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sassenach

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Posts posted by sassenach

  1. I believe it made it to 24 but windchills were below 10 most of the day. A fog settled here overnight and much of NE is dealing with slicker surfaces , clear ice formed from this fog condensation on every surface that is flat. Like my porch steps..... and oh, shame on me I completely forgot to add ice melt to my basket shopping on Friday. Oops. It won't snow til tomorrow morning. So much for retrieving trash can or going to check the mail box.

    I have heard only 3 vehicles all day other than trash truck today...... yep, its slicker than....... :imoksmiley: so I have been unpacking boxes..... did pretty good. Found all my back pack and camping stuff.

    Found my snow boots and some other shoes I need.

     

    Still have not found the box with my daily clothes in it but found my ski jacket. I have another cold weather jacket. I wonder if I can wash the ski jacket? It's a nice jacket.

    I found a lot of my sewing material. :)

    I found my cheese cloth, but I need to order that stuff to coagulate the cheese, rennet.

     

    I did not yet find my heavy duty leather mittens and ice trax bag! ( Had to be in one of the far back boxes of course! ) I really need those ice trax, lol.

     

    I did find some of my sock dpns, yarn and some worsted yarn. Some of the knitting tack so I can do cables again. Found all my wagon parts and some flannel sheets i think fit a double bed!

     

    I was not happy about how my archery equipment was packed ..... seriously ticked about that.

     

    But quite a bit did get unpacked and mostly settled and I can work on pepping my backpack bob set up.

    My compass is completely the opposite ........ will have to replace it. Or can you fix those?

    I found my edible plants book.

    And Clan of the Cave Bear book, which would be good weekend reading , it wont warm up til Monday afternoon according to forecast.

    Forecast is 2 inches or so of snow Christmas Day.

  2. Reviewed vegetables good for blood pressure regulation and many of the basics are just fine,green beans, beets, celery, peas, carrots, included, which I like. Reduced salt intake from last month.

    I need to remember to order a new weight for my canner and try to get a case of jars and some bulk organic grown veggies to can up each month if I can, when I do main shopping to add stuff to my pantry shelves.

     

    Already seeing improvement on water retention factor. :)

     

    Every little bit helps!

  3. Well...... I think these will be crew socks, shorter, lol..... I did NOT remember maybe it would help to use a larger dpn needle size for the cuff, Mt. Rider... yep, been a while......... so I am doing the heel . Yes I did what is considered a flexible cast on, too........ ugh.

    Oh, well... any nice socks are nice. The color rocks on these!

  4. Finally got back to my knitting though most of my knitting stuff is still in some boxes I have to still unpack, since my energy got wiped badly upon arrival and finding myself sick with some bronchial , respiratory bug my son kindly transported right along with himself in moving me half way back across the country.

     

    I am doing a pair of knee highs of course to wear with boots. I am using the Clover Colors from Paton's Kroy Sock yarns and it is a very nice yarn and patterns beautifully and distinctly. I hope I got all the measurements just right this time, to translate into stitches per inch since I went up over the calves on length. I had to increase to 80 stitches, 10 inches diameter in other words with negative ease equating the size of just under my knee for the ribbing. Normally for 8 stitches per inch , my cast on stitches for top down socks would be 64. I find size 1.5 needles makes a nice , sturdy but plush construction of the fabric as one knits and this is what the Swedes and Finnish recommend on the sock groups.

     

    I am taking their advice.

    I am not sure the pattern I chose matches perfectly with the decreases needed but it may not be the pattern's fault and is not super noticeable , but just the practice of decreasing on a leg length sock was important to learn.

    I then knit the length , or just about, of my calf and decreased near the bottom of the calf to my lower leg diameter which brings it neatly back to standard size of socks for medium women's size.

    I love the colors in this yarn and the effect as it knits up either in 80 stitch or 64 stitch rounds so far. I think it would be very pretty in a cardigan sweater style too. Or as a complement to any solid color someone might like in knitting mittens or a larger project of typical clothing. It would make a lovely sweater yarn for lightweight wool blend sweaters.

     

    Even with a break from knitting the past several months due to intense writing, it is simply easier to knit now.

     

    I also figured out how simple it is to add another color of yarn, and the mystery of pinstripe knitting....... somehow, it finally sunk in. Maybe my mind just needed some peace and quiet to give it some room so it could sink in!

