Getting Off The Grid - Cooking Food That Grows Wild - Poke Salad

Poke salad is a weed that grows wild in Alabama. To me its free food.

Most people pick it in the Spring and early summer. There is an old wives tale that you need to eat poke salad three times a year to clean the toxins out of your body. I eat it because I like the taste, it reminds me of the taste of spinach, some say a mix of spinach and turnip greens.

Here is the process, If you do not do it this way you may get very sick, it will cause diarrhea.

Pick poke salad, I use a shopping bag full because it will cook down.

Wash your poke salad, make sure there are not any bugs or bird poop on it .

In a large pot add poke salad and fill one half full with water. Boil about ten minutes till its all wilted and the water is a dark olive green.

Remove from heat and drain all water, rinse with cool water. 

Add 1/2 pot of water again and bring to a rolling boil again about five minutes.

Repeat the draining and rinsing.

Add 1/2 pot of water and boil again for ten minutes.

Drain and rinse this last time, leave in strainer and let all the water drain out.

When the poke salad has cooled down take hand fulls and squeeze all the liquid out. Lay aside in a plate each time.

In a large skillet pour a thin amount of olive oil over the bottom, heat over a medium heat. (if you still live dangerous use bacon grease, its fabulous!) Add one finely chopped onion, cook till the onions are clear.

Add the Poke salad, stir it around till its covered with the oil, cook a few minutes.

Pull all the poke salad and onions to one side of the skillet and add several eggs to the open side (3 ). Scrabble the eggs in that section of the skillet. when the eggs are almost done mix the poke salad in with the eggs.

Cut off heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

That is how I make Poke salad . That is a down home deep south recipe that has been passed down generations ... but I use olive oil and not lard.

Serve with hot fresh cornbread and a pot of beans! Makes  a meal complete!

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

8 Tips To Save Energy This Winter - Getting Off The Grid

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Most people know that when winter hits we need to make sure a few things are done around the house so that we will stay warm and not be heating the great outdoors. Plus, who want to pay extra for that power bill? Not me!

Some people already do a few of these tips but maybe there will be one that was overlooked that will help, I am all about paying for what I use but hey, money is money and I don`t want to throw it away.

1 - Some people are like me and just cannot breathe in a hot house so 68° anytime is comfortable, that is what most power companies suggest that you set the thermostat at in the winter months.

2 - To me this is a no brainer, wear clothes! If you wear clothes in the winter you`re gonna be warmer, so if the thermostat is down you wont even notice!

3 - Open those curtains and blind and let the sunshine in! Not only will it warm the house naturally but looking at the pretty sunshine will lift your mood as well.

4 - Check out the weather striping around problem doors and windows, caulk around the window panes too, sometimes a little putty is missing and that little air hole makes it cold inside.

5 - The ceiling fans. Do you have one? There is this button that can be flipped up or down, flip it and the fan will push hot air down from the ceiling.

6 - To me this is the best tip of all! Make sure you seal around the dryer vent hole, the water pipe holes, any hole that you have made for pipes to come into the house. Not only will this make the floor warmer in that area but rodents cannot use that gap to come inside to live for the winter.

7 - Wrap an insulation blanket around the hot water heater to keep the hot water hot longer. If you do not have a flip off switch already ( looks just like a light switch) ask an electrician to install one. With the insulating blanket and the flip off switch you`ll really save a lot on hot water this winter.

8 - No everyone lives in a nice house, some of us do the best we can and that means we rent or have bought an old house. One thing I always do and that is I put plastic over the old windows to stop the air from getting in. If you are like me you`ll put it up inside the house and on the outside of the house, for some reason this works really good.

If I forgot one that you know about and I don`t, share by all means! I am always open to new ideas and I thrive on saving my money and energy.

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

What To Do With Kale - Getting Off The Grid

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One lesson I am learning while getting off the grid is that if you grow it you should eat it, or trade it for something you do eat.

This year the crops did well here in central Alabama in the months of May and June but when July came around a drought set in and rain was only a sprinkle and did none of the plants any good.

But being the woman to test drive the getting off the grid thing, I planted a huge section of the field with Kale, again, last year it was awesome and I had so much kale I was giving it away and trading it for pecans and other fall favorites. Now its the beginning of October and we still have not had any rain, its been 12 days since I sowed the seed for kale and other greens. I did water the area every other day for the first week. Then I had to make the decision, Do I run up the water bill and defeat the purpose of living free or do I just pray and hope for the best?

I gave up watering and went with prayer.

BUT....

Last year was a fabulous year and I did home can and freeze plenty of kale so I am not without my favorite green. Here is a few ways I used the kale I grew and still have in my freezer or pantry.

