Dessert Beets

At my last crop mob I was allowed to bring home some beets. These weren't just any beets. They were crazy, cool, psychedelic beets. Have you ever seen striped beets? I never have. Wow, these things are neat!

Ya know, I'm not a huge fan of beets normally. I'll eat them, but they were never a favorite. When I was a kid my mom always made canned beets, which are actually really quite gross in my opinion. All sweet and syrupy. I've had boiled beets and roasted beets. I guess they're not so bad when they're roasted. I've eaten a couple raw. Since I had fifteen of these things on my hands, I wanted to do something different with them. Something I'd really like.

Since beets are naturally sweet, maybe they'd make a decent Primal dessert. I decided to give it a try with some of my favorite dessert spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

First I started with getting the beets cleaned. Peeling was easy. I found my favorite way to peel beets is to do it under running warm water. That way all the sticky, red beet juices get washed down the drain.

Save the beet tops if there are any small greens left on them. Those will be useful for another food project later, if you like beet greens.

After the beets are peeled and chopped, I put them in a baking dish with butter (because you gotta have some good yummy fat for a decent dessert.)

Sprinkle some cinnamon, nutmeg, salt (just a bit) and whatever other desserty spices you like. Maybe a little clove or allspice, which I did.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and pop it in the oven. Bake at 300 degrees until the pieces are fork tender. It should take about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes if you want some crispness.

When the beets are all baked and soft, scoop some out into a dish. I decided to top mine with some slivered almonds and some of the beet juices.

This is the point where some vanilla ice cream would have been perfect, but I didn't have vanilla ice cream. I did, however, find a perfectly good use for my clotted cream that's been sitting in the refrigerator, threatening to go bad.

I mixed together the clotted cream with just a little honey to make it a little sweet and sticky. Dab a bit of it on top of the beets and you have a bowl full of yum.

On Gratitude

I believe this year's lesson for me has been to learn gratitude. I don't want this to be another "This is why we should be thankful" post. I don't want this to be another "This is what I'm thankful for" post either. To be honest, I'm not really sure what kind of post I want this to be. Over the past week I'm sure you've read more than your share of Thanksgiving articles, so why repeat the same old story?

Yesterday I was in a foul, rotten mood and I'm not really sure why. Even today I'm a little cynical. It's great seeing all the "this is what I'm thankful for" threads on forums and posts on Facebook. It's great that people are stopping for a minute to realize just how good they have it. Sure, some of them may complain 200 days out of the year about what they don't have. At least today they're thinking of what they do have, at least a little bit.

Yup, most of us are thankful for our fantastic families and friends. Most of us are thankful for our cars, our warm homes, the clothes on our backs, but I'm still left wondering just how much people really "get it." How long does this gratitude last? We jump from the gratitude of Thanksgiving to the gift-buying frenzy of Christmas. Many people do it in a span of just a few hours. Wouldn't it be nice if we could make it last, even until Christmas day? Do you think perhaps those New Year's resolutions just might stick if we were a more grateful society?

Sometimes it seems, and it has this past year for me especially, that the less you have, the more you're grateful for. That's largely why I don't want gifts for Christmas this year. I really don't, even know I'll be getting some lovely things from people who love me, but really... I don't need stuff. I've really been downsizing my life, getting rid of things I don't use, and it's true. The less you have, the more room you have for peace, contentment, and to be thankful.

This has been something of an ongoing process for me. I blame Glenn Beck really. He started it. It's all his fault. I'm not really sure how or why, because it's not one thing he came right out and said. I think between him and Dave Ramsey, they've tag-teamed up against my selfish, materailistic old-self and beat me into a more modest, thankful submission. Their advice helped me open my mind to other thinking, of seeing the world from a different perspective- one where you have to walk and talk like a grown up, work for what you have, save, and appreciate. I think until you can do all those things, you're still really just a child. I don't mean to insult anyone, and perhaps if you find yourself feeling insulted... well maybe you should think about that.

It can be frustrating at times to see people all around me whose priorities are all out of whack, who just don't get it. Who cares who won Dancing With the Stars? Why hold grudges or be spiteful? Do you really need that cool new gadget? Ok... maybe you do need that gadget, but don't start letting your stuff own you. If you think you can't live without it, maybe you shouldn't have it, because then it owns you. I'm guilty of wanting too. You have no idea how cool I think those Droid phones are... but shoot... I gotta act my wage, which means not having a droid and letting stuff own me.

