Mostly I was without my own house since it was 4 days worth of work to rip out old carpeting, clean it up for new flooring and putting in the new tile laminate. The results look really great and I’m very pleased with the way it all looks! Hooray!
I wasn’t able to stay in my own house for 4 nights but I was at a small hotel about 1.5 miles away.
I met the workmen every morning at the house because I had to check on and feed the cats anyway—cats were outside these 4 days. Also came back at night to do the same routine with the cats. They survived that few days of noise and uproar and are doing okay.
Everything was moved out of the house into a storage unit or put in the small storage shed I have. I put my pantry foods that wouldn’t fit in cabinets, into the storage shed shelves. It would make a great pantry for half the year if I didn’t have enough other things in there already. It just wouldn’t work very well in the hot weather though.
The upside of the hotel was a full breakfast was available every day with the room (it was a comfortable quiet room), I had access to 24 hours cable and there were high-speed computers available in the lobby for any guest to use. For the news junkie in me the cable and computers were a treat although the news the last couple of weeks seems to worsen exponentially every few hours.
The downside was I had no kitchen. I had a microwave and lots of decent restaurants around and fridge in the room (which I didn’t use) but after being used to doing my own cooking I felt really lost without my stove or pots or other sources for cooking. Solar ovens wouldn’t have worked at the hotel setup.
Goodness, you could go broke just buying meals or prepared food to microwave ! And I could buy fruit and keep it in my room but I didn’t get enough greens in the past week I know.
When I could get into the kitchen, I could get things out of the fridge and take them with me to eat later but it was really inconvenient not just having my kitchen and food things ready for use when I wanted.And another week of eating without my kitchen and I’d begin to feel like an overstuffed blimp.
I got the tv and the computer up and running Friday afternoon. I didn't expect it to go that smoothly but it did. Also, I packed my 2010 tax info in a box and couldn’t find it for 3 days—but I found it last night when I unpacked3 boxes at home. Eek!
Glad to be back at home and have my nice new floors!
Peace, shamba
Showing posts with label food supplies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food supplies. Show all posts
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Melting, melting, melting ... a glowing puddle of radiative goo ?
Now, many think the fuel rods are melting in the 3 problem reactors in Fukushima 1 power plant in northern Japan.
And the Nikkei index has melted some because of the earthquake, tsunami and now probably radiation leaks even before the rods have melted through their containers. The Bank of Japan has been injecting money this trading Tuesday in Japan. Jpan is about 14 hours ahead of Phoenix time.
Of course, there is a great gap in my last entry and this one. Mostly, I'm referring to the giant 9.0 earthquake on the eastern side of Honshu island in Japan.
About every 12 hours, since last Friday, march 11, there's been some new announcement about nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors at one particular power plant. There have been explosions in the buildings the containers are in but so far no containers have been breached.
My net sites are beginning to talk about people and businesses packing up and leaving Tokyo as the radiation levels there are going up
My usual financial/geopolitical blogs are sure that the Japnaese authorities have been downplaying everything from the start. Zerohedge.com has been calling the event there right so far the past few days. Then about 10-12 hours after they post their conclusion, NBC evening news has it on, too!
Of all the things to be prepared for, anything nuclear or radiation is the one that frightens me the most. Of course, we don't know that it will reach here but the effects of this worldwide on food, business, tourism and just about anything else is totally wrecked if it doesn't stabilize completely pretty soon.
no peace tonight ya'll, shamba
And the Nikkei index has melted some because of the earthquake, tsunami and now probably radiation leaks even before the rods have melted through their containers. The Bank of Japan has been injecting money this trading Tuesday in Japan. Jpan is about 14 hours ahead of Phoenix time.
Of course, there is a great gap in my last entry and this one. Mostly, I'm referring to the giant 9.0 earthquake on the eastern side of Honshu island in Japan.
