To solar cook or not to solar cook …
To eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich or delve into the onions, lentils and rice(they’d have to be cooked)…
To wait and see if the sun comes out of those grey clouds that aren’t raining or not ….
To be one with the plethora (I’ve always loved that word) of tomatoes from the CSA or …
Whether ‘tis nobler to cut the tomatoes and brave the damp heat outside to dehydrate or wait until another using the dreadful humid heat to postpone action …..
Okay, so I made my choice! :)
I cut up the tomatoes and put them outside in the Tulsi oven to dehydrate. I’ve saved some to eat not dehydrated, too. Dehydrating will take a day or two but no more than that. If they are out there too long, like a day too long, they can taste scorched. I swear the last group I did just tasted too crispy and a little scorched. But two days in the sun has come out tasty before.
As for lunch, it’s lentils and rice and onions and some herbs and out in the other solar oven.
And the sun has come out in a clear blue sky after mid day.
Most days of the past two weeks have started very overcast looking like some rain but they clear off and don’t do anything else. My neighborhood finally got some rain last night …. Steady couple of hours, no big wind storm.
The clouds when they are fluffy and white seem like they are ships with puffy sails gliding in a fleet across the sky. The dark low clouds and the puffy fleets are a welcome change from endless hot blue sky. Some people would find endless blue sky hard to ever get tired of but it is possible.
And on Food shopping day from Sprouts, I filled in my gaps in food storage:
Chickpeas, red lentils, yellow split peas, cornmeal, farina, dried apricots, dried cranberries, two jars of that applesauce I really like from Sprouts, a special on an attractive jar of apricot jam so I got one of them.
Looking over their bulk spices section to see about having lemon grass or sweet grass. I didn’t get anything there but picked up two bunches of fresh parsley to probably dehydrate if I don’t get it all used in a few days. I’m completely out of ANY kind of parsley, and my parsley plant isn’t producing much of anything right now.
Two dilemmas solved today. I've got lots more I just don't want to do any of the choices I have!
peace, Shamba
Showing posts with label food stores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food stores. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
November Days Catchup
Nice, cooler weather after a couple of 90 days the past week of so. I've been doing okay with my challenge but I haven’t written anything at all my blog for several days.
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Saturday, October 3, 2009
October 3 Saturday
Suffice it to saw that the economic news this past week has helped to dim the “bright lights” of recovery hopes. I’ll not get into that at all today. I’m enjoying the weather too much.
Not much in food news today. Eating the last of beef stew and veggies and have to make a big store run for all kinds of food and related supplies sometime today. I'll get to Sprouts for bulk purchases later this week after i checked out all those supplies in my pantry. At least, what I think of as my longer term storage pantry.
Thinking of emailing the local CSA and seeing what’s involved in getting on their supplies list.
My containers of basil, parsley and oregano are dong just fine.
Happy News from the Desert!
Our temps are now below 100 degrees, at least for the next 10 days!
On October 1st in the morning in my house it was 70 degrees from the weather alone. Ac didn't run all night and it was very quiet the previous night because my neighbors' ACs weren't running either.
It was cool inside! Not just an absence of warmth but actual coolth! :) :) :) :) :)
Peace to all,
shamba
Not much in food news today. Eating the last of beef stew and veggies and have to make a big store run for all kinds of food and related supplies sometime today. I'll get to Sprouts for bulk purchases later this week after i checked out all those supplies in my pantry. At least, what I think of as my longer term storage pantry.
Thinking of emailing the local CSA and seeing what’s involved in getting on their supplies list.
My containers of basil, parsley and oregano are dong just fine.
Happy News from the Desert!
Our temps are now below 100 degrees, at least for the next 10 days!
On October 1st in the morning in my house it was 70 degrees from the weather alone. Ac didn't run all night and it was very quiet the previous night because my neighbors' ACs weren't running either.
