Surviving Minnesota!

[lvie]

With the hot weather on it's way....I am thinking about freezing some fruit and veggies in a couple of ice block things. Anybody try this before....what size containers would you recommend. I'm thinking sour cream size containers, possibly a couple of ice cube trays. Thoughts?

I saw corn frozen in muffin tins and I am going to try that.

 

[Siggie]

How much would your bribery start at?

hmmmmm....... I'll get back to you on that one!

Beings we are speaking of Siggie's imminent demise from bad sushi. I have to tell you I almost died yesterday from some "fish soup thingy" at a place near UMD. I ordered this thing thinking I was getting a variety of fish and seafood on a plate. I got a bowl of fish soup, with shrimp, crab and mussels in it. By the time we got from Mount Royal to Adolph I was sick. My daughter assured me food poisoning does not come on that fast. I am not so sure. Luckily I lived to tell about it and feel great today...


EJB is correct about the Adolph store if you happen to be going by it on Hwy 2, stop and get some meats, they are great. It is one of those places I could just sit in and soak up the odors of the smoked meat. It is so good in there.

I do not know of anyplace with better meats, but that place off the beaten path in Isanti comes close...

"fish soupy thing" That sounds hideous

I think I would have gotten sick BEFORE I ate it !

 

[MinnesotaNice]

@Siggie , think twice if any of us Minnesota folks invite you out to lunch

I Snapped a few pictures out in the "Jungle". My kid found two new best friends - I'm glad they're too heavy for him to carry around all the time. And he feeds them worms so of course they adore him. Ignore his Lacrosse/hunting boots look! My little ones are loving it outside. They're around 9-10wks right now. Once old enough, I feel they grow faster when let out to free range. I have one chick that doesn't leave the coop and she's noticeably smaller. Coincidence? Maybe. I still believe it though. And the ducks......

 

[Siggie]

@Siggie , think twice if any of us Minnesota folks invite you out to lunch

I Snapped a few pictures out in the "Jungle". My kid found two new best friends - I'm glad they're too heavy for him to carry around all the time. And he feeds them worms so of course they adore him. Ignore his Lacrosse/hunting boots look! My little ones are loving it outside. They're around 9-10wks right now. Once old enough, I feel they grow faster when let out to free range. I have one chick that doesn't leave the coop and she's noticeably smaller. Coincidence? Maybe. I still believe it though. And the ducks......

Wow your property looks beautiful! And wow on the size of those birds! I am hoping to free range mine soon. I just need to get one more strand of hot wire on our pasture fence at "chicken" level because as it sits right now, they could probably walk under the lowest strand without touching it.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Beings we are speaking of Siggie's imminent demise from bad sushi. I have to tell you I almost died yesterday from some "fish soup thingy" at a place near UMD. I ordered this thing thinking I was getting a variety of fish and seafood on a plate. I got a bowl of fish soup, with shrimp, crab and mussels in it. By the time we got from Mount Royal to Adolph I was sick. My daughter assured me food poisoning does not come on that fast. I am not so sure. Luckily I lived to tell about it and feel great today...


EJB is correct about the Adolph store if you happen to be going by it on Hwy 2, stop and get some meats, they are great. It is one of those places I could just sit in and soak up the odors of the smoked meat. It is so good in there.

I do not know of anyplace with better meats, but that place off the beaten path in Isanti comes close...

I think that Meat Market in Clear Lake has been on some sort of Meat Market list as well....

 

[Bogtown Chick]

With the hot weather on it's way....I am thinking about freezing some fruit and veggies in a couple of ice block things. Anybody try this before....what size containers would you recommend. I'm thinking sour cream size containers, possibly a couple of ice cube trays. Thoughts?

I saw corn frozen in muffin tins and I am going to try that.

I've seen things frozen in water before. Have not tried it. What I do do is freeze water bottles or gatorade bottles with water and stick those in the waterers so they are like ice blocks keeping the water colder all day. I keep a couple in the freezer to rotate out. I better get a couple more though. I got two waterers out there.

You could probably do the frozen treat thing just in a cube tray also. Blueberries, rasberries, mint leaves...you name it.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Wanna bet?? It has gotten to be a competition with Judy. I think she is waiting to see how long they will sit there before I throw them out. I am waiting to see how long I can leave them for before she throws it out.




BTW....BC When your kids do leave you will experience the empty nest syndrome. We had it for a long time compared to most people. I think ours lasted 12 1/2 minutes or so. Now Grandkids are a different animal! Them I miss in about 2 minutes after they leave or we leave them.

When potatoes rot they are the most disgusting smell I've ever smelled. Yours must have dried out or you couldn't stand being in the house with them

 

[duluthralphie]

When potatoes rot they are the most disgusting smell I've ever smelled. Yours must have dried out or you couldn't stand being in the house with them

Or Judy is just so darn stubborn she will refuse to throw them out just to spite me....She can be ornery like that.

