# 12 Months, 12 New Things to Learn ...



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

OK, Andi ... here goes ... The goal is to purchase whatever I need to work with and spend the whole month learning all I can and completing at least one new project. If this works the way I want it to, I will continue to use and expand those skills as the year goes on. (So by December I hope I have a TON of dehydrated food stored ... :beercheer

January - dehydrating (because my Christmas present was an Excalibur Dehydrator! )

February - sprouting (because Oklahoma is not a tropical climate! )

March - carpentry (because I want furniture and home improvements I cannot bring myself to pay those prices for. ) My first projects are gonna be some cold frames to use next fall, a chicken tractor and rabbit hutch and the critters to go in the tractor and hutch.

April - raised bed gardening OK, I actually tried this for the first time last year but I want to add a couple more beds and see if I can grow more than tomatoes, okra and lavendar this year.  I already compost.

May - communications. Seriously ... I know absolutely NOTHING about ham radio, weather radios, computers, two-way radios, etc. This one is gonna be a PITA because I am doing it more because I see a real need than because I am interested in it. eep:

June - Pressure Canning. I understand the principles but don't own any of the equipment so now's the time. 

July - Rifle Shooting. I am not a half-bad shot with a handgun but rifles are another story. I want to go hunting next fall. So ... no time like the present. Another one of those I know I gotta do this but really am not all that interested things. 

August - Tatting This is my "off" month. I figure that once the garden starts "coming in" that January and June's skills are gonna be put to good use ... but I have the stuff to learn to tat, just never got around to it. Nice way to spend the evenings I think.

September - This is kind of a culmination of several months' work. I want a green house to go with my cold frames. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to harvest fresh food all year.

October - Butchering rabbits and chickens (see March). I did this when I was a kid but that was a long time ago.  We'll see how it goes ...

November - I want to go on my first deer and wild pig hunts. I'm not very good at anything but complaining in cold weather so it should be interesting. 

December - Wine and/or Beer Brewing ... I'm gonna need it after all that work! :congrat:

OK ... there you have it ... Please feel free to make suggestions ... there is a ton of other stuff out there that interests me (like herbal medicine, beekeeping and off the grid home design) but I figure that will give me a place to start in 2012 ...


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

wow, that is a NICE syllabus... how are your foraging/identification skills? :congrat: good luck


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> wow, that is a NICE syllabus... how are your foraging/identification skills? :congrat: good luck


Oh, thanks ... doesn't sound too lame??

And I know NOTHING about foraging ... other than dandelions ... I know a dandelion when I see it. Oh and that you can eat the pods off a redbud tree and make jelly from the flowers, and mulberries will make you sick to your stomach if they aren't fully ripe ...


----------



## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

What a cool idea...having a "prep skill of the month" schedule! I love it!

I'm going to pick something to learn or focus on each month now, too!


----------



## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Great idea, especially when you write them down. I think we should all do that even if they are just small projects.


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Thanks so much for posting your list! I can see how having something like this in writing would be very helpful - both in prioritizing what you want to learn, and in keeping you on track. Very inspirational! 
:beercheer:


----------



## kyfarmer (Feb 22, 2009)

BadgeBunny said:


> Oh, thanks ... doesn't sound too lame??
> 
> And I know NOTHING about foraging ... other than dandelions ... I know a dandelion when I see it. Oh and that you can eat the pods off a redbud tree and make jelly from the flowers, and mulberries will make you sick to your stomach if they aren't fully ripe ...


You can make some killer wine outa them yellar flowers of old dandelion. :beercheer: I have no idea how this year will go but the urge is there to get ready. As much as i can as soon as i can.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Ya'll please do join me ... I would LOVE to see what everybody else is doing too!!

I ordered Mary Bell's Dehydrating Book and The Dehydrator Bible off amazon this morning. Also been watching the videos produced by Dehydrate2Store.com on youtube ...






