Thoughts on Prepping for this summer.

       Now that I have gotten the garden 75% of the way planted, I've started thinking on what to work on next. In a few months the Drying and Canning will begin. Over the winter we purchased supplies to prepare for that event. Our storage unit hold the 150 canning jars, pounds of salt, and canning apparatus. My wife and I discussed this the other day. What exactly are we prepping for and why. Knowing this will determine what to do this Summer.
  For us, I think, we are prepping for 3 things: A possible Earthquake, Economic collapse or turmoil, and a Terrorist event. First the earthquake. The St Charles area (and St Louis) is on the New Madrid Fault line. As those in California like to say "the Big one is just around the corner". I could happen. If it does, there is a chance that the highway overpasses may collapse. That and the bridges. The Yellowstone Caldera is a faint possibility included in this. (now I really sound paranoid). Second Issue is some sort of Economic issue. This countries economy is not on solid ground right now. Too much debt and little or no financial planning. My 13 yrs old niece could do a better job in balancing the check book. Grocery Prices are already on the rise. Third is a terrorist attack. Not something that any planning can totally cover. More contingency planning than anything else. Because Missouri has Nuclear Power plants we are going to get some IoSat (potassium Iodine pills) and Gas masks. Terrorist acts are a major What if? when planning.
  So back to the original question of what is our next project. With the garden in hand we are going to concentrate on prepping/storing more grains, pasta, and seasonings. In the coming months I'll document the dehydration process for fruits and Vegetable that I grow and buy.  I expect to buy some rice and Grain from local specialty grocery stores in the area.
 Pasta is very easy to get and to store. Right now BIG LOTS is the best deal in town for buying pasta. I'm not talking about Spagetti  type noodles. Macaroni and other types of pasta is fairly cheap. I try not to pay more than a dollar for 16 oz / 1 pound of any specific type of pasta. Generally I pay about .80 cents a pkg at Big lots. This price has gone up since last year. I was paying between .50 - 60 cents per box. Just buy a few bags when you buy other stuff. It all adds up

Asian style Corn Pancakes

I have a certain fondness for Fresh Corn. Good for Grilling and eating. Here in the Mid-West we get a lot of it. I heard on the News that there should be a "Bumper" crop of corn this year. Weather permitting of course.

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chili pepper
• Fresh ginger, chopped (about a 1/2 inch piece)
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh corn or 1 can of sweet corn
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 2 Tbl Cilantro leaves
• 1 Tbl of Chili sauce (Sriracha sauce works good)
• 1 Tbl of Peanut oil

1. Chop the garlic, Ginger, and the chili pepper
2. Combine the garlic, chili, 1/2 of the corn, eggs, cornstarch, Cilantro, and chili sauce in a food processor. process until smooth. (This can be done by hand. Use a potato masher to combine and MASH until it is mixed well)
3. Fold in the remaining corn
4. Heat a frying pan with the oil
5. In the pan add 2 Tbl of the mixture to make a pattie. Cook 2-3 minutes then turn and cook 1-2 minutes.
6. Drain on Paper towels.
7. Serve with Spicy mayo (see next recipe)

**Here is the spicy Mayo recipe

• 2/3 of a cup of Mayo
• 1/4 cup of Lime juice
• 1/3 cup of Cilantro leaves, chopped
• 8 scallions (or chives), chopped

1. Combine all ingredients well. Salt and pepper to taste

Planted Tomato's and Squash today

 My wife and I got up early this morning and went on a Vegetable hunt. We had been to Home Depot looking yesterday, and were not very impressed with the plants there. We went by "El-Mel" the local  feed store, but they didn't have any plants out. So, we went to Lowes. Just as a wallet warning for you, plants are EXPENSIVE this year! We got 8 tomato plants at $3.48 per. Then 7 squash plants at $3.48 and 1 at $5.98. We needed another planter and my wife spotted Blueberry bushes. All Together Lowe's got $75 bucks from us. But, it was necessary. I got everything except the bushes planted this afternoon. I still need to get some Green pepper plants and some herbs.

Soup from the Garden: Corn and Zucchini Soup

Here is a nice fresh tasting soup for a summer or fall day.

