winter.  The January King Cabbage also kept all winter, as if in a root cellar....even in last winters' 25-28 degree temps.  Thats dang cold for down South!   

 

If you like experimenting, there are some European veggies specifically bread for wintering over - Marvel of 4 Seasons lettuce, Winter King Cabbage, for example, are more cold tolerant than most.  Some of the Asian greens are also very cold tolerant...not bok choy though (unfortunately).  I picked all of mine after it got frost nipped at 30 degrees.  Our cold-grown radishes were much milder than those grown in warmer temps.  I can heartily recommend experimenting with cold weather gardens!  

 

 

Social security payday so we took care of a few things.

 

1)  Mary had no quilt for her bed and her room gets cold for sleeping (yes I know, not cold for some, but we are used to the warmer climate now, so she shivers).  Found a quilt and sheet-pillowcase combination on sale at Walmart in her favorite color.  A nice surprise, and an early Christmas present. Also some cute warm jammies.

 

2)  One of the local stores ("the best meat in town" is their claim and it is true) had a good meat sale.  So when we got home we had to play "refrigerator tetris" to get it kept cold until we get a minute to divvy it up and pack it for the freezer.  Steaks, pork steaks, a whole pork loin (soon to be 1 roast and about 8 thick chops), two 5-lb bags of chicken drumsticks and one of thighs, and THREE spiral sliced hams (those from Wal Mart we like Sams Choice).  So we will pack and freeze tomorrow.  

 

3)  Then off to fill the truck gas tank with the gas points from the last months meat sales....we got $1 a gallon off 20 gallons.  Todays points are good for a month, we will save them until Dec and see how much we can get off per gallon.  They cap it at $1 a gallon, but that is mighty nice anyway.

 

4) Then to Walmart for baking supplies....candied cherries, nuts, extra flour and real butter....after all Christmas only comes once a year.   

 

When we are done doing Christmas lights we will move on toi holiuday baking Marys' mothers old world German specialities.  Kuchen, stollen, and such things we only do once a year.  And, of course, gallons of Chex mix, LOL.  Someone cut the plug cord on one of our new strings of lights out in the yard, so we also got some video cameras so we can check on what is going on when the dog starts barking.  I had hoped all that nonsense was behind us, but I guess there are destructive twits everywhere.  Sad when they feel compelled to break Christmas displays though.  

 

 

I go to see my doc tomorrow, and I can hardly wait to see if my now daily dose of raw garlic for breakfast has lowered my cholesterol like the drugs have been unable to do.  Then I'll be asking my doc to cut the meds back and finally out.  

 

i can see cholesterol being used to demonize red meats.  My ancestors were all very long lived on diets with plenty of lard and fats eaten daily.  But they were very active all their lives.  I suspect it is inactivity, not fat, that kills.  But then again, I'm not one of those that follows the science (blindly) without some real life field tests.  

I always grumbled about throwing away the excess home made shake and bake crumbs after making chicken.  Now I make Jo-jo potatoes with them, and they are a favorite at my house.  Plus the homemade shake and bake is a great way to use up old bread before it goes moldy (as homemade bread is wont to do without all the additives, LOL,)

 

HOMEMADE SHAKE AND BAKE for CHICKEN, PORK, AND JO-JO POTATOES

3 c dry bread crumbs (from old bread dried in oven and tossed in blender to make crumbs)

1 TB salt

1 TB paprika

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp pepper

4 TB vegetable oil

Mix until oil is incorporated into crumbs evenly.  Store in jar.  To use, pour some (I use about 3/4 cup) in a plastic bag, add a piece of chicken or pork, and shake away until coated.  (You may need to dampen pork with some water, shaking off excess).  Place on nonstick oven sheet and bake. 

Chicken bakes at 400 F, bone in for 45b min, boned 20 min.

Pork chops bake at 425 F.  for 15-20 min, I do pork steaks for 30 min.  