The store's website is here:

Dehydrate2Store.com

I am kinda old school, kinda new school ... I like to go to the 'net for most of my information but once I get a "feel" for what I am doing I want at least 2 (and preferably 4) definitive books on the subject in my library. IMHO, it's a lot more fun to curl up in front of the fireplace with a book or magazine than it is a laptop computer ...

Sams has cherries right now ... I think I can "do" that!


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I'm experimenting with growing kudzu & bamboo airponically in my basement (so it can't infiltrate), fast growth plus edible = :2thumb:


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

BadgeBunny said:


> OK, Andi ... here goes ...


:2thumb: I LOVE the list ... now I feel like a slacker for only having only one thing on my list... lol

I can't wait for the details and updates!


----------



## Lonewufcry (Jul 26, 2010)

all I can say is wow thats a great idea. I think I might be working on some projects too. as far as homebrewing goes its easy once you have the equipment, pressure canning my recomendation would be to use the weighted style instead of the gage style so you dont have to get it checked every year. I wish you all the best


----------



## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> I'm experimenting with growing kudzu & bamboo airponically in my basement (so it can't infiltrate), fast growth plus edible = :2thumb:


Whoa...! Kudzu is edible? When we lived in Kentucky our place was wrapped in the stuff! We had bamboo, too, or "cane" as we called it, all along the creek bank.

Tell me, how do you use Kudzu as an edible? We don't live in the part of the country any more, but I'd still love to know.


----------



## vn6869 (May 5, 2010)

Nice to see people are planning and prepping.

Interested in the kudzu and bamboo. Know bamboo can be eaten - MUST be boiled twice first - but we have plenty of kudzu here also.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Oh, see??? 

I have already learned a few things. I didn't know you could eat kudzu. I have canned bamboo sprouts in the cabinet but didn't really make the connection til your post.  There are a TON of cattails around here. Not my first choice but at least I know it's there and I can eat it ... if I have to ... 

Thanks for the tip on the pressure canner also. I have been wondering how much good a pressure canner would do me if I couldn't get the gauge checked regularly for some reason. 

I am already thinking about toying with the order of things ... thinking I may move "communications" to the end of the year when it is quieter ... But since it is something I really don't want to fool with I am gonna leave it where it is for now (kinda self-imposed pressure to "get 'er done" and we'll just see how it goes.

The high here tomorrow is supposed to be 66 F, so I am gonna spend the day in the back yard building those other two raised beds. That way I can compost directly in them for the rest of the winter ... Gotta make hay while the sun shines ... New Year's Day the high is only gonna be 35.  This time last year we were iced in like you folks to the east. :gaah: You gotta love Oklahoma weather!


----------



## Halfway (Nov 26, 2009)

The_Blob said:


> I'm experimenting with growing kudzu & bamboo airponically in my basement (so it can't infiltrate), fast growth plus edible = :2thumb:


Learning aeroponic methods may need to make my list as well.


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

BadgeBunny said:


> I ordered Mary Bell's Dehydrating Book and The Dehydrator Bible off amazon this morning.


BadgeBunny, for your food drying and canning you might also like Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide by Carol Hupping (Amazon.com: Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide (9780671693954): Carol Hupping: Books It's a book I checked out of the library and renewed 4 times before finally breaking down and buying it. It's got a lot of info. One good thing in there is a list of vegetables with what storage method works best for that variety, and where you can buy the seeds. So if you just want to dry foods, you can go to the list and see which varieties of each veggie is a good dryer, and find out where to get seeds for those varieties.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Lonewufcry said:


> all I can say is wow thats a great idea. I think I might be working on some projects too. as far as homebrewing goes its easy once you have the equipment, pressure canning my recomendation would be to use the weighted style instead of the gage style so you dont have to get it checked every year. I wish you all the best


