Return of the Red Lipstick!

No one is Immune......................................................















And I mean No one......................................................................

'Shroom -'o' -the- day': The Hedghog Mushroom

Hedgehogs are my favorite mushroom. They are absolutely foolproof. Unmistakable to identify, comparable to Chanterelles in taste, and a superior texture. This is, of course, a totally subjective opinion, but I challenge you to try for yourself.

As you can see from the picture, Hedgehog mushrooms are named for the hundreds of tiny 'teeth' growing under the cap. Take care when collecting them to keep this area clean. Once it's full of dirt, the dirt is there to stay.

Again, many prefer to dry saute' these mushrooms to extract excess moisture. After that, you may use them as you would any mushroom. They are just fantastic by themselves, though. And cute, I might add. But that's just me.

From the top they sometimes appear to be pale Chanterelles, but a quick peek underneath the cap reveals their true identity. They vary in color from white to beige to pinkish. Again, I must advise proper precautions and never eat an UNCOOKED wild mushroom. It is best not to regard them as a salad ingredient. Save store bought mushrooms for that purpose.

Hedgehogs are just coming into season now. Get out and grab some.
-EJ

Today's featured mushroom:The Shaggy Mane

Since I keep going on and on about mushroom season on the Oregon Coast, It's only fair to explain some of the different varieties we have to offer. I've talked a lot about Chanterelles , but they are not the only good edible mushroom around here.

The first picture above is of mature shaggy manes. This pic was taken off of the internet. The second two pics were taken of mushrooms we found by the roadside. They show shaggy manes in various stages of maturity.

Don't be too worried about picking and enjoying these mushrooms. They are listed, along with morels, sulfur polypores and puffballs as one the "foolproof four". Although, I'm not sure I agree with that list entirely, (I'll explain later) It really is nearly impossible to get these little guys wrong.

Shaggy manes are best picked when they are just peeking up from the ground (See second and third pictures , the second mushroom from the right). They are best dry sauteed to draw off excess water content. If your feeling adventurous, the internet has a surprising number of recipes featuring this mushroom.

As shaggy manes mature, they become prone to perishing more easily, and this mushroom MUST be eaten the day it is picked! Why? They turn to ink. Seriously. Look closely at the 3rd and 4th mushrooms in pics 2 and 3. See that blackness? Mushroom ink. Very yucky.

A friend of mine swears by these things, though. He has memories of eating them throughout childhood and really liking it.

As always, research them before you try them. Exercise proper caution when selecting and eating a mushroom your not familiar with. Happy 'Shrooming,
-EJ

Why I love my pets as explained by way of sleepless verbal meandering.

I'm not sleeping lately and it's my own fault. A few months ago I ran out of my medicine. It was always on my mind to get it refilled, but life takes the front seat and everything else falls behind. Big mistake. The result: sleep disturbance. The scary part is how subtly it builds at first, and then erupts into a major problem. I am so exhausted my body aches, my head hurts, my eyes burn and I can't think clearly. I have no energy and feel like bursting into tears over every little thing.

I get my meds in the next day or so, and should feeling better just in time for Christmas. 'Til then, just bear with me.

So I dragged Max to the stables today to deliver hay and was met by the usual loving 'hysteria' of the goats. I was instantly happy, even in spite of the insomniac fog surrounding my brain. It was nice to take a moment to scratch their fuzzy heads and watch them greedily chunk down a flake of hay.

Back at home,Max and I fed the bunnies. I was astonished when our large, mixed-breed Jack nearly fell out of the cage trying to get to us. We thought he just wanted food so we loaded him up on goodies. Nope, he wanted lovin'. So we brought Jack indoors, fed him treats and pet him copiously.

Jack was happily munching away at a celery when a few inches away, Aphrodite's fuzzy black face popped up from under a pile of laundry. She sleepily regarded the rabbit, then lay her silly head back down. It was cute enough to pull a laugh from the depths of my lethargy-induced apathy.

As I write this, Grrr is sleeping on my bed. Keeping in mind that he is Dante's cat, that's BIG. They say animals can sense when you don't feel good so I'm taking his presence as a gesture of good will. Either that or he's waiting for me to die so he can eat my face off and get his picture on MSN news.

Dante' teases me that I must have a tumor and her cat knows it. Ha-ha. So funny. If your sleeping at night, don't take it for granted. Hopefully I've learned my lesson.

peace,
-EJ

In a pinch

About a month ago my friend Jess gifted me with frozen raspberries. Today I turned them into fabulous homemade jam. I had to. This morning I made biscuits for breakfast. Slathered them with butter. Went to the cupboard-no jam. sigh....... then I remembered the raspberries. Yay!

