Yoooo-hoooo!!! Anybody home?!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

Answers

Hey there, Polly! And everyone else :-)!

We've been entertaining company AGAIN this weekend. Harry's older sis is visiting from Maryland for a week. She'll be leaving this coming Thurs. and...the best part...she's taking my MIL with her for a few weeks!! Yeah! Harry will get a little break from "worrying" about her.

We went to a few yard sales yesterday and picked up a used (1999) fax/printer for 25 bucks. Not bad! And it works!! Had to get a new cartridge for it, but we've been having a fun time playing with it. I even printed off a couple of photos...in black and white, but they came out pretty good. Boy, aren't we getting technologically advanced here :-)! Unfortunately it's not the brand that will work with our msntv, but at least I can copy my quarterly govt. paperwork here at home...not at the bank!! And the fax will come in handy for Harry's garage business.

Garden is doing well here. My first planting of peas is done and gone, but I'll be planting more in a couple of weeks. Now we're getting baby zucchini and yellow squashes and cherry tomatoes. I have TONS of via Italia coming! The bush beans are almost ready and there are the cutest little baby eggplant growing. Pole beans are just starting to bloom with the most strikingly colored red blossoms. The hummingbirds love them!!

Made a couple of batches of strawberry jam today. Sure wish I had more strawberries, Polly!! Here at roadside stands they cost $2.00 a quart! Next will be blackberry jam, but at least those are free!!

In a couple of weeks I'll be butchering my meat birds. It never cease to amaze me how fast they grow! Turkeys are also growing well and we actually never lost a one!!! Spent part of the day today doing "chicken" chores. Shoveled out the coop, repaired part of the fence for the run, repaired the fence for the outside pen for the meat birds and got them all situated outside...finally, and repaired a couple of the bottoms in my nestboxes. I have one of those 12-box metal ones that we've had for over 20 yrs. We just keep replacing the bottoms and had to repair one of the perches once, but it's still pretty rugged. Heck, it's outlasted two chicken coops! I have an 8-box set up (pigeon nestboxes) hung up higher for my bantams.

Never even got out on our boat this weekend. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in a two-day weekend to get the necessary chores done and then relax! Wish someone would invent an 8-day week!! Haven't caught any lobsters lately...just lots of crabs. I've been freezing most of them. Around here, crabmeat is going for about $13.00/lb. Twice as expensive as lobster!! Anyone have any tried and tested recipes for (deep fried) crabcakes??? I made a killer crab casserole the other night...kinda like a lobster newburg. Made with lots of fresh goats butter and cream!!

That's about it for news here in Maine. Hope everyone else is doing well!!!!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

Horray, the first of the tomatoes are FINALLY turning red!!! We have been eating cukes for a few weeks, but the tomatoes have stayed green forever it seemed like. You would think with this incredibly hot weather they would have been ripe ages ago, but strangely, not.

Got cantalopes the size of softballs (now, we're not talking about boob size here Wildman, it's REAL cantalopes ;-)!!!) on the vines, they really are growing like crazy with the high heat and humidity, at least something appreciates the heat.

Our farm tractor, a Ford 4000 SU, 1972 model, is very, very sick, it needs the head reworked and valves and valve seats replaced, and all the cylinders rebored, ugh!!! We just rebuilt the motor last summer, why do tractors ALWAYS die in the middle of the summer when you desperately need them??? This time DH is putting a full set of real temp and pressure guages on the thing, not just the standard "idiot lights" it came with, the reason the motor failed is because the oil pump went out, and by the time the idiot light came on, it was too late, the damage had been done.

On a better note, and far more fun, next weekend we are taking a six day trip with my Harley riding cousin and her husband down the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Cherokee, NC and then over the mountain to Gatlinburg, TN. Hopefully, the weather will be dry (has been the last three weeks here, so it might decide to rain on us out of spite :-)) and we will get to enjoy the full beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains in all their glory.

It will be our first vacation in over two years, and the 25th is our 21st wedding anniversy, so we are looking forward to something different than the farm and trucking work.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

I'm replanting my "widdle bitty garden" with more greenbeans and tomatoes to replenish the ones that are exhausting. These maters will get wrapped to ripen in the closet probably.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

BTW...I do believe that today is Jim's birthday. Hopefully, I'm not wrong about this :-)! Does anyone ever hear from him...and if so...how is he doing? Anyways, if you're reading this, Jim, Happy Birthday!!! And, thanks for a great forum!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

Happy Anniversary, Annie and DH! And Happy Birthday to Jimbo; just in case he still checks in on us now and again!

