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Grandma Off Grid
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# Posted: 17 May 2013 11:52pm
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looking forward to it and have sure missed you!

my shoulder is hurting so I had to get up and sit a little

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 09:29am
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Quoting: tnky03
Tomorrow will finally try and get some pics posted


Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
don't you love being a grandma!

i do.
hey gal.tnky03.good u are back.
we sure would love to see your place but it sounds like u are busy with the situation of building on it.
Quoting: tnky03
My best friends hubby brought cabinet bases and counter tops yesterday, all Free, the best price

i saw a place here with tons of free new cabinets.they just were clearing out stock and did not want them anymore.i had a good mind to go get them.our place is so small.gar made me a counter top.i put a chest of drawers under it.thts my cabinet.we just had it here in my shed laying there not being used.so i was happy to put it to good use.
today my mister is making the door to the cabin.my grandsons are here.
they are so cute.the one boy has tons of girls after him.hee hee.he has the cutest dimples and he has grown as tall as me.
well i am tending them.feeding them.i always tell them to bring me all your laundry.there dad makes them go to the laundromat to do their laundry and they hate it.so i give them a break and do it for them.
i am stil working like crazy on my rug.we go to our cabin n 4 days.oh excited


cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 12:23pm
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if u wish to make yeast.mix milk and flour or water and flour and toss in a piece of oak bark.i have not tried this yet.

this is funny.Grandma Off Grid...i was looking on craigs list.there is free for the taking a huge amount of big container lids-minus the container.
i guess a person could use them for little sleds in the snow.
we use to use a plastic bag.

there is lots of horse chestnut trees.i dont know if this is chestnut or if there is a difference between horse chestnut trees and just plain old chestnut trees.
i know one thing..we went to gather up black walnuts as they were free.
never again.horrid.so hard.and hardly any meat n them.i am gonna see if the boys will hammer them open today.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 04:29pm
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hey girls hope all is going well for you two.
I don't know about you guys but I am so happy to see the warm weather. my garden is starting to grow.

I need to take a break and relax. when I stand up it sounds like a bowl of rice krispies lol

you can also make yeast buy boiling potatoes and saving the water after they have sat in the fridge or covered on counter. just drain the water out and use that in place of fluid you would use when you make bread

hattie
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 06:57pm - Edited by: hattie
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It sounds like you ladies are looking for a sourdough starter. Here is a recipe that came from a book called "Alaska Sourdough" by Ruth Allman. I picked up the book when we were in Alaska many years ago. Here is her starter:

In a pot (non-metallic) dump:
2 cups thick potato water
2 tbsp. sugar
2 cups flour (more or less)
1/2 tsp. yeast (optional - it speeds up the action)

Boil potatoes with jackets on until they fall to pieces. Lift skins out; mash potatoes making a puree. Cool. Add more water to make sufficient liquid, if necessary. The richer the potato water, the richer the starter. Put all ingredients in pot. Beat until smooth creamy batter. Mix with a WOODEN SPOON (never use metal). Cover. Set aside in warm place to start fermentation. After 2 days uncover and stir in 2 tbsp. flour. Cover. Every 2-4 days add 2 tbsp. flour to 1/2 cup flour and some sugar and enough water to keep the mixture thick like pancake batter. Keep feeding every 2 to 4 days until you have enough to use (about 4 cups: 2 cups for a loaf of bread and 2 cups to keep aside).

How long does it take to become ripe?
In 3 days - sourdough starter can be used now, providing those little enzymes have started working. But it is better to wait a few more days. Toss in extra fuel for the sourdough to work on - a spoonful of sugar along with a couple spoonsful of flour. Add water if batter too thick.

1 week starter - Starter is now effervescing with a million bubbles. Looks like sour cream - smells like sour cream, but is rich luscious sourdough.

2 week starter - Some believe waiting this extra time gives extra flavour which is not to be compared with any other batter.

3 week starter - The sourdough pot is now bubbling like the old witch's cauldron.

1 month starter - Sourdough is now a rich creamy batter that is honey combed with bubbles.

