Helpful books for the winter blues

Starting in January, when I’ve tired of winter and begun to dream about sun lotion, bugs and weeds, I start trolling the web for new garden planning books. Here are some great reads that I’ve found indispensable for garden planning, seed starting, and mental health this 2010 season:

• Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces by Patricia Lanza- Great ideas for creative, affordable and simple garden planning and planting in containers and small spaces.
• Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte- Companion planting can reduce your pesticide use and increase your vegetable yield; this book tells you how to do it with an easy to read index of dozens of edible plants.
• Seed Sowing and Saving by Carole B. Turner- step by step techniques for collection and growing more than 100 vegetables, flowers and herbs
• The Plant Propagator’s Bible by Miranda Smith- A step-by-step guide to propagating every plant in your garden

All are available from the Edmonton Public Library.

Creative Ideas for Small Gardens or Busy Gardeners

Don’t think you have the yard space to grow veggies? Or perhaps you don’t feel like you have the energy. Here are a few creative garden planning ideas to accommodate the smallest yards or balconies and craziest schedules.

1. Where there is soil and sun, there can be veggies. On the south side of my home, I have a strip of garden 1.5 by 30 feet. I’ve planted all kinds of veggies and begun to fill this bed with perennials like grape, kiwi, and oregano. I have dill, coriander and parsley that reseed every year.

I like this bed because a sidewalk contains it. It’s accessible and easy to fill with plants. Also, because it’s set so close to my walkway and water supply, I never forgot (read: too lazy) to water it.   

Assess your space- Do you have a skinny strip of south facing yard against your house? Your fence? Your garage? In your alley? Do you have pots and a balcony? All you need to plant fruit or veggies is sun and a foot wide strip of dirt. To build a fertile bed, either use Lanza’s Lasagna method (see below) or mix lots of organic matter, grass clippings, compost, or leaves into the dirt. Add peat moss if it doesn’t drain well, then plant. Try: vine tomatoes, pole beans, basil, peas, zucchini (though it will overrun a walkway if there is one close), cucumbers, and/or peppers.

2. Convert lawn into veggies with a No - Dig Garden. There are lots of variations of this method, but however you do it, it’ll save you hours of back labour and rototilling. Patricia Lanza’s ‘Lasagna Method’ is a simple option:

o   Lay wet (read: soaking) layers of newspaper on the area you wish to make into a garden. Use entire sections so that the newspaper layer is thick. Overlap the paper so grass/weeds can’t slip through. Then layer:

§  1. Straw or peat moss or compost

§  2. Organic matter like chopped leaves, composted manure, composted kitchen waste

o   Continue to alternate the last two layers until the bed is high enough for the plants you are planting (3 to 12 inches depending on the size of pot or root ball).

o   Plant (don’t cut into the base layer of paper).

I used this method in a particularly weedy part of my yard (its the strip to the left of the sidewalk, in the photo opposite) and thought it miraculous how effectively the newspaper killed the underlying weeds and grass. I scattered seeds over the whole bed but you can plant seedlings or already established plants too. This method can be used in a container, replacing potting soil.

3. Think theme garden.  Lanza has some great ideas for one garden area or large container (read: bathtub size) or multiple pots:

o   Taste of Italy- Plant tomato, basil, garlic, onion, oregano, sweet peppers, zucchini and parsley.

o   Taste of France- Plant peas, beans, baby carrots, rosemary, tarragon, French sorrel and garlic.

o   Taste of Mexico- Plant basil, bell and chili peppers, garlic, onions, oregano, thyme, tomatoes and cilantro.

o   Salad fixings- Plant lettuce, basil, carrots, parsley, chives, spinach or other fave salad fixings in pots. Plant the fixings together in the same pot or plant singles in each pot then set in a sunny spot close to your door.

o   Oregano (or any beloved herb) bed- I’ve a whole bed dedicated to the perennial herb oregano. I love the flavour in my food and there are so many varieties to try!

