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Sunday, March 6, 2016

MARCH COMES IN LIKE A LION

Hello dear friends!  Sorry I missed you last week.   Just had a bad bout of arthritis that left me too tired to do much plus it was a pretty uninspiring week just sitting about, trying not to bend my knee. Ha!  You never realize what a valuable joint a knee is until you can't use it, especially climbing stairs.  And I have to say walking about like Grandpa McCoy (from the TV show The Real McCoys) does nothing for making you feel attractive and feminine.  Oh well!  It's just part of growing old and when you consider the alternative, a small price to pay!


March came in like a lion around here.  We've had several snowstorms, and it looks more like Christmas now than it did in December.  But that's to be expected for March.   We awoke to snow fog this morning.  So pretty! 
Even in March, I never tire of the beauty of winter.  The cold, yes, but the snow, never.  Sure beats mud season!

CREATIVITY AND THRIFT

While I was abed, I unraveled a sweater that I bought at the winter clearance sale at our local thrift store for seventeen cents.  Pretty gray marled lambswool and enough to knit a shrug  from a free pattern I've been saving for several years.  It reminded me that while I could just go out and buy some yarn and purchase a pattern on Ravelry, how much more enjoyable it is to take something from what I have on hand and  make it into something pretty and useful.  How much more fun it is to "discover" a pretty item of clothing at a thrift store or garage sale and make it into a uniquely-my-own-style outfit, rather than just ordering out of a catalog.  How much more satisfying a meal made from what is on hand is compared to just shopping for what I feel like making.  How our home is furnished in manner that is all our own, with it's revamped and homemade pieces, rather than just copying everything out of  the Pottery Barn catalog.   It's not just the frugality of it, it's the creative process that gives us so much pleasure.  I often wonder if I had all the money in the world, would I be any happier than I am now, in my  little cottage, filled with handmade furnishing and hand-sewn samplers, wearing my thrifted and homemade outfits and eating  a bowl of soup made from vegetables from our own garden and leftovers from the night before?  I doubt it.

I learned the connection between thrift and creativity the second day as a married woman.  I wanted to make something special for my husband for our first meal in our new home, but all we had in the house was some eggs, milk, flour, butter, bread and some homemade jam my mother-in-law had given us.  So what's to do?   I made a Dutch Pancake.   More elegant than scrambled eggs and toast.  Dutch pancakes rate right up there with potato soup and potato pancakes as the ultimate nothings-in-the-house-and-there's- one- more-day-until-payday meal. I lost my recipe, but I found the directions here.
I made mine in a cast iron skillet and served it with the jam over the top.  

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

We endeavor to learn something new every week.  Last week, we watched Victorian Bakers  and learned how bakers made bread in the 1820s.  I wasn't aware that they didn't have yeast back then.   The bakery was located next to the brewery and they used the leftover yeast  at the bottom of the keg when bottling the beer  to bake bread.  Since Ran had just made a batch of beer, we happened to have the yeast, so we gave it a try, using ancient grains, such as, spelt, quinoa, rye and oats.  It made a beautiful loaf with a slightly sour dough flavor.  Very good!  And lovely too.
Just goes to show you, even an old dog can learn a new trick!  Unfortunately, (or fortunately) Ran only makes one batch of beer a year, so we'll have to wait until next year to have another loaf.

THRIFTY MEALS

This past week, chicken legs with the thighs attached were on sale for thirty-nine cents a pound when you buy ten pounds.  That's an offer too hard to pass up!   So I cut up the chicken and separated the legs from the thighs. I also removed the skin, as I don't care for it.  Threw all the skin and the thighs in a big pot and boiled them until the meat was cooked.  Strained the broth and culled all the meat from the bones.  This made two very full quarts bags of chicken meat to be used for casseroles. The broth was refrigerated and the fat was skimmed off to be used in soap making.  Got about 3/4 of a quart.  The broth was frozen and is enough for two good sized potfuls of soup.  I cooked the legs in a teriyaki sauce and served them with some stir-fried vegetables and some fried rice that I had in the freezer.  There was enough for two meals plus plenty for snacking on.  This week my dear blogging friend April wrote about Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Casserole and since I had all the ingredients except for the hash browns, I made that, (I cut the recipe in half) which was plenty for two meals.  With the other bag of chicken, I'll probably make chicken enchiladas or maybe chicken and dumplings, again it will make enough for two meals,  That combined with the broth which should make at least four meals of soup, out of that $3.90 purchase, I  will get  ten meals plus the fat for soapmaking. And that is how we only spend $150 a month on groceries.