1 year starter - Oldtimers claim a year must elapse before the sourdough matures and offers the distinctive taste appeal nothing else can imitate - sourdough.

hattie
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 07:01pm
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Once you have some sourdough starter, here is a recipe for sourdough bread:

AUTHENTIC Sourdough Bread Recipe

Note: REAL Sourdough bread has no yeast added. The natural yeast in the sourdough starter is all that is needed. It produces a dense and chewy bread. This recipe will take most of a day to make, but it produces 3 loaves of bread which freeze well. Great for breakfast or garlic bread with melted cheese. YUMMY!!

The night before, you MUST feed the sourdough starter with flour, sugar and warm (not hot) water. You need 4 CUPS of starter, so make sure you will have enough to use and some to save and grow for another day.

4 cups sourdough starter
2 cups warm potato water (boil some potatoes and use for something else – keep the water for
this recipe – water must be between 110 º - 115 º F – any hotter and it will kill the sourdough
starter. Add some of the leftover potato water to your leftover sourdough starter that you will
need to regrow.)
½ cup sugar
6 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. salt
10 cups flour (approximately)

Make a soft sponge mixing the sourdough starter, sugar, water, oil and salt. Add half the flour. Set in a warm place to double in bulk (about 1 hour). Add remainder of flour to make a dough that is easy to handle, smooth and elastic. Knead for 8 minutes. Place dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk (1 ½ hours). Punch down and form into 3 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans. Cover with a towel and let rise in warm place until double in bulk (1 hour). Slash the tops of loaves with a knife. Bake at 500 º F for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 375 º F and bake for about 35 minutes more. Watch and make sure it doesn't brown too much. If it does, place some foil over the tops of the loaves as they cook.
Remove from oven and take out of pans. Brush all the loaves with butter. Cool and eat or freeze.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 11:26pm
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thank you so much! I have always wanted to try this as we used to eat sourdough bread when we were little.
it was bought from the store but I remember it was delicious.

hattie
Member
# Posted: 18 May 2013 11:30pm
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You are welcome. The book this all came from was printed, but from a hand written book.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 19 May 2013 12:42pm
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thanks Hattie.for a while in the 70's i was big into sourdough.
we would go camp.i would make a batch of sourdough batter and take it to camp with us.
its sure good.

the rhubarb is up.the grandsons have never had it cooked.they like it raw and dipped in sugar.
i wonder if they would like it cooked.

gar is almost done with making the front door on our cabin.he is in the staining process.
the grandsons are sleeping and i am getting ready to work on my braided rug somemore.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 19 May 2013 01:29pm
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Grandma Off Grid and tnky03 and all.
here is our latest addition.
well i got a mess of free windows from craigs list.we are adding more windows.gars door is almost done.its the half door.it opens at the upper half like a dutch door.when we go down in a couple of days we are adding more windows,the door and shakes.should be cute.
new addition
new addition


Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 19 May 2013 07:30pm
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oh how do i love thee..let me count the ways..free windows..new door..

this looks absolutely wonderful I am so happy for you!
it means so much to get these things done and see them finished.

I worked out and the yard all day I am pooped out.
little coop is done. clothesline done. deck needs more work. another part of garden ready and 2new sections covered. my arm is hurting but its done.

how was visit with grandsons?

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 19 May 2013 07:56pm - Edited by: cabingal3
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Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
I worked out and the yard all day I am pooped out.
little coop is done. clothesline done. deck needs more work. another part of garden ready and 2new sections covered. my arm is hurting but its done.

u got alot done dear Grandma Off Grid.gosh.i need a clothes line.i need one of those for the woods.we are not there yet.what are u doing on your deck?u were very busy today.wow.i hope your arm will heal and u can feel ok.i hope u dont always have to favor it

the grandsons are home now.i took them home.i got them an ice cream on the way home.i made them take showers,eat a meal and did all their laundry basket of clothes.they are getting very mature.i made them write to mama.it was cute.the had funny letters for ma.
well i cant wait to see all u did.
my hubby worked alot today.i mostly cooked for all and directed showers and such.he is done with the door.so we are gonna load up tomorrow and get ready to head mid week.
u will love the chicken coop.and sounds like your doing good on your garden.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 08:29am
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morning all.got my coffee.
am late today.
got the gd sons back home last evening.much better than waking up at 4 and dragging them home early this morning.