Challenge yourself a little. Try to be thankful every day for something, especially when things go badly. When you've had a dirty, rotten, aweful day, find the part of that day you can be grateful for. Look for the small miracles that most of us, at least in America, are fortunate enough to take for granted. Indoor plumbing, hot water, a refrigerator. When you're worried that you have more bills than money, consider what you're getting for those bills... heat, electricity, a roof over your head... cable tv and internet. If you want more money, consider what you'd give up. Pretty hard to give up some of these luxuries once you get used to them... and dare I say, take them for granted.

And be thankful for the bad things. There's a story I heard once, and I had to track it down on the internet because I really wanted to share it with you, about sisters who found a way to be thankful in the most desperate of times and places. They found a way to be thankful for lice. Yes, lice.

I want to challenge you a little bit more. I'd like to challenge you to take the 40-Day Pledge of faith, hope and charity. Trust me, by the end of the 40 days, you'll know gratitude like you've never known before.

From now until New Year's Eve at least, try it. What can it hurt?And lastly I'd like to leave you with this...


Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown

Buzzy's Dream

Jeff Foxworthy says that to be a redneck is to have “a glorious lack of sophistication.” While this is true, in so many very fabulous ways, being a redneck is also about making use of what you have, because you don’t always have what you need. Being a redneck isn’t all beer can Christmas trees and tube tops. You probably won’t find either of those things in my possession.

I’m a redneck. I’m unashamed and unabashedly so. Not everything I do is “classic redneck” but oh trust me, I have my moments! To me being a redneck comes in spurts, and is typically tied in with my scavenger and food-gathering skills. There is the coyote thing you know. I had another one of those great moments yesterday that ended with me loading a somewhat large doe into the trunk of my VW Jetta.

Now, this ISN'T my Jetta, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only
one. I put the deer all the way in, and CLOSED the trunk.

Now, let’s break this down. I drive a Volkswagen. That is not a redneck quality by itself. Combining that with putting a deer in the trunk, however, is. Add to that the fact that someone else hit the deer and it's a perfect redneck situation. Ideally, I would have put the deer in the back of a truck, but when you don’t have what you need, use what you have, and I happened to have a dead deer, and a Jetta. And soon I will have a lot of deer meat in my freezer, and it only cost me $40. It’s a great deal. It just sometimes means looking a little silly in the process, and having to ask thise questions... "Hi, excuse me? Are you going to eat that? No? Ok, can I have it?"

This morning I was able to really appreciate my redneck heritage and the country ways I was raised in. Not to mention I got to laugh at the irony. I walked in and the blood drive was fairly quiet. There weren’t many people there. I commented on it and one of the nurses reminded me “Oh, that’s because it’s the first day of deer season.” Oh yeah. It sort of clicked in a funny part of my brain that the opening day of shotgun would put this much of a damper on a blood drive- which shows two things. One, just how many people hunt in this little town, and two, the same people out there with guns and cammo are the same ones who give the gift of life. I like that.

It didn’t dawn on me until this morning that today is the first day of deer season if you use shotgun. I’m opting out this year because there are very few doe tags and my odds of actually getting a deer (up until yesterday) were slim. I just can’t afford to pay $50 for a slim chance. Since I hadn’t bought a license, I put deer season out of my mind. I was reminded of it when I went to give blood this morning.

After giving blood I got a certificate for a free breakfast at Buzzy’s Dream. Buzzy’s is a tiny little diner in Addison. You wouldn’t see it unless you knew right where to go. It’s attached to the side of an old antique store, snuggled in next to the little Baptist Church. It’s a good thing it’s small and hard to spot. There isn’t really anywhere to park. In fact it doesn't look like a diner at all.

Once you get inside it’s all rural, and it’s perfect. Yellow diner tables and old diner chairs. A big wooden bar with a mirror behind it. None of the plates, cups or silverware match. Many of the signs are hand-written and the menus are printed out and laminated, probably in someone’s home. There are a pair of horseshoes hanging above the door, and a sign for the local “big buck contest” taped to the window.

Most of the tables are full, all of them with gentlemen ranging from teenagers to old men, nearly all of them either wearing orange or some sort of camouflage. You can hear some of them talking about successes or failures during bow season, or getting out into the woods as soon as they get home from breakfast. Only two people are working the diner. They’re either sisters or an aunt and niece. I can’t tell. The younger of the two takes my order and the other woman starts cooking.

Breakfast at Buzzy's Dream
Scrambled eggs, ham and corned beef hash.

