CHRISTMAS MUD CAKES
While enjoying Christmas Eve eve at home today, I finally finished a project I started several days ago: fresh dirt for the worms.
Actually, it wasn’t really “dirt” I was giving them. I gave them coconut coir.
What is coconut coir? In the past, when coconuts were harvested for the coconut milk and meat, the husk was considered a waste product. All of the material from the husk to the inner shell of the coconut was a discard product. Coir was discovered as a growing medium in the 1940’s by a soil scientist, EP Hume. He noticed that the dust created from extracting the fibers of the husk had properties similar to peat moss and began experimenting with it as a growing medium. Today, coconut coir is used as a preferred growing media for large scale greenhouse cultivation of food and ornamental plants.
Coconut coir is also great bedding material for worm bins. It holds moisture well and creates pockets of air that are easy for worms to move about. Worms find coconut coir to be a very hospitable environment.
Coir is purchased in compressed blocks. They look just like a brick, weigh about 1.5 lbs., and, with the addition of water, each brick expands to 2 – 2.5 gallons of lovely, fluffy “dirt.”
I purchased two bricks of coconut coir and “reconstituted” them the first of this week. This was my first time doing this which meant it was a learning opportunity.
First lesson: it took two days and an extra bucket to accomplish that task. Unfortunately, then, it was too wet to put into the worm bin, so I let it set out for the rest of the week to dry out.
When that wasn’t long enough to reach the correct moisture level and wanting to get the buckets of “dirt” out of my kitchen for Christmas, I decided to bake some of it to speed up the drying process. So, today, instead of Christmas cookies, I made mud cakes.
That did the trick. The worms have fresh bedding in one side of the bin, with collard greens, apple peels, and zucchini to munch on. Once they migrate over to that side, I’ll harvest the other side, get some more coconut coir, and put fresh bedding on that side too.
I hope the worms are happy!
In other news, I was prepping the chicken coop for tonight’s frigid temperatures when what to my wondering eyes did appear?
Someone is laying again! The egg strike is over.
The eggs are really dirty, and they didn’t pass the float test (for freshness), so the chickens will be having scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow. Nevertheless, this was a very welcome discovery!
MIDWEEK PLINK
It’s a dangerous thing when I try to do more than one thing at a time. Chaos tends to break out somewhere along the line. Nevertheless, I managed to do a three-fer last night after work. Yes, After Work!
I got home a bit after 6:30 and got right to work. I cooked up and pressure canned five pints of hamburger! Not only that but, to insure I didn’t sit down during any lulls in the action (which would result in an all-stop situation), I made a Raspberry-Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake! Not only that but I also made dinner!
No Chaos involved. No mishaps. Everything turned out great. I even cleaned the kitchen when I finished. All this before sitting down for the night. I don’t know what got into me but it was sure nice to get so much accomplished!
It was especially gratifying to listen to the Plink of my jar lids while munching on the tasty cake!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GROW IT
One of the nice things about the homesteading way of life is, the deeper you get into it, the more your old ways of thinking start to change. That statement can create a lovely, deep, discussion but it affects the simple things too.
This weekend’s example is the bell peppers I had left from Thanksgiving dinner – or as my daughter called it, Mexi-giving, since we had Mexican-style food this year instead of the standard fare. My contribution to our feast was chicken fajitas and I bought more peppers than I needed.
The three unused peppers have been sitting in my refrigerator these past few weeks while I futilely searched for a recipe to use them, not wanting to let them go to waste.
It might seem obvious to others, but I realized this week that, just because I didn’t grow it, it doesn’t mean I can’t preserve it. So, this weekend I sliced them up and put them in the dehydrator.
I dehydrated the peppers I grew in my garden this summer and it has been really convenient to just grab a couple of slices out of the bag and crunch them up to use in a recipe. I don’t have to plan ahead and have a fresh pepper in the fridge at the exact time I need to add it to a dish, and I am actually using them more often since they are waiting there for me. At the same time, there are no partial bell peppers sitting in my refrigerator to deal with (or not deal with and end up throwing it in the garbage).
I am very proud of myself for not letting these go to waste!
IT’S NOT MUCH BUT IT’S A START
Oh, goodness, look what I got from the greenhouse!
Beets from the greenhouse
Now, I know they are on the scrawny side but * I * grew them in my greenhouse in the middle of winter so I think they are beautiful!
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING
My daughters believed in Santa longer than many children get to. This was partly because our family was blessed by Angels during the girls early years.
These unidentified Angels somehow knew this single mom needed a boost at Christmas time and Christmas gifts, treats, and food magically appeared on our doorstep every year we lived in Alaska.
The first time it happened, someone did the “12 Days of Christmas” for us. The “first day of Christmas,” I found a turkey on the hood of my car. Each day following, there were daily deliveries culminating on the 12th day when we were gifted with a 12-figurine Nativity set. The girls were ecstatic with each surprise. For me, this was a show of love that I needed at that time in my life.