I've been looking around ... is there one brand that is better?? I am finding all kinds of info on weighted vs. gauge but am having trouble finding a weighted canner to purchase. Maybe I am not understanding exactly what I am looking for yet. The weighted ones don't have the dial gauge, right? (I know, dumb question but ... sometimes I can't see the forest for the trees ...:surrender



goshengirl said:


> BadgeBunny, for your food drying and canning you might also like Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide by Carol Hupping (Amazon.com: Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide (9780671693954): Carol Hupping: Books It's a book I checked out of the library and renewed 4 times before finally breaking down and buying it. It's got a lot of info. One good thing in there is a list of vegetables with what storage method works best for that variety, and where you can buy the seeds. So if you just want to dry foods, you can go to the list and see which varieties of each veggie is a good dryer, and find out where to get seeds for those varieties.


Thanks for the suggestion. I did order this one today, along with one about solar drying. Seems to me that the Oklahoma weather in July and August would be PERFECT weather for getting Mother Nature in on the act! 

The Excalibur is not here yet ... :gaah: So I have spent this last week reorganizing my pantry. Somehow it turned into a catch all for a bit ... Once I got done, I found I have some shelves that "need" stuff!! :beercheer: Off to Sams I go this morning!!


----------



## GroovyMike (Feb 25, 2010)

great idea -

Here's info on eating kudzu -

Kudzu: 'Vine that ate the South' is also good eating

Nancy Basket, a part-Cherokee artist and basket maker in Walhalla, S.C., may not be getting rich off kudzu, but she does enjoy eating it. She says her heritage prompted her to treat kudzu with respect, rather than as a menace.

Now she hosts kudzu luncheons where guests feast on kudzu quiche with a rice crust or kudzu pasta.

"People just don't know how to use it," she says. "We need to use something in our back yard instead of making fun of it and calling it names."

In much of the South, kudzu hibernates in winter. The tender springtime shoots that pop up in April and May are a great substitute for spinach in salads and quiches, Baldwin says. She prefers young shoots over tougher, full-grown leaves, and she waits for the August blooms to make her sweet-smelling jelly.

Cooking with kudzu is just like using other hardy greens, except the leaves wilt quickly, and it's a pick-your-own process, Baldwin says. "Just don't pick from roadsides that have been sprayed. Pick from a patch that's away from everything," she says.

Kudzu also has become popular in natural foods stores, where the root is sold for about $2 an ounce dried and pulverized to be used similar to cornstarch to thicken soups, sauces and puddings. Foods also can be coated in it for frying.

"The Southerners got it wrong," says William Shurtleff, co-author of "The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary and Healing Guide." "There's a movement to see kudzu not as a menace but as a useful plant."

Often sold under the Japanese name "kuzu," kudzu root powder also has a following for its reputed medicinal benefits. Even Martha Stewart lists kudzu root as a "hangover helper" on her Web site.

Those who eat kudzu leaves - which are high in fiber and protein - liken the taste to tofu, which takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with.

But James Miller, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., doesn't see kudzu elbowing out spinach or cornstarch any time soon. It's just too hard to harvest the thick vines and heavy roots, he says.

"We have many kudzu promoters," Miller says. "But I don't think anybody is going to go out and select kudzu over, say, catfish to batter and fry."

Except for Edith and Henry Edwards, that is. The Rutherfordton, N.C., couple have been eating kudzu for decades. They began feeding it to their cows 45 years ago and decided to try it themselves.

"You fry the leaves and they're just like potato chips - delicious," says 83-year-old Henry Edwards.

Edith Edwards - who is listed in the phone book by her nickname, "the Kudzu Queen of North Carolina" - credits the plant with her good health. She's been drinking a teaspoon of kudzu root powder in a nightly tonic for 25 years.

"I tell the women they can chew it like the cows if they like, and I mean this seriously," the 80-year-old says. "People say, 'Edith, how do you keep so young-looking?' and I say, Well, I eat kudzu.'"