• 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2 cups diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 cups fresh corn kernels (about 12 ears)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• Jalapeno hot sauce (optional)

1.  Bring broth to a simmer in a large pan. 
2. Add zucchini and onion; cover and simmer 2 minutes.
3. Stir in corn, salt and pepper; cover and simmer 2 minutes.
4. Place one-third of mixture in a blender and process until smooth.
5. Repeat procedure with remaining mixture.
6. Pour soup into bowls; top with yogurt. 
7. Serve with jalapeno hot sauce, if desired.

Carrots, Dill, and Herbs Oh My!

I got my Carrots, Dill, Chamomile, and Echinachea (purple Coneflower) planted this morning.

The Carrot seeds came from Baker Creek who I have nothing but good things to say about. I am very impressed with the seed that they sold me. The Herbs/Flowers I got from the Hardware store. I planted them in a mix of (pre-bagged) potting soil and home grown compost.

Garden Update

We got out this weekend and planted all the seeds for the Beans, Cucumbers, and other Veggies. When they germinate and sprout I'll post pics and descriptions of whats what. The Statuary is something I've had for a while and thought "why not" put in in. The Potatoes are my biggest success so far.

Northern Alabama BBQ - White BBQ sauce?

  I have Family in the Madison/Huntsville area of Alabama. While visiting I had to check out a local Favorite.

Thomas Pit BBQ in Madison Alabama. (sorry the Pic is from Google, it was raining when I went). The place is a classic greasy spoon, that has the BEST  bar-b-que. It has been there for 70 years! Funny thing it is CASH ONLY. That fact has not even slowed business down. Inside they is about 7 tables and they have a drive thru. I waited an hour for a pound of pork and a pint of potato salad. The drive thru was lined up across the parking lot and down the HWY. Busy Place. Really good food. One of the area specialties is White BBQ sauce. Here is a recipe for some:

• 1 1/2 cups Mayonaisse
• 1/4 cup White wine Vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 TBL ground white pepper
• 1 TBL spicy Brown Mustard
• 1 Tsp of Sugar
• 1 Tsp of Salt
• 2 Tsp of Horseradish

1. Mix together all ingredients very well. Store in the Fridge. It will keep a week.

Back home and in the Garden

  After our great adventure we returned home last night. Rain, Rain, and more rain all the way home. We were ahead of the storms a little so all we had to deal with was the rain and some high wind. The Tornado's stayed to the south and west of us.
 This Morning I had a good look at the garden. WOW! All of the moisture in the St Louis area did it some good. Everything thing is still a little damp, but the plants are doing Great!

The Beets tripled in size while we were gone. The Lettuce is doing way better than I thought before we left.

The few Plants that the squirrels did not dig up are the large ones and the others are new Growth. The big winner are the Potato plants. I think those doubled in size. Tomorrow I will finish filling the tubs with compost and mulch everything.

All that is left is for me to getting planting on the rest of the garden. I need to weed everything then plant the seeds. I have some trellising to construct for the garden. I have some scrap 1x2's and plenty of branches to use. It will be as basic as possible.

Silver Dollar City part two

         Day two of our trip was better than the first. It was again, a gloomy day with rain in the forcast. It's the Ozarks. Thats how it is in the spring. Cool, wet and windy is the Norm. Fortunetly, we had no heavy rain just a few light showers. Silver Dollar City does a nice job with things. All of the staff is very friendly and professional. The park has a "Down Home" feel to it. Countryfide  you might say. It was very nice. We did not ride any of the rides, but did catch a few shows and walked around. My family was paying, so we took our time. As we browsed through the shops we were amazed to find a Gun and Knife shop. A wide variety of custom and manufactured knives were for sale. Plus, they had WORKING revolver reproductions available. There are not many Parks out there where you can spend time with the family and buy a knife or Gun. At the entrance to the park I did not see a NO Firearms sign. When I entered there was NO metal detector or search. I was able to carry in my pocket knife and boot knife. It was nice.

        On Monday we left Branson and continued on our trip. Our destination was Huntsville, Al. Its a very long drive. It took us 12 hrs. I got lost twice. Too many 2-4 lane blacktops in the middle of noware. The Countryside was very pretty though.

I can see why so many PAW fiction writers use the Ozark area for inspiration.

Northern Arkansas I simply marvelous this time of year.  We shall be visiting family all week in Alabama. While I don't normally write on the subject, I'll take a look at the area here and write about it some. We plan to drive home on Saturday, driving the Normal route: North to Nashville, Paduca, Mount Vernon, and then St Louis.

