Colorado

[Pozees]

Exactly why I like to do my own garden and canning.
Would like to know brand (so I can save up for it). And what adjustments you made. I have so far totally given up on bread making, which I used to do sans machine, but have had such horrid luck I gave it up.

Exactly what happened to me! What I do is slightly increase water and increase salt by using heaping rather than level measurements, and decrease by 25% sugar and yeast. An example of water increase is in the Peasant Bread recipe I use, which calls for 1 1/8 cups of water, I use 1 1/4. The brand is Zojirushi, and this year they came out with an ever better one that has heating elements in the lid so the top crust has a better finish. I waited for a 30% off coupon from Kohl's, and my second option would have been to wait for a 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Both will exchange or refund anything they sell, and when I spend $300 on anything, it better have some kind of guarantee - my budget can't absorb mistakes of that size very easily. The Zoji has two paddles to mix and knead the dough, which I don't think any other manufacturer has, it has a lower rise temp which is what probably makes the biggest difference at these altitudes, others over-rise the dough and then it collapses during baking.

 

[Pozees]

Got all the posts in for the work shelter, and started on the floor supports.

Woo hoo! What will your final dimensions be?

 

[Pozees]

Yay! We didn't get as far as we had originally planned. The area we chose didn't turn out as level as we thought it was. One side was ground level and the other side was a foot and a half down. Whee! That was a ton of fun. Then we found out that a lot of the lumber that came in the kit is warped.

This is the last picture I took today, but we got further. This is the base that has had rebar put through it to help keep the shed from blowing away. The center has been dug out. The floor frame is on top of it and nailed down to the base and half of the plywood flooring is down.


Oh well, I'm looking forward to having my girls in their new home and being able to use their old home to raise the babies that are all currently living in the garage and bunny room.

I am curious which kit you are using. We looked at several, but the reviews on most of them referred to warped lumber and it scared me some - so I asked someone at Lowe's what happened if that was the case, and he assured me if I bought a kit and got warped lumber I could bring it back and exchange for not-warped lumber. Would really like to get something up in the next year that is large enough to serve as 1/3 coop, 1/3 grow room for starting vegetable seedlings, and 1/3 storage - so I have lofty goals and now I just have to start saving the $$$ and meanwhile research extensively how much I can actually accomplish my goal using less expensive materials, such as shipping crates and pallets. I read somewhere that he wood in pallets is treated, but everyone I've asked says that is not the case, anyone know?

 

[Pozees]

Oh - kmatt87 - I was at the end of season sale at a local nursery (Perennial Favorites in Colorado City - www.pfplants.com) - and they had potted primrose, pretty good sized ones in fact. Wanted to ask them about how well they transplant, but they were busy. Today is their last day of business for the year, they shut down for winter. Terrific people, they have a FB page and almost always answer emailed questions.

 

[kmatt87]

Oh - kmatt87 - I was at the end of season sale at a local nursery (Perennial Favorites in Colorado City - www.pfplants.com) - and they had potted primrose, pretty good sized ones in fact. Wanted to ask them about how well they transplant, but they were busy. Today is their last day of business for the year, they shut down for winter. Terrific people, they have a FB page and almost always answer emailed questions.

thanks for the tip! I might have to look into it for next yr. I'm in Loveland/Fort Collins area so things in your area are quite a drive for me

 

[coloradogal]

That is very cool, I never would have thought to do that. Do you just take them over or did you call and ask if they'd like them? I've been wondering, since I went and added 10 more chickens to my flock, what I would do with the extra eggs.

Very Awesome idea. I'll have to do that with some of my own too.


Quote:Regarding bread making.


Do a no-knead bread. I do 3 cups flour, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 t. yeast and slightly more water which is about 2 1/4. Mix together but do not knead and let the bacteria do the work for you. When it rises, take out and shape...let rise again and then put in a covered dish at 500 deg. for 20, then reduce to 450 for the remaining 15 minutes. edit: it's a long fermentation recipe so I mix it the night before and let it rise overnight and often into the next day. if it seems to be purculating too much, I'll either bake it or put it in the fridge. The long rise/fermentation makes the bread easier to digest as most of the gluten is transformed. Perfect bread everytime... If any want to come over some weekend for a quick class, we can do that. Attached is a picture. It makes incredible cranberry/walnut or raisin or any other type of artisian bread. the picture I'm holding was the first loaf that my little girl made when she was 4. I baked it of course but she did the hard work of throwing it in a bowl and measuring and mixing.


Regarding canning, I can mostly meat, beans and soup bases. I do a huge thing of applesauce usually but I still have tons of it left over from last year so its soon to be recycled into apple butter. I'd still like to find someone with a pear tree....there is nothing as yummy as pear sauce. It is sooooo much better than apple.

 

[Pozees]

Very Awesome idea. I'll have to do that with some of my own too.


