The Front Porch Swing

[Blooie]

Um, so at this point I guess confessing to loving a steaming bowl of Campbell's creme of tomato soup with a big blop of butter and a balogna sammich would be a sacrilege??

 

[sarahsunshine]

On a non food related topic, a couple days ago I got a pickup load of cedar shavings. I was planning to use them for chicken bedding. Yesterday someone suggested that cedar should not be used for chickens, nor pine. I used cedar for my rats growing up and never had any problems. Is there a reason to not use cedar?

There is also a local mill that deals with Douglas Fir. Would that be better? (it's all free.

 

[Triple Willow]

yes.. I only learnt using the leaves and some stems for Malaria prevention but now that I'm here malaria is not prevalent here, I would probably still not make it cause it was bitter as **** even adding pure honey didn't quite make it enjoyable to drink. As for the barks and roots for arthritis and gout I didn't learn and my dad doesn't know the English names of the trees they come from. We only had two of the trees at home. I use ginger, honey and stinging nettle most now

Last Dec I also learnt using fresh laid egg and pure unfiltered honey when mom made for my niece who has Cerebral palsy and could not cough up/out phlegm.

Ahhhh so very interesting! You really ought to write down everything you can. If not it will soon be lost. I have seen it happen in my family and my boyfriend's family. Younger folks just don't see the old remedies as important and the knowledge is soon lost.
Boy some goat would be delicious! I haven't had any in a couple years. Maybe I need to get a few to help me out around here with the grass and weeds then put them in the freezer this fall. I haven't done that in a while.
What do you do with the nettles???

 

[wyoDreamer]

Um, so at this point I guess confessing to loving a steaming bowl of Campbell's creme of tomato soup with a big blop of butter and a balogna sammich would be a sacrilege??

I have Campbell's tomato soup cravings during winter. And I have to have a toasted cheese sandwich (with onions) for dipping. Funny thing is - DH has to have Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup with his toasted cheese sandwich (no onions!).
I have been unable to imitate that tomato soup flavor - yet. I am still trying, though I will probably never succeed because I am not willing to add all that artificial stuff to it.

 

[LindaB220]

Not sure if y'all are interested in this. My local TSC has catfish food at 32% protein for $18.99 a 50# bag. I'm definitely gonna beef my feed up a little.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...ory_rn=&top_category=&urlLangId=&cm_vc=-10005

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Um, so at this point I guess confessing to loving a steaming bowl of Campbell's creme of tomato soup with a big blop of butter and a balogna sammich would be a sacrilege??

One of our favorite lunches here is tomato soup with broiled cheese sandwiches*. If I add those thin sliced deli ham slices under the cheese, Dad moans and groans from the pure pleasure of it. "You're spoiling me!" Meanwhile, I feel like I cheated on the meal because it's so easy.

Honestly, I think Dad would be even happier with balogna, but ... hmmmm ... as much as I appreciate all the salvaged meat that goes into balogna (for the thriftiness of it), I just never put that on my shopping list so it's never in my fridge.

* Broiled Cheese Sandwich: It's a misnomer ... there is no sandwich. This is open-faced goodness here. Just put a slice of yummy bread on a cookie sheet (lined with foil if you're being lazy like me), a thick cheese slice or two, maybe a sprinkle of season salt, stick under the broiler until it is at the melty yummy stage you love best (clear up to crispy!). Our favorite is plain Tillamook Cheddar Cheese ... and it's orange!

Variations include sliced meats, avocado, tomato, crab or tuna salad, hot or pickled peppers, salsa or hot sauce or pico de gallo, fresh basil, sauteed onions, bacon, mushrooms, you name it, or ... EVERYTHING!

A person could sub in a tortilla for the bread ... be creative, it's your tummy. But be warned: the more you put on it, the harder it is to dunk in your tomato soup!

 

[Loc20chick]

Ahhhh so very interesting!

You really ought to write down everything you can. If not it will soon be lost. I have seen it happen in my family and my boyfriend's family. Younger folks just don't see the old remedies as important and the knowledge is soon lost.
Boy some goat would be delicious! I haven't had any in a couple years. Maybe I need to get a few to help me out around here with the grass and weeds then put them in the freezer this fall. I haven't done that in a while.
What do you do with the nettles???

I think I will, my sisters have been saying we need to write down stories of family stuff, I think I'll just start and email my family to add what they know.
The nettle is made into a powder or dried and crushed into small pieces, I get it from my mom all ready, I make mashed potatoes with it and add peas and sweet corn when boiling the potatoes, that's how we make our traditional mashed potatoes. It's also used in soups by adding a spoonful or two when its nearly done.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Not sure if y'all are interested in this. My local TSC has catfish food at 32% protein for $18.99 a 50# bag. I'm definitely gonna beef my feed up a little.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...ory_rn=&top_category=&urlLangId=&cm_vc=-10005

Ohhhhhhhh! We always love a cheap source of dehydrated protein ... but what's in it??? I am having google issues even finding the company website!

On a non food related topic, a couple days ago I got a pickup load of cedar shavings. I was planning to use them for chicken bedding. Yesterday someone suggested that cedar should not be used for chickens, nor pine. I used cedar for my rats growing up and never had any problems. Is there a reason to not use cedar?

There is also a local mill that deals with Douglas Fir. Would that be better? (it's all free.

The cedar releases stuff into the air that can be hard on the chicken's lungs -- but if your coop is very open-air, it is probably less problematic. Pine is what everyone suggests ... dried pine shavings are the "industry standard." The big brand around here is Cozy Den ...

http://www.bearmountainforestproducts.com/product/cozy-den-animal-bedding-premium-pine-shavings/

That company also makes a little pelleted product ... out of sawdust. When moisture hits those, they break apart and expand a LOT. I got a huge load of those for FREE once ... discarded from the fancy horse facility near me ... and they work great for brooding chicks (put a paper towel over them for the first week or so ... change the towels frequently ... once the birds are responsible about what they eat and have sturdier legs, you can quit using the paper towels).

Pine doesn't grow much in this valley, but we have lots of douglas fir -- huge timber industry here, or there used to be .... We have a source for our shavings that is a little local company that makes wooden doors out of the local douglas fir, and we get the stuff they plane off of those and use it for our bedding with good results. The shavings are a bit sturdier than the light and flakey kiln dried pine shavings are, but our birds are serious scratchers and the bigger shavings seem to hold up a little better. And we like the localness of it, and the efficiency of using "industrial waste" from the door company.

I've read that another kind of wood shavings tends to mildew ... can't remember which kind though!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

On a non food related topic, a couple days ago I got a pickup load of cedar shavings. I was planning to use them for chicken bedding. Yesterday someone suggested that cedar should not be used for chickens, nor pine. I used cedar for my rats growing up and never had any problems. Is there a reason to not use cedar?

There is also a local mill that deals with Douglas Fir. Would that be better? (it's all free.

Did your rats ever get ulcers on their feet? If not, great, dodged a bullet, because the oils in cedar can cause soreness and inflammation, even in tough horses' hooves. Pine is fine.

 

[LindaB220]

we have hazelnut trees here (a huge one), and I hope to plant more types... Pecan? Almond? Walnut (watch out they are allelopathic).

Mulberries trimmed back ea yr to stay at 6-8' is the best investment you can make. The leaves can be fed to the chickens as well as the berries. High protein in both. Google it