Thursday Open Thread 10-12-2017

A couple of different reasons to exercise the skills of self sufficiency and creativity were provided this week in the Evening Blues collection of news Tuesday. The first by Max Keiser as a necessity for many Americans in the future to afford the basics of life as the US empire declines.

Keiser Report: Decline of US (E1134)
...But the cost of maintaining the Empire is high that's true. But by abandoning the
Empire in America it means the cost of everyday goods will be high. In other words if you are not depending on slave labor in China, you know depending on bombing folks in The Middle east for cheap oil, not depending on subsidies given to China for cheap electronics everything in the grocery store is gonna be double the price, triple price; and then you're gonna have to learn stuff like cook and make your own clothes.
Max Keiser (10:51)

The second by Caitlin Johnstone on barriers to utopia and individual actions.

The Only Thing Stopping Us From Creating Utopia Is The Fact That We Don’t Truly Want It Yet

I mean, think about it. What do most people do with the majority of their free time? Do they spend it collaborating, creating, cuddling, playing and making beauty, or do they spend it on conflict and competition? When you turn on the TV or go to the movies, how many stories will you see in which there is no conflict? Virtually none. Conflict and drama are what the average human mind gravitates toward — in our entertainment, in our social media, in our conversations, and in our routine mental behavior. It’s what we find interesting.

On my Twitter and Facebook profiles I’ve been listing myself as a “utopia prepper”, meaning I’m doing everything I can to align myself with a will toward utopia. I’m doing my best to rid myself of anything in me that is addicted to drama and conflict, any conditioning I might have that would be bored or restless in a world where we’re not making problems for ourselves anymore.

Consumption of pizza is one method to evaluate our compliance to corporate control, ability to cooperate with others, expression of individuality, frugality, adaptability, creativity and evolution of self determination.

My ability to eat frozen pizza has virtually disappeared as the ingredient list keeps getting longer. The only time it is now consumed is as an uncomplaining guest in someones home. The courtesy slice.

Support locally owned independent business, franchise or corporate. Makes a difference to the pocket book and often to the taste buds. My favorite pizzeria's have always been out of town. Not sure if it is similar to camp food, fresh air makes it taste better. Does a long car ride make pizza taste better? I will occasionally take a detour over the Santiam Pass on the way back from Portland, Oregon to stop by Giovanni Mountain Pizza in Mill City.

Not a connoisseur of delivery pizza. Have always lived outside of delivery areas or was too broke to pay a delivery charge and tip I lived in town. Do not think Papa John or Domino's delivered to a motel room counts as pizza.

soe pizza_0.jpg
Crust the Foundation
Generally use a bread machine for controlled temperature and kneading. When I worked outside the home would gamble with the time. If I got home on time would pull the dough and make pizza. If I was late fresh bread.

Flour has been changing. Most all purpose flour now contains a mixture of malted barley and wheat flour so I have been experimenting with pastry flour and semolina flour. I stopped using high gluten wheat flour when they added enzymes to assist rising. Yeast can be bought in bulk and kept in the freezer. Have used yeast up to 3 years old with no change in quality.

Started using a pizza stone years ago. Found it leveled out the heat fluctuations of any oven for better baking. Take it with me when I move. Actually use a pizza screen to cook the pizza and sometimes crisp the crust on the stone. Pizza paddle is useful for moving from oven to counter.

Pizza Dough for California style crust1 C water
1 egg
1 tsp salt (opt - use if add sugar)
1 T brown sugar (opt - use if add salt)
3 C wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Use dough setting, takes about 1 1/2 hour.
Divide dough for 2 large pizza. Often roll half and freeze the other half for later. For thick crust do not divide before rolling.
Add toppings bake 12 - 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Timing depends on thickness of crust.

Pizza Dough for Pan Pizza crustSame recipe as above. Use dough setting, takes about 1 1/2 hour. Pull dough and place in greased bowl for third rising, about 1/2 hour to double in size. Do not punch down. Pour into oiled pizza pan or high sided cookies sheet and lightly press to edge. Add toppings and bake 20 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees.

Pizza Dough for California style crust1 1/3 C water
1 egg
1 tsp salt (opt - use if add sugar)
1 T brown sugar (opt - use if add salt)
3 C semolina wheat flour
1/2 tsp gluten
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Use dough setting, takes about 1 1/2 hour.
Divide dough for 2 large pizza. Often roll half and freeze the other half for later.
Add toppings bake 12 - 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Timing depends on thickness of crust.