Hot. Hot, hot, hot. Dang, but it's been hot! 95* today with 90% humidity and no, that doesn't mean rain, and a heat index of 115* and I ain't got one bit of trouble believing those numbers 'cause it surely did feel hot out there. 'Course, I wasn't smart enough to stay indoors in the AC. Oh no; I'm out there dinkin' around in the yard and garden just like it's nice outside! I think the heat has done fried what few brain cells I have left! I just spent a good 20 minutes standing under the shower; hoping they'd soak up a little moisture and start working again!

I spent today the same way I spent yesteday afternoon - moving hoses and watering plants. Got maybe 3/4 of the garden done yesterday; finished it up today and then did the perennial beds down the front and sides of the house. Our well isn't that good - not much pressure - so we can't water a very big area at one time. I try to take baths instead of showers when it's this dry, so that I have that water available to dump on the perennial bed - apparently, I need to bathe more often, 'cause the soil under the mulch was pretty darn dry!

We've been picking and eating Juliet tomatoes and several varieties of cherry tomatoes for a couple of weeks, now. Our larger tomatoes are kicking in; and the canners as well, but I've not had to do any canning yet 'cause my friends and co-workers are taking care of the excess for me - so far! Julie, I love my Juliets - and I sure haven't heard any complaints from anyone at work! In fact, several of them have written the name down so that they can plant them in their own gardens next year. The ONLY thing I don't like about them is the amount of area they take up - so far, I've tried them in store bought cages and tied to posts and they STILL sprawl all over. Next year (the rallying cry of all real gardeners!) I'm gonna try something different - maybe narrow tubes of reinforcing wire fastened to fence posts to at least try to hold them upright; or maybe cut livestock panels into 8' lengths and bend them into an arch over a 4X4 bed and try to train them over it. Or maybe something else - who knows what my head will come up with by then?!

And speaking of tomatoes...I have livestock panels formed into arches over the walkway between two sections of my garden. Much to Pop and Uncle Ivan's very loudly voiced (bellowed!) outrage; I planted morning glories to grow up the arches. Well, the ones coming from the strawberry plant bed are covering their half of the arches just fine; the ones on the tomato plant side have barely climbed a foot! D'ya suppose I've found a cure for wild morning glories out in the field?! Both the Early Cascades and the Better Boys are tied to stakes, but they are still managing to climb the arches - especially the ECs. Hmmmmm...

We started picking sweet corn yesterday at lunch time. The coons started picking it last night! With over an acre of corn - and all but two rows of it planted on the same day; I reckon we've got enough to share a little with the coons. I've been picking green beans; had enough for a couple of messes so far; plus one to send into town to Pop's friend. Picked the first of the Rattlesnake pole beans in time for supper last night - thought that I had done died and went to heaven! Tossed them in about a cup and a half of water in the pressure cooker with some new red potatoes; pulled up a big white onion out of the garden and cut it into eigths and laid it on top; then added a lattice work of cooked bacon slices and dribbled a bit of the bacon grease over the top. Let them cook for 2 1/2 minutes after the regulator started rocking, allowed them to sit for 5 minutes, then cooled the pot under running water. We didn't know whether to reach for the sweet corn or the beans first - the steaks that Hubs had cooked out on the grill pretty much got ignored in favor of all the fresh veggies on the table! Weren't none of us worth a damn for anything after supper - just sat out under the trees in the side yard; holding our bellies, looking at the garden and grinning like possums! I'm seriously considering not putting out any bush beans at all next year - just going to all pole beans instead. Gonna have to find me a good yellow one, first, tho. Oh - y'know those bush beans Pop and I planted last week when I was in my famine frenzy? They've popped right up out of the ground - guess maybe we won't starve after all!

The sunflowers are starting to bloom - and working their magic on my mood as they always do! I hope that I'm never without sunflowers! I've planted a lot of flowers in the past couple of years - far more than I've ever done in the past; and a lot of them are perennials, too; so I guess that I will have them to enjoy for years to come. Well, if I don't "wear 'em out moving 'em around" as Pop likes to grumble! I've got to admit that I'm really enjoying them - the cheery zinnias and sassy tiger lillies, seeing the hummingbirds zipping in and around the bee balm and the butterflies flocking on the butterfly bush, smelling the phlox, and the scent of the crushed leaves of the salvias, mints and lemon balm. I like the sensual things - the taste and smell and feel of things; and the yard and garden are surely providing a feast for the senses this year. I probably could have done without feeling that sidewalk burning my bare feet this afternoon when I was out there moving that hose around; but I've got to admit that it felt pretty good to go sit on the edge of the tank and dangle them in the water afterward!! Can't wait til I get my pond - next year!! I do so love my yard!

Something that's been happening a lot lately has got me to thinking. As long as we've got some shade; and as long as the bugs aren't biting too bad; we like to sit out on the porch glider, or out in the lawn chairs, under the walnut trees that sit between the house and the garden. We live at the end of a dead end road. Folks will drive down the road and turn around in our drive; and we wave at them - from the porch or the chairs or the garden - wherever we are. These folks just stare at us like we've grown two heads! Makes me want to moon them, or something! Whatever happened to manners?!

