July 31, 2009

Free Book Give Away

I think there is going to be a food shortage this winter. The droughts and floods have taken their toll on our food system. I am worried you won't have enough to eat even if you have money. I am worried the poor people in the countries we buy our food from won't have enough to eat. I want you to see how easy it is to let nature fill your plate with food.

To show you the seriousness of my conviction, I am giving away copies of my new e-book for FREE. All you need to do to be entered is to leave a comment and a link to your blog showing this give away. I will get back to you. Peace for all

p.s. I have posted a link to the book for more info -

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4037003&keywords=e-book%20organic

Gardening by the Moon - Fall Garden

Right now I am in the middle of planting my fall garden. Lettuces, broccoli, cabbages, chinese vegetables, cauliflower and beans and next week i will plant carrots, turnips and radishes. It is not too late to grow food for the winter. It is not to late to freeze foods for the winter.

Organic Gardening

This post is a link the a wonderful garden blog.

http://subsistencepatternfoodgarden.blogspot.com/
Peace for all

Freezing Vegetables

What do you like to eat? Find the recipe, buy the ingredients and give it a shot at home. My new book has a whole chapter on how to prepare foods to make easy everyday healthy meals. The first step in food security is to know how to make what you like to eat.

Ideally, you want preserve the ingredients for your diet when they are plentiful and least expensive. Most vegetables are fruits are plentiful and least expensive now. Buy extras and a box of freezer bags, you will see how easy it is to put up food for later. Buy what you like to eat, t
here is no use freezing spinach for the winter if you don't like the way it tastes.

We like pepper steak and greek salad in the winter so I freeze peppers. Wash and dry them. Cut them in rings, discard the top. The seeds are edible. If you cut them into smaller bits the extra moisture makes them stick together when frozen. If you cut them in rings, then when you need them, take out what you need. If you need small pieces it is very east to break them off the frozen rings.

Put the peppers loosely in the bag. Lay it flat at close the bag 95% of the way. Gently press the air out of the bag, then close the bag.

Pepper steak - put cast iron fry pan on high, add steak, wait 3 minutes, turn steak over, turn temperature down to low, put on top of still cooking steak the rings of an onion and a pepper, sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar, cover with lid, cook for half an hour

Mediterranean salad - put slices of an onion, two tomatoes, two peppers and one cucumber in a bowl, cover with quarter cup olive oil, two tablespoons balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with oregano (or other herb) and salt, pepper and sugar to taste, stir well

Every fruit and every vegetable has its own characteristics for growing, preserving and cooking, which are the same year after year. I suppose this is the essence of my new book, to show how easy it is to let nature provide.





Frugality

I have devoted my life, for over ten years now, to growing and preserving food for the winter.

I used to have a real job, he worked days and I worked nights. Always too tired, we ate out to save time shopping, cooking and cleaning. We did this for one year. At tax time we realized that we paid more to taxes and childcare than my salary. Meals out, and my wardrobe, car and its expenses only further exposed the foolishness of our lifestyle.

My job now is to reduce the need for cash. It is necessary to remove unnecessary expenses from your budget. But don't be caught up in the bondage of frugality. It is great to get dish soap for a dollar a bottle, but not if you don't like how it works. Worst if you have lots of soap but nothing to eat. Cheap food is processed foods where value is exchanged for profit. Or worse yet, with coffee and chocolate, slaved people pay the real cost of your purchase.

How do I do it? There is no solution in the consumer world. The secret is in the natural world. It has always been here for us, existing without our participation. Take your rightful place on the planet, take her hand, she is here to freely provide for your needs.

Where to start? Keep posted, peace for all


July 30, 2009

Rainwater Harvesting and Purification System

This is entry is a link to an exceptionally good web page about rainwater harvesting. Peace for all

ps just click on the title and it will take you right there

July 28, 2009

Earthquakes

Just a quick post, between the week of 100 degree weather, forest fires, farming and gardening I barely have time to complain. (but see I did fit it in, lol)

I follow earthquakes over 4 and on average there are over 400 per month worldwide. In the years I have been following them, t0day is the very first day there were no earthquakes over a 4.

What does it mean? Nothing of course, no more no less than if there where a dozen. When I see the droughts where there should be monsoons, and floods where there should be heat, on the tv, I also wonder what does it mean?