There weren't quite enough for a full jam recipe so I substituted a cup of blackberries. Here is the recipe:

3 cups raspberries
1 cup blackberries
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Follow the directions in the box of liquid pectin for processing. It is too lengthy to type here but jam making is easy so don't be intimidated. It is a simple matter of boiling the berries with the sugar and pectin then ladling the mixture into sterilized canning jars and boiling that for 10 minutes. easy-peasy. Plus, it tasted better than anything bought at the store.

A suggestion: If you don't want to bother with canning the jam, you can simply follow the directions for freezer jam. Its less complicated so long as you don't mind pulling some out of the freezer to use every so often.
-EJ

Oregon, your personal 'Kitchen Stadium'

Have you ever watched the TV show "Iron Chef?". It's a cult classic. The original show was filmed in Japan but there is an American version currently running on the Food Network. In a nutshell, a challenger goes head-to-head with a renowned chef in a one hour cook-off. The objective being to make the best dishes with the themed ingredient. The winner gets , well, nothing. Except, I suppose, bragging rights on national television.

What really used to capture my attention about this show was the availability of the very best ingredients all in one location. When the starting bell goes off, the contestants get to grab anything and everything they desire to cook with. That just made me a bitter woman. I'd think "Yeah , I could make amazing meals too if I just happened to have filet Mignon and foi gras laying about the house every day!"

Back then I lived in the state of Virginia in a really big city. Now I live on the Oregon coast and I have to say, it is kinda like having my own kitchen stadium year 'round.

Salmon are in season, Deer season just ended and Elk are now up for grabs. At this time of year Crabs are filling in their shells nicely so its the best time to catch them. Black huckleberries are still fairly abundant and mushrooms are just everywhere.

Since coastal weather is mild, we are still pulling lettuces and beets from our garden. Some people are still harvesting squash, broccoli and cabbages. There are so many apple trees around here , we drive through neighborhoods and see apples just lying in the gutters. stores are bursting with inexpensive local produce. What's not to love? You can pretty much get what you want within reason and guarantee it didn't have to get shipped in from , say, Argentina.

So I'm not so bitter after all. Iron Chef can keep it's kitchen stadium.

I really want this quilt!

How amazing are these quilts? I would love to have one. if you do too then go to: oldredbarnco.blogspot.com and follow the directions there to win one.

Beware the red lipstick

A friend sent me a gorgeously red M*A*C lipstick for the holidays. I'm not a huge red lipstick wearer but my friend Annie has raven black hair and perfect olive skin that just begs for RED so I made her wear it. Then I tried it, and it made us a little goofy.

There has got to be some kind of power in a tube of red lipstick. I'll share the pic with you. Just, please, be kind, and try not to laugh too hard at my mouth full of train tracks. Thanks,
-EJ

New seeds are in

Seeds Phil and I ordered for spring planting are in. I am really excited because next year we will try some new things. For general veggie planting we ordered:

purple haze carrots
baby bok choi
tiny seedless cucumbers that mature at just 3 in. long
swiss chard of geneva
straightneck squash
organic purple podded climbing beans

For our herb/tea garden we ordered:

Chamomile
catnip
stevia
lemon balm
borage

a couple of months ago I purchased seeds at the grange for 'just in case' reasons'. Those included:

greens- purple oak leaf lettuce, spinach, bright lights swiss chard, leaf lettuce

herbs- English lavender, garlic chives and cilantro seeds saved from this years planting

root veggies- red cored chantenay carrots, cylindrical beets, Kohl rabi, and turnips

onions- walla walla sweets, and scallions

squash- zucchini, patty pan and various winter squash

basics- peas, green beans, corn, lima beans

other- english cucumbers, green peppers, cantaloupe, broccoli, and Zinnia

If we put some planning into it, my hope is that next year's garden will produce even more than this year's. It will be fun to see how some of these 'specialty' veggies turn out.

I'd love to hear from anyone else planning a garden. Let's hear your ideas.
-EJ

What the heck is Salt Pork?

Salt pork is one of those foodstuffs I've read about, but thought was now extinct. I assumed it had gracefully exited the culinary world once tastier and less emergency-ration style foods became the vogue.