cleaning out shed today to find things to take to the cabin.getting them ready to load up.
going now to look on craigs list to see what i can find.have a good day.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:06am
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I really enjoy my grandsons. I find I have much more patience as a grandma. I am not so busy like I was as a mother. I also know the phases the kids go through so I just roll with it and don't worry about it. lol

I like taking them around outside showing them plants entries and the animals and can sit easily long time play games no hurry.

have to take a day off to rest arm.
it is supposed to rain for the next few days so I can fill my water barrels.

once i took my baby grandson down to Amish neighbors to visit. the little girls loved him carry him all around the farm. wish I could take pictures of them in their little dresses and bonnets. even the little girls love to the mommas

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:09am
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I got one of those umbrella clothes lines. took down the big bulky one. the umbrella one was only $25. much easier and I highly recommend it.

not sure what to do about the deck. have to rest a day or so though then work some more on it

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:16am
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hey few years ago a neighbor brought her sister over. she was from a big city. had never seen a garden of veggies or chickens. w.e had a grand time picking green beans. gave her a basket of squash beans tomatoes peppers and a dozen eggs. she had some good questions and really was very interested. I so much enjoyed telling her all about my garden and chickens. she had never tasted farm fresh picked produce. we sat and ate gren beans and cucumbers right of the bush. it was a nice afternoon!

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:20am
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Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
I really enjoy my grandsons. I find I have much more patience as a grandma. I am not so busy like I was as a mother. I also know the phases the kids go through so I just roll with it and don't worry about it. lol

trueme and the boys who are 10 and 13 are going to look for gems and gold in the river this summer,going to pick wild plums too and maybe they will get to go to the cabin with us this summer.i am eager for them to see what papaw and nammy have been up to.
Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
have to take a day off to rest arm.

much needed after all u have been doing Grandma Off Grid!
Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
it is supposed to rain for the next few days so I can fill my water barrels

yay.good and very good.
Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
the umbrella one was only $25. much easier and I highly recommend it.

i have always admired those.we are not allowed clothes lines in this park.so silly.homeowners association.i still have a little pull out line in the back that no one can see.if u go for a walk in our park.u will see little bits of wet laundry out on peoples porch rails.
when we live in the woods -our clothes line may just be a rope tied from tree to tree.it will only be me and the mister.so we dont need much.
u have a good day ladies.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 12:18pm
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i know you are anxious to get there!
two trees and a rope will work just fine.
cannot understand that about clothes lines.
you can say they are discriminating lol

the boys will enjoy it so much they probably won't want to go home!

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 01:28pm
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Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
you can say they are discriminating lol

lol.well no gal.the whole park is not allowed clothes lines...but people put clothes out here and there anyway.
wishing all a good day.

tnky03
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 02:36pm
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Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
I really enjoy my grandsons. I find I have much more patience as a grandma. I am not so busy like I was as a mother. I also know the phases the kids go through so I just roll with it and don't worry about it. lol

Good afternoon to all! I am the same Grandma Off Grid. It is so much easier as a grandparent not to freak out over silly stuff. I listen to my daughter, sounding much like I did when they were young, and find that I realize so many things are just "small stuff". I so love being with my grands, just do better with one on one though, lol. I try and take one at a time and spend the day out with them. They love being the center of attention.

