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Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Progressive Garlic Powder and Other Stories

Things have been pretty busy around here the past few days, despite the weather being less than wonderful (and the Channel 7 weather prophets said it was going to be sunny and reasonably warm, not snowing and howling winds. Well, global warming does make weather prediction chancy at best).

Eugene has taken down the lean-too shed like thing attached to the back of the barn. The building was a real redneck job I, must say. It had been used as a run-in shed for cattle most recently but before that it was used for storage of stuff (we found doors, furniture, a swing set, shutters, table, patio chairs, etc., etc..). Because cattle were allowed to loaf in the shed while there was still full of items most of the items were turned into firewood and garbage by the cattle. (why don't people think!?). The lean-too shed like thing had a rotten roof that was mostly held up boxwood tree growing up in the doorway, a cinder block wall that was falling and a pile of dirt, cattle shit, glass and the occasional plastic toy. It was considered a hazard by the people who insure this farm. And it was not doing us a bit of good so now the rotten and broken parts are gone and it will become a whole new deal. what it will become I don't know. Probably a greenhouse, though what is left would make a dynamite blacksmith shop as it has a good cement pad.

While all that has been going on these past two afternoons I have been dehydrating things. yesterday I finished up a batch of garlic powder that was already dehydrated (which takes about 5 days to do) but needed cleaning and grinding into powder. While I did that I listened to left wing Progressive radio (Ed Schultz) and got depressed about the state of things. I do not like this Fascist state we seem to be in. And I don't think the democrats are the remedy to the problem (at least they have not been so far). I believe I was lucky that a basketball game pre-empted Randi Rhodes. While I like her rants and views, she can get down right scary and than I have to turn her off.

Okay, so I made progressive garlic powder, which you can buy here, yesterday.

Today I peeled and sliced a lot of apples that were going bad and put them in the dehydrator. It took me about 2 hours to get them all prepared to dry and all I will get out of it is about 1/3 of a pound of dried apples. But the work is well worth it. I like to use the dried apples in granola I make and cooked oatmeal. Dried apples are so danged good in oatmeal.

Now it is almost dinner time and I haven't a clue what to make for dinner. Any suggestions?

5 comments:

Marie said...

You could always go to my blog, Dinner's Ready, at www.dinnersready.blogspot.com!

Don't know if you'll like my menus but they are a reality for us.

Lucy said...

Ended up heating some stuffed peppers I made last fall and put in the freezer. They are stuffed with a mix of Basmati rice, pasture ground beef and sausage made from pastured pork. I do not remember what herbs went into the mix and it looks like I used tomatoes or tomatoe sauce too.

Topped them with plain yogurt and dinner was served and it was yummy too.

Lucy said...

Stone,

I don't know why people don't think. The person that allowed cattle to ruin perfectly good material in the now torn down shed also allowed these same cattle into barn that had been converted into a workshop (and this happened after we had started closing on the farm too boot). The calves had a grand time pooping on things, tearing stuff off of walls and shelves and making a huge mess that we got to clean up a few weeks later after we bought the farm. Had to trash a lot of good equipment that belonged to the former owner but we did get a lot of compostable material out of the deal too.

Peter comly said...

St. Eloy and I vote blacksmith shop. What kind of blacksmithing do you do?

Lucy said...

I don't do any but my husband makes tools and objets d'art.

He is NOT a farrier, which is a shame because I am a horseless hores person who intends on getting a couple of horses in the future and having a farrier around would be handy.

Right now we are thingking chicken coop for the area but that could easily change. maybe we will turn it into a packing shed or a brew house for beer.

And don't worry both a greenhouse and an area for the forge on this farm in the near future