Lyme Disease

Aug8

Gardening is wonderful, it allows you get outside, get exercise and raise your own food.  However there is a down side, bugs.  This summer me and my daughter both got Lyme Disease.

medical illustration of Erythema migrans This is a picture from the CDC website of a bulls eye rash. http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/

I never saw the tick on me, I just noticed the bull-eye rash on my leg.  I also had secondary rashes spread to my torso.  At first I thought that I was bit by a spider.  I went to Patient First when the “spider bite” spread to twice its original size.  The doctor at Patient First referred me to a Doctor at Johns Hopkins that is doing a study on patient’s with Lyme Disease.   http://www.lymemd.org/

The study follows me for one year, they draw blood a couple times, do cognitive testing and skin biopsies.  My blood test was positive for Lyme.

After I started my antibiotic my head aches and body aches started to get worse.  One morning close to the end of my three week treatment I woke up with numbness down my right side and stiffness in my neck.  My doctor sent me to the emergency room to rule out meningitis.  The only way to test for meningitis is to preform a spinal tap and test the spinal fluid.  I did not have meningitis but was admitting into the hospital and was put on IV antibiotics for the remainder of my three week antibiotic treatment. I ended up leaking spinal fluid after two spinal taps and had a post spinal tap head ache.  Eventually they did a blood patch to stop the leaking and I was discharged.

The Lyme bacteria affects everyone differently, some people who have Lyme Disease never have a rash or any symptoms until it is too late.

My daughter was bit by a tick the week before I was, we actually saw the tick on her and removed it.  She never had a rash, or a fever.  Her only symptoms were that she had a headache and joint pain that came and went.  Her blood test was negative.  However because her symptoms were not going away, we decided to start her on the three weeks of antibiotics.   So far so good and after three days of medication she has stopped complaining about the headaches and joint pain.

I have been asked many times what my advice is for someone who has a tick bite.  I would say to go to the doctor.  Make sure you document when you pulled off the tick and when your symptoms started.  Even though the blood test is not as accurate as doctors would like, it is better than nothing.  If you have a head ache or any symptom that is just not explained, I would have a Lyme Test done.  It is better to be safe than sorry.  That was the approach we took with our daughter.  We would rather have medicated her for three weeks and known we did everything for her we could, than her have life changing symptoms a couple years from now that can’t be treated.

I hate bug spray, but it is needed when you live in the North East and like to be outside.  I also wear gardening clothes that are long pants and a long sleeve shirt. I refuse to stop gardening, but I know I never want to have Lyme Disease again.

I have learned from my doctor that there is a spike in Lyme Disease in both the spring and the fall, just because the weather is getting cooler does not mean the threat is gone.  Please continue to be aware of ticks, where bug stray and check you and your family.

Safe gardening everyone!

The first weekend in August, Love it!

Aug5

The weather has been amazing for August, which has been wonderful and has allowed us to be very productive.  

Our bunnies are getting big and it is time to wean them off their mommies. We have turned our unused chicken coop into a bunny nursery.  There is enough room for all 15 of the babies to be able to run and play until they are full grown.  We will be removing the bunnies from their mothers gradually over the next week.  So far it is going great and everyone is enjoying the extra space and room at the water bowl.

The kids picked the rabbits that they are going to be showing for 4H.  These rabbits will get a lot more one on one time than the other rabbits.  We want them to be used to being handled as well as used to noises and other animals.  Everyone in the family is enjoying the extra cuddle time.

ImageImageImage

This weekend we also worked on the aquaponics system.  Building it is taking longer than we really wanted it to, we were hoping to have it up and running over a year ago, but the supplies was more expensive than we thought.  We are also struggling with getting ideas from our heads, to paper, and than to final product.  We are learning communication skills that are beneficial to our marriage.  I think the important part is we are still married and still making progress on the system, both wins in my book.  We are now at the plumbing stage, very frustrating, but hoping to take small steps everyday and keep moving closer to our goal.  I will be starting seeds indoors this week for the system, so it needs to be up and running in less than two weeks.  I have confidence that we are that close!

Image

This weekend I also experimented with making gluten-free pop tarts.  I used the pie crust recipe from my last post and filled them with the jams that I have made this spring and summer.  I baked them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden. They are amazing.  I can’t wait to bake some cinnamon ones!  It was crazy easy and super tasty.  We have already eaten them all and I need to make another batch.  

Image

As far as harvesting veggies goes, we are still going strong with peppers.  The tomatoes have slowed down quite a bit and so have the cucumbers.  We had our first ever cantaloup today, it was wonderful.  We should have let it sit on the counter a day to soften even more, but we ate it in one sitting so it must not have been that bad.  

Time for me to go have my tea and relax for the night.  I hope everyone has a great week.