tnky03
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 04:00pm
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Well, ladies I finally have a bit of time to sit down at my laptop and catch up on a few things. It is a warm 80 degrees here today but we have huge Oaks and a Maple that give shade and a great breeze. Maybe I will be able to post a few pics from here. I can't remember if I told you all about a good friend dropping off some kitchen cabinets with counter tops. They will work out nicely and I found a great drawer unit at a yard sale for $10 to complete them. We have extra Formica that came with the cabinets so the drawers can be covered and will match. He also brought a bathroom vanity. We went to Home Depot Fri. and got 2x4's for walls and some insulation. Now just to get the work started, lol. I've been in the garden today planting corn and black-eye peas, more potatoes, and some more lettuce. Gardening is great therapy for me, a favorite pass time. I hope all are having a great day.
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cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 05:01pm
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Quoting: tnky03
Good afternoon to all! I am the same Grandma Off Grid. It is so much easier as a grandparent not to freak out over silly stuff.

me too.we have ten.love them all.mostly as u know all-we are closest to the grandkids that are the closest in living near us.they are 10 and 13 and oh.just how funny they are.just crack me up.getting so big and talking of what they think about this or that.
tnky03-your garden sounds wonderful.i was so thrilled today too.ate my first ripe strawberries out of my garden..
your place is precious.love it.enjoy.

tnky03
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 06:18pm
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Congrats on your strawberries! I have some that are pink. Mine don't seem to be blooming as much as last year. I am still having fits with large red ants in my mulch around tires I have potatoes planted in. Have used almost a whole bottle of natural spray, which kills but they have several huge armies, I think. I also keep finding holes dug in my mulch (wood chips). I had planted English Lavendar and something dug it up and left it lying. Hopefully, it will still do ok after replanting. Someone told me it might be skunks, never seen any around though. I thought maybe squirrels, we have lots of those, lol. Anyone have suggestions?

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 07:05pm
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Quoting: tnky03
Congrats on your strawberries!

ty!
we have some kind of ants at our woods gal.they are big and black.i think carpetener ants.we are taking spray and bombs to kill them this time.
i tricked the slugs this year.when i pulled up all my kale...i put all the pulled kale in a pile away from the garden.i went out this morning to dig a compost hole.there was like 20 slugs on the kale pile.i killed them all.two were on my green beans.i got them too.
i thought skunks were digging up my squash last yr but in the end i think it was a cat digging in soft loose soil.
i want to plant lavendar so badly.
i know moth balls lain in the garden works.
good luck.keep us posted.

tnky03
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:07pm
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Thanks, I will try some moth balls for sure. I have read about beer traps for slugs in the garden, never tried them. I haven't seen any yet. Maybe the ants have eaten them, lol. Yes Lavendar, one of my favorites. I love the small. I have Wisteria that is climbing the arbor now, too. It is just starting to bloom.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 20 May 2013 09:46pm
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Quoting: tnky03
I have read about beer traps for slugs in the garden

it does work really good.
our wisteria is growing but it got to heavy gal that the trellis broke.now we just cut it down.it was growing all into our house and the roof and gutters.i sure love it though.
my goodness u are young to have so many grand children.15!! whee.thats pretty impressive.
hubby and i have been unloading our jeep .it is filled with lumber.he is cutting and measuring and doing the pre-cut for the cabin.he made the door.he now is making window frames for the cabin windows.he bought shakes for the front.so it will be cuted up.
here in town we have little ants.at the woods...big ones.
i squish everyone i see.
well off i go.u have a wonderful evening all.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2013 12:02am
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hi ladies it all sounds wonderful and the pictures of the cabin are sweet!

what I meant about the clothes lines is maybe they are stereo typing. prepping and even Martha Stewart is very big now she had a show about putting up a clothesline in her backyard lol

something I have done as far as bug control in the garden is to put small bit of tobacco in a bucket of watet and let it sit day or two. strain it out into a sprayer and use that to spray plants. the number one ingredient in most pesticides is nicotine.
in the old days tobacco plants were planted in the garden as natural pest control.
you have to spray after it rains but it does work well.

I'm sitting up late as I heard something up stairs. brought the dog and an went up there with one bad arm and a baseball bat haha
did not see anything except some stuff was chewed up and I am thinking a squirrel.
couple years ago I had a mother coon and her babies but they are long gone.
so tomorrow I will have to get to work up there.

