Sunday, March 15, 2015

Homestead Happiness for March, Week 2

We skipped our HAP post last week because there wasn't too much to report on, other than the potato starch experiment.  We mostly did that, played in the snow, and tried to figure out why our bees died (more on that in a few days).  But there were a few snippets of progress this week.  Here's how we entertained ourselves:

We had collected our soil samples back in early February, when the ground was unfrozen and dry from a warm and sunny January.  But we finally got the dirt fully dry and broke up all the chunks.

That meant it was ready to bag it up and send to Massachusetts for nutrient and heavy metal testing!  Hopefully we only have to do the metal testing once, since it's expensive.

Saturday was Pi Day.  We're trying to cut down on our sugar consumption, but on a nerdy holiday that celebrates with dessert, we didn't stand a chance.  The recipe was essentially this.

Free composting/mulching materials.  Thanks, Craigslist!

REUBENS!!!!

Ok, the real St. Patrick's Day isn't until Tuesday, but Sunday was the start of Irish Food Week here at the Lab.  Plus, we couldn't wait until Tuesday to cook up our corned beast because we've got pesky obligations that last all day, e.g., off-homestead work.

What made you happy this week?  Let us know in the comments section below!




6 comments:

  1. Funny sequence of pie recipe and mulch picture. ...hee hee. I thought you were going to say you started the pie by gathering mulch to make the crust or something!

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    1. Ha! Well, it didn't look like there was much grain left in the straw, but the chickens sure had a blast scratching my nice neat pile into a one-inch layer over three times the area. If there was any grain in there, there definitely isn't anymore!

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  2. Your corned beast looks very tasty! So does the pie!

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  3. Rubens and pi sound like the perfect meal! Just out of curiosity, why are you testing for heavy metals?

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    1. We happened to find out last summer, from someone who grew up in the house we're now renting, that there used to be a chicken coop and some other outbuildings close to (or possibly on top of) where we were planning to expand the garden. Those buildings would have been built in the days when lead paint was still en vogue, so we thought it would be prudent to check for at least the most likely contaminants. Hopefully just a one-shot deal for some peace of mind!

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    2. Definitely worth the peace of mind! I hope the results are negative.

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