I've got three days in a row off work; and I don't quite know what to do with myself! May have to call in and offer to work some overtime - this is just a 36 hour week for me. Heck; I'll probably get in all kinds of trouble if I'm home all those days! I do need to run to town tomorrow - got to go to the bank for Jes and I; then run over to another town to Wally World and Aldi's and do some stocking up. Gonna hit the Dollar Store too; and pick up some more canning jar lids, and some freezer cartons. We put 80 quarts or so of corn in the freezer last year. I went looking around the house for freezer cartons the other day and came up with 11. Where in the heck did all my freezer cartons go? Are they in that parallel universe with all the missing socks?! My recipe for freezing corn calls for 8 cups of fresh corn kernals, 1 cup of water, 1 stick of butter and 1 tablespoon (more or less) of salt. Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes, cool quickly and pack. Which explains the run to Aldi's too - 10 boxes of butter to get ready for corn season!

I need to pick up a few more cans of juice concentrate too - the Welch's or whatever brand it is that comes in cans like soda. I know that I need to drink more water, but I'm addicted to something with flavor, it seems! (We have to buy bottled water as our well water isn't fit to drink.) So, I've been taking about a tablespoon of the concentrate and pouring it over ice in my 32oz thermo mug; then adding water to fill. It's not so sickningly sweet as it would be if I made up the juice the way they say to; and this way, I drink more water than I otherwise would. I've been buying lemons and oranges and squeezing a bit of juice into my mug; then adding the peel along with the water - makes me feel just a bit spoiled; like my flavored coffee does in the winter time! Nothing wrong with spoiling yourself, is there?

And speaking of spoiling myself...Marcia, you just leave some of that crab in the freezer 'til next June; then come down here and spend a week with me! We can pick berries all morning, then I'll stem them while you build up some of that crag Newburg; or some of that chowder you were talking about before, for lunch. Once we recover; we can make you up a cooler full of berries and boxes of jam to carry home with you!

Well, I'm yawning so big that I'm having trouble seeing the monitor - guess I'd better go make up the bed with those sheets I pulled off the clothesline right before dark - mmmm...fresh, crisp, clean sheets; smelling of outdoors; and nice cool airconditioning to sleep in...mmmzzzz - Good Night, folks! You all take care this week,

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

I'm back home. That's all I have time or energy for right now. Tomorrow should be better. Cooler too, they say (I HOPE!).

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2002

Oh crab! I love crab! I had a Dungeness dinner last week (up in BC). It's been so long. When I was a kid, seems like we always had a crab pot overboard or set out somewhere in Puget Sound. I miss that!

Hot here, too. I have been watering considerably. Also deep cleaning the ewe barn and dressing the garden paths with its lovely byproducts (pee-ewww, but good for smothering weeds).

Went to the local summer celebration parade last evening. I sure like living in a small community. It's so fun to see your friends in the parade. Marching bands, drill teams, horse stuff, all the little league kids, the old folks still doing the color guard...

Our orange male kitty is missing. He's been gone a day or so (he has done this before, but...) We awoke this a.m. at 3:45 to the sound of howling coyotes. Hope it wasn't involving him. I got dressed and flew outside to do a sheep nose-count (reminded me of lambing season, only warm). Sheep were all there.

Speaking of sheep, it looks like they are coming into season faster than I would like. Sheesh. Still got fences to fix (sagging) and pastures to mow. Is the world going faster or am I going slower or both?

Got peas, strawberries, blueberries, and a HUGE cabbage that I forgot about to harvest. The cherry tree is loaded, too. Maybe it's time to get a headlamp and do some of this work after dark!

We've had deer in our pasture the last few days. I will never get tired of watching their tentative graceful steps and their incredible leaping ability as they bound over the fences.

I'm too tired to write more. Had our company barbecue today, and playing badminton in the heat must have worn me out (oh wah...).

Have a good week, all.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Wow, everybody's got something going on up there. Over on this side of the fence . . . well, it's just hot hot hot, as Polly put it.

I survived the last week and the weekend, though for a couple of hours, I wasn't sure I'd make it. My wife is attending a seminar in teaching literature in Fort Worth (near Dallas, Texas), since last Tuesday, and I've been attending our kids. I have an aunt watching them during the day, then I handle the afternoon / night time. I was really worried if I would be able to handle it (the infant is still breast feeding), but so far . . . it hasn't been that bad at all. I've got much closer to the little one, since "Meals in Heels" isn't around.

Only bad thing has been the three year old asking about mom. When he asks, I tell him mom is gone and she'll be back pretty quick. He kinda tears up some, gives a sob, then smiles and goes on playing. I know he misses her though - we ALL miss her. She calls every day, sometimes nearly blubbering how she misses us all. Absence DOES make the heart grow fonder, no doubt about it.