Preparedness for Silver Dollar City, In Branson, Missouri

   As I have talked about in Previous Posts, My wife and I are on a short Vacation. Our destination this weekend is Branson, Missouri. The Weather here, this weekend, is very wet and stormy. In preparation for the trip we packed our camping gear, BOB's, and extra food. Just in case. We also brought our weather Radio (Eton FR360). The rest of our party are NOT preppers. Friday night I checked the NOAA station and got the weather for Saturday. Rain, storms, wind, and high 70 degree weather.  We wore our long pants, good walking shoes, and brought coats. We also brought out umbrella and a day pack for each of us.
    I had called ahead to see if the park allowed food/water to be brought in. While many Parks and venues don't allow this, Silver Dollar City does. In fact, they allow coolers! In each pack is a small first aid kit, snacks, water, stainless steel water bottle, flashlight, extra batteries, and a camera. Our family had short sleeves, long pants, light coats, and no umbrellas. It rained and the temperature dropped dramatically. It got cold very fast. For the most part we were fine. I had scotch guarded everything so we were not than wet, just a little cold. What amazed me the most was the rest of the visiting guest. Many were dressed in shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flop/clogs. Not a coat or rain slicker in sight. The sight of small children: wet dressed in shorts and t's was very sad. It was 60 degrees with a fierce wind chill. The park sold very cheaply made rain gear for $5 and up, and were making some money. Food prices in the park were not over-the-top but drinks were. Bringing your own was a saver move.
      The big mistakes that we made were these. 1. we had a small weather radio and left it in the room. At one point the weather was Tornadic. The park gave no warning and had no siren. 2. Instead of Buying Lunch we should have brought more food with us. Lunch was not bad at $8 each but when drinks were added it was $21 for two. $2.50 med sodas or $12.00 Plastic cups. 3. We should have made the rest of the party pay more attention to the weather. They GOT WET and were cold and miserable.  Overall the first day was OK. We saw some things heard some good music and can make plans for Sunday. Sunday includes a dinner theatre at the Dixieland Stampede so I'll post about that. Then its on to Memphis, Tn and Huntsville, Al. I'll keep you informed.

Rainy Days in Branson Missouri

Lots of Rain on the Hwy in to Branson from St Louis

When we got to Silver Dollar City it was Raining, but it cleared up some.

The Blacksmith at the Park. It really Poured later in the day, along with what we thought at the time was a Possible Tornado. The Park staff was very helpful. We are going back on Sunday So I'll post a few more pics

Garden Update

 Here's a lesson for you. A very hot and sunny day plus pesky squirrels equals Dead Tomato plants. I put the fledgling tomato plants outside to get them ready to plant and Killed them all. So, so, sad. We we get back from our trip I'll start over. All the other plants are doing well.

Warm Weather = Work in the Garden

 I'm still in a holding pattern on planting the rest of the garden. It's gotten a LOT warmer around here lately. Mid 70-80's in the day 40-50's at night. Next week we have a family trip coming up. We are off to the Missouri Ozarks and points South. Silver Dollar City is one of our stops so I will post some relevant Pic's. They are supposed to have a Nice "Historical Village" with lots of 1800's crafts. When we return the seeds, go IN. Plus I have almost 3 dozen Tomato plants to do something with.

The Red Potatoes are doing Great. I Added another 3-4 inches of leaves and straw.

 The White potatoes are finally coming up. Not as strongly as the Red, though.

The Shallots and the Garlic are growing like crazy. The Shallots are the plants on the left.

The Beets are doing great. The survived the Squirrel attack and have sprouted right up.

Lettuce on the other hand is NOT doing well. At first everything was sprouting but after the Squirrel attack, not so much. I count about 4-5 plants that are handing in there.

The Rodents don't seem to like Onions, so the sweet onions Are doing good.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

The other night I made a Crock pot Roast. I cooked a 2 # Chuck roast with dehydrated veggies in the Crock pot.  This is a very easy to make dish.