I hope you two are not in the way of those storms down south. growing up I remember many tornadoes and hurricanes usually they didn't do a tremendous amount of damage but I was there when Hugo hit.

I had 4 young children one was a2 month old baby.
that is where I got interested and prepping. I was not prepared at all. Charleston was devastated and everything was rationed. we had martial law as well.

the National Guard drove by everyday and gave us something off the truck. maybe a gallon of milk or dry ice or a jug of water.
it was in the summer very hot. no electricity for 3 weeks. we had gas to cook with and I did laundry and the tub. I was breastfeeding thank goodness.

the water was tainted with pine from the downed trees.
every night we would bring an the battery from the old car hook it up to a small TV and VCR and watch the one channel we could get and play a movie for the kids.
I remember standing in line in the heat for 2 hours to get into the commissary on base. it was halfway destroyed. there was a huge sign at the door telling what you could buy and how much.
we could write a check because the bank was destroyed and wasn't open for 6 weeks.

I still have newspapers and video and pictures from that time.
my grandma stayed with us that night. it was her birthday.
we put mattresses in the hallway and slept there.
when the eye of the storm came through we went outside. it was pretty bad trees down everywhere a lot of flooding power lines down huge mess.

the biggest thing I remember is how everyone worked together to help each other strangers and all.

we were never show happy as when the power came back on because of the air conditioner.

the kids got up around 8 o'clock in the morning and went to bed at dark. we all pitched in and help each other in the community.

this is when I began to think about living differently.
that little 8 week old baby is now 23 hey beautiful young woman and I'm glad she doesn't remember it.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2013 12:14am - Edited by: Grandma Off Grid
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being cheap I needed curtains for many large windows.
I bought twin size flat sheets from Walmart. I paid $2.50 for each
and they were the right size. Plus in different colors that I wanted.
cut hole in each side of sheet where seam is and put curtain rod through that.
made tiebacks out of cheap pretty satin I got.
want to change curtain colours as they been up several years will do 11 dough at a time. much cheaper than buying new curtains.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2013 07:00am
Reply 


Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
I hope you two are not in the way of those storms down south. growing up I remember many tornadoes and hurricanes usually they didn't do a tremendous amount of damage but I was there when Hugo hit.
no.i cried as i watched katrinia.my sister and brothers were in all of that.where i am is more earthquake country.lots of prayer for Oklahoma.makes me think of carrie underwoods song -blown awayoh my gosh.thats what i think too.people arent prepared.it does not have to be zombies.ha ha.just every day.be prepared for things like an earth quake.have a new garbage can filled with medical supplies and have bottled water on hand.things u may need in case of.wow,you have been thru it.this last winter on the east coast...like in new jersey.they really went thru it and are still trying to get back to ok.
Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
what I meant about the clothes lines is maybe they are stereo typing. prepping and even Martha Stewart is very big now she had a show about putting up a clothesline in her backyard lol

i know gal.u would think with gas so high and the economy such as it is.we could hang some clothes out n our backyard?nope.
Grandma Off Grid.i love your tabacco idea.
when i ws a girl i would always get stung by wasps.my granny would open up a cigarette and put the tabacco in her mouth and get it all wet and slap it on my bee sting.sure worked for taking out the swollen pain.
speaking of squirrels -i had a mother of mary statue out under a tree at the cabin.squirrels i think chew off the face.nothing else.sort of weird.


cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2013 07:06am
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Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
being cheap I needed curtains for many large windows.

another idea is to purchase shower curtains for curtains.they are one dollar at the dollar store.i got a green one for my shower.
its got green leaves on it.i use it as a shower curtain.its so lite in the material its made of.not stiff.i could see it on a window just blowing in the wind like regular lite fabric.
Quoting: Grandma Off Grid
cut hole in each side of sheet where seam is and put curtain rod through that.

i do this also.right now i have to figure out curtains for our new addition for the cabin.there will five windows in the new addition.i dont want them long and flowing but short and a material like a cabin would have in it.i have to look about.probably make them my self

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