tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35629946292204099202024-03-05T07:13:02.241-08:00Canyon Creek FarmsThe good life, unpluggedVictoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-69327334917025320042017-03-10T09:30:00.001-08:002017-03-10T09:30:52.840-08:00So much social media, so little time...Boy, have things changed for me in the past few years. I am now
working on my third book, and spending more of my time traveling to
various speaking events around the country. Back home in the foothills
of northwest Washington, gardening season is fast approaching, and I am
at long last putting together my little blacksmith shop.<br />
<br />
As
you know, I love learning new skills, particularly traditional
homesteading skills. This spring I am focused on learning the art of
sharpening; not just kitchen knives, but all sorts of tools. Seems to me
that this is a very handy skill to have around the homestead. All sorts
of cutting tools are used frequently here: chainsaws, axes and mauls,
lawn mowers and scythes, adzes and froes, chisels, planes, hand and
power saws... you get the idea. All of these tools are at their best and
most useful when they are good and sharp. So, much of my spare time at
the moment is being devoted to studying and practicing my sharpening and
honing skills.<br />
<br />
Who knows, this might even turn into a farm enterprise one of these days.<br />
<br />
With
so much of my time these days spent focused on writing and speaking, I
find I have less time to spare for Internet activities. It's a bit of a
dilemma, since writers are constantly being told we need a presence on a
variety of social media in order to build and maintain our "platform."
We don't have high-speed Internet at home, so I typically spend a couple
of hours, two or three times a week, at a coffee shop down the hill in
Sequim, catching up on Facebook and whatever else I have time for.<br />
<br />
I
will continue to post on this blog when I can, but realistically, I
have to prioritize my time and energy. I love living off the grid, and
honestly I believe that not having high-speed Internet and a TV at home
greatly increases my daily productivity. Social media definitely has a
place in my life. But it simply doesn't work for me to be on social
media sites every day.<br />
<br />
So... thank you all for your interest in my homesteading life here in Washington. Please take a look at my website, <a href="http://victoriaredhedmiller.com/">victoriaredhedmiller.com</a>,
for information about upcoming speaking events, my current writing
projects, and blog posts on homestead life and my thoughts about all
sorts of subjects. Feel free to comment or post questions, or use my
contact form to get hold of me. I always love to hear from you!Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-78134000265103915902015-08-26T13:42:00.000-07:002015-08-27T09:10:58.619-07:00Timber company Merrill & Ring poised to commit herbicide<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>View from the uphill side of the logged area; the clearcut is to the left. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is about 200 yards from our gate. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
As if <a href="http://www.merrillring.com/sustainability-forest-practices/" target="_blank">Merrill & Ring</a>'s recent
logging of 120 acres on Fish Hatchery Road wasn't destructive enough,
now they are planning to carpet-bomb the area with Roundup and two
other herbicides. We are outraged and more than a little upset by
this news. We are the only ones who live full-time near the area to
be sprayed, one border of which is about 200 yards downhill from our
gate. In addition to growing a lot of organic garden and tree crops,
we also raise free-ranging chickens, turkeys and ducks. Not to
mention the 30-some acres of gorgeous second-growth forest that make
up the majority of our 40 acres. Oh and the two large ponds, both of
which are home to many migratory birds as well as year-round resident
wildlife, and one of which supplies our animals and ourselves with
water.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The logging operation, which involved
removing every single tree on both sides of the road, went on from
mid-November 2014 to early January 2015. Just like that, all those
acres of animal habitat, erosion control, oxygen production and beautiful scenery gone.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is about 1/4 mile down from our gate, shortly after the clearcut. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The remaining trees are mostly 80' tall or more; as you can see, they are nearly all fir, not the alder or cherry trees targeted by the planned spraying.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Six months after the logging was
concluded, the area was just starting to look green again. Alder
stumps are sending out shoots, a favorite food for deer to browse on.
Lots of sword ferns are thriving. I have seen Red-Tailed Hawks,
American Kestrels, and even a Golden Eagle hunting over this ground
this summer. I have no doubt that many small birds and mammals have
moved back in, now that there is some cover and more food sources.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the way, the eastern border of the
spray area runs very close to the Dungeness River and is less than a
mile upstream from the Dungeness Fish Hatchery. For those unfamiliar
with the Dungeness River, it is a major spawning ground for salmon
and steelhead, and we're rapidly approaching that time of year again.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is all the notice we were given about the impending spraying. I actually never noticed it until David told me where to look for it, although I passed it several times on the road.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
About a week ago, my husband David
noticed a sign posted on a tree at the northern border of the logged
area. The white 11" x 14" sign is on a tree at least 30 feet from the
road, and not at all easy to get to, which you have to do in order to
read the thing. It announces the impending aerial application of not
one but three horrible herbicides: Glyphosate (Roundup), Sulphometron Extra, and Clopyralid. When? Anywhere between August 24
and September 30!<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Over to the right, just above center, you can see the sign as it appears from the road. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It is impossible to read unless you're within a few feet of it.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This area is quite hilly and frequently
windy; the winds are more noticeable since all those tall trees were
removed. Because of the terrain and the tall trees surrounding the
spray area, we believe that the helicopter will have to fly high
enough that it can't possibly confine the spray to the designated
space.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When we called Merrill & Ring, we
were told that the spraying is to control alder trees; around here
alders are considered weed trees by many, although many others
(including ourselves) rely on the fast-growing alder as an excellent firewood for
heating our homes. However, according to the sign, the “target”
vegetation includes salmonberries, elderberries, cherry, thistle and
(wait for it) grass. Presumably they are planning to replant the area
with fir and other non-weedy timber trees, and someone thinks it's a
good idea to prepare the ground by killing everything in or near it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Incidentally, I see very little
evidence –and believe me, I have been looking– of salmonberries
and elderberries surreptitiously taking over the place. I grant you
there is grass. Are they seriously saying grass is going to impede
their efforts to plant trees here?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I didn't have to look far to find out
some very disturbing details about the herbicides. Take a look at the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate" target="_blank">Wikipedia page about Roundup (glyphosate)</a>. Or this <a href="http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/EA6DE6F7-696B-4DF9-8BF4-1D85582B3D77/0/Sulfometuron.pdf" target="_blank">fact sheet about sulphometron extra</a>. The third chemical, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clopyralid" target="_blank">Wikipedia page about chlopyralid</a>, is just as bad. Here is a little of what its Wikipedia
page says: “... damaging to peas, tomatoes and sunflowers... may
make potatoes, lettuce and spinach inedible... known to persist in
dead plants [i.e. compost].” OK, you pretty much had me at Roundup.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Is that really all the notice that M &
R is required to give us, an inconspicuous small sign on a tree? Would
it have been so terrible to pick up the phone, let us know what was
happening, and give us an opportunity to ask questions and express
our concerns? How about an environmental impact statement, with notices in local papers? So far we've been unable to get a straight answer to
our question about exactly when the spraying will occur; presumably
there are possible weather issues when it comes to flying
helicopters, but still, the range of possible dates is ridiculous. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Merrill & Ring had better get used to hearing our voices on the
phone. Damn right I'm upset.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Like David said, every time we hear a
helicopter near us we're going to wonder if today is the day. Or one
of the days. At the moment, all we know is that sometime soon, they
will be spraying horrible, poisonous stuff on both sides of a road we
use daily, near our home, our food and water supply, our animals and
the local environment at large. It matters not a bit that we are the
only ones –at least the only humans– living near the area to be
sprayed. It is simply not right.</div>
Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-27023587139296605882015-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:002015-08-17T08:00:19.121-07:00Being alive: Musings on the mysteries of marriage<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love musical theatre. One of my
favorite shows is <i><b>Company</b></i>, in which Bobby, a thirtyish
New York Citian is the last of his circle of friends to remain
single. He shares meals and social events with these friends,
listening to them and observing their lives: how they interact, how
they treat each other and their children, what they like and don't
like about marriage. Some are recently married and a bit tentative,
others settled into the amiable companionship of longtime friends and
lovers. One couple is divorced but living together with their
children.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bobby takes it all in and throughout
the show, he considers the pros and cons of marriage. At the end, he
expresses all his doubts, anticipation, and finally, his rising
wonder and excitement as he concludes that it would be worth taking
the chance. A chance too good to be missed. The song is <i>Being
Alive</i>:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Someone to hold you too close</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Someone to hurt you too deep</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Someone to sit in your chair, and
ruin your sleep</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> And make you aware of being
alive...</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>David before I knew him, before the mustache.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was 39 when, 15 years ago today, I
got married for the first time. I have been asked why I got married
so “late.” Let's just say that life circumstances in my early
adulthood did not allow marriage to be a priority. In retrospect, I
don't believe I would have been ready for such a commitment at a
younger age. Actually I think, for me, it happened at just the right
time.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<i>David near the base of Snoqualmie Falls, shortly before our wedding</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What is it about being married anyway?
Why is it so different from, say, living together? I hazard the guess
that it has to do with the expectations we naturally have about what
marriage is, or should be, or will be, or what we want it to be.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Someone to need you too much</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Someone to know you too well</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Someone to pull you up short, and
put you through hell</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> And give you support for being
alive...</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Celebrating back at our house in Seattle</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I like, and often feel the need for,
quantities of time to myself. I lived by myself for a long time
before I got married, and am used to having space and time. This
hasn't changed. Still, I love the companionship of being together,
talking or not, doing something important or not... sitting outside
looking at the stars, enjoying the quiet sounds of the birds settling
down to sleep, curled up with good books near the living-room
woodstove, working on a project together. I'm much more of a realist
than a romantic type, but I can, and do, appreciate the romance of
sharing simple things. Companionship. Nice.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>David with Old Tom, our farm mascot</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have rarely felt what I would call
lonely in my life, but I have certainly had many moments of feeling
alone. The most memorable, painful, almost heart-stopping of these
moments have occurred within my marriage. The almost indescribable
vulnerability of being disconnected from someone you love so much...