It was cool inside! Not just an absence of warmth but actual coolth! :) :) :) :) :)
Peace to all,
shamba
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 30th, Wednesday
At the last minute, like 15 minutes ago, at 12:55 p.m., I decided to cook in the Global sun oven. I have a pot of beef stew meat, canned stewed tomatoes, some minced onions, and some other seasonings and it’s out there cooking. It wasn’t quite unfrozen so it’ll need all the 3 ½ hours of sunlight it’s got left today to cook.
I don’t know what else I’ll eat with it but I’ll deal with that later.
Okay, it’s 30 minutes later and I’m using up the last ½ of brown rice in a glass jar. I’ll need to open a new package of rice after this. I will use water to cook it in, not broth this time. And it will go in the solar oven under the meat dish when I’m ready to cook it. It only takes an hour or so to cook.
Update Wednesday: Success with the beef stew meat by 4 p.m! I put it in a little after 1:p.m. still pretty frozen. The condensation on the glass door started about 3:30 and I could begin to smell the food cooking a little before that. I got the idea of putting the meat in even if still frozen from the Solar Chef who put some frozen meat of her own in her oven and it was done after 3-4 hours. Also had adjust the oven frequently, including moving the table it was on. If it's on the table it's higher to catch more sun after 2:p.m. Middle of the day is still fine for cooking.
I’m not sure about green stuff tonight I’m fresh out of most fresh stuff.
shamba
I don’t know what else I’ll eat with it but I’ll deal with that later.
Okay, it’s 30 minutes later and I’m using up the last ½ of brown rice in a glass jar. I’ll need to open a new package of rice after this. I will use water to cook it in, not broth this time. And it will go in the solar oven under the meat dish when I’m ready to cook it. It only takes an hour or so to cook.
Update Wednesday: Success with the beef stew meat by 4 p.m! I put it in a little after 1:p.m. still pretty frozen. The condensation on the glass door started about 3:30 and I could begin to smell the food cooking a little before that. I got the idea of putting the meat in even if still frozen from the Solar Chef who put some frozen meat of her own in her oven and it was done after 3-4 hours. Also had adjust the oven frequently, including moving the table it was on. If it's on the table it's higher to catch more sun after 2:p.m. Middle of the day is still fine for cooking.
I’m not sure about green stuff tonight I’m fresh out of most fresh stuff.
shamba
Friday, September 25, 2009
September 25
Okay, I picked a challenge. I will try? make sure?--how affirmative do I have to be--that I use all my leftovers to the nth degree. And one more part, to use up my produce in whatever way I can find before it rots.
I'm better at these two things than I was a year ago but cooking for one, I sometimes get too enthusiastic about cooking with my solar ovens and make too much at one time. Also, I get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days.Very Leftover meat and some cheese or egg dishes aren't a problem as some of my cats like them.
I expect I'll end up making more veg broth from scratch with odds and end from the crisper drawer. :)
Peace, Shamba
I'm better at these two things than I was a year ago but cooking for one, I sometimes get too enthusiastic about cooking with my solar ovens and make too much at one time. Also, I get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days.Very Leftover meat and some cheese or egg dishes aren't a problem as some of my cats like them.
I expect I'll end up making more veg broth from scratch with odds and end from the crisper drawer. :)
Peace, Shamba
Friday, September 4, 2009
Aug 22, 28, 31.
August 31st:
1. Okay, the estate has 1 stock left to sell that has to have a medaillion signature guarantee and a letter to order the sale.
2 & 3. Two unclaimed property form to fill out for the State of Arizona. One earlier claim has been settled. How they came up with these two I ‘ll never know but I have the forms to fill out and accompanying documents to prove I got the right to these things! Sheesh, I HATE THESE FORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And old comadre from yoga teacher training has a small studio of her own very close to where I live. I ‘ve stopped by a couple of times to check it out but once she was closed for a week and then today she had a class going with the doors closed and blinds and a sign not to disturb. Glad to see she’s teaching again and hasn’t had to close down because of economics.
August 28th:
Cooked a meatloaf the other day, had meat that had thawed but I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it so I made meatloaf. We’ve had a few over 110 days again and I wasn’t cooking anything inside! That was Thursday, Friday and tomorrow…
Anyway, meatloaf was great. Made some rice, split peas, some salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder this morning. I was surprised I didn’t have quite enough sun at 11:00 a.m. this morning in the usual cooking spot when I went out to put in the rice! Sun is moving quickly to change angles these late August days. I put the rice in the oven anyway and it will cook well it’s just starting with only half sun.
