Currants are just pretty nasty tasting by nature.

Titled this and then thought I better go out and try one just to be sure my memory was correct.  Yep.  those currants are pretty nasty tasting things.  Well, that is assuming that it is actually a currant bush and not some deadly poison bush that the wicked witch of the west put out there to trick me with.

When I was a kid growing up on Strong Street, the fence row on the way to the chicken house was lined with currant bushes.  As I recall, they went from dead green to a kind of opague looking sort of amber berry.  Just in case I am wrong, I am not going to eat any more of those currants and if I do not wake up dead in the morning I will be very happy.

But if you think the currants are nasty, you ought to try a Gooseberry.  Now the mother in law was very proud of her gooseberry patch when she was alive.  I think it has pretty well dried up and gone to weeds now, because not everyone was as fascinated with those gooseberries as she was.  Oh, when Bret and Shellie were little tykes she let them pick gooseberries for her.  Being kids they had to sample their wares.  First one was kind of funny look, second one was a look of revulsion and the third one never happened.  Why God puts some of this stuff on earth for us to eat is almost more than I can understand.

Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries and stuff like that are good.  Eat one and you know immediately, but then try the gooseberry or the currant and just wonder why you did that.  Now I could understand if I was stranded 800 miles from a food source that eating that nasty stuff for survival might be necessary, but I do not plan on being that far from good stuff.

And then there is the Kale to consider.  Now if it is young, tender, organic Kale, I can eat it.  Course I rate it right up there with Lamb's Quarters.  When we were tender little kids mother used to round us up in the springtime of the year and walk the fields in search of Lamb's  Quarters.  We had to pick only the young tender ones and not the big ones.  Of course when one is picking little plants about 3 inches tall, it takes a long time to pick a "mess".  That is what is enough to make a meal.  Instead of saying "meal" mother called it a "mess."  We would take the stuff home, wash it good, and cook it with a little bacon grease.  Today I eat Spinach, but if I could find a bunch of Lamb's Quarters I would eat that.

And on the subject of bacon grease, it seems that the bacon grease we always ended up with was from some old boar hog and it was strong enough to stand on it's own.  If we weren't eating weeds and strong bacon grease, that mother of mine was seining for carp.  Now I do have to say this for the carp, that is a trash fish and I am damn glad I do not have to eat that now.  The only way that stuff was palatable was if she canned it and then in the dead of winter when there was absolutely nothing to eat, she would make patties and fry them in the rancid bacon grease.

Do not think for one minute that I do not appreciate all my mother did for me, because I sure do.  It is just that I have honed my culinary skills and now budget my money so I can buy the finer cuts of meat and the tender vegetables.  I drink homogenized milk because raw milk has tiny pieces of cream that used to get on my lips and I am a spoiled.

I think I will just stay out of the back yard and away from the currant bush and let the birds feast on the fruit.  I may go make me a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich with the thin sliced maple flavored bacon, store bought tomatoes, and fresh crisp lettuce.  Oh, and mayonnaise.

Be careful what you wish for: you just might get it. 

Now I am an official taste tester and review writer.