like being on the outside of a house, the structure, the bones of the
edifice you imagined to be so solid, so <i>sure</i>... looking up at
the windows to see all the shades pulled down. What has happened
here? Am I locked out? Is he huddled somewhere inside, in the dark,
as frightened and miserable as I?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Make me confused, mock me with
praise</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Let me be used, vary my days</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> But alone is alone, not alive</i> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Gotta love a man who hauls wood and picks up eggs at the same time!</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We both brought a lot of baggage with
us into this relationship. It is frustrating to me that, in spite of
all my efforts and willingness to let things go, to forgive and move
on, so many past hurts still lurk in the shadows, waiting their
moment to rear up and cause new pain. Some of my most awful moments
have been those where I find myself wanting to strike back, to force
him to experience the pain I want to blame him for... and I know that
isn't really me, that in my heart what I want him to experience is
how much I love him, adore him, care for him, want to be here with
him. It is probably inevitable that we hurt each other at times,
although I suspect this is mostly about wanting someone to share our
own pain. I just want to always be sorry when I cause him pain, not
glad.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i> Someone you have to let in</i></div>
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<i> Someone whose feelings you spare</i></div>
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<i> Someone who, like it or not, will
want you to share</i></div>
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<i> A little, a lot, of being alive</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Terror at 1000 feet!</i> <i>I love a man with a sense of humor.</i></div>
<i>
</i>
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<br /></div>
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There is so much that I want to give
this man. So much I want –no, need– to share with him. We are
both people who find it easier to give than to receive, though, both
a little wary of being rejected. What would happen if it turned out
that he doesn't want or need anything that I have to offer? When this
thought intrudes occasionally I push it away; whatever is happening
at the moment, it simply can't be true. I have the evidence of these
15 years for that.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yes, life is a dynamic thing, evolving
and changing and transforming us in the process. But the things that
drew us together, attracted us to each other, stirred up and wrapped
us round with whatever mysterious glue it is that forms that bond
between two people... those things are still there, still just as
true as ever. Like a kaleidoscope; all the pieces are there, always
the same, but when you shake it, turn it over, aim it at the light,
the pieces roll and clatter and slip into an almost infinite variety
of unpredictable patterns. That's how I see marriage. I hope I never
find myself taking it for granted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9B4hMSWzGYO9WCNOXDMHVlyRCQvoJEw-0InfdlzDjVt-Kr9TeDc43OTphojezfDYHopDomj32VkEl7U2MMoAmDnHJQzpOM6TED9bpJsmJRjCl6FCwlX_XGoVkNNoh0XqwuyxVZs-atA/s1600/David+and+Cosmo+cropped+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9B4hMSWzGYO9WCNOXDMHVlyRCQvoJEw-0InfdlzDjVt-Kr9TeDc43OTphojezfDYHopDomj32VkEl7U2MMoAmDnHJQzpOM6TED9bpJsmJRjCl6FCwlX_XGoVkNNoh0XqwuyxVZs-atA/s320/David+and+Cosmo+cropped+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>David and our cat Cosmo napping</i></div>
<i>
</i>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What ever happened to Bobby, I wonder?
Did he follow his heart, find a true partner and learn to navigate
the risky but glorious, unknown but exciting experience of marriage?
I hope so. Perhaps it sounds simplistic, or even a bit silly, but I
honestly <i>like</i> being married. I love and treasure the man I
married, and I want to be grateful every day that I am here in this
beautiful place, this home that is ours, all that we share and know
as our marriage.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Somebody crowd me with love</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Somebody force me to care</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Somebody make me come through, I'll
always be there</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Frightened as you to help us
survive </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> Being alive, being alive, being
alive... being alive!</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-79277830960781653652015-06-21T11:25:00.000-07:002015-06-21T11:29:54.551-07:00A personal note on the Charleston church tragedyI don't usually air my views on things like this publicly. The recent shooting at a church in South Carolina has moved me to make an exception.<br />
<br />
For quite some time now, I have avoided listening to the news as much as possible. This isn't a put-my-head-in-the-sand strategy, it's more about trying not to allow myself to be bombarded by negativity. I do like to be informed, especially during election years, though, and I must admit that it isn't easy to find that balance between learning what I'd like to know in order to make good choices and not absorbing too much negative energy.<br />
<br />
I am not on Facebook every day. In fact, this morning is the first time
I've logged onto FB in over a week, and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the
quantity and tone of the posts relating to the Charleston shooting. One
post was about a woman who was reportedly calling for a "race war" in
response to the shooting. Several speculated about whether the shooting
victims were actually actors who were paid to be there. While I had
heard a little on the radio about the messages of forgiveness and
compassion coming from the church congregation, there was very little
mention of this on FB. <br />
<br />
My husband likes to listen to the news headlines at the top of every hour on NPR, and while I am usually in the other room, I can't always avoid hearing some of it. So I did hear the soundbites about the church shooting in Charleston. Then there was the inevitable reaction; on the radio, on Facebook, and elsewhere. I don't want to talk about the exploitation of this horrible event by those seeking to make political hay out of other people's pain. Nor do I have a personal agenda having to do with race or gun control or religion. I would like to share my opinion on what leads to this kind of violence, and what we can and should do about it.<br />
<br />
Here's what happened: This individual made a series of choices that led him to this church. He had some kind of issue (real or imagined, who knows?) and chose to address his problem with violence toward others. What we should be asking is, how, in a society like ours, does a person get to a place where he (or she) decides that the solution to his or her problem is to respond with violence? Even young children are making this choice. Something is very wrong here, and it is bigger than race or arms or religion.<br />
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I do not believe that what happened in Charleston was based on race. I don't believe that the person responsible would not have committed a violent act if only he hadn't had access to a gun. Why are we so quick to want to place the responsibility for this kind of thing outside the individual who did it? I think it's time to start separating <i>symptoms</i> of problems from the <i>actual</i> problem that lies at the root of awful violence like this. It's not enough to shrug our shoulders and say it couldn't have been prevented; once we concede that, we have declared we are powerless to change anything, and we have condemned ourselves to a life of fear.<br />
<br />
We should not accept that! I don't know what the answers are, and I'm sure that any solution will take time and it will be difficult. Yes, ultimately it was this individual's choice to act as he did. But we are all sharing this planet for a reason, and I believe it's our responsibility to support each other in the choices that we make, including teaching our children problem-solving skills that work in the long run.<br />
<br />
Frankly, I'm sick and tired of everything being turned into a "war." To me, this implies an adversarial situation, and leads us to view each other as enemies or at least potential enemies. What if, instead, we use this opportunity to look into our own hearts, reach out to those around us in love and compassion, and promote messages of peace? Let the healing begin.<br />
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<br />Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-21166524020631011732014-10-11T09:03:00.000-07:002014-10-11T09:03:06.497-07:00So what's the deal with nitrates in your food?I've been thinking about writing about nitrates for quite some time, and I am finally getting around to doing it. I'll do my best to stay off of my soapbox; it truly annoys me to read the scare-mongering idiocy when it comes to nitrates. OK, got that off my chest. <br />
<br />
To begin with, what exactly are nitrates? In this post I will discuss only sodium nitrate; potassium nitrate (saltpeter) and sodium nitrite are different and deserve their own separate consideration, so this discussion will comprise two or three posts. Sodium nitrate is a salt compound. Read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrate" target="_blank">Wikipedia page</a> about sodium nitrate; lots to consider when thinking about whether you want to eat anything with nitrates added.<br />
<br />
Nitrates have traditionally been used as an additive in cured meats such as ham and bacon. For me the relevant question is, what is the function of nitrates in this context? Why are they there, and are they really necessary?<br />
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Here is the bottom line: In cured meats, nitrates act as an anti-oxidant. What does this mean? Well, you know when you open a package of ground beef, and the outside of the meat looks a little brownish-gray, and the inside looks nice and pink (assuming it's remotely fresh, of course)? That's because the outside has been exposed to air and oxidizes, turning it brownish-gray. You see where I'm going here... the nitrates, acting as an anti-oxidant, are there to preserve the COLOR of the meat. That's right, the presence of sodium nitrate is the reason why your ham is that pretty pink color.<br />
<br />
Wait, you say, I thought the nitrates had something to do with the curing of the meat! That's exactly what I used to think, before I met David and started learning about it. I assumed that, having a chemical-sounding name, it must be a necessary part of the curing process (not that I had any idea what curing even meant at the time). So I went ahead and bought that bacon and that sandwich meat, assuming that I had no choice.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing: No matter what anyone says, it's the SALT that preserves the meat, not the nitrates or anything else. In Italy, for example, they still make prosciutto the same way they've been doing it for hundreds of years: they bury the pork leg in a box of salt and let it sit.<br />
<br />
Guess what, you DO have a choice about using nitrates, if you want to cure your own ham or bacon. On a tip from the butcher at our local QFC when we still lived in Seattle, I picked up a copy of a book published in the 1960s by the USDA for meat-industry professionals. Among many other interesting things, I learned that an acceptable substitute for sodium nitrate in cured meats is ascorbic acid. That's right, Vitamin C. Aha! We all know that Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant, right? So this makes a lot of sense, although these days what is written in charcuterie books defaults to the "you must add sodium nitrate" position.<br />
<br />
One thing that really irritates me lately is the ways that the meat industry finds of getting around the labeling regulations about nitrates. Case in point: My husband David absolutely does not want to eat anything with nitrates in it. So, he recently brought home a package of Hempler's "uncured" bacon. The label clearly says, "No nitrates added.* Ah yes, the pesky asterisk. I finally found the very tiny printing that explained the asterisk: "Except those [referring to nitrates] naturally occurring in celery juice."<br />
<br />
Huh? Excuse me, but if it looks like a nitrate and quacks like a nitrate, it's a nitrate! So I have gone back to curing our own bacon, something I hadn't done in at least a couple of years since we stopped raising pigs. I have 3 legs of prosciutto that I cured using only salt and spices and white wine, and I promise you it's safe to eat.<br />
<br />