 

[lvie]

I just thought of this. I will freeze RED 'things' for them. I would think if it is Red they will want it more.

 

[Dandelioness]

Good Morning All~
All this garden talk is making me re-think my decision. This is the first year in 15 years that I have not had a veggie garden due to summer plans, KIDS ACTIVITIES, and my job. Tonight I think I am going to have to plant some container veggies to satisify my urge to garden. Not to mention the good / HEALTHY eats that come from it. 

The whole step in posts  with 4 foot fencing is working amazing to corral the teenage chicks. We move it every other day and they have new area to destroy.....ummm I mean forage. Late yesterday afternoon we moved it towards the overgrown pasture/woods. They had a "HAY DAY" mixing up the dead leaves and plucking the live leaves and grass. Word of warning.....you will have your work cut out for you if you expect to bring them in before nightfall. 

I try to plant cover crops in areas I haven't been able to plant some years, to keep weeds at bay. The beds where I don't get so weedy the next year I've got to throw down cardboard and a ton of animal bedding (okay, maybe a half-ton). You could even cover with cardboard or newspaper now and just start adding compost and bedding as they are available.

I'm still selling pastured meat birds, but I'm thinking of moving away from moving a pen or two each day and just putting a night house made of panels and pins so I can put them in the sheep/horse pasture when a pasture has been grazed. So far, they are doing a good job scratching up the horse and goat and sheep poo back into the soil. Not much for predators gets into no-climb horse fence, and our dogs walk the perimeter each night. Right now, I'm leaving a pasture pen as the night house and they put themselves to bed each night. But all that to say, having the shelter right on the edge of your step-in fence post area might help streamline your evening chores. Keep moving the fence, but keep the night house accessible. Kind of orbit the pen as long as you can, just move every week or so.

All good questions.  I am suppose to  be slowing down  with my advancing age....  I seem to be having more and more to do.   I am currently 7 months behind on my Summer work.  I am thinking about not planting my potatoes for this year.    Right now I have them planted on the countertop, they have been there nearly 3 months and do not seem to be growing well.  I was going to transplant them, but it might be getting too late for them.  BTW when transplanting potatoes do you have to wash the green/blue powder and what looks to be fungi off them or not?


I am going to get a  haircut today, I cannot handle any more spousal unit nagging on the subject.  What a PITA........errr  I mean Belly button...


I am trying to get my birds all back into one flock now.  Except the PC's.  I have fences to build, garden to till, birds to move.  I am also needing to build a rooster/soup pen.    The Creamers that did fine together have started fighting and beating on each other since I instigated them with  the layers.  I love having 50 birds free ranging the yard! It makes it look so much more farmish!


I am not sure what to do with my older Creamer Rooster.  I may try to bring him into the main flock and keep a younger one for next year.  Andy while still my best looking rooster in my mind is a chicken!   He refuses to stand up for himself and allows the other roosters to pick  on him without fighting back.  Another reason I need a soup pen.  I may have to build a special fence for just my potential "show" birds. I would hate to have him maimed by a sub-standard soup bone.



Well,,haircut and off to the stores...then back to sweating all day long. 



Oh and::::





KLOPPERS WHERE ARE YOU?

We could add a few more to that list too... Jerry , EJB, Destiny and I know more but senior moment took those names from me..

I've had good luck using organic potatoes as seed potatoes in the past. Between the gophers and low-carbing, I'm not messing with potatoes this year! But it's not too late to plant if you like new potatoes.

Good morning from the west coast . I finally got a connection for my laptop . Granddaughter turns 18 today . This Washington state is berry paradise . Salmon berries getting ripe . Blackberries blooming everywhere . Really invasive here . 

Hey, Jerry - it's so exciting to see young loved ones reach adulthood. I have one turning 18 this year, and it's been a real blessing to see him become a young man.
The wild strawberries are rampant at my place. I have some blueberry bushes I'm watching. The wild black caps are still green, but they are legion this year! I just send my kids out to eat some fruit while I make sandwiches this time of year. We do teach plant ID, and they're very good about it.

...

My Big veggie garden was left in weeds this year too.  Too much going on.  I just dont have the time for it.  And it's always sub parr anyways.  Fighting snow shoe hares, deer pushing down the fence....blah blah blah.


Let me tell you.  When my two chicks leave the nest I'm going to be begging for them to spend a night or bring me their laundry or something.  I think you have us all wrong, quite frankly. 

IKR?

never buy sushi from the grocery store in a town that obviously doesn't even know what sushi is.......my California rolls tasted like hard dry tasteless rice :/   my ONLY regret from leaving the big city of Delavan WI....ha ha...it's not really big but it had the BEST sushi bar EVER!

I loved the sushi/sashimi when living in Japan and Hawaii. Sakura in St. Paul is the best home cooking I've found in MN. Spendy, but worth it! Were you stationed in Japan at some point?