Living Foods

My Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut...Mmmmmm

Last year, I was having a health issue, and one of the things I did to improve it was to delve into the world of raw and living foods. We sprout our breakfast cereal grains (spelt, kamut, rye, and wehani rice), we got into sprouting mung beans, lentils, and alfalfa. And we got into raw juice, especially the juice of greens like kale, collard greens, and bok choi, mixed with healthy doses of carrots, beets, celery, and apples for sweetness. (For a great website on juicing, check out Juice Feasting. I haven't ever done it, but may some day).

Around that time, I got turned onto a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. Sally is a champion of living foods, whole foods, and something that I learned a lot about from her book was about the benefits of truly cultured and raw dairy products. I'm not talking about Yoplait yogurt, filled with sugar (or maybe corn syrup?), and flavorings and thickeners, I'm talking about kefir, homemade yogurt, homemade cheese, and whey. I've kind of programmed myself against dairy products as mucous-producing foods best left to infrequent use. Our family meals use dairy as more of a condiment than a main ingredient.

But now we are trying some experiments, as our neighbors are milking a goat. Besides having fresh, raw goat milk to give our daughter when she wants milk, I tried making some kefir last week, and some goat ricotta. The kefir was super easy. If I had real kefir grains, it would have been even easier. I used some commercial culture that comes in a little packet. You heat the milk to 180 degrees, let it cool, and stir in the culture. Then, leave out at room temp for approximately 24 hours, and you have kefir. Kind of like liquid yogurt. SO good with a little maple syrup to sweeten, or in pancakes. I also made goat ricotta, by pitching lemon juice into 180 degree goat milk, and straining the curds through cheesecloth. I added salt and garlic into the cheese, and enjoyed it on crackers. Yummmm.

Making cheese leaves whey behind, and I have been dying to try making sauerkraut with whey, which I have heard makes amazing kraut. I used the recipe from this website. It's supposed to be ready tomorrow, and I can't wait to try it.

And finally, we've been given a kombucha scoby, and I've got our first batch of kombucha fermenting on the counter. I am really excited about this, because even though I love the product, it kind of feels like those kombucha companies are gouging us, given that it's made with plain old black tea and white sugar, and a reproducing culture. It's not like it costs anywhere NEAR $4 per jar to produce. So I'm happy to make my own at home.

Looking forward to sharing the fruits of these labors when I get to try them...hmmm, what do I tag this post with? Maybe wildcrafting, as these foods are about nourishing wild little critters?

Here Comes Plaster

Our first test area, in the Master Bedroom



Same wall, Done with first basecoat



Other wall, almost done, with basecoat

I couldn't help myself any longer...we've been inching toward plaster-type tasks these last few weeks, and I just had to get my trowel dirty, and dive in. So on Tuesday, we mixed up our first batch of Structolite and sand plaster and applied it to our Faswall block walls. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy the material is to mix and trowel. However, we quickly realized that we're going to need to do at least two coats of this basecoat plaster before the walls are ready for the American Clay. The Faswall blocks have a good bit of variation between rows and courses, leaving some blocks slightly proud, and some slightly sunken. Additionally, sometimes there are some gaps between blocks, and also at corners that need to get filled. So we'll have to see how the second coat goes on. Hopefully, we'll be able to do mostly level it with the second coat of plaster.

Even though we realized there is a second coat needed, we are thrilled with the transformation of the Faswall wall! It looks so nice! And light! And finished! I am loving it! Plastering is addictive. I hope I continue to enjoy it so much as we continue on with it...

Drywall Continues

The drywall job continues to transform our spaces, one by one, into approximations of the final product. I wanted to post the lastest views of rooms here. First is the pantry, the windowless box that will house our cold storage produce like carrots, cabbages, onions, and beets, our dry grains, our home-canned goods, as well as wine and beer. Oh, and all the canning equipment which currently is stored far away from my kitchen. Can't wait. The best part about it is that little grate you can see near the floor. It connects via 6 inch pipe to the outdoors, to passively let cold, north-side air into the pantry. Bascially, for a plain box, it's a pretty exciting little room.



Next is the north side main ceiling. It feels so much lighter and less busy, now that the raw insulation and rafters are covered up. Now the beautiful south-facing clerestory windows are allowing sunlight to reflect off the white drywall paper. I think it looks really nice.



Next, we have the entry room, which feels similarly transformed, into a lighter, reflective space. Unless it's early morning, this room is kind of dark. It doesn't really need to be any different, but it feels fresher to have it rocked. In one view, you can see the closet, and in the other, you are looking in toward the guest/massage space.




Finally, we have the guest bath, not really an excessively exciting room, but it is still nice to see it undergoing its facelift, too. The bathrooms have colored drywall, as it has some kind of moisture block. The area in the shower has yet to be covered by Hardibacker, which is concrete board. This will be backing for tile of some kind.




