GROWING TABLES

I would like to share with you today, a few images of my growing tables where I grow melons and other seasonal crops hydroponically. 

This growing table has 10 kinds of melons.



This is a Butter Belly Squash

These are young melons growing under the melon table

Condiments, Marinades, Brine and Pickle Recipes

I have placed all my condiment/marinade recipes in this one post so you can copy it all out into your own documents and make changes as you go along.  Many of these recipes have been created for experienced cooks so often in the ingredient list there is only the ingredient and not the amount.  

I put in an ingredient a little bit at a time and keep tasting.  Look at the recipe before hand and see what dominant taste you want and add a little more of that ingredient to start with.

Learning to cook without using amounts in recipes takes practice but it is well worth the effort, for over the years you will learn to look at a recipe and immediately know how to adapt it to suit your taste and how to balance out a recipe that was predominantly geared toward a meat adding the most flavor.

I use organic ingredients where they are available. All these recipes are onion and garlic free. If you desire to use those two ingredients just use the powder in place of asafetida or galangal.

Sauerkraut Brine

https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/02/how-to-make-sauerkraut.html

Shred enough cabbage to fit in a quart jar, leaving 2” space at top of jar

Brine: 1 TBS sea or Redmond salt dissolved in 4 cups non-chlorinated water

Fill jar to 1” from top, weigh down with pickle weights (You can find pickle weights on Amazon, I prefer the ones without a handle on them)

Attach fermenter top. Wait one week.

(Here is what I use:)

https://www.amazon.com/Waterless-Fermentation-Food-Grade-Fermenting-Sauerkraut/dp/B079NSKRHQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=fermenting+top&qid=1577742810&sr=8-5

Note: Leftover brine keeps indefinitely

If making sauerkraut and not brine, use large chunks rather than shredded

Fermented Mustard

Ingredients

3/4 cup organic whole yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup organic whole brown mustard seeds

2/3 cup filtered water

4 tablespoons liquid whey or sauerkraut brine

2 teaspoons sea salt

asafetida and galangal to taste

Juice of 2 small lemons about 1/4 cup

Instructions

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture looks the consistency of grainy mustard, about 8 minutes (Stopping to scrape as needed). Or if you have a spice grinder that can handle large amounts, you can use that).

This is the spice grinder I have: It cannot be washed, the bowl is permanently attached.  But I use either a paintbrush or a computer vacuum to clean it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Grinder-36000RPM-Stainless-Commercial/dp/B07M7WJGQC/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=commercial+spice+grinder&qid=1577743401&sr=8-4


Transfer to an air tight glass jar and let sit on the counter for 72-96 hours

Move to the refrigerator and enjoy within six months

Roasted Red Pepper and Maple BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 cup coarsely chopped drained bottled roasted red peppers (6 ounces)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo plus (** Store bought Adobo has garlic in it)

No onion/garlic substitution: Mix ACV with Soy or Shoyu to taste and Chipotle Powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

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Worcestershire sauce - Onion/Garlic Free

Reduce some balsamic vinegar and add curry powder, tomato sauce and either chopped olives, nori or miso, while reducing

This is the curry I use. It is onion and garlic free
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XD63ES/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

other substitutes for anchovy:

Seaweed (Kombu, Nori, Hijiki, Dulse, or Wakame) + Tamari + Capers Brine will offer exactly the salty, fishy, briny umami flavor profile ground anchovies bring to any recipe.

or Braggs Aminos

or nutritional yeast

or tamarind sauce

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE SUBSTITUTE - GARLIC/ONION FREE

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or Shoyu

1 tablespoon brown sugar or 1 teaspoon molasses

2 teaspoons prepared mustard (any)

¼ teaspoon asafetida

¼ teaspoon garlic powder substitute ( I use powdered galangal)

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

light dash of cayenne pepper or homemade chili powder

light dash of allspice or ground cloves

salt (optional)

tamarind to taste

#2

1 Massel Bouillon cube (it is onion and garlic free but has maltodextrin in it.) or Mushroom Borth (I use Sacred 7 Mushroom powder.  These mushrooms are ones grown on hardwood logs, not manure)

1⁄2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons Chinese brown bean sauce or 2 tablespoons dark miso or 2 tablespoons chickpea miso

1 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar.  (Be aware that most commercial non organic sugars are made by filtering thru bone char)

1 teaspoon non GMO cornstarch

1 teaspoon cold water

Instructions:
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water.

Dissolve the broth cube in the boiling water.

Mix with the sauce and the sugar in small saucepan and heat to boiling.

Add the dissolved cornstarch and stir until it thickens.

Cool and store in covered jar.

