Cold Crap

It has been cold and cloudy with snow flurries throughout the day. Temp inside the cabin was 38 degrees when I arrived this afternoon. A fire built from scratch had it up to a balmy 58 degrees two hours later.
Today hasn’t been very productive. Had breakfast with my mom, did some intellectual research, some practical research, & wrote a little. I bought some groceries & some fuel. I even split a little bit of wood to feed the aforementioned fire. With darkness approaching, there isn’t much left to do except keep warm.
I have plenty to keep me busy tomorrow. Jen is supposed to make a rare Saturday appearance, so I will need to stay outside with the dogs while she sleeps. I can cut wood, haul rock onto the driveway, and repair the break in the pond levee. It isn’t too bad, but we don’t need it to get any worse.
I can’t wait for spring. There is so much that I need to do & want to do, but the cold makes it hard to get motivated. This cold crap is really getting old.
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Cold Crap

It has been cold and cloudy with snow flurries throughout the day. Temp inside the cabin was 38 deg when I arrived this afternoon. A fire built from scratch had it up to a balmy 58 degrees two hours later.

Today hasn’t been very productive. Had breakfast with my mom, did some intellectual research, some practical research, and wrote a little. I bought some groceries and some fuel. I even split a little bit of wood to feed the aforementioned fire. With darkness approaching, there isn’t much left to do except keep warm.

I have plenty to keep me busy tomorrow. Jen is supposed to make a rare Saturday appearance, so I will need to stay outside with the dogs while she sleeps. I can cut wood, haul rock onto the driveway, and repair the break in the pond levee. It isn’t too bad, but we don’t need it to get any worse.

BBC News – Horsemeat scandal: Four new products test positive

Another reason to grow what you eat.  I bet hardcore homesteaders only eat horse meat when they mean to.  As vegetarians town, Taco Bell is one of two fast food places we can eat in the small town where we do business.  But, if I were willing to eat meat at Taco Bell, it probably wouldn’t bother me that it may contain some horse meat.

The good news is that Taco Bell says in a press release that domestic Taco Bell restaurants will not be affected because they do not use European beef over here in the States.  I’m not sure that should make anyone feel better.

BBC News – Horsemeat scandal: Four new products test positive.

Eggplant Bacon (Raw and Vegan)

I will be trying this recipe as soon as soon as the eggplants are ready. We liked bacon when we were omnivores.  I hope it doesn’t disappoint!

Eggplant Bacon (Raw and Vegan).

How to Dry Eggplant: An Illustrated Guide

We hope to preserve some of our garden surplus this summer, so I’ve been doing some research. Since we are off grid, we will not be freezing any of our produce.  Canning seems a little labor and resource intensive, so we are going to do as much drying as possible.  This guide makes dehydrating look fairly simple.

How to Dry Eggplant: An Illustrated Guide.