PolitiCook.net

ETHEL’S CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

I usually make this over two days. The first day is the chicken down to the dicing stage and the second day is cooking everything else. I put in everything! I remember my Mother making this for her church suppers. It is soooo good! AND you can freeze it or eat on it for days and days! It just gets better.
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Hope for the future - planting for a “second season”

  Here in Texas, at least in Dallas, there is a dead zone in the year, a time of year when it is too hot and too dry for just about any but the hardiest native plants to grow or produce.  But, with the first hint of fall, the morning glories that grow like weeds in the alleys start to bloom, and I know it’s time for that wonderful time of year, the Second Season!

  Follw me below the fold, and let me tell you more about the second season. Read more »

End of the Season

It’s been raining since yesterday evening, and more is on the way. The temperatures are in the 70s, a far cry from the 100s of just last Saturday.

Even better, the leaves are starting to turn and fall from the trees. Not the oaks (although I sure do detect a touch of turning), but the hickories and pecans and elms. Fall is definitely on the way.

To celebrate, I’m going to plagiarize myself and post a newspaper article I wrote last year. Be warned: the gardens described are at my old place and not here …

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A Worthy Read …

… on a 100+ degree afternoon, with watermelon: On rare and endangered foods, and vanishing food traditions:

Anyway, back to the cynicism of which I have in abundance. I am not one to believe capitalism is a cure to all that ails us: that we can, say, buy our way out of global warming by purchasing a solar panel or two, a hybrid car, a few canvas shopping bags. As you may know by now, I think we’re all quickly approaching the shores of an entirely different world […] Currently, I do seed-save some of the threatened and endangered vegetables, and I intend to breed a few crucial animals over the next few years. My cynicism comes in (and again, it’s hard to keep up!) when everyone just HAS TO HAVE x cool endangered item. Is creating a market for them a good thing? I suppose if it brings something back from the brink of extinction, it is.

Either way, it’s nice that some people give a damn.

Ah, a farmer after my own heart. The links and pics alone are worth a read.

This is not someone who is doing it because it’s the latest thing, like a new pair of shoes or stylish car. This is not someone who’s doing it because they think it will bring them fame and fortune.

This is someone who’s doing it out of love and commitment.

Bean Bed Update…

Crossposted from Monkeyfister’s place with his permission so biscuit can see it - Kate

All is good in the Bean Bed. As you can see, I’ve got all the twine trellises tied up (32 of them), and the Pole Beans are having a great time growing up them. All I need to do now, is keep them on their own strings, while the lines tighten up.

The Bush Beans are growing fine. We see the First Planting is up and running, while the Second Planting is popping up well. I plugged in some more seeds where I didn’t see germination. Now, it is time to sow Planting 3. I should be getting Beans from Planting #1 in about two weeks, and from the Pole Beans in about 3 weeks. I am still harvesting Bush Beans from the Tomatoes/Peppers bed, and just as they are done, these will be coming in.

The Return of My Nemesis

Behold: the world’s tiniest bear is still living under my old place.

The CSA Media Hype… Think Localer…

YES! CSAs are a wonderful and necessary step toward a more sustainable way of life that we all must embrace. Yes! But, they are getting shoehorned into a model, and getting suddenly and sorely pressured.

There are just not enough of them of scale (Centennial Farm sized) right now, and all the media push toward them is going to hurt the whole excellent idea by overwhelming it.

This will be corporatized soon, I fear. I see “Whole Foods Own Exclusive CSA Produce Bundles– Variety Priced Right!” CSA.com bubble here we come, so it is good to bring the CSA radius closest to home. I hate to sound like the Concern Troll, but, the push is pretty severe, especially right now.

PSSSSST!!! I’ve got a hot little secret for you– CSA is short for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and dig this– you can do it on a neighborhood level. Read more »

Book Review: The Urban Homestead

The Urban Homestead: your guide to self-sufficient living in the heart of the city
by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen
$11.53 from Amazon

I can’t recall where I first saw mention of this book, but the subtitle convinced me to check it out. Then I saw that they included a chapter on stealth backyard chickens, so how could I not buy it?

I hadn’t had a chance to read it until yesterday, which was spent chauffeuring to yet more doctor appointments and the associated waiting in various rooms for medical personnel to do their thing. I also carried a C J Sansom novel in case this one was too dry or uninteresting, but I needn’t have bothered.

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Strawberry Freezer Jam

This is our last week of the lovely strawberries that grow up here and are succulent and sweet. I made 6 nice 4 oz jars of strawberry freezer jam with them. Freezer jams are fresher tasting and a brighter color than processed jam. I like it alot. I’ve had a strawberry/raspberry combination that was really spectactular.
3/4 C sugar
1/2 pkg of the Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
stir together and add
2 cups smashed strawberries rinsed and hulled
1 1/2 tsp fresh strained lemon juice
Mix all ingredients for 3 minutes
Spoon into the sterilized jars and add a small basil leaf to each jar. Wipe off the rims of the jars with a clean,warm,wet cloth. Cap and let sit for 30 minutes. Either refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or keep in freezer for up to a year.
Many combinations can be tried. I’ m trying a peach blueberry rosemary jam next!
Think about :
strawberry/rhubarb
peach/blueberry
apricot/pear
blackberry/raspberry
apple/pear
fig/lemon
add any herbs you wish….give me some suggestions!
Any room in a freezer is a place for a jar or two of a lovely jam. Small batches are a plus!

Square-Foot Gardening 101… (the whole thing)

With Monkeyfister’s permission, I am reproducing his whole post here with pictures. The original post can be found over at his place. Kate

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I had one last garden box left to prepare, and I figured that it would make a great tutorial. This method of gardening is foolproof, and hugely productive. Here’s a quick step-by-step.

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