#3

100g dried shiitake mushrooms, hydrated or equivalent powder

2 TBS flax in a ½ c water for 4 hours

3 TBS oil

1 TBS sesame oil

3 slices ginger, cut in strips

4 cups water

Seasonings:

2 TBS dark soy sauce

2 TBS soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Saute ginger, add mushrooms and oil, fry till fragrant. Add water and sugar, stir, cover - cook 10 minutes. Cool. Blend in Vitamix, add flax. Transfer to saucepan, cook 5 minutes.

SEASONING: LEMON PEPPER WITHOUT GARLIC

1 -2 tablespoon lemon zest, about 3 lemons

2 -3 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

Preheat toaster oven to lowest setting.

In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and black pepper. Cover metal pan fitted for toaster oven with foil and spread mixture evenly in pan. Allow to bake low and slow until zest is completely dried. Mine took about 26-30 minutes.

Transfer lemon-pepper mixture to a bowl. Using the back of a spoon (or spice grinder if you have one), crush mixture until desired texture is achieved. Mix in salt, 1 tsp at a time. Continue to add salt until you have the right balance to fit your taste.

You don’t have to bake it at all if you do not want to for it does take out the essential oils.  You can just place it all in the freezer once its mixed together.

If you want more of a lemon taste, reduce pepper or add more lemon zest.


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ADOBO SAUCE - GARLIC FREE

3 grilled jalapeños

1 whole grilled red pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 to 1 tsp asafetida

1/2 to 1 tsp galangal powder

½ tsp creamy peanut butter

½ tsp sugar

2 TBS ACV or coconut vinegar

Put everything in blender. Can use homemade tomato sauce to thin it if need be.


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GARLIC AND ONION SUBSTITUTES

ginger or chili powder

For mediterranean dishes: cumin

peppercorns - white, pink, schezuan

Galangal (importfood.com). Unless you have the equivalent of a commercial spice grinder, buy powdered galangal.  This is the whole galangal I use. 2 oz. is a lot of galangal. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R4FLG2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here is the powder:

https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Galangal-Cuisine-Kosher-1-7oz/dp/B00PRAVVYM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=galangal%2Bpowder&qid=1577744396&s=grocery&sr=1-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRk1XSUJQWkpYQU85JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzM5MDI2MTlCOTNMWENFMEJKSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDk0NDc2Mjc5N1Y4MkVYT01ZUyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

celeriac or celery root (because it is an aromatic)

horseradish (because it is pungent)

ONION SUBSTITUTES

cooked fennel or radishes, asafetida (Rani Brand is best), daikon


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CHILI POWDER - GARLIC FREE

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground dried Chili (I use chipotle)

1 tsp oregano

asafetida to taste


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KETCHUP - GARLIC FREE

3 oz Amore tomato paste (I just use the entire 4.5 oz. tube out of laziness)

1/2 cup light agave syrup

1/2 cup rice vinegar (or any neutral vinegar)  White vinegar, even Heinz is made with chemicals.  It is a by-product of alcohol distillation.  So it is also not a wise choice for those who abstain from drinking alcohol for spiritual purposes

1/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

¼-½ tsp asafetida

Combine all in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk til smooth. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring often. Let cool and store covered in the refrigerator.


Additional Spice Choices

dry mustard

ground red pepper

allspice

cloves

cinnamon

Ketchup #2

6 oz. tomato paste

1 TBS apple cider or coconut vinegar

¼ tsp salt

1-½ tsp hot sauce

1 tsp molasses

3 TBS water

1 dash pepper

1 dash celery salt

¼ tsp asafetida

Regular Ketchup - Single Serving

Organic Tomato Sauce
Coconut Syrup
1-2 drops liquid smoke
White pepper/salt
Sambal Oelek Chili paste

Fermented Ketchup

Yield: Makes 1 quart

tomato sauce
agave
coconut vinegar
whey OR brine from existing vegetable ferments* (I used sauerkraut brine)
asafetida
sea salt
ground white pepper
allspice

Combine all the ingredients, tasting and adjusting the seasonings as needed.

Place the ketchup in a qt jar and seal with fermenting lid

Allow the homemade ketchup to sit out at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you are using an airlock, you don’t have to worry about burping it.

Move the ketchup to the refrigerator for another three days.

to make a non-fermented ketchup recipe, simply omit the whey/brine, mix all the other ingredients, and place in the refrigerator immediately. It won’t last as long in storage.

This ketchup recipe is very thick, especially after the fermentation process. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water before or after it’s done fermenting, if thinner ketchup is desired

Other common additions include: cinnamon, clove, cayenne, and/or mustard powder.

(See Sauerkraut Brine Recipe beginning of this post)

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Vinegar Descriptions:

White rice vinegar: Clear to yellow in color. When most recipes call for rice vinegar, this is the kind they're referring to. Note that Japanese varieties tend to be more delicate and Chinese ones sharper.

