CSA Week 20

HH purchased our winter CSA share today.  We are looking forward to lots of squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, leeks, beets, brussel sprouts, and a variety of hearty greens.  The unfortunate thing about the winter CSA is that we will have to drive out to the farm to pick it up.  We get spoiled over the summer being able to pick everything up across the street from our apartment and HH's workplace. 

This week: delicata squash, parsnips, kohlrabi, bok choy, kale, chard, parsley, and mizuna. 

Guest Post: Cutting the Cable w/ Tommy

My friend Tommy is frugal and a big fan of TV.  This combination led him to trying out a number of different TV antennas and options for creating his own DVR.  I asked Tommy to write a guest post after he suggested I make a TV antenna mostly out of office supplies and found it worked splendidly.  Below is Tommy's experience with sticking it to the cable companies.

Tommy was nice enough to write a follow up post about some of the applications he uses to make his TV watching experience online even better.  Check out his follow up post here.

How To Setup Your Own DVR without Monthly Fees

Who doesn't love having a DVR? You get to record your favorite shows and then watch them when you have the time. But TiVo as well as the cable and satellite companies always seem to want to charge you to “rent” the DVR from them.

So why not dump the cable and satellite companies all together and setup your own DVR?

With there simple components you can have your own DVR with no monthly fees. Here are the components:

1. Computer
2. TV Tuner
3. Antenna

Computer:

The first component is a computer, since most people are running Windows that is what my specific instructions will focus on. If you have a Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC both come with Windows Media Center (WMC) built-in (Windows 8 will not have WMC built in but it will be available for an additional charge). WMC includes full TV Tuner software. This software will not only decode over-the-air TV signals but also provides a complete channel guide for your area based on your zip code. The channel guide automatically downloads up to two weeks of programming and allows you to setup series recordings as well as individual episodes and movies. The settings are highly customizable and include starting recordings early, ending them late, and only recording new episodes or new and repeats alike. The best part of this is none of this costs you extra, whereas TiVo requires a monthly fee if you wish to receive updated programming. In addition to the TV Tuner software, WMC allows you to link in any videos, music, or pictures on your computer into the media center as well. If that isn't enough you can link your Netflix account to watch all your watch instantly content. An additional bonus to using WMC is that sometimes the TV shows you want to watch may be on when your computer would normally be off but simply leaving your computer on wastes a lot of energy. WMC is fully integrated with the power saving feature of your Windows machine so even though we have our computer set to go to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity the computer will reactivate a couple minutes before a scheduled recording is about to begin. We don't have to worry about making sure the computer is on and we don't have to worry about spiking our power bill, its the best of both worlds.

Windows Media Center also includes the Media Extender feature. This feature allows you to use other devices with WMC (such as other computers or your Xbox 360) to access the content you have on the main or host machine. As long as the devices are on the same network you can stream live TV on your computer in the bedroom to your Xbox 360 in the family room. You just have to make sure your network is built to handle the speeds required to stream HD video from one room to another.

TV Tuner:

The TV tuner is another critical component of the no monthly fee DVR. The TV tuner is the hardware that links your antenna (or cable/satelite box) to your computer. TV Tuners come in many varieties from internal cards to external USB tuners. The one I personally use is the Hauppauge HVR 950 (http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hvr950q.html). Its very simple, one end is USB and the other is for your coaxial cable. Most of the USB tuners are close to plug and play and the Hauppauge tuners come with the WinTV software. This software is good but I personally prefer WMC. It is worth noting that if you want to stream live TV to your mobile devices WinTV has this capability but WMC does not (Unless you utilize a separate program called “Remote Potato” but that's another conversation). In any event Hauppauge's products are designed to be compatible with both programs. Before purchasing any TV tuner you will want to make sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements. The over-the-air TV signals are typically broadcast in HD and may require more processing power than other video sources.

Antenna:

Picking the correct antenna can be one of the most difficult choices. Many factors need to be weighed in this decision but the most important is your distance from the broadcasting towers. Fortunately, www.antennaweb.org is designed so that you can put in your address and find out which channels are broadcast in your area and how far away you are from the transmitters. My discussion will focus on indoor antennas but the same goal can be achieved with outdoor antennas. Indoor antennas are best when you are 25 miles or less away from the broadcasting source you want to receive.

My Four Antennas

1.  Coat Hanger Antenna

◦     This was my first attempt at a homemade antenna you can find various designs online that are all basically the same: http://www.google.com/search?q=Coat+Hanger+Antenna

◦     Considering it was made out of coat hangars I was pretty impressed I had fairly consistent reception on most of the channels I was supposed to receive. I was shocked it worked at all.