Last night, Drew and I made a "punch list" of all that is left to do to finish our room. It's a big list, but it's still a FINITE list. We'll see how far we can get, as Drew is about to begin his Salmon Group estuary project soon, and our star worker will also be on to other projects soon. I'm gonna have to step it up a little bit.

Sack-a-Tomatoes for the Weekend

Sliding down from Owl's Treehouse in Hundred Acre Wood

Somehow, my only photos of our weekend adventure to Sacramento, are a few shots of Ella from Fairy Tale Land. But our weekend included so much more. It began with duck feeding at the ponds at Real Goods, and elevator rides at Grandma Barbara's house in Oakland, an amazing dinner followed by Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote video, a round-trip BART ride to breakfast in Rockridge, lunch at a delicious Mexican cantina in Oakland, a drive to Sacramento which included a round of the alphabet game, dinner at a very busy Chinese restaurant, a stay in a 7th floor suite across the street from Capitol Park, a visit to said Fairy Tale Land, a trip to the zoo, and a first-ever ice cream sundae, as children were not invited to the wedding, and Ella remained with our friends for the evening. And at the end of the trip, our last piece of fun was a short mini-hike in the redwoods, an hour from home, where we all breathed a sigh of relief at feeling the quiet of the giant trees, the gurgle of Bull Creek, and the songs of the solitary vireo and the varied thrush. Ahhhhh. That experience was complete with warm breezes.

While we were hiking, I asked Ella if she was still sad we were coming home (she was crying and saying she didn't want to go home). She said, "I thought I didn't want to come home, but home is so great!" So there you have it.

Outside Windowsills

Last summer, we debated around and around about what to do with our exterior finish "look". We wanted to install our windows, as designed, with their nailing fin, but we wanted the windows to have a heavier look that defined them more clearly. So, at Karl's urging, we designed concrete windowsills, which we formed out in the fall, and then stained with a concrete stain. They have metal strapping stuck in the back, which slips under the windows, and inside the house for anchoring. Then, the finish coat of stucco will go right up to the edge, blending them into the exterior.

Drew and Aaron installed the first ones the other day, because we couldn't proceed with the inside windowsills until the outside ones were done. And we can't plaster until the interior windowsills are done. Lots of "in-order-to's".

I'm really happy with how they look. I think they're going to look even more beautiful when the final coat of plaster goes on the outside.

Hanging Drywall

Hanging a 4x12 foot sheet with the drywall jack


Hallway and Laundry Closet


Master Bedroom


Second small Bedroom with Clerestory Windows in Loft


We've at last arrived at the drywall hanging part of our house project, which has been the most exciting for me, so far. It's taking the rough outline of the house we envisioned three years ago, and fleshes out the concept into actual rooms with ceilings. In addition, we're able to begin choosing finish details, such as floor and wall colors, and trim details. The finished end is in sight!

Not that I have any illusions about the amount of work required to move us forward to the end of our process. Everyone says, and I think they're right, "drywall hung, half-way done." I can see how imagining finishing the ENTIRE house would feel daunting and nearly impossible. But we are planning on taking it room by room, starting with the master suite, which includes the bedroom, bathroom, and our large closet. It is about the same square footage of the yurt, but it would only be a bedroom. We are hoping to finish this first and move into it. For now, we are mudding and taping, and preparing for plastering.

To try out the product, and evaluate its cost and usefulness, we are going to use American Clay in our bedroom and bathroom. The exterior walls, which at this point are still raw Faswall blocks, will get an initial base coat of Structolite, which is basically a gypsum plaster, mixed with sand. We are also evaluating another product from American Clay called Enjarre, which is clay plaster designed for commercial installation. Whereas the regular American Clay plaster is applied by hand, Enjarre has a different recipe which allows it to be sprayed on and then back-trowled, and it is less expensive. Basically, it's cheaper and takes a lot less time to install. I'll be updating on this as it evolves.

The Latest From Around Town

Ella Painting The Brat



The Brat Lined Up With its Competitors



Ella Sings at the Cabaret


I haven't written in a while, and of course that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. Now that the weather has returned to a cold and wet pattern, I'm finding a moment to catch up on indoor work.

First of all, we've all been sick for several weeks. At last, it appears we are nearly through it all. Back at the beginning of the sickness, the Mattole School (Booster Club?) hosted the annual Pinewood Derby. Ella is old enough this year to appreciate the activity and the competition, and wanted to make her own car. Drew helped her create the design, called "The Brat" after our actual Subaru Brat mini-pickup. When we went to town, she wanted to buy an octopus and a blue sea horse to drive the car, but alas, we couldn't find such specific items, and we settled for farm animals instead: A white rabbit driving, and a cow riding in the bed in the back. She obviously had a full body experience of painting her car on a warm day. Ella's car came in second place in the kid category!

Next, we have Ella singing "Don't Put Your Finger Up Your Nose" at the Cabaret last weekend. Those pre-schoolers are so cute. It's a good thing we have them around for comic relief and cuteness. More of that with Easter coming this weekend.