Brown rice vinegar: Light to dark brown in color. Made from unpolished brown rice, this version of rice vinegar is reputedly richer in nutrients. It can often be used in place of white rice vinegar.

Black rice vinegar: Deeper in color and flavor, this somewhat smoky-tasting vinegar is made from black glutinous rice and other grains like wheat, millet, and sorghum. Often used in Chinese stir fries, dipping sauces, and as a condiment.

Red rice vinegar: Made from red yeast rice (a fermented rice) and sometimes barley and sorghum, this sweet, tart, and salty vinegar is often used in Chinese seafood dishes and dipping sauces.

Seasoned rice vinegar: White rice vinegar with added sugar, salt, and sometimes sake or MSG. Used to season rice for sushi and also good in salad dressings.

Chinese Black Vinegar Substitute:

1 part balsamic

1 part rice wine vinegar

3 parts water

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TARTAR SAUCE - onion and garlic free

Makes about 2/3 cup

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish. (all commercial pickle products have garlic and onion in them. Listed below is my recipe to make your own)

1 to 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, or to taste (Most brands of prepared mustard have garlic and onion in them.  If it says "spices" or natural flavors, it has onion and garlic in it).  For this reason I most often buy Dijon.  Trader Joes makes both a Dijon and a prepared yellow mustard without either garlic or onions)

or:

1/3c vegan mayo

2 tsp sweet relish

½ tsp lemon juice

1 tsp yellow mustard

Pepper

or:

-1 cup vegan mayonnaise

-2 small homemade baby kosher dill pickles & 1 Tablespoon pickle juice

-1 Tablespoon parsley, fresh or dried

-1 Tablespoon capers

-1/4 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

-1/8 or Pinch salt, to taste

-Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

or:

1 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons homemade pickled relish (kosher, not the sweet ones)

1 teaspoon drained or dried capers, finely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hoisin Sauce

Equal amounts ketchup and molasses

Also, sweet bean sauce

Substitution List - including ethnic

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/ingredient-substitution-guide/

Making Flavored Salts

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/808151/making-flavored-salts

MARINADES

Seitan or Tofu Marinades

Each marinade takes less than 5 minutes to prepare using pantry staples you might already have on hand.

Instructions


For any marinade you choose, simply add all of the ingredients to a resealable bag or airtight container, mix, then add your seitan or sliced or cubed tofu. Let marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 4 days.


These marinades would also work gorgeously with tofu, tempeh, or another seitan recipe that calls for a marinade.


If using tofu, use a medium, firm, or extra-firm tofu. It's also recommended to press the tofu first before marinating.

Each recipe makes enough to marinate 1 small package seitan or 1 block of tofu.


Marinate your seitan or tofu for a minimum of 15 minutes, but up to 4 days in the fridge for maximum flavor or you can toss these in the freezer. The seitan freezes beautifully, but tofu changes texture when frozen (it gets kind of spongey), so freeze tofu only if you enjoy that texture


If you prefer oil-free marinades, sub any oil in these recipes for water, vegetable broth, or aquafaba.

Once marinated, cook up your seitan or tofu any way you like! Pan fry, grill, BBQ, or bake.

Lemon Mustard Marinade:

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Italian Marinade:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon lemon juice or white rice vinegar

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon each asafetida and galangal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Balsamic Marinade:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp each:  asafetida and galangal powder

Thai Peanut Marinade:

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoon agave

1/8 tsp each:  asafetida and galangal powder

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Coconut Curry Marinade

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon curry powder

Mexican Marinade:

2 tablespoons light oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon agave

2 teaspoons  chili powder
no onion/garlic substitution: home made chili powder recipe in this post

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 tsp each:  asafetida and galangal powder

Sweet and Smoky Marinade:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/8 tsp each:  asafetida and galangal powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

no onion/no garlic Substitution:  Home made chili powder recipe in this post

Teriyaki Marinade

2 tablespoons coconut or brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons orange juice or water

1/8 tsp each:  asafetida and galangal powder

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

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20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe

Servings: 3 cups

Use any type of peppers you want! If you want your sauce red colored - stick to red peppers.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh red jalapeno peppers (or any other chili pepper or a combo)

1/2 pound fresh mini sweet snacking peppers

asafetida/galangal to taste

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or unsweetened rice vinegar)

3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

4 tablespoons honey, agave, plain coconut syrup, or sugar

2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos



Directions:

STEP 1: In a food processor or high speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

STEP 2: In a medium saucepan over high heat, pour the sauce in and cook on high until it begins to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional honey, vinegar or Bragg's (or whatever you're using) if needed. You're looking for a nice balance of flavor.

STEP 3: Transfer the Sriracha sauce to jars. Sriracha will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Better yet, can them and store in pantry!