Read more: Kudzu: 'Vine that ate the South' is also good eating


----------



## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I love list. Every week we work on our list of things to get done on the weekend as we both work full time. Hubby calls his the CRS List because he can't remember s---. In the summer when the days are longer we have daily list. When I go to the store any store I have a list. If it isn't on the list I don't get it because I generally know where the things I need are in each store and do not walk the aisles looking and being tempted. We have to watch our $ closely as every extra penny goes for prepping.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

First valuable lesson of the year ... If you are gonna plan to do something in a particular month best be ordering the stuff for it a couple months' before hand.



I am still waiting on my Excalibur to get here ... but I have read several books on dehydrating ... will post my reviews in the book review section over the next few days.

Thanks for the info on kudzu GroovyMike. I know where some is growing (I think) ... as soon as spring gets here I will go check it out and see.

Gonna have to change my list around a little as the doc has informed me that I am pre-hypertensive (blah!) and that I have 2 months to "get my shit together" (read: straighten up and act right) before he puts me on meds. So I am eating right and trying to exercise more. So I have been doing a TON of reading on eating philosophies ... DASH, raw, vegan, herbal remedies, etc. It's been interesting so far.

The bottom line is ... less sitting in front of the computer and in the chair reading and more time on the elliptical ...

So ... I am off to order sprouting books and equipment and exercise. I will check back in with you guys this evening. Have a great day!!


----------



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

BadgeBunny said:


> First valuable lesson of the year ... If you are gonna plan to do something in a particular month best be ordering the stuff for it a couple months' before hand.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


hey a few years ago i was diagnosed the same. so here is how i beat that so far... i use the spice turmeric in just about everything...great in tomato soup! also i use cayenne pepper also.
these two things get your blood moving, reduce arterial inflammations etc.
might help and they are cheap! if you don't grow them.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

lhalfcent said:


> hey a few years ago i was diagnosed the same. so here is how i beat that so far... i use the spice turmeric in just about everything...great in tomato soup! also i use cayenne pepper also.
> these two things get your blood moving, reduce arterial inflammations etc.
> might help and they are cheap! if you don't grow them.


Ohhh ... thanks. I'll give the pepper a try in my tomato soup at lunch and will look for the turmeric next time I go to the store. Back when I was younger (and a lot more active) the docs told me my blood pressure was almost too low.  But that was a neck injury, 40 pounds and many years ago. 

I've been dilly-dallying around for the last couple of years not doing what I know I NEED to be doing. So ... time to put my feet to the pavement (figuratively and literally LOL). I'm not taking a bunch of pills if there is any way I can avoid it. :ignore:


----------



## iouJC (Nov 20, 2010)

ARAHGGGGGAH!!
Thanks, I needed to do that!
Actually, your post, which I read this morning, inspired me to get busy!!
I need to re-arrange things and get things so I know where they are. 
The first step to doing this is to complete the installation of my cabinets. I was able to obtain some very large and very sturdy...(and very HEAVY!!) cabinets from a building that was being remodled. I have had the cabinets in place, but no doors on them. So, this morning you inspired me and I put two of the doors on the cabinets. They are very complex.....there is a hinge that has to slip inside of another part of the hinge, with a bolt that has to fit inside the slider. Then, the is another screw that has to be put on each hinge. It is difficult to get them all on and then hold it in place and screw in the bolt. But I persevered!! I was dripping with sweat...and it is NOT warm here....and shaking by the time I finished. Proudly I looked at my work and felt that I had accomplished a great deal.
I loaded the shelves and put in shelf paper, loaded the shelves and arranged evrything "just so." It was lovely!! Then I closed the cabinet doors....I had put the wrong doors on!! The doors had a gap of about 1/2 an inch between them.....so they close perfectly, but the middle has a gap in the center!
PHOO! PHOO! I'm too tired to re-do it today, but now I know how the hinges go otgether, so ONE OF THESE DAYS...when I have nothing else to do (LOL!!!) I will take them apart and re-do the doors.
POOP!!