     

    I need to dig out my other yarn and needles. I need to do some 100% wool mittens too! I am interested in possibly felting them. I have to locate all that stuff in my moving boxes! The wool yarn for the mittens is worsted weight, not sock weight so I needed some larger sizes of dpn's handy. I can do them in two tone this time.

  5. I was trying to edit that post I made above with websites I had found on gardening and thought I lost the whole post.... but it lost the websites I had already added to the edit, weird.

    Okay...... this is good, although some replies to questions are very dryly put.

     

    http://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden-planning-for-beginners

     

    I just got online. I need to search my kindle library for the square foot gardening book that had lots more companion and ally plants and their enemies, including more for particular garden pests.

  6. Hi Daylily, how big or how many garden spaces will you be doing in 2017?

    As for scheduling, funny you should mention that. I am working on fixing my sleep and waking routine. It is getting better and that consistency helps me with everything else as it is fundamental.

    I do my breakfast and dishes after about half an hour allotted to coffee first. This is an ongoing learn-a-new-habit for me. I find I waste up to two hours in the morning if I don't. ( I discclean, defrag and restart my laptop which is old and slow during breakfast prep.)

    Then its definitely time to get dressed in whatever clothes I need for what I will do for chores, and do all that nifty stuff gals will do to be publically presentable. For some if you have other folks at home, you may change this time frame according to your needs.

     

    Once that is done, when it comes to garden chores, watering in the morning if it is needed, is best from all I read --- it has been a long time since I grew a garden. But I plan on doing watering when I step outside in the mornings if it needs it, or weeding and mulching and stuff like that.

    While it remains cool and the winds here have not picked up yet.

     

    Getting the other plots ready for warmer planting schedules, or earliest stuff---- working with seedlings inside, before I can plant outside, just do that at that time of day too. That way it is done and I can make sure my cat did not get into any of it or mess it up and if she did then I can straighten that out and clean it up before anyone comes over, for one thing.

     

    After watering, weeding, then bush trimming, and digging plots, heavier work for a while.

    Then it would be close to lunch or I need to get bread dough made to rise for baking later, stuff like that I would do and it gives me a break inside the house.

    I could have other chores to do and work on my writing to do, or errands and this is a good time to get those done unless I do it earlier occasionally.

     

    Dinner prep could be anything depending on whats for dinner , and any amount of time from short to two hours time or so, so that adjusts per day too, but I often don't feel like eating til 8 pm so I have time to go out and work the garden in the early evenings, too.

     

    Of course, cool weather crops would be harvested morning time and cleaned for the frig as time goes on. Warm weather crops are more adjustable and onions and potatoes ---- as I will grow them need daytime drying outside for first bit of prep for storage purposes unless some get canned.

     

     

    In the past several days I wrote out a rough sketch, of my garden areas I want to have. Since I have to start from scratch in this yard and I am not sturdy like I was in my twenties, working sections , one at a time to get them established works for me, and for one area some top soil needs to be delivered before I could do anything with it as that is where the sewer drain line area was dug up and it wreaked havoc on how level things are now, but there are other areas I can do stuff with even if that got delayed a few weeks , besides its for long summer crops anyway , that area.

     

    The areas I do not garden in need grass reseeded and serious edging work too, so that will be implemented too , in spring of 2017. This poor yard was neglected a very long time and what lawn is still around is sadly neglected even for an average yard.

     

    I do not know of any blogs.

     

    Here are some websites that may give you good info and ideas.

     

    Take into account where you get sun, partial sun and shade in your growing months. If you can do spring, summer and fall crop , you can probably keep yourself in a good variety of produce for most of the year if you have enough space. With compost and adding back decent nutrients you will feed your soil and can improve it and produce much more and healthier plants. Even do gardening very intensely if you figure it out, and plant closer because you are feeding it, plus it provides mulching affect by shading more soil so less weeds grow once the plants start to mature and fill out.

     

    A lot of folks deal with soil amendments, things like blue berries and potatoes you can amend the soil directly where they are, it is not stuff that needs to go throughout your garden.

     

    Study your vegetables you like, figure out if they are bush type, partial vining, vining and figure out your sunlight generally. Minimum is 6 hours sunlight but I would go to minimum 8 for warm weather crops just to be safe or you wasted space as you won't get much produce, to begin with.