Salty and Savory: choice of coconut amino or Bragg’s. Not only do these sauces provide a salty flavor, but they all have “umami” which adds savory notes.*

Sour – vinegar

Spicy – chiles. But not too spicy. I like using a combo of hot peppers and mild peppers. If a sauce is too spicy, you can’t taste anything else on your plate.

Sweet – honey or other sweetener, and mini sweet peppers


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Pickles: relish, whole or sliced

I have found that one has to experiment with a lot of different pickling spices in order to see what kind of predominate flavor is desired.  I use different ones for each of the three categories - relish, whole or sliced.  If you are aiming for traditional flavor you can not go wrong by using Ball brand pickling spices.

Sweet Pickle Relish

1 cup vegan white sugar

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, or any other neutral vinegar.  I often use Japanese vinegars.
1 TBS pickling salt or any fine ground salt such as Redmond
1/4 tsp, heaping ground Turmeric. (I use Red Ape brand.  It is exceptional)

1/2-1 bay leaf

Pinches of the following: (1/16th tsp)
Ground clove

dill weed

celery salt

optional: 1 grape leaf, fresh
optional: 1/4 tsp Pickle Fresh

Put all the ingredients except the optionals, in a saucepan, simmer it until boiling.

You will already have put shredded, sliced or small gherkin cucumbers in a quart mason jar, up to about two inches from the top of the jar.  I find one organic English cucumber shredded works great. If you are putting in a grape leave, put it at the bottom on the jar before you put the cucumber in.

When the brine has just come to a boil, take it off the stove, then stir in the pickle fresh. Pour the brine into the mason jar, up to 2 inches from the top.  Put in your pickle weights.

I leave it on the counter until it cools, then put it in the frig.  It will be ready in about 3 days.  I've kept it as long as a year and its just fine because the acid content is high

PRINCIPLES OF SUFI VEGANISM

I am a Sufi vegan and cook without garlic and onions.  I am a different kind of vegan than you might have heard of before. I can't be called a vegetarian for I eat no thing that is derived of flesh. Lacto-vegetarian does not really fit either. We don't really have a category separating not eating flesh for health reasons....and for entirely spiritual considerations.

I do not feel it is wrong to partake of milk, or milk based products, or eggs......IF and that is the big IF, we raise those animals, those ducks or chickens ourselves; AND we raise them with Love and Nurturing care. Giving life, rather than taking life. For is this not a mother's Nature?. I have goats and I have Runner Ducks.  They eat organic. Veggies, fruit and grains. A lot of it comes from what I grow here. I buy bulk organic grains and mix them together, providing a good balance of nutrition for them.  I also do not feed them commercial products that have used manure, blood or bone meal to grow their product. For the most part, all my Lovely girls are foragers. My ducks are 8 years old and still laying. They have a lot of room to roam. They have five ponds and large mulberry trees to sit under in the summer. What could be wrong with that concept? 

I have 30 years of recipes that are geared toward cooking amounts of food for a single person. If we, as single women, do not eat properly, we cannot do our jobs properly.  If the food is Nourishing, cooked with Love and Care, we do not get tired of it, no matter how many times a week we eat it. I have so many recipes that there is a lot of variety.  A lot of recipes from different cultures......changed to reflect the way I eat. Likewise I feel the same way about honey. I have bees here. I abide by the Guardian Bee Principles. I do not take honey from the hive until spring, taking the honey that is left over from the winter stores to feed the bees that they foraged for the previous summer. In Spring they are now starting new combs and filling those combs with the Spring Goodness of the flower kingdom. I am not here to convert anyone to being a vegan. That is a choice that comes with a change in consciousness as a mother, wanting to nurture all life. You cannot, I do not feel...change people's thoughts on these kind of subjects...it is something they have to come to on their own. 

ARE YOU A SELF-STARTER?

Good Morning Kindred Hearts! 

Being a Self-starter, being a disciplined person in thought, feeling, word and action....we should Strive to Master these skills.  The Truth is, and this sounds brutal, but if you are not a Self-Starter, if you are not a disciplined person.....this way of life will bring no thing but misery. The definition of these two words can not be considered as an abstract....they are absolutes.  It is not "I am somewhat of a self-starter....or I can be disciplined". It is all or nothing here. Anything else will not bring a lasting, permanent success. I think perhaps these are the two qualities, that when there is a lack....bring depression and severe anxiety.  For if these two Masteries are not in evidence at all times, you will not Trust yourself...there will always be this inner nagging of anxiousness, not ever sure if you will do what is necessary when the challenge comes, whether you can really count on yourself. 