THRIFTY THING WE DID THIS WEEK

Bought chicken for 39 cents/lb.

Baked bread from the yeast leftover when bottling beer.

Ran plowed out a couple of neighbors and they paid him. (He just did it out of the goodness of his heart, but they insisted on paying him)

I cross-stitched a sampler from materials I had.  Now I need to find a frame for it.

Unraveled a thrifted sweater for the yarn.

Watched several movies for free on YouTube.

Bought 4 yards of homespun fabric for an apron for $1/yard on Etsy.

Enjoyed the beauty of my Christmas cacti.  These plants were bought at the after-Christmas sale for $1 or less each.  They give me so much joy and I think they are just as pretty, if not more so, than costly orchids that are all the rage these days.
And they're a lot easier to care for, just give them a drink whenever you think about it and set them in a sunny window.  Pick off the blossoms as they die.  That's it. They bloom several times throughout the year so I never buy cut flowers in the fall and winter.

Bought some craft bins at a thrift store and am now spending my spare time organizing all my embroidery floss.   What a tangled mess!  Why is it that no matter how many skeins of floss you have, they are never the ones you need for your next project?

So what exciting things have you been up to this week?  Hope this coming week is filled with joy!  Sending you all an extra big hug because I missed last week!

Jane









38 comments:

  1. Howdy, Jane! Glad your knee is better! Rest... isn't that the key to feeling better nearly all the time when we are down and out or sick?

    Sounds like you had a wonderful week nesting and keeping home. You must have the best thrift store on the planet near you! I am always amazed at what you find. Ours is rather pitiful and wretched, to be honest. I think it is because "pickers" hit ours every morning quite early. It is fascinating to me when I hear them talk about which ones to visit on what day. They have it down pat as to when the stock is replenished!

    Your salmon cactus is lovely! (They all are, but the salmon has my heart...) Mine gave up four blooms this week; I don't think we will get any more from her this year...

    Have a wonderful week and enjoy the warmer weather we are sending your way!

    as ever.. m

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    1. Hi Matty! Yep, rest is the answer, but it sure is boring!

      I know we have some pretty good thrift stores here. Whenever I travel, I like to stop in at the local ones, and now I know why they get such a bad reputation. Pickers aren't a problem around here.

      I have too many plants. It's starting to look like a funeral home around here! I couldn't bear to just toss them, so I set several outside last summer, hoping they would die and then I wouldn't feel bad about getting rid of them. Never watered them from May-October and they thrived! They started to bloom, so I brought them back inside. Oh well!

      We are supposed to get warmer weather here. Enjoying winter's last hurrah. Hope we have a fun-filled week! And I know you will!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. My mom always put her Christmas cactus out for the summer months and it bloomed beautifully. I'd forgotten that until now.

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    3. Hi Becky! I truly believe that those cacti thrive on benign neglect. Best of fortune with the final push to get your home ready for sale!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    4. Are you able to do plant exchanges or bartering with your "extra" plants? Your cacti are so beautiful! Just take some photos of them in bloom when you are "advertising!" I have given some of my best plants as gifts that beautify a space and serve to detoxify the air at night while you are sleeping.

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    5. Hi Carol! I tried giving them to the kids but they don't want them, and most of our neighbors go away for the winter and don't want to be bothered. It's silk plant country around here. Ha! Maybe I'll sell/ give away some when I hold my garage sale this year.

