Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
Last week, we went 24 hours without power. I know that in many places in the country/world, you are old hands at losing power. But here in So. Cal, it doesn’t happen very often. Here is my short, sad story. We have a dual powered generator with gas and propane. We couldn’t get it started! The starter didn’t work. The pull rope didn’t work. That was out.
Next we got out our portable solar panels and spent 2 hours figuring out how to connect them to the batteries and sine converter. We couldn’t get them to work either. That was out. We got out the kerosene lanterns (at least 8 of them), but the kerosene was bad and wouldn’t burn. Plus, I learned you are not supposed to burn kerosene OR propane in the house.
I wasn’t worried about cooking because we have a gas stove. But my kitchen and house were VERY dark!!!
Luckily, power was restored after 24 hours, and we didn’t lose too much food.
Hopefully we learned our lesson, and we can get things together before the next outage.
And I bought 2 gallons of paraffin lamp oil for the lanterns.
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
**I learned this week about seed libraries. You can check out seeds for free, grow them in your garden, and then return double the seeds you took out back to the library. You can find the nearest seed library to you at Map – Seed Libraries.
We have one in Murrieta at the Murrieta Public Library on the corner of Adams and Jefferson.
I plan to start my tomatoes indoors the first of February. In addition, I’ve decided to go ahead and start the cabbage and cauliflower indoors the middle of January. They are cold weather plants, so they can go outside about the middle of January. They can “withstand” a frost. Especially here in Zone 9, our frosts are never severe. Other cold weather plants include peas, carrots, and peas. You can find a comprehensive list of cold weather crops online.
** When do you start seeds indoors? Check out this site. Just put in your zip code. Seed-Starting Date Calculator | When to Start Seeds Indoors
**Here is some great information about planting tomatoes:
Boosting Tomato Growth: Helpful Additions for Your Planting Hole Giving your tomato plants a good start is key to a successful harvest. While healthy soil and proper care are fundamental, certain additions to the planting hole can provide extra nutrients and support. This post explores several helpful amendments you can consider when planting tomatoes. It’s important to remember that these are supplementary and don’t replace the need for good overall soil health and consistent care.
Here are some things you can add to your tomato planting holes:
1. Compost: Compost improves soil structure, drainage, and provides a slow release of essential nutrients. Add a generous handful to the bottom of the hole and mix it with the existing soil.
2. Well-Rotted Manure: Similar to compost, well-rotted manure enriches the soil. Ensure it’s fully composted to avoid burning the plant’s roots.
3. Bone Meal: Bone meal provides phosphorus, which promotes strong root development and flowering. Mix a couple of tablespoons into the bottom of the planting hole.
4. Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate): Epsom salts provide magnesium, which aids in chlorophyll production and nutrient uptake. However, only use Epsom salts if a soil test indicates a magnesium deficiency. Add a tablespoon to the hole and mix it in.
5. Mycorrhizal Fungi: These beneficial fungi form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, improving nutrient and water uptake. Sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi granules into the planting hole when planting. You can find this in regular fertilizer if you check the labels.
6. calcium – This helps prevent root rot. I just put 2 Tums in the bottom of each hole. Tums are pure calcium.
LONG TERM STORAGE: We are storing oats this month. This week, buy 2-3 more containers of oats, date them, and put them in the closet.
SHORT TERM STORAGE: syrup
What do you like to eat on your pancakes? That’s what you want to store. ( You CAN store butter. It’s expensive, but do-able. It’s about $30 for 2 tuna-size cans of butter). In the past, I have canned my own butter. It’s still good 10 years later, but butter is so expensive now! We might have to eat our pancakes without it.
72 HOUR KIT: Sillcock Key
I have one of these in every 72-hour. Why do you need one? Check out this video:
You can get one here: QYQRQF 4-Way Sillcock Water Shut Off Key, 1 Pack, 40 Cr Steel – Amazon.com
In this video, he walks down the street counting how many water spigots he can find in a city block:
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
Recipes today come from “Cookin’ With Home Storage” by Peggy Layton
Chow Wagon Beef Stew – completely made with dehydrated foods
- 1 c. TVP, or beef flavored gluten, or hamburger
Bring water to a boil in a large kettle. Add the vegetables, bouillon, flour, and pepper. Cook on medium until the vegetables are tender and stew is smooth and thick. Add the meat or gluten the last 10 minutes of cooking time. The hamburger needs to be browned and crumbled.
Ranch Hand Macaroni and Cheese
- 4 c. elbow macaroni – cook until tender. Drain
- 1 1/2 c. dehydrated cheese
Combine powdered cheese, milk, onion, salt, pepper, cornstarch and water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it boils and is smooth. Stir constantly. Boil 1 minute, Pour sauce over macaroni and serve.
Variation:
1. Add 1/2 lb. browned ground beef and 1/2 c. taco salsa
2. Add 1 can peas and carrots, drained and 1 can tuna.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Log Roll
Combine oats and peanut butter. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Using hands, mix well, separate into 4 parts. Roll into the shape of a log. Slice into 1/2″ pieces.
Marti Shelley