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

iouJC said:


> ARAHGGGGGAH!!
> Thanks, I needed to do that!
> Actually, your post, which I read this morning, inspired me to get busy!!
> I need to re-arrange things and get things so I know where they are.
> ...


Danggit!! I HATE it when that happens. Don't dwell on what went wrong today ... look at everything else you got accomplished!! Honestly, even though it is just January, I am so happy I made that list. There have been several times already that I have picked up an item or book that I know I am gonna need for a future month's project. Before I would see things (like canning jars on sale) and say to myself "OK ... next time those go on sale I have to get some" ... Now that I have a definite timeline I am a lot more focused.


----------



## iouJC (Nov 20, 2010)

Yes, BB, and overall your post had a positive result. I am going to make a list of what I want/need to do and go at it one project at a time, just like you are. Thank you for posting your idea. I have several things I want to work on, one is a knitting machine I got at a yard sale a couple of years ago....for $10.00!! I have wanted one of those for YEARS!! Now I am going to "schedule" it and learn to use it!!
Thanks for the idea!


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

iouJC said:


> Yes, BB, and overall your post had a positive result. I am going to make a list of what I want/need to do and go at it one project at a time, just like you are. Thank you for posting your idea. I have several things I want to work on, one is a knitting machine I got at a yard sale a couple of years ago....for $10.00!! I have wanted one of those for YEARS!! Now I am going to "schedule" it and learn to use it!!
> Thanks for the idea!


OMGosh!! A knitting machine!! How cool!! :2thumb: A friend of mine just bought a new serger and she gave me her old one ... My list keeps getting longer and longer!! LOL  She is always making stuff for other people and never for herself so my first project is to make her a wall hanging to go with the new furniture she and her hubby just bought.

Hmmmmm ... I just realized they have been doing a awful lot of shopping these days ... I'm gonna have to ask her if they won that big lottery recently! 

I finally called Excalibur yesterday because they took the money out of my account but still no dehydrator to be seen anywhere. Hopefully we can figure out what the deal is and I can get to it.

In the meantime though I have some orange peels drying in the oven. If things go well I will have some fresh orange zest to put in my hot tea in the mornings.

Gypsysue has tempted me with starting a blog ... problem is, I like chitty-chatting in the threads (as if ya'll haven't noticed yet! LOL)

Ok ... I am off to pick out a quilt pattern for my friend's quilt, work on my prayer shawl, bake some bread, start the chicken stew for dinner tonight and get those danged book reviews I promised done. Probably need to bring some wood in too but gosh if I do everything my poor husband will feel unneeded, huh? haha :dunno:


----------



## LegitCitizen (Jan 1, 2011)

*What an awesome idea!*

BB - what an awesome idea! A skill a month... how cool.

I should do that, but I'm afraid we're not quite _that_ structured - or organized. We've got a list of skills we want to pick up this year, but haven't broken down the timetable on a month-by-month basis.

Here's my list of desired skills in a nutshell: *fishing* (somehow I never learned this as a child - I used to go fishing with my grandpa but after his health declined, there was no one to take me); *pressure canning* (at my altitude this is the surest, safest method); *gardening* (currently I do much better with critters than with plants); *firestarting* (I want to be able to reliably start a fire without matches in a variety of conditions - it's never as easy as you'd like it to be); *navigating without the Garmin* (because it seems to be a dying art - and knowing where you are can be critical).


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

LegitCitizen said:


> BB - what an awesome idea! A skill a month... how cool.
> 
> I should do that, but I'm afraid we're not quite _that_ structured - or organized. We've got a list of skills we want to pick up this year, but haven't broken down the timetable on a month-by-month basis.
> 
> Here's my list of desired skills in a nutshell: *fishing* (somehow I never learned this as a child - I used to go fishing with my grandpa but after his health declined, there was no one to take me); *pressure canning* (at my altitude this is the surest, safest method); *gardening* (currently I do much better with critters than with plants); *firestarting* (I want to be able to reliably start a fire without matches in a variety of conditions - it's never as easy as you'd like it to be); *navigating without the Garmin* (because it seems to be a dying art - and knowing where you are can be critical).