The world is changing there is no doubt. To me it is like a bad B movie and I expect Robocop to come to the rescue any time now. In these times I devote myself to ensuring security for my family, maybe I read Grapes of Wrath too young. What would it hurt to put some food up for winter? Time will tell. Peace for all.

ps click the title and the link is for http://www.iris.edu/seismon/ and you can follow them too.

July 26, 2009

How to Survive

Yesterday the waitress said "he works (my husband), so you don't have to".

We have had a heat wave for almost a month, 30 degrees everyday, and zero rain. Watched the news, saw the weather map nothing in the forecast.  Woke up to pouring rain, checked the doppler and sure enough a freak storm warning.  Praise God and hallelujah!!!

It is like a day off, well after everyone was fed and watered.  So I sat down to my list of correspondence and paperwork to do, 15 items, yuk, some day off.  I am hear talking to you, procrastinating.  Maybe you are here procrastinating too, giggles.

What I do today turns into what I have tomorrow.

This moment so urgent, so personal, dominating our thoughts.  How do I look?  What does he think?  Then it slips into nothing, forever.  Instead it should be what needs to be done?  How can I do it quickly and efficiently?  Then when the moment slips by it has left something behind.  Each building a foundation for security and happiness. Solving the riddles of our being should direct us daily.

Will you look at that, the sun is shining.  O yummy humid and no bugs.  Now what to do?  Planting. Yes.  Now that the soil is saturated with water is the best time.  Moon Phase? First quarter, time for leafy greens, some in pots, some seeds but to get them in means clearing a spot of weeds and grass.  Great, sorry folks, am off outside to play.

Perfectly planned, perfectly undone.  You can plan until your heart is content but what is going to happen is going to happen.  No sooner had I decided which plants where and how, walked to the garden with tools then the thunder signaled the end of the plan.  Then it poured, so hard the cat wined and the rabbits were shivering.  How I longed for this cold sensation in any evening previous, but I am so shocked like my son got me with the waterhose. Oh my gosh my windows just rattled from the storm, the bushes as hitting the house, gonna be a duszy.

I was so proud of my adaptability, especially since today's chore list had read water all plants everywhere, pick cherries, and cut hay.  I cut hay for my sheep everyday, usually twice.  They only eat seven pounds each, but you would be surprised how much grass that is.  It is cut with a long knife, making sure not to include nettles, thorns, or burrs, they like most weeds, shrubs and all the prunings from the orchard (except cherry). While cutting grass I look for dandelions and other tender green weeds to feed the rabbits

 but in that one moment you can either do what you need to do, or don't.  

July 20, 2009

Food Security

Planting the Seeds from Hadas Levy on Vimeo.



This is a 30 minute documentary - it is well worth your time. Film by Hadas Levy shot near where I live. Food security is more important than we think.

July 16, 2009

How to Dry Herbs

Now is the perfect time to cut down herbs. It is very easy to put away teas like chamomile, mint and bergamot or cooking herbs like chives, parsley, and basil.

How to Dry Herbs

Cut the new growth off making sure to pinch off where the flower would come up especially with parsley. Leave the leaves on the stem to dry. Don't harvest wet plants or wash the leaves or you will loose them to mould. Lay them flat on newspaper in the shade. Some people have the room to hang them to dry. I have tried it this way and always end up with mould where the leaves are tied together. I used to put them in paper bags stapled to the wall and each day I would give them a little shake. Ideally you want to dry them slowly. No direct sun and no heat. If you try to dry them too fast they loose color, flavour and valuable essential oils. If you store them too soon the mould will also take them. Once dry, break off leaves and store in a glass jar in a dark cupboard. Truthly, I don't put a lid on my jars until they have been the cupboard at least a month, to ensure they are totally dry.

How to Freeze Herbs

Cut the new growth off making sure to pinch off where the flower would come up especially with parsley and basil. Wash and spin dry if you must, but ideally use dry herbs. Remove the choice leaves from the stems. Cut them into small pieces with scissors. Loosely fill small freezer bag with the pieces and freeze. To use, only pinch enough from the bag for your recipe. Frozen herbs are best for salads or on cooked food in the winter (you wouldn't want to cook away all the flavor). Chives, basil and dill are best frozen.

Special tip for Pearl - Picking chives - Take a small elastic and scissors out for harvesting. Put the elastic around your wrist. Grab a handful of chives, cut them an inch from the ground. Without moving the chives, turn your hand so you can pull the grass and yellow bits out easily from the top of the bunch. Roll the elastic over the cut end of the bunch. It makes it very easy when you get them all into the kitchen to cut them in uniform little rings. Does it make sense?