Let me tell you, the meal was fantastic. It’s one of my favorite treats to go to Buzzy’s after giving blood. I would almost say it’s one of the reasons I give blood. Most of the breakfasts are pretty basic. My favorite is the “Hash-n-Eggs.” Of course this isn’t prime Primal fare, but it sure is good and I thoroughly enjoy every bite of it.

As I finished up my meal, gave the woman running the diner my certificate, and left, I thought to myself… this is one of the places I always want to remember. I like this kind of America. It’s real. Honest. Good. I don’t know who Buzzy is. Maybe I should find out. In the meantime it’s one of those places I can go that lets me be my redneck self without any makeup on. The me who gave a pint, who likes to hunt and fish and grow my food, who is a scavenger, carried a deer in the trunk of my little turbo, and who has yet to clean the blood off my bumper. In that little place, I’m just another girl.

Big Changes!

I'm very happy to announce some big changes happening around here, including our brand new address! Please bookmark it. That way when I self-host, you'll always be able to get here.
www.TheWildernessChilde.com

I've got big ideas for the new site that will take a little time, so hang with me while I smooth out the bumps. This is sort of new for me, so if things look wonky now and then, rest assured I'm behind the keyboard, flailing my arms or saying "What the.... ?!!"

Mealworms: The Farm Report

As I mentioned earlier this year, I started a mealworm farm. It's been rolling along successfully for months now, and it has become pretty obvious that this is one thing even I can't really screw up. I wanted to address some things I've learned along the way.


Two bins are enough.

I started out with 3 bins for my farm, only to realize I was making more work for myself than I needed to. It's either that, or I just got lazy. In any case, I dropped down to just having 2 bins- one for the mealworms, and one for the adult beetles. I simply let some of the mealworms develope through pupa stage into beetles, and when I see an adult beetle in the mealworm bin, I pick it out and put it in with the other beetles.

I usually sift through the worm bin, harvesting 25-50 or so big worms, every few days. At this time I pick out any beetles, and if there are any dead worms (they turn black) I discard those as well.


Keep It Fresh

At first I thought I could get by with changing the vegetables every other day, or maybe a little longer, if the veggie looked like it was still in good shape. Little did I know, this invites pests and keeps them around. Long about August I attracted another bug into my pantry. I still don't know exactly what they are, but I suspect they're booklice. They're attracted to moisture, especially a cut vegetable. Tossing out the vegetable daily also tosses out any stray pests, and there's no time for mold growth.


I Like It Dry

Keeping the pantry dry really helps reduce the pest and/or mold risk. The beetles and worms don't really seem to mind, so long as it doesn't get too hot. It does dry out the veggies a bit quicker, which is fine since you're throwing them away daily anyways.

If it does get too dry, or too warm, you'll find your pupae will start drying out and dying. They seem to be the most sensitive of the stages. I've had this happen to a few, and just adjusted the dehumidifier to not run continuously.


Cycle the Bedding

I learned a nifty trick when new generations of worms are born. Obviously you can't really see the eggs, so you just have to watch for teeny, tiny worms in the beetle bin to know you've got babies. I've discovered that if you give the beetles a very small amount of bedding (maybe 2 cups in a shoe-box size bin,) you can see the worms sooner. When you see worms, pick the beetles out into a separate container (temporarily), and dump the beetle bedding into the worm bin. Then just start a new batch of bedding for the beetles.

I've not yet guaged how long it takes to turn over a generation. I really should be writing this stuff down. However, the typical routine for "tending the farm" at this point is as follows.

1) Remove both bins from the pantry. Place on table, remove lids. Add a third bin/container for the beetles.

2) Discard veggies from both bins.

3) Pick beetles from their bin and place in empty container. Discard any dead bodies, or body parts.

4) Dump beetle bedding into worm bin.

5) Prepare new beetle bin with oats (2 cups), nutritional yeast (2 Tbsp) and wheat germ (2 Tbsp). Dump beetles into fresh bedding.

6) Add 1 Tbsp each nutritional yeast and wheat germ to mealworm bin.

7) Add veggies to both bins.

8) Replace lid and return bins to the pantry.

Seasons, Traffic & Soap

"A body in motion stays in motion."

That phrase has been on my mind lately. It randomly pops into my head when I'm least expecting it. Is my subconscious trying to guilt me into exercising more? With winter setting in, daylight savings time ending and daylight dwindling in general, I've found myself wanting to sleep later, move less, eat more and get drowsy earlier.