Another year, when Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage (this was back in the 80’s), each of my girls really wanted one. With a price of $50.00 each, and me struggling to keep us housed and fed, that was Not going to happen. But, some sweet Angel left two Cabbage Patch Kids on our doorstep that year. That was also the Christmas my oldest came to me with “The Question.” I was able to truthfully answer, “How could I be Santa? You know I cannot afford to buy Cabbage Patch Kids!” Even as adults, they still have Marcus and Sally.
We never did fully leave Santa behind as the girls grew up. We just morphed into “Santa is whoever wants to be Santa.” This was an easy transition because we did secret deliveries to other people’s doorsteps every year until they each left home. Nothing as extravagant as Cabbage Patch Kids, but something to let them know they were loved and being thought about. I later discovered my daughters enjoyed doing this as much as I did. When my youngest daughter came home from college for semester break every Christmas, one of her first questions would be “Who are we delivering to this year?”
Whether you want to call it the Spirit of Christmas or Santa, Christmas is a time when more people find ways to serve others. This story is another example of that sweet spirit of giving:
No Santa? Ridiculous!
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.
I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dummies know that!”
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she snorted….”Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.
For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.
I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough; he didn’t have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.”
The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa’s helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.”
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.
Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were — ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.
I still have Grandma’s Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.
Author Unknown
CAN I GET ANY LAZIER?
I just completed the laziest weekend on record.
This weekend I went to the grocery store and put up my Christmas decorations.
That’s it, nothing more.
No, really, that’s all. Well, except the laundry and watering the plants in the greenhouse. Really though, I was completely unmotivated and L.A.Z.Y.
SELF-RELIANCE / PREPAREDNESS GIFT IDEAS
There are lots of ideas for gifts to give family or friends who are “into” Emergency Preparedness or Self-Reliance. For those that aren’t but you wish would be more prepared, giving a gift of this nature can encourage someone to take more steps to better prepare themselves. You can spend a little or a lot but whatever you do will put someone else in a better position to take care of themselves in the event of an emergency.
You can choose a theme from one of the twelve areas of preparedness (shelter/clothing/heat, water, food, hygiene & sanitation, light & power, 1st aid, communication, safety & security, tools, cooking, important documents, transportation) and include several items to create a kit, similar to the ones below. Some of the links (in green) might give you more ideas (these are not affiliate links).
Light kit: glow sticks, flashlights, maybe a flashlight and radio combo, rechargeable headlamps, candles in glass jars for power outages, or solar lights that can be charged during the day and brought in at night during a power outage.
Food for 72-hour kit: while some of the contents of 72-hour kits differ from person to person, they all need food. Give MRE meals, water, energy bars, and other shelf-stable foods that can be part of their 72-hour kit.
Car Emergency Kit: purchase a pre-made kit or make your own to include an orange safety vest, first aid kit, rechargeable headlamps, glow sticks, work gloves, food and water, space blanket, rain poncho, hand-warmers, flashlight, car escape tool, seat belt cutter, etc.
Food storage starter kit: A case or individual cans of freeze-dried and dehydrated food will provide a nice starter kit for their long-term storage. On a smaller scale, provide several jars of meals in a mason jar with a related book like Dinner is in the Jar or Meals in a Jar.
Garden Kit: purchase a garden bucket, add some packets of seeds, garden hand tools, a planting guide and a gift certificate good for your help in next Spring’s Garden.
Canning Kit: for someone wanting to start or expand their canning skills, give a case of new canning jars, canning lids, the new Ball canning book or the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, some of the basic tools needed such as jar lifters, magnetic lid lifter, wide-mouth funnel, or gift them some of the more expensive equipment like a water bath canner or pressure canner. Check with a nearby farm or orchard to see if they offer gift certificates that can be redeemed in the upcoming season.
Alternative Cooking: these can be pricey, but for someone who is up for an adventure, a solar oven, a volcano grill, or a Dutch oven and supplies such as tools or charcoal starter kit provide the means to provide a hot meal when there is no electricity.
The theme approach is just one way to give the gift of preparedness. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You could give individual items. Here’s a list of items that are $50 or less. Some are inexpensive enough to be stocking stuffers.
Inexpensive gift ideas for preppers
Solar Powered / Crank Radio ($50)
Headlamps (I prefer the ones you can recharge) ($20)
First aid kit ($15)
Multi-tool ($15 – 25)
Emergency tent/shelter ($25)
Metal Mess kit ($25)
Hand or foot warmers ($15)
Emergency whistle ($10)
Compass ($10 and up)
Lifestraw Personal Water Filter ($15)
Emergency Car Kit ($25)
Solar Lantern ($25)
Cell Phone Solar Charger ($35)
Ferro Rod Fire Starter ($15)
#10 can(s) of dehydrated/freeze-dried food ($15)
Glow Sticks ($10)
Mylar Emergency Blanket ($10)
Rain Ponchos ($10)
Paracord kit ($15)
Flashlight ($10)
WaterBOB / AquaPod bathtub water storage ($35)
Preparedness / Survival / Bushcraft / Food Storage Books ($15)
SEA and Sky Discover Wilderness Survival Playing cards ($12)
Tealight Candle Room Heater ($30)
With a measure of imagination and inspiration, anyone can make preparedness fun and personal. And when an emergency happens, being prepared, even a little bit, is more bearable than the alternative!
Two Chickens Homestead 
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