The winter laundry is done. This is all the blankets, throws etc. have all been freshly washed and ready to sue in a month or two at night. I didn’t get these done earlier as I had my injured arm to deal with. And I actually found places to put all this winter laundry! So, it doesn’t have to sit out stacked up on the extra laundry hamper after all.
I have to do cat laundry-for winter cat beds—and clean up the front porch, where the cats actually live. Next week, I hope to get to that. I’m not tackling that this weekend though.
August 22:
Nonfood supplies for medicine chest.
Alka Seltzer like stuff (I should never be without these!); paper towels; Gold Bond body and hand cream marked down (I love this stuff for any feeling of irritation or itchiness on skin); Imodium (when you need something like this you need it); some shoe cleaner/polish/scuff mark remover to spiff up shoes and sandals after this summer of sweat, splashed with water from hose watering, cats lying on them, various other small calamities that happen to shoes. I got some standard band aids.
Then I decided I wanted to try leeks in something this week and got some bananas, too. And some wet canned cat food as a treat for the herd this week.
all for now
1. Okay, the estate has 1 stock left to sell that has to have a medaillion signature guarantee and a letter to order the sale.
2 & 3. Two unclaimed property form to fill out for the State of Arizona. One earlier claim has been settled. How they came up with these two I ‘ll never know but I have the forms to fill out and accompanying documents to prove I got the right to these things! Sheesh, I HATE THESE FORMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And old comadre from yoga teacher training has a small studio of her own very close to where I live. I ‘ve stopped by a couple of times to check it out but once she was closed for a week and then today she had a class going with the doors closed and blinds and a sign not to disturb. Glad to see she’s teaching again and hasn’t had to close down because of economics.
August 28th:
Cooked a meatloaf the other day, had meat that had thawed but I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it so I made meatloaf. We’ve had a few over 110 days again and I wasn’t cooking anything inside! That was Thursday, Friday and tomorrow…
Anyway, meatloaf was great. Made some rice, split peas, some salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder this morning. I was surprised I didn’t have quite enough sun at 11:00 a.m. this morning in the usual cooking spot when I went out to put in the rice! Sun is moving quickly to change angles these late August days. I put the rice in the oven anyway and it will cook well it’s just starting with only half sun.
The winter laundry is done. This is all the blankets, throws etc. have all been freshly washed and ready to sue in a month or two at night. I didn’t get these done earlier as I had my injured arm to deal with. And I actually found places to put all this winter laundry! So, it doesn’t have to sit out stacked up on the extra laundry hamper after all.
I have to do cat laundry-for winter cat beds—and clean up the front porch, where the cats actually live. Next week, I hope to get to that. I’m not tackling that this weekend though.
August 22:
Nonfood supplies for medicine chest.
Alka Seltzer like stuff (I should never be without these!); paper towels; Gold Bond body and hand cream marked down (I love this stuff for any feeling of irritation or itchiness on skin); Imodium (when you need something like this you need it); some shoe cleaner/polish/scuff mark remover to spiff up shoes and sandals after this summer of sweat, splashed with water from hose watering, cats lying on them, various other small calamities that happen to shoes. I got some standard band aids.
Then I decided I wanted to try leeks in something this week and got some bananas, too. And some wet canned cat food as a treat for the herd this week.
all for now
Sunday, August 10, 2008
August 10th
Prepped: Picked up some sturdier measuring spoons and an easier to read cup measure marked down at Linens n ‘ things. I’ve also gotten some baking pans to work with my solar oven at the Goodwill near me. This Goodwill seems to have a great supply of various househoold and cooking things all the time.
Linens N things has some lovely things marked waaay down these days because of their business troubles. If you can get to one you might pick up some real goodies at much less than their usual price. I always liked to look in this store but I’ve been buying the last two visits. I picked up two useful little glass measure for small amounts under 2 tablesppons--it has metric measures and US measure. 00 cents and one I got for Sarah Multicats.