 

Blueberry Season

Jul29

pieI honestly do not think that my July would be complete without a blueberry experience!

We have eight blueberry bushes that are about 5 years old.  They produce maybe a pint total right now, which never even make in through the door.  The kids “help” with the blueberry bushes, which translates into them eating them straight off the bush.  This next winter I believe we are going to go pick up some full grown bushes.  We figure they will pay for themselves within a year or two.

Since we could not pick enough on our property we did the next best thing and go to a local pick your own farm.  We picked a little over 5 pounds of berries, which later that night became 1 gluten-free blueberry pie and nine 4oz jars of blueberry preserves.

The recipe I used for the preserves is:

  • .8oz of pectin (this is less pectin than most recipes. It was all I had, if you use more pectin you do not have to let it boil as long)
  • 4 cups of sugar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 10 cups blueberries
  • 1 tbs butter

I processed the berries in a food processor. (It is just as easy to mash them in the pot, but I was feeling lazy) Put the berries in my stock pot with pectin, brought to a rolling boil for about a minute.  Then I added the rest of the ingredients, brought them to a boil and let them boil for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The jam passed the plate jell test, (which is putting a spoon full of jam on a cool plate, letting the hot jam cool, and run your finger through it.  If it does not run back together it is jelled and ready to can.)

I processed them in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

It turned out wonderfully.  It was thick and sweet, but still had the tartness on the back of the tongue that I love about blueberries.

I baked a gluten free blueberry pie at the same time.  The recipe for that is:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Pie Crust:

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I use Better Batter)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 10 tbs frozen butter, grated
  • 1/2 cup ice cold water

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and grate the butter on top.  Slowly mix together, then add the water.  Mix it as little as possible.  Separate into two balls and put in the fridge until you are ready for it.

The Blueberry Pie filling;

  • 5 cups blueberries.  ( I prefer fresh, but frozen work well too)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup potato flour, or corn starch
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg

Mix everything together and set aside.

Roll out one ball of pie crust, put it in a pie pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the blueberry filling and then roll out the other crust and top.  Cut slits in the top. Place pie pan on top of cookie sheet with sides.  (The pie will boil over, I have only managed to not do that once!)  Bake for 60 minutes or until crust starts to turn golden brown.  Egg wash the top with a mix of 1 egg beaten, and tbs sugar. Bake about another 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely then serve.  It should set up wonderfully and not be too runny.

Enjoy your blueberries and let me know how everything turns out. I would love to hear how it worked in your kitchen.

Tomatoes

Jul22

We have had a wonderful tomato season.  Our tomato plants are 6 feet tall and we are picking tomatoes everyday.  In the past we have only grown enough tomatoes for sandwiches and salads, the kids would eat them faster than I could save enough to can them.  Today, I finally had enough tomatoes that I needed to can them or they would go bad, we just could not eat them all. I was finally going to make salsa from the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and herbs that I grew on my property.  I was so excited.  My mother-in-law and I spend the morning processing produce.  I did not chop the tomatoes small enough and I chopped the peppers and the onions too small, we ended up with every watery salsa.  9 jars of very watery salsa, I was so disappointed.  Finally here I was canning my own produce and I messed it up.

Instead of throwing away all these tomatoes that we worked so hard to grow, we water bathed canned the tomato mixture and I will just use it as a soup base.  It will work great in chili, tortilla soup and vegetable soup.  I hope that my tomato plants continue to grow and produce more tomatoes so we can get another chance to make salsa.  When I create the perfect salsa recipe I will make sure to post it.

Here are some pictures of my amazing tomato plants.  A little rabbit poop goes a long way, it certainly helped these plants grow big and strong. Summer 2013 phone 1034Summer 2013 phone2 003 Summer 2013 phone2 001 Summer 2013 phone2 002

 

Spa Day

Jul22

Oh blogging how I have missed you.  I am not even going to try and explain where I have been for the past year, just know I am happy to be back!

So summer is in full swing. Our garden is growing wonderfully.  We get a basket of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers every day.  We have already harvested one planting of potatoes, our spring peas, green beans, soy beans, and blue berries.  We have more peas, carrots, cantaloupes, butternut squash, pumpkins, garlic and beets that are still growing.

We started with a new batch of a dozen chickens this spring and they have started laying.  We get about 10 eggs a day. We have three new rabbits, American Chinchillas to be specific,  that we added to the farm this winter and they have 15 very cute baby bunnies that are 4 weeks old now.  We will be selling them in 2 weeks.

