What's everybody doing today?

[LadyLocust]

Cherry is my all time favorite for smoking stuff with! We have so many different kinds. We have 8 and half face cords for winter here and our winters aren't very bad at all

That's a good thing. The way things are going, you might be cooking meals over it before long. (joke) Our pig is at the butcher and we are getting the bacon as slab fresh side. I would have to double check w/ Hubby what he did, I think just salt water then smoke - it was sooo good. Isn't it always amazing when you figure out how to do some such thing and it always tastes so much better than the chemicalized junk in the store?

 

[Amish Heart]

Our friends arrived from New Mexico and will be staying for a few days. They last came here same time last year, so it'll be fun to show them all the changes.

 

[Kelsey96]

That's a good thing. The way things are going, you might be cooking meals over it before long. (joke) Our pig is at the butcher and we are getting the bacon as slab fresh side. I would have to double check w/ Hubby what he did, I think just salt water then smoke - it was sooo good. Isn't it always amazing when you figure out how to do some such thing and it always tastes so much better than the chemicalized junk in the store?

Absolutely I love being able to just walk outside and cut up some wood to smoke with cherry leaves such a distinct taste to me to on every meat we have used so far its so good! And right lol the way the world is now never know lol

 

[sonya123]

That's a good thing. The way things are going, you might be cooking meals over it before long. (joke) Our pig is at the butcher and we are getting the bacon as slab fresh side. I would have to double check w/ Hubby what he did, I think just salt water then smoke - it was sooo good. Isn't it always amazing when you figure out how to do some such thing and it always tastes so much better than the chemicalized junk in the store?

I smoked a bunch of bacon last year. I used brown sugar , salt and pink salt to cure, then smoked it with hickory chips. I have a propane smoker that works great but you have to put wood chips in it

Cold and windy today. Having dinner guests tomorrow and I haven't decided what to cook, so today I will probably bake something for tomorrow and clean the house.
My problem cooking some stuff in winter is that you can't get the top of my wood cook stove as hot as my propane stove outside, so anytime I might want to stir fry or deep fry something, I have to do it outside. If my wood stove is hot enough to stir fry, it is too hot for me to stand next to it and do it. Plus my kitchen gets too hot to do anything in. Anyone else here have a wood cook stove? Going to make pizza in it today, that works great, the oven gets really hot.

 

[INresponse]

Worked in the garage taping and mudding drywall all day yesterday. Made great progress considering I was using a ladder to reach the top portions of the RV garage walls. I could do a 5' wide section of wall from the ladder and only reach out about 3' on the ceiling joints. Then I had to move the ladder which meant moving clutter from one place to another. The walls on the back half of the RV garage are done. Last night I set up the narrow scaffolding so I can reach the ceiling so I am hoping to make good progress again today. I had to use the big floor jack to roll the Chevelle sideways to make room for the ladder, once I do the ceiling in that area I will roll the Chevelle back against the wall and do the rest of the ceiling and then work on the front half of the garage. The more taping I get done the more I will be able to organize the clutter along the way. Here is an idea of what I am dealing with due to bringing all my stuff here from the house in Vegas that the ex is selling. Normally I do not treat my vehicles like this but since the old car is made with real steel and the paint is a low quality repaint it makes a great place to store boxes and tarps and stuff.

Yesterday afternoon I had a slight tickle in the throat from my sinuses. I think due to 2 days of working in the garage breathing dust and dirt moving stuff around. I flushed the sinuses once in the afternoon with little help and once before my hot shower at night. It helped a little but over night my nose stuffed up and sore throat again this morning. I woke up about 0430 and due to the stuffed nose couldn't fall asleep again so here I am surfing the web and drinking hot tea. I just remembered to take some benedryl for the nose and garlic oil and oil of oregano gel caps to help ward off evil sicky spirits, the side effect is my burps will taste like pizza but seeing how I just warmed some pizza for breakfast it may go unnoticed.

