We have Red potatoes

It was just an experiment from way back in March. I wanted to try planting Potatoes in a large tub filled with straw and compost. It worked, a little bit. Next time I think we will use a LOT more straw and water it every day. I think that was what the problem was. I have not checked the White potatoes yet. Those plants haven't died off yet. But I did get a few Red Potatoes

The Missouri River is Flooding again

 Here in St Charles the Missouri River is flooding again. The National Weather service says that its 8 feet above flood stage and is expected to rise another foot and a half by Saturday. They say that

"it's too early to tell if we're gonna have a '93," said Scott Watson with the National Weather Service. "Back then, we had at least a month of continuous waves of storms."

The Flood of 1993 was really bad for the area. I wasn't here at that time. I got here in 1995 just in time for a small flood. If it floods where we live all of Missouri will need an Ark. So, last night we went out a dusk. It was a little cooler by the river. Here are a few pictures:

The red objects are river buoy's. It looks like there is about 3 of them.

Garden Update for June 21, 2010

  Summer is finally here. With it comes the god-awful heat. Here in St Charles it is very hot and muggy out. Its the cost of living near the river. Temperatures have been in the mid to upper 90's all week. The veggies are loving it. My potato plants have started to die back. I peeked and there are some new potatoes in the tubs. In a week or so I will pull the vines.

The Tomatoes have been staked and ties off. Already there is fruit on the plants.

The squash behind the tomatoes is spreading out and is in bloom. I planted two types of beans this year. Dragons tongue beans which we got from Baker Creek Seeds
and Cow peas which came from the Hardware store (Ace). So far the Dragons tongue beans are about a foot high and are starting to flower.

The Cow Peas are also a foot high but no flowers yet.

The tub of lettuce has been producing fairly well. I'm still not happy with the mix. I think next year we will just stick with a single variety. The beets that were planted back in March are doing very well. I peeked at them also and they look good. The onions are doing OK, but I not entirely happy with them. The Carrots are about a foot high and are doing well. The big winner this week are the Double Yield Cucumbers that we planted. Each Hill got 3 seeds. Of those only one seed failed to come up. Personally, I think the squirrels got it. The Tepee that I constructed from fallen branches has worked like a charm.

All eleven of the plants are climbing up the poles and the string. Dozens of flowers are blooming. In a few weeks after the potatoes finish "curing", the tubs they were in will be replanted. I'm think a late crop of Turnips, rutabagas, and Kohlrabi would be fun

Picture of the Day

This was Taken at the Lincoln County (Missouri) Tea Party of Saturday. It was a Very HOT day. Around 105 in the shade.

Salt in our food and in our stores

                     Sodium or Salt is in almost everything that we eat. The Human body cannot live with it. Too much of it leads to health issues such as Hypertension, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease. For those that Preppare for the worst, it is a vital nutrient. However, knowing what kind of salt to use for what foods is important.
  To start there are 5 basic types of salt: Kosher, Pickling/Canning, Rock Salt, Sea Salt, and Table Salt.

•  Kosher Salt.   The term Kosher comes from its use in making Kosher Meats. Just about all salt is considered "Kosher".  This salt has a coarse texture with uneven grains. It dissolves quickly making it very useful for cooking. Some Brands do contain anti-caking chemicals which can leave a chemical aftertaste.
• Pickling or Canning salt.   This type of salt is used mainly for Canning or making pickles. It has a fine, uniform grain with NO added chemicals. Which makes it perfect for canning. Extra chemicals will change the taste or the color of the preserved foods. This type of salt can also be used for regular cooking. Because it contains no added chemicals it will clump up. Just add a little uncooked rice to the container to prevent this.
• Sea Salt.   This type of Salt is sometimes called Bay salt or Solar salt. This salt is produced by evaporating sea water. There are dozens of kinds of Sea salts. All differ due to mineral content and taste. Some of the most well known are Fleur de sel and Hawaiian. Fleur de sel is a specialty salt from the coastal region of France. It is very expensive.  Hawaiian salt is volcanic sea salt. It is black in color and is used primarily with seafood. Sea salt is available in both a crystalline form and Flaked. It is all primarily used for cooking and in making cosmetics.
• Rock Salt.   The Mineral form of Sodium chloride (NaCL) is called Halite or Rock salt. Its primary use is for melting ice or in the production of Ice Cream. It is Non-Edible. 
• Table Salt.  This is also called Iodized salt. This what most of us are familiar with when it comes to salt. This salt contains Iodine. In 1924 American salt makers began adding Iodine to salt and selling it commercially. The primary reason for this was to prevent childhood mental retardation. Lack of Iodine in the diet can cause this illness. The FDA recommends 150 micrograms of Iodine daily. 66% of American households use Iodine salts.  