Oh well. She's back tommorrow afternoon - then its back to normal.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

j.r...OMG, I have this image of you trying to "breast-feed" your baby!! Sorry...can't help it :-)!

Polly...I think the freezer "life" of crab is only about 3 mos. BUT...I could make up a Newburg now and freeze it for June :-)!! I sure love strawberries!!! Less painful to pick than blackberries and raspberries, too!

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Super hot here today too. The heat index is supposed to get up to 105* today, and here at work they've got the AC cranked up so high I have to wear a sweater. Whenever I have to step outside I feel like the coyote right after the road runner has dropped an anvil on his head.

I was out in the garden last week performing vegetable bondage (also known as tying up the tomato plants) and I saw a little chipmunk running off into the brush with a green tomato stuffed into his mouth. I guess he can have a few because I have waaaaayyy too many. I thought that I had only planted a roma variety called Mama Mia, but apparently some of the plants were mislabeled because 4 of them are producing fruits that are definately not roma-shaped. I'm in a panic about what I'm going to do with all these tomatoes once they ripen, so I'm bidding on a Victorio strainer over on eBay. I should have enough spaghetti sauce to feed an army. Is it possible to make tomato paste at home?

Saturday our gang made a field trip down to Columbus Indiana for their Scottish Festival. Jason wants to get started doing the Heavy Athletics events so he wanted to talk to some of the participants about how to get started. We watched a bit of the sheepdog trials but the baby got fussy if we stopped the stroller for too long. There were some cool weapons demonstrations that left me itching to buy a new sword or at least a crossbow but I resisted the urge. I did buy a new dress though. I did a good job of getting sunscreen on my arms and legs, but I had my hair up in a braid and I forgot about the back of my neck. It would be accurate to call me a redneck now! Owch! My face got a little burned too but it just itches. Our favorite Celtic rock band played 3 sets throughout the day, one of their singers had expressed an interest in becoming a massage client so I was able to talk to her between sets and book an appointment.

Speaking of massage, I mentioned on the back-up forum that I had an interview for a part-time massage job last week. I had a second interview on Friday and discovered that the info I'd been given about the job wasn't entirely accurate. The job is in a store in the mall called Bath & Body Works. They're a midwestern chain that sells fancy soaps, lotions, etc. It turns out that they're just using chair massage as a gimmic to sell more product, and when I don't have a client in the chair I would be expected to work the sales floor, restock inventory, etc. The first woman I interviewed with said that I could pass out business cards to clients who were interested in full-body massage since they were only going to be offering chair massage at the store. Turns out that's not the case, in fact I'd have to sign a non-competition agreement that would prevent me from even mentioning my business even if I'm directly asked about it. I'm supposed to hear from them by the end of the week if I have the job, although I'm not entirely certain if I want it anymore.

I got an email from my aunt who had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this month. She got her pathology report back and it was good news. They did get all of it out and it hadn't spread to any of the lymph nodes. She now has 6 weeks of radiation treatment and also will be taking tamoxifen. There's absolutely no history of breast cancer in our family, but she's been on HRT for many years. Makes you go hmmm....

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Thats too funny Marcia . . . maybe I should have been a little more careful with my wording!

No ma'am, that little girl would definitely be out of luck . . . this well is completely dry. LOL!

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Well, I had to go and open my big mouth, didn't I? Guess who's going in for a 3-11 shift this afternoon?! Seems the hospital is full and that includes the psych ward! The whole hospital is on emergency admissions only. I think they said that we have two empty beds on our ward; and they're trying to find people to put in them to clear beds on the other floors. My oh my! Hmmm - full moon due in a couple of days and it's hotter'n heck out there - guess it makes sense!

j.r. - I'm still cracking up over "Meal in Heels"! Better watch it though - I babysat for a tiny baby one weekend when Jes was about 2 years old. Cuddling him to feed him his bottles must have made my hormones go haywire, because I started lactating about the time he was heading home. I'm sitting there giving him his bottle, feeling liquid running down my side and thinking "What the hell? Am I sweating?!" Um - no. It wasn't sweat. My GYN thought it was hilarious when I called him to ask about it; but said that it wasn't uncommon.

Sherri - ah man; I wish I'd known about the games!! Hubs and I would have loved to come see them! There is supposed to be a large Celtic festival (with games) down at Forest Park in St. Louis in October that we are planning to go to. I think I would be leery of the B&B job - sounds like they are kind of looking to take advantage!

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Sherri, I would be really leery of that B&BW job too. Especially that non-competition clause. Do you have any acupuncturist, naturopaths, homeopathists, even chiropractor around you? I bet you do. I suggest checking with them about putting up your card or brochures, possibly getting referrals that way.