Weather morons are guessing we might make 60* today. Fall weather has finally arrived but still not needing the wood stove. It is amazing how much warmer the house is with drywall finally over the insulation. When I bump the furnace down from 69 to 66 for bedtime it takes about 4 or 5 hours for the house to cool off that much at night. Last year it took about 30 minutes. Should save a bunch on heating costs this winter, thankfully.

It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.

 

[Bacpacker]

Job was going good with the install when I left. Waiting at eye dr for my appt. Likely to not be able to see well and have a bad headache rest of the day. Happens everytime I get my eyes dialated

 

[phideaux]

We're taking it one day at a time.
One project at a time

Got almost all the pulls installed on the cabinets..gotta do the drawers.
Wife and I struggled a bit , but we got the microwave installed over the range today...PIA.
Wife got the small bathroom painted today.(angel eyes blue)

Tomorrow will do all the dishwasher hookup.
Then all the plumbing roughed in for kitchen sink.
Both of us are tired , but blessed .

Jim

 

[LadyLocust]

I smoked a bunch of bacon last year. I used brown sugar , salt and pink salt to cure, then smoked it with hickory chips. I have a propane smoker that works great but you have to put wood chips in it

Cold and windy today. Having dinner guests tomorrow and I haven't decided what to cook, so today I will probably bake something for tomorrow and clean the house.
My problem cooking some stuff in winter is that you can't get the top of my wood cook stove as hot as my propane stove outside, so anytime I might want to stir fry or deep fry something, I have to do it outside. If my wood stove is hot enough to stir fry, it is too hot for me to stand next to it and do it. Plus my kitchen gets too hot to do anything in. Anyone else here have a wood cook stove? Going to make pizza in it today, that works great, the oven gets really hot.

Grew up with a range that was half electric and half wood. The power went out on a semi regular basis so we'd just scoot the pans over to the other side of the stove and keep cooking. Whenever we find a place, my hope is to have a half wood cookstove. Are you trying to cook on a wood heating stove or a wood cook stove? A wood heating stove is good for dutch oven and slow roasting or a pot of beans etc. but not usually for frying. If you have a wood cook stove, the fire is usually smaller and hotter which lets you fry up that steak to your liking If you're baking in a wood cook stove, you have to turn the food because the side closest to the fire will cook fastest. Oh yea, you can do cornbread or such things on the wood heat stove also, just takes time and a little different moisture (I'm not good at that cuz I'm not much of a cornbread fan.)

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I wished I had the patience for that sort of thing

Keeps me busy while I'm with my Dad at his Doctor's appointments.
And I don't always have patience.

 

[Bacpacker]

Got a good report from the eye Dr and finally able to see well enough tonight to read a little.
Got a text from my customer we worked for today. Job was finished and working perfectly. He sent a nice thank you.

 

[Patchouli]

Got a good report from the eye Dr and finally able to see well enough tonight to read a little.
Got a text from my customer we worked for today. Job was finished and working perfectly. He sent a nice thank you.

I don't participate in those dilating eye exams much. Makes me feel bad until the next day when I wake up.
@sonya123 your trip up the mountain reminds me of a little zoo I also went to LONG time ago near Roanoke. I don't know...website says it was founded in 1952 so maybe it was the one I went to!!! My dad bought me a little toy black stuffed bear with a red collar and chain. During that trip we also went to Fairy Stone Park, I couldn't have been more than 7.
Good work @Neb and @phideaux and everyone else who is working on stuff, no smashing fingers!
@hashbrown so glad to hear you are recovering quickly. Not surprised. If you are like me when I had my recovery a few years ago, I was not going to let it hold me back and worked hard at getting well.
@Amish Heart I get tired just reading about all of your hard work.
I worked today. We are short staffed so extra work for everyone and not able to get my own stuff completed.