I hate to be the one to break it to you but you already HAVE your list ... right here ...  See?? That wasn't so hard now was it?? :beercheer::2thumb:

While I am waiting on my dehydrator I decided to start on February (sprouting) and started my first jar of alfalfa spouts this morning. I can hardly wait to see how they turn out! 

I'm lilke you ... don't have much of a green thumb at all ...


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

LegitCitizen - BadgeBunny, has a point ... looks like a list to me also. 

Can't wait to hear how the alfalfa spouts goes. :2thumb:


----------



## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks for sharing Badge Bunny, your list is very good indeed. I have a list of what I want to do this year but it's not as sequential order as yours. I want to use your forumla to test my endurance in learning 12 news skills.:2thumb:


----------



## Derek (Jan 24, 2011)

I too feel like a slacker next to the list! I do a lot of reading though! Homesteadearth.com has a interesting article on Cold frames.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Well ... at least you guys are not alone in feeling like a slacker. Sorry I have not kept up with this like I had intended. An old neck injury is creating multiple problems for me, the most pressing of which is unrelenting headaches. Going in tomorrow for "a little work" as the doc keeps saying. :scratch I dunno ... if you gotta be knocked out for them to do what needs to be done I don't consider it to be "a little work" but then again I'm not awake to see what is going on! 

Little bitty update though:

Dehydrator finally came. There are banana slices in it as I type ... the house smells YUMMY! I can see me getting another one really, really soon. So far it has been so easy that I am afraid to say anything ... It seems like I have picked a project that is impossible to screw up for January. :congrat: 

The books I read to get ready for this were "The Dehydrator Bible", "Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook and goshengirl's recommendation in Post #16. I have several other books in my library that touch on dehydrating but none of them are as informative as these three. Not only that but each of these books has information that the other two do not have, therefore they compliment each other very well. I am not uncomfortable saying that if you have these three books you shouldn't need any others to answer any questions that may arise regarding dehydration.

I did also purchase "The Solar Food Dryer: How to Make and Use Your Own Low-Cost, High Performance, Sun-Powered Food Dehydrator" and am looking forward to making and using a solar food dryer this summer.

As for February and the sprouting ... I have only sprouted alfalfa seeds so far and let me just say ... I WILL NEVER BUY SPROUTS AGAIN ... you have not tasted good sprouts if you have not grown your own and they are insanely easy (so far) to do. No more trouble than keeping up with a sourdough starter. I have ordered a variety pack of seeds now that I have a feel for this so I will let you know how each variety does as I try them out.

Again, another project that seems to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. I have read that some seeds are finicky but alfalfa is certainly not that seed. The sprouting books I would recommend are in the other room (with my sleeping husband) :sssh: so I will post the titles later. I also picked up a book on Nutrition ... No sense in going to all this trouble if I don't know what vitamins and minerals I am getting ... 

Hopefully all will go well in the morning and I will be back tomorrow night or Wednesday ... If not, don't fret ... I am sure that I will be living the good life via pharmeceuticals at least for a little while!  

Ya'll post what you have been up too ... there's enough snow around the country this winter that surely there has been some serious reading going on!!  

Please do share!! :wave: And stay warm!!


----------



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

I love sprouts! I especially love broccoli sprouts...yummmmm


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

lhalfcent said:


> I love sprouts! I especially love broccoli sprouts...yummmmm


I haven't tried those yet but they are in the sampler pack I ordered. I like broccoli but I hear the sprouts taste different. I can hardly wait!


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

BadgeBunny said:


> I haven't tried those yet but they are in the sampler pack I ordered. I like broccoli but I hear the sprouts taste different. I can hardly wait!