Being Primal has gotten me so much more in tune with the seasons, even more than just being Pagan has. As a Pagan I understood the mechanics of the seasons and could feel the change in the energies of life, but as a Primal I am starting to feel how my body reacts to these changes. That may mean going to bed earlier so that I feel rested in the morning. That might quell the urge to eat too.


Today's post seems to be sort of a mish-mash of random thoughts. With that, let me take you to a thought I had while driving home today. I know, you care so much about what I was thinking while I was driving, but it was one of those weird little "Aha!" moments that just beg to be shared.

As I was saying, I was driving home from work. I had to stop at Wegmans for a bar of soap (more about that later) and on the way out of town the same thing happened that always happens. The highway running out of town is 55 mph, and lands you at a traffic light. Just beyond the traffic light the two lanes merge to one lane in a matter of feet. Because of this, everyone lines up at the traffic light in the "main" lane, and nobody in the soon-to-be merging lane. Every time I come down the highway to this light, the light is red, and you have everyone lined up. I skip over into the other lane and drive up past to take my place at the front. The light turns green and both I, and the leader of the other lane, pull out. Sometimes I move into front and sometimes I merge in behind the "leader." Sometimes I come up through just as the light turns green and can breeze straight through.

I bet you're wondering, what's the point of this little story?

It was just a funny little metaphor for life. People coming to this light have a choice to make. "Do I play it safe and stay in the driving lane, or do I take a risk and get into the merging lane?" Sure, the merging lane you run the risk of having to wait and blend into the line of traffic. Or maybe nobody lets you in and you get stuck at the end of the line. If you stay in the regular driving lane you're guaranteed your spot, but you wait your turn. Sometimes the line is just a little too long and you don't get through the light at all, having to wait yet again. But, maybe, just maybe if you choose that merging lane, you'll be able to breeze right through and be on your way while the others are just getting started.

I think the choice people make on this show a little bit about how they handle life. A lot of people would much rather play it safe, go with the guarantee, and wait through the light. Then there are some who are ok with a little risk, taking a chance. In the end both get to where they're going, this is true, and the same goes for life. We all get to the end eventually, but the difference is how we choose to get there.


And about that soap...

The Penny Pinching Project is going well so far. I did buy soap today because... well you can only use those little slivers for so long. Instead of getting the yummy almond-smelling natural soap I usually go for, I decided to give something else a try. It was 70 cents cheaper, but it was the label that caught my attention.

For a couple weeks now I've been experimenting with using coconut oil on my skin with the hopes that it would improve my complexion. I can't say yet that there are any major changes, but I do love the way the oil makes my skin feel. It's a great moisturizer and it doesn't clog my already-clogged pores any further.

When I saw this soap was made with coconut, I just had to try it. Being the cheapest natural soap on the shelf was an additional benefit... or is that the other way around. I can't wait to see how this stuff works.

If anyone else has used this stuff, I'd love to hear what you thought about it.

And total expenditures so far on The Penny Pinching Program:

$1.39 - Kirk's Castile Soap

Pinching the Pennies

I just finished reading Tranqulista by Kimberly Wilson, and have decided I am in need of a Bed Day- one of those leisurely days where you spend the entire day in bed doing only the things you want to do. Lounge in comfort, play on the computer, read, sip coffee or cocoa, and just be in bliss. A "mental health day" from work is sounding like a better and better idea right about now. It seems that life is getting a kick out of... well... kicking me.

I've spent the last 2 hours filling out online applications for everywhere from Wegmans, to UPS, to McDonalds. I can't make ends meet, and I'm drowning. My hopes of gleaning a side income from this blog doesn't seem to be at all fruitful. That's not to say I'll quit blogging though. I rather enjoy it, even if I have gotten a bit worn out and feel as if I may have lost my way. Hmm... maybe I should apply to Walmart too, now that I think of it.

Rather than having a Bed Day, I've been having a Domestic Day. First I took care of some car stuff, spending 2 and a half hours at Firestone only to be told I need to buy 2 new tires (that I can't afford) and then deciding to just put the spare on it and hope for the best until I can save up for the tires. Once back home I begrudgingly endured my workout. Frustration from the morning's auto fiasco fueled my workout for the first 15 minutes, then I fizzled. After a shower I lulled myself into calm with a big bowl of Greek yogurt and the last of my pomegranate seeds, after picking out a few that had begun growing fur coats. Ick.