4. Plant what you eat- Plan to plant only what you’ll actually use. Do you eat lots of onions but never really liked Swiss chard? Then forgot the chard and plant buckets of onions.  Forget the kale and throw in extra bean seeds. You can never eat enough peas? Plant your whole garden in peas, trying some different varieties (and perhaps throw in some parsnips to control the pea aphids). While diversity benefits your garden because of opportunities for crop rotation and companion planting, don’t be paralyzed by the overwhelming number of plant varieties and possibilities. Simplicity is a virtue for the busy gardener or small garden. 

Happy planning and planting!

Remember to RSVP for the ‘Homesteading the Avenue Workshops’- check out http://avenuehomesteader.blogspot.com for more details. This month, learn how to graft fruit trees on March 14 from 2 to 5pm.  

The Basic Bread Recipe

For many years, bread making has been a form of therapy for me. When frustrated, depressed, lonely I'd knead some bread. It always proved cathartic.

As my teen years passed I discovered that my Kitchen Aid mixer also could knead my bread. Now, making bread is more about saving money ($5 for nice bread these days!), controlling the stuff I ingest, and making my house smell mm-mm good. I have other therapy tools- about which I won't go into here!

Bread making requires you to use your senses. Taste, touch, see- even hear! The more you bake and experiment with the following formula, the better your bread will become. I keep a small note book and when experimenting with the Basic Bread Recipe, I make a note of different things I do so that if I like the final result I know what I did right (or alternatively- wrong!)

Making bread. The only ingredients you need to make a nice loaf are:

- flour

- salt

- yeast

- water

Of course there are plenty of variations of the above ingredients. Do I mean soy or wheat or buckwheat flour? Kosher or table salt? Will any leavening agent do? Is that tap water or filtered water?

For our purposes in keeping this basic recipe simple, use:

- All purpose white flour (bleached or unbleached, organic or not, whatever suits you)

- Table salt (substitute kosher salt if you want, but add a little more)

- Quick-rise yeast (I buy it bulk at Save-On foods for very cheap)

- Luke warm tap water (body temperature... but if you're in doubt remember- HOT WATER KILLS YEAST- so err on the side of cool)

 Now you have your ingredients, here's the formula I use (there are many variations of this- check out Artisan Breads in Five Minutes for other possibilities). 

I remember it by: 6 / 2 = 3. Write it like this:

6 C- White Flour

1 T- Instant Yeast

1 t-   Salt

3 C- Luke warm water

1. Mix your dry ingredients together, minus 2- 3 cups of flour.

2. Add water and mix.

3. Add remaining flour (you may use a little less or a little more than what you keep back- USE YOUR SENSES) until a soft dough forms. It shouldn't feel like playdoh. It should feel quite tacky. 

4. Once dough forms, leave it in the bowl for 20 minutes  and cover it, if you want.

5. Next you can do one of two things:

      a. Shape bread, dinner rolls, cinnamon buns, pizza dough etc. Let rise about 40- 60ish minutes then pop it in the warmed (350 degree) oven for 25ish (buns) to 45ish (loaves) minutes. I rarely use bread pans. I usually shape dough into 2 round or oval loaves, score the top with a knife for a fancy artisan look, then bake it on a pizza stone with cornmeal to keep it stick-free.

      b. Let it sit for up to 2 hours on the counter then put it in a container or bag in the fridge. It can stay in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Simply rip off dough and cook it as you need it! When you take it out, shape the dough into preferred form then let it warm to room temperature before baking (about 20 min). Over time in the fridge the bread's flavours will become more complex (more like sourdough).

After you perfect this recipe, then the fun starts. Get creative. Add different flours, different liquids, add seeds, grains and cereals. Add sugar! Continue to use the 6 / 2= 3 formula but it becomes more like:

6 C- Solids (whole wheat, soy, rye, buckwheat, rice flour, cooked quinoa, cooked brown rice, oatmeal, Red river cereal, poppy seed, flax, millet, sunflower seed)

1 T- Instant Yeast

1 t-  Salt

3 C- Liquids (lemon juice, milk, egg, oil, honey, molasses, soy milk)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

          - sweetener (brown or white sugar, stevia, sucralose)

          - herbs (oregano, thyme, caraway seeds)

When I substitute, I keep some basic rules in mind.