There are definitely specific health concerns when it comes to sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite; again I refer you to the Wikipedia page. Now that you know that the nitrate is there simply to preserve the color, you are in a position to make a more informed decision about whether you want to use it or eat it.<br />
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More exciting details coming in the next post! Stay tuned,and let me know what you think in the meantime.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-80871275357493637132013-09-10T09:34:00.002-07:002013-09-10T09:34:29.061-07:00Making Montreal-style bagels at homeWhat is it about Montreal-style bagels? I love everything about them, including making them. They're quicker to make than regular bread, require no kneading, and are delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, you name it.<br />
<br />
Montreal bagels have some things in common with your classic bagel, but differ in some ways too. The cooking part is similar: After the dough rises and is shaped and rested, the bagels are dropped into simmering water briefly before being baked. The boiling pot for Montreal bagels includes malt powder and honey, which add an extra touch of sweetness and shine to the bagels.<br />
<br />
The dough is different too. Montreal bagel dough is slightly sweetened with honey, and also has egg and malt powder. They are coated on both sides with sesame seeds after they come out of the boiling pot and before they go into the oven. Traditionally, they are baked in a wood-fired oven, although you will get good results from baking them on a baking stone in your home oven as well.<br />
<br />
Montreal bagels have a slightly less chewy texture than other bagels, making them excellent for sandwiches. Toasting them brings out the slight sweetness of the honey and the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds. I love making sandwiches with these bagels; a simple cheese, onion and tomato combination is delicious, even without condiments. I usually toast the bagel first.<br />
<br />
OK, ready to try making these bagels yourself? This recipe makes about 12 good-sized bagels. Don't be afraid to cut the recipe in half or double it; this dough stores well in the refrigerator so you can use a bit at a time if you want. If you do change the proportions, though, stick with the same quantities for the boiling pot.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Montreal-style bagels</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Dough</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tablespoon granulated yeast (1-1/2 packages)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 teaspoons Kosher salt</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5 tablespoons sugar (or less according to your taste)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 egg, beaten slightly</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tablespoons honey</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3 tablespoons malt powder</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4-1/2 cups bread flour</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sesame seeds</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Boiling pot</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4 quarts water (it doesn't have to be exact, but try not to use a lot less than 4 quarts)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tablespoons honey </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tablespoons malt powder</div>
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1. <b>Mix the dough</b>. Combine all the dough ingredients except for the sesame seeds in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon (or a dough hook on your mixer) until all the flour has been incorporated. The dough will be fairly sticky at this point.<br />
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Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let dough rest at room temperature for about two hours. The dough will rise and may collapse during this rest.<br />
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2. <b>Shape the dough</b>. Preheat oven to 400F. If you're using a baking stone, allow at least 45 minutes of preheating time so the stone is good and hot by the time you want to bake the bagels.<br />
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Dust a large cutting board with flour. Turn out the dough on the cutting board, dusting the dough with flour if you need to. Knead it very gently, just for a minute, until the dough less sticky. (If you are going to refrigerate some of the dough, at this point cut off what you want to use now and put the rest in a covered container in the fridge.) Cut the dough into pieces about the size of a small orange. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. This movement is kind of like pulling a cover over a baseball; stretch the dough as you turn the ball about a quarter turn at a time. It doesn't take long, just turn and pull until the surface of the dough is smooth.<br />
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Let the shaped dough rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. This is very important. I don't usually let it go much more than 30 minutes, but 20 minutes is the minimum.<br />
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3. While the dough is resting, <b>prepare your boiling pot</b>. (The oven is preheating, right?) Heat up the 4 quarts of water in a large saucepan. When it is close to boiling, add the honey and malt powder, stirring to dissolve. Turn down the heat a bit; you want the stuff to be simmering, not boiling hard, when you drop in the bagels.<br />
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4. <b>Form the bagels and boil</b>. Use your thumb to punch a hole in the middle of a ball of dough. Use both hands to gently stretch the dough to open up the hole a bit, turning as you go. if you rested the dough properly, it will be elastic but will form readily without shrinking back into a ball.<br />
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Have a timer ready. Drop the bagels into the simmering water; don't over-crowd them, they will increase in size in the pot. Simmer them for 1 minute on the first side, then turn with a large slotted spoon and cook for 30 seconds on the other side. Lift them out of the water, let drain briefly, then place the bagels on a wooden peel covered with parchment paper (if you're using a baking stone), or a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (if you're not using a stone).<br />
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Dust the top of the bagels with sesame seeds. You can then turn them and put more sesame seeds on the other side of you'd like; I tend to put them on one side only.<br />
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5. <b>Bake</b>. Slide the peel or baking sheet quickly into the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes; the bagels will puff up and become golden brown.<br />
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<br />
Cool on racks and serve either a little warm or completely cooled. While there are still wonderful homegrown tomatoes around, try David's favorite: Cream cheese and tomato on a warm bagel (above). Bagel sandwiches are great in sack lunches; they hold up better than a lot of commercial breads and are a perfect size for just about anyone.<br />
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<br />Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-46543505742519982272013-08-08T14:57:00.000-07:002013-08-08T15:41:49.363-07:00Mantling and Re-assembly: 1969 Karmann Ghia engine overhaul, part 3Part of the fun of new experiences is that they can turn out quite differently from what you might have expected. When I posted Part 2 of this series, I thought I was going to take the cylinder heads and the crankcase from my Ghia to a local machine shop: The cylinder heads for a valve job, the crankcase to be examined for cylinder/piston wear. To make a short story shorter, that's not exactly what happened.<br />
<br />
Remember I said that when I took off the clutch plate, I discovered the flywheel was loose? Well, it's not supposed to be loose, not even a little bit. The flywheel is attached to one end of the crankshaft, which is, you know, what makes your car go. What I found out was that, because the flywheel had been loose (and presumably getting steadily looser over time), the bearing that the crankshaft end goes through was no longer round. There was too much "play" because of the loose flywheel, beating up on the bearing to where it was, even to my untrained eye, slightly oval. At that point I wasn't surprised when the mechanic told me that the crankshaft itself, and the crankcase, were "probably toast". (I think he was trying to be diplomatic.)<br />
<br />
So I asked him what my options were. The upshot was that he thought my best bet would be to shop for a good used engine. What would that cost? Well, he said, you could easily spend $1000 or more. He gave me a few tips on what to look for, and I sadly packed up my cylinder heads and went home.<br />
<br />
Shopping was discouraging. The only used motors I could find that were a close enough match for my car were located out of state. Many were priced at over $2000. I put my own ad on Craigslist, saying I was looking for a motor for my Ghia.<br />
<br />
The next day I was contacted my someone in Lake Stevens (not close but north of Seattle, not all that far away) who had a Volkswagen shop. He sold me a nice rebuilt longblock (the guts of the engine: crankcase, cylinders/pistons, heads and valves) for $400. The rest of the parts, distributor, carburetor, fan housing etc. from my old engine were still in good shape, so all I had to do was put it all back together.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">New longblock with new crank pulley (center bottom) and oil cooler in place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">First I installed a new crank pulley. It's definitely an improvement on the old one, as this one has degree markings all the way around. When you adjust the valves or set the ignition timing, the engine is rotated half a turn at a time, so the marks make it easy to do this accurately. It is also made of aircraft-grade aluminum, which won't rust like the old steel one. This is better because a rusty pulley can eventually do bad things to your fan belt.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Crank pulley showing timing marks.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next I installed the generator, fuel pump, and generator stand. Then the heat exchangers. Piece by piece the engine shrouding went in. I had bought a new muffler as the old one had at least one noticeable rust hole. After the muffler came the intake manifold, with carburetor attached. Finally, the fan housing and generator slid into place over the oil cooler.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Re-assembled engine, just about ready to go back in!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now all I need to do is install the fan belt (easier to do with the engine out of the car), double-check that spark plugs and all fasteners are tightened, hook up the new spark plug wires, and I'll be ready to put the engine back in the car. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The empty engine compartment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrsuAZA1tTxNYMMBXCT8RSHvYy5iqlOmCl_N_qXme7kegYG2EIpTW0ssGXnADxS4PzpPH-nHzfqRIhGvtyc_WV_xVHuzkaGXTDKH6XMwKdLcP7xUx83jreAcXuzgRlQJNUYy-sSdsayA/s1600/Clutch+throwout+bearing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrsuAZA1tTxNYMMBXCT8RSHvYy5iqlOmCl_N_qXme7kegYG2EIpTW0ssGXnADxS4PzpPH-nHzfqRIhGvtyc_WV_xVHuzkaGXTDKH6XMwKdLcP7xUx83jreAcXuzgRlQJNUYy-sSdsayA/s320/Clutch+throwout+bearing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">New clutch throwout bearing in place; the doughnut-shaped thing in the middle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last thing I did was to replace the clutch throwout bearing (see photo above). I didn't even know (blush) that the clutch lived right at the junction of the engine and the transmission. Since I had the opportunity, I had replaced the clutch plate, which lives between the clutch pressure plate and the flywheel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Back of re-assembled engine: The round thing in the middle is the clutch pressure plate.</span></div>
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I've been pretty busy with other projects lately, like my first book, which is going to be published very soon now. So I have been taking my time with this project, sometimes not doing a thing on it while waiting for a new part to arrive. Still, I'm pleasantly surprised at how relatively quickly I took the thing apart and got it back together. In my next post, I'll list the time I spent, what I spent on parts, and hopefully, have some photos of my little car all put back together!<br />