The rest of the day has been a mash of tidying, scrubbing, writing, reading, job applications, web surfing and kitty petting. A local liquor store is doing tastings today for hot chocolate with Chambord, and as much as I want to coat my frustration in chocolate, I know it wouldn't be good for my fitness and weight loss goals, so instead I turn to the comfort of coffee with rich, creamy coconut milk.

I need ideas for a creative income. I would love to find something artistic, artsy, crafty, useful... something that will turn into something besides just another part-time job. Currently I blog, I do sponsored tweets on Twitter, and sell the occasional SCOBY. None of those are particularly helpful right now. I've had the television on the Cooking Channel, one of my new favorite channels, hoping for a spark of inspiration. I just saw a fantastic recipe for fudge that didn't have sugar in it. I wonder... is condensed milk Primal?

This Nigella woman on the Cooking Channel is fascinating. I like her food and her accent. Her style is a bit too fancy for my lifestyle but that's ok. Hmm... just had a thought. It's almost time for eggnog.

Sorry for the sidetrack.



I think... perhaps the next several posts will be about being thrifty, miserly, poor... what have you. I'm going to adopt as much of a minimalist lifestyle as possible. There will be no spending in this house on anything but essentials. That'll be very hard for me, but with a freezer stocked with meat and animal parts, I'm quite sure I'll survive. What are your thoughts on creating a challenge for myself, to spend no money on anything but necessities until the first of the year?

It would be an interesting challenge for sure- something like Lent, but not. Of course when I do spend I'll have to check in and be accountable. There are only a couple things I can think of that I couldn't do without. Coffee, for starters, and eggs (because they're incredibly cheap and tasty.) Maybe an occasional cabbage or squash, so long as it costs say... less than $1.00 per serving. So if I spend $3.00 on a squash, it must last 3 meals. I have a feeling I'll be eating a lot of cabbage and onions until January.

Of course toiletries and cleaning supplies run out, so those will have to be kept as inexpensive as possible, and coupons used when available. It sort of feels like I'm starting the Dave Ramsey baby steps all over again.

Well... I guess the only thing left to say is... wish me luck?

Wonkiness

Life has been very wonky these last couple of days. I mean everything that could go crazy has. It started yesterday and still hasn't ended. It left me thinking "Really? This is what the new year will be like?" Most of the wonkiness has to do with my Jetta, leaving me and my family to play musical cars for a day or two while they find a coolant leak in my car, and hopefully get it fixed quickly.

After getting a rough plan of how to juggle cars, and leaving work, I was off to do my patriotic duty and vote. I've been looking forward to voting all day so I hurridly went to my last known voting station to find I'm nolonger in their book. I moved since voting last, so I wasn't totally surprised. They directed me to another location near where I live. There I was most certainly surprised to not be in their register either! They directed me to yet another location. This third location took me through winding, hilly roads to the middle of nowhere. I was quite pleased with myself for having found it at all! But find it I did, and my ballot has been cast. I now anxiously await the results of the election.

And yes, I committed a blogfail. You know how I said I'd have pictures of Sunday's Halloween eats and festivities? Well uhh... umm... oops. I think I did a wonderful job getting everything prepared in an orderly fashion and having the kitchen actually clean when my guests arrived. The chickens were crisp and baking happily in the oven, ready to be eaten at any minute... except they weren't getting up to temperature by my thermometer, and their little buttons didn't pop. We waited, and waited... and waited. After an hour of snacking on marrow bones, little toasts (my guests, not me) and drinking coffee and cider, we decided the chicken was "close enough" and dug in to eat. It was at that point I forgot completely to take a single picture! Not one. I realized this as I was dishing up dessert toward the end of the night- which might I add, was absolutely delicious.

I do have a few photos I can share from the weekend of some fun costuming.


Myself and my sis as Zombies...

        


Impromptu photo shoot in front of Cargill...




Another photo opp at a headstone maker...




Me in my favorite vamp clothes...

       


Lil Sis and her current Dude...




Lil Sis & I. She's got wicked tall shoes on...




It was a crazy fun weekend, with a little crazy trickling out through the week. I'm really looking forward to the slowdown of winter now, though not the cold, the snow, and the ice. Here in New York winter is peeking in our windows and it's quite obvious the seasons are ready to change. I'm very much anticipating hearty eats of meat and fat for the upcoming months as the produce season passes.

With any luck the car will be fixed tomorrow, and things will flow along at a normal pace with as little chaos as possible. It does make me happy that I was able to feed half a dozen guests on Halloween with good, mostly Primal food and even received a few compliments. I'm disappointed that I lost my brain and didn't get good food photos. Perhaps next year.