About every 12 hours, since last Friday, march 11, there's been some new announcement about nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors at one particular power plant. There have been explosions in the buildings the containers are in but so far no containers have been breached.
My net sites are beginning to talk about people and businesses packing up and leaving Tokyo as the radiation levels there are going up
My usual financial/geopolitical blogs are sure that the Japnaese authorities have been downplaying everything from the start. Zerohedge.com has been calling the event there right so far the past few days. Then about 10-12 hours after they post their conclusion, NBC evening news has it on, too!
Of all the things to be prepared for, anything nuclear or radiation is the one that frightens me the most. Of course, we don't know that it will reach here but the effects of this worldwide on food, business, tourism and just about anything else is totally wrecked if it doesn't stabilize completely pretty soon.
no peace tonight ya'll, shamba
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I wonder these things ....
I wonder … but I don’t expect anyone to really have the answers, I just wonder these things from time to time and they’ve been piling up in my head so here they are.
I wonder when or if we’ll start hearing the “D”epression word instead of the “R”ecession word or the “G”reater “R”ecession words …?
I wonder when we’ll have to watch all the local gas stations for which ones have gas to buy rather than watching which one has the best prices …
When will car dealerships, or any auto repair place, not have regular deliveries of the parts and stuff they need to repair cars?
Will they just say, “Come back tomorrow or a few days, we might/may have it then?”
I wonder when nail polish and nail polish remover won’t be so easily available …. I like polish and use it but I don’t have a clue what it’s made of, but something in it must be related to petroleum …
What about the elements of hair coloring and highlights that I get done by a good friend who has a local business …
When will there be fewer ball point pens—surely, their plastic and ink related to petroleum?
Will there ever be fewer kinds of cell phones to choose from?
Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes of Mega Pixels? When will we see fewer of those available in stores?
And how long will film keep existing and will they stop developing/processing it? There are still people using film out there and I’m one of them although I have a small digital camera as well.
What about flatscreens used for tvs and computer display screens?
When do all the elements that go into electronics start becoming scarcer? Recycling of electronic parts, that’ll be a bigger business than it is now . ..
Will the city of Phoenix ever tell residents they’ll HAVE to conserve water?
Not just “encouraging” conservation but really having to learn to handle water differently to conserve it …
When or will local governments in the USA encourage residents to use rain water and rain barrels to help provide water for themselves? This assumes that governments/utilities will still have a part in delivering water to communities … .
How long will professional sports teams keep traveling around the US when there’s a crunch on gasoline/jet fuel? (I’m thinking of the US here but other countries have the professional sports, too.)
Will the PGA, WPGA, NFL, NHL and NBA (I’m probably leaving some sport league out of this that I don’t know about) just have smaller geographic groupings of competing teams? Maybe individual sport franchises in certain cities will just fold and not exist?
University and college sports teams and their various tiers of competition? Will they just wither away over time?
Will all kinds of tv get less over time, whether it’s cable/satellite/broadcast? Time and energy will be too expensive or available for these to exist the way they do now? Just paid tv/internet for those who can afford it?
Will grocery stores or farmer's markets have signs in places where certain foods used to be like "Bananas/Certain meats sold out and no more expected for a month or so." Or "No more Pomegranates/Apples/Pears/Almonds/Walnuts, etc. until next year." Meaning, next year's harvest, our allotment of seasonal food is gone for the year.
it's hard to push thoughts like these away anymore in the last couple of years, on this blustery, squally day with bursts of moderate rains. Another storm!
Shamba
I wonder when or if we’ll start hearing the “D”epression word instead of the “R”ecession word or the “G”reater “R”ecession words …?
I wonder when we’ll have to watch all the local gas stations for which ones have gas to buy rather than watching which one has the best prices …
When will car dealerships, or any auto repair place, not have regular deliveries of the parts and stuff they need to repair cars?
Will they just say, “Come back tomorrow or a few days, we might/may have it then?”