Oh, the things I luck into on this Internet amazes me.  I had an email from a fellow a couple weeks ago who said he had been watching my activities on Amazon and liked my reviews.  He then went on to explain his product and ask if I would be interested in writing a review of the product if he sent me a sample.  I thought that sounded like fun, so I told him "sure".  Free is always good!
So that is how I embarked on the current learning experience.  He is with Viva Labs and the product I am trying is organic extra virgin coconut oil.  I have used coconut oil in my soap and experimented with it in lotion and lip balm, but this time I am branching out to new areas.  I received my jar a couple days ago and when I opened it, I was met with the most heavenly smell of coconut.  I tasted a little tiny bit and my taste buds went wild.  I envisioned salmon with coconut flavor.  Never had that in my life and never would have dreamed of cooking with the stuff, but off I went in search of coconut oil as a cooking fat.
It seems it is good for a myriad of things including, but not limited to lowering my cholesterol, maintaining my weight, getting rid of my "belly", antioxidant, caring for my skin and hair, and cooking!  Ah!  That was what I wanted to hear!
So I got out my little skillet and my piece of Salmon.  Into the skillet went a tablespoon of coconut oil, little bit of dried dill, and a shot of lemon pepper, just to be on the safe side.  I turned that on a low heat and slapped a lid on it and in just a few minutes, I had my lunch.  The concoction made a kind of sauce which I poured over the fish.  Yummers! 
This afternoon I am going to attempt a gluten free pie crust with coconut oil and rice flour.  I am thinking that the coconut oil is a substitute for butter and I should have a very flaky crust with just a hint of the coconut flavor.  The flavor is very subtle so that is good.  It is clear to me, that the coconut oil is going to be a keeper in my kitchen and organic is the only way to go.  Click on this link and check it out for yourself!
www.amazon.com/viva-labs-organic-virgin-coconut/dp/B00DS842HS

Oak Valley Township has a new Trustee!

 

I finally have a child in the elected political arena.   Can you tell by looking that this is my oldest daughter?  Kind of surprised me that she looks so much like me!  Let me introduce you to my daughter Debbie and her husband Carl.  Well, we do not call him Carl.  We call him Hammer.  They live in a small town in eastern Kansas.

 

It seems that dear Debbie has gotten involved in the politics of the county.  This seems to be the only one I raised that is into all the things I hold dear, like recycle, GMO, civil rights, animal cruelty, organic, and on  and on we go.  She was the first to stand up and tell them about recycle centers and I do not know what ever became of that.  She is the first at the council meetings and holds their feet to the fire on all the issues.

 

She has been described as a pit bull.  She stands her ground and listens to what is presented and then explains her point of view and then listens to your point and if it is unfair, the back bone straightens and locks in place and the tail with the stinger that was wagging is now poised right above her head.  When she leaves the table, things are all as they should be and everyone is happy.  Happy is what it is all about, isn't it?

 

Now Debbie did not run for this office.  She did not campaign for this office, but when the votes were all in and the write-ins were counted, she was the clear winner.  She received a letter stating that.  Not sure what this entails, or when the entailing happens, but I am sure she will fulfill her obligation with pride and a fair open mind.

 

And our little Hammer is now the First Man.  Some how when they were  standing in front of the Justice of the Peace with my friend Shirley as their best man (many years ago ) taking wedding vows or roaring the highways and byways of western Kansas on their Harleys, they could not see what the future held.  I sure never dreamed that my survivalist daughter would be the first politician in my family.  I rather thought that would go to my son, but so goes it.  For the record, I am pretty sure she is a Republican!

 

So, I send her my congratulations! 

 

 Hats off to Debbie Kiesel for doing something her mother never had the guts to even try!

 

Today is October 28.