In fact, Phil and I had just finished reading a pioneer days sort of book to Max that mentions salt pork frequently. So, imagine my tangible surprise when I discovered it on the shelves of the Grocery Outlet. ( fondly known in my house as Grocery Outhouse or The Used Food Store) On impulse I snatched up 3 packages of the stuff. Now what do I do with it?

Other than it's Paul Bunyan aesthetic, salt pork has real uses and a solid fan following. A Google search turned up recipes for salt pork in the form of gravies, breads and simple fried-goodness. Interesting, to say the least.

Even stranger, this stuff doesn't freeze! Salt Pork comes out of the freezer semi-soft and 'squidgy' to the touch. I thought the freezer was on the fritz and ran back downstairs to see if everything else in it was in a semi-solid state. To the contrary, everything was fine.

Is it good? I don't know.........yet. We'll try it soon just for grins. If your feeling super adventurous, try it first and let me know. In fact, I'll get you started with your very own recipe.
Below, my gift to you:

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GRANDMA LESZCZEWICZ SALT PORK AND DUMPLINGS
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Cut salt pork into square pieces and fry very slowly. Pour off all the grease, make dumplings and pour melted butter over them. Fry chopped onion and add to the dumpling; add the drained salt pork. Mix some sour cream into a container of creamed cottage cheese or 1 package of Farmer's press cheese. Mix all together.

Random quote #1

"I barfed in my cowboy hat."

-Max Jeffery 11/08

Fall Garden notes, forage notes, self-sufficiency efforts

Already it's November and there is very little left in either of our two gardens. At the community garden some radishes, celery and beets remain. At home there is only an assortment of half-grown lettuces. The season passed so quickly. Here is what our family grew during our very first growing season:

Lettuce, green onion, Swiss chard, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, peas, parsley, beets, mustard greens, mesclun, oregano, radishes, chives, carrots, cilantro, green beans, cucumber, tomatoes, corn, cauliflower, celery, spinach, basil, mint, catnip, and lovage.

Until we actually wrote it down, Phil and I could hardly believe we had wrested such diversity from two tiny garden plots. We are so pleased with the results.

Our foraging results have been successful as well. So far, the lovely Oregon coast has provided, free of charge, : Huckleberries, blackberries, Salmonberries, and Thimbleberries. In the mushroom category we have wild harvested Chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, and lobster mushrooms. In the Miscellaneous category we have obtained crabs we caught in nets at the dock and even picked wild fennel seeds to use in salads and cook with.

Phil has not had any success yet at shooting a deer. Nor has anyone else I know bagged one this year. Still there is hope. Elk season is about to begin and I think Phil is going to give it a try. For some reason, the critters around just know when it's Fall and they disappear. I am convinced there is a four-pronged buck kicked back on a beach somewhere sipping pina coladas and laughing quietly 'til the season is over.

Other changes our family has made this year:
1. being really picky about turning lights off in the house.
2. All veggie peels and other bits of unused produce are being fed the various animals we own.
3. Buying in bulk and saving up for an emergency.
4. Canning our own veggies, fruits and jams at home.
5. drying veggies, fruits and herbs for home use.
6. making our own soaps and cleaning products.
7. bakin our own bread.
8. treating our belongings well and not regarding everything as expendable or easily replaceable.
9. Re-using grey water for the watering of household and garden plants. (confused? read my pre
-vious post explaining grey water and its uses.)
10. purchasing more clothing from second hand stores.

This isn't enough, but its a start. Next we need to look at additional ways to improve self-sufficiency, frugality and preparedness. But again, and I can't stress this enough, my families attempts at saving money were not done to make our life more complicated. It really has been a fun process. It has made us closer as a family, it has put us back in touch with what is really important, and it has seen us living a little better even in financially devastating times.

We may not always be able to pay the bills on time, but we are surviving, and in many ways, thriving. I am not suggesting these methods for everyone. But it sure is working for us and we are grateful.
peace, -EJ

taking stock

The year is beginning to wind down and I'm looking back on the positive changes of the last several months. I feel the need to evaluate all the endeavors of this year and fine-tune it all a bit for next year.

coming up will be final reports regarding gardening, canning, dehydrating, energy conservation and self-sufficiency efforts. What worked , what didn't and what I can try that I havent' already. It has been a lot of fun and a great education.

Update on the goat situation: Phil and Richard finished both the fencing and the goat pen. It looks really great. The girls are spending their first night in it and I hope they like it. Thanks again to my hubby for playing along with the wild ideas generated by his wife and daughter. :)