sustainable living

fires out, cayennes in

Thankfully the wildfires in the area are out, and we’ve had a little rain over the last month to clear the air. During the height of the smoke we escaped to Colorado for 10 days for an impromptu visit with friends. After that I had to go to San Francisco on business for another 10 days, so most of September was spent traveling. I hated to leave the garden knowing it wouldn’t survive without daily watering, but with the smoke and lack of sunshine it wasn’t clear how well September would have produced anyway. I was able to harvest some ripe cayenne peppers and a couple of quarts of tomatoes

October 4, 2015

vine-smoked chipotles

Wildfires continue to burn throughout the area, making it dark in the middle of the day. This picture was taken at noon. Most of the garden leaves are starting to curl, yellow, and drop off after more than two weeks of nearly constant smoke. The tomatoes have pretty much stopped ripening — except for a few determined black cherry tomatoes. Cayenne and jalapenos are the exception. They continue to ripen slowly and the plants still look relatively healthy. Can chipotles be smoked on the vine?

pickled tomatoes experiment

Smoke from the wildfires made for a change in plans from outdoor to indoor work today. The only place to be is indoors with windows closed and air filters running on high. Outside looks (and smells) like nuclear winter at the moment. Makes it hard to catch your breath. I had a couple of pints of fresh-picked cherry tomatoes, a few jalapeno and cayenne peppers, and a sweet onion that needed to be eaten or preserved, so decided to try pickling them. I’ve done pickled peppers before, but not sure how the fresh taste of tomatoes will hold up after time in the jar. Tomatoes tend to ripen a few

August 24, 2015

knäkkebrød

Traditional Swedish knäkkebrød is a great option if you’re looking for a high-fiber, low calorie, and low gluten alternative to regular bread. I’ve been buying the Wasa brand for years, and finally decided to make some from scratch. I like the result much better, and it’s fairly easy to make. First, gather your ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast 2 cups lukewarm water 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon fennel or cumin seed, crushed 1 cup coarse rye meal 2 1/2 cups dark rye flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (more as needed to make a firm dough) Mix ingredients in order of the list above.

August 23, 2015

wildfire season

Summer in Montana brings wildfires. We have them burning north, south, east, and west of us. The nearest is 50 miles away, so we’re a distance from the burning zone. However, the smoke has been thick, making breathing hard — especially for those of us who have asthma. Last night we got a little bit of rain, which cleared the smoke somewhat. This morning’s view was relatively blue. Perhaps the tomatoes got a little smokey flavor as a plus 🙂

first farmers’ market

Growing sunflower greens and pea shoots has been a success, so decided to dip my toe into selling at the local farmers’ markets. I wanted to be sure I had at least a couple reliable crops to sell through the summer and into fall, especially since my big garden ambitions were downsized this year. I applied to three local farmers’ markets, and so far have a reserved space at the largest one in Kalispell, Montana. I’m selling the sunflower greens and pea shoots, as well as any extra tomatoes and chilies from the garden as they come into season. In addition to produce, I’ll be selling skincare oil and my bison

April 26, 2015

winter crochet project

Several unplanned days being snowed in off and on over the last couple months makes for lots of time to finish lingering projects. I started this sampler square crochet wool afghan almost three years ago. Admittedly, most of that time it’s been stashed in a craft closet. Each square is a different pattern. I knew I’d get bored doing the same stitch over and over. Before connecting the squares, I soaked them in a diluted solution of hair conditioner and water, rinsed, and blocked them. I pinned the damp squares to an interlocking rubber floor mat. Blocking makes the squares flat and even, and helps the pattern show up better. Once the squares were dry,

January 26, 2015

happy new year!

As the sun rises on the last day of 2014, looking forward to experiencing what 2015 may hold….

snowbound

If you have to be snowbound, Planet B is the perfect place…

Planet B Gardens