Ldychef2k: Notes from a Wannabe - Ldychef2k fesses up.

[Ldychef2k]

Been kind of a busy day. Got up and did some digging this morning, then cleaned house a bit. Worked at my typing for a couple of hours.

Had a lot of errands. I am working on a cheapy food dehydrator plan, and I need a HUGE cardboard box, which I can't find. Tried moving places, storage places, appliance stores (too big for the car), Costco, and FreeCycle. None of them are tall enough. I need 24x24x36 or more. Stopped by Orchard Supply for other components, and ended up only spending $5 for the heat source and the rack holders.

Gave it a try with some frozen veggies, but the heat wasn't high enough, so I tossed the veggies on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven so they wouldn't go to waste.

Picked up more peaches at the farm stand. They are putting a LOT more in the boxes, for $8. I am sure there were 20 pounds. Peeled them and put them in the giant crock pot to make some pretty yummy peach sauce. The pears are never going to ripen, I am convinced. I will process the peach sauce in the morning.

Had my grandduaghter today. She had a visit with her biodad tonight. It always upsets her a lot. He doesn't show up for months, and then when he does there is always so much drama. Because of his history, his visits have to be supervised by law enforement. My DGD said today that she would be okay with only once every six months. She doesn't care for him much.

Typed a few more hours, had a visit with Mom to do the final planning for dinners the next two weeks for my brother and his family's visit. Been doing some cooking and freezing for the past month. She is so funny...it's like she has to be perfect for her son or something. Oh well.

Almost bedtime. It's going to feel really good.

Still trying to put together some kid friendly workshops to teach some of this stuff to the younguns. Might just work out.

 

[Farmfresh]

If you have a car and a few drying racks .... you have got a dehydrator!

Lots of people use a car parked in the sun to dry food. I would not do a meat product that way but lot of other stuff should work great!

 

[Ldychef2k]

I have given that a LOT of thought. Some have told me that yhe only way it works is in the rear or front window. Can I put racks on the seats? In the trunk?

It gets extremely hot here, and stays that way for days and weeks.

I really appreciate the feedback...

 

[Henrietta23]

I like the new picture!

 

[Ldychef2k]

Thank you. I thought it might be time to take the paper bag off my head. Took it in a mirror, thus the seam from the glass.

 

[freemotion]

I have given that a LOT of thought. Some have told me that yhe only way it works is in the rear or front window. Can I put racks on the seats? In the trunk?

It gets extremely hot here, and stays that way for days and weeks.

I really appreciate the feedback...

I've only done leafy stuff in my car, since we have had a cold and cloudy summer here, I haven't had the chance to try veggies or fruit, but I bet it would work on a hot, dry day.

I use plastic soda can crates that I dumpster-dived, and line them with tulle left over from making a wedding veil for a friend. I spread them out on the back seat so we can still use the car. I leave two windows open a tiny bit and park in the sun. Be sure to have the vents set on outside air rather than recirculating. It also helps if you have a rusted out car with holes in the floor!

A friend I told this to uses a scrubbed window screen on her back seat.

If I stack the crates, sometimes only the top layer dries. If I can check them often, and it is really dry out, I can get everything to dry by rotating which ones are on top every couple of hours.

I think that a small fan with an extension cord would really speed things up if you are parked in your driveway all day. You need to leave the windows open...just a crack....to let the moist air out.

I used dh's car as a kiln to dry some birch saplings that I will be making a headboard for our bed out of this fall or winter. It reached 120 by 11 am, hot enough to kill any lurking beetles.

 

[Ldychef2k]

I have been reading a little bit in other posts here about how it gets harder as you get older -- to live this way. I thought it was just me.

As I am pondering whether or not it is worth it, so many things are coming to my mind. I don't want to sound all whiney, because that's not at all how I feel, but there are things that set the stage for how I am thinking right now.

I was raised in a socially prominent family. Not bragging..believe me. There is a lot of garbage that comes with that, such as pressure to behave a certain way, pressure to worry about how your behavior reflects on the family, and pressure to be perfect all the time..in every way.

I didn't do very well ! Many stories in there, but none of them germane right now. Bottom line of this intro is that I was more or less the black sheep. While I learned how to do things "the right way", I became somewhat of a hippie, along the lines of the "Jesus freaks", but not entirely. I lived a spartan live, and it made my family nuts.

Then I went on to be a single mother, working two and three jobs to try and support us. Many times, the utilities were shut off or the rent wasn't paid or the car wasn't running. We had a lot of weeks that we lived on peanut butter and popcorn.

I don't think I really minded all that much being what they now call one of the working poor. I didn't have the pressures of money and position, but there were other concerns, like feeding my daughter. And I knew that I was a huge disappointment to just about everyone.

Ultimately I got over that and learned how to love myself for who I was created to be. I gave all aspects of my life over to the Lord and began to live that verse that says "I have learned that whatsoever state I am in, therein to be content."

I am leaving out a lot, but that's okay.

Now here I come to my 60's. I was briefly married (4 months or so) to a man who didn't support me in any way. I have never been provided for, other than by my Lord and God. I have never had a partner to take the shovel and tell me to sit down for a few. No one to carry things, to dig holes, to pay the bills, to let me rest on their shoulder. I used to cry when I thought about it, but I don't any more. I wish it were different, but I am pretty proud of what I have done alone.

And I am not saying that I am any different than anyone else, but am trying to lay a foundation for a point I hope to make soon.

I guess it is this: Finding out about the existence of a huge portion of our citizenry that live what we call the self sufficient lifestyle has validated my long-standing way of life in a huge way. While I don't live on a farm, farms were very much in my family's life. While I don't have animals or many other things you all have, I am skilled in a lot of things. I have been frugal to a fault all my life. But somehow I never have thought it was enough.

So, as I think about all this, I realize that I have been S.S. for a long time, but now it has somehow become legitimate because I have found others who are living it on a far greater plane than I have, or probably ever will. I hear you guys tell of what you do, and it is so much harder than my little efforts. But because you are doing what you do, I now feel, as I said, validated ! THANKS !

Better get back to my typing. gotta earn the money for the Ball jars !

Thanks for letting me think out loud. I dont think I made much sense to anyone but me...it's not a very fluid point !

Kris

 

[Ldychef2k]

That sounds doable. It is supposed to be high 90's tomorrow, and there is no shade in the driveway after about 1:00, until about 6:00, so that's a good window of opportunity. I have some chopped frozen broccoli that cost about 88 cents so that's a good investment.

I have been using window screens to solar dry in the back yard, but there is too much shade now that the world is turning a little differently !

Thank you for the great info. I will follow your lead and see how it turns out !

 

[FarmerDenise]

I use my car for dehydrating peaches, tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon zest, herbs etc. I leave 2 windows open a crack, I usually do on hot days anyway. It is a good idea to bring the food inside for the night though, since it can cool down quite a bit. Then I just take it back out into the car the next morning. I also started to cover the food with a light muslin cloth in order to keep insects and dirt off of it. We get a lot of dust here and I don't want it on my food. I will also drive around town with the stuff drying in my car.

Your story was very enlightening. I have lived in cities most of my adult life, actually I am living in a city now. This is the first time that I actually have a substantial amount of land to farm and am able to have animals. I did have chickens in my home on a much smaller lot, before I moved in with SO. I have been growing vegies in the smallest of places whenever I could. In one San Francisco flat we had a beautifull big balcony and I grew stuff in wooden crates and whatever pot I could scrounge up.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Nevermind. I don't need to be complaining....