viggies 2013 garden / urban homestead

[vigilant20]

I'm down to cooking from preps now, with just some cheese, sour cream, butter, and greens from the grocery store...and eggs from my new urban homesteader friend. My last layoff was the reason I started stocking my pantry...so I'll eat better this time around at least :D I'll try to occasionally post some of the new recipes I try starting with these two.



Peasant Bread (no knead)

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons yeast

Mix flour and salt in your mixing bow. In a measuring cup dissolve sugar in water. Sprinkle with yeast and let sit 10 minutes. Add yeast mixture to mixing bowl and fold with spatula until combined. Dough will remain wet throughout process. Form into ball, cover bowl with towel and let sit 1 hour. "Punch" down with spatula and divide into two. Add each to a greased 1 liter pyrex bowl (or other oven proof container of this size), cover, and let sit for 30 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and cook 22 more minutes.

Makes 2 smaller loaves.

(I made a half batch using freshly ground whole wheat flour and my regular bread pans, so it just turned out a bit squat)







Chicken Pot Pie

I made this recipe using all pantry ingredients. The potatoes and carrots were home canned in fall. The onions and celery were dehydrated (use 1/2 cup and rehydrate). The chicken in my case was rehydrated TVP.

1 cup potato, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp bullion
1/2 cup powdered milk
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
2 pie crusts

Saute potato, onion, celery, and carrots for about 10 minutes. Add flour and stir well to coat veggies. Combine bullion, powdered milk, and water and pour over veggies. Stir well and cook until thickened. Add pepper and chicken. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish lined with pie crust, and top with second pie crust. Cut slits to allow steam to escape and bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

Makes 8 servings, pictured is a 2 serving size pot pie.

[citykittyatheart]

Originally Posted by vigilant20

I'm down to cooking from preps now, with just some cheese, sour cream, butter, and greens from the grocery store...and eggs from my new urban homesteader friend. My last layoff was the reason I started stocking my pantry...so I'll eat better this time around at least :D I'll try to occasionally post some of the new recipes I try starting with these two.

<snip>

Seems to me that this is the main reason we prep during the good times, that we may be prepared to weather the bad times. Contrary to what some believe, in my view at least it's not totally about TEOTWAWKI. Personally I've been enjoying running down to my pantry during the bad weather for something yummy to eat. I put out major bucks at the farmer's market this summer but it's saving me money now and I'm eating healthier too!

[vigilant20]

Happy March! If we have another hot spring like they are expecting, I hope to be harvesting my perennials this month. And seed starting begins in 2 weeks...so I'm getting excited.

Mixed up a fresh batch of rabbit food for the angoras today. I use 40# rabbit feed, 10# bird seed, and 3 canisters rolled oats (about 8#). It all fits nicely in a 50# dog food container.



And now that I have a local homesteading buddy, I have newer betterer source for eggs. They are already picking up their laying for spring and I already warned her to prepare for a new regular customer



I enjoyed a few with some of my home grown, home canned potatoes this morning. Last years garden is definitely still paying off. I took a pic of another example last night, with this tea made with backyard herbs.



Ooops, nearly forgot to show off my little puffball Mittens. He's going through a shed right now.

[wilderness bushman]

i too am still enjoying the harvest from last summer ,,,sure cuts the food cost its almost silly how little i need to buy from the store even this late into the winter/spring

am realy glad to see your still here and posting ,,,was afraid the job loss might lead to cost cutting and no more pics of your cooking/canning to dream of while i eat lol

hope your season is good and your crops and plans excede expatations

[vigilant20]

Originally Posted by wilderness bushman

i too am still enjoying the harvest from last summer ,,,sure cuts the food cost its almost silly how little i need to buy from the store even this late into the winter/spring

am realy glad to see your still here and posting ,,,was afraid the job loss might lead to cost cutting and no more pics of your cooking/canning to dream of while i eat lol

hope your season is good and your crops and plans excede expatations

Thanks! Job hunting is done online these days, so this is the last thing I'd get rid of. Luckily I can keep my cheapo telecommuter account for a year too.

[xprovince]

Im very happy to see you back on here! Your yard looks great for snow forts! I love the spreadsheet set up. I really need to learn how to us one. We need to get a sticky on this thread pronto. Looking forward to sowing season. I bet you are getting sick of the white stuff about now.