Also, got 4 bags of frozen vegetables from helping clean up apartment of friend--Mary alice--who has moved back to NJ. Also, got some papers towels and cleaning supplies from here. And some twine a good sized stapler, I only have two very small ones but they do work, and two roles of duct tape and one of packing tape and one electricians tape.
Cooked: Learned a simple rice and cheese dish that works well in the solar oven and made my own baked beans a couple of weeks ago. I used dried beans–so it was all from scratch. I was so proud of myself!
Storage: nonfat dry milk, more flour, canola oil. Rearranged small amounts of rice, lentils and split peas and pasta in a place where I will use them up first before opening something else.
Other info: K. didn't have to sell his car friend helped him to garage to get it fixed up and paid for it. whew! He's supposed to have some hours to work at a gallery starting end of august--we'll see. He sounds ok but kind of bored having to stay in the house so much because of his probation.
Ruth called, too. Daniel will be 3 this coming week! Levi's BD is on the 23rd.
Mom is okay; I had lunch with her yesterday.
cheers,
shamba
Linens N things has some lovely things marked waaay down these days because of their business troubles. If you can get to one you might pick up some real goodies at much less than their usual price. I always liked to look in this store but I’ve been buying the last two visits. I picked up two useful little glass measure for small amounts under 2 tablesppons--it has metric measures and US measure. 00 cents and one I got for Sarah Multicats.
Also, got 4 bags of frozen vegetables from helping clean up apartment of friend--Mary alice--who has moved back to NJ. Also, got some papers towels and cleaning supplies from here. And some twine a good sized stapler, I only have two very small ones but they do work, and two roles of duct tape and one of packing tape and one electricians tape.
Cooked: Learned a simple rice and cheese dish that works well in the solar oven and made my own baked beans a couple of weeks ago. I used dried beans–so it was all from scratch. I was so proud of myself!
Storage: nonfat dry milk, more flour, canola oil. Rearranged small amounts of rice, lentils and split peas and pasta in a place where I will use them up first before opening something else.
Other info: K. didn't have to sell his car friend helped him to garage to get it fixed up and paid for it. whew! He's supposed to have some hours to work at a gallery starting end of august--we'll see. He sounds ok but kind of bored having to stay in the house so much because of his probation.
Ruth called, too. Daniel will be 3 this coming week! Levi's BD is on the 23rd.
Mom is okay; I had lunch with her yesterday.
cheers,
shamba
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
jul 26-28 hot and still cooking ...
July 26,
Continued with solar cooking today: Lentils & Rice dish—I really like this dish—is cooking in the solar oven. I haven’t cooked this outside before so I’m unsure of the timing. At least an hour –that’s what I use inside—and a little more, I guess.
I’m also going to make some stock Today, I’ve decided. I’ve got too many vegetables in the crisper and I can’t make any soup without stock as I used the can of vegetable broth on the lentils. Still, one week until payday. But I have more than enough in the pantry to feed me if I do it right.
Stock: in an still simmering for ½ hour.
Lentils: after one hour, looking like the final product; needs about another ½ hour or so.
July 28, __ Decided I should be making trips to Sprouts Farmers Market store more than Safeway for regular food shopping. This is because of Sprouts bulk foods, of course more than anything else. Anyway, on payday Friday or over the weekend ,I’m going to make a shopping run there and see how much that runs me. I’ve been saving all my grocery receipts for the past 3 months. Of course, I’ve also been buying most of my extra/future food stocks from that money, too. I got some rolled oats today for less than half the cost of Safeways 2-3 lbs. containers. I just put the news ones in the old container though.
Continued with solar cooking today: Lentils & Rice dish—I really like this dish—is cooking in the solar oven. I haven’t cooked this outside before so I’m unsure of the timing. At least an hour –that’s what I use inside—and a little more, I guess.
I’m also going to make some stock Today, I’ve decided. I’ve got too many vegetables in the crisper and I can’t make any soup without stock as I used the can of vegetable broth on the lentils. Still, one week until payday. But I have more than enough in the pantry to feed me if I do it right.