1. Don't substitute more the 1/4 of the solids from basic wheat flour (whole wheat or white)

2. The more whole wheat and seeds you add, you will need to add more gluten. Try out Bob's Vital Wheat Gluten (available at most health food stores or in the organic section at the grocery store) to help your bread rise.

3. The more whole grains, wheat, seeds you add, you will need to add more water. Use your senses, but for every cup of whole wheat, add another 2 Tablespoons of water.

3. Rye, soy and buckwheat flours have no gluten so I usually use white flour with these (white flour has lots of gluten which helps your bread rise).

4. When using a lot of seeds, usually you will add more flour than the 6 Cups of solids.

4. Don't substitute more than 1/4 of the liquids from water or milk. For instance- when you add oil, egg, molasses, honey, make sure these total 3/4 C or less.

Of course you can defy all these basic rules and experiment as you wish. I have had only one loaf, of many many many, that I just couldn't eat. Fresh bread, whether soft and light or heavy and dark, has character and flavour that's always a delight. Never mind the added satisfaction you get from doing it yourself.

Happy experimenting! Let me know what additional tips you learn in the process.

Homesteading the Avenue- Bread Making Action in pictures

Fifteen people gathered at the Alberta Avenue Community League kitchen to make bread. We made white loaves, brown loaves, seed loaves- as well as chowed down on fresh pizza and cinnamon buns. We tried steam baking, quick rises, and cold fermentation. Here are some pictures of a great afternoon:

Some folks used mixers:

While others battled with the dough by hand:

The Beautiful colour of molasses:

Some of the final products cooked in house:

Thanks to our sponsors for making this event so affordable: The Alberta Avenue Initiative, The Rat Creek Press, The Alberta Avenue Community League

Homesteading the Avenue Workshops 2010

The following workshops are designed to share information and techniques that for many have been long forgotten.  

Workshops are offered free or for a nominal fee (to cover materials) thanks to our sponsors Avenue Initiative Revitalization, Rat Creek Press and Alberta Avenue Community League.

All the workshop facilitators share their knowledge free of charge, however participants are welcome to ‘share’ back with a donation of cash or (in the spirit of homesteading) gifts-in-kind.

Child care can be provided on request.

Register with Carissa by email: halton7@telus.net or by phone (780) 439-7934.

Sunday, January 24, 2010 from 2-5 pm-  Bread Making

Few things make a home feel as comfortable as the smell of bread baking. In this workshop, Rat Creek Press’ An Avenue Homesteader, Carissa Halton, will share the techniques and formulas she uses to make bread that is nutritious, affordable. Participants get to experiment and will go home with two of their own ‘home-baked’ loaves.

Facilitator: An Avenue Homesteader, Carissa Halton           

Cost: $5

Location: Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 10

Sunday, February 28 , 2010 from 2-5 pm- Seed Starting

Save money and start a few vegetables and annuals at home! At this workshop, you will plant tomatoes, basil, sweet peppers and snapdragons. The Rat Creek Press’ Gardening Diva, Cheryl Walker, will share with you the techniques and equipment she uses to start dozens of garden plants in her dining room.  This hands-on seminar is sure to make the last months of winter feel warmer.

DON’T HAVE A GARDEN? Join us for this session, as well as May’s ‘Building a Square Foot Garden’ session.

LIVE IN AN APARTMENT? All these plants are great for growing even on small apartment decks.

Facilitator: The Gardening Diva- Cheryl Walker

Cost: $10

Location: Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 15

Sunday, March 14, 2010- Grafting Fruit Trees

Henry Stainthorp has multiple varieties of apples in his Spruce Avenue yard thanks to his skill in grafting. Grafting introduces great fruit production possibilities to your garden. Henry will share from his experience and inspire you with a tour of his garden. In this session, participants will get hands on practice grafting.