 

[Pearl]

We're taking it one day at a time.
One project at a time

Got almost all the pulls installed on the cabinets..gotta do the drawers.
Wife and I struggled a bit , but we got the microwave installed over the range today...PIA.
Wife got the small bathroom painted today.(angel eyes blue)

View attachment 75708View attachment 75709View attachment 75710

Tomorrow will do all the dishwasher hookup.
Then all the plumbing roughed in for kitchen sink.
Both of us are tired , but blessed .

Jim

All I can say is WOW! You two are inspirational! But you need to start decorating for Christmas, just saying

 

[Terri9630]

So sorry, but what's wrong with her?

Her autonomic system doesn't work right. She has Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, Neurocardiogenic syncope, gastroparesis, non diabetic hypoglycemia, eosinophilic esophagitis, chronic inactive gastritis, very frequent migraines, doesn't regulate her body temp properly, low blood volume and she's developing food allergies.

 

[Bacpacker]

Patch, I always get a nasty head ache. Sometimes last rest of the day, sometimes just a few hours. Luckily today was only 3 or so.

 

[txcatlady]

Blessed lately. Internet out at work so we left early today. Found .243 shells at little gun shop locally a few weeks ago and picked up some boxes and another of .22LR. Monday he texted that he got 22/250 shells. I asked him to hold me 2 boxes until today. He lives a little over a mile out of town so I went to get them today. He had total of 4 boxes. I caved and bought all 4 at 35 a box. Put shells in ammo cans tonight. Very little room for more of those until I get more ammo boxes. Will work on .308 next. He offered to buy any .410 shells that I don’t need. I have 2 1/2 and 3 inch for Judge and single shot and not sure if I should part with any, but he has been helping me get what I want. Can’t buy for my husband as he wants premium ammo that is impossible to find. Wow the coyotes are going crazy tonight. Turned porch lights on

 

[LadyLocust]

Blessed lately. Internet out at work so we left early today. Found .243 shells at little gun shop locally a few weeks ago and picked up some boxes and another of .22LR. Monday he texted that he got 22/250 shells. I asked him to hold me 2 boxes until today. He lives a little over a mile out of town so I went to get them today. He had total of 4 boxes. I caved and bought all 4 at 35 a box. Put shells in ammo cans tonight. Very little room for more of those until I get more ammo boxes. Will work on .308 next. He offered to buy any .410 shells that I don’t need. I have 2 1/2 and 3 inch for Judge and single shot and not sure if I should part with any, but he has been helping me get what I want. Can’t buy for my husband as he wants premium ammo that is impossible to find. Wow the coyotes are going crazy tonight. Turned porch lights on

Full moon.
I ended up working/driving this morning so got a late start here at home getting things done. I did 2 batches of beard balm, a batch of soap, got a batch of soap grated for laundry soap, made a batch of lotion bars, had all the dishes done and made supper. Woke up at 2AM so am hoping to sleep a little better tonight. Still have a long list of to-do's for this weekend.

 

[Double R]

Processing the 22 quart roaster full of bone broth that finished cooking. Once it cools I’ll separate the fat and finish rendering it and get it jarred up and in the freezer. Will prep the bone broth for the freeze drier.
Baked and puree’d another large pumpkin and got it in the freezer. Not sure if it will be used for a pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread we need to bake for thanksgiving or if I’ll get around to baking another before then. If I get to baking another one I’ll put this in the freeze drier. Should be enough in the freezer now for another full load.
Jars are in the wash for hamburger and onions to can later. If anyone has canned this before please share info. This is the first time.
Did a bunch of miscellaneous cleaning.
Got Laundry put away.
Took the last of the Apple cores and skins out of the last batch of apple cider vinegar we got going. 1st gallon is really starting to smell like vinegar. 2nd batch still smells like hard cider. 3rd is taking far longer now that it’s cooling down in the house.
Hubby is out adding lights to the little tractor’s bum so it’s easier to see when hooking up implements in the dark.
Time to make meals for the critters and get the cows fed.
Hope y’all are having a good evening

 

[LadyLocust]