July 14, 2009

Planting by the Moon Last Quarter

From the 16-21 the moon with be in the last or fourth quarter. At night, you will see the left side of the moon is bright. This is the week not to plant, but to harvest, weed, cultivate, and get rid of bugs.

You will see herbs gathered now are most fragrant and dry without blemish. Fruit is perfectly ripe, will keep the longest and for the most part is undamaged by pests. Weeds and grass, that normally won't budge, can be easily pulled out with the root.

By the moon pests hatch next week. So this week is the week to get rid of bugs in the garden and fleas on the critters. It is a good time for a detox.

I am picking cherries this week, all week, soo many cherries, lucky me.
I do put cut up cherries and freeze them in bags for smoothies in the winter. In less modern times people would gorge on fruit as it ripened, because they usually only had that short window in consume it. It is very important to gorge on fresh cherries because they work like magic at ridding the bowels of parasites.

can you see the hail damage?



You can secure food for your family!
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Planting by the Moon Thunder Moon




Well the rains did come. It rained for 36 hours straight, took the afternoon off and rained for another 12 hours.

I know all this rain shouldn't be mine, with drought in Australia, India, and California, no monsoons even for parts of Asia.

Fresh food is easily available and affordable now. Frozen vegetables are usually on sale at this time. Buy extra, prepare for a possible shortage this winter. Cut fresh herbs and vegetables into little bits and freeze in freezer bags. Very easy and the satisfaction that comes with using food you put up is priceless.

Peace for all

You can secure food for your family!
http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=6230253 for a free preview!

Plant Perennials

Every plant has its own nature. Like the needs of birds, reptiles and mammals are different so are annuals, biennials, and perennials. Since this is the last day of the best week of the year to plant perennials I thought I would share with you what secrets I know.

Perennials

Not all seeds will germinate at the same time
Some seeds take 3 years or more to germinate
(germinate = to come to life)
Transplanting plants with roots is the easiest and fastest method of growing
Mature plants self-propagate, from seeds or sending up new plants from the root
The mother eventually dies away after a few seasons so let the new plants develop

The best way I know to start perennials from seed is:

fill 6" or 8" pot with the best soil you have (not potting soil nothing will grow for long in just potting soil must have organic matter like worm castings, very old manure, fish fertilizer, and best of all compost)

dig a hole at the spot you want the plant to grow and bury the pot in the ground up to the brim of the pot, this is the first year

water normally

after the seed sprouts, when it has at least 2 leaves, it can be transplanted into a 4" pot (which is then buried as well), this can be the first, second, or third year

the next spring, after the full moon, you can transplant these hardy plants right into the garden

by fall you will see the plant will have quadrupled in space it takes up, and this will happen each following year of the plant's life - remember the extra space will be needed when planting the hardy plants in the soil,
in fact, you will have to remove (or divide) them to keep their growth in check

forever now you will never again have to plant seeds for the perennial

in fact, forever now you will have to remove (or divide) them to keep their growth in check

many nutritious herbs grow this way and are a more efficient way to get nutrients to your table - mint, lemon balm, oregano, rosemary, lovage, thyme, sage

perennial vegetables are low maintenance and reappear each year - here ins the north we can grow asparagus, some onions, horseradish, and if lucky artichokes


The best secret I can share, as it was missed in the book, is to poke a willow twig in the ground with your seeds, it will work like magic and that's all there is to say. Try it in one pot and see for yourself. Nature has all the solutions, we just have to embrace them.

This is a brief introduction to perennials, details for growing many plants in my new book.

You can secure food for your family! My new book is now available!
http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=6230253 for a free preview!

July 10, 2009

Silver Parrot





My prize box of beads arrived today.!!! It is a great prize, 9 pounds of beads and findings. Not cheapo plastic stuff either; quality beads with exquisite colour. No wonder her jewellery is so sweet, she uses only the best beads! These beads will help feed my family this winter, thank you very much for your generosity.


Please visit her blog or better yet, go to her e-store and buy her heirloom quality treasure.

http://silverparrotdesigns.blogspot.com/

p.s. i did take lots of pictures, but alas they were all sooo blurry. i hope to get better with it soon, right now it is a source of frustration - but how can i be sad, 9 pounds of beads, yipppppeeee!

July 07, 2009

Moon

Today is the full moon. Traditionally this full moon is called The Thunder Moon. We are definately in the thos of a huge storm almost everywhere across the continent. Records for lightning strikes and rainfall. Did the ancestors know more about the the ways of nature than we do? I think so, their very survival hinged on it.