◦     Total Channels: 9

◦     Reception Quality: Decent with occasional “noise” on most channels

2. Binder-Clip Antenna

◦     This was my second attempt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDg5DR58dUQ) I stumbled upon this YouTube video while looking for other antenna designs and man was I skeptical. I figured if the coat hanger one worked maybe this one could work too.

◦     Man was I blown away, not only did it work but it beat my coat hanger antenna hands down. I received all the channels antenna web said I should and only one of them had spotty reception. So I was satisfied with this one for quite awhile.

◦     Total Channels: 12

◦     Reception Quality: Rare “noise” on some channels one channel with “noise” pretty regularly

3.  Most Expensive Indoor Antenna at Best Buy

◦     I can't remember what brand of antenna it was but one day I just decided that I really wanted to get reception on that one spotty channel. So I spent $90 on the most expensive indoor antenna they had at Best Buy.

◦     After over an hour of trying to get the best position I ended up with about a third of the channels I could easily receive on my binder-clip antenna.

◦     Total Channels: 4

◦     Reception Quality: Excellent on the 4 channels I received

4.  Mohu Leaf/Leaf Plus

◦     After returning the Best Buy antenna I took to Amazon to view the antenna ratings there. I was not too surprised to see that most of the indoor antennas had about 3 out of 5 stars. I was very surprised when I saw the reviews for the Mohu Leaf which had an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

◦     I figure I had to try it and find out for myself and I must say I was not disappointed. I was so happy I bought the Leaf Plus as well, which is an amplified version. The Leaf Plus requires a power source to help boost the signal but they provide you with a USB power cord with a USB to wall outlet converter. So if your TV has a USB slot or if you have a free one on your computer, the antenna will only use power when your TV or computer is on. All their antennas are manufactured in the US the only thing that is not made in the USA is the USB to wall outlet converter.

◦     The leaf is white on one side and black on the other so that it can blend into a variety of environments and it is also only as thick as a few sheets of paper which makes it easy to mount on any wall or window.

◦     Website: www.gomohu.com

◦     Total Channels:

▪     Leaf: 12

▪     Leaf Plus: 15 (Even more than Antenna Web said I should get)

◦     Reception Quality

▪     Leaf: Excellent with very rare “noise”

▪     Leaf Plus: Excellent with very rare “noise” on some channels

Keep in mind that when testing out any antenna it is important to try several positions to figure out which areas get the best reception. In my living room the best reception is with the antenna next to the window, but in our bedroom the wall directly above the TV is best. Be aware that nearby buildings, trees, and even other electronics in your house can have an impact on your antenna reception. It can take awhile to find the best spot but be patient. If you take the time to find the right spot the first time you won't have to play with your antenna on a regular basis.

Lard

LJ recently came across a new blog and sent me a link that said, "I think you are going to like this blog, based just off of this post."  Oh she knows me too well!  Lucky for me I just got my hands on my own pile of pork fat from LJ's sister after she purchased the grand champion hog from a kid in 4-H at the local fair.

Some might ask why I would want to (and be excited about) making my own lard, and that is a fair question.  With food I have a strong desire to understand how something is made, where it came from, and how I can recreate it.  Lard is versatile in cooking and though most people in the U.S. are out of practice with using it, it is traditional to cook with.

After making a batch I can see why people have used it for centuries.  It is very simple to make and it is a delight to cook with.  It has a high smoke point so it is excellent for frying with and can add subtle flavor to foods that I can only describe as deliciousness.

Now you might be saying, "But Seth, it is lard!!  That stuff will kill you quicker than smoking."  (Not that smoking kills you quickly, but I get your point.)  Eating fried foods every day isn't a good idea no matter what you are frying it in, but many people now believe animal fats are just about the best fats we can eat (plus they are perfect for frying in).

After reading those two articles hopefully you can see why I was at least curious about making lard.  The process really couldn't be easier as long as you can find some pig fat.

I got a giant garbage sack full of it so I was set.  The fat was cut in strips from when the hog was butchered so I took one piece out at a time to dice it up.  This was pretty easy and I think a key when rendering lard is to use fat that is still nearly frozen.  It makes it much easier to handle and cut.

I used two different methods to see which would be better/quicker/easier.  I loaded up both my crock pot and dutch oven with the diced lard.  I added a bit of water to the crock pot but left the dutch oven with only the lard.  I set the crock pot on low and placed the dutch oven in a 300 degree oven.

