Green peppers have been achieved! It seems late, considering the Madrid climate, but lots of little ones coming along.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Peppers
Green peppers have been achieved! It seems late, considering the Madrid climate, but lots of little ones coming along.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Happy Anniversary, Mr. Baggins
75th anniversary of the publication of Tolkein´s ¨The Hobbit¨ today, and both Bilbo and Frodo´s birthdays are tomorrow, Sept. 22! New movie has Dec. 14th release date in Spain.
New Trailer
First trailer (which I personally prefer, I think it´s the song)
New Trailer
First trailer (which I personally prefer, I think it´s the song)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Plywood flooring
Always interested in economical ways of getting the house habitable. We would prefer wide plank wood flooring at least in the living and bedrooms. The problem is the expense and the prevalence of laminated flooring. Real wood flooring, that could be sanded and refinished after a period of years, is very expensive and difficult to even find. So, for in the meantime, I ran across a couple of sources who´ve used plywood.
At Frugal Farmhouse Design, 1/4¨ plywood was cut down, painted/varnished and then glued/nailed over an existing subfloor.
It´s a traditional colonial/New England look that works well in this space, and seems to hold up well. Painted floors offer a range of interesting effects.
This woman in Canada got good results stenciling 4 x 4 sheets of Baltic Birch 1/2¨ plywood.
For a more modern look, these people took the ply up the wall and built a couple of bedside tables. I´m skeptical of their decision to put down the plywood over the carpeting.
Another good looking result at Quarry Orchard.
And, if and when we had the money and materials to upgrade, the ply planks serve as a subfloor.
At Frugal Farmhouse Design, 1/4¨ plywood was cut down, painted/varnished and then glued/nailed over an existing subfloor.
It´s a traditional colonial/New England look that works well in this space, and seems to hold up well. Painted floors offer a range of interesting effects.
For a more modern look, these people took the ply up the wall and built a couple of bedside tables. I´m skeptical of their decision to put down the plywood over the carpeting.
Another good looking result at Quarry Orchard.
And, if and when we had the money and materials to upgrade, the ply planks serve as a subfloor.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Canning Peaches
My relationship with food preservation is erratic. We don´t have the storage space for much, and we certainly don´t have much space to produce food. So my experiments with tomatoes, herbs, etc., are necessarily limited in scope. I´m also always concerned I´m going to crack the ceramic glass stove top or something awful.
That said, I do have a few mason jars and so far have tried canning belgian pears, sweet cherries, apple pie filling, and spiced peaches. The belgian pears kept forever - over 18 months. The rest seemed to at least seal well after using a hot water bath.
Then my dear friend W was nice enough to bring me pectin from the US (since I´ve never found it here, and never seen it even referred to) to try some preserves. The Spanish people I know, friends and family, wouldn´t make their own preserves any more than they´d bake their own bread, which is hardly surprising since they´re mostly city-dwellers. In fact, very few people I know even eat preserves. V won´t touch them. He´d rather just have buttered toast.
But I digress, anyway - I promptly put the pectin somewhere and can´t find it again - and much to my astonishment, I found that one could can peaches in light syrup without any pectin, or even cooking them, for that matter. So I did. I par boiled them and then plunged into cold water. The skins slipped off without much trouble, but I could not figure out how to halve them without it turning into a squishy, juicy mess. The pit wouldn´t release from the slices without disintegrating, so I ended up with odd shaped quarters instead. My jar packing technique needs work too - they certainly looked full at the time, but now space seems available with the peaches floating toward the top of the jar.
The jars were put into a boiling bath with a folded tea towel in the bottom to keep them off the direct heat and the water 3/4´s up the sides of the tall jars - the smaller ones were submerged. They simmered for just under 30 minutes, then I just shut off the ring and let them cool in the bath, à la Cottage Smallholder. And if I couldn´t locate the pectin, I did find a River Cottage Preserves book I forgot I had - so I guess it all evens out.
Now if I could find some Seville oranges to make really dark marmelade. . .
Crazy idea #23 - Slow Flowers
Organic Flower Farming
Cut flowers have been one of the most profitable per m2 product you can grow. This very chipper article from Mother Earth News suggests that cut flowers could bring in as much as $15,000 per acre. Of course the article is from 2002, when everyone had more disposable cash.
However, it turns out that there´s quite a floriculture industry in Galicia, concentrated in the south, which isn´t too surprising with the abundance of rainfall and temperate climate. I think the greenhouse revolution has had a big impact on the economic growth of the industry. And I rather fear that it´s the industrial agro model that´s being followed - when in doubt drench in chemicals.