I wonder when nail polish and nail polish remover won’t be so easily available …. I like polish and use it but I don’t have a clue what it’s made of, but something in it must be related to petroleum …
What about the elements of hair coloring and highlights that I get done by a good friend who has a local business …
When will there be fewer ball point pens—surely, their plastic and ink related to petroleum?
Will there ever be fewer kinds of cell phones to choose from?
Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes of Mega Pixels? When will we see fewer of those available in stores?
And how long will film keep existing and will they stop developing/processing it? There are still people using film out there and I’m one of them although I have a small digital camera as well.
What about flatscreens used for tvs and computer display screens?
When do all the elements that go into electronics start becoming scarcer? Recycling of electronic parts, that’ll be a bigger business than it is now . ..
Will the city of Phoenix ever tell residents they’ll HAVE to conserve water?
Not just “encouraging” conservation but really having to learn to handle water differently to conserve it …
When or will local governments in the USA encourage residents to use rain water and rain barrels to help provide water for themselves? This assumes that governments/utilities will still have a part in delivering water to communities … .
How long will professional sports teams keep traveling around the US when there’s a crunch on gasoline/jet fuel? (I’m thinking of the US here but other countries have the professional sports, too.)
Will the PGA, WPGA, NFL, NHL and NBA (I’m probably leaving some sport league out of this that I don’t know about) just have smaller geographic groupings of competing teams? Maybe individual sport franchises in certain cities will just fold and not exist?
University and college sports teams and their various tiers of competition? Will they just wither away over time?
Will all kinds of tv get less over time, whether it’s cable/satellite/broadcast? Time and energy will be too expensive or available for these to exist the way they do now? Just paid tv/internet for those who can afford it?
Will grocery stores or farmer's markets have signs in places where certain foods used to be like "Bananas/Certain meats sold out and no more expected for a month or so." Or "No more Pomegranates/Apples/Pears/Almonds/Walnuts, etc. until next year." Meaning, next year's harvest, our allotment of seasonal food is gone for the year.
it's hard to push thoughts like these away anymore in the last couple of years, on this blustery, squally day with bursts of moderate rains. Another storm!
Shamba
Monday, February 22, 2010
Current Food Sources
Boy, was I ambitious yesterday! (Saturday Feb 20 actually)
Tried cooked wheatberries (white winter wheat from CSA, not the hard red winter wheatberries I’ve bought before) with some milk and brown sugar for breakfast. It was okay. Even the overnight soaked wheatberries were still very chewy. I didn’t mind that so much but I thought they’d be a little softer. I think this would be better cooked in milk rather than just adding the milk to it after it’s been cooked in water.
I’ve had a terrible craving for something sweet like pumpkin pie all week. The pumpkin pie taste simply wouldn’t leave me alone so I made one yesterday. I had the pumpkin puree, added spices, egg and the condensed milk and used a pie shell I had in the freezer but it wasn’t homemade shell. I was so hungry for the pie I ate a 4th of it! But it satisfied my craving for that flavor finally.
Al, I made red lentil soup for the first time. It was okay but I’d want to use more veggie or chicken flavored broth with it next time. I had a recipe that used cumin, salt and pepper and some lemon juice and some olive oil on top at serving in the bowl. I think this might be a “learned flavor” for me.
And some chicken with veggies and leftover wheatberries is the last thing I cooked. The chicken was all thawed and needed to be cooked.
That leaves a lotta dishes to be washed one way or the other loaded in the dishwasher or the sink …
And notes about current Food Sources
1. CSA vegetables. These are more greens that I thought but I want to do a whole year’s worth of subscriptions to see what they grow all year around. I wish we could get a few citrus each week. I’d imagine we’d get summer squashes later on and I hope some sweet peppers and tomatoes.