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<br />Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-49762496910711221142013-06-27T17:09:00.003-07:002013-06-27T17:15:16.028-07:00Stripping and dismantling: 1969 Karmann Ghia engine overhaul, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilacZe7cZTp8uO3xYj9RdudA2J0S6WuPIj_DvnMwaLBxrAiUynOjFo7pjFXNnn9jC3z47msZM5d9Ux4by1sug-GiB1_u7ZG6PAGuatqJtAps4g27KaDSU-ZuiJOYk6FY5rgwYR_EXPoGk/s650/Ghia+engine+out+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilacZe7cZTp8uO3xYj9RdudA2J0S6WuPIj_DvnMwaLBxrAiUynOjFo7pjFXNnn9jC3z47msZM5d9Ux4by1sug-GiB1_u7ZG6PAGuatqJtAps4g27KaDSU-ZuiJOYk6FY5rgwYR_EXPoGk/s320/Ghia+engine+out+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, here it is: the engine is out of my Ghia. I am pleased to report that I was able to get this far on my own. (David did help me jack the car up, though.) The engine, with all the stuff still attached as shown here, weighs something over 200 pounds. First, I had a piano dolly blocked in place under the engine. Two scissors jacks on the dolly were then raised to where they were in contact with the oil pan, to support the engine once it came off the upper and lower mounting bolts, which hold the engine onto the transmission. With one hand on the fan housing (the curved black box at the top center of the photo) and the other on one of the tailpipes, I carefully wiggled the engine off the bolts until it was resting on the jacks. I then lowered the jacks so the engine could be rolled out from under the car.<br />
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Now the engine stripping begins! This photo shows the engine after I took off the fan belt, fan housing, intake manifold and carburetor. The tall black skyscraper-looking thing is the oil cooler. I had suspected the oil cooler was leaking, and sure enough, one of the two seals at its base was bad. Since the cooler lives inside the fan housing, when it leaks, the fan tends to fling oil all over the engine area, hence my suspicion.<br />
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After I took off the oil cooler, I removed the muffler (the rusty-looking thing at the bottom of this photo) and the two heat exchangers. The weight of the engine was now down to around 150 pounds, and I rolled it on its dolly into the shed so I could get it up onto the Workmate and be under cover as well. Between David and I we had no problems lifting it up onto the Workmate.<br />
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So here's the stripped-down engine, up at a good working height. What you're looking at in the middle of this photo is the clutch plate, which is attached to the flywheel. On either side are the cylinder heads with valve covers still in place. next job is to remove the clutch plate and the pressure plate under it, then the flywheel.<br />
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With the clutch removed, I used this nifty little flywheel lock to clamp the flywheel in place prior to removing the large gland nut that attaches the flywheel to the crankshaft. At this point I had a surprise: The 36mm gland nut, which is supposed to be torqued to 220 foot-pounds, was actually loose. I had expected to need a breaker bar and someone stronger and heavier than me to loosen the thing. Instead, after barely a quarter turn with the socket wrench, I was able to unscrew it the rest of the way by hand.<br />
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Aha, I thought. I bet the ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk noise I was hearing (thinking this was a thrown connecting rod) was coming from this loose flywheel. The good news is I took the thing apart before the flywheel came all the way off. The bad news is that, because of the way the thing was wobbling around in there, I'll almost for sure have to replace the crankshaft. No doubt I'll have a list of things to take to the machine shop.<br />
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In the meantime, I next removed the rocker arm assemblies and cylinder heads. The rocker arm is the pipe thing going from left to right, with four little arms attached. Here I've removed the two nuts holding it in place. Then it is simple to lift the assembly up and out.<br />
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After the rocker arms are out, the eight nuts holding the cylinder head in place are easy to reach and loosen. Here you can see I've taken off one of the cylinder heads (on the bench to the right). Toward the top center of the photo, the round black things are two of the four cylinders, with pistons inside. The only thing left to do before opening up the crankcase is to remove the cylinders and pistons.<br />
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I was fortunate to discover a shop in Port Angeles (about half an hour away) that specializes in air-cooled Volkswagen repair. I will be taking the cylinder heads there to have the valves done (something I do not have the specialized equipment to do). They will also check the flywheel for possible damage, since it was loose, along with the crankshaft. After that, I will be able to start putting it all back together!<br />
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The thing that has surprised me the most about this project is that I have only spent about seven hours so far. Considering I had never done anything like this before, I'm kind of amazed that it has seemed so relatively easy. I've been taking my time, too.<br />
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I'll have another update after the machine shop does its work. I'm starting to think I'll be driving my Ghia again before long! What a fascinating project.<br />
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<br />Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-42282574487122576542013-06-07T13:56:00.001-07:002013-06-07T13:56:59.676-07:001969 Karmann Ghia engine overhaul project, Part 1: I don't know I can't, therefore I can<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> My 1969 Karmann Ghia, up on the ramps. Isn't she gorgeous?</span></i></div>
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A couple of weeks ago, my Karmann Ghia broke down while I was on my way to Portland. Fortunately it happened just as I was pulling up to the toll bridge on the west end of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, so I was able to get it out of traffic without much trouble. I happened to have one of my VW repair manuals with me, so I amused myself, during the 3-1/2 hour wait for the tow truck, by reading it and trying to figure out what had happened.<br />
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I'll skip over the troubleshooting process (you're welcome, gentle reader) and come right to the diagnosis: a thrown connecting rod. The oil cooler was leaking and definitely needs to be replaced as well, but the connecting rod is a bigger deal to repair. Not that I've ever done it myself, mind you, but I do realize that since the connecting rods (there are 4 of them in my Ghia) are inside the crankcase, it's going to take some work to get at the things to replace them. On the Ghia you can replace the oil cooler without pulling the engine out, but this is sadly not true if you are actually going to dismantle the engine.<br />
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A little background: I am not a "trained" mechanic, although I seem to have an aptitude for mechanical things. Virtually everything I know about working on cars I've learned by reading and practical experience. This is the second Karmann Ghia I've owned; the first was a 1970 coupe that I had for 11 years. I did a lot of work on that thing, including a complete re-wiring job. I also learned how to do things like adjust the valves and replace a muffler and heat exchangers.<br />
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I bought this 1969 specimen 5 years ago. It was in much better shape when I bought it than my 1970 Ghia was. Still, considering the car is almost as old as I am, naturally I don't expect it to never need work. On the other hand, in the 5+ years I've had it, it's only been in the shop once, for a leaking brake line, for which I spent about $125. I've been lucky enough to be able to deal with what few repairs it's needed, as well as the usual maintenance chores. This car has been super-reliable, it gets 31 mpg, and I just love her.<br />
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So, back to the current situation. While I was awaiting the arrival of the tow truck, I read through the entire procedure for removing, dismantling, mantling and re-installing the engine. At the end of it I thought, hey, why not? It would be a good time to learn, and who knows? It might even be fun!<br />
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At this point, I am just about ready to remove the engine. I've done all the electrical and mechanical disconnect stuff in the engine compartment. I've been under the car and disconnected the heater cables and fuel line, and removed the two lower engine mount nuts. Now I need to mount a piece of 2x4 with a couple of lengths of chain around the frame to support the transmission once the engine is detached. After that, all I need to do is take out the two upper mount nuts, and the engine should be ready to come out.<br />
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I gather the engine weighs around 200 pounds. I'm not going to be lifting it out of the engine compartment. Instead, I am going to block the car up a little higher than it is now on the ramps, and lower the engine with two scissors jacks onto a piano dolly. Then I can simply roll it out from under the car. (We put down a sheet of plywood under the back end of the car, so the dolly won't sink into the ground with that weight on it.)<br />
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Believe it or not, so far I have only spent about an hour and a half on this process. I can't help but think that if I can do this, anyone can. Yes, even women! I think it would be so great for women to be more actively involved in the maintenance and minor repairs of their cars; it's really not that scary. Actually I find it quite a confidence-builder. I'm a problem-solver kind of person, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of figuring things out and fixing them when I can.<br />
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Regarding the procedure for removing the engine, my Bentley VW manual says: "Some parts of this process may be difficult for a man working alone." Well, I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a man working alone, then.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq5o4dxpyT09mar2aynoHZujFBDEAuAbX7n_ELGNy7nAzSDfOztI7xwyDOqjzP3EYpK_Zy6O5FBTUt1DY-svBLgequVKonlqanKRwuKgqk0PLLFj7Xxfqjf5UyozIN7C3JP-DNgxZ8fQ/s1600/Ghia+license+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq5o4dxpyT09mar2aynoHZujFBDEAuAbX7n_ELGNy7nAzSDfOztI7xwyDOqjzP3EYpK_Zy6O5FBTUt1DY-svBLgequVKonlqanKRwuKgqk0PLLFj7Xxfqjf5UyozIN7C3JP-DNgxZ8fQ/s320/Ghia+license+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">My Ghia's license plate frame; words to live by, eh?</span></i></div>
Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-29813833583343228912013-03-10T10:37:00.003-07:002013-03-10T10:37:32.129-07:00Update on distillery license processIn late January, while I was in the thick of finishing the first draft of my soon-to-be published book (Pure Poultry), I received an e-mail from an inspector at the WA State Liquor Control Board. The gist of the message was that the WSLCB is ready to grant me a Craft Distillery License, on one condition: That I submit a copy of my Federal Basic Permit.<br />
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Alas, I have not yet received this permit. Earlier in January, I received a packet of forms from the TTB (the Alcohol Tobbaco Tax & Trade Bureau, formerly the ATF). I had submitted a package of forms in December, thinking that I had completed all the forms needed for the Federal Basic Permit. I had dutifully downloaded and filled out every form that the TTB web site said was required for this permit. Still, according to the somewhat terse cover letter that came with this latest stack of forms, I apparently failed to provide quite a lot of stuff.<br />
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At the time, I really couldn't deal with it. David and I were both sick with a nasty flu, and I was trying to figure out how I was going to get my manuscript, the organic certification renewal, and my business taxes done by the end of January. So I put the whole packet aside and promised myself I wouldn't look at it again until I had turned in my book manuscript.<br />
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I turned in the manuscript on February 14. The same day, I finished my business taxes (the deadline was extended to the 15th because of a Dept. of Revenue mixup) and got that mailed. Then, and only then, did I turn my attention back to the government paperwork for my little distillery.<br />