And I can't wait to hear all about it! :2thumb:


----------



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

BadgeBunny said:


> I haven't tried those yet but they are in the sampler pack I ordered. I like broccoli but I hear the sprouts taste different. I can hardly wait!


broccoli sprouts are very crunchy and a little stronger green taste than alfalfa sprouts. but they are so good and are considered a super food.
lentils made good sprouts too although they have a peppery taste.
I also make alot of sprouts and then dehydrate them then ground them into flour and add to my homemade breads. yummm
if you like that idea just add 1 part dried sprout flour to 2 parts of whatever flours you are using. :2thumb:


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

lhalfcent said:


> broccoli sprouts are very crunchy and a little stronger green taste than alfalfa sprouts. but they are so good and are considered a super food.
> lentils made good sprouts too although they have a peppery taste.
> I also make alot of sprouts and then *dehydrate them then ground them into flour and add to my homemade breads.* yummm
> if you like that idea just add 1 part dried sprout flour to 2 parts of whatever flours you are using. :2thumb:


Hmmmm ... that sounds good ... as much as I love the taste my sourdough is just too finicky.

Guys ... I am telling you ... if you don't have a dehydrator you seriously need to find the funds to get one or make your own. My biggest problem is NOT buying more stuff than I can dry!  I am seriously thinking about picking up another Excalibur after I pay off the truck (couple of months).

The hubby is bugging the heck out of me to dry some hamburger meat ... Guess that will be my next batch of stuff.


----------



## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Badgebunny-that's exactly the way we feel about our pressure canner. It's fascinating to see it in action (not that it actually does much when you're using it) and we get such a huge sense of accomplishment when we use it and fill the cupboards. we don't have a dehydrator yet but we will sooner or later. It's actually FUN for us to use the canner.


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Jason said:


> Badgebunny-that's exactly the way we feel about our pressure canner. It's fascinating to see it in action (not that it actually does much when you're using it) and we get such a huge sense of accomplishment when we use it and fill the cupboards. we don't have a dehydrator yet but we will sooner or later. It's actually FUN for us to use the canner.


I've always been scared of pressure canners. The hubby has canned, but I have not. Guess that will change come ... August?? I think ...  Oh dang ... no ... that's JUNE ... EKKK!!


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

OK ... a quick update ...

Sprouting is easy and fun as long as you don't forget what you have going on. Some seeds need to be rinsed more than others ... my favorites are alfalfa, brocoli and radish sprouts. I don't care too much for mung spouts. Seems I like the ones that have a bit more flavor to them.

Something I did NOT know until I started looking around ... tomato and potato sprouts are poisonous. 

Dehydrating is something I should have started doing 20 years ago!  I really enjoy it ... The hamburger meat turned out fine. Just had to make sure it was rinsed and dried really well before I put it in the dehydrator. I haven't cooked with it yet ... will probably pull some out and make a casserole Thursday night. Will let you know how it turns out.

And seems that I may have to change up. I am having neck surgery on the 17th so carpentry may be a bit of a stretch for this month. However, if things go like the doc says they will I should be able to do my carpentry project the first of May. So ... for March I am gonna read the HAM Radio Manual I have and see if I can pass the online practice tests. A friend gave me a radio ... I just need to get licensed now ...

You know, when I first made this list I didn't think there was anyway I would be able to keep up with it. It looked like a LOT to do ... but it is turning out (so far, anyway) that I actually have MORE time. I guess it is because I am not putting things off anymore.

And while this is not on my list I have been doing the FlyLady thing for the last few weeks. Housekeeping has never been one of those things I enjoyed and therefore it seemed like I was always waiting til the last minute (read: company's coming) to get anything done. I am amazed at what I can get done in a 15 minute time period. :2thumb: The site seems very discombobalated at first but there really is a method to their madness ... Check it out! FLY Lady


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

BadgeBunny said:


> Something I did NOT know until I started looking around ... tomato and potato sprouts are poisonous. ]


Well I knew about the potatoes but not the tomatoes ... Thanks for posting!