So unfortunately, I cannot recommend this way of life if you have trouble getting up and getting at it; whatever calls.....getting on it immediately. If you have trouble with procrastinating....again, this is going to cause a headache of big problems.  Living this life requires a personality that ultimately chooses to be Sunny in Nature....yes, we have our times where darkness is what we initially see....and those of this Nature, this Sunny disposition....you know what is being Spoken here....this language.  The ability to see Good where it initially appears there is none. 

And here is a story exampling that.  Remembering that there is no such thing as a closed door....what seems to be a closed door is ALWAYS an open door....we just need to cultivate the ability to see thru the dark with the clarity of a noon day Sun. 

When I initially put in the water pipe running to this property, I put one vertical galvanized pipe above ground.  Off this galvanized pipe were a myriad of shutoffs and PVC pipe that run to all the places I need water. I foolishly attached the electrical ground to the water pipe at ground level and over the years dirt built up around it.  Ignoring the law of physics, or not understanding it.

As the ground became wet around the pipe, it reacted to the ground wire and began to rust thru the pipe. I could see that water was leaking from the pipe, the ground was always damp....but those who live this life know there is a priority to everything.  We run our lives according to priority and we are constantly in a state of re-ordering those priorities. This particular one kept be shuttled to the end of the long, long list of things I have to get to. 

Well, the last week my brother who is disabled....for some unknown reason he decided to lean on that pipe.  And guess what? It broke off. My main shutoff is probably a long city block from the property. I ran down there and shut off the main water valve.  Well, as so often happens...it is not summer, it is winter.....a time when it could have been a little less challenging has passed. It is now 45 during the day and high wind time of year.  I do not mind the relative cold here, 45 is as low as it gets here during the day but wind, 30mph+ winds make it a not so much fun project. 

I came inside. Sat down.  Stared out the window. Rain is forecast, it is a no sun day. This is a bigger deal than it sounds.  The pipe has rusted into the main inlet. Cheater bars, rust spray, nothing is working.  I can not get it out to replace it.  The thread screws have rusted into the thread on the bigger pipe. Plumbers are expensive and more so in a rural setting for they charge you for travel time.  Okay....that is out. What now?

I wait for direction, but in the back of my mind is that chastising of myself. I normally keep all the water storage barrels filled, all the duck water storage barrels filled. AND they are empty. No one close to get water from.  I procrastinated because....well (whining) it was so cold outside. I was going to do it tomorrow when sun and no wind was forecast. I wait. 

A little while later comes direction. Ah....YES!  Cut off the pipe just below where it is rusted and JB Weld (a girl's best friend) a 3/4 PVC cap on it.  Okay, I do that. I ran down to the main valve, turned it on......ran back (getting my extra curricular exercise for the day). Ah darn, its leaking considerably....that won't be a permanent fix.  So I go down to the barn, cut off a strip of heavy rubber from an old waterbed, grab a couple of pipe clamps. I fasten it around the pipe underneath the cap. Okay, still leaking but tolerable. 

Now what?  I come in, grab some warming food from my Mini Logic (you HAVE to have these).  Try to get centered. Procrastination has gotten me into a situation that adds to the problem of the broken pipe. I would have had more latitude with storage water available. (I end up having to drive to down, an hour round trip and spending $20 for water for the ducks).   

I do some internet googling "water pipe repair".  Amazon has a product but the reviews are so so. I keep Googling, feeling that the Amazon product isn't the direction.  AHA! I see a product called Perma Wrap....and they ship over night. Thank you! I ordered it, and sure enough, here next mid morning.  I read the directions a couple of times......assembled every possible thing I might need and GOT TO IT! It had to cure for an hour.....so I went and checked to see how everything was doing on the farm. 

An hour later.....I stare at the repair for a while, somewhat reluctant to turn the main water valve on - LOL.  I envision no leaks, I say it "This is a Perfect repair" and I see it so. I take Snow, my Great Pyrenees, and we walk down to the shut off.  I smile tentatively, still envisioning a Victory here. I turn the valve. I walk back, look in the hole. Well, Glory Be....no leak. All is well. Darkness has become Light! 

Now, this was not really a problem that came about entirely by procrastination.  What happened is several fold. First, I did hear, several times over the last couple of months.....fix the pipe.  I thought I had more time. I didn't. So it is always a learning process....when the phone rings, shall we pick it up and hear what is being said....or shall we say "oh......the phone is ringing....then answer the call but then say "oh, yes, alright, thank you.....but I have to go now (laughing).  It is an attuning process that never ceases. 

So with Sunny Disposition in hand....guess what?  The day after the pipe broke, the day I had to do the repair....was a bright, sunny, warm day.  And I realize that the breaking of the pipe was indeed fortuitous.....It could have happened at a much worse time....so the closed door that I initially saw....the "Oh, ANOTHER problem" (Because I am still trying to repair the roof)....turned out all in all, to be not such a big deal and I actually enjoyed the process. I ended up completely re-doing the whole shutoff system and I AM now ready for summer. Victory always brings Comfort in its wake. And ultimately how will we ever learn what we need to learn, to Master what we need to Master....it there are not corresponding Challenges.  Challenges are Opportunities. 