Stock: in an still simmering for ½ hour.
Lentils: after one hour, looking like the final product; needs about another ½ hour or so.
July 28, __ Decided I should be making trips to Sprouts Farmers Market store more than Safeway for regular food shopping. This is because of Sprouts bulk foods, of course more than anything else. Anyway, on payday Friday or over the weekend ,I’m going to make a shopping run there and see how much that runs me. I’ve been saving all my grocery receipts for the past 3 months. Of course, I’ve also been buying most of my extra/future food stocks from that money, too. I got some rolled oats today for less than half the cost of Safeways 2-3 lbs. containers. I just put the news ones in the old container though.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
July 21-23
July 21
Got cake for Mom’s BDay tomorrow and candles but we’ll only use 8 for each decade of her life-although she’s 87 and almost needs one more candle. . I wasn’t up for making a cake from scratch when I haven’t done it for so long—another time.
Cooked roast in crock pot; yes, the cats get some of it. It’s enough meat for a while and I’ll probably freeze part of it.
Got more small white beans and ½ doz eggs at Safeway when I was looking at readymade cakes and pricing something else. I’ve got two potatoes outside in the solar oven and also a recipe for Roman Honey Cakes—I’m not sure how that’s coming out but it’s interesting. Very patchy sun today.
July 23, 2008
DJones up this week—toay 11, 64?.00; barrel oil down to less than 125.00; gas here dropped from 4.05 to 3.99 for regular. Wacko, it’s so wacko!
Then again it’s July in Phoenix with sixty something dew points all this week.
Checked out the Fresh & Easy store a couple of miles away. Smaller store but good prices for what I’d buy small selection than Safeway but good variety and better prices
Cheers, shamba.
Got cake for Mom’s BDay tomorrow and candles but we’ll only use 8 for each decade of her life-although she’s 87 and almost needs one more candle. . I wasn’t up for making a cake from scratch when I haven’t done it for so long—another time.
Cooked roast in crock pot; yes, the cats get some of it. It’s enough meat for a while and I’ll probably freeze part of it.
Got more small white beans and ½ doz eggs at Safeway when I was looking at readymade cakes and pricing something else. I’ve got two potatoes outside in the solar oven and also a recipe for Roman Honey Cakes—I’m not sure how that’s coming out but it’s interesting. Very patchy sun today.
July 23, 2008
DJones up this week—toay 11, 64?.00; barrel oil down to less than 125.00; gas here dropped from 4.05 to 3.99 for regular. Wacko, it’s so wacko!
Then again it’s July in Phoenix with sixty something dew points all this week.
Checked out the Fresh & Easy store a couple of miles away. Smaller store but good prices for what I’d buy small selection than Safeway but good variety and better prices
Cheers, shamba.
Friday, July 18, 2008
July 18th Another solar cooking and food day and steamy outside
another low is coming from he Pacific so the dew point is high today.
Put pearled barley, just covered with water in a pot in the solar oven. Two hours later, and with the reflectors on because of some thin cloud cover, it's hot and steaming and smells rather good.
the reflectors really ramped up the temperature in the oven, too. 350 or so Fahrenheit. I hadn't really tried the reflectors before today. If the sun isn't strong enough to cook, I can always turn the electric low power on and that will do the cooking. I did this one day to finish up whatever I had cooking in there--potatoes I think.
Anyway, I checked out the Sprouts that's moved near me in the past 6 months. I got some Red winter Wheatberries, I'm curious about what you do with those. I also picked up some grits and some ground coriander in the bulk foods and spices area. They didn't actually have many beans but many different cereals and mixes for baking and cereals or snack--like granolas.
Priced the produce and meat which was quite reasonable. It's a little further to go for food than Safeway but it's a good additional store/option to shop I think.