Facilitator: Henry Stainthorp

Cost: $5

Location: Meet at Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 15

Sunday, April 18, 2010 from 2- 5pm- Homemade Beauty Care Products

Visit the Skin Deep Website  (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php) and you soon realize how many of our beauty care products contain untested and non-FDA approved additives. Save money (and possibly your skin!) by making these products at home. Local neighbour, RN and mom, Hannah Barrington, will share her knowledge about the basic techniques and ingredients involved in creating beauty products on your kitchen stove. Participants will make two product samples.

Facilitator: Hannah Barrington

Cost: $10

Location: Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 10

Sunday, May 2, 2010- Square Foot Gardening Technique

Garden on your deck, cement pad, grass or weeds- even garden on a table- by trying the Square Foot Gardening method! Participants will learn how to make and plant a square foot garden by building and planting boxes for the Alberta Avenue Community League. Printed resource materials will be provided so participants can remember how to repeat the magic at home.

Facilitator: Carissa and Matthew Halton

Cost: Free

Location: Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 20

Sunday, June 13, 2010- Homemade Cleaning Products

 Cleaning products account for a significant percentage of household toxins. Freshen up your house! Learn how to make cleaning products that are safe for your family and yet are effective germ and grime busters. Participants will go home with two different products.

Facilitator: An Avenue Homesteader, Carissa Halton,

Cost: $5

Location: Alberta Avenue Community League (9210 -118 Ave)

Number of Participants: 15

My Loud, Reclaimed Couch

My last couch was saved from a back alley in Spruce Avenue. It was extra long, super pink and only half of it fit in the hatchback of our small Yaris.

A few years later I traded up. I fell in love with another vintage special at the Bissell Centre Thrift Shoppe. She was saggy, dusty and, when you found yourself snuggled in a fort built out of her cushions you realized, she was very stinky. But when I sat down, her arms curved familiarly around me. Her brown brocade flower pattern shouted, “Look at me!” I couldn’t leave her at the shop, so spent $50 to bring her home.

My husband Mat wasn’t so sure about this new seating arrangement. Pink hadn’t been his favorite couch colour but at least it had no pattern to shout at him from the living room. I convinced him that we could make the couch fit. I had a vision.

My vision was finally realized over a long weekend, initiated partly by the aforementioned smell and partly due to a strong hormonal need to nest. Here’s what happened:

1. I emptied the cushions of their disintegrating foam then soaked the covers in a tub of vinegar overnight. When it came to rinsing them, those cushion covers required 10 minutes under the hard stream of the tap before the water ran clear.
2. After buying 4-inch thick High Density Foam (bought on sale at Fabricland), I cut the pattern of each cushion cover out, then wrapped and glued on thin quilt batting to soften the edges of the foam (I used spray-on glue).
3. Next I squeezed the new foam into the old covers and managed to pop all four zippers, leaving me no choice but to sew up the covers.   

1. As I worked on the cushions, Mat feverishly blasted the couch with an upholstery cleaner rented from Save-On Foods. 

1. Then I painted the wood parts a Robin Egg Blue (I love this colour but am not brave enough to do a whole wall of it).

1. I used liquid fabric glue to fuse on new trim. Beaded blue trimmed the bottom and a dark brown trim replaced the cream around the arms and back.

1. I sprayed everything with Scotch Guard (A decidedly non-environmentally friendly thing to do but you didn’t see what I saw in that tub!)
2. Finally, I recovered my throw cushions using silk fabric I had found at a liquidation sale and buttons from Value Village.

 I write this from a firm, comfy perch. The couch has not gotten any less loud but it has a custom look and a great set of cushions that you have to respect it for.

Homesteaders up to our elbows in apples and potatoes

This fall a number of homesteaders from Alberta Avenue area have convened cheerfully in the Community League kitchen.

In October, six of us joined forces to process pounds and pounds of apples (picked from a couple very large trees!). At the end of a long day we had:
- 240 cups of frozen apple slices
- 30 litres of applesauce
- 15 jars of crab apple jelly
- 7 pints of crab apple syrup
- dehydrated apple slices for snack

Then in November, 14 people squeezed into the kitchen again. This time to produce a 1000 perogies. Neighbour Alice walked us through a recipe her Ukrainian neighbour had shared with her. Four delectable varieties were made: Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, onion, and blueberry (this last one was a surprisingly delicious addition!). Pictures yet to come...

Thanks to the City of Edmonton Matching Grant, our neighbourhood now has a Dehydrator and Food Processor to share. If you want to mash apples/tomatoes/potatoes or dehydrate them (or jerky/seeds/flowers/etc), email me and we'll arrange a way for you to borrow these.

If you want to be informed of other Homesteader Group activities, email me and I'll make sure to add you to our group's contact list.

What Playdoh and Irish Cream have in common

Gift giving is a complicated social experience and there’s no other time like Christmas to pile on the complexity. How many of the following questions have you wrestled with?

Who and what circles should receive a gift? Should I give gifts only to those I know will give them in  return? What do I do when someone gives a gift and I’ve nothing to offer in return? What if I exchange a gift that is clearly cheaper? Will the receiver be offended if my gift is second hand/homemade/bought at an outlet?

I must admit that some years the myriad of potential problems pretty quickly saps the joy out of giving.

This season (spoiler alert for the loved ones/neighbours/useful acquaintances in my life) I may opt out. The very act of typing those questions made my eyes start twitching.

Then again, maybe I’ll make up some very large batches of the following items (they are sure to please most people). Hey, perhaps you can make some up too then we can exchange the same homemade gift and call it ‘even’!  

Mom’s Playdoh- (for the kids or kid-at-heart in your life)

1. Mix together in a small saucepan:

-¼ Cup salt

-1Cup flour

-1Tablespoon Cream of Tarter

-1Cup water

-1 Tablespoon oil

-Food Colouring (use lots for vibrant colour)

2. Cook over medium heat (stirring constantly) until mixture forms a thick ball.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Knead until smooth.

Bath Soak- (for the bathers or the people- you- wish- were- bathers in your life)

           

           1. Mix together in a large bowl:

-       4 Cup fine sea salt

-       4 Cup baking soda

-       4 Cup milk powder

-       10-20 drops essential oil

-       dried lavender, rose petals, citrus peal or favorite herb (optional)

2. Divide into pretty jars. Makes 3 litres of bath soak.

Pretty Convincing Irish Cream (this is a gift I give myself when I’m making the other gifts)

1. Mix together:

- 1 can sweetened condensed milk

- 1 Cup whiskey

- 2 Tablespoons Chocolate syrup

- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

-½ teaspoon coconut extract

-2 Cups- half and half cream

-1 teaspoon- instant coffee

2.     Bottle and refrigerate.  Makes 1 litre. Expires in 3 weeks (roughly).

Hope these tried and true gift ideas bring back (or carry on!) the joy of the giving.  And if I forget to give you a gift: May you have a very blessed Christmas from my homestead to yours.

Cooking as Grief Therapy

Cooking is good grief therapy, I have discovered. For most of the week my grandmother has laid at the University Hospital. The first day I visited, the doctor checked in. Holding Grandma’s wrist, she asked conversationally, “And how are you doing today?”

 

“I’m dying,” Grandma said matter-of-factly, with only a hint of irony in her voice. The doctor quickly moved on to the business of keeping her comfortable.  Yet, how I love the way Grandma embraced the reality of her passing. Common sense, pragmatism and surprising good humour were her strengths in life.

In my first memory of her, she is descending from the Greyhound bus that had meandered its way from Edmonton to the Crowsnest Pass, stopping at most of the postal codes in between.  Instead of a scowl one would expect to see on one disembarking from this terrible trip, she wore a huge grin. “I got the seniors rate!” she said, terribly pleased with herself.