----------



## ashley8072 (Apr 26, 2011)

I love that you've got plans for each month. I work quickly and am highly organized, but can't ever get a real focus on something if needed too. I get things done quickly and tend to forget whatever I've learned. As the economy falls slightly everyday, I realize how much time I've wasted and struggle to get everything done at once. I think this month I will focus on getting my kitchen up to standards. 

A dehydrator and a bread machine is def on my To Get list asap. My grandpa has one that he has offered me to use, but actually prying it out of his hands could be a whole new deal. lol! He constantly has it packed of homemade jerky. I'm not to complain when he makes his rounds around the farm of handing out baggies of dif ways that he made it either.

I've looked at purchasing dehydrated foods, whether for backpacking/camping or for food storage and snacks, and it gets expensive! Just a small box of banana chips are priced at 3 bucks, and those would be gone in a day. lol! As a stay at home mom, I've got lots of time on my hands to experiment, so I'm looking for an in-expensive machine.

A bread machine: The closest I've came to making bread is Irish Soda bread for St Patricks Day. We go through bread faster than sickies and toilet paper. haha. I've aquired some pounds of flour, whole wheat flour and cornbread and would very much like to use these if something were to ever happen. 

I may look into food Canning if I could find somewhere to store them, but at the moment I'm stuck to my half-finished kitchen. lol!


----------



## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

BadgeBunny said:


> January - dehydrating
> February - sprouting
> March - carpentry
> April - raised bed gardening
> ...


OK ... here's an update!

Carpentry and Communications bit the dust ... However, dehydrating, sprouting and raised bed gardening are going along pretty danged well if I do say so myself.

Looking for a pressure cooker as we type ... can't decide on which one to get.

May try the carpentry and ham radio stuff again in the winter. It's just too hard for me to stay inside and try to concentrate on the radio stuff when the weather is warm. I would try my hand at the carpentry at night but I live in a little suburb ... don't think the neighbors would care for my power tools blowing and going at 10 at night.

The rifle shooting and hunting are completely off the table now. Even when I shoot my little .22 I pay for it for several days later. I miss shooting but all things considered I'm not gonna complain. That neck stuff could have gone so much worse for me and I could very well not have been able to do anything at all so ... :beercheer:

I'm gonna go read everybody else's posts now ... that's why I started this because I like hearing what other folks are doing.


----------



## Centraltn (Feb 21, 2011)

KUDZU is EDIBLE?? I didn't know that! Is it the buds? Leaves? Flowers?


----------



## Centraltn (Feb 21, 2011)

I repeat: KUDZU is edible? What part and how do ya fix it? Additionally- regarding redbuds... at what point do you harvest them and is it the flower buds? or Leaf buds? and how do you prepare both?


----------



## whome (Oct 6, 2011)

BadgeBunny said:


> OK ... a quick update ...
> 
> .......
> 
> And while this is not on my list I have been doing the FlyLady thing for the last few weeks. Housekeeping has never been one of those things I enjoyed and therefore it seemed like I was always waiting til the last minute (read: company's coming) to get anything done. I am amazed at what I can get done in a 15 minute time period. :2thumb: The site seems very discombobalated at first but there really is a method to their madness ... Check it out! FLY Lady


I use the Flylady system and it works! It seems the busier you are the better it works too. She can be a bit mushy, but if that bothers you, just skip that and use her method, it's great.


----------



## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Centraltn said:


> KUDZU is EDIBLE?? I didn't know that! Is it the buds? Leaves? Flowers?


Sheep love kudzu. It is a great plant for livestock feed because it grows so quickly.


----------



## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

I just wanted to say that I love the idea of this post! I know that it started almost a year ago now, but what a great time to start thinking about what we could learn during 2012! I'm going to go make my list out!


----------