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At this point, I am pretty sure I am done with all the required forms. Now I just have to make about a thousand copies of everything (some forms they want in duplicate, some in triplicate; I feel like sending them extra tax money this year so they can install their own copiers). They even want a photocopy of both David's and my driver's licenses. Oh, and a bond, believe it or not. Apparently someone has spent a lot of time figuring out ways to guarantee the government will still get its liquor tax money if my tiny, tiny distillery should go out of business.<br />
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That's about it for now. I will probably be using a week's worth of grocery money just to ship this massive package of forms, but I will do it. I am so close now to getting the license that I have been working toward since last November! More updates as they become available...Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-51976730000692772542012-11-25T08:57:00.003-08:002013-03-10T10:21:35.933-07:00Getting in touch with my inner hillbillyI suppose it was inevitable that we would be making whiskey. It couldn't possibly be coincidence that our property includes a large natural peat bog. Those of you who are partial to Scotch whisky will know what that means. The unique flavor of Scotch comes from two sources: the malted grain is dried over a peat fire, imbuing it with a slightly smoky aroma. Also, the peaty water from the bog is believed to add another layer of complexity to the flavor profile.<br />
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(If you've noticed two different spellings of "whiskey", give yourself a gold star! For reasons that remain unclear, this tipple is spelled "whiskey" when it comes from Ireland or the United States, and "whisky" when it's made in Scotland and Canada. So please resist the urge to e-mail me with your proofreading tips.) <br />
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So what, you may well ask, have we been waiting for? If we had started making whiskey the first year we were here, our first batch would be almost 7 years along by now. Actually, we talked about it from time to time, but for various reasons it didn't seem feasible. For instance, a few years back, the only license available in Washington State for distillers cost $2,000 per year. Now there are several options, depending on the size of the operation, whether the product would be sold wholesale or retail, etc. I recently applied for a Washington State "craft distillery" license, for which I paid $100. This license permits me to produce up to 60,000 GALLONS of liquor per year. As far as sales, I am allowed to sell only retail, the customer must purchase from the place of manufacture, and I can't sell more than 2 liters per customer per day. Oh, and I have to report sales monthly and collect and pay applicable taxes.<br />
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In case you weren't aware, there are actually two licenses required to legally distill liquor: The aforementioned State license, and the Federal Basic Permit. (Incidentally, if you think there is a lot of paperwork involved in organic certification, you'll be impressed by the Federal Basic Permit process.) <br />
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So far, so good. Actually at this point I have no serious thoughts about selling whatever booze we make. It's not as if I have full-time hours to put into this operation, and the still I'm building probably wouldn't produce 60,000 gallons a year if it was running 24/7. At the moment I'm fascinated by the actual distillation process (which involves a lot of science I never learned in high school), and certainly I'm motivated by the challenge of learning this craft.<br />
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Please note that I have no intention of producing moonshine. No self-respecting moonshiner would be caught with a license, for one thing. Also, my still is a high-separation fractionating type capable of producing vodka and gin; from all I hear, moonshiners traditionally prefer to take their chances with pot stills. These don't separate the components (some of which are poisonous) as well as fractionating stills. And frankly, I have not the least inclination to age my booze in Mason jars, tradition notwithstanding.<br />
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As my husband David says, when it all hits the fan, what everyone is going to want to know is, what are we drinking? (Those of you watching the Mayan calendar, keep in mind that there are only 26 shopping days until the end of the world on December 21.) Distilled liquor is high enough in alcohol to ensure that it will never go "bad." Homegrown food is all very well, but we're on the brink of raising the bar in our quest for greater self-sufficiency.<br />
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OK, now that you've read this far, I'll admit this was a little tongue in cheek. However, it is true that we will soon be running a licensed craft distillery. And since I recently started making my own tonic water, I figure if I can grow Key limes in my greenhouse, I'll be able to serve a truly homemade gin and tonic one of these days. So stay tuned for updates as we progress, plus photos and even a recipe or two. Cheers!Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-64720106982062240522012-10-07T10:22:00.000-07:002012-10-07T10:22:39.370-07:00My first try at making a gluten-free sourdough breadFor a while now, I've been developing a gluten-free sourdough starter. I didn't even know if such a thing were possible. Not that considering possibilities (or lack thereof) ever stopped me from trying something new. I recently learned of <a href="http://www.maninis.com/">Manini's</a>, a Seattle company that makes several gluten-free bread mixes, as well as a fabulous gluten-free pasta mix. I bought a bag of "Rustic Multigrain" bread mix and decided to try using it as the base for a sourdough starter.<br />
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The reason why I went to the trouble of making the starter is kind of simple and kind of complicated. In one of my bread books (the one that goes into a lot of scientific detail about what makes good naturally fermented bread), I learned that certain kinds of acid have an effect on the starches in bread grains. This led me to wonder if the acidity of a sourdough starter might have a beneficial effect with gluten-free flours.<br />
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After almost two weeks of nursing the starter along, I decided that it was ready to use. The other day I mixed up enough dough for a loaf, adding about 1/2 cup of starter. I'm used to the long, slow, cool fermentation of true sourdough, and I let the dough rise slowly for about four hours at around 65F. (With any bread, you don't want it to rise too quickly before it goes in the oven; the yeast loses much of its rising power and you won't get the dramatic "oven spring" that characterizes good bread.) Into the oven it went at 375F to bake for almost an hour.<br />
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And here it is! Looks a lot like "regular" bread, doesn't it? It has a nice crispy, brown crust and delicious aroma. When it cooled I weighed it; 3/4 kilo (1 lb 12 oz). Definitely more substantial than most commercial gluten-free breads I've tried. I was good and waited for the bread to cool before I sliced into it, all the while wondering what the texture and flavor were going to be like. I could hardly believe that my first attempt would have good results, but actually it turned out really well. As you can see in the photo below, the texture is like "real" bread. It has an interesting flavor, being a combination of several whole and ground grains. I haven't tried it toasted yet but I suspect it will be even more tasty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif27v79Gn_ptoN0WkOA1YtHjZn1vbPatdZd-Q6ai016LZmjUfBf-3PQm-9103D7WQ-YQbkc4d_QJ76HeiA4wxMwILc0l2RdGUFds3kdebG7TY8QxykxzCO8Dz-uqRoY-nGdpixtgw3V34/s1600/Gluten+free+multi+grain+bread+sliced.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif27v79Gn_ptoN0WkOA1YtHjZn1vbPatdZd-Q6ai016LZmjUfBf-3PQm-9103D7WQ-YQbkc4d_QJ76HeiA4wxMwILc0l2RdGUFds3kdebG7TY8QxykxzCO8Dz-uqRoY-nGdpixtgw3V34/s320/Gluten+free+multi+grain+bread+sliced.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By the way, Manini's pasta mix is amazing. I mixed up a batch using our duck eggs, and made fettuccine noodles with it. At first it was a little tricky to put it through the rollers, but with every pass it held together better and got smoother. It cooked up in about 3 minutes and it was simply delicious. It looks, smells and tastes like, well, fresh pasta.<br />
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In case you're wondering, I'm not gluten-free myself, but my mother and a few other people I know are. We like to try to accommodate dietary preferences when we have guests, plus I think bread and pasta would be the two things I'd miss most if I were going gluten-free. And as you know, I love baking bread! I've had it in mind for quite some time now to try making a decent-tasting gluten-free bread, and thanks to Manini's, I think I've made a good start.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-30608414108207718552011-10-29T19:53:00.000-07:002011-10-29T19:53:40.343-07:00Behold the Canyon Creek Farms chili dog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y3aAdtW2J5vRR5XvMTE6iGz2Q3eb0KrDN0QZ_KWG0vhg8wAA-W4JTOseGCty7qOxpt-JMbjNRL9XuR9LdOOA9w2h2gy5NOEuHr0E9j968ygMLfrcwTRmR-8f-opCOfHi5JiagjBOFbY/s1600/chili+dog+with+ciabatta+roll.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y3aAdtW2J5vRR5XvMTE6iGz2Q3eb0KrDN0QZ_KWG0vhg8wAA-W4JTOseGCty7qOxpt-JMbjNRL9XuR9LdOOA9w2h2gy5NOEuHr0E9j968ygMLfrcwTRmR-8f-opCOfHi5JiagjBOFbY/s320/chili+dog+with+ciabatta+roll.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chili dog with cheese and onions on a homemade ciabatta roll.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As you know, I've been working hard this year learning to make artisan-type breads, mostly the naturally leavened kind made with sourdough starters. One of the interesting breads I've been making lately is the Italian ciabatta. It's a challenging dough to work with as it's very wet: the baker's percentage is 85% hydration. After it's risen it literally pours onto your board for shaping; it's almost the consistency of pancake batter. The first time I made it I could hardly believe it was going to turn into something edible in the oven.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I first looked up this recipe (in Daniel Leader's book Local Breads) when my husband David asked me if I could make some hot dog buns. He had bought a package of kosher buns at a local natural foods store, and by the day after he brought them home, they were already visibly moldy. So on the spur of the moment, I thumbed through Local Breads and found the recipe for ciabatta rolls and decided to try it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The soft, wet dough baked up, in 20 minutes or so, into lovely soft, moist, slightly chewy, open-textured buns. David likes Hempler's uncured hot dogs (no nitrates), which are pretty enormous, and I sized the buns to fit them. The really great thing, though, was that even when we piled on the homemade chili, grated cheddar cheese and onions, the buns didn't fall apart. This might have been the first time I ever ate a chili dog without having to resort to using a fork (or even a spoon). Oh man, was that ever good.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've made these ciabatta rolls several times now, and they've been consistently delicious. And, kept in a Ziploc bag once they're cool, they stay fresh for 3 days (not that they last that long around here). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I really do love baking bread, and David, who's very particular about bread being fresh, appreciates not paying premium prices for bread that's practically stale. I'm steadily working my way through pretty much the whole Local Breads book, so stay tuned for more of my baking adventures! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-33082292645124490392011-09-06T14:23:00.000-07:002011-09-06T14:23:28.414-07:00Getting the firewood supply in for the winterThe weekend before last was all about the firewood. David had amassed a huge pile of cut rounds out in the woods, and had begun hauling them by the truckload up to the woodshed near the main house. We cleaned out the woodshed, including raking out a layer about 8 or 10 inches deep of bark and wood chips that had accumulated over the past few seasons. Now all we had to do was start in on splitting and stacking.<br />
