My oven is broken and I was dying for a pumpkin spiced something. I have a big counter top turkey roaster so I figured.. ha! I also wanted to make it so my daughter could eat it so I created a gluten and dairy free cake using certified gluten free rolled oats:

Dry:

4 cups of freshly pulverized oats into flour (measure after you take it out of the blender)

2 cups unrefined organic cane sugar

1 tsp each of cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp each of whole allspice smashed in a mortar and pestle, and salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Wet:

2 cups of pumpkin puree (from the freezer from last year's jack o' lantern)

1 pint of home canned applesauce (trying to use up last year's)

1/2 cup of oil

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

Mix all together really well then let sit for a few minutes to hydrate the oat flour.

I put this into an angel food pan because it fit well on the rack inside my turkey roaster but wow, did it take a long time to bake, at least an hour and a half or longer. I was testing it every 10 minutes for the last 40 minutes or so at 350 degrees. Next time, I will bake it in a 9 x 13 instead, which also fits in the turkey roaster. It makes a very soft, moist, crumbly cake. We have been devouring it this afternoon. It would be amazing with cream cheese icing... but dairy... so it is unadorned.

#gardenharvest #homecanning #TurnTheWheel #Lughnasadh

People are freaking out and asking what they should be doing re: prepping. I've posted so much about this over the last few years but, really, my main advice is understanding how deeply you rely on the power grid.

It is the most vulnerable to sabotage and failure, and also the most important thing we have in our modern world. We rely on power for everything- clean water (pumping and purifying potable water), safe food (supply chain, refrigeration, and all aspects of agriculture), heating and cooling, communications, transportation (pumping gas, running infrastructure such as train crossings, traffic lights, etc.), nighttime safety and security... the list goes on.

The most important questions to ask yourself right now is what are you most dependent on, and how can you survive (and thrive) if you are subject to interruptions of the grid that could last weeks or months. It's really the same prepping you do for storms, but think BIGGER storms. The lessons learned from Katrina, Ian, Maria, and Helene are the same lessons for warfare.

Be kind and make good choices. Stay safe out there.

#GetPrepared #Prepping

If you intend on saving seeds, now is the time to start planning it.

Saving seeds is very satisfying because it’s like getting free food. After the harvest for bought seeds, you have used the monetary value. When you save seeds further on, it’s all free.

Make sure you are saving seeds from open pollinated plants, not hybrids. If you can get hybrids to germinate, the resulting plant may not resemble what you expected to get. This is especially true for things like squash. So, be aware of this when purchasing seeds for future seed saving.

You can try saving any seed but my favourite seeds to save are the following:

Peas- there are always pea pods that got missed in the harvest and I pull the plants, hang them in a dry spot and when the lingering pods have dried, shell them, leave them to dry further on a baking sheet then jar and label.

Scarlett Runner beans- these are easy to let a few get too big to eat and they are well able to be germinated the following year. Be sure to pick the seed pods before a hard frost so as to not damage the seeds. The best seeds are the huge purple mottled ones that release without hesitation from the pod when the pod is split open. Be careful to not accidentally slice the seed with your fingernail when opening the pod. Dry the seeds on a sheet then store in a jar. Use the same the method for other bean varieties such as black turtle beans.

Dill, fennel and onion- these all will go flying off the plant when they are fully ripe so JUST before that, I pick them and put them into paper bags, then you can catch the seeds as they fully ripen and fall from the plant. Otherwise, they just reseed all over the ground which is fine but you have to move them to where you want the plants in the spring.

Garlic- the key to saving garlic for seeds is in the harvest. Garlic is picky to harvest so that it lasts in the pantry until the following year. I pick the scapes when they have done 2 full circles but not yet begun to uncurl again. Then, stop watering the garlic 2 weeks before harvest, so the paper covering has a chance to develop. Hang them in loose bunches out of the sun in a breezy spot outside until they are very dry and the green tops are all brown. Then, trim the roots, and store inside in a cool, dry breezy spot. Choose the heads with the largest cloves to plant later that year a couple of weeks before the ground freezes just so they can develop roots but not grow up out of the soil.