Well, it was HOT yesterday and HUMID. Ugh ugh ugh! The top temp was 97, I didn't look at the heat index because I didn't want to know! We finally had rain overnight though, and today it is cooler and less humid, despite the rising damp from the ground. The next few days are supposed to be even nicer. Yay! So yesterday's heat is probably what you're getting today Sherri. Hopefully, tomorrow you will cool off too!

Mom sez Julie didn't fall into the sinkhole, but I don't know what's up with her coz I haven't talked to her.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

I'm still here. Silly me likes to dig up the backyard in the sun on these hot days.

I don't have tomatoes or zucchinis yet!! What wrong with me?

I was thinking today (as I was lazing in our hammock) that summer is already half over. I shouldn't be thinking like that because it still has the other half to go but I hate winter so much lately...

Anyway, I think I'm gonna have problems with my tax accessor. I'm changing my farmland assessment from woodlot to goats. She keeps changing the rules. I have to have it all in pasture, animals are not farmland assessed, etc, etc. I asked her back in May to come and do an inspection to make sure everything is okay. Well, the paperwork is due in by Aug 1 and she kept putting it off and now was asking me questions that should have been met THREE MONTHS AGO when I asked her to come see. She's coming out on Wens. Wish me luck!

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2002

Rats! I got outbid on the Victorio strainer over on eBay. :( I messed up my time zone conversions, I thought that the auction ended at 8am today but actually it was at 7am. By the time I logged on this morning to make sure I still had the high bid, it was gone.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

Sherri; May have not been such a bad thing -you gotta watch the Victorio's; the older ones anyway. If it didn't have all the strainers and snout thingies that you wanted with it; you may not be able to get them. I bought my Victorio out of the Sears catalog in the late 70's. They've since changed the way the screens and snouts fit on the base; and the new ones won't fit on my old strainer. Bummer. The strainer that I have does tomatoes and applesauce easily, but won't do grapes or pumpkin. I do love my Victorio, tho I still lust after a heavy duty Squeezo! I'm thinking about looking for a Vita Mix on E-bay. Anybody got one that they want to brag on or complain about?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

According to this website the Victorio factory went out of business a few years ago, that's why it's so hard to find the parts for the older models. Two of the Victorio brothers now work for Villa Ware.

http://www.dehydrators.com/strainers.htm

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

Huh. I contacted a guy last year who sells (sold, I guess, now) them to try to get a couple new screens and cones and he explained to me about the change in fasteners. Can't recall his name right now; website had something to do with dehydrators...

Norpro makes a pretty decent looking one; it's sold at Rural King stores around here; and it's not toooo horribly expensive. What're you planning to make/put up with it?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

Polly, I've never heard of the Squeezo. What makes it better than the Victorio, in your opinion? So many of the new strainers I've been looking at have plastic parts, and it seems like they would get stained and nasty looking after a while.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

Oops, looks like we were posting at the same time. :) I'm mainly wanting it for tomato sauce, salsa, and tomato juice, and also for applesauce and blueberry jam.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

The Squeezo is a lot heavier made than the Victorio. When I bought mine; the Victorio was about $29 to the Squeezo's $50 or more. Not sure, but the Squeezo may be SS instead of aluminum. Don't quote me on that one, 'cause I'm not sure.

My Victorio has the plastic bowl/funnel; it has discolored some. Our well water turns everything with acid in it black tho - you ought to see my hands after I do tomatoes or cherries or apples - they're disgusting looking! I have to scrub and scrub with a brush and then soak them in a 50% bleach solution to get the last little grungies. All things considered; I think it still looks pretty good. The Victorio; not my hands. They look like hell!

The Norpro's look a little smaller than my Vicotrio; don't know this for sure. The box is sure a lot smaller!

I don't make much tomato juice or sauce anymore; as we prefer chunks of tomato in our spagetti sauce, etc... But it does make beautiful applesauce. I wash and quarter the apples; put them in my biggest heavy pot with about 2 cups of water (enough to keep the bottem covered) and steam 'em for about 15 min after I hear the water start to simmer. I scoop 'em out with one of those wide strainer spoons, leaving the water/juice in until the last batch. Run 'em through the Victorio, put it in the jars. I use Yellow Delicious Apples with a few Rome or other dark reds (NOT red delicious - a thoroughly worthless apple, IMNSHO!) for color; the YD's are sweet enough that you don't need to add any sugar.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

"Scuse me, folks....hope you don't mind, but I've been "eavesdropping" on your conversation :-)! Does the Squeezo come with different sized strainers? I would think that SS would be better than aluminum...not only for health reasons, but also doesn't tomato "react" with aluminum?? Sherri, when I make my blueberry jam, I just squash the berries rather than strain them. I've had better luck with the jam setting up by doing it that way. We also prefer "chunky" tomato sauce, but I would love to be able to make a vegetable/tomato juice!! Wonder if there are any Squeezos on eBay!!??