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  2. Dear Jane, so glad you are back, you are my favourite blog to read, always an inspiration. Awkward question time though, do you ever worry about animal welfare when the meat you buy is so cheap? No disrespect intended I think you live a marvellous life and I am just curious - Tam

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    1. Hi Tam! The state I live in (Michigan) has one of the highest standards for meat production in the country. And the butcher I buy from only sells locally grown raised meats. As far as the welfare of the animals, I suppose if it really bothers a person, they shouldn't eat meat at all. I grew up around farms and with farmers all my life, so I just view it as a fact of life, but I can see that it can bother some people. The fact is, whether I buy the meat or not, the animal is going to be butchered, because let's face it, the entire world isn't going to give up meat. But that being said, I wouldn't buy any meat that has been imported. A lot of our meat comes from my son's farm, which we get in exchange for doing work there.
      Hope that explains it!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. Hi Jane! Pretty snow pics. And your Christmas cacti look so nice...I am jealous. Mine has no buds or flowers. I am bad at growing these, but now I will follow your instructions on how to care for them. I probably overwater everything!

    I hope you feel better...I think I have arthritis too. It seems our bit of snow bothered my legs more.

    The bread is beautiful and looks so good! I'll have to look up that program!

    Your chicken cooking sounds good and you really did stretch it! Those legs and thighs have so much more flavor and nutrition (with the bones) than the breast meat.
    Andrea

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    1. You're being too nice to your cacti, Andrea! The more you ignore them, the better they do.

      Arthritis doesn't just run in our family, it gallops. Everyone has had joint replacements. I'm just trying my hardest to avoid that. Fortunately, I can tolerate a lot of pain. Sorry to hear that you might be getting it. This growing older is not that fun!

      There's always a good sale on chicken legs this time of year. I think they have those parts left over from all those wings they sold for the Super Bowl. They take a little more creativity to use then the breast, but I like a challenge.

      Hope you get your spring weather this week!

      Oh! And thanks for the mention on your blog! That lemon cream looked really good!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Hi! Your cake is my new exclusive go-to for any white/yellow cake. Last night and today I've been just cutting a wedge from it and eating it plain...I'm learning to limit myself to a few good recipes. I made the cauliflower tacos that I got from one of your posts (minus the taco part etc., actually just the cauliflower part) today with my meal. I was too lazy to try it up to now, but it really isn't as hard as I thought! Hugs back, Andrea

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    3. I've been doing the same, Andrea. And trying to get it down to just twenty or so ingredients that I need for my pantry, that I can buy in bulk.

      Haven't made that cauliflower in a while. Can't wait to have my own out of the garden. Will be starting seeds this week! So soon!

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  4. hello jane,
    your snow pictures are wonderful.your christmas cacti have a wonderful colour. i have a few of this plant.you have really a great thriftstore in your area. here is the price much higher.your bread looks very good.
    i hope you feel better now.
    have a nice evening,
    bear hugs regina

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    1. Thanks Regina! The knee feels better, thank you. Only hurts when I have to make a big bend for sitting and climbing stairs. Just have to get used to the new bendless one. Ha!

      I'm very fortunate to live where I do. Not only is it a thrifter's dream, the neighbors are wonderful and are nice and down-to-earth.

      Wish I could have sent you a slice of that bread. It had an honest flavor, that today's bread lacks. As I always say, it tastes of the good earth!

      Bear hugs back,
      Jane

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  5. hmmm was typing a long response and I had a glitch and lost it.
    So sorry about your knee pain and arthritis. Glad that the rest helped, and I hope you feel better.
    Love the snow pictures...so beautiful. I am ready for spring now though. Temps may be in the 60's here this week.
    Great deal on the chicken legs, and your meals sound delicious. I love chicken, but I had to take my son for allergy testing since we found out he has esophageal esophagitis. Turns out he is allergic to chicken/eggs/lobster and milk. My meal planning and shopping just got a lot harder, but I'm hoping we can heal his esophagus with diet rather than have to resort to steroids. Always something,isn't it.
    Your bread looks yummy. I have a batch of that artisan bread in 5 min a day in the fridge, so that is easy for me, and it doesn't have milk or eggs in it.
    Your cacti are so pretty. My Mom had several of them, and I always loved them. Need to start some seeds soon. Hoping to have a bigger garden this year.
    Hope you have a great week.