Sauce
I often skip the sauce and let the toppings create a flavor mixture on the dough.
Use favorite marinara, pesto, garlic infused oil. Lots of choices, be creative.

Cheese
If sensitive to salt use fresh mozzarella or add swiss to the mixture.

Toppings
Most of the fresh vegetables from the garden can be used in different combinations.

Created this recipe after moving to an area without a great pizzeria.
Italian Sausage
1 garlic clove, pressed in mixing bowl, then add
1 lb pork

1 star anise, crushed with morter & pestle
mix with other dry spices with morter & pestle or a grinder
1 T dry parsley
2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt (opt) drop for low salt diets

add to pork, mix well and set at least 2 hours or freeze for 2 weeks before using in a recipe.
Precook before using as a pizza topping.

Farm Report
Leaves will be dropping this week. Expected low Thursday is 21.
soe maple tree oct.jpg

The onions just started regrowing, might be protected enough to survive the freeze.
soe onion set.jpg

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Arrow's picture

Ok you had me at 'Mmmmmm...PIZZA!...D'oh!' (Homer Simpson)

Have a nice day all

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I want a Pony!

studentofearth's picture

@Arrow
soak in some heat waves for me today. Do you cook mostly American foods or adapted to the local diet? Maybe share a recipe or two? Since I am not traveling long distances at the moment I use youtube and my kitchen to experience different cultures.

Am inspired by this gentleman's creation of cloth
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC6FXk2K6Bs]

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Lookout's picture

I noticed last week several people asked about our cisterns...Sorry I missed those questions, but will answer now. The septic tanks/cisterns were new cast concrete from a local manufacturer. I ordered rubber boots similar to these...
http://www.a-lok.com/septicconnectors.html
which were cast into the concrete about 4 inches from the bottom of the tanks. In that way it gravity feeds and provides 4 inches of settling for solids.

As to Max Keiser's comments, I thought Stacy was accurate when she said...when Americans travel to Europe it is obvious they live better than we do... universal health care, college education, great transportation, and so on. These European countries were almost all empires at one time. Look how well they are doing now that they are no longer on the empire track. Maybe the loss of the US empire won't be so bad!

The collapse of our empire can't come soon enough for me.

I've been on a no to low carb diet and making cauliflower pizza crust. Not too bad...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaCYSX5WE5M

2 cups grated cauliflower heated lightly in a pan to drive off water
cool and add
1 egg beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Shape on parchment paper (round or square) and bake about 10 min until lightly browned
Add toppings of choice and and bake until well heated...slice and serve.

Just beginning to dry out after 6+ inches of rain when Nate passed over us on Sunday. More rain, but less wind and damage than Irma. Still having 80 degree days. I sure feel for the folks dealing with fire in S. Calif.

Hope you all have a good day!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

studentofearth's picture

@Lookout
Use cauliflower as a potato substitute for mashed and scalloped recipes. Do not handle nightshades well (arthritis symptoms) and it is a versatile vegetable.

The power of destruction from a fire is frightening and appearing randomness as it creates it own weather for self generation. Been close to several fires and do not wish the experience on anyone. My thoughts are with California.

Anyone who travels and gets out of their resort or off the cruise boat can see many areas of the world live have good quality lives. If we are not prepared for the transition period when all our corporate raiders and political mischief makers come home it will be rough.

Water system you created is interesting. Is it enough for a normal dry season? Probably full after the deluge you use experienced. Thanks for sharing.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

I began by culturing the viable wild yeast spores that are found in any bag of flour that has not been nuked and a bacterial culture contributed by organic grapes that lived in a cheesecloth bag in the flour and water slurry that was to become my "starter". This starter is then stored in the refrigerator, where it waits in a dormant state for the beginning of the next baking cycle. Once the starter has been established the only ingredients required for delicious bread are good clean water, flour and a little salt.

I have not bought commercial yeast for decades. Over the years, my starter has adapted to the timing and rhythms of my life, a miniature Darwinian evolution in my refrigerator. We are in sync. In addition, my hands, working the slurry or the dough, make a very personal bacterial contribution to the loaf. We are what we eat goes both ways sometimes!

Even as a young person, I did not entirely trust what seemed to me to be a fragile transportation system for the deliveries of necessities and always wanted to have an understanding of what it would take to be more self reliant, even as I took advantage of the easy access provided by a fully functional transcontinental delivery system. That system depends on a chain of hundreds of individual links, any one of which could break causing partial or complete disruption. And this was long before Steven King started fanning the dystopian flames. I guess that makes me sort of a dormant survivalist, just like my sourdough starter.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

mhagle's picture

@ovals49

Back in the 70s, my oldest sister and my mom (the cooks) made sourdough bread with "Herman." It was the sourdough starter that everyone was passing around to friends.