    Figure out what they need, and feed the soil with things that are good for it and the plants.

    Potatoes grow great in simple mulches, as well, and those felt like grow bags look great for many container type style garden efforts, which I was going to invest in some.

     

    They talk about companion planting and bug, worm resistant flowers , but also consider plants that might help some ,but are the nemesis to others and sort it out. I found it out from a square foot gardening book on Kindle but I need to go locate the title for you.

  7. I need to unpack some big boxes. More bathroom stuff, like my blow dryer would be nice now that sometimes I need to get ready a lot faster to do stuff.

    Snow boots would be a plus! More of my clothes!

    Other extraneous stuff, and probably sorting out more kitchen boxes and putting it up on shelves in the multipurpose craft room. Because it has two sets of shelves and I Have to wait to buy some decent shelves for the kitchen for a while but at least I would have access to this extra stuff.

    I completely forgot to get a weighted gauge ..... I think I Left the 15lb increment in old apartment kitchen drawer. Well, I can order one next month,I won't be canning this month. Went up in elevation when I moved.

     

    Yesterday I ended up knitting on my sock.

     

    I need to write a letter to Christy tonight.

     

    I need to do my other big extra chores before I sit to knit or I get absorbed in knitting and time goes by too far to do the other chores.

  8. Got my foam pad for bed, should help. Walking is getting easier but now there is icy stuff outside... but going to work on a routine that fits my schedule and others, uh, huh, good luck on that. At this point getting up early is pretty good, getting going early is the dilemma! Mental motivation adjustments are necessary ---- developing different habits, these are all in the works.

    But I am somewhat more active and I note a slight improvement in my left shoulder that was traumatized by long term frozen shoulder ( that stuff really is excruciating).

  9. was 8F this morning, windchill minus 10 F at one point this morning. It was a whole inch of snow..... the other day.

    So much for leveling the dozed dirt piles.... might still get it done but it's not in the way of anything at least.

     

    Was M who drove by earlier, she just showed up again.

    Going grocery shopping tomorrow.

  10. Praying here, too , for you both. I hope her ankle will heal well. whatever is the injury. I am so sorry this happened. Very disconcerting. Yep, doesn't seem to matter where we live , either.

    Big reminder.

    Was sitting here reading rebel stories on kindle lately, about folks being hunted down for not conforming and going to the camps set up after big disasters/ depopulation epidemics that shut down every thing aaaaaaaandd while trying to adjust to a totally new to me town and house, where I am alone.

    Went to store and meant to go to post office but they evidently have very short hours here.... well, okay, see em in the morning I guess!

    Got home....... and someone pulled in to see if I was home. Inch of snow told the tale..... No idea who...... and they didnt just pull out the circle driveway, and everyone who lives around here knows it's there, did a Y turn out....... um...... what the heck? Made me nervous. Didn't leave a note as to who they were inside back porch because I Lock the inside door.

     

    I was here all day before that so ...... is my place being watched? Good question.

  11. I had to go to sleep early last night and slept 7 hours and woke at 3am.

    It's 6:30am now and the temps are 13F and it's snowing.

    Been sitting here studying very simple square foot gardening. ( Making plans for spring and I think the soil mix suggested is generally good for container gardens).

    I found a good garden center and will call them later for query on if they deliver this far away, within 50 miles, for topsoil quote. The sewer line digging sure goofed up the dirt situation. It's very good dirt here though, very fine. For springtime estimate for leveling things out. M's DH isn't doing things quickly these days due to health and I know he has been ill so isn't up to as much as he used to be , so this may be more timely, plus could get compost , peat and vermiculite bags delivered at the same time I bet if I placed an order then.

    Planning in ground gardening , container gardening indoor and outdoor , and some spots for vertical gardening over time, so plenty of projects , including welcome items for birds, butterflies and bee's for the garden spread out over time. This yard could become very diverse. Lots of areas to set up in a variety of ways that will look nice too.

     

    How I spend my early mornings....

    It should not be much snow.

