I need a useful hobby
aok27502
last year
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aok27502
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
Ok, I know. I gotta get (another) hobby
Comments (27)I love houses and getting the chance to look inside, so I kind of like House Hunters. (It's a rare treat to see any of the shows, so I haven't had the chance to get too sick of them.) The realtors can be annoying, because they often seem to know as little as the buyers. I'm often shocked at the compromises people make in their original goal, or what priorities they use in buying a house they claim they want to live in for the next 20 yrs. On one we saw when dd was in the hospital, a couple chose a house weighted heavily by the suitability of the back yard for their wedding. 1 day. 1 event. And after, like other shows, watching several episodes in a row (Is that how cable TV works?!), I had to wonder if married couples ever shop for houses. I'm a traditionalist, so was surprised to see that the majority of shows were with young boyfriend-girlfriend sets. One girlfriend intended to take both of the master bedroom walk-in closets to herself, since 'I worked hard to build my own credit and I'm putting that on the line for this house.' Oh, yeah...that relationship was going to last... Her 'beloved' was told he could keep his stuff in the closet off his basement office. HH Internat'l is too out there for me... Guess I just can't relate, as a non-traveler..and someone without millions to spend on a 2nd home. I like to imagine myself in the scenario and that will just never happen....See Morestarting a new canning hobby need pickle recipes
Comments (4)I can sure vouch for that first pickle recipe, I love it. I don't care as much for sour pickles, or dills, but I love those sweet chunks, they're great in tuna salad and yummy just by themselves. Ashley and her friends tend to start snitching the chunks of pickles out of the bucket as soon as they've set for a day in the syrup. Oh, and that first step? I use fresh boiling water each day, but when you get to the syrup step, you just reheat the syrup, don't make new stuff. I also have this bread and butter pickle recipe from the Ball Blue Book, although I like the onions better than I like the cucumbers: Bread and Butter Pickles (taken from Ball Blue Book of Preserving) 4 pounds 4 to 6 inch cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices 2 pound onions, thinly sliced 1/3 cup canning salt 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 2 teaspoons turmeric 2 teaspoons celery seed 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon peppercorns 3 cups apple cider vinegar 1. Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl, layering with salt. 2. Cover with ice cubes and let stand 1 1/2 hours. 3. Drain, rinse, drain again. 4. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. 5. Add drained cucumbers and onions and return to a boil. 6. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. 7. Remove air bubbles. Put on 2-piece lids. 8. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. 9. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for flavors to develop. * Makes about 7 pints Remember, you can pickle lots of stuff, I made bread and butter jalapenos with Carol's recipe last year and Elery loved them. Ashley likes the dilled green beans and I like pickled beets, there's lots of room out there for pickled vegetables. Right now my modem at home is on the fritz, so I can only post at work and most of my recipes are not here, so hopefully someone else will bump in and help you too. Annie...See MoreI've had a limequat all this time...Hobby...I figured it out bc of you
Comments (17)Steve, I don't think they are trying to be sneaky, I just think their labeling is confusing. What the lady told me (which I already knew) is that they flavor of the limequat is similar to that of the key lime and that by crossing the two, they make it more cold tolerant for those up north. For my area, it makes no difference bc neither can survive, but maybe those a little south of me can get away with planting it in the grown. I still want a regular key lime though......See MoreNewbie hobby farmer needs help...
Comments (1)I'm sorry you did not receive a response. This is the first time I've check this thread although I check vegetable gardening regularly. Please visit your local cooperative extension service. It should be listed under the name of your county. Get information, attend lectures and demos, and start making friends with other gardeners. I like to "like" pages on facebook of my favorite local farmers. One frequently posts photos of what's going on. Our daughter-in-law has chickens. They require work and protection. She has had a bear drag off bags of feed and also lost chickens to some kind of wild animals. She also had to learn how to humanely put down an ailing chicken. Fortunately, a neighbor is a former farmer and gives her help and instruction. What crops to grow to provide an income is tough to answer. Around here, corn is probably a good seller even though a couple of families already have a farm stand. I prefer to buy corn since when we used to grow corn in limited space the raccoons won out. I have been surprised at how much people charge for a quart container of fingerling potatoes. Hopefully your cooperative extension is running classes on selling produce. You need to find out what laws you have in your area. No, I don't think you need heavy equipment. I have an old used John Deere riding mower with the blades removed and a small cart hitched to the back that I use for hauling things around. We have a compost area (which is too far from the house) and a weed dump because I don't want the really bad weeds in the compost pile (witch grass, creeping Jenny, etc.). The pickup truck is used to bring in yearly composted manure which we find free on Craigslist. The best deal is someone willing to load with their tractor for a small fee. I like building lasagna beds which is sheet composting and since the soil is never compacted I can easily use a spading fork in the spring. Since the beds and my high tunnel are a distance from the house, I have a yard pump as a convenient water source. The line from the house is buried and water stays below frost line until the pump handle is lifted. I just use a sprinkler, dragging hose to different parts of the garden a couple of times a day on the days that I water. We have a high water table and sufficient rain that I do not have to do a lot of watering. I would suggest considering attending the Maine Organic Farmers Common Ground Fair in late September because they have a large variety of workshops on every aspect. Check to see when the organic farmers association in your area has an educational day and when they sell fertilizer etc at bulk pricing....See Moreaok27502
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