I agree about our shipping system being fragile. Surely like how Caitlyn describes herself as a "Utopia Prepper." Another great article.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Raggedy Ann's picture

@mhagle
all the time. She sends me snapchats of her bread. She calls herself the bread fairy in her neighborhood as she gifts bread to them. I wish I lived near her! Anyway, she shared her recipe with me. Now I just need to find the time to get organized enough to make it all work for me on a regular basis. Sourdough starter takes care!

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

riverlover's picture

@ovals49 I am trying to recover (I can walk a straight line right now! The miracles of tile and quarry stone) and currently feel good. My mind is still messed up. I rest a lot. That seems to help. I want to get back to bread-making. I need to get my countertops cleared. And I did buy a lifetime supply of yeast. Baguettes?

When I was in grad school there was a yeast lab across the hall. The floor always smelled of it. A multicultural lab, one post-doc had been acquired from Spain because he could bring the brewery strain. Cultural trades.

My dog got messed with and has a puncture below an eye. She is unsettled and continues to venture out and back inside. My season of open door for access to the dog flap are closing soon.

In Europe, I recall many things. Sitting outside, the diesel stink in most cities. Including London and Paris. Now it may be here in the USA. Not familiar now.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

studentofearth's picture

@ovals49
Always enjoyed my Grandmother's sourdough pancakes and bread. Killed every starter she gave me. Might try with plums from the garden, fresh water and rye flour. We don't need gardening space to grow part of our own food and nutrients.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

riverlover's picture

I have never tried that before. Hope I get it in the ground before it's too cold. Going to be a warmer weekend. That will be my target. I have two rare plants, one here, one on order. They will also be installed. And a trellis between. Which I need to spray paint True Blue. Considering how to set that upright. How much support will the trellis need? Anchors only or posts? Advice? I can theoretically do either. In the remnants of a raised bed. Now relaxed.

After being awoken by a small dog on my hip, walking seems better this AM. If I work on it, it seems to improve throughout the day. But then I get tired. Not enough exercise. Limited by walking and balance. With Dxed cognitive deficits, I want to beat the odds. And regain self-confidence. And order my brain to rewire, detouring missing axons.

There has been no frost here yet. I can recall a Halloween years ago as the first hard frost. My kids had to wear winter coats over their costumes every.year. As well as being driven to more concentrated neighborhood housing. And then walk that neighborhood, peeking into doorways.

Notice how my mind bounces?

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

studentofearth's picture

@riverlover
since I was a teenager. Don't worry about it now. Hopefully yours will continue to improve to your baseline as health returns.

Secure the trellis using the easiest technique. The cold weather of winter is one its way and you have mentioned a number of projects to finish.
m
Have recommended this trainer for years as a safe exercise program at home. Might enjoy the routines.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

mhagle's picture

I am definitely inspired to try homemade pizza again using your recipes. Thank you!!!

Here is my farm report . . .

I love cucuzza squash! The next day after I posted those pictures last week I went out to the garden and saw the cucuzza squash plants were blooming. Read that you were supposed to hand pollinate them, but when I went out to do it only found male flowers. ??? However, they are producing profusely anyway. Maybe it is because I don't have them climbing a trellis? These guys are delicious. I have been picking them just over 2 ft. long. The seeds are still small enough to eat. Cut off the ends and peal them.

Sauteed with onion and eggplant in butter. Yum. Cut raw like cucumbers, soaked with onions in vinegar and salt water overnight, drained, then mixed with a bit of sour cream and mayo. Yum. Eating it raw, it's sort of sweet. Yum.

The second picture. Yummy for the chickens. I went out to refill my maggot bucket with table scraps. When I dumped out what was still in the bucket on the ground for the chickens it was full of giant maggots. A feast!

Don't have a picture of it, but the fodder project is working now. The buckets with the holes in the bottom are just sitting on the ground outside. I mist them every morning. Used bird seed with mostly sunflowers seeds and they grew about six inches long. The chickens ate the first bucket in about 5 minutes. In the video I posted before, the presenter stacked the buckets and kept them in a cool place. When I tried that, they didn't grow very well and got moldy. This project is evolving to this = 8 plastic dishpans with holes in the bottom | sunflower seeds or ryegrass seed | since they take about 8 days to grow, feed one and start one every day.