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2002

Marcia, that's how I made the blueberry jam last year and it turned out OK, but I'd like it better without the skins in it. You're right though, I'll probably have to throw some extra pectin in it to get it to jell. I usually make my tomato sauce smooth when I can it, and then when I use it I throw in a can of stewed tomatoes so that it's chunky. Yep, there are Squeezo's on eBay. In fact, I'm bidding one one right now so don't you go take it! hehehehe

Anyone have any opinions on dehydrators? That's the next item on my food preservation wish list. I'm thinking about one of the American Harvest models. I want to use it to dry herbs as well as veggies so I should get one with an adjustable thermostat so I can do the herbs at a lower temp, right?

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Which one are you bidding on, Sherri? I found 2 - item #2040995265 with a minimum bid of $9.99; 5 days left; and item #2124694639 with a minimum bid of 99 cents - yep 99 cents!! No bids showing on either one of them yet! Marcia; go to ebay; under kitchenware and type squeezo into the search!

Good luck ladies!!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Polly, when I type Squeezo into the search I get 12 items for sale. I'm bidding on #2040316134, there's a little over 2 days left on it. There are at least a couple others that seem to be in good shape for a good price.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Well, heck - plenty of 'em for all of us! I'm heading for bed - just hit hour 28 with no sleep - so I'll try to look a bit more when I get up, or possibly tomorrow. Didja happen to see any with multiple screens and snouts? Anyone here who bids - keep us apprised of your item # so we aren't bidding against one another. Gee - y'never know; I get a Squeezo, I might have a Victorio for sale soon!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

I promise not to bid on your Squeezo, Sherri!! In fact, I probably wont get much of a chance to do any eBaying til tomorrow afernoon. My granddaughter will be here til 8 p.m. tonight and again tomorrow til 2 p.m. She gets "jealous" of my webtv when she's here...I think! Or maybe it's just that I've spoiled her!!??

Sherri...do you have the large blueberries or the smaller wild blueberries? I'd like to have a dehydrator too, mostly for herbs!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Should I change the thread title to "eBay"? LOL!

Still beautiful here, which means plenty of yard work that I don't do in the HOT weather. Rain tomorrow, maybe. I hope!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

How about "Harvest" or "Preserving", Joy?! I could soooo easily become addicted to e-bay; though I actually prefer half.com. Either/Or - they still get too much of my moola!

Where's Jay? He's the Dehydrator King (dang, his neck is gonna get awful weary of toting all those crowns around!) I've just got a cheapo Snackmaster Jr. from Wal-Mart - 4 trays, no controls. Right now, it's waiting for Pop to put a new plug on it - dog chewed through the cord. I have learned to dehydrate onions out on the front porch; and hot peppers too! I like it for bananas (rehydrate in milk for banana bread and muffins), apples, peaches, tomatoes, green/red bell peppers and the aforementioned onions and hot peppers. I used to use it for things like celery, too; that I didn't ever manage to use up a fresh bunch of. My problem is finding the time to set it to run supervised - took me days to soak off those onions that got a little TOO dry one afternoon when I took a nap!

Well, gotta get ready to head for work. I got up early and went out and judged that the beans were the most important thing for tonight - got all the pole beans picked; a three gallon bucket full! Still got the bush beans in the beds to go... Hubs will snap the beans for me tonight; and clear the kitchen island and cover it with newspapers so that when I get home in the morning, I can go on out and get the rest of the beans; the tomatoes, peppers and cukes all picked and ready to go. Looks like Pop and I will be busy tomorrow! Good thing Bailey- boo is easily occupied with chasing the new kitten - when he isn't chasing her, that is!

How about the rest of you - What kitchen gadgets do you lust after? Or what ones are your favorites of the ones that you already have? I'd have to rank my pressure cooker (meal size) as my very favorite item; and a Vita Mix is what I'd really like to own!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Okay, Sherri. It's 9:30 p.m. here and I'm going to eBay!!! Look out :-)!

Polly...I'd have to say that my favorite kitchen cooking gadgets are my wok, my deep fryer and my crock pot. Harry makes delicious meals with the wok....and anytime I can get him to cook is a holiday for me!! I just discovered the ease of pressure canning about four years ago and have been totally happy with my canner, so I guess that would be my favorite "putting up food" kitchen gadget. At least til I get a dehydrator from eBay :-)!!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2002

Sometime, if someone had the time, could someone write up a little primer on Online Auctions (esp. Ebay) for those of us who are e- auction impaired? Or maybe that's not such a good idea! If I knew what I was doing, I would probably be online at work nonstop!

btw, our cat came home....thought the coyotes must have got him Sat. night, but he's back without a scratch and looking well fed. Guess he must have been on walkabout...