Potatoes: slice in 1/4 inch strips for crispier fries, slice in 1/8 potato wedges for mealier/larger steak fries.  Place potato pieces in a plastic bag, pour in 1 TB or so of vegetable oil (of choice) and work the bag to coat all the potato pieces, then remove them and shake a handful at a time in some of the "shake and bake" crumbs left from shaking the chicken or pork (if you over estimate like I do) or adding a little more to suit your needs. 

Coat the potatoes, spread out in a single layer on a nonstick sheet, and bake alongside the chicken or pork at the same temperature and time.  For the two of us I only need to use one baking sheet, half for the meat, half for the single cut up potato.  Ta=da!  A one pan oven dinner.  Add a salad if you want and you are good to go. 

 

This makes a nice crispy, baked crumb crust and is modified from the "wise woman's diet" or "prudent diet" from the 1960s.  (Yes, I know.... I'm old....).

 

Poor Chainsaew Mary had to put up with my crabbiness today.  Went to eye doc  today, after carefully putting eyedrops in 6 times a day for glaucoma for the last 4 weeks. Eye pressure was nice and low.  BUT doc said nothing about cataract removal.  Just "come back in 3 months"  and by the way, no driving. Bleeah. I am so weary of feeling like a sack of potatoes being schlepped from place to place.  I am tired of feeling like I have to beg for a ride to a place where Mary does not normally go.  She is good about it, but I also feel guilty putting her out to take me to church, since she just sits outside to wait for me.  Choir practice is a no go, forget it, I wont keep her there an extra hour for that. Its bad enough I committed to sing at midnight mass! I deeply feel the loss of independence.  I never felt disabled, until now, and I am hating it.  I sure hope I can get back to "normal" in three months.  I hate hate HATE feeling helpless. 

Thanks for letting me vent.  I'm better now. (At least until the next time I mislay my specs and cant see well enough to find them)  

 

Today we dug sweet potatoes. Sizes were all over the place and grubs had bored holes in many of them.  I don't mind, just cut off the holey part and cook the rest, but we cant share holey spuds.  Mary dug, I grubbed, and we got the spot cleared for winter plantings.  I have kale waiting to go in, and want to sow some lettuce, more greens, radishes and carrots.  I am ordering two kinds of topset onions and a topset garlictomorrow (payday) for planting in a small extra raised bed.  And I have been researching deer proof (ie thorny) plants for medicinal plantings, as well as for a front hedge.  The cats should not bother those, and many are quite attractive, especially the shrub  roses, firethorn and barberry.  The b eautyberry is not deer resistant, but if I plant it between some thorny ones, it should help the deer to stay away.  I want to try those mosquito repelling leaves...the USDA tested them and said they work better than DEET!  That plus edible berries?  I gotta try it.

 

I am finally starting to write down the tunes that float thru my head before I forget them.  That is a first for me.  Today I wrote a complete mass, of all things, but the music just kept flowing thru my head so I wrote it down.  Maybe I will get brave enough to share with the choir mistress....maybe after I swear her to secrecy.  I dont know if it is good or not, as I am biased.  It felt right to write it down for a change.  That way I won't feel like singing something and start wondering "Now how did that one go that I thought of the other day?...Duh...maybe my mom was nudging me.  She always said I should write the stuff down. (Miss ya, Mom.)

 

Tomorrow I see my internist.  I will be interested in seeing if eating that raw clove of garlic every morning did anything for my cholesterol.  If nothing else, I can claim moral points for effort, LOL.  That stuff is spiceeeeeey especially since you have to cut it or chew it to release the medicinal factors....and eat it raw, of course.  I'm actually developing a taste for it.  How wierd is that?  (Cue the twilight zone music....duh duh duh da, duh duh duh da....

 

 

 

Yes on social security payday we will be going to the store that has the meat sales we like and using our fuel points to get $1 off per gallon.  They limit that to 20 gallons, but every bit helps.  Then off to swap our propane grill tanks for full ones, since I imagine propane will go sky high too.  Now Im glad we have so much old dry wood lying around!  We may end up heating food up on over our fire pit then wrapping them well to slow cook.  That way we can stretch that wood.  But first thigns first, Mary plikes her propane grill so we will try to keep those spare propane bottles topped up.  