Since then, according to this pdf from COAG in 2008, several flower growing sectors were already contracting in Spain, under pressure from emerging producers in Columbia, Kenya and Ecuador. And the situation is getting grim in the US as well. I wonder when rising oil prices will put the cost of globalized shipping of stuff out of reach.
Still, even with the economy in the dumps, surely people will still want flowers. There will still be a Mother´s Day, Valentine´s Day. People will still celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and funerals with flowers, won´t they? Actually, you may have heard that they just raised the value-added taxes here and both flowers and funerals got bumped. There´s a joke in there somewhere about death and taxes.
I stumbled on Saipua, a young floral designer in NYC who is amazeballs (warning for salty language). I have never wanted so badly to be hip. She´s renovating a 19th century farm in upstate New York to grow her own product. Her arrangements are beautiful. Heads up to you friends in NYC - her shop´s in Brooklyn, and they sell soap too!
Or, on this side of the pond, the quirky and delightfully named Miss Pickering (and the hound). These are like something out of a Rembrandt.
Another interesting blog, Floret Flower Farm has some hints about packing product into small acreage and some stunning images.
More on local/organic flower farming at Mother Earth News.
More info on growing (in Gallego) at Producindo Planta.
BERFLORA 2012 takes place in Valencia October 3 - 5.
Cut flowers have been one of the most profitable per m2 product you can grow. This very chipper article from Mother Earth News suggests that cut flowers could bring in as much as $15,000 per acre. Of course the article is from 2002, when everyone had more disposable cash.
However, it turns out that there´s quite a floriculture industry in Galicia, concentrated in the south, which isn´t too surprising with the abundance of rainfall and temperate climate. I think the greenhouse revolution has had a big impact on the economic growth of the industry. And I rather fear that it´s the industrial agro model that´s being followed - when in doubt drench in chemicals.
Since then, according to this pdf from COAG in 2008, several flower growing sectors were already contracting in Spain, under pressure from emerging producers in Columbia, Kenya and Ecuador. And the situation is getting grim in the US as well. I wonder when rising oil prices will put the cost of globalized shipping of stuff out of reach.
Still, even with the economy in the dumps, surely people will still want flowers. There will still be a Mother´s Day, Valentine´s Day. People will still celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and funerals with flowers, won´t they? Actually, you may have heard that they just raised the value-added taxes here and both flowers and funerals got bumped. There´s a joke in there somewhere about death and taxes.
I stumbled on Saipua, a young floral designer in NYC who is amazeballs (warning for salty language). I have never wanted so badly to be hip. She´s renovating a 19th century farm in upstate New York to grow her own product. Her arrangements are beautiful. Heads up to you friends in NYC - her shop´s in Brooklyn, and they sell soap too!
Or, on this side of the pond, the quirky and delightfully named Miss Pickering (and the hound). These are like something out of a Rembrandt.
Another interesting blog, Floret Flower Farm has some hints about packing product into small acreage and some stunning images.
More on local/organic flower farming at Mother Earth News.
More info on growing (in Gallego) at Producindo Planta.
BERFLORA 2012 takes place in Valencia October 3 - 5.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Gypsy Caravan
How cool is this?
Built from found/recycled materials. Article here.
These put the romance back into camping. What a great alternative for guest space.
More gypsy caravans:
And out:
Or slightly more boho. This is actually a really informative blog - they built this themselves to use at Pennsic and it collapses for travel! The SCA is such a great idea. Doesn´t seem particularly active in Spain. Pity.
And, of course, an excellent excuse to get a farm pony.
Built from found/recycled materials. Article here.
These put the romance back into camping. What a great alternative for guest space.
More gypsy caravans:
Inside:
Or slightly more boho. This is actually a really informative blog - they built this themselves to use at Pennsic and it collapses for travel! The SCA is such a great idea. Doesn´t seem particularly active in Spain. Pity.
And, of course, an excellent excuse to get a farm pony.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Queixo do Cebreiro
According to Correo del Camino it dates to the beginnings of the Camino de Santiago, but is specifically mentioned as a royal favorite during the 18th century and at one time was Spain´s most expensive cheese. By the late 1980s production had all but disappeared except for a few households in Pedrafita. Now, it has a Galician Denominación de Producto de Calidad. Completely natural - no preservatives or additives.