OK now that everyone is up to date… On to Spa Day at our small farm.  We had a mamma rabbit that had some fur matting that need to be cleaned.  It was very warm this weekend so we thought that a bath would help clean her fur as well as cool her down.  Not ever having given a rabbit a bath, I was not really sure how this would go.  I expected clawing, biting and that it would look more like bathing a cat.  I however, was greatly surprised.  The rabbit seemed to enjoy the bath.  She did not try and get out of the utility sink, she did not try to climb my arm.  She was just happy to just sit there.  At first I just assumed it was because this was my very easy going rabbit, but when I then bathed the “jumpy”  rabbit she was quit content to just be bathed as well.

I think that this is something we will do after all their litters are old enough for us to be messing with mamas.  The reason we had to bath mama in the first place was left over afterbirth.   She was having some hair matting and skin breakdown.  We bathed her using mild soap, clipped the mats and applied A and D ointment to the skin.  We did not use soap on the rabbit that did not have any matting, we just used the water to clean her up and cool her down.  Since this did not seem stressful to the rabbits, I think that we will do it again to help keep those hard to reach places nice and clean.

Since it was deemed a “Spa Day” we did not want to leave anyone out, we also bathed a chicken.  We have two chicken coops that share the same outside area.  The coops are made to fit 6 chickens a piece very comfortably.  Our chickens are “special”  and they have decided to cram all together in one small coop.  There is just not the roosting space that they need, so there is one chicken that has taken to roasting right under the other chickens.  I noticed that she was “dirtier” than the others, especially on her belly, since she spent all night sitting in other chickens poop!  So we brought her inside and rinsed her off as well.  Again I would have expected a very upset chicken.  She was totally O.K. with it.  She seemed to enjoy the one-on-one attention and the wash down.  Who knew?

So, now everyone is clean, toe nails clipped, bottoms washed and cages cleaned.  It was a wonderful day on the farm!  Here are some pictures of the bath experience!

Summer 2013 phone 1065 Summer 2013 phone 1057

 

Unplugging

Jul17

In the last couple of weeks we have had our vacuum cleaner and clothes dryer break. At first I did not think I could move on. Is the another way to get the dirt off the floor?  I have realized how much I rely on that little plug in the wall.  So many things that we do everyday require us to plug them in, including the computer I am writing this on.  But have you every stopped to think about what you could “unplug” and “do things the old fashion way”? So in the last two weeks I have unplugged my clothes dryer, my coffee maker and my vacuum cleaner.  It has taken a while to get used to it, but I think I like it better this way.  I make my coffee every morning using a tea pot and a coffee press.  The coffee has amazing flavor and I can reuse the grounds for afternoon ice coffee.  I do not miss my coffee maker at all and I do not think that I am going to go back anytime soon, if ever again.

The next thing I changed was I stopped vacuuming.  This has been difficult.  We have 4 cats and 2 dogs…hair is a major part of my life…it is everywhere.  The good thing is I have hardwood floors and I am able to sweep up most of the hair.  My challenges have been area rugs, furniture and dusting.  I never realized how much I “dust” with the vacuum cleaner.  So I have gone back to using a duster, and beating my rugs and pillows outside.  I am still looking for ways to get the hair and sand out of the couch if you have any suggestions, but all and all, I am getting along fine without the vacuum.

Last thing that I unplugged was my dryer.  Well, it kind of unplugged itself.  It stopped drying, my husband can fix it but the parts cost as much as another used dryer.  I decided to try and go the rest of the summer without it.  To help support me, my wonderful husband built me a clothes line out of pallet parts.  It is wonderful! It is almost 200 feet of drying area, I love the location in the yard and my sheets feel and smell great. We also have a small stand style clothes rack in the basement for the things I don’t want to air dry in-front of the neighborhood.   Between the two I feel that all of my clothes drying needs are met. My husband calculated that we will save $30 a month by not using the dryer…I am excited about that! I am going to use that money to support a child through World Vision.

So far I am enjoying unplugging things.  I challenge you, what could you do “the old fashion way”?  What could you unplug?

Aquaponics- Part 1: Greenhouse

Jul3

We have finally taken a step to following our aquaponics dream. Some married couples go away for weekends alone, some go to marriage retreats, some go to marriage counseling…we build a green house.  We decided to buy a kit instead of building it from recycled materials like we had planned.  We knew time was short and we wanted to stop procrastinating. We bought a 12 x 10 foot greenhouse from Harbor Freight. It took us 3 evenings and 1 full day to put it together.  It was not a labor intensive project, it was a test in patience and teamwork, which I think we passed with flying colors.  After 6 frustrating months of not feeling like we had accomplished very much, it was very rewarding to build something together and have a feeling of accomplishment.

There are a lot of blogs about putting together this greenhouse out there… I think our only comment on the process is go slow, don’t skip steps, read the directions and be patient.  Here are some pictures of the project and it came to life.  Thank you to everyone that is helping us to make this a dream come true.

