Archive for the ‘Post Topics’ Category

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Gathering Summary: Getting Ready to Grow Stuff, March 21, 2012

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Don Bates makes a point

by Catherine Haug, April 6, 2012

(photo, left, by E. Blackler)

This was a fun and inspiring evening with MonaRae Tuhy and Don Bates, on seed starting and related topics. And Stephanie offered a great dessert: Berry Crisp with Whipped Cream.

This is just a short synopsis; you can find more detail in the complete, printable pdf file: Gathering Summary: Getting Ready to Grow Stuff, March 21, 2012, and in the handouts. Read on for handouts, presentation topics, and references & resources. (more…)

Posted in Gardening, Gathering Summaries | Comments Closed

Kombucha – Fermented Tea

Monday, April 16th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, April 12. 2012

Kombucha – fermented black or green tea, or tea kvass – is becoming a popular heath-beverage. When fruit juice is added, it’s a healthful alternative to soda pop. We learned how to make kombucha from Jeanette Cheney, using the SCOBY (or ‘mushroom’) at our August 2011 gathering (Lacto-Fermentation, with Don Bates & Jeanette Cheney).

If you’ve never had kombucha before, you might want to try one of the Synergy Kombucha beverages that have added fruit juice, and is not as tart as regular kombucha. [Synergy comes in glass bottles that you can take to the Wellness Education Center (WEC), where Jeanette will reuse them.] After you’ve accustomed to this flavor, try the bottled 100% kombucha before embarking on your own brew.

Also, start with a small amount – about 4 oz – daily for a couple weeks, then gradually increase the amount over time.

What’s in kombucha that makes it so special?

(more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health, Remedies | Comments Closed

Hi-Carb, Low-Carb, No-Carb

Monday, April 16th, 2012
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Field of Wheat

by Catherine Haug, April 16, 2012

(photo, right, fromWikipedia)

Over the last 40 years, dietary advisors have advocated different levels of carb and fat consumption, so that it is hard to know just what is good for YOU. Right now, the dominant advice is a high-carb diet; indeed, this is the diet pushed on us by the USDA in the food pyramid and food plate logos (see my post: New USDA diet recommendations: My Food Plate). Their current recommendation has carbs (grains, fruits & veggies) at nearly 75% of the diet. Protein and dairy comprise the rest of the diet. Fats aren’t even shown on the plate.

However, ever since the USDA started favoring carbs in their dietary recommendations, the rates of obesity, heart disease and other diet-related problems have skyrocketed to epidemic proportions. Obviously, somthing is wrong with this picture. (more…)

Posted in Cat's Fats, Food-Nutrition-Health, Health | 1 Comment »

Wild Fermentation of Veggies

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Fermented Bread & Butter Pickles

by Catherine Haug, April 16, 2012

(photo of Cat’s Pickles, by Catherine)

Dr. Mercola features a Video Interview of Carolyn Barringer on the topic of culturing veggies – how to, and the health benefits thereof. It’s a long video (1:48 hr), but for those of us who attended our gatherings on Lacto-Fermentation with Don Bates, & Jeanette Cheney Aug 17, 2011, or Homemade Sauerkraut, and introduction to Lacto-Fermentation, with Melanie Hoerner (pdf from October 2008), we’ve seen live demonstrations.

Carolyn uses a slightly different technique than we’ve presented, in that she does the fermentation in the quart glass jars that are also the storage jars (so no need to transfer from crock to jar), and uses the sodium-rich juice of celery instead of salt. Note that the fermented product is NOT canned (heat-treated) as that would decimate the probiotics and enzymes in the ferment.

Six Simple Steps to Veggie Culturing

(more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health, Health | 2 Comments »

Notes on Raising Rabbits

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

"Nudge," a Black Otter Rex Doe

by Brenda Lee S., April 2012

(photos from Nick & Brenda Lee S.)

[Cat’s Note: Nick and Brenda Lee presented on Raising Rabbits for our march 2010 gathering. See Gathering Summary: Raising Chickens & Rabbits. See also their video in 4 parts, on How to Dress (Home Butcher) a Rabbit]

My father raised rabbits starting in ‘29; he survived the depression delivering and butchering rabbits on site. He continued to raise rabbits until his death at age 81. We have been around rabbits all of our lives, having grown up with my fathers’ vast experience, and continued with our love of rabbits, breeding Rex Rabbits. Rabbits are very amazing, There are however some points to raising rabbits. (more…)

Posted in Livestock | Comments Closed

Updated video: How to Dress (Butcher) a Rabbit

Monday, April 9th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, April 9, 2012

Back in March of 2010, we had a gathering on Raising Chickens & Rabbits. Nick and BrendaLee S. presented on raising rabbits, and provided a Flip video of How to Dress (Home-Butcher) a Rabbit, that was included in the gathering summary. Subsequent to that, the Flip video-share site closed, so that the video was no longer available. Now they have converted it to a YouTube video in 4 parts.

I’ve updated that gathering summary with the new YouTube links, and also provide them below.  Read on for those links. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, Home & Ranch, Livestock | Comments Closed

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