From the Castelo website:
The O Cebreiro, DOP cheese is a fresh cheese, without a noticeable rind, the body is white and granulated, soft, clayish, creamy, and melts in your mouth. It´s flavor and aroma are reminiscent of the milk from which it´s produced, slightly tart.
El Queso de O Cebreiro, DOP, es un queso fresco, no presenta corteza diferenciada, la masa es blanca y granulada, blanda, arcillosa al tacto, untuosa, fundente al paladar. Su sabor y aroma recuerdan al de la leche de la que proceden, ligeramente ácido.
More on production here.
If you can find some - I highly recommend it. Someday I have got to learn how to make this.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
First steps
Sorry for the brief interruption in blogging. The menu in blogger disappeared and it took me a bit to figure out how to post.
Just got back from viewing progress on the ruin.
The east and southern walls were completely collapsed/half height, so were replaced with brick faced in the original stone. This gives us the opportunity to add some insulation. The north and west façades are being renovated, filling in some doors/windows and expanding or opening others. New floor has been poured.
We´re quite pleased with the stone work, which is harmonizing nicely with the original. The granite framework around the windows and doors is more posh than we were expecting for our rustic farmhouse, but not as white and shiny and uniform as you often see.
They filled in a doorway to the road and will put in a new window high on the wall. The house already has two entrances and it´s the northern exposure and shaded by trees, so we weren´t going to get much light anyway.
West wall - new window for the main bedroom. The doorway will be raised and widened to accommodate the new ¨front¨ door. Two new windows openings in the kitchen.
South wall, future kitchen and laundry/pantry. Should be pretty bright, given Galician weather, with all the new openings for windows and the french doors.
Looking toward the laundry/pantry end.
Toward the kitchen end. An opening will be created in the stone wall on the right to enter into the living room directly. The wood cooker and modern range will go against the stone wall, sink and fridge to the left, table at the end.
Doorway to the bedroom from the living room that will have a matching opening opposite to the kitchen. (Door project here.) Good to see the tree finally gone.
We´re trying to maintain the wall that were the feeding areas for the animals. The door on the left will probably be filled in because once the finished floor is in, it would be about 6 inches too short for V to pass through. The woodstove will probably go in that corner. I think one of the openings may be ideal for wood storage, or shelves, or whatever occurs to us.
Lots and lots of stone and infill left over. I know what we´ll be using for outbuildings, patios, retaining walls and paths.
It was a year ago in the plans were submitted to the City for approval and with one thing and another here we are. The contractor is pretty hopeful that with good weather we´ll be getting the roof on in another month or so. It´s so indescribably exciting to finally see some progress after going on two years from actual purchase.
Just got back from viewing progress on the ruin.
The east and southern walls were completely collapsed/half height, so were replaced with brick faced in the original stone. This gives us the opportunity to add some insulation. The north and west façades are being renovated, filling in some doors/windows and expanding or opening others. New floor has been poured.
We´re quite pleased with the stone work, which is harmonizing nicely with the original. The granite framework around the windows and doors is more posh than we were expecting for our rustic farmhouse, but not as white and shiny and uniform as you often see.
They filled in a doorway to the road and will put in a new window high on the wall. The house already has two entrances and it´s the northern exposure and shaded by trees, so we weren´t going to get much light anyway.
West wall - new window for the main bedroom. The doorway will be raised and widened to accommodate the new ¨front¨ door. Two new windows openings in the kitchen.
South wall, future kitchen and laundry/pantry. Should be pretty bright, given Galician weather, with all the new openings for windows and the french doors.
Looking toward the laundry/pantry end.
Toward the kitchen end. An opening will be created in the stone wall on the right to enter into the living room directly. The wood cooker and modern range will go against the stone wall, sink and fridge to the left, table at the end.
Doorway to the bedroom from the living room that will have a matching opening opposite to the kitchen. (Door project here.) Good to see the tree finally gone.
We´re trying to maintain the wall that were the feeding areas for the animals. The door on the left will probably be filled in because once the finished floor is in, it would be about 6 inches too short for V to pass through. The woodstove will probably go in that corner. I think one of the openings may be ideal for wood storage, or shelves, or whatever occurs to us.
Lots and lots of stone and infill left over. I know what we´ll be using for outbuildings, patios, retaining walls and paths.
It was a year ago in the plans were submitted to the City for approval and with one thing and another here we are. The contractor is pretty hopeful that with good weather we´ll be getting the roof on in another month or so. It´s so indescribably exciting to finally see some progress after going on two years from actual purchase.
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