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On short notice, my sister Rebecca and her daughter Chaidie came up early on Saturday morning to give us a hand. A happy surprise was that she had brought along our brother John also. As the day was expected to get fairly hot, we decided to jump right in and get to work. John and David drove into the woods and brought loads of rounds, and in between loads, they both split most of the rounds with 6-pound mauls. Rebecca, Chaidie and I quickly figured out an efficient system for getting the split wood into the shed and stacked.<br />
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It actually turned out to work perfectly with 3 people. We were stacking wood on 3 sides of the shed, whose sloping roof is between 10 and 12 feet high. As the stack along the back wall grew to 6 feet or so, we started stacking a second row right in front of the back row. Once the second row was about 3 feet high, Chaidie stood on that row; then Rebecca would hand me a piece, I would hand it to Chaidie, and she would put it on the top of the back row. The second row was also important for stabilizing the back row; once the pile got to around 8 feet it could easily have started to lean forward. At times we had to think about when to start another row on the sides also. It was actually a lot of fun, as well as great exercise.<br />
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We worked that day for close to 5 hours, then had some lunch. Rebecca and Chaidie came back the next day, and Rebecca and I did quite a bit of the splitting that time, as well as stacking. When all was said and done, about 3 hours later, we had finished going through that huge pile of wood, and estimate that we have 5 or 6 cords in the shed. That's probably not enough to get through the winter, especially if it turns out to be the harsh La Nina we've been hearing about, but it's a really good start.<br />
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Thanks to Rebecca and John and Chaidie for all their help that weekend!Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-21388936732568882812011-08-05T14:34:00.000-07:002014-02-25T19:31:04.081-08:00Try our homemade ginger syrupI have been asked several times recently for my recipe for ginger syrup. This was another of those things that we came up with in our efforts to avoid products with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A drink we both like is Canadian whiskey and ginger ale, and we had been buying Canada Dry ginger ale (the only soft drink we ever bought, as we're not soda drinkers) as a mixer. After trying two or three different "natural" ginger ales, we got a bit frustrated; some actually had HFCS, others had a ginger taste that was just too hot to work well as a mixer. So here it is, our homemade ginger syrup.<br />
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(Recipe yields about 6 quarts)<br />
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Prepare <b>6 quart-size canning jars and lids</b>. I usually keep the canning jars hot by leaving them full of very hot water in the sink. Have 6 rings ready. Be ready to bring your canning jar lids to a boil in a small saucepan of hot water. As soon as the water boils, turn off heat and keep covered until ready to use.<br />
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<b>NOTE:</b> You can, of course, make ginger syrup without canning. You will need to refrigerate it, though, as it may develop mold or begin to ferment if left out at room temperature. (See below for quantities of ingredients for a 1-quart batch.)<br />
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In a stainless steel or enamel stockpot, combine:<br />
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<b>9 cups sugar </b>(I use organic white sugar; brown sugar gives a different flavor)<br />
<b>18 cups water</b>, preferably unchlorinated<br />
<b>6 ounces fresh organic ginger</b>, thinly sliced (peeled or unpeeled, as you prefer) <br />
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Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once the syrup comes to a rolling boil, turn off heat. Leave the lid on and let steep for at least 10 minutes. While the syrup is heating, thinly peel and juice:<br />
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<b>3 organic lemons</b> (since you're using the peel, you really want to use organic lemons for this)<br />
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Divide the lemon peel pieces into 6 even parts. Remove ginger pieces from syrup with a slotted spoon or small sieve. Strain the seeds from the lemon juice and add juice to the hot syrup.<br />
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Taking the jars one at a time, empty out the water and put one pile of the lemon peel in the jar. Using a canning funnel, fill the jar with hot syrup to within 1/4" of the top and seal with the canning lids and rings. Let cool completely on rack.<br />
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<b>Smaller batch quantities</b><br />
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To make ginger syrup one quart at a time, use the following quantities:<br />
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1-1/2 cups sugar<br />
3 cups water<br />
1 ounce fresh ginger<br />
Juice and peel of 1/2 lemon <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Suggestions for using ginger syrup</span><br />
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<b>Canadian whiskey and ginger ale</b><br />
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1 shot Canadian whiskey<br />
1-2 shots ginger syrup (2 if you like it sweeter)<br />
About 3 ounces soda water<br />
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<b>Variation</b>: Try Canadian whiskey with <b>hot</b> ginger ale. Follow recipe above, substituting boiling water for the soda water, and serve in a mug. We love this on cold winter nights, and it's also great when you have a cold, sinus congestion, or flu symptoms.<br />
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<b>Just plain ginger ale</b><br />
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2 shots ginger syrup<br />
5-6 ounces soda water<br />
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You might also try drizzling ginger syrup over your fruit salad. And please, if you come up with any other ideas, do let me know. We love this ginger syrup, and I hope you'll try it. I suspect you won't miss the HFCS.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-86088664645531256442011-08-04T16:26:00.000-07:002011-08-04T16:26:26.368-07:00Yippee: The bees are back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9pkp47RQ7l0B_CeLoyh8lNle2VI89SXCXbvZxKx00_zIcE8_O4ZE_Q5Bm8gbYSxcEiwkCHgpMMU8FslCCDt5lr9wuoT6EpF9jsHaocdZpAyIB0OLA1IaQhao5MI5O3UnrtymgOh1oLY/s1600/bee+swarm+August+4+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9pkp47RQ7l0B_CeLoyh8lNle2VI89SXCXbvZxKx00_zIcE8_O4ZE_Q5Bm8gbYSxcEiwkCHgpMMU8FslCCDt5lr9wuoT6EpF9jsHaocdZpAyIB0OLA1IaQhao5MI5O3UnrtymgOh1oLY/s320/bee+swarm+August+4+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Swarm of bees moving into a hive in the eaves. </span></i></div><br />
We are so excited: Two years after our 2 hives of honeybees were killed off by the unusual cold in early winter, a swarm of bees showed up here. I had been amusing myself by sickling down vetch, blackberries and tall grass (for the third day in a row), and when I got to a good stopping point, I decided to take a break and head back to the house for a bite to eat. I was still about 50 yards from the house when I heard a loud buzzing. I looked up and saw a large cloud of bees circling just above the roof of the house. (If you've never seen a bee swarm, believe you me, it is quite a sight; loud, too.)<br />
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At the time, David was down by the pond mowing, and although I was tired and thirsty, I ran down to give him the news, as I knew he would be excited, too. For years, there had usually been a colony of bees that had established a hive inside of the eaves on the east end of the house. This swarm had obviously located this spot and was in the process of moving in (see photo above). This is excellent news, as we have quite a few fruit trees up here, and the crop last year had definitely suffered from the lack of sufficient pollinators in the area.<br />
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The thing that concerns us is that it is now August 4, and our first frost tends to be around October 20, sometimes a week or two earlier. Once daytime temperatures start staying below 50F, the bees won't fly; they're essentially immobilized at around 45F. It's critical that they have time to build up a food supply to see them through the winter. The problem is that at this time of the summer, not that much is blooming, and even if there were plenty of sources of pollen and nectar, there isn't likely to be enough time to produce adequate honey stores. So we are "feeding" them with a heavy sugar syrup, a normal thing to do this time of year to supplement their usual food sources.<br />
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We have a ways to go before this colony is up to speed. We will give them plenty of time, a year or more, to multiply and build up a supply of honey for themselves, before we even think about harvesting honey for us. We value them mainly as pollinators here, and the honey, when it comes, will be a bonus.<br />
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For right now, though, we're just so happy that the bees are back.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-80349030915781535242011-06-13T16:13:00.000-07:002011-06-13T16:13:50.222-07:00Green eggs and Hamlet<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I do! I like green eggs and ham! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I do! I like them, Sam I am!"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>-from Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss </i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmrsMFOeC3657pKwHmkA5s291tZdzKy1rL1TidK2ecVu-Z_wRl06UsdPkCP65n8yj8ewMrzrWZK5oMU6sfUoEXCRwf_muFtmOJllZvaKFG2t_54m2A4MBk5QQ8yl_UKb5qmDhKkvhW0Y/s1600/green+eggs+and+hamlet+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmrsMFOeC3657pKwHmkA5s291tZdzKy1rL1TidK2ecVu-Z_wRl06UsdPkCP65n8yj8ewMrzrWZK5oMU6sfUoEXCRwf_muFtmOJllZvaKFG2t_54m2A4MBk5QQ8yl_UKb5qmDhKkvhW0Y/s320/green+eggs+and+hamlet+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Green eggs and hamlets; are we spoiled or what?</span></i></div><br />
When the Three Little Pigs (our most recent batch of Tamworths) were slaughtered in early May, chef Gabriel at the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim bought the two bigger ones. Of the one we had left, David's Uncle Stevie bought most of one side, everything but the belly. Usually I reserve the back legs to cure for prosciutto, but this time I decided to try something different. (We already have two prosciutti from last year's pigs, and a large one curing from the one that was slaughtered in January.)<br />
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So I took the bones out of the 22-pound leg, left the skin on, and proceeded to divide the meat into eight boneless little hams, which I, quite naturally, am calling Hamlets. Since the pieces were mostly not much more than 2 pounds, I knew they would cure much more quickly than a whole, bone-in ham. I started with my usual dry rub, a mixture of kosher salt, brown sugar, ascorbic acid (an antioxidant that is used instead of nitrates; more about that coming up in another post), and a few herbs and spices. The pieces are simply rubbed with this mixture and put into freezer bags and kept cool for a few days.<br />
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Next I took the hamlets out of the bags and put them into stainless stockpots and submerged them in white wine for about a week. This serves several purposes: Additional flavor from the wine; the extra time allows the salt in the dry rub to "equalize" throughout the meat, so it is cured evenly; and the citric, malic and tartaric acids in the wine inhibit a variety of potentially harmful bacteria.<br />
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By the way, I used this same curing method for about 15 pounds of skin-on pork belly. If you've never tried Tamworth bacon, come over for breakfast sometime. Seriously. This is bacon as it should be: chewy, full of flavor, and it doesn't cook away to nothing in the frying pan. Oh, and the drippings are the perfect thing to use for cooking your green eggs.<br />
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Finally, the hamlets and bacon pieces were rinsed briefly and patted dry. I put the hamlets in stretchy netting so they would keep their shape (reminds me of control-top panty hose), and put them and the bacon directly onto the racks in my smoker. 2-3 hours on medium heat (about 210-215F in my smoker) with alder chips for smoke, and we had a beautiful pile of moist, perfectly cooked bacon and ham.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SEvRxY9_RXPaH3ZPa-ZAxEoDonBmyQlClEaKsUKdRbaRYlgOsygOq186gQqDDgG-6UZOB4EJkCFyFiuQGZ4jogvdQZTBwl3rcmJjuXCFh7WfIMQhzW8jTfLKzyPXy4dJoDr1wkZgJrU/s1600/Ameraucana+hen+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SEvRxY9_RXPaH3ZPa-ZAxEoDonBmyQlClEaKsUKdRbaRYlgOsygOq186gQqDDgG-6UZOB4EJkCFyFiuQGZ4jogvdQZTBwl3rcmJjuXCFh7WfIMQhzW8jTfLKzyPXy4dJoDr1wkZgJrU/s320/Ameraucana+hen+1.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> One of our beautiful Ameraucana hens.</span></i></div><br />