My copy of the Joy of Cooking and my Ayurveda cookbook have gotten workouts the past few months with this cooking/food storage thing I'm into. And what surprises me is that I like doing it all.
cheers,
shamba
Put pearled barley, just covered with water in a pot in the solar oven. Two hours later, and with the reflectors on because of some thin cloud cover, it's hot and steaming and smells rather good.
the reflectors really ramped up the temperature in the oven, too. 350 or so Fahrenheit. I hadn't really tried the reflectors before today. If the sun isn't strong enough to cook, I can always turn the electric low power on and that will do the cooking. I did this one day to finish up whatever I had cooking in there--potatoes I think.
Anyway, I checked out the Sprouts that's moved near me in the past 6 months. I got some Red winter Wheatberries, I'm curious about what you do with those. I also picked up some grits and some ground coriander in the bulk foods and spices area. They didn't actually have many beans but many different cereals and mixes for baking and cereals or snack--like granolas.
Priced the produce and meat which was quite reasonable. It's a little further to go for food than Safeway but it's a good additional store/option to shop I think.
My copy of the Joy of Cooking and my Ayurveda cookbook have gotten workouts the past few months with this cooking/food storage thing I'm into. And what surprises me is that I like doing it all.
cheers,
shamba
July 12-15-17
High dew point today and tomorrow due to system coming from Mexico which gave us our nice rain two nights ago.
Cooked with solar oven today; rice, vegetable—broccoli, celery, carrots, scallions; and corn bread. I have to be careful not to fix too much food at once. I now have enough rice really for 4 people although I will certainly use it for the next day or so.
Need to add to stores because I’m down to one container of these: granulated sugar, coffee, cornmeal, need yeast for bread making, and fresh milk.
I adapted a baked bean recipe to suit my own tastes; it was far too salty the way it was written. I like it much sweeter than that. So, anyway I wrote down what I did for the next time I make these and they came out pretty good!
July 15-17
Well, as of Thusday’s close DJ was up to 11, 466.66; And oil was down to 129.29; yesterday it was 134.60. and why? I have no clue! It’s only for a while anyway, however long it lasts. May be this is the beginning of the big rush up in the stock market before the big crash down sometime this fall? At least some think so but the fundamental issues have not changed at all—banking crisis, energy crisis, housing thing, debt and war.
Come to think of it, hasn’t human civilization always had these to some degree all the time? Somewhere in some human civilization even if not in the USA.
Anyway, picked up some basmati rice at fry’s. I wasn’t looking for food but I decided to go to an ATM there and check a balance and then I checked out some of the food and prices. Better selection of rices for a little less than Safeway near me; also, more of certain beans but not as much of a selection as my Safeway. Got some basmati rice anyway and some yeast. Yeast will be for pizza dough lesson next week.
Went to MAC’s farewell party from state library and came home and put rice and chopped veggies out in oven on patio. I’ll heat up the last of the baked beans and have that for dinner. J
End of entry today!
shamba
Cooked with solar oven today; rice, vegetable—broccoli, celery, carrots, scallions; and corn bread. I have to be careful not to fix too much food at once. I now have enough rice really for 4 people although I will certainly use it for the next day or so.
Need to add to stores because I’m down to one container of these: granulated sugar, coffee, cornmeal, need yeast for bread making, and fresh milk.
I adapted a baked bean recipe to suit my own tastes; it was far too salty the way it was written. I like it much sweeter than that. So, anyway I wrote down what I did for the next time I make these and they came out pretty good!
July 15-17
Well, as of Thusday’s close DJ was up to 11, 466.66; And oil was down to 129.29; yesterday it was 134.60. and why? I have no clue! It’s only for a while anyway, however long it lasts. May be this is the beginning of the big rush up in the stock market before the big crash down sometime this fall? At least some think so but the fundamental issues have not changed at all—banking crisis, energy crisis, housing thing, debt and war.
Come to think of it, hasn’t human civilization always had these to some degree all the time? Somewhere in some human civilization even if not in the USA.
Anyway, picked up some basmati rice at fry’s. I wasn’t looking for food but I decided to go to an ATM there and check a balance and then I checked out some of the food and prices. Better selection of rices for a little less than Safeway near me; also, more of certain beans but not as much of a selection as my Safeway. Got some basmati rice anyway and some yeast. Yeast will be for pizza dough lesson next week.