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

My favorite kitchen gadget is the can opener, I'm afraid...

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

I'd like a pressure canner and a new bowl for my food processor.

I haven't been in in a few days because the computers started acting up and it turns out we got another freakin' worm and this one knocked out our anti virus software. Took Richard 6 hours to fix but fixed it is! yay! Got the keys to the shop yesterday so we can start working on it to get it ready for August 26 (opening day). Its very exciting for us. Lots of ass kissing to do with the building inspector though regarding our renovations. The guy has a reputation for being a prick so ya gotta be sweet and treat him right (my job apparently..can ya imagine!!). Oh well...once its done its done. One of my ducks died. Just up and died under the hen house. She was a bit standoffish for a day or so before she disappeared. Mysterious. My garden is a sincere disappointment this year. I was out manure teaing everything that seemed puny last night. You guys that are eating from the garden make me way jealous. I found a zuke the size of my baby finger last night! My cukes aren't even blossoming yet and the potato beetles are ravaging the taters. I do have a couple green tomatoes and blosooms on the Royal Burgundy beans but the Buerre de Roquencourt look sad sad sad. The corn is about 2 feet tall now and lovely green. This is the worst year for peas for me. They are just starting to come on now. Very late for me. Thats about it for us. take care you guys.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

Sheepish, if you go over to Ebay and click on "Welcome New Users", they have a good tutorial that should put you at ease. It really isnt very difficult........heck even I can do it, and I've sold lots of stuff there, although not for several months.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

Beware! It is evil and addictive! And full of cool things . . . not to mention tons of junk. :-D

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

Oh, how I love this time of year!! As I sit here at the computer; munching down on a snack of Tostitos and fresh homemade salsa, listening to the whoosh-whoosh sound of the pressure cooker as I finish running the last of the salsa through the canner. Canned beans this morning and into this afternoon; still got cukes to do tomorrow - though I plan to donate a bunch of them to friends. Unc said to come down and pick some cabbage, so I'll be making freezer slaw tomorrow as well; maybe some Dixie relish or chow-chow too. Some of the early corn is starting to get big - we aren't eating it fast enough, so I'm thinking maybe a small batch of corn relish?

Got new chickens (pullets) coming this weekend or early next week - 4- H fair is over for another year. I'm not sure what they are - probably a mix of black australorp, golden brahmas and white rocks. Hubs did agree to let me get another rooster - but only as long as the chickens stay on the west side of the shed!

I picked up some fabric at Wally-world the other morning to make a couple of dresses - honey gold and olive green; good fall colors - and that's a good thing, 'cause that's probably when I'll get around to getting them stitched up. Also found a sweater that I liked on the clearance rack for $7; now I need to find some fabric to make a skirt to go with it! Picked up a couple of trashy novels too - getting ready to go stick my snout in one - they ought to go good with salsa, don't you think?

Sheepish; I don't know enough about e-bay or half.com to guide anyone. I go to them in spurts, it seems; and I manage to forget what I'm supposed to do in between! I just go in and fumble around and it all works out ok! Just make sure that you only bid on items that you really want; because a bid is considered a contract to buy. Do you want to buy, or sell? (Whatcha got, whatcha got!?)

Ali, sounds like you folks are going great guns on the shop! I envy you in a way - though certainly not with the building inspector! Are you planning on stocking plenty of comic books? I swear that 1/2 my allowance went to comic books when I was a kid! 'Course, back then, they were only a dime!

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

Hmmm. I hadn't thought about what I would want to sell, but sheesh, now that you mention it, I probably have a lot. First I'll have to check out the e-auction sites again. Back in the olden days (like '98), I cruised ebay for a while. It seemed so complicated then, though, b/c there weren't good ways to pay for things...nowadays, there's some kind of $$ exchange software, isn't there?

Been working looooong days. The other vet. radiologists (all two of them) in the region are on vacation, so my boss gets to read a lot of their cases, plus handle the extra exam overload. Lots more work for him, and thus for me. Maybe the transcriptionists for the other docs can help me pick cherries next week; ya think?

It was actually rather coolish today (70s). I watered like mad this early a.m., and then got lucky with the cloud cover (less evaporation).

I'm planning a river trip in September (I know, I'm completely nuts), so maybe I won't have to put some of those early fall veg. seeds in now anyway...

I think I must really be Gemini and not Taurus sometimes...!!!

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2002

Ok, in the interest of gettin to know y'all better, I have some questions and comments:

Polly, I have a Vita-Mix; have had it for about 26 years. I love it....Whatcha wanna know? I remember a thread about them recently; cant remember if it was before CS went dead or after; I"ll try to find it for ya.

