Summer in Full Swing!

Summer is running away with my sanity, I think. I still haven't recovered from waking every day at dawn on the canoe trip, so I'm lacking sleep.  There are so many events, activities, plans, and parties that I can barely keep up with myself.  In fact, I'm writing this post on OSU campus in a short break from my volunteer role as an orientation coordinator for the 4-H International Program.

Next week looks to be a little calmer so I hope to post more camping reflections, recipes, and a garden update.  For now, here's a list of homesteading related newsbytes:

• Columbus Food Adventures launches tonight!  I'm so proud of fellow blogger Bethia Woolf for creating this food tour business to showcase Columbus' great food scene.  When life slows down (when will that ever be??) I can't wait to join one of the tours.
• My Clint Eastwood plum tomatos are coming in like crazy.  Fortunately my palate isn't tired of them yet so I'm eating them fresh, sliced, and as toppings for anything I can think of.
• We've also recently harvested several perisian pickling cucumbers, a zucchini, lots of herbs, kale, broccoli, and carrots.  This is a great time of year to be a gardener!!
• I haven't tasted any of the other tomato varieties yet because a certain four birds keep pecking at them before they ripen. 
• We're building some chicken wire fences around tomato beds this weekend.  Can you say UGLY?
• I'm taking a beekeeping class from the Franklin Park Conservatory starting the first week of August.  Our plan is to gather supplies and confidence this winter and add a hive of bees to the backyard in early spring.
• Next Tuesday is kid's day at the Pearl Alley Market.  I'll be there with Lil and maybe some friends to check out the summer vegs and the special kids events: juggler, balloon art, COSI, and more!
• Speaking of markets, I'm going to the 15th and High Market as soon as I finish this list.  I'm excited!
• Alex's birthday is on Monday.  His present from me is something that will be useful to both of us in the kitchen and I really can't wait for him to open it.
• I'm making a blueberry pie for his birthday dinner on Saturday.  I've never made a blueberry pie before.  Pie crust I have down; suggestions for a great filling recipe are welcome!
• Lil videorecorded and narrated another chicken video.  It's long but very cute (once you get past her kicking at them!) if you want to check out the backyard birds on youtube.
• If you have even more time, here's the Flickr set of my best 300 pictures from the Canada canoe trip.
• Local Matters has two Food Educator job openings listed here and here.  I volunteered with their Food is Elementary program and the curriculum is exceptional.  If you want to make a difference in the health and lives of children, I encourage you to apply.
• I'm hosting lots of events in August.  Learn to can,  join me at the Goodale Park Music series, check out The Hill's Market Kids Day August 21, and send your child to Kids Cook Dinner or Food Art camp with me!

I feel better getting all that out there and now I'm off the market.  Have a great one!

Meal Plan: 19 People 6 Days in Backcountry Canada

We are traveling in Canada right now.  I scheduled this blog post and have several scheduled guest bloggers for the time we're away.  Enjoy! As is often the case when planning an event, the people who care the most about a particular element are the ones who invest in planning that element.  In the case of our Canada trip, I care about food and therefore helped with menu planning, shopping, and packaging of foodstuffs.

The challenge is to feed nineteen people ages four - 63 for six days.  There is no refrigeration available and dry ice will likely only last two days.  All food must be carried over several long portages, therefore weight should be minimized. Food also has to be hung in bear trees overnight, no small feat, so we aimed for reduced bulk.  Fuel and stoves are at a premium, so low cooking items are preferred.

The Menu

Saturday: arriving in South River from a day of driving, camp at outfitters

Dinner at outfitters - brats, beans, green salad, and potato chips

Sunday: paddle all day, camp on North Tea lake

Breakfast - choice of oatmeal, cereal, or granola

Lunch - cold cut sandwiches, side (choose among pretzels, goldfish crackers, animal crackers, dried fruit, granola bars)

Dinner - chicken veggie stew OR penne and meatballs

Monday: paddle all day, camp on Biggar Lake

Breakfast - choice of oatmeal, cereal, or granola

Lunch -tuna salad or salmon with crackers and side (choices above)

Dinner - meat on a stick + veggie soup with dumplings OR bean and cheese burritos

Tuesday: Chill on Biggar

Breakfast - pancakes and bacon

Lunch - quesadillas/refried bean and cheese wraps and side (choices above)