 

Yesterday was a busy one.  Finished putting lights on the shed...we have geometric light designs on all 4 sides instead of a ring of lights on the roof.  On the way to physical therapy I was still wearing my sun hat ( I hate getting sun in my eyes, and my straw hats are far cooler and give far better coverage than baseball caps favored by many folks around here.)  Anyway once i got in the car I put the hat on to shield my eyes (( had taken it off while we tested lights under a shade tree).  I felt something on my face, and thinking it was one of the pesky flies that bug us in the cooler fall weather, gave my face a swish with the had.  Hey, it was NOT a fly, it was a daddy long legs spider up on my face.  Swished it off, then released it out the door.  No problem.  But I did have a moment of giggles thinking how our prep friend would have reacted (she is scared to death of spiders).  They would have heard her shriek in Cleveland!  Maybe even Alaska!  And she is not the shrieking kind, except for spiders.  So glad it was me, not her.  As long as they are not the poisonous breed I care not one hoot about bugs, snakes or other varmints.  They all have a place in the natural order of things, so I let it be.  

 

Today we started working on the main house rooftop.  We have big old fashioned size C-9 bulbs on the roof. we have already laid out the lights marking our "SANTAS RESORT" display, and the airplane runway display.  We noiw have three large display areas....HO HO HO LOGISTICS (santas workshop area with the mailbos and order dept, a shipping and receiving area with rail, airk and overland freight divisions, and Grinch's complaint dept of course.   The north pole police car parks at the entrance with a "dead" deer by the deer crossing sign, writing up the crash and ticketing the snowman in a racing car.  The airport runway holds 4 fixed wing and two helicopters belonging to the air freight division.  The campground is new...we have 3 campers and a couple of tents, along with displays of characters roasting marshmallow, fishing, and even Santa in a bass boat!  Its a start...when the Jan sales hit we will get additional things for the campground area as its a little sparse compared to the workshop area.  Now you can understand why we started already.  There is lots to do and we are slower than we used to be.  Its fun though.  Mary got a box to play carols and make the lights dance, too, so that will add to the wow factor.  I get lots of extra exercise helping.  

 

 

 

We are now progressing to hanging our Christmas lights.  Mary did the dog pen yesterday, today we did our tool shed.  I had several geometric designs worked out (we do more than outline the roofline and windows, LOL) but the one for the side facing the road looked much better on paper than in acuality.  So I drew up a simpler design, saving several light strings from the total wattage as well.  Now we can do with ONE extention cord out there instead of two.  I will be sore for physical therapy tomorrow due to all the bending and reaching to measure, screw in the cup hooks and hangining the lights.  Mary is handy with tools but has trouble figuring out my diagrams sometimes.  

My short cuts can be intelligible to someone else.  Planted the last herb plants into their new home tubs; hopefully they will overwinter there comfortably,  The rosemary multiplied from two spindly little plants to a 2 foot diameter tub of nice bushy plants.  Im glad it is such a useful herb, there is way too much there for merely culinary use, no matter how much I like rosemary chicken!  Im mentioned making a rosemary tincture to try as insect repellent (supposedly works on mosquitos) to a student nurse, and she was quite interested in how to make tinctures.  She says she always learns something interesting from us, be it from Mary who told her about using tampons for puncture wounds or my telling her how I make tinctures using vodka and fresh herbs.  She will be quite the resource person if SHTF occurs with her fresh new medical education.  

Yep.  

 

LOL.  I follow a modified diabetic diet (keeping my carbs WAAAAAY low, below by critical carb level which is 30 g per day.)  Thats why I look it a a low carb diet as well.  The diabetic exchanges are useful in menu planning, I just leave out the higher carb choices.  Ironically when medical folks ask me what diet I use I say ":the diabetic exchange diet" then their next question is " how long have you been diabetic"  or "You didnt tell me you are diabetic"...sigh.  Then I have to explain reactive hypoglycemia to them and reiterate that I use that diet because it is very user friendly and easy to adapt to my needs.    

 

Well, slap me silly for not being...."average"...  deal with it.    

My doc also says it is the healthiest diet out there.