  12. Eggnog bread.

     

    Eggnog bread
    1/4 cup (60g) butter
    1 cup (240 mL) eggnog (add 1/2 teaspoon rum extract if your eggnog is non-alcoholic)
    1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
    1 egg
    2 cups (250g) flour
    1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    Dash of nutmeg
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 cup (110g) walnuts or pecans
    Pre- greased pan. 350F . Bake time about an hour.
  13. A Christmas snack.

    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/reindeer-chocolate-coated-pretzel-rods/4a2acf65-3672-4578-a86d-32b0a5f53f44

     

    The most famous reindeer at your house will be these cute munchable treats!

    Ingredients
    4 ounces chocolate-, vanilla- or butterscotch-flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped 12 large pretzel twists 12 pretzel rods 24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips 12 M&M's™ chocolate candies red 1 roll Betty Crocker™ Fruit by the Foot™ cherry or other flavor chewy fruit snack rolls 12 M&M's™ minis chocolate candies green
    Directions
    • 1 Place candy coating in 1-cup microwavable measuring cup. Microwave uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted.
    • 2 Dip pretzel twists into melted candy coating. Place on waxed paper. Let stand until coating is set.
    • 3 If necessary, rewarm coating. Dip top 2 inches of pretzel rod into melted candy coating; attach pretzel rod to bottom of pretzel twist. Place on waxed paper.
    • 4 To make reindeer, press on chcolate chips for eyes and red candy for nose using melted candy coating. Cut scarf from fruit roll; attach to reindeer using candy coating. Press on green candy for button using candy coating. Place on waxed paper. Let stand until coating is set. Store coated pretzel rods loosely covered at room temperature no longer than 2 weeks.

    73f9430d-2a5e-453f-8c54-a2ca24a12d4c.jpg

  14. Sugar cookies with M&M's, an easy recipe.

     

    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookie-mms-bars/3e143dd9-04af-4cf8-80d9-980fb2a57867

     

    Ingredients
    1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 cup M&M's™ chocolate candies 1 cup white vanilla baking chips
    Directions
    • 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
    • 2 In large bowl, mix cookie mix, butter and egg with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup of the candies and the white vanilla baking chips. Press dough in bottom of pan. Sprinkle remaining candies over top.
    • 3 Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store in airtight container.

    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookie-mms-bars/3e143dd9-04af-4cf8-80d9-980fb2a57867

  15. It snowed here too, yesterday I think. :)

     

    Pot Roast. I plan on growing some turnips and rutabagas next year. My mother never cooked with them, but I love them!

     

    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/root-vegetable-pot-roast/533d6151-1305-42ac-bc08-8125699069a7

     

    Ingredients
    1 tablespoon olive oil 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lb) 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 cups chopped onions 1 3/4 cups Progresso™ beef-flavored broth (from 32-oz carton) 1 cup dry red wine 1/4 cup tomato paste 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 1/4 lb rutabaga, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 lb parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces 1/2 lb turnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
    Directions
    • 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In 4-quart ovenproof Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove beef from Dutch oven; set aside.
    • 2 Cook onions in drippings 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Place beef on onions. In medium bowl, stir together broth, wine, tomato paste, garlic and thyme with whisk. Pour over beef and onions. Heat to simmering.
    • 3 Cover; bake 1 hour 30 minutes. Arrange rutabaga, parsnips, turnips and carrots around beef. Cover; bake 1 hour longer or until beef and vegetables are tender. (Shred beef, using 2 forks, if desired.) Serve beef and vegetables with cooking liquid.

  16. I finally have a table space I can use as food prep space, so lots of meal ideas, along with a little less expensive food prices since I am in a new location. Plus I can grow a garden come spring time.

     

     

    This is not a thread for debates on low - carb, gluten, lactose, non gmo ingredients, as individual adults who run your own kitchens who know your sensitivities per individual situation ---- you figure it out for yourselves, don't hijack the thread with overloaded 'well meant suggestions'. Make your own thread. This is for general 'Cold Weather' recipes.

     

    Asking for a particular substitution suggestion is fine, but it's also not necessary, for more than 4 decent answers to such a question, so read up, the thread to see if it's already been answered with a reasonable solution.

     

    These recipes can be any category of food stuffs. I thought I would start out with a couple I would like to make. The soup recipe was easy and it had a pretty good suggestion on how to freeze individual portions too. I have a good sized freezer now in a good sized refrigerator.