_

_

_

Summer harvest

Jul3

I started planting in February.  Seeds, flats, transplants and grow lights.  My spring harvest was a complete flop. (I am blaming my chickens… I need to work harder on chicken proofing the gardens next year) I did not get any of the broccoli, cabbage, lettuce or cauliflower that I had planted.  Now that summer has come I am starting to harvest things and it really is rewarding.  We planted garlic in the fall and I have been harvesting garlic shoots off of it and using them when I roast chicken and beef, all the while patiently waiting to pull the garlic out of the ground.  Yesterday I had my 15 minutes glory, I pulled 25 heads of garlic, pretty good for my first attempt I think.  I am drying them on top of the hot tub cover I look forward to braiding the stems in a couple of days. 

The other big harvest that we have had is potatoes.  Being able to grow potatoes made me feel like a real farmer.  I don’t know why potatoes made the difference and not the chickens but anyway, we harvested a bucket of potatoes, (red, white and Yukon golds). I cleaned them in vinegar water and look forward to eating them over the next couple of weeks.  I have posted some crazy pictures of our potato “journey”.  For a while this spring we were not sure if we would be moving or not.  My husband was jobless and we knew we would have to go where ever there was work. So I did not plant as much as I would have if I did not have that time of uncertainty.  While I was packing boxes in the basement I checked on my potato starts that I had been saving since fall.  Oh My!!! I was shocked to find a box of potato shoot spaghetti.  With the warm winter the potatoes were growing like crazy in that box.  I had to plant these potatoes.  We laid them out the best that we could in this bed… there was nothing organized or row like about it, and covered them with compost and mulch. I honestly did not expect anything to grow.  Within a week,ImageImageImage we had a very happy little potato patch.  Well it was happy when it was not getting eaten by chickens, but that is a different story. A week ago, last week of June, my potato patch started to turn yellow.  I thought that my plants were dying and that I was doing something wrong.  When I pulled up a plant just to prove that it was dead, a string of potatoes came up with it. It felt amazing.  I stopped everything I was doing and spent the next hour gathering potatoes from this patch.  And also to my amazement, the chickens actually came in handy. I had spent most of the last two months trying to keep the chickens out of this potato patch. When it came to harvesting the potatoes the chickens would dig the potatoes up for me and I would just have to gather them… it is was nice team work. And once I found the snake my son was more then happy to help too, in hopes of finding another snake.

Two first for us, potatoes and garlic.  It was pretty cool.  I am learning so much and having fun along the way.  I still can not believe how you can put this small wrinkly thing in the ground and end up with food, but it is amazing to watch and be a part of.

Go get dirty!

Unworthy Jam

Jun4

Sorry that it has been so long since I have updated the blog, it has been a crazy spring for us.  Everything seems to be going back to “normal” and we are moving forward full force with the “farm”.  This spring I learned that the definition of a “farm”, according to the FSA is a property, regardless of size that can produce $1,000 worth of product.  While $1,000 is not a lot of money these days it gives us something to work toward.  It would be amazing if we could produce enough food for our family and $1,000 worth of food to sell.  I am not sure that we will meet this goal this year, but we are working towards it in 2013.  So far this spring we are almost ready to harvest a couple of pints of blueberries, and we have dried some parsley.   We have lost a few crops to the chickens, who thought that raised beds make a great buffet.  The chickens have put a hurting on my broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, parsnips and lettuce.  It has been very tempting to make roast chicken for dinner but I remember I can get more meals from the eggs than the meat, so we have trying different types of fencing and coverings to protect our plants and extend the lives of the chickens.

This spring we did not grow any strawberries on the property but we did go and pick some for jam.  The strawberries this year seemed to be really watery; this made them very difficult to turn into jam.  I canned 9 jars of the thickest jam I could make and it still is not worthy of a PB&J. So now what do I do with these 9 jars of unworthy jam? Our first solution was ice cream topping, it is wonderful, but I still wanted to do more with it.  Yesterday while I was drying parsley I had the idea to make fruit leather out of my runny jam.  It worked great!!!  The dehydrator has a fruit leather tray.

 

 

 

I set the dehydrator as low as it would go and went to bed.  This morning I woke up to a wonderfully smelling house and the best fruit leather I have ever made.  I think that the pectin helped the fruit leather to set up really nicely.  I cut the fruit leather into strips and rolled it in some parchment paper.  All natural, homemade, dye free, gluten-free, low sugar fruit roll ups.  It is a wonderful option for jam that just did not jam. (Ice cream topping is another option).  Enjoy those berries and remember to buy local this summer.

Again, sorry there has been such a long break in postings, hopefully I will be able to get back to regular updates soon.