The best salts to use for LTS (long term storage) is both Iodine salt and Canning salt. We need the Iodine for health reasons and the Canning can be used for everything else. Kosher can be used for canning but better results can be had with canning salt.
     Sodium intake is a health issue. It affects my family personally. Currently we are trying to reduce our consumption of salt in our diet. This is harder to do than most would realize. Here is why. The Human body needs salt to survive. The basic health requirement is 2300 mg of salt per day. Recently, this year, the FDA told Americans to reduce their sodium intake to 1500 mg per day to aid in better health. It sounds like a good idea in theory but not in practice. Salt is everywhere. Especially in processed foods. Canned foods are loaded with sodium. One can of Ravioli contains almost 2000 mg. That's just one can. Fast food is incredible. Here's a few examples:
Burger King

• Whopper with cheese    1.450 mgs
• BK big Fish            1, 450 mgs
• BK Veggie Burger with Cheese   1, 320 mgs
• 9 pc Cheesy Tots          970 mgs
• BK Fries med              590 mgs

Kentucky Fried Chicken    

• Boneless BBQ wings  (5 pc)      1,880 mgs
• Tender Roast Sandwich              1,180 mgs
• Extra Crispy -Breast            970 mgs
• Extra Crispy - Thigh           870 mgs
• Seasoned Rice               630 mgs

Taco Bell

• Grilled Stuffed Burrito-Chicken     2,160 mgs
• Fiesta Chicken Salad        1,780 mgs
• Chicken Quesadilla             1,420 mgs
• Bean Burrito                      1,190 mgs
• Soft Taco-Beef                 620 mgs

Jack in the Box

• Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich      1,700 mgs
• Large Seasoned Curly Fries       1,200 mgs
• Breakfast Jack          760 mgs
• Chicken Sandwich       730 mgs

For more Fast food Go Here.
Chain restaurants are not much better. If you plan it dine out, either toss your diet out the window or eat a simple as you can. Salads, deli-style sandwiches, and basic fare is all you can have. Cooking for yourself is the way to go.
  For LTS the sodium presents a problem. Many long term items such as TVP, MRE's, and freeze dried foods are just loaded with salt. My wife and I eat what we store so this has been worrying us some. As I have written before we get our TVP from Honeyville.  The Beef  and Chicken flavored TVP both have about 500 mgs or sodium per serving. The plain has 5 mgs. Its a BIG difference. What I have come up with is this. Keep using the TVP with a few changes. When using the "flavored" varieties we will allow them to season the dish. No extra salt will be added. Most recipes that I post here have the words "season to taste".

Poor Man's Dinner using TVP

I made this the other day using plain TVP instead of Ground Beef.

• 3-5 large Potatoes, peeled and thin sliced
• 1 medium Onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 pound of Ground Beef or 2-3 servings of TVP, cooked
• Garlic Powder
• 1-2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup, Undiluted
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cheese**

1. Peel and Cut your Vegetables, based on the size of the dish you are using you will need more/less of the recipe. (for my wife and I we used 3 potatoes)
2. Using Pan spray coat the baking dish you are using
3. layer the Potatoes, onion, and Meat (TVP) in alternate layers
4. season to taste with Garlic, Salt, and Pepper
5. Pour the soup over the layers
6. add grated cheese(optional)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. 
8. This freezes well and makes a good Lunch

Garden Update for June 14, 2010

Weather here in Missouri has been very Hot, Humid, and Sticky the past couple of weeks. Not great for people but really good for the Garden. Overall, everything is doing Great. Somewhat of a downer though, my Potatoes are not doing so great. Somethings killing them. The Tomatoes are all Flowering. So are the squash. The Dragons Tongue Beans

are doing really well. The plants are about a foot high and are flowering. The Cow peas are also sprouting up. The big winner is the Double yield Cucumbers.
I planted these from seeds and they are all about 3-5 feet long.

They have really taken to the "tepee" that I built.

What is Plumping? and Why is it THAT important?