Do a no-knead bread. I do 3 cups flour, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 t. yeast and slightly more water which is about 2 1/4. Mix together but do not knead and let the bacteria do the work for you. When it rises, take out and shape...let rise again and then put in a covered dish at 500 deg. for 20, then reduce to 450 for the remaining 15 minutes. edit: it's a long fermentation recipe so I mix it the night before and let it rise overnight and often into the next day. if it seems to be purculating too much, I'll either bake it or put it in the fridge. The long rise/fermentation makes the bread easier to digest as most of the gluten is transformed. Perfect bread everytime... If any want to come over some weekend for a quick class, we can do that. Attached is a picture. It makes incredible cranberry/walnut or raisin or any other type of artisian bread. the picture I'm holding was the first loaf that my little girl made when she was 4. I baked it of course but she did the hard work of throwing it in a bowl and measuring and mixing.


Regarding canning, I can mostly meat, beans and soup bases. I do a huge thing of applesauce usually but I still have tons of it left over from last year so its soon to be recycled into apple butter. I'd still like to find someone with a pear tree....there is nothing as yummy as pear sauce. It is sooooo much better than apple.

That bread looks awesome! If you add cranberries and walnuts, do you also add sugar, or does that mess with the fermentation too much?

 

[Pozees]

I have a question about my Speckled Sussex - the Sussex Sisters - I have 5, got them when they were around 6 weeks old, now they are 14 weeks, and two of them do not appear to be growing tails, in fact they look like what I think rumpless must mean. I am assuming this means they are almost certainly not pure, and that they may have Araucana mixed in - hatchery chicks, don't know which, there was a gal raising day-olds she bought from a hatchery and selling them as started, which suited me well. I stink at taking pictures but will try to get some to post later today, just wondered what other breed might be mixed in, if there are other rumpless breeds. Also, I wonder if I might have a chance at getting green or blue eggs? I know nothing about chicken genetics as far as dominant and recessive traits and the like.

 

[coloradogal]

That bread looks awesome! If you add cranberries and walnuts, do you also add sugar, or does that mess with the fermentation too much?

I never do only because I feel that the cranberries add sweetness to it already. the crumb is not huge like you'd see at a lower elevation but it is still open. the bread usually comes out with a chewy texture and as it cools, you'll hear it crackle. people who visit always giggle because i'll have my ear to it listening to hear it crackle. but the process is the same, you just add the cranberries and walnut to the mixture. As far as messing with the fermentation, I've done so many variations that as long as I keep track of how much it is rising, it generally does well. The less handling usually the better. There are great recipes online regarding the method. Most people I have shown this method too never go back to the old way. It is just too much work and a dough that is fermented just tastes better and is healthier for you. I know people who make a huge batch on a Sunday and keep it in the fridge all week. Then at night cut off a few pieces, let rise on the counter top for a bit until it is double and then bake it. It doesn't take that long every night to do if you take out a bit when you get home from work. It's always ready for dinner. I can't imagine anyone making bread any other way. http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/bread-dread-are-you-really-gluten-intolerant-2

I have a question about my Speckled Sussex - the Sussex Sisters - I have 5, got them when they were around 6 weeks old, now they are 14 weeks, and two of them do not appear to be growing tails, in fact they look like what I think rumpless must mean. I am assuming this means they are almost certainly not pure, and that they may have Araucana mixed in - hatchery chicks, don't know which, there was a gal raising day-olds she bought from a hatchery and selling them as started, which suited me well. I stink at taking pictures but will try to get some to post later today, just wondered what other breed might be mixed in, if there are other rumpless breeds. Also, I wonder if I might have a chance at getting green or blue eggs? I know nothing about chicken genetics as far as dominant and recessive traits and the like.

I wish I could help you but I know next to nothing about SS. I think it'll be awesome if you have mutts. I'm a fan of mutts myself. I eventually want a whole flock of them. My first generation are pure RIR and RIR X Orpington. I have some in the incubator now. Pure cream legbars that just came in the mail and easter eggers X cuckoo marans which should give me olive eggers. I have friends who I'm trying to set up with a flock. I guess I'm a firm believer that if people have chickens, they'll stop buying eggs from the store and eventually though grass roots, we'll be able to do away with commercial egg farming. So I try to get as many friends as I can to understand that they just aren't stupid creatures with the brains of a pea. I try to match the chickens I give to people with what they are seeking. Some breeds need more room to roam, others not so much... some like loving people, others not so much. So a person just getting chickens who want one to love on... I wouldn't want them to get a sultan or phoenix variety. Anyways, I'm rambling. Sorry, I do that a lot.

I just want a stable landrace flock suited for our climate.

one last thought: I thought tailless was recessive. I'm sure someone will look it up and find out. I'm in the midst of a huge cleanup.

 

[wsmith]

Woo hoo! What will your final dimensions be?

it will be 12' X 6'. Basically a deck floor with a roof. I will also build a work bench that will be about 30" wide and 12' long.