And this is my brother Jake when he was in about the eighth grade.  See that scar on his cheek?  Do you know how he got that?  I remember.  We were living on the Stroh place on the edge of town.  Lot of memories there.  Donna stuck her finger in a turtles mouth and it was the general consensus that they could cut the head off, but the turtle would not release her finger until the sun went down.  Seemed nothing ever stopped until the sun went down.  Kill a snake and it would wiggle until the sun went down.  And then when the sun did finally go down, the boogie man would come out and get us if we were not very, very good!
I was going to write about Jake, but memories of that period are very fresh today, so I am just going to remember them.
The year must have been 1947.  Sister Dorothy was born while we lived on the Stroh place.  Mom laid in bed for 10 days and missed harvest.  Dad was not happy about that, but 10 days was how long one laid in bed after giving birth.  At that time Josphine was in charge of us while mother helped with the farming.   That would have made her 12 years old at the time.  About right.
Mother always went to "Club" once a month.  I do not know what "Club" was, but she drug us along and we all had to set in a row up against a wall with all the other little kids until club was over.  And we had to stay clean.  That was not hard to do unless there was a mud hole on the way to club, where ever it was.  I know it was close because we walked.
The chicken house was where all the action was.  Something was always getting in and stealing a chicken.  Once dad thought it was a fox, but laid a trap and found out it was a weasel.  No way to keep a weasel out of the hen house. 
Once while we were setting in the back yard, the old yellow tom cat came up with a baby chicken in his mouth.  Mother immediately sent Jake and the tom cat into the forest.  Jake carried a hatchet and was under the strict orders that the tom cat must never be seen again.  Shortly after that mother could not find her potato peeler. It seemed I recalled Jake taking that to the forest and told mother so.  She said I was a trouble maker.
The best part of the whole day was when we brought the cow up.  See, we had a milk cow and the grass was very green along the road that ran in front of the house.  So each morning Jake would take her out and stake her along the road.  He went several times and moved her, but when it was milking time, I went with him to bring her up to the barn to be milked.  She was very slow, but if we grabbed her tail she would run.  Sometimes we did that.  More fun than you can imagine, but sure made milking her hard because she was upset and would not release her load!
Dad had three sons before he married mother.  They had been placed in an orphange when his first wife died, as I recall.  I remember when Gene Barthololmew, the oldest got out of the Army and came for a visit.  I do not remember Richard or Earl coming during that period, but they had been adopted and had thier own family.  I did meet them in later years.  Richard Nichols and Earl Siefert.
One memory that is so vivid it hurts of that period is our hair care.  When we needed a hair cut, mother would set us on a box on a chair, place a bowl over our head and cut our hair to that length.  Then she trimmed our bangs.  Wish I could find one of those pictures! But the worst part was the washing of the hair.  We did not have running water, hence no hot water.  What we did have was a pitcher pump that pumped water by raising and lowering the handle.  When hair needed washed mother would grab the kid that was next in line which in this case was me and tuck me under her arm.  Josephine would pump the handle up and down and water would pour forth and mother would jam my head under the water, the apply soap which I am sure was lye soap and work it into my poor scalp.  Then back under the pump I went and my God that water was cold!    Since I was only 6 years old at the time my memory of a lot of things is not real clear, but on that one thing I am sure.  Bath time was once a week and it occured in a galvanized tub.  Littlest kid got the first bath and the reasoning behind that was that the younger they were, the cleaner they were.  Josephine always got the last one and by that time there was a soap scum floating on the top and bath had a whole new meaning.  To this day I stand under the shower with the water as hot as I can stand it.
I remember the old cow dying and we had to move her body to the pasture because there was some sort of disease and the only way to get rid of it was to burn and bury the carcass.  Must have been anthrax, since I think that occured about that time.  Not sure she had it, but we did it anyway.
That was also the first time I was ever allowed to go to the store.  I felt so big walking that mile to Flemings grocery with my hanky in my hand and the money for the loaf of bread tied safely in the corner.  I remember Mr. Fleming gave me a piece of candy because I did such a good job.  I recall that it was very scary being alone out in the big world when I was 6 years old.  But I look back on that simple life and it breaks my heart that our kids today will never know the simple joy of a mud puddle, a dying turtle, or a trip down the dirt road to bring the cow up!

I just now seen it out there by the carport!

