Rafflesia arnoldii or flowers I will NOT grow!
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Urban Homesteading

I was thinking about blogging today on how this Sunday Danny and I got up the hoophouse green house.  I also thought about telling you all I have a new San Francisco starter and am on the lookout for English Muffin Recipes. Then you stumble across weird things and you have to share:

 

 

This on one of the largest flower species – AND it is a parasite http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.html

 

How can my greenhouse and sourdough starter compete with that!

Diana

 

Houston, we have a problem
Mood:  happy
Topic: Urban Homesteading
Since today is International Talk Like a Pirate day, all I have to say is ARRGG! Me bread had 'nough lead in it to sink Cap'n Jacks ship!

I thought there was enough bubble action going on, so I started a loaf of bread the other night. After 16 hours (common as this is wild yeast) it still hadn't risen very much. I decided to throw it in the oven and see how much rise I could still get off of it as it cooked. Not much – arrgg!

That's okay, I am on Plan B. BUY A STARTER. I found a site that I can get a starter from AND she holds your hand via email the whole way through. Just what a Pirate needs. 

 

I was going to take a pic of the bread to post, but my dh pitched it! It did have a nice sourdough bite to it though.

Diana 

 

bread and water can become tea and toast
Mood:  hungry
Topic: Urban Homesteading
There are a couple things in life that I repeat every 5-10 years. One being Philo dough and the other is sourdough bread. We are having wonderful weather, so I decided to take advantage of it, and start a sourdough starter.

 

Whoever said that you cannot live on bread and water was obviously wrong! Bread vies with chocolate in my book of all time comfort foods. There is nothing better than warm bread with butter slathered all over. And I am talking REAL butter, not that oleo stuff. I was about 9 the first time my mom slipped a tub of margarine on the table. I loved that it didn't rip the bread, but that was about as far as my love for it went.

 

If you have never started a sourdough starter, it is pretty easy. I took a cup of Montana Wheat's wheat flour and added a cup of warm water. Stir and place in a warm place. I then take out ½ a cup of the starter and add another ½ cup of wheat flour and warm water. I do this every 12 hours. This will continue on for about 4 days to a week – or whenever my starter starts to bubble. I just use the wheat bread while I am getting the starter going. It has more micro organisms that white flour. Once it is bubbling and has proven that it can make dough rise, I will be using white flour.

 

In about a week I should be pulling my first loaf of warm sourdough bread out of the oven. Starters always taste better after they have had time to age, so in a month, if anyone is interested in a starter, let me know. Not like this is really aged – some starters are thousands of years old!

 

Can't wait for a bowl of stew with some warm bread! I need to check out the Marketplace and see if they carry those reed basket for baking bread in. I always wanted to try that.

 

Diana

PS – Philo dough has another 5 years before I forget how much I hate trying to work with it!

Eat the View
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Urban Homesteading
In a magazine that I recently got, there was a layout for a greenhouse. How to make a greenhouse for $150.00! I have always wanted a greenhouse, so I was on that! I did some more searching around on the Internet, as I need a mobile greenhouse. I found this great plan, but DH was already on the move and ahead of me with this. He remembers seeing these hoop houses.

 

So off we went to Wal mart. Over in the painting section they have everything from drop cloth to 6 mil plastic sheeting on a roll. We picked up the 3.5 mil as we were not too worried about it deteriorating. We figured with moving it around it would get torn before it dissolved. That, and I found out that plastic on plastic can lead to more deterioration. Anyway, read for yourself: http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html

 

So this weekend we will put up a mini version over my tomato and pepper plants just to see if I can extend the growing season for another month or so.

 

I am researching how to provide heat without have to put in a heater. I remember seeing something on the History channel about manure and straw providing heat. I have also been reading about painting buckets black, then adding soil to provide more heat. If anyone has any more suggestions, I would love to hear them!

 

Oh, one more thing – Deb, can I borrow a bucket of manure?????

 

Diana

http://www.eattheview.org/

 

 

Lasagna Gardening
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Urban Homesteading

Hi All,

I thought I would share this with you:

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

I love the idea that there are no weeds to pull.  To me, it is like having a disposible garden.  Added to that is the fact that it would be one of the few things you can dispose of and it it good for the enviroment!

Diana