Went to MAC’s farewell party from state library and came home and put rice and chopped veggies out in oven on patio. I’ll heat up the last of the baked beans and have that for dinner. J
End of entry today!
shamba
Friday, July 11, 2008
Monsoon! .... and some updates ..some good some not ...
Wonderful Monsoon storm last night--actually it was more like 2-4 storms rolling through our area. It soaked the whole Valley quite well. We'll have very cloudy days and good possibilities of more storms--i say bring it on! Not too fast and too much at one time since it might flood the patio if that happens; but more storms I'm for!
guess I won't be using solar oven by itself the next few days but I can use the electrical backup; it still uses less energy and makes less heat that the inside oven. I love this thing!
And B. referred me to a parttime job at her law firm ... I've called about it. I have mixed feelings about working again at this time; I've got two more projects I'd really like to have done before I turn attention to job stuff again.
Mary Alice is moving to NJ in the next week. I'll miss her but I know she wants to go back to her NJ.
Other news from the past few days:
7-2- 143.67 oil
7-3-08 Opened at 144.40; closed at 145.29 markets closed early today
7-4-08
New recipe: Sarah thought I should be able to cook a frittata in my solar oven after she saw it on Saturday. She’s intrigued with the whole idea of solar ovens. So. I cooked a Frittata – used a recipe I’d had.. 2 eggs, leftover frozen vegetables, olive oil, salt & p. Put in one of the larger solar oven pans about 11:00 we’ll see how this works out since I’m not cooking it like an omelet in the first stages like you’re supposed to.
Managed stores for the week: Cleaned out all the old cleaning stuff and supplies underneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks—had too many old toothbrushes! Need more vinegar and bleach and some ammonia …
Went Linens Plus on way to Trader Joe’s and they had a lot of stuff on clearance. Treated myself to stainless steel measuring cups and a one cup measure all by itself. I have used up more 1 cup measures over the years and always have the other cup measures left.
July 10th
Food stores: Added some rice and more lentils; will need in a week or two, more coffee and oats.
Got some more backup dry food for the cats, too this week.
New food cooked in solar oven: Roasted ears of corn in the solar oven.
7-11-08 News on financial and economic is pretty dismal.
--DJ is just above 11000 this morning;
--Oil has gone up back over 145.00, was down in the mid 130s for several days;
--Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are totally insolvent and about to be taken over by the Federal government—this has been Mainstream for at least the past 2-3 days.
Our gas hasn’t gone up for about 2-3 weeks; as a matter of fact the one expensive station went down 4 cents the other day.
Are we in for it now or what????? Oh yeah, some reports of Israeli’s in Iraq preparing to give it to Iran’s’ nuclear facilities.
cheers, shamba
guess I won't be using solar oven by itself the next few days but I can use the electrical backup; it still uses less energy and makes less heat that the inside oven. I love this thing!
And B. referred me to a parttime job at her law firm ... I've called about it. I have mixed feelings about working again at this time; I've got two more projects I'd really like to have done before I turn attention to job stuff again.
Mary Alice is moving to NJ in the next week. I'll miss her but I know she wants to go back to her NJ.
Other news from the past few days:
7-2- 143.67 oil
7-3-08 Opened at 144.40; closed at 145.29 markets closed early today
7-4-08
New recipe: Sarah thought I should be able to cook a frittata in my solar oven after she saw it on Saturday. She’s intrigued with the whole idea of solar ovens. So. I cooked a Frittata – used a recipe I’d had.. 2 eggs, leftover frozen vegetables, olive oil, salt & p. Put in one of the larger solar oven pans about 11:00 we’ll see how this works out since I’m not cooking it like an omelet in the first stages like you’re supposed to.
Managed stores for the week: Cleaned out all the old cleaning stuff and supplies underneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks—had too many old toothbrushes! Need more vinegar and bleach and some ammonia …
Went Linens Plus on way to Trader Joe’s and they had a lot of stuff on clearance. Treated myself to stainless steel measuring cups and a one cup measure all by itself. I have used up more 1 cup measures over the years and always have the other cup measures left.