2. Sprouts. This is where I get dry bulk things: flour, sea sale, cornmeal, farina, oats, sugar, rices, legumes, dried fruits, cereals to cook. I also can buy bulk spices here. Sometimes I buy some applesauce I particularly like here as well as canned pumpkin and sweet potato. I like these canned products rather than the similar ones at the grocery stores. They also have the usual food store supply of produce, meat, dairy etc. I also buy those things at this store.
3. Safeway and Bashas’ are closest grocery stores. I still buy peanut butter ( a LOT for the collapse is needed you know ;)) jams, maybe meat and dairy, fruit, maybe some veggies I don’t get in the CSA but I’m trying not to do that as long as I have the CSA membership. So far, it’s working for the veg.
4. Farmer’s Market weekly about 2 miles from here. This might be a more economical place to get fresh produce than the CSA pickup but I like the variety and figuring out how to prepare and eat the CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
Tried cooked wheatberries (white winter wheat from CSA, not the hard red winter wheatberries I’ve bought before) with some milk and brown sugar for breakfast. It was okay. Even the overnight soaked wheatberries were still very chewy. I didn’t mind that so much but I thought they’d be a little softer. I think this would be better cooked in milk rather than just adding the milk to it after it’s been cooked in water.
I’ve had a terrible craving for something sweet like pumpkin pie all week. The pumpkin pie taste simply wouldn’t leave me alone so I made one yesterday. I had the pumpkin puree, added spices, egg and the condensed milk and used a pie shell I had in the freezer but it wasn’t homemade shell. I was so hungry for the pie I ate a 4th of it! But it satisfied my craving for that flavor finally.
Al, I made red lentil soup for the first time. It was okay but I’d want to use more veggie or chicken flavored broth with it next time. I had a recipe that used cumin, salt and pepper and some lemon juice and some olive oil on top at serving in the bowl. I think this might be a “learned flavor” for me.
And some chicken with veggies and leftover wheatberries is the last thing I cooked. The chicken was all thawed and needed to be cooked.
That leaves a lotta dishes to be washed one way or the other loaded in the dishwasher or the sink …
And notes about current Food Sources
1. CSA vegetables. These are more greens that I thought but I want to do a whole year’s worth of subscriptions to see what they grow all year around. I wish we could get a few citrus each week. I’d imagine we’d get summer squashes later on and I hope some sweet peppers and tomatoes.
2. Sprouts. This is where I get dry bulk things: flour, sea sale, cornmeal, farina, oats, sugar, rices, legumes, dried fruits, cereals to cook. I also can buy bulk spices here. Sometimes I buy some applesauce I particularly like here as well as canned pumpkin and sweet potato. I like these canned products rather than the similar ones at the grocery stores. They also have the usual food store supply of produce, meat, dairy etc. I also buy those things at this store.
3. Safeway and Bashas’ are closest grocery stores. I still buy peanut butter ( a LOT for the collapse is needed you know ;)) jams, maybe meat and dairy, fruit, maybe some veggies I don’t get in the CSA but I’m trying not to do that as long as I have the CSA membership. So far, it’s working for the veg.
4. Farmer’s Market weekly about 2 miles from here. This might be a more economical place to get fresh produce than the CSA pickup but I like the variety and figuring out how to prepare and eat the CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 15
My 20 day Challenge Report:
Challenge this week or the past 10 days or so:
1. Used bones, some meat, celery seed, salt, pepper in making chicken broth from leftover chicken. I haven’t done that for a long time. There wasn’t really much meat as the final leftovers were given to the cats.
2. Used up the last of the lentils/rice/diced tomato dish with some chicken broth from item 1 above for dinner that night.
3. Had some leftover strawberries with oatmeal the next morning.
4. Bell peppers are going into the dehydrator today or tomorrow.
5. I failed completely at using up the mustard greens I had got at the store! I thought it’d be interesting to try they but maybe another time.
6. Had lunch out with some friends and used the leftovers from that meal the next meal.
7. Broken down and ordered pizza DELIVERED twice in the past two weeks. How many points off is that?but they tasted good! :) and they are leftovers for at least one day probably two.