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    1. Hi Kathy! I hate when that happens! Of course, you know me, and I never write a short response, so it gets frustrating!

      Seems everyone is allergic to something these days. I think it's all the antibiotics that they give the animals these days. Probably just as well to give up lobster, I wouldn't want to eat anything that came out of the Pacific these days.

      We've tried the artisan bread before. Makes a nice crust. We're always experimenting with different techniques. This week we used a roue to make a soft bread. It's a Japanese technique. I think it was on the King Arthur website.

      We'll be starting seeds this week too. Just waiting for the last of the cold weather to end. Hope your garden does well!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  6. ha I think he has had lobster once in his 16 years, so that won't be hard to give up. Chicken/eggs/milk on the other hand...you may be right about the antibiotics Instead of Godzilla, there may be radioactive lobsters in the ocean...lobzilla? You should sell the idea to the syfi channel. :D
    That japanese bread technique sounds interesting. I think my favorite whole wheat bread recipe is from the King Arthur website, but it has dry milk in it.

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    1. Back in the day when I was a vegan, I just used soy or almond milk for the dairy. You can use flax seed for egg substitute in baking. Forget the soy substitutes for chicken though. I'd rather go without. It's plain old nasty. And it's made from soy which all GMO, which is one of the reasons I gave up being vegan, anyway. Trying to do the healthy thing only to find out soy was worse than the little amount of meat I ate! You live and you learn!

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    2. I use the blender to grind the pumpkin/squash seeds with water, strain and have pumpkin seed milk. We like it. Also can use unsweetened horchata - rice milk.

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    3. That's a good idea. I've heard of others making their own almond milk, but I think it's probably cheaper to buy it, as almonds are expensive. Pumpkins seeds however, we have plenty of. Thanks for the suggestion!

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  7. Hi Jane! I'm so glad your knee is better. I had a bit of trouble with one of mine last year so when I heard that kombucha helps repair joints I started making it, and lo, my knee is fine now. Heh, I remember The Real McCoys, and I can walk like he did, too. lol

    Loved hearing all the ways you stretch the chicken you bought. And I'm pea-green with envy over your Christmas cacti. I had one long ago, but it died and I didn't replace. I must have one again after seeing yours. They're beautiful. :)
    Have a great week!
    Toni

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    1. Thanks for the tip Toni! I'll have to give it a try. I've upped my intake of turmeric, works wonders for the dog, so I'm hoping. Well that arm crank Grandpa McCoy does help the body move forward. Just not very graceful looking!

      The best time to buy a Christmas cactus is the day after Christmas, when you can get them for a dollar or less. Plus you'll know if it's a hardy one if it survived the neglect that stores give them. When I was a kid all the little old ladies kept them on their sun porches. Some were so huge that they took up half the porch. Funny how when you're a kid, you think "I'll never do that", but now there's nothing I'd like more than to have an old-fashioned sun porch filled with Christmas cacti and an old sofa!

      Have a great week too!
      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Those snow pictures are lovely. We barely got any snow this winter, which is typical for the part of Oregon I live in.

      I am sorry your arthritis flared up. It runs in my family, too, but I suffer from other ailments, so far--thank goodness.

      A while back, I was able to get some of those thighs and drumsticks in 10 lb. packages for $5, which is amazing here. I do have whole chickens that we raised, but love the dark meat on occasion, and that's actually cheaper than we can raise them for, so I couldn't turn them down. I think I still have another bag in the freezer, still.

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    3. Your freezers are like a magician's hat, Becky. You're always pulling something wonderful out of them! Your blog always makes me hungry. We rarely see 39 cents a pound around here either. My son raises chickens and I don't think he could feed them for less than that. He's raising some meat ones now and promises to give me some if I help with canning them up. Now that's a price I can't turn down. Free!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. I also enjoyed your beautiful snow photos. Oklahoma has had very little snow this mild winter.

    I wondered where you were last week and thought maybe your computer was acting difficult again.
    Always enjoy your posts and am thankful you are up to posting this week

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    1. Hi Rhonda! It's been a mild winter here too. Which gives me hope for my roses.

      Thanks for the encouragement. This time of year, when little is happening is a difficult time for me to write. Just not much to write about! Have a nice week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  9. Wow, your weather is real contrast to ours the last couple days. In the upper 70's here in NE yesterday and today. I even hung a load of jeans on the line and they are flapping in the hot, south wind! Counting down almost to hours now until we leave for KY and our visit with our daughter and family. Got all my errands run this morning, so tomorrow I can pack and then we leave Wed. morning. Next chore is to pay the bills from last week's paycheck and get those mailed tomorrow. We are so thankful for paid vacations. When hubby was self employed we never had a paid vacation so this is our second paid vacation year and it is nice :) I hate to say this almost but I used to have many joint aches and pains but when I found out I had celiac and quit eating gluten which cut out a lot of sugar as well I rarely even have any pain. But I do envy you can eat that lovely bread. Keep healing that knee so you can get out and garden sooner than later. Nannie

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    1. It's getting warmer here, Nannie. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60s. I rarely eat bread because I am always on a diet and well, bread is one of those things I can live without. Just had half a slice of this one, but thanks for the information. No, my arthritis is hereditary and I had rheumatic fever when I was young, so I'm afraid it is just inevitable that I'll get it. But trying my hardest to ward it off for as long as possible. Have a safe trip and enjoy the new grandbaby!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. Hi Jane...Welcome to the muddy season!
    I must admit, I never used to like winter, but now I love it! Although my arthritis does tend to act up more with the cold, especially if there's any moisture in the air.
    That bread looks yummy, and I am impressed that you could render the fat from the chicken to make soap!
    I know if given the choice, I too would prefer to live in our little cottage with all the home-crafted touches, instead of a big pottery barn decorated house. I love to use things from nature like pinecones and birch paper around here...free and plentiful!
    We've been getting a lot of that snow fog up here as the air is getting warmer...very pretty as long as I don't need to drive through it.

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    1. You and I are kindred spirits, Lisa! I was so glad to read that you are feeling better. Hope this spring and summer you get to use your camper a lot. Can you believe how beautiful the last couple of days have been?

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. I've been watching Victorian Bakers as well, & just began Victorian Pharmacy last night, which has Ruth Goodman in it (from Victorian Farm, etc). Good for you for making a yeast free loaf. Our weather has been warmer than usual, & I'm afraid our fruit trees will all blossom, only to be hit by frost soon after. I too have unraveled a couple of sweaters, & agree there is great satisfaction in this type of life.

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    1. Hi Laurie! Aren't those shows fascinating? And we can learn so many lessons from them, too! I know what you mean about worrying about the trees blossoming too soon. A few years back that happened and we ended up not having any fruit that year. Thankfully, I had lots of it canned and dried from the previous year. Gotta make hay while the sun shines!

      It takes a bit more tie to unravel a sweater, but no one can argue that it sure is frugal! Have a lovely weekend!
      Jane

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  12. Hi Jane,
    Recently discovered your blog and have been enjoying reading the past posts.

    The winter snow pictures are gorgeous! Remind me of growing up on the farm in southwest Minnesota many decades ago. The weather here is subtropical, so the beauty of northern winters is composition of many memories and pictures such as the ones you have included.

    Hope your knee heals up quickly. I often find helpful information on specific health issues on the mercola.com site.