• 2+ lb  Beef Chuck roast
• Dried Onion
• Dried Potatoes
• Dried Celery
• Dried Tomato
• Dried Carrot
• 1 Bouillon cube, beef flavor
• Barley**
• salt and pepper

1. Place dried veggies on the bottom of the Crock pot.
2. Season the beef roast with salt and pepper. Place the meat on top of the veggies
3. Mix the cube with water. Add enough water to cover the veggies and come up about half way to the top of the meat. Don't submerge the meat!
4. Cover the Pot and cook on High for 3 hours
5. Turn down to low and cook 3+ more hours. If you are away for more than that change it to warm. Add the Barley at this time. Add more water if needed.

This is a very tasty meal. You may need to season-to-taste the meat. When cooking for home, I tend to under season things as my wife doesn't like it.
Enjoy!

Anti-Squirrel Spray

I found one of the Recipes. I don't know how well it works, we shall see. The squirrels are doomed if it fails. I'll get a pellet rifle and take care of them.

• 1 gallon of Water
• 6 cap fulls of Liquid Detergent
• 2 Tbl of Cayenne pepper, ground

1. Mix together well, and spray on and around plants

In theory they get the pepper on their little feet and it burns them.

Missouri Tartan Days 2010 Festival

Today was a really nice sunny day. We watered the plants and went down to the Tartan Festival for some fun!

Lots of Flags were flying.

Dancers and entertainers.

Authentic Scottish Cattle, she still has her Winter coat and looked Hot.

The Blacksmiths at work.

Tomato Plants just keep Growing!

So far just about all 36 plants have sprouted. A big +1 for Baker Creek Seed Company! As advertised on the Tomato plants at Least.

Here's another Garden update

 To start i think I need to Kill a few squirrels. Something, most likely squirrels, has been digging in my pots. They damaged the lettuce and some of the beets.

The Lettuce is doing well and coming up fast, except where the blasted squirrels got it. Somewhere, I've got some anti-squirrel spray recipes. I'll try and find them.

Next, the Shallots and the Garlic is going crazy.

The RED potatoes got a lot bigger so I added some stray/leaves to fill in the tub some more.

And the WHITE potatoes are finally coming up. Check it out.

The Tomatoes that I started in the house are finally starting to come up. I planted 36 plants which as i said is way more than I need. Most have germinated and are "Reaching for the sky".

TVP Sloppy Joes

Last night My wife made me Sloppy Joe sandwiches for dinner. She made a double batch of TVP (thats 1 full cup). To this she added a little worcestershire sauce, some dried onion, garlic, and "Cowboy spice".
She made the sauce by mixing BBQ sauce (from Aldi's) with a TBL of Tomato paste and a dash of Cayenne pepper. It was GOOD. I don't have her "recipe" to post, there wasn't one. But I do have mine so here it is:

• 1 cup of  Beef TVP ( use 1 lb of Ground beef if you don't like TVP)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 of and Onion, chopped 
• 1/3 cup of Green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup of Chili sauce **
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 TBL of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp of Brown sugar
• 1 tsp of Dry mustard**
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 Tbl of Parsley flakes
• Hamburger buns

1. Prepare the TVP
2. add the onion and garlic (if using dried rehydrate with the TVP, it saves water)
3. Add the peppers and all the other ingredients except the buns
4. Heat to a simmer and serve

** In place of Chili sauce try a little taco mix or chili mix in a little water. Use prepared mustard in place of the dried.

Garden Update

I have written here about my garden and "the Plan" that I have for this growing Season. I have room for about 2-3 more tubs and I have a raised bed constructed to the right of the picture. This area gets "Full sun" all day. I Started 6 heirloom varieties of Tomato plants yesterday. When and If they germinate I'll post pics. I started 36 plants. That's WAY more then we have room for. Worse comes to worse I'll put them in buckets. The tomatoes are going into the raised bed with Zuccini along the fence, for support.

So far, of the Root Vegetables that I planted: The Red Potatoes are sprouting and starting to grow. The Beets are coming up about a 1/4 of an inch so far.

The Shallots, Garlic, and Yellow onions are all sprouting.

I planted the Lettuce mix from Seed Savers and it is starting to sprout.

I'm not real sure about the lettuce mix seeds. The Seed pack is one of the few that are not Region Specific that I'm planting. All of the other seeds I got From Baker Creek, except for the Shallots and Potatoes. Those came from Lowes (on sale)This being Missouri It's still too early to plant anything else. Its killing me though with 80 degree weather. Its only for a couple of days, the forcast has it dropping back to the 60's on Wednesday.