The problem I created was I had not kept the water storage barrels filled.  This might not seem like a big deal.....but what if the situation was more serious.....no filled water barrels left me vulnerable. Procrastination is a rare thing for me. But I need these things to happen once in a while to keep me on my toes.....for we, who live alone....complacency is not our friend. 

ARE YOU ABLE TO SEPARATE WHAT IS A NEED AND WHAT IS A DESIRE

One of the most important skills you can learn is to prioritize.  It requires mastering the emotions, not letting them rule you, but you learning to control them.  In some areas of this category, buying "things", and particularly if I am feeling a little vulnerable on a particular day, and oddly, mostly at the end of a long day, I will browse on the internet, looking for material solutions to a problem I am having on the property.  I call my property The Ark. This name holds many beautiful concepts for me.

Sometimes I often have consecutive days in a row that are fraught with challenges of the nature that if I do not make the extra effort to stay balanced emotionally, to take the time and still myself, then it gathers momentum; and although it seems I have "handled" the vulnerability....it pops up at the end of the day when sitting in front of the computer I veer toward finding a solution that money can solve. Clearly not remembering the concepts of Ark......I should be looking within for the solution, not outwardly. 

Almost without fail, I have found these purchases to be money ill-spent and cost me time that I could have better spent by stilling the emotions so I could see the correct answer to the problem.  This is where we learn, over time, to discern what was an actual need, and what was just a emotional reflex to outside circumstances.  In other words, we are also learning to discriminate whether we are actually looking for a solution to a problem with something needing physical addressing on the farm, or are we responding to an emotional need for instant comfort; which for many is buying something. Eating too much food is another way we can respond to anxiousness. 

I will give you an example.  I had a challenging summer last year.  I am in the process of breeding out my own seasonal vegetables. Common sense says that me buying seeds from a geographical region that is opposite of mine is going to create problems.  This is why I became so interested in the land-race concept (a later post). No matter how grand a seed catalog looks - I mean we see nothing but perfect plants with perfect fruit, perfect everything right?  Do we really think they have no problems with disease, with pestilence?  We'd like to think that buying that seed will guarantee a gen-u-wine fairy tale jack in the beanstalk.  IT DOES NOT! For a long time I tried to keep believing that if I bought new seed, instead of saving my seeds, well......how could I go wrong.  So I was not perceiving correctly a need from an emotional desire. 

Perfect anything does not happen over night. I knew that but I just wanted to BELIEVE - LOL.  It takes a lot of Love, a lot of Patience. Decades upon decades. Luther Burbank went thru 100,000, yes 100,000 trials to come up with the spineless cactus. Hmmm. No technique is going to save you no matter what anyone says.  It is the Love, the Patience, the Kindness that you show to the land that will reap you the rewards and really, with few exceptions, no wondrous doo-dad is going to miraculously create a Garden of Eden. It is you that is the cornerstone.  Not the seed, not the perfect technique, not the fertilizer. You. 

So....I just couldn't get a handle on this, I had successes then failures.  Even this year. After all this time. I spent $300 on a vortex worm castings maker. What a joke.  What was I thinking? I ended up dismantling it and using the different parts to create actual useful things.  It was an emotional response to the pestilence problem I had with seeds from a company that I should not have ever bought.  See how it can run away from you? If we don't get a good mastery of this skill, we will always be chasing our tail. 

My answer to this problem was to admit that I haven't quite mastered this skill yet.  I still have those days from time to time, and those lapses cost me money I could have spent wisely elsewhere.  I need new potable water hoses.  I could have bought 3 new hoses for what that darn vortex cost me. 

One method that can help you master this skill is to wait.  I have a rule with myself, wait one week. If I still think I need it, I reassess, then I probably will buy it. I broke my own rule with the vortex.  It was late at night and I bought into the PR of the the guy selling it. Why is it something seems so convincing late at night that we wouldn't have considered in the noon day sun - LOL.  I know myself pretty well. I actually do know when I should not be buying something I don't need. It is there, in my solar plexus....that anxious feeling...I hear it, I feel it, DON'T it is saying.  And sometimes I am not brave; I give in. I want an answer NOW. Buying this will solve the problem.....then I won't be anxious (laughing at myself) 

I will tell you one more story, then its off to fix oatmeal.  I live on a mesa, the winds are often 30mph with 50mph gusts. We actually, yep, here in the desert, had a tornado here a couple years back. Not just a wind whirly masquerading but an actual 90mph tornado.  So....a couple of weeks ago the wind ripped a 3x3 foot piece of roofing off one of my grow houses where I grow summer vegetables under lights in the winter. Tropical fruit tree starts for the greenhouse.  I became very very anxious.  How will I fix this, oh my. I am 5'4", 110 pounds, I will NEVER be able to get a roll of tarpaper and a roll of roll roofing up there by myself.  Fret. worry. My knee jerk answer was to immediately spend $50 on a 12 mil tarp, thinking to myself, well, I don't want to deal with this, I'll just cover the hole with a tarp. 