 Plumping is "also referred to as “enhancing” or “injecting,” is a term that describes the process by which some U.S. poultry companies inject raw chicken meat with saltwater, chicken stock, seaweed extract or some combination thereof. The practice is most commonly used for fresh chicken and is also used in frozen poultry products to extend the shelf life while also tenderizing and enhancing the flavor of the meat." The USDA has NO policy, other than labeling, that regulates this process. Enhanced meats generally contain 10 to 30 percent "added Broth". The "BROTH" is usually Saltwater and a binding agent. The binding agent prevents the water from leaking out of the meat after being injected.

                   Your health and well fair has become a major political and economic issue. Billions of dollars a year is spent on weight-loss and health foods. The practice of Plumping is in conflict with this. For me this is very close to home.  Recently my wife has had issue with High Blood Pressure. We have reduced the amount of Sodium that we now eat and have adjusted our meals. Meats that have been "PLUMPED" or enhanced not contain 190mg to 840mg of Additional Sodium Per Serving!!  Untreated Chicken has between 45mg and 60mg per serving.This is outrageous. Enhanced meat packaging does show the increased Sodium, but on meat who looks at the packaging? Both my wife's Doctor and a co-worker who is a Nurse, had NO CLUE about the practice of Plumping. I check some of the local Grocery stores while looking into this. Local chains Dierbergs and Schnucks do not Plump any of the meat that THEY package. Aldi's meats are labelled  with a 12% solution and Wal-Mart is a 15% solution. Frozen meats are usually Plumped. These products are labeled as being "100% Natural" with added "Broth".

True salt and water is Natural, but not good for you.
 Another issue with this is Cost. Because a product has now been "enhanced" with 30% saltwater you the consumer is paying for it. You just paid for 30% water. Thirty percent of YOUR costs is now worthless. A good example is this. 3 pounds of  "Natural (enhanced)" chicken has the same amount of Salt water that is in an 8oz Bottle. It also has as much salt as 12 orders of Fast food Fries.
For more info try these sites
-Say No to Plumping
-Consumer Reports
-The Wall Street Journal
-Wikipedia

I took My Wife to a Tea Party Rally Last night!

     ** On a side note. I try NOT to post too many political statements and thoughts on this site. Its more about the Gardening, Prepping, and Home-grown topics.

Last night we went to the Warren County Tea Party (Missouri) Event. It was the first one for Warren County and between 400 to 500 people were there. I personally live in St Charles county which is next door to Warren. We have family there though. It was my Wife's first Tea Party. Ever at the Ready, we arrived a little early, 330pm. The Event was at 5:00pm. The last event that I attended was PACKED so we wanted to get a good spot. That really wasn't a Problem. We were practically the first to Arrive, other than the vendors and Organizers.

Other than Us the first big group of people arrived around 4pm. One of the ladies had on a big hat with a tea pot on it others wore tea bags.

A band named 2nd Wind provided music building up to the event at 5pm. By the time the pledge of allegiance was given the bulk of the people were there.

My wife and I had a good spot, dead center behind a metal fence. We could see and hear real well. Several bloggers were speakers at the event. The MC was Adam Sharp or Sharp Elbows, Patch Adams of "the PO'ed patriot", Michelle Moore of A Traditional Life lived

, Dr Gina Loudon from Live out Loud, Dana Loesch from Radio's The Dana Show, and several really good political speakers. Overall it was a good time. Dana Loesch wrapped it up. By then only the "die hards" were there. She got the crowd fired up and reawakened for the drive home. A good Event.

A New Look

    I decided upon a New Garden Friendly look for the Web site. I hope you like It. Please feel free to Comment. :)

Dutch Oven: Pork Chop Dinner

Here's a good one

• Pork Chops
• Potatoes, sliced
• Onions, sliced or chopped
• Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 can

1. Put a little oil (1/8 of an inch)  in your Dutch Oven
2. Fry the chops to brown them
3. Drain off the excess oil, add the potatoes and Onions
4. Pour enough soup to cover the meat and Veggies
5. Simmer until the veggies are cooked

Dutch Oven Corn Bread

   There was a thread on a Blog that I frequent all about Vegetarian Dutch Oven cooking. So, lately I thought I would start posting some that i have found.

• 1 Cup AP Flour
• 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 4 tsp of Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp of Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup of Milk
• 1/4 cup of Oil or Shortening

1. Mix the flour, Cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together
2. Add the eggs, milk, and oil/shortening 
3. Beat until the mixture is smooth
4. Pour the mix into the a well oiled 12" Dutch Oven and place in the coals
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the coals but leave the top coals on for 15 more minutes or until brown.

Dutch Oven Cooking: Garden Delight

This Recipe is for a 12" Dutch Oven its supposed to serve 10 people.