I’m sure she was happy to see her progeny. But she was possibly more thrilled at her deal. In fact, sometimes as I spring-clean my closets, and under the bed, and the downstairs ‘storage room’, I curse the bargain-lover in me. I have Grandma to thank for that trait. (Mostly its a blessing... ask me on any given day what I am wearing that is second hand and I’ll happily tell you what, where I bought it AND ESPECIALLY how much I bought it for. This trait is one shared by many of my maternal family. At any given reunion, compliment an aunt on her blouse, shoes, or purse and she will not thank you for the compliment but gleefully report how much she paid for it. Usually if its over $5 you can’t brag about it.)

After my husband and I moved into our first apartment, we invited my grandparents over for supper. I served Greek salad as a starter. We munched quietly away until Grandma bit into her first yellow pepper. “What is this delicious thing?” she asked. Never had she tried a yellow pepper. The more affordable green ones, she knew, but yellow peppers were a decadence that she hadn’t indulged!  I loved this about her. She remembered a time when expensive food and out-of-season treats were not an option. So she appreciated these foods in a way I can’t due to my laissez-faire approach (at best) and sense of entitlement (at worst).

She was someone who lived out the values of the type of Homesteaders that I respect so much. She lived conscientiously. Not only was she thoughtful about her finances and valued recycling over new, she was careful about her relationships too. She was committed to her community and dedicated her life to her family, church, neighbourhood.  She was creative about how to make resources stretch and she cheerfully dropped her agenda for the sake of other’s emergencies.  

On Monday morning, Grandma passed away. I made this pie in memory of her. It, as did she, made me feel warm and comfortable.

Squash, Leek and Corn Pie with Garlic Cheese Sauce

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Thaw or prepare pie shell for two pies.

3. Cook and cool one medium sized Buttercup or Butternut squash (I cut it in half and place face down in roasting pan in oven at 350. Put a little water in bottom of pan to steam. It’s finished when edible parts feel soft). Remove pulp, seeds and skin. Mash squash.

4. In olive oil, fry 2-3 leeks (white and light green parts) and 3-5 minced garlic bulbs until slightly browned (about 5 minutes).

5. Add squash to pan plus: 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 cups Corn (frozen or fresh), 2 – 4 Tablespoons Pesto (or herb mix), Salt and Pepper to taste.  Mix together.

6. Place mixture in pie shell and cover with top shell. Cook for 1 hour or until crust is golden.

7. Whisk following ingredients in saucepan 5 minutes before serving pie. Stir until thickened.

- 2 T melted butter, 2 T flour, 1 C milk, 1 C cheese, 1 – 3 t garlic powder (to taste)

8. Makes two pies. Serve pie hot with garlic cheese sauce drizzled on top.

Herbs Pesto Style

The herbs were ready to be picked but I was putting the inevitable off. Picking them would mean acknowledging winter is a-coming. I also was mourning the loss of fresh herbs 'out back' for my cooking pleasure.

Setting all this aside, I gathered the strength and cut my basil, oregano, parsley, chives, (some) borage down. I rinsed them well then let them dry overnight.

I've been experimenting with the recipes from Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes by The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante. This recipe is adapted from there.

1. Chop mix of herbs very finely (the more variation of herbs, the more interesting the flavour).

2. Chop/Mince garlic (vary amount according to your taste. I used a whole bulb for about 4 cups of chopped herbs)

3. Mix herbs and garlic with coarse salt (about 1 teaspoon per 1 pound of herbs).

4. Place mixture in sterilized jars (smaller is better). Avoid allowing too much air in, but don't pack herbs too tightly so that oil can penetrate them. Fill jars to 1/2 inch from top.

5. Pour over herbs about 1 Tablespoon of vinegar per 250 Ml jar and 3/4 oil per 250 ML jar. There should be a layer of oil left on top once oil has infused mixture. If not, add more oil until there is a thin layer at the top OR pack herbs in a little more firmly.

6. Tightly screw on lids and store in a cool (10- 15 degrees), dark place or keep in the fridge.

Use this to flavour pasta, vegetables, grains, salads or spread thinly on bread. It should keep for up to a year in a cool place.