When I have fresh kale I made this side dish and its wonderful with no bitter bite to it at all, pairs well with carrots and iron skillet fried potatoes.

~ Lemon Kale ~

I took a couple tablespoons of olive oil and put it in a skillet, added one chopped onions and a clove of garlic and cooked them about a minute, then I added several cups of chopped kale, 1/2 cup vegetable broth and covered with a lid to steam the kale down. Then I add the juice of a lemon and agave nectar to taste. I cook for a couple minutes and turn off the heat. I let this rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

And lets not forget the favorite way to eat Kale down here in the deep South.

~Boiled Kale With Pepper Sauce~

Pick or buy a nice bunch of kale. Remember this will cook down so you`ll need a lot.

Rinse well to remove any dirt.

Fill a large cooking with the cleaned kale and cover with water, cook on medium high heat, stirring the kale to make sure all of its getting cooked. Add a tablespoon of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar.

Cook for around 45 minutes, watching to make sure that it still has plenty of water.

When the kale is cooked spoon a heaping amount into a bowl using a slotted spoon. Drizzle pepper sauce over the top and serve with cornbread.

NOTE: Pepper sauce is a slang word used here in Alabama for the liquid used to pickle hot peppers.

Some people are looking for that healthier treat to eat and its all that to make Kale chips and you want to know why? They are delicious!

A fews back I got this amazing dehydrator for Christmas and although it is ran on power I will say it does a wonderful job and I do not use it as much as I should, even getting off the grid and reducing power. But you can do these in the over on a low temp, or outside in your homemade solar dehydrator.

~ Kale Chips~

Clean the kale and allow to dry.

Spread the large kale leaves on a cookie sheet that has been generously oiled with olive oil and roll the leaves in the oil. Place on your dehydrator sheets and sprinkle lightly with seasoned salt.

Dehydrate until they are crunchy. Remove from the dehydrator and allow to cool completely, if any are flimsy they are not ready, dehydrate longer. Store in an air tight container, if there are any left :)

Note: with this recipe you may add what flavors you like.

Kale is one of those power foods that does not cost much and can be cooked so many ways.

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry - Last photo is mixed greens.

Venison - How to Home Can Venison

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Venison - How to Home Can Venison

Venison is the meat of the deer, here in Central Alabama the deer are plentiful almost to the point that they can become a nuisance for many farmers, even small time vegetable gardeners like myself. Whitetail is the common type of deer in this part of the United States.

Usually one or more deer are taken for food per year for this household. There is no trophy hunting involved, you kill the animal you eat the animal. Its much like raising a pig for pork or a cow for beef but they run free and you either hunt on your own property or get a hunting permit from other property owners, there is state land that anyone can hunt.

I usually freeze the deer and just cook it as I want this meat for dinner, but since I am headed off the grid I am home canning more and more to reduce the power of a deep freezer, and canned deer is delicious!

I used a hind quarter from a spike deer, The bigger the deer, with bigger antlers the stronger tasting and tougher the meat will be, the younger deer are tender and has less fat.

First I wash of the leg off making sure its clean , then I slice the meat off the bone using a very sharp knife.

Next I cube the meat, you may slice the meat if that is how you would like to serve it.

I cooked the meat for 15 minutes in a pot filled with water.

Then I filled my clean canning jars 2/3 full with meat and covered the meat with the deer broth to within one inch head space, apply new lids.

In the pressure canner I put 3 quarts of water, a couple spoons of vinegar and I had it nearly to the point of boiling then I placed seven pints of the venison into the pressure canner.

I covered and processed for 1 hour and 30 minutes. I allow the cooker to cool on its own, then I remove the home canned venison and put it on a towel, carefully because its still bubbling, After its cooled down I removed the band, label and store in a cool dark place.

And that is how to home can venison aka deer meat.

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry - taken 9-21-16 during a home canning session.

Getting Off The Grid - Time For Sharing From The Homestead

When you are trying your best to live on what you grow and raise it can be hard to buy gifts for people during Christmastime so I do things a little different.

I share what I canned all year, the jams and jellies, and I bake! Fresh cookies, pies and Cakes.

So far I have been extra nice and giving. One guy, the electrician, left with a case of jams, jellies and pickled tomatoes. Tony`s sister left with a little more than a case of jams, jellies and pickled vegetables and pickled eggs. The angels from Birmingham that loaned me a car left with a sack filled with jelly and sugar free jams.