• 1# (pound) of Rice
• 1 Cup of Tomatoes, Chopped
• 1 Cup Onions, diced
• 1 Cup Green pepper, Diced
• 1 Cup of Broccoli, Chopped
• 1 Can of Black Olives, sliced
• 2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 5 "cans" of Water

1. Mix all of the ingredients in the Dutch Oven
2. Place in the fire and put 15 coals on the lid
3. After the first 30 minutes, stir every 20 minutes for 1 hr 15 minutes
4. More water may be needed toward the end
5. **Other Veggies can be substituted

Project : My New Solar Cooker

   Solar Cookers. There are dozens of Designs out there and available for many to use. The one that I chose is called a Box Cooker. It is a design widely used in India.  The basics are that rays from the sun collect on dark surfaces and heat them. Kinda like walking barefoot on Concrete in the Summer. Hot to the Touch!! Same principle.
So, yesterday we went to Goodwill to look around. I love Goodwill. Besides the Grain mill that I found for $3.00 I found two "Wine Crates" for Boone's Farm Watermelon wine for $6.00 each. My first thought was wow that would make a good Solar Oven!  My wife agreed to the price and I bought both of them, in case I screw up. Trying to stay on the cheap side I used an old Sun Visor for the reflector.

I bought a couple of hinges from Ace Hardware and a Staple gun from Big Lots. The First thing I did was remove the lid and attach the Hinges.

Using the Lid as a Guide I cut a reflecting square from the Car Visor. This I staple onto the Lid. I then traced the sides of the box and cut out inside panels. These I stapled in, trimming the excess with a sharp knife.

The hard part was attaching the lid. Originally the lid slides out. I left the grooves alone so I can later add a piece of Glass. Instead I attached the hinges to the side. In the real world the lid should close all the way. This one does not, the hinges are too small. The ones I used were the cheapest I could find at $4.00.

All that is left is to get a Terracotta tile for the bottom. This is my wife's idea. It should both conduct the heat and make it easy to clean up spills. I added and stick to prop the lid.

Later this week I will try it out and report on the results.

A really Cool Resource for The St. Louis Area

  Not very far from where we live is the August A. Busch Conservation area. This area is a Huge outdoor recreation area that is open to the public and is For the Residents of Missouri. Very cool place for the Hunter, Fisherman, or outdoor Guy/Girl. Lots of Hiking paths. Two archery ranges, including one for Broad-heads. A shooting range. Lots of Lakes for fishing, Boats for rental. The area, during the 1940's was a major supplier of TNT for wartime use. The Park are is scattered with around a Hundred Bunkers.

Its Summer now so everything is a little overgrown, in the Fall/winter the Bunkers are more obvious. I'll take more pics and update this later.
 The area was cleaned up in the 1960's and all of the Radioactive material was placed in a Giant Dome like structure that is actually a hiking trail now.  Lots of people from the area talk about NOT eating the fish and other wildlife due to contamination. Personally I think that is just Rumor. Lots and lots of Hunters and fisherman frequent the area. In the 15 yrs i've lived here I have never heard of a case of contamination. This is just a very nice resource for those of us in the local area to use.

Easy Fritatta

 Last night I threw together a Very easy Frittata for dinner. This is a quick and easy recipe that's only main ingredient is Eggs. My wife calls it the "clean out the 'Fridge" recipe.

• 6 eggs
• Veggies
• Chopped Meat (optional)
• Cheese cubes
• Chopped Fresh Herbs (or dried)
• Salt and pepper

1. Whisk the eggs together with the herbs
2. Saute veggies and the meat together
3. Combine the eggs with the veggies
4. pour into a baking dish or a cast Iron skillet
5. Cook 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until top is browned

What I made last night was a Frittata made with Eggs, Onions, Green peppers, Summer Sausage, and Peppridge Farm Cheese. It was good. If I had thought of it I would have added some diced Tomato. Its nothing that a little Ketchup couldn't fix.

A Tribute for Memorial Day

Garden Update for Memorial Day 2010

Happy Memorial day! For those of you who have served, THANK YOU for your service.
It's very warm and muggy here in Missouri. It was supposed to rain today, but it looks like it passed us by. The Garden is looking really good. The above picture is of the Dragons Tongue bush beans.

All 9 Tomato plants are doing nicely. The squash plants to the rear are spreading out. Some of the leaves look a little yellow, but I think those are the old leaves not the new.

The Beets are looking really good. I have thinned them some, feeding the plants to the "Bunny". (My fertilizer machine) Young beet plants can be eaten and are good as a salad or a pot herb.