Finally, our other big news is that our un-permitted house has been found by the building inspector, so we are now going to have to go through the permit process. After a brief moment of annoyance, we've decided it's really for the better. Now we won't have to feel we're hiding it anymore. So we're actively engaged in figuring out what to do and how to proceed. More will come on that, I'm sure.

Mountain Lion Visit

Tonight while I was cooking dinner, Drew came inside and asked if I could leave for a minute. "Hmmm, sure for a few minutes."
"I found something you have to see. I won't say what it is, but bring the camera."

I know both of us well enough to know that when we say such things, we've usually found some odd, natural history curiosity, for which either of us will drop everything to explore. We walked out of the yurt and headed south along the loop road, and then Drew led us down an abandoned road toward the place where we were going to put a second yurt. As we descended into the tree tunnel, I could immediately see what it was.

No way. I have lived here for more than three years, and I have spent many years before that looking, and I have maybe only seen definitive big cat evidence once, until today. It is unmistakable. The dead animal, covered with leaves and twigs and dirt, surrounded by raked grass. A look-alike to the small offerings our pet-cats leave in a patch of unmonitored sand, but oh-so-much-larger. Freakishly larger. Frighteningly larger.

Acer, our dog, has been barking more than usual into the bushes, and now we know why. Also, our neighbors have not only seen another lion kill right near their house, but they actually saw the critter itself. So I suppose we should be aware and on the lookout. I don't think I'll be sending Ella out to play in the yard by herself anytime soon.

It's curious to contemplate why there is a cat around now. Late winter hunger? Is it a momma with kittens? Drew also saw another recently dead deer across the creek, though he suspects a coyote kill. Maybe they have pups now, too, so there is extra pressure for food? I once thought there were lions around several years ago, based on the way Acer behaved on a walk home from our neighbor's home across the creek, but it was fleeting, and until now there hasn't been any action aside from coyotes. Though I admit to feeling some fear, I also try to look at it as an opportunity for learning and increased awareness.

House Insulation

At long last, we are insulating the house this week. It has been a long road to get here. We had hoped this step would have been completed in the fall, but if house-building and construction life has taught us anything, it's that everything takes much longer than you thought it would.

The reason it takes so long to prepare for insulation is that all the wiring, and all the plumbing and roof penetrations, and really anything that needs to travel in the walls or ceiling, needs to be in place before the insulating can take place, because once it's there, that's it. No more access.

We've had pushes like this before. The floor plumbing and drain and vent system, and water supply was like this too, before we poured the slab. It's chaos making sure we have covered all the details, decisions must be made, and all the while, we are praying we haven't forgotten something. The chaos was enhanced in this project because in order for the insulators to do their job, we had to make sure the house was empty. This shouldn't be a problem, because we don't live in the house yet, right? Well, in theory, yes, but the house was full of building materials, tools, and un-cleaned-up projects. So the cleaning/moving out project took a day and a half. But now that it's done, it's really relaxing, to watch the professionals do their thing, AND to appreciate the cleaned out space.

We are insulating with a spray-foam product that is very very cool. Grow Insulation uses a product called Sealection 500, which is a corn and soy based spray foam. They spray it in a liquid form, and in seconds, it expands 120 times it's volume, sealing all cracks and gaps. Once it cures (which happens quickly), it has no odor, is hypo-allergenic, and is totally non-toxic. We are really excited to see how this installation changes the thermal performance of our passive-solar home. We'll keep you posted on that.

Spring Planting

One of my first tasks upon returning home from five weeks of vacation (besides mowing grass) was to plant my warm weather seeds: tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. I had the wherewithal to remember to make my seed order while I was still shussing the slopes of Heavenly powder, so my seeds were patiently waiting for me in the post office.

Each successive year with Ella right now is more and more fun, as she is able to participate in the regular, seasonal homestead jobs in more and more meaningful ways. I told her I was going to plant seeds, and she said, "Momma, I want to plant seeds too! [giggle]. So I set up the flats with potting soil, and made little depressions for the seeds, and she placed each tomato and pepper and eggplant seed lovingly into the cells, and gently covered them with soil. She also very much wanted to place the variety labels into the flats, to mark the rows: Sungolds, Brandywines, Muscovich, San Marzanos, and Super Marzano 3's. As last year, I am starting them inside the yurt, to avoid mouse predation, and to protect against the frosts we are still having.

In addition to the warm crops, I also planted about 1,000 onions, a mix of storage and sweet onions. They are hanging out in the cold frame, waiting to sprout. I also replanted beets, and transplanted out my broccoli and cabbage, which I started before we left on our trip. Our cold frame performed beautifully (coupled with dear housesitter Andrea's watering ministrations), to produce gorgeous seedlings ready for the soil on our return. I've tucked them in with a floating row cover and they are already growing well. I also transplanted in some bok choi, kale, lettuce and such. The spring garden is so full of excitement, so full of hopes for the whole season, planting fantasies and visions of what we will eat in the fall.

I do hope warmer spring weather comes soon...