I baked a batch of cookies, that means five different kinds, and I gave my favorite Alfa agent a plate full, next was the preacher and his wife they are in their late 70`s but helped me when I needed them and I always give them cookies at Christmas, another delivery is for this elderly lady that is the greeter at walmart, she is 85 years old and her husband is 86 years old. I went to the door and I seen her arm in a sling, she had fallen and broke her arm. 

I have a few more elderly people to visit this coming week to leave them a gift of cookies and a few more to leave pies.

I love homemade anything as a gift, not just food. Once I got a painting of two red birds for my birthday gift. Another time my step mom made me a quilt and Tony`s mom crocheted me this big beautiful dolie. I have to say I loved all of those so much I still have them. Another time someone planted a tree in my name through the Arbor day foundation. 

Are you sharing your homemade gifts?

If you would like to know how to make all these wonderful cookies and the best coconut pie ever! Check out the recipes :

Sinful coconut pie

https://niume.com/post/93032

Orange sugar cookies

https://niume.com/post/196119

Chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies

https://niume.com/post/193848

Peanut butter no bake cookies

https://niume.com/post/188254

And

Peanut butter crispy cookies

https://niume.com/post/195085

Enjoy!

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

Getting Off The Grid - Wintertime

December 9,2016

This is the first weekend of extremely cold temperatures in my area, Anniston, Alabama. A couple days down into the 40`s and nights around 25 degrees but being Alabama we will recover and have the normal temps back in a couple days, those would be in the 50`s and 60`s for daytime highs and 30`s to 40`s for nighttime lows. Actually its not uncommon to see the 70`s around Christmas and of coarse the rare snow flake is also possible.

After not having rain for so many days the rain finally came when December arrived. With that rain I now have the greens coming up, only to get killed back by the deep freeze. I am hoping that some of them make it and I can have a good mess of greens grown on my land.

With the rain the sweet gum trees dropped their leaves, leaving behind the pods.

The hickory tree also dropped its leaves and a few nuts, they are not huge but to a hungry nut eating animal its food. I love them but they are so hard to break and pick, I have not learned an easy way to remove the nut, yet. I am thinking about collecting all the nuts I can and taking them into the woods and planting them, make for some really good lumber one day.

Back in the fall I had to chose my job over the homestead, something I did not want to do, because of the drought I needed to stock a few things for wintertime and I had sickness to hit the family hard. I did not get the greenhouse up as planned.

What should I do this winter to help myself for the coming spring? 

I will plan the food plots. I am almost 100% sure I will be doing the planting alone the upcoming year and I can adjust the growing to my needs. There is no sense in growing only tomatoes when I need green beans and other vegetables, plus I am not in need of hot peppers so a couple of plants will be enough.

I am learning how to grow just the right amount of plants for my needs, I am used to growing a lot and giving plants away, I need to think wiser and not be so wasteful. 

As far as getting the solar power bought and installed I have not done either. I have to make sure I will live here for a long period of time before I make that huge leap and investment. I am still thinking I need to down size my space.

Many things to think about because life throws in many curve balls.

Have you accomplished anything on your homestead this December 2016?

http://getoffthegrid2.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-much-food-is-needed-getting-off-grid.html

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

Can It Be Done? - Getting Off The Grid

Can It Be Done? - Getting Off The Grid

What to do? 

Life is just happening right now and its spinning out of control, work and work and then more work on top of that work.

I am not even talking about working toward my goal of getting off the grid either, it seems I am being pushed more to use the grid and depend on it.

Is this a sign? 

The garden is now looking more like its a part of the lawn, I have a few bell pepper plants left and those are small, and the fall squash, I get some without worms and some with, I am tossing as much as I am harvesting.

I cannot seem to find the time to get the area plowed for the winter greens, at this point I am not sure if I can get them into the ground and growing before the cold temps get here.

Greenhouse? Nope! That is the impossible dream at the moment, not just the finds but the time to build it.

Food storage?

I have not canned or froze anything in weeks. However I did buy four pounds of carrots yesterday and two and a half dozen of eggs that I will try to get home canned today. More pickled eggs and more pints of carrots for meals or to add to soups is not much but its better than doing nothing.

Savings?

I can bet that this coming month the savings on the electric bill will not be much, since I am working so much I am having to do laundry at night again, meaning I have to use the electric dryer.

One or maybe two nights the hot water heater was left on by another member of the household, that is a real power sucker!

Should I give up my dream to be Power and water bill free for the rest of my life?  Should I not worry with a garden and buy my food? Should I continued to be a slave, getting a low income and just surviving month to month for the rest of my life?

Well, I dont know. But..... what I do know is that anything worth something is always, I mean always hard work.

Life pushed me down and now I am back up dusting off the seat of my britches.

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry