sparrowgrass

I have a Meyer lemon, from Stark Brothers, that had 2 lemons the first year, and they have been increasing in number every year. They are full sized lemons. A side benefit is the fragrance of the blossoms. I am in Missouri, and mine is about ready to make the sojourn from the sunny south window of the sunroom to the back yard.

Summer canning was almost non-existent, like my garden. But--I have been canning chicken and chicken stock every time chicken leg quarters go on sale. A quart of broth, a pint of chicken, some carrots and celery, and I have a delicious pot of chicken soup, once I add noodles or rice. Friends got 'instant soup' for Christmas and they have raved about it. I use a pressure cooker, of course, and the Ball Blue Book directions. I can on the bone, but I do remove the skin. Picking thru the cold gelatinous chicken to find the skin is icky. Bones just pull out, and the dogs love them--soft and crumbly.

You might try stacking hay/straw bales around the plant and adding an old glass window to top off your little cube. On really cold nights, cover it with another bale of straw. Conversely, if you get one of those lovely warm winter days, remove the window so the plant doesn't cook. I am not familiar with the plant, so I really don't know how hardy it is, but it is worth a try.

Now you have made me hungry for dumplings.

How about a roasting bag like you make a turkey with?

I eat the middle, the chickens get the rest. All that is left when they are done is a very thin rind.

My kids loved pumpkin pie, but they wouldn't eat butternut squash pie, even though I made them with the same exact ingredients. Just had to hide the butternut rinds before they got home.

October 1 2002. Seems like just yesterday. 1,362 posts, and most of them seem to be about chickens or tomatoes.

Oh, your pictures just make me cry. For the first time in gardening career, I have had an almost complete failure. I hurt my back getting the garden started, so I couldn't weed and mulch, and then we had more rain than I have ever seen here. Fungus took peppers first, and then the tomatoes. The few tomatoes I did get were eaten up by stinkbugs. I actually bought some tomatoes the other day--the first tomatoes I have purchased in 15 years. On a positive note, I did pick a peck of purple podded pole beans last night, and that was just a quarter of the row. But they are just not the same on a sandwich.

Rotuts, the advantage of banties is that they are so darn CUTE. Little mini chickens--love them. Alamoi, I worked as a grader almost 15 years ago, and the thirty days was according to USDA regulations. Have no idea what the rules are now, thank goodness they don't concern me.

Cold storage rule is 30 days, or was when I was grading eggs. I just bought 25 pullets, hoping egg prices stay high thru the winter, when they will begin laying. Planning to fund my retirement. Also bought 6 turkeys and 8 banties--maybe I need an intervention?

My big Mirro pressure canner, and the oak harvest table the ex and I bought with wedding money. That was 40 years ago, and I don't think I have anything else left.

I just pulled mine last night. A little late--the stems were about gone, making the bulbs hard to find. I started with a pound of cloves from (I hate to admit this) Walmart, about 5 years ago, and have not had to purchase garlic since. And I so love garlic--generally put in 5 times as much as the recipe says. I made some pickled garlic a couple years ago--delicious. The cloves are sweet and crunchy, not overwhelming.

I have 22 little pullets in the brooder right now. By fall, I will be RICH, rich, rich. Or, at least I will pay for my feed costs.

I roast my tomatoes,with peppers, onions, garlic and celery, puree the veggies and can for tomato sauce. My idea of fast food is to brown some hamburger or Italian sauce, mix in a jar of sauce, and serve over angel hair. Dinner in 15 minutes. I also can some plain tomato puree, and freeze small tomatoes whole. I haven't purchased a tomato or tomato product for last 14 years. Except for ketchup, I don't use much of that. I also can green beans, pickled garlic, dilly beans, pears, different jellies from wild and tame fruit, salsa and pickled jalapenos.

Oh, dang, that looks good. I think the crust is the best part!

I grow some white currant tomatoes, tiny things, that are sweet enough to sub for grapes. I have often thought about drying them to use as raisins.

Totally ashamed to admit it, but there is a box of Top Ramen in my pantry. Don't hate me.

Generally ham for dinner, and always, always a lambie cake baked in a mold. Well, not always. Once my mom set it on the table, and then decided she needed to add a leaf to expand the table. She pulled one end of the table, brother pulled the other, and the lovely decorated lamb cake fell right through the middle onto the floor. Too sad.

I used heavy cream in my attempt at the recipe, and it was tasty. I also added some cumin and red pepper flakes, because the original had a bit of heat and spice. Suiza sauce sounds almost right--I might try some variation of that next. Maybe some cream cheese? Thanks for the help!!

I had lunch recently at a Mexican restaurant, and on their buffet, they had a terrific chicken dish. I was told it was chicken adobado, but I think there was some confusion--the adobado recipes have a red sauce, and this dish had a white, creamy sauce that maybe had some mild cheese in it. The dish had chicken chunks, mushrooms and spinach. Ring any bells for anyone?

That is what I have. Try Amazon.

How much disposable items are you using while cooking? Almost none--a little alumiinum foil, which I recycle. How much energy does it take to cook your meal? Don't know--propane stove. Could you change for a better option? Probably. I could use the microwave/pressure cooker more. Food, ingredients: How much is organic? I garden and preserve, so a lot of veggies are organic. How much of the left overs will be used? Not everything. How much food do you throw out that could have been eaten? I don't throw any food away--I have dogs and chickens. Will it be composed or end up in the landfill? The only thing that goes to the landfill are bones that I don't want the dogs to have. Could you change one habit that would make your dinners more environmentally friendly? Eat less meat. But my beef is local, no hormones no antibiotics. Like This...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

http://www.food.com/recipe/szechuan-sauce-147645

Shelby has it--if you can poke your thumbnail into a pumpkin or squash, it is not ripe.