The dutch oven was the clear winner in my book, mostly because it seemed to work much more quickly.  I stirred each container about every 30 minutes just to make sure all the fat was cooking evenly.  Once the remaining pieces seemed crunchy and browned and the pots had stopped bubbling I used my wire spider to strain out the large chunks.  I then poured the hot fat through my metal mesh strainer.

I then poured the warm fat in to jars for storage in the freezer.

I also attempted to strain the fat through a coffee filter to get rid of any fine particles but it didn't work well.

Once the fat has solidified it is a nice creamy white color.

It does turn completely solid in the freezer so if you are using a little bit at a time for greasing pans it is best to keep a small jar in the refrigerator that you can spoon out of as needed.  When that jar runs out you can move another from the freezer to the fridge.

I've been surprised how quickly we have gone through the first batch I made.  Maybe having it on hand has encouraged use to do a little more frying than usual but I don't really think that is the case.  However the results of the frying we have done has been excellent.  Below are the results of a recent batch of empanadas.

Hopefully these delicious results encourage you to give lard a chance.

CSA Week 19

This week: kale, daikon, lettuce, acorn squash, green tomatoes, cilantro, fingerling potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, parsnips, and Walla Walla onions. 

Thoughts from Popsicle Season

We love trying out new popsicle recipes during the summer.  There's really nothing better than a cold, sweet treat in the evening when the temperature is high.  This year, in addition to chocolate cherry popsicles, we tried roasted strawberry popsicles and orange creamsicles.

After picking up a flat of strawberries from a local berry farm, we turned them into delicious popsicles based on this recipe.  We didn't have cardamom or cane sugar, so I omitted the spice and used honey instead.  After melting the honey into the coconut milk, I was tempted to abandon the recipe and just drink the warm honey/coconut milk mixture. That was the first sign that these were going to be delicious.  The next indication came when I popped a warm roasted strawberry in my mouth and it tasted like a regular strawberry, only richer.

We tried this recipe with fresh berries mixed in at the end and without them; I preferred the version with the fresh berries while HH did not.  Really, though, both versions were excellent.  The flavor was more subtle than that of other popsicles we have tried in the past, but that was a nice variation in this case.

Next, I made two versions of orange creamsicles: one with apricots and one without.  We preferred the version without the apricots, but both were good.  (The apricots just detracted from the pure orange flavor a little too much for our liking.)  The pure orange popsicles tasted exactly like those little orange/vanilla ice cream packs that you eat with a little wooden spoon, without the fear of getting a splinter every time you take a bite.  I appreciated the simplicity of these ones...just put the orange juice concentrate, coconut milk, and sugar in the food processor until smooth.  

Now that fall is here and the weather isn't quite as hot, sadly we won't be making popsicles any time soon.  But, just as we can look forward to a time when the sun still shines bright at 8pm, we can look forward to another season of popsicles in our future.  

Blackberry Rickey

It's true that wild blackberry bushes are everywhere in Western Washington.  There are several patches within blocks of our apartment that we kept an eye on throughout the summer so we wouldn't miss the opportunity to get some free berries.  Somehow we stumbled upon this blog that had a recipe for a blackberry rickey - a delicious adult beverage that would make good use of the foraged berries, especially since HH wasn't interested in making any blackberry jam this year.

These were so delicious that we went back to the bushes several times to get more berries, despite the large thorns and spiders that were awaiting us there.  

pico de gallo

There isn't much to this recipe.  I chopped some garlic, onion, green onion, cilantro, peppers, and tomatoes. I tossed everything together with salt and lime juice.

Growing up my parents had a garden and it was mostly dedicated to salsa making ingredients.  I've found with experience that the salt and lime juice are key ingredients.  Often times after tasting it the first time you realize more salt is necessary to bring all the flavors together.

Summer Sewing Summary

Now that autumn is definitely here, HH has suggested that I start sewing more wool garments to prepare for the colder weather ahead.  Before revealing my most recent wool make, though, I thought it would be a good idea to summarize my summer sewing as many of the things I made never made it into a blog post of their own. 

The summer sewing season started with the bridesmaids project:

I also made a dress for myself to wear to the wedding:

After the wedding, I took a short sewing break before working on lots of semi-quick projects for myself:

After my initial success making pants, I made some shorts and pedal pushers after altering the original pattern slightly:

Knowing that fall was fast approaching, I made this light jacket to keep warm in the slightly cooler weather:

Looking back through these pictures makes me realize that I made quite a few things this summer.  I guess that's possible when you don't have to work for three months out of the year!