Favorite kitchen gadget: hmmm........not sure about favorite, that would take too much thought......but I think the one I use the most is my KitchenAid mixer. And my coffee grinder. Course the vita-mix or the Cusinart will grind coffee, but I dont hafta clean the coffee grinder. Ever. Ha. And my most favorite thing lately is to grind cinnamon sticks in it so's my coffee tastes cinnamonny next time I use it. And I must admit I love my dishwasher. We recently replaced the 20 odd year old original one here with a new one, and it uses less energy than washing by hand, or so they say anywho. I love it. And its purty too......stainless,inside and out. (do I sound like I'm bragging?? please shut me up!!)

I bought a brand spankin new pressure canner three years ago (I was shamed into it by a homesteader friend who couldnt believe I had lived my whole life w/o one) and have yet to use it! How sad is that?? Why, you may ask? Well.....cuz ......um......I guess I dont need one!? (Why do I need one......I forgot!) ...canned mushy green beans........eeewww...................no thanks.......although Lotus likes em......And also because, truth be told, I think I'm a tad leery of em. Pressure and stuff. Pressure is bad. Bad pressure. I try to avoid pressure whenever possible. It looks really purty up on my shelf though. arrghh.....i'm a sick person...

Marcia, I love my wok also! In fact, I've been using a WestBend electric wok for like 20 years, and I just recently noticed that it was gettin a little worn out.....so knowin that non-stick surfaces arent sposed to be good for ya after a few years, I bought a new wok. This time I got a really big traditional carbon steel stovetop one, and so far I love it too. I use woks alot. We eat stir-fries at least once a week anyway, its Bren's favorite food, and I'm using it for all kinds of stuff I used to use a skillet for.

JR, I too had images of you trying like heck to feed your child..........too funny! I love hearing about you folks with little ones! How I do miss the little ones......I am definitely a baby and toddler person.........I know some folks find the demands of new parenting a bit too much, but I was in my element when my girls were tiny. I especially am moved when men talk about their children.........I really do miss hearing Alan talking about his daughter; it always warmed my heart and made me want to go visit with him.

Sherri, just my two cents about the job opportunity. It sounded to me like they were trying to take full advantage of you. Seems to me you now have training in a field that is going to only grow like crazy, and should be able to soon pick however you want to utilize it. You dont need any big corporate entity to do so. The demand is there, and growing. Stay independent, unless you see some way attaching yourself temporarily can benefit you somehow.

I never understood the Squeezo/Victorio thing! I have always made my tomato sauce with my Vita-Mix, peels seeds and all......told ya I was lazy! Nobody ever complained, and all the nutrients were intact. ??

Lotus' boyfriend, Matt, is staying here for while...seems while he was on a two week roadtrip with his best friend, his parents split up, and it's so ugly they've asked him to spend some time away from home. Which is fine, cept I wont use the pool in the daylight when other folks are around, and I need my exercise, and love swimming........so I'm relegated to swimming after dark. Interferes with my sleep patterns though. oh well...

"I think I must really be Gemini and not Taurus sometimes...!!! " What's that mean, sheepish?

Love to all,

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

I have a Vita-Mix that I managed to get for cheap from eBay. I don't remember how much, but it was one of those flukey times when no one else seemed to be bidding much. I haven't used it a lot, but last summer, when I had tomatoes, I used it to whirl them up. Yes, seeds and skins and all, just like EM. I didn't have time to cook them, so I just put the fresh puree into freezer containers and then froze them. Doesn't matter if it's not cooked though, because I just dump the puree into chili, and it cooks along with everything else. Still have some too.

So GUESS what ONE thing I planted this year? Yep, TOMATOES! I am hoping to get more fresh eating ones this year. Last year, I didn't get many slicers at all. I've gotten a few this year, very good. The Garden Peach is starting to ripen. Haven't eaten those before, but a friend gave the start to me, and he says they're very good in salads. Some fresh salsa with two colors of tomatoes would be fun too!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

EM...my wok is a West Bend, also. Yeah, it's got that non-stick surface which I'm not crazy about! But my MIL bought it for us about a year ago so we HAVE to use it or she'll be insulted :-)!! I've always been careful of the surface...can't say the same for Harry!! Can I get an electric carbon steel wok??

I tell ya...this Vita-mix is sounding really good to me right about now!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

Damn! They just found the body of that little girl that went missing in St. Louis this morning. :(

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

Awful LOT of abduction of girl children lately! Or is only that it's suddenly getting reported? >:-(

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

I didn't hear about this little girl in St. Louis!! The last abduction I've heard about was the one in Philadelphia.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2002

Earthmama-I-meant-that-I-seem-to-be-moving-in-different-directions- (twin-like:Gemini)_instead-of-plodding-steadily-in-one-direction (Taurus).MYspaceBARisBROKEN...

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002