Marigold, Nasturtium, Coreopsis, Morning Glory-(NOT wild bindweed)- these flower seeds are all easy to save, just don’t deadhead the tops you want to save for seeds and wait until they are very dry, gently pull the seed heads into your palm and carefully rub the seeds from their casings. Make sure they are fully dry, then jar and label.

Carrot, Beets, Parsnips- the seeds from these plants don’t develop until the second year so you have to leave your desired plants in the ground and let the plant grow again in the spring. Then, let the plant go to flower and save the seeds from that. You usually will need to save many more seeds than you think you will need because the germination rates are a little lower for these plants.

Potatoes- You can just let a few missed ones grow the following year but this does not allow for crop rotation and often the missed potatoes are small and don’t make good plants the following year. Save some perfect undamaged large potatoes until the following spring. Chit them, that is let the seed potatoes sprout a tiny bit in the light before planting them. Most storage potatoes will have started to sprout in the spring anyway. I have found that planing the whole potato and not cutting it into separate eye/sprouting sections results in a bigger and more robust plant. Keep in mind that buying and planting certified seed potatoes does help prevent potato diseases from persisting year to year.

Sunflower- make sure you let them fully ripen on the flower head so the seeds come off with only a gentle coaxing.

Walking or multiplier onions- these are great, they do their own thing but have to be re-situated as they will end up where they want.

Plants to be wary of: mustard, common oregano and mints, will all end up taking over your yard with no help from you. Be aware of this if you want to grow these plants.

#gardening #homesteading #gardenmagic #prepping

I was a seamstress and costumer for decades but fibre arts was never something I got into. Now, most of my handmade crafts involve jewelry, clay, woodworking, painting, pyrography, ink making, incense and herbs, etc.

My daughter is the spinning and weaving person in the family and she teaches classes in the artisan shop she owns. Today I took one of her classes on weaving. This is my very first try. This photo is before it is washed, trimmed, blocked and the fringe tied. It took me 6 and a 1/2 hours from warping the loom to cutting it off. The yarn is acrylic because I didn't want to use expensive wool to learn. The next thing I will make is a thicker shawl and if I can find some alpaca wool, that would be my first choice. I will need to borrow one of her larger looms.

#NewSkill #prepping #crafting #weaving #IAmInSoMuchTrouble #fibrearts

Buy and practice using paper maps. Having directional awareness can save you in many un-anticipated circumstances. Do not rely on GPS. Not only because it is often wrong, it does not take into account road or bridge construction, or other obstructions, but because it is controlled by people that might not have your best interests in mind. Paper maps, old ones and newer ones show where roads are or have been, the connections, directions and landmarks. Learn them, use them. Skill building. It's a good thing.

#Prepping #GetPrepared

Another malignant narcissistic dictator bites the dust.

#assad #Syria

Check out this interview of Chelsea Manning by Janus Rose. "Doomscrolling"

https://www.e-flux.com/journal/146/609834/after-doomscroll-a-conversation-with-chelsea-manning/

#SocialMedia #AI #MassMedia #Entertainment #e-flux

I JUST finished getting 4 more hive setups done for 4 splits, finished building 30 more foundation/frames. Go outside to check them and see this!! Artemis! Texted the bee guy... he said they probably won't swarm tonight but got to split asap! *shriek! (and it is NOT hot tonight whatsoever)

#BeeKeeping #Homesteading #NoRestForTheWicked

They like me best in the morning but I really think it's just about my fuzzy housecoat.

#everydayiscatday

I slept through a storm last night that was powerful enough to take out the power here for 10 hours. I had the genny going all day for the fridge and freezers. Going into winter, the fridge is not so much a problem but the freezers are unless it is VERY cold outside. And even then, it would be a huge job to transfer all that food outside into a safe space to keep it frozen. It's not likely to get that cold here for at least a couple of months. I try not to keep too much gas on hand because it is hard to get gas that has no ethanol in it which isn't great for the generator. (it settles out in a few months and can mess up the engine) I can buy fuel stabilizer but it's fairly expensive. But if we got a big outage, say a week, it would be hard to have that much fuel stored either way. We would be cooking and canning food like crazy but still some would be lost to spoilage.