Processing the 22 quart roaster full of bone broth that finished cooking. Once it cools I’ll separate the fat and finish rendering it and get it jarred up and in the freezer. Will prep the bone broth for the freeze drier.
Baked and puree’d another large pumpkin and got it in the freezer. Not sure if it will be used for a pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread we need to bake for thanksgiving or if I’ll get around to baking another before then. If I get to baking another one I’ll put this in the freeze drier. Should be enough in the freezer now for another full load.
Jars are in the wash for hamburger and onions to can later. If anyone has canned this before please share info. This is the first time.
Did a bunch of miscellaneous cleaning.
Got Laundry put away.
Took the last of the Apple cores and skins out of the last batch of apple cider vinegar we got going. 1st gallon is really starting to smell like vinegar. 2nd batch still smells like hard cider. 3rd is taking far longer now that it’s cooling down in the house.
Hubby is out adding lights to the little tractor’s bum so it’s easier to see when hooking up implements in the dark.
Time to make meals for the critters and get the cows fed.
Hope y’all are having a good evening

You're a rockstar! Didn't you just start canning last year???

 

[Double R]

You're a rockstar! Didn't you just start canning last year???

Yes ma’am. Can something pretty much weekly if not twice a week. Loving every minute of it. Just another way to preserve which we have been doing for years just stored in the freezer. Although canning has made it even harder to eat store bought food now
Need a bigger garden

 

[Peanut]

I was busy again today, finished with winter supplies/feed for the critters. No more excuses, now it's time to work on fences. I got a half mile of fencing that needs work. I'll be at this all winter.

@Patchouli Your story reminded me of a bear. I was about 10 and on vacation in TN. This was before the signs in the mountains read "Don't feed the Bears". A bunch of tourists had stopped in the road and were feeding a group of bears. We stopped and someone gave me a package of cookies so I started feeding one from my hand. Being a kid I didn't anticipate running out of cookies.

When I ran out the black bear stands up, looks me in the eye and put a paw on each shoulder. I know now the bear meant me no harm but at the time... Anyone remember "Home Alone", with all the screaming?

Animals seem to like me, even wild ones and I like them. But that bear freaked me out! He was taller than I was!!

 

[Patchouli]

Cute story, @Peanut . That would have been a cute photo!
For the most part, black bears are “ok”, as you know. In Western Maryland they were raiding folks’ food storage that was packed away in caves and getting brave enough to chase humans.
We’ve seen them at Skyline Drive in Virginia.

 

[sonya123]

Grew up with a range that was half electric and half wood. The power went out on a semi regular basis so we'd just scoot the pans over to the other side of the stove and keep cooking. Whenever we find a place, my hope is to have a half wood cookstove. Are you trying to cook on a wood heating stove or a wood cook stove? A wood heating stove is good for dutch oven and slow roasting or a pot of beans etc. but not usually for frying. If you have a wood cook stove, the fire is usually smaller and hotter which lets you fry up that steak to your liking If you're baking in a wood cook stove, you have to turn the food because the side closest to the fire will cook fastest. Oh yea, you can do cornbread or such things on the wood heat stove also, just takes time and a little different moisture (I'm not good at that cuz I'm not much of a cornbread fan.)

I have never heard of a stove that's half wood and half electric. Wouldn't the heat from the wood stove melt the electric wires when you are using the wood part? Weird that is

I have a proper Amish cook stove. I know how to cook on it, you can fry regular stuff on it, the top just isn't as hot as the propane outdoor stove I have for in the summer. ( I could never deep fry anything or make proper stir fry on the electric stove I had before we moved here either, you just need a really hot flame only gas will provide)
Baking in the wood stove works fine, you just have to keep an eye on the temperature a lot and rotate
Our house is problematic since the kitchen with the wood stove is a separate room and it's hard to get the heat out of it and into the rest of the house. We also have a wood stove for heating in the living room, if it gets really cold Sometimes I use the kitchen one just long enough to heat our water, and then let it go out and light the one in the living room to heat the house. It's complicated like everything around here lol !
What I love about the wood cook stove is that you can cook a whole bunch of stuff all at one time. Plus we have just about unlimited amounts of really hot water ( pipe goes through the fire box and into the water tank)

Oh I have decided to make Chinese food, even if I have to stand outside in the dark and cold and fry a few egg rolls ...