My sundried tomatoes came out quite well. I'll do more next time.
peace, shamba
Challenge this week or the past 10 days or so:
1. Used bones, some meat, celery seed, salt, pepper in making chicken broth from leftover chicken. I haven’t done that for a long time. There wasn’t really much meat as the final leftovers were given to the cats.
2. Used up the last of the lentils/rice/diced tomato dish with some chicken broth from item 1 above for dinner that night.
3. Had some leftover strawberries with oatmeal the next morning.
4. Bell peppers are going into the dehydrator today or tomorrow.
5. I failed completely at using up the mustard greens I had got at the store! I thought it’d be interesting to try they but maybe another time.
6. Had lunch out with some friends and used the leftovers from that meal the next meal.
7. Broken down and ordered pizza DELIVERED twice in the past two weeks. How many points off is that?but they tasted good! :) and they are leftovers for at least one day probably two.
My sundried tomatoes came out quite well. I'll do more next time.
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, June 18, 2008
Jume 17th
Hearing about corn rationing—just more high prices and hunger to come in this world and probably here in the US. Thought I read somewhere about the US Red Cross disaster fund being exhausted. It wouldn’t surprise me the amount of disasters we’ve had in the past year or so but another “shortage” another empty cupboard. We’re—as a nation and world—are running out of cupboards that have anything in them—food stores, emergency money, money to pay mortages, money to pay debts or all kinds … sheesh!
The guys also came to put in the new gate. Certainly that looks much better and is easier to open and close than the old one—the old one was probably 30 plus years old, too.
And my solar oven came today! I unpacked it and everything inside it, looked it all over and read the instructional CD. Also, copied the instruction manual and recipes to hard disk.
Then I took it outside after cleaning it up a big, washing out two of the pots and now have just some rice and some green vegetables cooking. I started pretty late today so I hope the sun angle is adjusted right.
I’ll find out in about another 30 minutes.
Fun!
IT WORKED! I got pictures of the oven but forgot about pictures of the food! I had a little too much water in with the rice since I wanted to make sure I had enough—I do that with rice on the stovetop anyway. Threw it in a salad with the sun cooked celery—that was the easiest green veggie to throw in the oven tonight.. Cooked from abou 4:40-6:15 and I think it came out pretty well considering it’s my first attempt. Of course, I kept checking on it every 15 -30 min. It had to be realigned for the sun that time of day. I need to learn to put the pots in and leave it alone!
Cheers,
Shamba
The guys also came to put in the new gate. Certainly that looks much better and is easier to open and close than the old one—the old one was probably 30 plus years old, too.
And my solar oven came today! I unpacked it and everything inside it, looked it all over and read the instructional CD. Also, copied the instruction manual and recipes to hard disk.
Then I took it outside after cleaning it up a big, washing out two of the pots and now have just some rice and some green vegetables cooking. I started pretty late today so I hope the sun angle is adjusted right.
I’ll find out in about another 30 minutes.
Fun!
IT WORKED! I got pictures of the oven but forgot about pictures of the food! I had a little too much water in with the rice since I wanted to make sure I had enough—I do that with rice on the stovetop anyway. Threw it in a salad with the sun cooked celery—that was the easiest green veggie to throw in the oven tonight.. Cooked from abou 4:40-6:15 and I think it came out pretty well considering it’s my first attempt. Of course, I kept checking on it every 15 -30 min. It had to be realigned for the sun that time of day. I need to learn to put the pots in and leave it alone!
Cheers,
Shamba
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
June 17th
Hearing about corn rationing—just more high prices and hunger to come in this world and probably here in the US. Of course, we've always had hungry people in the US wealthiest nation or not, but it's just hard to think we in the US can't have overcome something like food distribution to everyojne in our country in the 21st century with modern technology and knowledge.