     

     

    http://www.agingermess.com/2013/03/creamy-chicken-and-gnocchi-soup.html?m=1

     

     

    Ingredients
    4 Tablespoons olive oil
    4 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
    1 large sweet onion diced
    3 stalks celery diced small
    1 cup carrots, diced
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup already cooked chicken breast, shredded (you can use leftovers)
    1/4 flour
    3 cups milk
    1 cup heavy cream
    2 cups chicken stock
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    2 cups fresh spinach
    1 17.5 oz package gnocchi (it doesn't matter if it's not exactly 17.5 oz..a little more or less won't hurt a thing)

    blogger-image--740497521.jpg

     

    1. Dice up the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. This is the base for most soups. Sometimes I can't believe I didn't use to like celery.

     

    blogger-image-364359622.jpg
    2. Heat olive oil and melt butter in a large pot.

     

    blogger-image-1075112028.jpg
    3. Saute carrots, onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil/butter.

     

    blogger-image--865000569.jpg
    4. Here's the gnocchi I used. Go ahead and get a pot of salted water heating up. Don't forget the lid, it'll quicken the boiling time. Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

     

    blogger-image-1219161327.jpg
    5. Whisk flour into veggie mixture. This will create a roux (a thickening agent).

     

    blogger-image-1066631302.jpg
    6. Now add the milk and heavy cream and stir with a whisk. Stir frequently until thickens up a little.

     

    blogger-image-1376656988.jpg
    7. Now add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, thyme, salt and pepper.

     

    blogger-image-877101697.jpg
    blogger-image-1724990709.jpg
    8. Add the chopped spinach and stir.

     

    blogger-image-319753330.jpg
    9. Once the gnocchi water begins to boil, drop the gnocchi in. It should only take a couple minutes for the gnocchi to be done. When you see the gnocchi begin to float to the top, you know it's ready.

     

    blogger-image-1559837620.jpg
    10. Drain gnocchi and add the the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper if needed.
    chicken+and+gnocchi+soup.jpg
    One can ladle individual portions into solo cups and freeze , then slice sides of cup to remove frozen portions to bag and freeze for later meals.
    I love good soups but I also love pot pies and the little muffin recipes folks have come up with for healthy small meals you can carry easily or grab and heat to eat quickly, if you do ahead. , so this was a quick mini chicken pot pie one can do if they like.
    Ingredients
    Chicken Mixture 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 cup frozen peas and carrots 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
    Baking Mixture 1/2 cup Original Bisquick™ mix 1/2 cup milk 2 eggs
    Directions
    • 1 Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
    • 2 In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add onion and chicken broth; heat to simmering. Add frozen vegetables and seasonings. Heat until hot, stirring occasionally until almost all liquid is absorbed. Cool 5 minutes; stir in cheese.
    • 3 In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Top with about 1/4 cup chicken mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto chicken mixture in each muffin cup.
    • 4 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With thin knife, loosen sides of pies from pan; remove from pan and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes longer, and serve.

     

  17. Parsnips, the roots are edible but the leaves and stems, sap, no. They can blister the skin like hogweed does......

     

     

     

    This is an excerpt from wikipedia on the toxicity on the parsnip.

    "

    Toxicity[edit]

    While the root of the parsnip is edible, handling the shoots and leaves of the plant requires caution as the sap is toxic.[36] Like many other members of the family Apiaceae, the parsnip contains furanocoumarins as a defense against herbivory,[37]photosensitive chemicals that causes a condition known asphytophotodermatitis.[36] The condition is a type of chemical burn rather than an allergic reaction, and is similar to the rash caused by poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Symptoms include redness, burning, and blisters; afflicted areas can remain discolored for up to two years.[38] Although some reports of gardeners experiencing toxic symptoms after coming into contact with foliage have been made,[39] these have been small in number compared to the number of people who grow the crop. The problem is most likely to occur on a sunny day when gathering foliage or pulling up old plants that have gone to seed. The symptoms have mostly been mild to moderate.[40]

    The toxic properties of parsnip extracts are resistant to heating, or a storage period of several months. Toxic symptoms can also affect livestock and poultry in parts of their bodies where their skin is exposed.[41]Polyynes can be found in Apiaceae vegetables such as parsnip, and they show cytotoxic activities.[42]

    See also[edit]
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