 

[sonya123]

We're taking it one day at a time.
One project at a time

Tomorrow will do all the dishwasher hookup.
Then all the plumbing roughed in for kitchen sink.
Both of us are tired , but blessed .

Jim

You are doing an amazing job and will have a beautiful house! Oh, and blue is my favorite color. Our kitchen is white and blue also. It was dirty yellow /beige when we moved here, all one color top to ceiling and one of the first things we did was paint it.

 

[snappy1]

for hamburger and onions to can later.

I've never PC'd hamburger and onions together, but have done hamburger with taco seasoning (homemade, so no MSG).
I have dry packed bell peppers and onions and PC'd.
I pretty much dry pack everything now if it doesn't have a sauce. The texture comes out firmer and better to me.

 

[The Lazy L]

Went to the License Bureau this morning. Crazy right? On a Saturday too! I arrived a few minutes before they opened. Walked in and I was number 18. I figured a hour waiting before they called my number. Then they will find an excuse to try a make me come back a second time. No problem, I'm retired and have all day to deal with their bureaucracy.

I barely got comfortable in the chair before, they called "Number 18". Five minutes later I had my business completed and I was head home. Shazam! Their efficiency leaves me most of the morning for a nap!

 

[Peanut]

Absolutely I love being able to just walk outside and cut up some wood to smoke with cherry leaves such a distinct taste to me to on every meat we have used so far its so good! And right lol the way the world is now never know lol

First, I use cherry wood a lot, great for smoking fish, used to sell it... just the wood, not the leaves.

I saw your post and was a bit concerned when you mentioned leaves. Just in case you’re not aware… cherry trees (Prunus serotina) contain hydrocyanic compounds. They convert to cyanide when ingested by people/animals.

120 years ago you’d go to the pharmacist and ask for cyanide water or cherry water to treat a bad cough. Cherry trees were the main source of cyanide for the medical community for decades.

In small amounts cyanide suppresses the muscles used for breathing, suppressing a cough, it dampens spasms. It’s still used in a great many herbal blends for colds/flu. It’s also why most cough syrups are cherry flavored to this day. The words cherry and cough were ingrained into the public mind.

Anyway, these hydrocyanic compounds concentrate in the leaves beginning in August/late summer. One September a friend of mine (great herbalist) cut down brush at the end of his garden. A large portion was cherry saplings.

He turned in his goats to let them clean up all the greenery. He knew exactly how cherry worked as medicine, knew about the hydrocyanic compounds. In fact he taught me. But the leaves are not used in medicine. What he didn’t know was how the cyanide concentrated in those leaves in late summer.

They killed 3 of his goats… So, I would advise caution when burning the leaves. Except as a medicine, I wouldn't use the leaves at all.

(Apples, pears and especially peaches are also closely related to cherry trees. They also have these hydrocyanic compounds, just not as concentrated. So, if you find yourself with a bad cough in late summer, chew a leaf or 2 from any of them. I would go for peach, wonderful medicine in other respects also)


Edit to add… I don’t know what happens to hydrocyanic compounds when burned. They might be harmless, drift away on the air. Then again, they might not be harmless. That said, in an outdoor setting I wouldn’t be overly concerned. However, I would not burn the leaves in an area with poor ventilation.

 

[CountryGuy]

Peanut - the info on the cherry leaves is interesting. Didn't know that or the tie in with cherry flavored cough syrup.

Well I finished putting all the pool furniture and other junk away and cleaning up the miscellaneous. Everything except the blow up pool toys. Mrs said she was going to do it, she hasn't yet and I'm hell bent on not doing it. I told her if I end up having to it'll be quick as I'll slice them open with my knife. I'm not messing with that crap this year. A man has to pick his battles... LOL

I'd drained the hoses a couple weekends ago but hadn't had the time that day or since to coil them and put them away. So had to do that today... Nothing like stiff garden hose to not cooperate. I also shut off the fuel off on my motorcycle and the kids quad and ran them dry, put my bike on the trickle charger and remembered I've been meaning to buy one for their quad.... I then wrapped up all my ratchet straps and put them away nice and neat in the pickup. Got the snowblower out and started it up to check it out then re-arranged the garage to put the zero turn in the back, bike next and the blower right in front ready to go out the door when needed. I need to pick up another snow shovel and another bag of ice melt. I also still need to put reflectors up to keep the township from plowing thru the middle of my yard... but ran out of time today but now got to go get a shower to take the boys to a friends birthday party at the bowling alley. this should be interesting as I know they nor birthday boy have ever bowled...maybe I should big out my old hard hat...

 

[Weedygarden]

Went to the License Bureau this morning. Crazy right? On a Saturday too! I arrived a few minutes before they opened. Walked in and I was number 18. I figured a hour waiting before they called my number. Then they will find an excuse to try a make me come back a second time. No problem, I'm retired and have all day to deal with their bureaucracy.

I barely got comfortable in the chair before, they called "Number 18". Five minutes later I had my business completed and I was head home. Shazam! Their efficiency leaves me most of the morning for a nap!

This happened the last time I renewed my driver's license, a couple years ago. We are all so trained to be tortured by a long wait. Whose idea was it that it should take so long? I went nextdoor to renew my tags for my car and it was the same, a very short wait. I took care of both of those in 20 minutes where in years gone by I couldn't have done one in that time.

I had to take a vision test, of course. My glasses were up on my head, not on properly. I took the test, and then told the guy I needed to re-do it, because I didn't have my glasses on. He told me I passed, so no need to wear glasses when I drive. It took me a couple years of the glasses up to realize I just need to not wear glasses any more. My first glasses were when I was in 8th grade.

 

[INresponse]

Drove the 30 miles to town this morning to get parts to repair the leaking frost free hydrant, found the last 2 on the shelf and at the register realized I didn't have my wallet. Came home for said wallet and returned to the store and bought the repair kits. Back home, only 120 miles of driving for a 60 mile round trip. I need to grab some wrenches and make the repairs here shortly.

Not sure if I will work on taping drywall today. I may just organize the mess in the garage so I can make good progress tomorrow. GF's daughter needs me to change the headlights in her car. Yippie, these darn new cars are a pain in the neck, arms, wrists, and hands. Having to pull back the fender well liners to squeeze a hand in the small opening is just stupid. Damn disposable cars, not meant to be repaired.

Weather is nice, so I guess that is good.

 

[zannej]

Jim, the kitchen looks great! Your wife did a great job on the bathroom paint as well. I love both wall colors (kitchen & bathroom). I never thought I would like a kitchen with the white cabinets, but those look nice!

I took my meds & am waiting for mom to want food. She isn't getting up at regular hours. Other day she was up at 10am. Next day she wasn't up until after 6pm. It's nice and warm right now but kitties are piled on me. Mom's dog apparently prefers my bed to Mom's now when I told him it was time to go to bed he ran to my room instead of hers. She has too much stuff piled up on her bed and I will have to help her sort it out and move it. I guess she doesn't like having that side of her bed empty but there's too much stuff so she barely has room to move.

Friend is *supposed* to come over Monday to help me sort inventory on all of the plumbing supplies & tools to make sure we have what we need to fix the hot water lines up. He has to train someone in the afternoon so probably won't be time to work on it much, but getting everything sorted and making a list of things to get if we are missing anything should help. Tuesday if it doesn't rain is when the work will begin if we have everything we need. This is all assuming there is someone to watch his gf's baby on those days.