July 10th
Food stores: Added some rice and more lentils; will need in a week or two, more coffee and oats.
Got some more backup dry food for the cats, too this week.
New food cooked in solar oven: Roasted ears of corn in the solar oven.
7-11-08 News on financial and economic is pretty dismal.
--DJ is just above 11000 this morning;
--Oil has gone up back over 145.00, was down in the mid 130s for several days;
--Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are totally insolvent and about to be taken over by the Federal government—this has been Mainstream for at least the past 2-3 days.
Our gas hasn’t gone up for about 2-3 weeks; as a matter of fact the one expensive station went down 4 cents the other day.
Are we in for it now or what????? Oh yeah, some reports of Israeli’s in Iraq preparing to give it to Iran’s’ nuclear facilities.
cheers, shamba
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
June 24th
Went to buy vanilla, some eggs—to do some baking I thought but then I found numerous items at the Safeway for “buy one get one free” –fresh strawberries, some canned fruit, herbal teas—which I use all year round for just drinking general purposes, cold or hot, stewed tomatoes ( which I love).
I have used teas and made by own teas for medicinal purpose—I took a few classes on that years ago and still have the recipes. But then I’d have to have the right ingredients to make them. Often the general public herbal teas in grocery stores serve simple “medicinal” needs.
Then, I was horrified by some break loaves being 4.59 apiece! Eek! It was bread I like but I didn’t need any loaves of bread so I passed on that. Not all their bread was that high it was something I buy sometimes. My energy bars at the Safeway bakery I love have gone from 50 apiece to 59 cents apiece in the past 4-5 months—I could probably learn to bake those. Also, I was low on whole oats—all they had on the shelves today was quick oats but that could be just today. This was Quaker oats and Safeway brand both that were low. I bought the higher price because I didn’t want Quick oats anyway. Also, got box of cornmeal, corn starch, but forgot the vanilla. Also, got some more butter and olive oil and black tea.
Every time I go to the store, I find these 10 cans for $10.00 or other things like it and I buy 10 things or sometimes only 5 things because I know it can be used and it or similar things will cost more and more in just a few weeks, I know it will.
I was looking at bulk foods online yesterday just to avoid driving to a couple of places in Phoenix that I know of in the heat.
Weather Note: Our record according to last night’s weather news on NBC local was 18 straight days in 1974 of 110 plus temps. Last year we had 30 or so days but not in a row, that was a record, too. As of today we’re running 12 or so days.
Where am I going to put all these cans??? My "canned cupboard" is pretty full.
Cheers,
I have used teas and made by own teas for medicinal purpose—I took a few classes on that years ago and still have the recipes. But then I’d have to have the right ingredients to make them. Often the general public herbal teas in grocery stores serve simple “medicinal” needs.
Then, I was horrified by some break loaves being 4.59 apiece! Eek! It was bread I like but I didn’t need any loaves of bread so I passed on that. Not all their bread was that high it was something I buy sometimes. My energy bars at the Safeway bakery I love have gone from 50 apiece to 59 cents apiece in the past 4-5 months—I could probably learn to bake those. Also, I was low on whole oats—all they had on the shelves today was quick oats but that could be just today. This was Quaker oats and Safeway brand both that were low. I bought the higher price because I didn’t want Quick oats anyway. Also, got box of cornmeal, corn starch, but forgot the vanilla. Also, got some more butter and olive oil and black tea.
Every time I go to the store, I find these 10 cans for $10.00 or other things like it and I buy 10 things or sometimes only 5 things because I know it can be used and it or similar things will cost more and more in just a few weeks, I know it will.
I was looking at bulk foods online yesterday just to avoid driving to a couple of places in Phoenix that I know of in the heat.
Weather Note: Our record according to last night’s weather news on NBC local was 18 straight days in 1974 of 110 plus temps. Last year we had 30 or so days but not in a row, that was a record, too. As of today we’re running 12 or so days.
Where am I going to put all these cans??? My "canned cupboard" is pretty full.
Cheers,
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