Dinner - meatless chili OR cheese tortellini

Wednesday: Chill on Biggar

Breakfast - choice of oatmeal, cereal, or granola

Lunch - hummus, tabouli, pita chips and side (choices above)

Dinner - Soba noodles with peas, tuna, and peanuts

Thursday: Paddle all day, camp on North Tea

Breakfast - choice of oatmeal, cereal, or granola

Lunch -peanut butter and jelly english muffins and side (choices above)

Dinner - quinoa and madras lentils OR rice and beans

Friday: Paddle to outfitters

Breakfast - choice of oatmeal, cereal, or granola

Lunch - leftovers or couscous and veggies

Dinner - first restaurant we can find, hopefully one with poutine, that wonderful Canadian creation of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds

The Package and Poundage

Each dinner is packaged in a ziploc bag with written instructions so that any canoer can prepare the meal.  Breakfasts and lunches are serve yourself, also packaged in water tight containers.

Meal bags and containers are packed according to campsite, as the group is split into two sites and will have two cooking areas.   There are five group food bags, each weighing approximately thirty pounds.

Each person is also bringing one to three pounds of personal snacks and food items.  My snack bag contains Jerquee meatless jerky, home dried Charlie's apples, chocolate, and nuts.  The plan is that each of these snack bags will be combined into a larger stuff sack for nighttime tree hanging.

The Price

The food budget was set at $30 per person, or $570 total.  As all receipts haven't been entered, the actual spent total isn't calculated yet, but I approximate it to will be more along the lines of $650.

The toll to our personal health has yet to be determined.  There aren't a lot of vegetables on that menu, nor rich proteins.   It's a diet we all can survive on for a week, for sure, but I'm sure we will all miss fresh foods by the end.  Undoubtedly I will report back how the back country meal plans worked out.

Day    Meal    Ingredients    Amount Sun 7/11    cold cut sandwiches    bread    2 loaves brownberry meat    5 pounds cheese    4 pounds, sliced condiments    1 jar mustard

Mon 7/12    tuna salad    tuna    8 packs crackers    6 boxes melba dried salmon    4 packs relish, mayo    1 small jar

Tues 7/13    quesadillas    tortillas    4 packs of 10 cheese    2 2# cheddar beans    6 cups instant refried+ seasonings salsa    remainder of dads

Weds 7/14    hummus and pitas pitas    18 hummus mix    3 cups tabouli    3 cups

Thurs 7/15    pbj muffins    nut butter    2 16 oz containers english muffins    24 whole jelly    1 straw, 1 grape, 1 honey Fri 7/16    couscous mess    couscous    10 cups dried veg mix    2 cups

Sides (1 per day)    pringles    4 cans pretzels    utz tub freeze dried fruit    3 large tubs goldfish    1 big box animal crackers    1 tub oatmeal cookies    1 batch

Rest In Peace Chester

Chester, our beta fish of two years, died today.

Lil was extraordinarily sad, as young children are when a pet dies.  We helped her sit with her grief and choose what to do with the fish body.  We never thought to ask him his final wishes.

Lil chose to make a bed of flower petals in a small box for his coffin.  I helped her write a note on the top that says 'This fish died just when he got his new home.  I really miss him.'  The 'new' home is a tank we got three months ago...

We buried the box in Lil's garden and talked about how Chester's flesh and bones will decompose and fertilize the soil.  I took pictures and later Lil and I put together the collage pictured above.

Lil called all her aunties to tell them that Chester died.  On her second birthday, my sisters, the aunties, bought her the fish tank and I think that's where Lil had the idea that they would want to know about the death in the fish family.

Now Frog is living alone in the fish tank.  We talked about getting a new beta or perhaps other fish when we return from Canada.  In the meantime I'm sure we will keep talking about Chester.  The circle goes round again.

I Tie Dye

Perhaps the most 'hippie' of my talents is my expertise in tie dye. Never one to enjoy branded apparel, I was initially drawn to tie dye because I could create my own colorways and patterns. Now I mostly dye children's wear as it is often cheaper than buying new, hides stains well, and has no printed characters or dumb sayings.

Tie Dye Process

I gather dye ables from the thrift store and Dharma Trading Company. Onsies, tshirts, and other items are very easy to find at the thrift in young children's sizes. Women and older children sizes can be more difficult to find, but a little searching usually reveals interesting dyables.