Being a longtime fan of Dr. Seuss, and knowing there were fresh Ameraucana eggs in the fridge, I couldn't resist the juxtaposition of green eggs and hamlets. (OK, so I'm a Shakespeare fan too.) Although we are transitioning our dual-purpose laying flock over to mainly New Hampshire Reds, we are keeping 10-20 Ameraucana hens; everyone likes the pretty eggs in shades of blue and green.<br />
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Anyway, the book never said "green eggs and GREEN ham," you know. I think I'll go have breakfast while I'm waiting for your e-mails.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-2382258731799536552011-05-15T14:35:00.000-07:002011-05-15T14:35:46.428-07:00Solar installation is underway!Exciting news, people: for the past couple of weeks, we've been spending most of our spare time on our solar electric project! The pipes, rebar and conduit for the two pole mounts (which will each hold 4 solar panels) are in place; the next thing is to pour the concrete that will anchor the poles. Once the concrete is cured, the next thing will be assembling the frames that hold the solar panels, and installing the panels themselves.<br />
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We've been planning for this and organizing this project for a long time, certainly since before we moved to the farm five years ago. A lot of thought went into sizing the system; that is, figuring out how much power we wanted to produce, and from there, choosing the best combination of components to produce that power. No doubt about it, the equipment is expensive, and we didn't want the setup to be bigger than we actually need; frankly, that's just wasteful. On the other hand, we also planned for the addition of hydroelectric power to the system at some point.<br />
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Several months back, after burying my head in manuals and studying wiring schematics, I assembled the main power panel. This impressive setup includes two 3.6 kW inverters, a 240-volt transformer, a DC disconnect panel, an AC breaker box, and an 80-amp charge controller. I also built a large wooden box to house our bank of 16 deep-cycle batteries. Before we started working on all this, I really didn't know much of anything about house wiring (or electricity in general, for that matter). I was a bit intimidated at first, but eventually decided I should just dive in and start learning. After all, we're the ones who will be using this system, so I figure I ought to have at least some understanding of how it all works.<br />
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Here's the overview: The solar (photovoltaic) panels convert sunlight to electricity. Cables run from each panel, or series of panels, to a combiner box. This box contains breakers and terminal bus bars, to which the cables are connected. Larger cables then carry the combined power from all panels to the charge controller, which in turn carries power to the battery bank. As the name suggests, the charge controller controls the charging of the batteries, partly to prevent overcharging. It is basically the brains of the system.<br />
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The 16 6-volt batteries will be wired in two series of 8 batteries each, as we are building a 48-volt system. Very large cables, one positive and one negative from each series, then carry the battery (DC) power to the DC disconnect breaker, and from there to the inverters. The inverters then convert the DC power to AC, and more cables carry this power to the AC breaker box and out to the main house wiring.<br />
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Oh, and there will also be wiring from the generator to the AC box; the system is programmed to automatically start the generator to charge the batteries, if the level of charge drops below a designated point. <br />
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Pretty simple, isn't it?<br />
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Actually, there is a lot of detail in every part of this project. We've invested a lot in all this, one way and another, and we are taking things fairly slowly at this point; it's worth double- and triple-checking to make sure we've done it right the first time. It's very interesting and sophisticated equipment, and we're fairly thrilled that after all the planning, it's finally all coming together.<br />
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Be sure to check back; I'll be posting more soon, along with photos.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-20407602423618885002011-03-30T08:44:00.000-07:002011-03-30T08:44:48.915-07:00The cat who came for Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JDWcjBJkUqOk0U0K4KH2ZDUAaYQ94GT61gP1-3Ya6I6-MXjATxd234BWi86aAs9d6FC6cnOL8QBFK-oBLa38i5nhLJXOB7TlOCswAv4NAk_LrU4g_JE2tXI8HF1JIBkT3dykqYpUzjA/s1600/Cosmo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JDWcjBJkUqOk0U0K4KH2ZDUAaYQ94GT61gP1-3Ya6I6-MXjATxd234BWi86aAs9d6FC6cnOL8QBFK-oBLa38i5nhLJXOB7TlOCswAv4NAk_LrU4g_JE2tXI8HF1JIBkT3dykqYpUzjA/s320/Cosmo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sir Winsome de Cosmos, aka Cosmo.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Around Christmas, a cat showed up at our place. For once, it was not a cougar or bobcat. For about two weeks, we'd hear this loud meowing outside our front door after dark, when the birds were all tucked in and we were inside keeping warm by the wood stove. I would open the door and call to the cat, but he instantly bolted away, and I never got more than a glimpse of a very speedy shadow.<br />
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Then one night, when I called to him, he meowed back at me, and I could tell he wasn't very far away. I kept calling, and suddenly, he ran right up to me. He let me pet him, and even let me pick him up! For the next ten days or so, we let him in at night and gave him food and water and let him sleep in a pet carrier near the wood stove. Meanwhile, I had posted ads both on craigslist and in the local paper, hoping to find the owner. He seemed like such a sweet cat, very well-behaved, and I assumed someone must be missing him and looking for him.<br />
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Unfortunately one day while he was outside, he got into something poisonous and became quite sick. David took him to the vet, and four days (and a large bill) later, we brought him home again. Although we had had several responses to our ads, none of them turned out to match this cat, and eventually we decided to keep him. Our best guess at this point was that someone had dumped him at the end of our road; our gate is 1-1/2 miles up the hill from our nearest neighbor, and unfortunately people do abandon animals there from time to time. Given our location, if he had just wandered away from home, it seems a stretch to believe he would show up at our place.<br />
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He seems to be quite used to being an indoor cat, which is good, considering all the predator problems we've had lately. David thinks he may decide to go outside during the warmer weather, so we'll see. As I said, he's a very sweet cat, and the vet said he'd been neutered and was probably 2-3 years old. He's a beautiful charcoal grey tabby; actually the vet called the color Russian Blue, and in a certain light his fur does look blue-grey. He's also very quiet. He's officially been christened Sir Winsome de Cosmos; David says that when he gets that inscrutable look that cats so often have, it's because he's busy controlling the universe. I call him Cosmo.<br />
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We sure are enjoying having a cat around the house. He even caught a mouse last week, which definitely raised his stock with us. It's hard to imagine a nicer cat than this one, and although it's very sad to think that someone may have abandoned him, we feel very fortunate that he's now a part of our lives.<br />
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As you can see from the photo above, his only problem is that he can't seem to relax. :)Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-55654390952869061322011-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:002011-03-29T14:32:20.854-07:00Baking bread in a wood-fired oven, Round TwoThis past Sunday I was down at the Alder Wood Bistro again, having fun baking more bread. This time I had four batches going: A naturally leavened multigrain bread, sourdough, onion rye and Montreal-style bagels. The only other time I had tried to make a naturally leavened bread (no yeast added), it didn't turn out well. This time, I had actually planned to make this batch a yeast bread (although I was using a starter left over from the previous week's bread), but (oops) I forgot to add the yeast. I realized it at about 4:00 AM, when I got up to mix the dough from the leaven that had been fermenting since Saturday morning. I decided to just do the best I could with it and see what happened.<br />
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Well, surprisingly to me at least, it turned out great! Although it never did look as if it rose much in the proofing baskets, I thought it looked good when I slashed it just before putting it in the oven. When I checked on it 30 minutes later, I was amazed to see how much it had risen, and it was coloring nicely. 10 minutes later it was out of the oven.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXd-QspyoutE_P7Fxw8frKL06MuR_o7oGKCuh5bf6RXFKGosxZtNu52mpfIaKay0QI5RPzmN4Cj3y6Q4_efeJJ-L-FFEptYtxex13oqhieEzIipI3VX4Gz-N5IhQPxRbEnaGTcHClHrA/s1600/multigrain+loaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXd-QspyoutE_P7Fxw8frKL06MuR_o7oGKCuh5bf6RXFKGosxZtNu52mpfIaKay0QI5RPzmN4Cj3y6Q4_efeJJ-L-FFEptYtxex13oqhieEzIipI3VX4Gz-N5IhQPxRbEnaGTcHClHrA/s320/multigrain+loaves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Naturally leavened multigrain hearth bread; oh boy!</span></i></div><br />
As soon as the multigrain and sourdough loaves were in the proofing baskets, I mixed up a batch of dough for the Montreal bagels, and the rye dough. After working pretty hard for the first 45 minutes or so, I now had at least a couple of hours to kill while things were proofing and rising.<br />
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After the bagel dough had risen for 2 hours, I shaped the bagels. Then into the boiling pot they went, a few at a time, for a minute and a half. Then they drained briefly on a clean towel before being dredged on both sides with sesame seeds. Montreal-style bagels are traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven; the Bistro's oven was about 530F when the bagels went in. Naturally, being much smaller than a loaf of bread, I was nervous about over baking them, but I needn't have worried. They actually took about 20 minutes, not much less than what it takes in the gas oven I use at home. This is one bread item for which we're willing to disregard the rule of waiting until it cools to eat it; we were both pretty hungry by that time, too, and David had thoughtfully brought along some butter and cream cheese.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRIXL7b-O9PMPe3N49ZNJxEGFJ_-XCnSpXq6fmG12cr1p3jglo5qFzTvg7SDjl4ClTc-fBMm2M73VV5uqjmfiLptd38gl1YdPcFAh525cZiaAOzeUv96NCD6NYMK__w_al-ER8Ey9HHA/s1600/Montreal+bagels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRIXL7b-O9PMPe3N49ZNJxEGFJ_-XCnSpXq6fmG12cr1p3jglo5qFzTvg7SDjl4ClTc-fBMm2M73VV5uqjmfiLptd38gl1YdPcFAh525cZiaAOzeUv96NCD6NYMK__w_al-ER8Ey9HHA/s320/Montreal+bagels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Montreal-style bagels just out of the wood-fired oven.</span></i></div><br />
By the time I was done baking the bagels, it was time to load in the sourdough and multigrain loaves. Next I shaped the onion rye loaves; I had carmelized the onions while the dough was rising. The two loaves went into the oven about 15 minutes after the others, and while I had the oven door open I shifted around some of the other loaves; some seemed to be browning a little faster than others. I'm getting used to figuring out where to put the loaves in the oven, depending on their size. I'm actually a bit surprised at how easily I'm learning to use this wonderful oven.<br />