[rmsrosedawson]

You're doing a great job, vigilant! After all, it's not really 'the end of the world as WE know it', but 'the end of the world as I know it'. We all live in our own little worlds and when something changes, it's devastating. Anyway, that's why I prep.

[citykittyatheart]

I note from your post above that you're starting your seeds in two weeks. I've started mine already, albeit indoors. Why do you start yours so late?

I've got cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli in. Tomatoes, melons, and cukes will be mid-April obviously.

[vigilant20]

Ah I've just been direct sowing those. The seeds I'm talking about will be my warm weather stuff that'll be planted out around Mother's Day

Last year I saw perennials sprouting outside already during the first week of March, the second week I started seeds, the third week I was able to direct sow my cool weather crops, and the last week I was harvesting the overwintered herbs and kale, rhubarb, asparagus, and walking onions already.

Since we've got 10 more inches coming tonight... I'd say we're a little behind that schedule, but I hear it's still supposed to be another hot spring.

[vigilant20]

Strawberries were on sale for .99 a quart again, so today I turned 4 quarts



Into 10 half-pints of strawberry jam. I have plenty of sugar and pectin in the pantry, so this was a good cheap project get put up

[citykittyatheart]

Originally Posted by vigilant20

Ah I've just been direct sowing those. The seeds I'm talking about will be my warm weather stuff that'll be planted out around Mother's Day

Last year I saw perennials sprouting outside already during the first week of March, the second week I started seeds, the third week I was able to direct sow my cool weather crops, and the last week I was harvesting the overwintered herbs and kale, rhubarb, asparagus, and walking onions already.

Since we've got 10 more inches coming tonight... I'd say we're a little behind that schedule, but I hear it's still supposed to be another hot spring.

I'd direct sow if my garden wasn't still under two feet of snow. : Besides it's a bit nippy outside even for the cold weather stuff.

[vigilant20]

My new urban homesteader friend introduced me to her butcher this week, who still gives away free bones.



So I was able to make my first batch of bone broth for another cheap addition to the pantry



And my dad got me a new toy when we hit the Milwaukee Sports Show today so that I can bring home some fish this summer.

[jodier7]

Sharp..... pretty.......

[vigilant20]

I've been playing with my treadle this week and got to try a new foot...this rolled hemmer which was pretty slick.


I had stocked up some fabric I got using 50% of coupons back when I got the treadle. I'm glad for it now as I can keep busy working on some clothes without any cash expenditure. I started out with this skirt, that turned out really well and has a great drape.



And the final tally on the stock after 3 full days of simmering is 32 quarts :D Not bad for about $4 worth of carrots, celery, and onions when you compare it to $3.something each in the store.

[jodier7]

I find the treadle machine fascinating, If only I could get my hands on a treadle leather sewing machine.

[MC608]

Wow great thread! We're hesitantly getting back into gardening this year after some miserable results in years past.....admittedly due to half-hearted efforts in watering, weeding, soil management etc. Looking forward to putting the new pressure canner to good use this fall should help keep us focused too. Keep posting progress on yours for motivation, we'll just try to stay lockstep with you!

[citykittyatheart]

My mother's third husband had a treadle machine that I love using! Too bad it went with him when they divorced. These days sewing has too much in common with human sacrifice! I can do a basic button or seam but other than that I'm dangerous with a needle! Sigh. I love the filet knife though!

[vigilant20]

Strawberry and Kiwi have been on sale, so ya know that means more preserving. Kiwi were dehydrated for snacks...and they are great dried. They are very tangy so it's like natural sweet tarts.



I also ried out this Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade Concentrate from SB Canning that I've had bookmarked since she posted it.



This afternoon I experimented with egg noodles now that I have a glut of eggs from my new friend





And the payoff at dinner...this was to taste out my noodles and the bone broth I just canned up as well



And finally I used the last of my amazon gift card balance for new goodies! These are the limited edition Ball Heritage Collection blue jars. They are a bit pricier than normal since they only come in cases of 6. But if you like the blues these are a slightly brighter color and unlike the vintage ones have flat enough tops that you can can with them. The picture includes one of my vintage quarts for comparison.

[jodier7]

My great aunt has a huge cabinet full of those old blue Ball jars, the old one are worth like 15.00 a piece I think.

[citykittyatheart]

Is there any particular advantage to the blue jars over the clear?