I use Dharma Trading Company Procion dyes. These dry dyes must be mixed into a urea water solution. I strain all colors with red through an old silk hankie to prevent spotting, a common occurrence with the large particles in a red dye.

Next, I wash all pieces with textile detergent. It releases any dyes that may already be in the fabric and conditions the pieces for dye.

While still damp from the washer, I use rubber bands to tie the pieces. With experience, you can learn which folds and ties will create which patterns in the finished piece.

The tied fabric then goes into a bin with soda ash solution. The soda ash is a mordant to allow the dye to adhere.

Finally, it's time to apply the dye. I squirt it from squeeze bottles to control where the colors go. Each piece is dyed in an individual bag. I wear gloves to try to prevent colored fingertips, although I'm usually not entirely successful.

The clothing rests with dye for 4 to 24 hours. This is the most difficult part of tie dying because I'm always eager to see how the patterns turn out!

Finally, each pieces is un-banded and rinsed well. After the water flows clear, I rewash with textile detergent to remove any remaining dye.

Tie Dye with Me!

On Saturday August 21, I'll be providing dyes for the Tie Dye Fest, an annual celebration with music and family fun at 1697 Bunty Station Rd, Delaware Ohio. You are invited to come join me to dye, dance, and be merry from 4ish - 10ish. Bring your washed whites to dye, a potluck dish to share, and a chair or blanket.  Y'all come!

Raising Children with Chickens

There is no doubt that the true chicken keeper of our family is four and a half year old Lillian.

She named the chickens and feeds them scraps. She takes them on bike rides and returns them to the coop after free ranging in the yard.

Lil recently petitioned to be in charge of collecting eggs.  This is no small feat; Lil climbs headfirst into the coop and reaches into the nesting area.  She pulls out eggs one at a time and gently carries them into the house.

Sometimes the chickens have had enough child's play.  Recently Lil came crying to me with a blemish on her eye lid.  I asked what happened.  "I was holding Sussy by the wings and pinching her comb."  I don't have a lot of sympathy for her injury but hopefully Lil learned something about treating animals gently.

Here are Lil's thoughts about the chickens in her own words:

We have come to learn that a flock of laying hens is a delight for most children, including Lil.  Keeping livestock teaches responsibility and biology with a healthy dose of fun.

Algonquin Provincial Park Canoe Trip

In less than four weeks, Alex, Lil, and I will leave our homestead in the good care of neighbor Jan and drive north through Toronto to Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada.  We will rent canoes and stay the first night at Northern Wilderness Outfitters.  From there, we will canoe two days through North Tea Lake to Biggar Lake where we will camp for two days before taking a return trip. We are traveling with my parents and three sisters, Alex's parents, brother and soon-to-be sister in law, my Uncle Mike, good friend Krash and his girlfriend, my cousin Todd and two of my younger cousins.

This is a trip my father has taken seven times before, three with his now deceased father, starting in 1970.  Uncle Mike attended six trips; everyone but the young cousins, Krash's girlfriend and Lil have been at least once.

Because the canoing includes several portages, we must plan equipment and food carefully to avoid excess weight.  I started preparations last fall when I reserved four bags of dried gold rush apples for this pilgrimage.  I know that these special Charlie's apples will be a delight to our tastes after a few days of eating packable camp food.

The cooks in the family (and there are many) are each planning a night's dinner and co-planning lunches and breakfasts.  Alex has cured many meats to take along including bacon, pancetta, saucison sec, and dried fish (cod or salmon, to be determined).  My meal, one of the last and therefore least fresh, will be rice and madras lentils with chocolate pudding for dessert.

We hope to see moose, loons, and the northern lights. We hope to be minimally sunburnt and bug-bitten.  We hope to return refreshed from days with family and without electronic interventions.

Are you taking a summer vacation?  What are your hopes for time away from home?

Taking a Break from the Urban Homestead Lifestyle

On Monday, Alex drove to Cincinnati for business.  Lil and I followed on Tuesday to take advantage of free hotel, visit our friends and their new baby, and enjoy some time away from the homestead. We've reveled in the air conditioning, being too cheap to turn it on at home.  We met that beautiful baby with a head of shockingly thick yellow hair.  Lil and I explored the Gorman Heritage Farm, the Newport Aquarium, and Sharon Woods park.  Today we'll shop at Ikea and Jungle Jims.

