Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Sallysec]

I hate auto correct...my duh ...is really my dh but I bet he would laugh at being called my duh

 

[Imprfctme]

I am trying my best to not bite off more than I can chew, my duh built me a beautiful raised garden bed four years ago and every mother's day he adds an improvement. I actually got talked into chickens because of the kids and my views on fresh food etc with the added benefit of them helping in the garden. I've always wanted to can, my mother did it with my older sisters but I never learned. I thought about purchasing a pressure canner and learning but it seemed expensive. Most of my veggies/ herbs I freeze...I have a dehydrated as well. I would LOVE to make jams and jellies. I am in rockland nyack if your familiar. I'd love to see a canning get there as long as someone supervises lol.
Have you ever been to Sherman lake? We go every fathers day to a ranch resort up there...it's absolutely my favorite relaxing vacation. They do all the cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and it's so family friendly. It's around three miles from lake George.
Good luck on the class.

That's cool, I think we have both found our way into chicken keeping for similar reasons. Maybe if I find a pressure canner at a tag sale somewhere we can share it, lol. I also have a dehydrator, I used it to dry out the habanero peppers I got from the CSA - not for us mind you, but to give the chickens in the winter.

I haven't ever heard of Sherman lake, I'll look into it. Of course I know Nyack, it's just over the bridge from me but of course I'm on the opposite side of Westchester from you on the sound.

The writing class was wonderful! Really, really good group of people and I'm already sitting down and cranking on stuff. I think this is going to be hugely motivational for me. I can't wait.

 

[Imprfctme]

While we're on the subject, does anyone have any good uses for cabbage? I have two in the fridge right now and it's not really a fan favorite of mine. One red and one green.

 

[magsrags]

I'm back finally.
I began canning just last year simply by purchasing Ball's canning guide and recipe book from Garber's hardware where I get supplies from. I shop their website and have the jars when on sale delivered to my local store for free if I pick them up. I love it because I can't find reasonably priced supplies locally unless by accident.I need to go into NJ and pay a $10 toll so skip that! Needless to say folks round here aren't canning like they used to.
My roasted red peppers get put on a hot grill and close the lid. Check and turn as they blacken. Remove and place in a pot of cold water. I run them under cold water while just rubbing off the skin and voila....finished. We eat them so quickly I didn't bother with preserving them. But the Ball book (inexpensive btw)has different methods if you want to. Amazing book and from A to Z recipees from fruits to meats and then some. I never knew!

 

[JerseyHen]

Ugh. Just had a chick hatch 4 days after its nestmates and momma left it behind to take the others out for a stroll. To keep her warm and away from the adults, I picked her up and she now resides against my chest. I need one of those chrochet peeper keepers stat...lol.

Do you think i can sneak her back under there tonight? I teach an online class in an hour. I can already see it "Dr. L, excuse me, but what is that peeping noise?". "Um...well..." God save me if any administrators are in there tonight.

 

[smkchick]

Absolutely. before I started I thought it was going to be horribly difficult. It's actually easy and I find it loads of fun!

x2!

I picked up some more apples today to make apple butter, and some pumpkins for pumpkin butter. I'm thinking gift baskets with one of each and a loaf of homemade honey whole wheat bread.

If it weren't almost physically impossible, I'd think I was pregnant with all this nesting. Must be the chicken influence.

 

[smkchick]

Ugh. Just had a chick hatch 4 days after its nestmates and momma left it behind to take the others out for a stroll. To keep her warm and away from the adults, I picked her up and she now resides against my chest. I need one of those chrochet peeper keepers stat...lol.

Do you think i can sneak her back under there tonight? I teach an online class in an hour. I can already see it "Dr. L, excuse me, but what is that peeping noise?". "Um...well..." God save me if any administrators are in there tonight.

Put her in a sock and pin it inside your shirt. I'll send you a "chick bra" if you want, but by the time you get it, she'll probably be okay. I think I'm gonna make a bunch and send them out to all you chicken hatchers to have on hand!

 

[smkchick]

Today was an awesome day! I drove out to Hampton Bays to see my therapist for my bimonthly "tune up". I was in a great mood and I mentioned that I've been doing a lot of crocheting. Well her face lit up and she said "I have a big bag and box of yarn downstairs. Do you want it?" (Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear shiRt in the woods? You'd think after all these years she would know me well enough not to ask.)

I threw the bag in the car and headed off to Riverhead for feed and scratch and canning jars. Stopped at Michael's. (I know, I know.)

Then home to work out, shower and have lunch with a friend before tutoring one of my little clients.

In the interim, I checked out the bag of yarn. Anne told me it came from a woman who divorced a guy who worked in the industry. Well, inside that bag were multiple single skeins of GORGEOUS wool/silk, alpaca/silk, llama, etc. etc. high end yarn. OMG. And she still has the box for me. I need to find this woman (or maybe her husband) and clean her out! Unbelievable score. I'm sad there isn't enough of any one color to do a project, but I can combine colors for shawls, etc. and make a lot of scarves.

I cooked up the leftover pot roast, which was even yummier the second time around. Like love..

I freakin' love days like this!!

 

[smkchick]

A few zoo pix for your enjoyment. Another awesome day. How did my life get so great when I wasn't paying attention??

 

[JerseyHen]

Put her in a sock and pin it inside your shirt. I'll send you a "chick bra" if you want, but by the time you get it, she'll probably be okay. I think I'm gonna make a bunch and send them out to all you chicken hatchers to have on hand!

Great idea! Thanks. I am going to put her back under the broody that hatched her after she has her little tour with the youngins. I imagine momma was just itching to get them out for a walk when I opened the broody cage. The Chick bras would be a great item to have on hand. You should sell them at the show.

Ok, off to teach about anemia. Back in a few hours.