Okay, I know, what WAS I thinking? That the wind wasn't going to do the same thing to the tarp?  I am a very spiritual person...my life is governed in all ways by this spiritual commitment. I was having these visions of water deluge, leaking thru the roof, ruining the ceiling, well....you get the idea. Letting my emotions rule instead of knowing that this challenge had a perfect answer just like every other challenge that has come to me for the last 30 years.  So I calmed myself. Had to return the tarp. Still, no answer. I waited. My emotions kept saying "its going to rain, everything will be ruined". I told them to shut up. THEN....the inner direction. I was led to a product on Amazon that is a rubber roof sealant that you paint on.  I have used it on my RVs (storage) I have here but that stuff called Liquid Roof, can not be used on asphalt roofing. But Lo and Behold, they do make it for asphalt roofing.  Now, of course this is a temporary fix. But then I got more direction. I could now build the double roof system which is so popular in the Middle East. And yes, I CAN carry up sheets of galvanized roofing.  See? We can do this girls, we can.

DOUBLE ROOF SYSTEM

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING WHERE TO LIVE, A PLACE TO CALL HOME.

Now, I am not married, and have no children, so most of my posts are aimed toward those who are, as we say, unencumbered. Obviously a first consideration is are you working, and have to continue to work, maybe for awhile?  This is where living rurally, and not off grid, gives you greater latitude. I live in an unincorporated area called Landers, in the High Desert of California. An offshoot of a small town called Yucca Valley. I am 30 minutes away from Yucca.  I live on a dirt road that is 3 miles off a small two lane road. I have only one close neighbor, but he isn't close by city measurements. Its quiet here, no noise, no traffic, no streetlights, and few street signs....you aren't going to be able to find your way around here after dark if you aren't local. I can see 360 degrees in all directions. 

In Yucca is a Walmart, a Home Depot, Staters, Von's, Grocery Outlet, a few fast food restaurants, a 99 cents store, a Petco and a Marshalls (which I have never been in - LOL), a small medical center (which I also have never been to), and feed stores. Little mom and pop businesses. By definition still a small town.  Business for the most part are on one main street and run for about maybe 5 miles max. Population is I think about 15,000 but that covers a pretty big area. An hours drive away, which isn't a big deal here because its a straight shot, no stop signs kind of thing, is Palm Springs, where all things city and five star are.  So where I live is for the most part, ideal. I am away from them, if you stand in my yard, you have no idea all those things exist.  No lights, no noise, no outer signs of civilization. 

So for someone who has to work but still wants to live this kind of life, a place like this is ideal.  I have two 2500 Dodge Ram diesel trucks. One is a 4x4. And you'd be surprised but it is needed out here from time to time.  Several years ago, we got 3' of snow, and I was the only one who for a week, could get out. Late last year, of all things, we had a flood. It channeled all around the property but I had swales and gullies and it went that way instead of thru my property.  Some were not so blessed. Many of the roads were out for months, and as we are unincorporated, well, road maintenance happens to a certain degree, we pay for it on our taxes.....but when something like a flood comes it is at the pleasure of the government that repairs are made or not made.  So many had to form groups who live a little ways from me by the crow flies, to repair their roads. No mail delivery here, or UPS or Fed Ex. We have post boxes but mine is at the end of the 3 mile dirt road. All the common carriers deliver to our teeny tiny local post office, 15 minutes away.  Post office is only open from 8-10 and 1-3. 

You can see then, we still get the thrills and chills of off-grid living with less of a do it or die kind of experience. 

My taxes?  Now we all know California is a high dollar kind of place to live.  But I pay a whopping $400 a year in taxes. It is a laid back place to live.  So much so that I have been toying with the idea of getting a pony trained barefoot, and a wagon to go to town in the summer.  Well, to be honest, I wanted camels. The man who lives a few miles from me has camels. And camels are a love of mine from previous lives - LOL.  Although you can get a camel for next to nothing if you happen to live in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, camels are about $10,000 a piece and up here, so pony had to be my choice.   

Careers.  They are a bane of existence aren't they?  I think its safe to say, it is not really possible to live here in the U.S. and not need money.  And let's face it, without it, it can be a very hard, difficult life. We do not have the culture that we had in the 1800's, and it isn't going to come back....trust me on this...that is why I worked for a period in my life, 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, so I could live like this now. 