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It was really hard to wait for over an hour to cut into one of the multigrain loaves, and I was anxious to see what the crumb looked like. I had used the same formula that I had the previous Sunday, but I adjusted the hydration level to 70% (it was 65% last week), as we both felt that in the center of the loaf, the crumb was a little on the dry side. (I've just recently learned a formula called the "baker's percentage," which is a means to calculate how much water and flour you need to get a dough of a particular hydration level; I'm so happy I finally got my mind around this one.) I could see right away that it was a big improvement; the crumb was uniformly moist and tender inside a delicious, crisp crust. Once again, I felt thankful that I have been keeping good records of every batch of bread I've made, so I will be able to duplicate this result.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6riYbw6nSVy0XwjMhRzeYfQ8ki-Vird6lovKYK2ptAmVFjRBrxVd_x348p484HlS8UrCWh1ljABKU1jyM8YHYo7Jfpo6N8SYiXkMGsPSC-IqmLf9D_SLKGxP0g_PjCSKrTCAYpw5UssU/s1600/multigrain+bread+crumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6riYbw6nSVy0XwjMhRzeYfQ8ki-Vird6lovKYK2ptAmVFjRBrxVd_x348p484HlS8UrCWh1ljABKU1jyM8YHYo7Jfpo6N8SYiXkMGsPSC-IqmLf9D_SLKGxP0g_PjCSKrTCAYpw5UssU/s320/multigrain+bread+crumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Interior of naturally leavened multigrain bread.</span></i></div><br />
The really difficult thing with this baking is that I want to make a lot of bread at a time (it's a big oven, and I'm having a lot of fun). What to do with all this bread? Hmmm. I feel a taste-testing party coming on...Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-21713570716816959952011-03-24T15:53:00.000-07:002011-03-24T16:06:21.205-07:00Baking bread in a wood-fired oven Recently I started baking bread again. I used to do this fairly regularly, but for whatever reasons, I just haven't done much of it in the last few years. It occurred to me that it might be fun to try baking bread in the wood-fired oven at the Alder Wood Bistro, so I started reading up on this process. Thanks to a fabulous book called "The Bread Builders: Hearth loaves and masonry ovens," my interest in this craft (or is it an art?) has gone to a whole new level.<br />
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I talked to Gabriel (chef at the Alder Wood Bistro) who was positively thrilled at the idea of his wood-fired oven being used for baking bread. In fact, it turns out that his oven was actually designed by the late Alan Scott, who was not only the co-author of The Bread Builders, but also a friend of Gabriel's. I learned from Gabriel that in the mornings, the oven is at a perfect temperature for baking bread; also, because it is closed up all night long, the temperature has generally equalized throughout the large space inside the oven. So, feeling a bit like I was cramming for an exam, I studied hard, made a lot of notes, and finally began making my first batch of dough. This was on a Saturday; I had begun the starter (much like a sourdough starter) about a week before, and I was anticipating baking bread on Sunday morning.<br />
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I had never ground grain before, but it turned out to be quite easy. I clamped David's Corona stone mill to a large cutting board and then clamped the board to our kitchen table (this prevents denting or otherwise damaging the table itself), and poured some organic rye into the mill. It certainly was some work after a while, and it took some trial and error to get the consistency right; I wanted basically coarsely-cracked hard wheat and more finely ground rye. This was added to the starter along with a carefully calculated amount of water, plus more organic white flour and salt. I stirred it all just to the point of being well mixed, then let it rest for a while; this allows all the grains, especially the coarse ones, to fully hydrate before kneading. Then 15 minutes of kneading and the dough was ready to ferment (and I was ready to take a break).<br />
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As I had too much dough to put in our tiny fridge, I left it to ferment and rise in the cool end of our kitchen, well away from the wood stove. My plan was to let it rise slowly overnight, then pack up and head down to the Bistro first thing in the morning to shape, proof and bake. I had two kinds of dough, the one with cracked wheat and rye, and also a French sourdough. It didn't occur to me at that point to figure out how many loaves this was going to make, or what I would do with them. Did I mention the learning curve?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZlC2aTQ_q8dqpWZEzEP7Vp7l4qhOBUEXP75nsMnkdq2yXci29xdgEhEgjujx5dGCQP95uX3tJnWN-sSFaI89e0oScLWVLYEc1k2c6ljQKLF-ZcX6JXxIQpgntA1XAaME3yy8gXqYiIs/s1600/baguettes+in+couche+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZlC2aTQ_q8dqpWZEzEP7Vp7l4qhOBUEXP75nsMnkdq2yXci29xdgEhEgjujx5dGCQP95uX3tJnWN-sSFaI89e0oScLWVLYEc1k2c6ljQKLF-ZcX6JXxIQpgntA1XAaME3yy8gXqYiIs/s320/baguettes+in+couche+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sourdough baguettes proofing in a linen couche.</span></i></div><br />
On Sunday morning, the dough had risen pretty much the way I had hoped it would; enough, but not too much. It all smelled wonderful, by the way. I was really excited. When I got to the Bistro, I unpacked everything, got organized, and started dividing, weighing and shaping the loaves. I ended up with three sourdough baguettes (0.5 kilos each), one large sourdough round (1 kilo), two large multi-grain rounds (1.5 kilos each) and one smaller multi-grain round (1 kilo). The round loaves were proofed in traditional "bannetons," baskets lined with coarse linen; the baguettes proofed nestled among the folds of a "couche," simply a length of thick, coarse linen (see photo above).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfWPxBmN8DvghK6wxbVnKhDoF9I9-hrLm5aZcTTeDHWXkHzIZ0jewEGxu33X6ZOG0aAgLSWKr_Z6ldRl3yGvF-g7DPjc9fEn0HYcDmO9bOsJx2j0IzB5W5OdTjEfO2Od-8Op6OAQvwHA/s1600/bread+proofing+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfWPxBmN8DvghK6wxbVnKhDoF9I9-hrLm5aZcTTeDHWXkHzIZ0jewEGxu33X6ZOG0aAgLSWKr_Z6ldRl3yGvF-g7DPjc9fEn0HYcDmO9bOsJx2j0IzB5W5OdTjEfO2Od-8Op6OAQvwHA/s320/bread+proofing+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Multi-grain loaf proofing in a banneton.</span></i></div><br />
Once the loaves were proofing, there was nothing to do but wait. I figured it would take at least two hours. I had brought some writing materials with me, as well as a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle book, so I had plenty to do to occupy myself while I was waiting (somewhat impatiently) to be able to finally load the loaves into the oven.<br />
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2-1/2 hours later, the dough was ready (I had learned how to test for sufficient proof, although this was the first time I had tried it, so I was not totally sure of myself). Flipping the loaves onto the cornmeal-dusted peel and quickly slashing the tops, I slid the loaves one by one into the oven, right onto the hot brick floor. Here it was: I knew that in 40 minutes or so, I would find out if I'd succeeded in putting all I had learned into practice. Knowing how much of any skill is learned simply by practice and experience, I was mentally prepared for the possibility that all would not go as I'd hoped. Even so, I couldn't help feeling a sense of confidence; who knows why, I just did.<br />
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I set the timer for 30 minutes, after which time I would open the oven door and take a look. When I did, I could see that all the loaves were rising very nicely and beginning to brown. The only adjustment I made was to move the baguettes back a ways from the door; I had loaded them last, nearest the door, assuming that they would bake more quickly and would come out first. I could see they weren't browning as fast as the other loaves, though, so I moved the loaves around to make room for the baguettes further back.<br />
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10 minutes later, I decided it was time to take the bread out of the oven. It all looked beautiful, to my relatively inexperienced (and undoubtedly biased) eye. I left them to cool on racks and went back to the crossword puzzle to wait (even more impatiently) for the bread to cool sufficiently to cut.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz0rOXijGHySAKPC0PHbEEPAF72PKRV8-VtGwypqXRlBv0xg7GAX9BfCdtpWhyphenhyphenTamIbSQTHh7e3KjhJ3mnB6ROitif1iyrSKOFxVaC39ZT_c_AXXsHMXOHKFi8Fn6_F5u1ZlPYodOtOY/s1600/baked+loaves+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz0rOXijGHySAKPC0PHbEEPAF72PKRV8-VtGwypqXRlBv0xg7GAX9BfCdtpWhyphenhyphenTamIbSQTHh7e3KjhJ3mnB6ROitif1iyrSKOFxVaC39ZT_c_AXXsHMXOHKFi8Fn6_F5u1ZlPYodOtOY/s320/baked+loaves+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Multi-grain loaves (left) and French sourdough loaves (center and top right).</span></i></div><br />
All I can say is, if you've never tried a hearth-baked bread, you really should: The crust was incredibly flavorful, as well as having a wonderful crispy-chewy thing going on. We cut into a baguette first, since it was smaller and cooled off faster. I had never made sourdough before, but I thought this bread had a pretty nice flavor. Presumably as time goes on, the starter will increase in flavor and the bread will improve accordingly. A little while later, we cut into one of the large multi-grain loaves; it turned out quite well also, although I could see that next time I should make the dough "wetter" to achieve the more open crumb I was hoping for. The flavor was pretty good, however.<br />
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So, as I said, I'm learning, even if I am at the bottom end of a steep learning curve. In the meantime, I'm baking bread nearly every day, which both David and I are enjoying. And I always have the comforting knowledge that if a particular batch doesn't turn out right, the pigs have really good taste in bread.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3562994629220409920.post-76594991202150471702011-02-20T12:17:00.000-08:002011-02-20T12:17:18.036-08:00Our latest do-it-yourself project: Homemade tonic waterAs many of you know, here at Canyon Creek Farms we are always finding new ways to be more self-sufficient. This naturally means that we are constantly learning, daydreaming, and brainstorming. One of the things frequently on our minds is improving the way we eat. For instance, we love cured meats such as pastrami and bacon, but do not wish to consume nitrates and nitrites. What to do? I'll talk about this more in another post, as it is its own large subject. This post is really about one of our latest ideas: making our own tonic water.<br />
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For years now, we have been doing our best to avoid products that contain high-fructose corn syrup. The label-readers among you know how difficult this can be; HFCS seems to show up in an incredible variety of places. Our one continuous bugaboo has been tonic water; we love our gin-and-tonics, but try to find tonic water that doesn't have HFCS. (I recently heard of a specialty shop in Seattle that does sell a sugar-sweetened tonic water, however.) So up till now, we've just decided to put up with it. It's not as if we're consuming lots of the stuff; G & Ts are more of a summertime drink for us.<br />
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Not long ago, my husband David came home from Sunny Farms (our local country store) with a 6-pack of Hansen's Natural Tonic Water. Imagine our disappointment when we discovered that it contained HFCS! Back to Sunny Farms it went. I began to question whether it might be possible to make our own tonic water. We talked about it a bit, but figured it would be problematic to find a source of quinine.<br />
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A month or so ago, I read an interesting article in Edible Seattle about "craft bartenders" who were making their own bitters, many with exotic flavors such as lavender and root beer. The article included one recipe for homemade bitters, and my eye was immediately caught by one ingredient: Cinchona bark, from which quinine is derived. Ha, I thought, it must be fairly easily available. Actually the article did mention two sources in Seattle, but later I found a web site that offered the bark in much larger quantities, which made it much more affordable. <br />
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Another Google search brought me to <a href="http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/">Jeffrey Morgenthaler's blog</a>. Jeff is a Portland, OR bartender, and his terrific blog includes recipes for, among other things, tonic water. After receiving my first package (a full pound) of cinchona bark, I assembled the other ingredients and made my first batch. We haven't actually tried it yet as I am waiting patiently for the tiny cinchona bark particles to settle out first, but we are quite excited about this. I am also going to try different versions, such as a sweetened type and an unsweetened one. <br />
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Anyone ever make their own tonic water? What recipe(s) did you use? Please post your comments and questions; since I'm so new to this I'm sure I have a lot yet to learn.Victoria Redhed Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10421318962129216304noreply@blogger.com1