What feels even better than what I did, is what I haven't been doing.  I haven't been collecting eggs thrice daily.  I haven't let dogs in and out and in and out.  I haven't cleaned up poop, weeded, or watered.  I haven't shaken butter, washed dishes, or taken pictures of darn near anything.  It's been a very nice break, largely because our neighbor is taking care of the animals with genuine care.

This is a good time of year to leave the homestead.  When we took a vacation in mid June last year, we missed ripe strawberries and peas and weeds took over.  If we left in August, tomatoes would rot from the neglect.  We'll sneak in another trip in mid July, hopefully just after spring vegetables are finished producing and late summer ones begin.

I've been plagued with poor Internet service, so all the posts I hoped to write and the site redesign I'm planning were put on hold.  Perhaps this is the way it should be, forcing me to truly take advantage of this little break and focus on my family and relaxation.  We'll return to the chores of everyday life tomorrow.

Bike Commuting: Equipment

In this second week of the Bike to Work challenge, Alex and I pooled our wisdom to share advice about equipment. Last week we shared our Road Rules.  We absolutely believe in the power of the pedal and are happy to give personalized advice by email should you want to write us!

Equipment:

• Get a decent bike.  I ride a Surly Cross Check and Alex has an updated vintage Fuji road bike and a Surly Karate Monkey for commuting.  Measure yourself and potential bikes to make sure they fit.  City riders are likely to encounter rough surfaces often, so a cross or commuter model makes most sense.  29er mountain bikes can also be configured with no suspension and fat road slicks like Alex's Karate Monkey for a versatile comfortable ride.  Disc brakes are best for superior stopping, though my bike performs just fine with the cantilever style.  If all the bike speak is gobblygook to you, Alex loves talking this stuff.  Email him for specific advice.
• Outfit your ride with proper accessories.  A Bicycle Head Light and Tail Light are a must.  A Fender Set make riding in foul weather much more pleasant, a very high priority in our opinion.  If you intend to carry anything with you, a rack and/or panniers are handy. I love my trunk bag with side panniers. I have a basic computer to mark time and distance; Alex has a Garmin Edge 205 because he's a gadget freak to track more details.
• Saddle matters.  Sometimes cyclists go through several saddles before finding the one that is least uncomfortable.  Alex and I both have settled on Brooks Leather Saddle.  They mold to your specific sits bone structure aka "ass grove", providing a customized fit that eventually makes the saddle seem to disappear.  Making fine adjustments to the height and angle of your saddle can make all the difference for long term riding comfort.
• Wear a helmet.  For the love of all that is good, protect your noggin.  After a couple dozen miles wearing a helmet you will hardly notice it is there until you crash and are glad you had it on.  Trust me.
• Carry a tire emergency kit.  While our Schwalbe tires have never gone flat, every other tire we've used has had a flat once in awhile.  You can either carry a repair kit or replacement tube (we opt for the tube) and a slim hand pump or CO2 inflater.
• Glasses.  Each of us have a pair of Tifosi 3 lens sunglasses.  While the sun protection is nice, what glasses really do on a bike ride is keep your eyes clear of grit, dust and wind.

Clothing

• Materials.  We love merino wool clothing for superior breath-ability and comfort. Synthetics are also available more cheaply, even at thrift stores if you look.  Riding in street clothes is certainly possible and many people do it, but the seams, inflexibility, and discomfort when wet makes me change into cycling clothes whenever I'm going more than a couple miles.
• Chamois.  I am most comfortable in compression shorts without a 'junk pad'.  Alex always wears shorts with a chamois.  Different parts lead to different preferences, I guess.
• Cycling shoes and pedals.  We love our Clipless/Clip Pedals and wear shoes and clips for almost every ride, though these pedals have a flat side for quick jaunts.  They seem like an add-on that isn't necessary but only a few miles into my first ride with clipless pedals I understood how much more power I was getting out of my ride.
• Gloves.  Padded cycling gloves absorb road shock so your wrists and shoulders don't have to.  I also try to remember to put them on when I'm loading or moving my bike so the gloves take the grease instead of my skin.  After going through a few expensive pairs, we both opt for cheap versions now because they do compress and need to be replaced frequently.

Those are our bike equipment essentials.  After the initial bike purchase, we added items slowly, giving them as gifts for holidays and birthdays over a few years.  Bike loot is a big investment, but the health and environmental benefits of bike riding are totally worth it to us.