Guess we're just subject to nature and the physical laws of the world like all other creatures on the planet. we're especially subject to them, It seems, when we've fooled around with the natural processes of the planet too much.
Not too cheerful but there's a lot of not cheerful out there these days and with good reason, too.
Solar oven should come this week. new door isn't all in yet but the painting is done and the new gate may take until the end of the week. Patio is going to look better when all of this is done.
cheers, shamba
Guess we're just subject to nature and the physical laws of the world like all other creatures on the planet. we're especially subject to them, It seems, when we've fooled around with the natural processes of the planet too much.
Not too cheerful but there's a lot of not cheerful out there these days and with good reason, too.
Solar oven should come this week. new door isn't all in yet but the painting is done and the new gate may take until the end of the week. Patio is going to look better when all of this is done.
cheers, shamba
Junet 16th Monday
Oil Prices still in mid 130s—hasn’t passed 140 yet. Gas prices here have been about the same for a full 7 days.
Midwest Floods have just ruined a lot of Iowa and a chunk of Indiana. Soybean and corn crops particularly were hit with the flood in their fields. All those people didn’t have flood insurance either—is this is a tragedy beyond Katrina? In a way because of the agriculture affected. And we haven’t heard anything about the insurance claims or agents that are out in the area because of the floods. I’ll bet that will rival or surpass Katrina, too.
One blog today said that if oil prices were to double from what they are now that food prices would double as well.
The whole chain of being seems ready to come apart—oil prices, energy prices, gasoline prices, so hauling prices are more, food prices, all other kinds of goods are rising in price, service prices will go up, electricity generating prices go up, so utility bills go up. The Midwest floods will swell the communities below Iowa as the flood waters move down the Mississippi river. Will this cut off transportation because of freight lines and highways being under water?
On the Newes Hours on PBS on June 16th: 20 percent of the corn and soy crops in Iowa are a loss.
Re the impressive Tim Russert: He died of a sudden heart attack last Friday. His dr. said he had some heart disease and diabetes. He had a massive heart attack when placque broke loose in his arteries and clogged the blood flow to the heart. Maybe with a defilbrillator he could have been resuscitated maybe not—it was a sudden cardiac death. I don’t know if Mr. Russert knew how bad it was or was doing anything about it.
On the other hand, if the world is really doing to deteriorate and get really bad, how much do we want to stave off things like sudden cardiac death if there is no Medicare, health care or emergency services?
Shamba
Midwest Floods have just ruined a lot of Iowa and a chunk of Indiana. Soybean and corn crops particularly were hit with the flood in their fields. All those people didn’t have flood insurance either—is this is a tragedy beyond Katrina? In a way because of the agriculture affected. And we haven’t heard anything about the insurance claims or agents that are out in the area because of the floods. I’ll bet that will rival or surpass Katrina, too.
One blog today said that if oil prices were to double from what they are now that food prices would double as well.
The whole chain of being seems ready to come apart—oil prices, energy prices, gasoline prices, so hauling prices are more, food prices, all other kinds of goods are rising in price, service prices will go up, electricity generating prices go up, so utility bills go up. The Midwest floods will swell the communities below Iowa as the flood waters move down the Mississippi river. Will this cut off transportation because of freight lines and highways being under water?
On the Newes Hours on PBS on June 16th: 20 percent of the corn and soy crops in Iowa are a loss.
Re the impressive Tim Russert: He died of a sudden heart attack last Friday. His dr. said he had some heart disease and diabetes. He had a massive heart attack when placque broke loose in his arteries and clogged the blood flow to the heart. Maybe with a defilbrillator he could have been resuscitated maybe not—it was a sudden cardiac death. I don’t know if Mr. Russert knew how bad it was or was doing anything about it.
On the other hand, if the world is really doing to deteriorate and get really bad, how much do we want to stave off things like sudden cardiac death if there is no Medicare, health care or emergency services?
Shamba
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