The Lettuce is really looking good considering the state it was in a month ago. I don't think I will plant this "mix" again. No offense to Seed Savers but I would rather plant one specific kind rather than a mix.

The double yield Cucumbers are doing very nice. I told my wife this morning that its hard to believe they started out as seeds. The plants are beginning to vine out, when they do I will wrap the "tepee" in twine to give them support.

As always the Potatoes are Great. I had to move the reds over a little. Not enough sun.

Last but not least, the Cowpeas are beginning to vine out. I planted the pepper plants (in the foreground) just a few weeks ago but even they have new growth. Because of the heat I have been watering all of the plants both early in the day and at dusk everyday.

Easy to make Hummus

 My wife is on a Garbanzo bean kick right now. There is a new Local Greek cafe that we have been going to. (Mario's Cafe) They serve a really good Falafel sandwich and fantastic hummus.  I posted a good recipe for the Falafel the other day. Here's the Hummus.

• 1 can of Garbanzo beans or 1 cup of dried**
• Olive oil
• Garlic, chopped
• Cumin, ground
• Salt and Pepper
• (Optional) Red bell pepper

1. If using Dried beans, soak overnight first. Then cook for about an hour.
2. Puree the beans using a food processor, blender, or magic bullet (my favorite). If mashing by hand over cook the beans first then mash using a potato masher
3. Add the garlic, spices, and Peppers while pureeing.
4. Season to taste

- Serve with crackers or Pita bread. This also makes a good sandwich spread. Add Garlic sparingly unless fighting vampires, it can overpower the dish.

CFL's or the funny bulbs :Good or Bad?

              CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Lamp better know as the "swirly bulb" or other names. It's pretty much all there is to buy these days. The reason for that is the Incandescent Light Bulb Ban. Congress and President BUSH passed the Law as part of the Energy Bill that raised auto fuel efficiency standards by 40 percent in 2007. It bans the use of Incandescent light bulbs in a gradual phase out by 2014. (100 watts in 2012 start it out) According to the chairman of the House and Energy Commission John Dingell (Dem-Mich) " The legislation will boost the energy efficiency of almost ever significant product and tool and appliance that we use, from light bulbs to light trucks". This ban forces the consumer to use the "new" CFL's, this is both a good Idea and a bad one.
               The good. CFL's use 75% less energy and last a lot longer than regular bulbs. The price has good down since their creation in 1973 to combat the "old" Energy crisis. China has become the major producer of the bulbs. Personally I have replaced all of the lights in our apartment with CFL's. It has had a noticeable effect on the power bill. For those with electrical power limitations the bulbs are a good investment. You get 60 watts of light for about 10 watts of power. My lease states that I'm not to put higher than a 60 watt in any fixture. Using CFL's allows me to use brighter lights than a 60 watt incandescent bulb.
               The Bad.   CFL's contain mercury with is like a mini"Toxic" Bomb right in your house. The EPA is recommending the use of CFL's to save energy but at the same time is having to deal with the results. Mercury is a Neurotoxin that can damage small children, fetuses, and the soil. For most mercury poisoning happens when pregnant women eat too much Seafood. When these bulbs break they spread the mercury around. The EPA guidelines for cleaning up a broken bulb are almost comical if they were not completely serious.

"Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk
through the breakage area on their way out.
1.Open a window and leave the room for
2. 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you
have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

3.Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or
cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a
canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small
glass fragments and powder.
5.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes
and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard
surfaces.
7.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with
metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
8.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small
glass fragments and powder.
9.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed,
vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
10.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put
the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
11.
Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a
trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
12.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing
clean-up materials.
13.
Check with your local or state government about disposal
requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash
disposal and require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing
bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
14.
Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Ventilate the Room
During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air
heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to
vacuuming.
15.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the
window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed."

Many states have banned the practice of just throwing away the bulbs. Many trash removers will not take them. Few recycling centers can deal with them. So far only IKEA and HOME DEPOT will take them back for recycling. WAL-MART refuses to comment and will not even discuss the issue.  There are a few online services you can use. EARTH 911 will help you find a place to recycle. Use the keyword CFL and your Zip code. Another is Light Bulb Recycling They provide you with a prepaid pail which holds about 30 bulbs. It ships Fedex when you are ready. It costs about $120 to use though.
               Consumers won't be penalized for having inccandescents past 2014 only retailers will. Now might be a good Idea to start stockpiling them if you dislike the CFL's or want to keep Mercury out of your house.