This is my weak spot in prepping. I don't have solar yet, because of finances. We are good for water, heat, and light. Until I can install solar for food preservation, the best thing to do is can as much as possible instead of relying on frozen food.

Just a thought for the coming times.

#Prepping #GetPrepared #Homesteading #FoodPreservation #FoodSustainability

Last cap of these storms tonight. That tropical depression is getting more organized. Will be interesting to see what it looks like in the morning.

#HurricaneLee #HurricaneMargot #TropicalDepression15 #Storms

And I didn't get the screen cap quite right, the hurricane Margo is showing to the right, the tropical depression is the lower right of the image.

Looks like this thing is heading straight up the Bay of Fundy which already has the highest tides in the world (50 ft) without anything hincky going on. 🌊

#HurricaneLee #Storm #novascotia #BayOfFundy

Some emergency shelters in Nova Scotia for the storm. (credit to @stoometzphoto)

HRM: Capt. Spry Community Centre. 16 Sussex St, Halifax, 429-3984,Opening Friday 6pm St. Matthews Church - 1479 Barrington St, Halifax, 902-429-3984, Opening Friday 6pm Beacon House - 125 Metropolitan Ave. (902) 864-1584, Opening Friday 6pm

TRURO: Haven House 29 Arthur Str, 902-843-2538, regular hours, additional beds NEW GLASGOW: Viola's Place 189 Marsh Street, New Glasgow 902-752-0550 7pm

PICTOU Pictou County Roots for Youth, 603 East River Road, New Glasgow, 902-695-3241

CBRM: CB Community Shelter - 106 Townsend St, Sydney, NS, 902-564-9487 Ally Centre - 75 Prince St, Sydney NS, (902) 567-1766, Opening Friday 6pm

BERWICK: Evangeline Club, 130 Commercial Street, Berwick, Opening Saturday 7 am *Operated by Open Arms - must call 902-679-1202

YARMOUTH: SHFYT - 6 Trinity Place, Yarmouth, 902-881-3111 Drop-In/Overnight Center for Adults Yarmouth Fire Hall, 221 Pleasant Street, 902-881-3111, Opening Saturday 12pm

BRIDGEWATER: Seventh Day Adventis Church, 17 Greenwood St, Bridgewater, NS, (902) 521-1141, Opening Friday 6pm *Operated by South Shore Open Doors Association

AMHERST: Holy Family Parish, 63 Church Street Amherst, 902-669-2238, Opening Friday 5pm

#NSstorm #halifax #truro #newglasgow #pictou #cbrm #berwick #yarmouth #bridgewater #amherst #sydney #HurricaneLee #novascotia

Another one out there soon to be #Nigel

#HurricaneLee #Storms #TropicalDepression15

For anyone interested in tracking the storm in Nova Scotia, here is a web cam at Peggy's Cove. https://www.novascotiawebcams.com/webcams/peggys-cove-lighthouse

#HurricaneLee #Storm

nostr:npub1zt30rymrqvm3vtdxq4wnknpsy6arkzcttkehwqttympk7ww7ezfqqg0v09 It is so tricky! I'm canning pears today. So, they have to be picked slightly unripe or they will be brown in the centre. When the background of the pear between the little dark dots is mostly yellowish green but not green green, pick them and within about 3 days they should be ripe. I can them more unripe than ripe because they hold their shape better and still seem nice in things like muffins or yogourt in the winter. I am canning them in apple juice that I am making in the steamer juicer from the apple tree. But if I run out of juice, I just use thin syrup.

Blessings of the blue Perigee Moon.

#BlueSuperMoon #MoonMagic #Goddess #witchystuff

The world might be going to hell but can tomatoes anyway.

#gardening #GardeningMagic #LocalFood #Homesteading #SupportYourLocalFarmers

Did my honey extraction today on probably the hottest day of this week. I only got 2 mediums from the 4 hives as I make sure all of them have a full deep of honey going into winter. They all have that now so the rest of August might be a tiny trickle of honey making but not much now. I am happy as it was a full 5 gallons for the household for the coming year. None for sale this year but we'll see what next year brings.

#beekeeping #homesteading #HoneyFlow #bees #pollinators