I just ran a package over to the post office on the highway and when I got home I looked over there and there is a pretty little yellow crocus.  Debbie called me this morning to tell me she just picked a Jonquil.  So you know what this means?  Spring is here whether or not it is actually here!  When the flowers bloom that means it is Spring, I do not care what no damn groundhog says!
The farmers are out plowing and I am fixing to pull the Cruiser out and dig out my rototiller.  Then I will go get some fresh gas and I been hearing from the tall guy that he will  "get out there and get that machine ready for tilling very soon."  Yeah, tall guy, by the time you get around to getting out here, I will have a crop in the ground.  Going to amend that old saying "Time and Tide wait for no man." to say "Lou waits for no man!"  Been waiting all winter and now I am waiting no more.
Neighbor man dumped a big load of manure out there and tomorrow the goose house is getting new straw and the old straw is going to line the pathways.  I can almost taste them tomatoes now!  Ah, and the eggplant, cucumbers, squash and Lord only knows what kind of seeds I may find in the drawer.  And I got the organic thing going on, so that is good.  If I hurry, I can get a little lettuce before it gets too hot!
So if you are calling me, just leave a message cause I can not hear the phone over the rototiller motor and the squawking geese and barking dogs!  And if I do hear it I will probably not answer.  Gotta make hay while it is sunny!!

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Well, let's start up a community garden. Want to?

I have often heard of Community Gardens and when SCAP was located on 4th and Glendale right next door to the Liquor Store and the Porn shop before the police took the building for their substation, we had one.  It was really nice.  Some one tilled the area and one of the places, Lowe's I think, donated a bunch of plants. The clients would come by and water and weed and then later pick the harvest.  We all got a kick out of it and it kept them in touch with nature.  But now we are located in the Corona building and all we have is concrete and asphalt.  Enter a stranger on a Suzuki motorcycle who stands 6'7" and a Community Garden appears on the horizon.
Meet Richard.  We have a mutual friend and I found him one Sunday morning digging around in the dirt.  Well, you know me.  Nobody gets away with anything on my watch and it just looked suspicious to see this big tall guy digging in my friends yard. Nobody ever comes and digs in my yard.  So I asked my friend, "What is going on over there?"  And he told me.  So I got his number and set out on my quest for knowledge.  Soon you will know all that I know.
Richard is new to this business, but he knows what he wants to do.  He has this garden and another at his house.  His vision is to grow organic food and produce enough to feed 400 people.  And here is where it gets a little hairy.  A community garden is a community effort.  We all know that.  This is his first venture into this and this first year will entail putting a lot of ground work into place.  He has made a wish list and it seems fairly simple. So we will lay it out and look at it and see if this is feasible.
1.  He needs manure preferably Rabbit, Poultry, Cow or Horse.  Now he knows that most people raising animals give them antibotics.  These should leech out in a year or so.  He will check to see how that plays out with the people who certify the stuff to be organic.
2.  Compost.  Any chance you have a pile of that laying around that you do not use and do not need?
3.  He is going to need a tiller.  He would prefer to do this with a horse and plow, but he has no harness for the horse.  Got any of that laying around?
4.  Now hauling is going to be a problem unless he has a pick up.  He is willing to trade his bike for a small pickup preferably a Toyota or Nissan.  At least I think that is what he said.  So, if you happen to have one of those setting in the drive, let me know.

I do not know Richard very well, but from the two brief visits I had with him I found him to be very personable and very caring about the environment.  That carries a lot of weight with me.  We discussed politics briefly and I am not sure which of us is the more radical, but I do not know what that has to do with growing a watermelon, which I will depend on him to grow because I done lost my package of seeds!

So if any of you out there have any of the items he needs, suggestions that could possibly help Richard, or an idea on how to proceed with this venture,  please leave a comment or email me and I will see that he gets the information.  He is just kind of between computers at the present time.

This is just a heads up!

This is just to alert you to a blog I will be posting sometime in the next week.  I have met a most interesting fellow.  Two things you should know.  He is running a couple community gardens that are completly organic.  That is one.

The other is he is 6' 7" tall.  I told him, "You are really tall!"  and he told me "Lou, I am not really tall, you are just really, really good at being short!"

This is going to be one interesting fellow, I can almost tell.  Organic has always been a passion of mine.  Now if he can give me an organic way to remove Icarus's friend, the mouse, from my kitchen I think we may end up very best friends! 

So, stay alert, but give me about a week on this.  He is a busy man and I am a busy woman and we must remember he is up there where the oxygen is thinner!