But what job?  What career? Trust me also that you are not going to be able to have a money source you can rely on if you want to dream about making jewelry, or pottery, or all those wonderful but not really needful commodities to the ones you want to sell to.  I have a lot of work skills.  I have had jobs where I made the big money.  In the long run, I had to jump thru too many of other people's hoops, did not feel valued and it was quite honestly, depressing...not a way I wanted to call life.  So I started some "inner" seeking....what could I do in this area...what was needed, that would remain a need? 

I mentioned to you that I live an hour drive from Palm Spring.  Where all the richies live. What do they all have in common? Big houses that need to be cleaned. HA!  Well, I am sort of a perfectionist anyway; perfect job for me. So I placed an ad in their paper down there, $25hour, cash.  To make a long story very short....I did it for 20 years, I had wonderful wonderful clients who considered me family and treated me as valuable, and I made a lot of money. No one was ever home while I cleaned, most of them didn't realize they owned kitchens, let alone use them.....life was grand and I had a visually beautiful place to work. 

So think outside the box.  The Chinese know about this.....it is called the law of supply and demand.  Find a need and fill it. You aren't going to make much money selling eggs, or veggies.  If you are going to invest in yourself as a commodity that can be a going concern, look with eagle eyes....for the need....and fill it. 

OVERVIEW: Why Rural and Not Off-Grid

Having been inspired by Pearl Sutton's (Permies website) efforts to educate and inspire women - I have started this blog.  A place to ask all sorts of questions about living rurally. I live in a rural area in the High Desert of California. I have lived many places.....Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming were my favorites.  But when I wanted to settle down and stop living in a tent in the wilderness, I chose here. Why? Because here is the best balance. It neither gets too cold, or too hot. The High Desert that I live in is at 3400'.  Today, for instance.....it is 45 degrees out with 20mph winds....but I sit inside with windows all facing the sun, and I am in shirt sleeves. The cabin (384s.f) warms up during the day and stays warm at night.  I have a small wood stove and have not used it in years. I retired 15 years ago and bought this property - 2-1/2 acres, in a tax sale for $6,000. 

Why did I not choose to live off-grid? I will try to make this as short as possible.  As I said, I have lived in wilderness, and well, it is fun and wonderful but it isn't something I wanted to do forever.  So maybe I understood the challenges better than some who live in the city and dream romantically of living off the land without conveniences.  As I look at it, living at this time, unlike back in the 1800's (as an arbitrary timeframe), why not take advantage of all the wonderful conveniences we have now.....not be totally dependent on them, but etch out a way of living that is not primarily based on "conquering" life challenges, but living peacefully and happily within nature, and not running myself into the ground to prove i can overcome something that I frankly don't see as something important as a life goal. 

I was born in 1948 and most of my life has been a time where women were not encouraged to do the things I have done. But I did them anyway. Odd things, seemingly unconnected experiences. Eclectic is saying it mildly.  I learned a little bit about everything. I had a career that allowed me full autonomy over my life. I often took a year or two off, or maybe a summer....living in wilderness. At some point, around in my 50's, I was wondering if perhaps I had taken a wrong turn some where.  Every one seemed to have these well planned lives full of seemingly successful life choices that had garnered them careers that provided them with money to buy material goods. Houses, cars, boats.....I asked myself whether I should have taken one path, instead of all these hundreds of paths. 

But then when I started this little project living here, I realized that it was as if all those experiences were training, was schooling, for living here.  Learning a little about everything along my life path, Not having relationships that have categories such as friend or spouse, moulded me into a person that I had learned to trust when making decisions.  I had learned to move at my own pace, not someone else's. I had learned living in the wilderness that only me was going to save me - LOL, so....... 

This blog is for those, probably mostly women.....those who are dreaming what this life is like.....and seeing from those of us who are doing this, what it is actually like.  Perhaps you are a mature woman, divorced or widowed and you wonder what it was that your husband did outside in the yard in the garage, out in the garden or fields. Perhaps you are waking up and seeing that life could be different but you don't know where to start.  Perhaps afraid, not confident that you can do this. 

There are many many wonderful experiences to be had in living rurally.  You will have electricity, have water....and as you go along and you learn, and learn, and learn, you can have both....a place that provides comforts but you are ready when the power goes out, when the drought comes....There is nothing you have to prove to anyone.  Always remember that. Your word is your word and you should be able to say those words, do those things, without being criticized. Yes, you make mistakes along the way......but you learn sometimes, more from the mistakes, than the perceived failures. I have learned that often when something went array it was because my beginning idea was a wrong concept....and the failure showed me a new path to success. So it wasn't really a failure was it.