    What exciting things have I been up to?
    • Prepared 3 batches of homemade baby wipes
    • made 1 gal of yogurt and converted ½ to Greek yogurt
    • use locally grown soapnuts for laundry
    • save the laundry rinse water to water the garden- this is our hot, dry season,
    • pin/hang washed laundry on the verandahs for evaporative cooling
    • planted radishes – our son-in-law loves the roots and I prefer the leaves instead of buying kale,
    • made a new recipe [beet salsa] that the family likes,
    • prepared batch of foaming soap from Dr. Bronners liquid [I have not gotten around to making my own liquid soap],
    • worked on transforming mylar thermal emergency blankets [purchased on sale from Amazon] into heat blocking curtains. This is cheaper than purchasing the foil heat blocking curtains. I will break here to say that our heat index is already almost 110F and normally goes even higher during April and May. We do not have a/c so try to keep the heat out of the house from morning until the temps drops to below 90F late in the afternoon. I purchased light/heat and noise blocking curtains, for the first time ever, which I have up, but would like to prevent more heat from entering the house. I have not seen this type of fabric/material here, recently. About 40 years ago, I purchased this type of material locally and made my curtains. I have sewn my curtains from remnants, sheeting, muslin, light upholstery fabric, etc and usually line them to last longer and not fade. Sometimes I have found pieces that work at yard sales. We do not have the lovely kinds of thrift stores you write about, here.
    • Use pressure cooker to cut down on use of fuel, shorten cooking time, reduce heat gain in the house, and tenderize “tough” cuts. Often do 1 pot meals and cook 2 or three meals at one time.
    • Use different spices and food combinations to create a variety in the use of leftovers.
    • Use pressure cooker to make applesauce for the grandbaby: quarter, core, cook washed apples. Skins slip off easily when the apples have cooled.

    Enjoy your week and take care.
    Carol

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    1. Sounds like you were very busy Carol! Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking? It must have been quite an adjustment, coming from Minnesota.

      Thank you for the link. Been increasing my turmeric and it seems to be helping a bit.

      Pressure cookers are amazing aren't they? We use ours when I run out of canned beans and like you to tenderize tougher and less expensive meat cuts. Plus takes a lot less energy.

      So interesting about the soapnuts! For whatever reason I never equated them with being "grown". How's that for being dumb? Ha! Now that would be one handy plant to have in the garden!

      Hope you enjoy your week too!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. Belize continued to be my home after my 3.5 year tour of duty as a Peace Corps volunteer. We live almost straight south of Janesville, WI.

      Pressure cookers can even be used to "roast" a turkey or chicken! That has become a new "favourite" for me.

      Soapnut tree will not grow outside in Michigan. There are other plants that are high in saponins. Saponaria officinalis aka soapwort or bouncing bet can grow in Michigan. http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_soapwort.htm
      I personally would be hesitant to use the plant internally, based on some of the information at the end of the article.

      Because so much of what is on the market today is factory produced, it is not surprising people do not associate soapnuts with being a natural product. Maybe you could trade some Christmas cactuses for some soapwort/bouncing bet plants or seeds.

      I will miss your weekly posts.... Enjoy your time away from the blog.
      Carol

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    3. That wonderful that you worked for the Peace Corps! I know where Janesvlle is, we used to live nearby in Twin Lakes WI.

      I used to grow soapwort but lost the plant when we moved. I'd like to grow another one, but it's hard to find the plants around here. They just have the standard herbs for sale, one of the drawbacks of living in the sticks. I've tried starting some from seed but so far no luck with that. But you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed ...
      Having a bit of writer's block currently. Just not much to write about during the in-between-season. As I wrote, if something remarkable happens, I'll pop in!

      Jane

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    4. I am pretty unfamiliar with how things work in your community, but have read that some communities have "garden clubs" and "garden shows." Some people [like my parents] consider bouncing bet to be a weed and might be happy to get someone to remove them. Are there ways you can to free "requests" - Craigslist?

      Thank you!

      Did you use the soapwort for soap or medicinal purposes?

      Do you grow any of your herbs indoors during the winter? My mother would dig up 2 of the best parsley plants and pot them in 1 gal ice cream buckets, so she could have fresh parsley, year round.

      Carol


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    5. Hi Carol! There's a saying around our parts, "go to the end of the world then drive 10 more miles north and you'll hit Port Austin". Our village is tiny; only 700 hundred citizens in summer and that number shrinks to around 200 in winter. If you ever want to experience what it is like to be the last person on earth, just spend a winter's weekday in Port Austin!

      The only club we have besides Bible studies is a sportsmen's club and the American Legion. Craiglist around here is used to sell old trucks and rusty junk that people try to pass off as antiques.

      I only used soapwort for soap, but really just for it's beauty.

      The only herbs I grow indoors during the winter are rosemary and my Bay tree that I dig up every year. To be quite honest, we do so much gardening during the late spring through October, I'm happy to take a break from anything garden.

      Jane

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