The week following a full moon is the best time to plant any crop who's roots have to survive the winter cold. At this time of year I transplant or plant seed for perennials. In the spring's full moon is when trees and bushes should be planted. In the fall's full moon plant biennuals like the cabbage family, carrots, root vegetables which you plant to harvest for food or seed in the spring.

This is also a good week to prune and trim plants to encourage growth. I like to weed crowded beds during this time, as any vegetable seedlings, that get disturbed during the weeding, can be replanted and still grow well. This is not the case next week when weeding is favorable, the weeds come out easily, but little transplanted seedlings will not grow.

Tonight there will also be a lunar eclipse. Astrologers say this signifies the closing of one door and the opening of another. A time of rebirth, renewal and looking forward. This is true for all, even for you.

Be at peace, let nature take the reins and hold on for a wild ride.

July 04, 2009

Ruralrose said...

The love of an animal does not die with his body. You will feel him get on the bed, lick your check, or rub under your fingers. Just because we can't see the other realm does not mean it doesn't exist. Just because we think it can't be real, doesn't mean it isn't. The love of a dog, the joy of a dog, is so magically transforming. I am sorry for your loss, the emptiness and sorrow. My first visit here today, hope I haven't poked my nose in where it isn't wanted. Peace for all

Not wanting to have nothing ever again, not wanting to again be suckered into frittering away my life for someone elses profit, all day long my thoughts and time are devoted to moving my life forward by being productive. What is the best use of my time? What will make money? What will save money? What is mandatory for health and happiness? All choices are justified by forethought and planning. More and more I see that this line of thinking is just as enslaving as consumerism.

I had fantasized for years how growing my own garden - what would go where and why.
Finally, I planted tansy in the brassica (cabbage family, broccoli, etc.) garden bed to keep disease and ants away. I planted a few seeds all over the bed and because no new plants showed I forgot about them. In the spring these cute frilly plants were everywhere I loved them. So much so that by the fall of the following year there were planted all over the garden to keep ants away. On the prairie tansy only grows 2 feet tall imagine my surprise, summer of the fourth year, when these girls got 5 feet tall and had spread tribbles everywhere. It isn't terrible because they are very easy to pull out of the ground and by putting them strategically around my place the ants are kept at bay. My judgement was wrong but I didn't know all the variables; and who ever does? The result was not how I had fantasized or planned, if you allow nature to dominate, it is always more and better.




































































Speaking of abundance, this is bing cherry is so heavy with fruit it is hanging over the chicken fence to the ground!

Saskatoons, this is what I picked this morning. Great taste and antioxidants like blueberries, grow almost every where you should try.


This yellow weed in my yard, but medicine in my cupboard, St. Johns Wort. Ready to pick next week, when the moon changes.


More weeds! Daisies, these grow in horse pastures but the horses don't eat them. Eventually it looks like the horse are standing in a field of daisies, cool.


Next time maybe I will figure out how to put the words WITH the picture!

Peace for all

July 01, 2009

HAPPY CANADA DAY

I am proudly Canadian.

To honour how enamored I am with my country, I will share with you all, the secret of happiness.
















This is a shot of my front door. That is Lil Mama she usually makes 24 chickens for us every year, for 5 years now. She always shows off her babies, last year a batch was born just before 2 feet of snow and they all thrived.
















This is chicken is from her last batch. He thinks he is a cat and follows them around ceaselessly looking for snakes and mice, like a gang of thugs.
















Can you see the butterfly? This time of year they are everywhere, here being one of the few gardens in a large forest. My yard is filled with all sizes and colours flitting, flirting and frolicking in the flowers like a secret orgy.


















Today, next to my front door, the mock orange is in full bloom. Lovely of course. But her looks pale to her scent, notes of jasmine, rose and gardenia. It floats in the air silently with every inhalation, until you succumb to the lustful seduction lost in spectacle of it all.


















Can you feel the spray from this glacial waterfall. The air is so fresh you can't help but breathe in deeply. Smell the ozone, feel the cool breeze, and stillness in the noise. The chatter of the flow, every molecule different yet the same, all excited to move forward and play their part in the world.
















This is the best dog ever.

Let nature take the lead, happiness is a natural state.

Peace for all

Puffballs

Wild food is simply the best. Excellent blog, thanks for sharing. Is it linked properly?