Global Drought & Food Prices, Finding Free Chicken Food, Free Cheese Recipes!

A "cook book" that looks fascinating

 The Storm Gourmet-Extraordinary Meals W/O Electricity 

for any living in quake, tornado or hurricane areas

               
Global Drought & Food Prices-
I'm posting more info on this, as I think some people still don't get it. Some can choose that path, but it may be painful. I have noticed in my own discount grocery stores that food prices are still going up. And the harvest season is not over. While not wanting to be alarmist- we need to put on our big girl/big boys pants and do some more work. Whining about not being able to afford a turkey for bird day in November won't get one on the table. Get it :) So here's a few things I found were concise and make some excellent points-

Special thanks to Ohio Farmgirl for the amazing links on her blog! Close Up Look At The 2012 Drought will be really helpful in understanding that this is a GLOBAL DROUGHT, not an American one. I have read this basic info plenty of other places, and please take the time to read it. START BUYING MORE FOOD TO STORE, NOW. I don't mean over priced, plastic containers of kid-sized fruit servings. Buy gallons, they're easy to store. Join something like Costco if you can, (or something similar) if you don't have access to those kinds of canned foods. I know many of you can, and preserve food like in various ways. We're way ahead of the curve there. I'm going to be investing in some Gamma Lids at my regular grocery store, to go with my pre-existing buckets. With  much of our produce being imported from other countries who are ALSO having droughts, stock up. I'm doing what I can here and will keep at it.

Another point too- what do you do if your spouse isn't quite on board? Time for those "crucial conversations". Have them read more about this, do what you can. They'll thank you later :) I have talked to my adult children, but I think they don't get it :(  Don't forget your pets too, as most of those foods are also grain-based! And in the interest of feeding my chickens too...

Finding Free Chicken Food-
I was thinking the other day about how many places throw away scraps of fresh produce that would be great, free food for chickens. I'm going to nose around a one business I know, that serves meals to kids and throws a way a lot of food. Most daycare centers/preschools, retirement centers all do this, churches and any other places you can brainstorm about too. I think most people don't like actually throwing away food in the trash. It just takes some courage to ask and explain what you want, don't create work for them, and keep it simple. Give me some feedback if you have some ideas? Now that's recycling!

Free Cheese Recipes-
I found this little gem here Free Cheese Recipes Enjoy!!!

Recipes Re-Do, New Fruit Tree, Thrifting, & Fall Prims

Recipes Redo-
Years ago I bought two mini photo albums to keep my recipes clippings in. One for main dishes, and one for desserts. Years later it's too big and cumbersome, with all those recipes I haven't quite gotten to:

I used a wooden basket to contain things

but it's looking too junky as well as unorganized

I bought a very thin binder and sheet protectors. I sat down, did a major edit of all the recipes, and made them fit. Presto changeo!

I can pull out what I need-

Much tidier looking-

New Fruit Tree-
We had been looking all over town for another fruit tree to plant, since we're wanting to grow more of our own food. We already have an apple and nectarine tree. Fruit trees are usually marked down in the summer, but I'd given up as everyone was out of stock in the last month. Then, lo and behold, going into Lowe's yesterday- FRUIT TREES!!! 25% off, and we got a nice, healthy, semi-dwarf Bartlett Pear tree for $15.00. It looks lop-sided, some of the branches grew to the left a bit in the nursery, but should correct itself. We'll add a tree stake in a week. Here's the new baby we planted today-

Here's the apple tree we planted 4 years ago in a similar spot-

Thrifting-
I hit a yard sale yesterday, and got a plastic jar full of cookie cutters for $1.00-

All the holidays are covered, and then some :)

and a nice punch tin lamp, also a buck-

Fall Prims-

I saw these and LOVED them! I found them at the Factorydirectcraft.com website. $9.00 each and shipping. I love their website and have ordered from there before. Cute! Cat/pumpkin on the left, crow on the right (forgot to remove the tag)-

                                                        

Independence Days Challenge, 9 Point Chicken Checkup & Ointment, Farm Aid Disaster Fund

Independence Days Challenge-
I haven't posted this much recently even though I work on this just about daily:

1. Plant Something- Moved my 3 "mystery veggies" (pumpkins!) to a better place, planted 2 tarragons, a perennial and squash.

2. Harvest Something- my first tomatoes, basil, eggs, compost. I spotted a baby eggplant tonite, my first! Sadly not much in the way of apples and nectarines this year. I may have to just buy apples for applesauce, etc. this year :(

3. Preserve/Store Something- Made refrigerator pickles & strawberry jam. I bought more pine nuts ($15.00 a lb., ouch!) so I'll make a lot of pesto for the freezer. Put pine nuts in the fridge this time so they won't go rancid in this heat.

4. Manage Reserves- Get A Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Got some free veggies from the farmers market, stocked up on chicken parts to freeze, more misc. stuff at Costco.

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipes- Used up old apples into a blueberry/apple cobbler, wonderful! Going thru old recipes & cookbooks for more vegetarian dishes that are healthier and cheaper. Made Tennessee Cornpone and pesto from my huge basil (I started from seed) for yummy wholegrain linguine pasta.

6. Build Community Food Systems- Bought some veggies at a farmer's market coming back from McCall, raspberry items and Healing Salve at the festival up north. The raspberry vinegar is AMAZING!!! More free rhubarb from neighbor. Bought some local baked good today.

7. Recycle/Re-Use- Composting, bought more used clothes for work I need to tailor a bit, re-purposed a dresser into canning cabinet, used vintage glass canning jars missing glass lids into candle holders.

8. Skill Up- Refreshed camping skills, more sewing, getting better with my camera.

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- Saved pumpkins after I ID'ed them. Watering yard heavily in this intense heat.

9 Point Chicken Checkup & DIY Ointment-
I subscribe to the free newsletter thru Mother Earth news Community Chickens Blog. Here's an excellent article from the last week, several great ideas!!! 9 Point Comb-to-Toe Chicken Check-Up & DIY Ointment  While I was already doing most of this I will be making up some of the suggested ointment too. In the mean time, the Healing Salve I bought from the monastery will do...

                                         
Farm Aid Family Farm Disaster Fund-
from my recent farm Aid newsletter-

In much sadder news, the record-breaking drought, which is the worst in decades, continues to devastate farmland across the country. Our hotline is busy with calls from family farmers trying to cope with drought and we have put up a Disaster Assistance for Farmers page with some resources for farmers dealing with the drought and other natural disasters.

We've also activated our Family Farm Disaster Fund. As Willie Nelson says, "Our farmers and the soil they depend on are crucial for the future of agriculture. Farm Aid works to keep every family farmer on the land, no matter what extreme conditions they face."

                                           
                                                            Barn Hop