New plants and seeds are growing in the newly conditioned round hay bales. Still fighting squash bugs though. They are attacking the cucuzza plants too.

More squash bug advice?

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Arrow's picture

This is a tweet about my rant on meritocracy. ..

I really respect ProjectS.

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I want a Pony!

mhagle's picture

@Arrow

Thank you for the educational links!

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

studentofearth's picture

@Arrow
to separate themselves from the commoners.

Consider, for example, the proliferation of wide-ranging patent-protection powers through bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements. These powers have been extended to new activities that were not previously considered areas of technological innovation, such as finance and business methods.

Add the extension of copyrights to 100 years after death of creator and patents on seeds, medicines and DNA splicing every of aspect of life can be used for rentier income.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

to their high-gluten flours (though i understand that there are industrial enzymes that can be used to enhance) but depending on where you live/shop, both Gold Medal and King Arthur have lines of unbleached, unbromated high-gluten flours that get whatever enzymes they have from the addition of a small fraction of malted flour. personally, i can't think of any particular reason to avoid the naturally-occurring enzymes in malted flour, but YMMV.

i found a PDF brochure from General Mills titled "Untreated Flour Portfolio". unfortunately, i think many of these flours may only be available via restaurant supply, in large quantities. one of the listings is 12%-gluten "Gold Medal Neapolitan Pizza Flour", which they classify as "Fully Untreated" -- i.e., not even malted. also in the list is "Gold Medal Harvest King", which i learned elsewhere is the flour i bake with -- in some regions, including mine, it is labeled "Better for Bread". it's also 12% unbleached and unbromated, but it is enriched and malted.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

studentofearth's picture

@UntimelyRippd
Grain Craft in 50# bags. Most of the flour is used for baking breads, pizza and some pastries. The barley flour changes the texture, more importantly one of the household members is bothered by barley malts and whole wheat. Makes a great designated driver.

12 months ago could purchase all wheat flour fairly easily. Thought I would switch to Bob's Red Mill all purpose, but they have added malted barley flour. Bought an extra bag of pastry flour and will resolve the problem with what is available in a couple of years. Fortunately live in a dry climate and do not have to worry about bug infestations and have mice free storage.

On a positive note, had never been able to create a crust to match bendable New York style pizza. First time baked one with semolina wheat flour the texture was right. Not a technique issue just needed the correct ingredient. The Gold Medal Pizza four is probably similar. Thanks for the research.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

enhydra lutris's picture

sourdough. Make up at night and let rise overnight, then punch down and do a refrigerator rise until about an hour before baking. Lately I've been trying a pizza pan, I spread it as thin as I want, tear off the rest and use it for personal calzone and such the next day.

Though I have made pizza bianco, my wife really likes sauce, so I use one by Lydia Bastianich and maybe add a little garlic. It is a can of San Marzano tomatoes, without the juice and squeeze some out of the tomatoes too, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Process in a food processor until it is uniform and spread it on along with toppings of choice

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Raggedy Ann's picture

@enhydra lutris
I need to try that sauce!

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Raggedy Ann's picture

I'm not sure I mentioned we have chickens again. I love having my own eggs. As a vegetarian, it is my main source of protein, plus I'm an absolute egg lover, anyway!

We will be planting our garlic crop at the end of October/beginning of November. We're hoping to have close to 2,000 plants this year. We harvested almost 900 in July, so we're enlarging the crop every year until we have enough to sell and plant. We give quite a bit away and eat a ton of garlic, too!

Love the pizza recipies! Many thanks. I mentioned upthread that I plan to start making sourdough bread soon. My daughter puts rye flour in her starter, so I'm going to give it a try, too.

Have a beautiful day, everyone! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

mhagle's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Of your garlic garden. Please? Sounds so wonderful. Smile

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

mimi's picture

(redacted personal stuff)
good day, good folks, my encounter with vegan, organic, gluten free this and that "extremism" lately left me ... hungry. I have cooked warm meals from scratch since I am twenty. I am now almost seventy. My meals contained meat and fish. The folks who ate my meals seem to like them. I got used to them.

Basically I was hungry all the time. I just asked myself "how did I survive with all that meat and fish I used to cook and never ate raw?" I also lost at least 15 pounds. I was not overweight before I lost those. But I promised myself to read OPOL's essay about his "vegan regime's" beneficial symptoms for his health. I mean, one has to stay open minded. (But do I have to cave to vegan extremism?)

Enough of that. I have not a real garden and envy all of those who do).

Now to my virtual garden. I can't keep up with all the "smartness" of my different browsers, different passwords, different lists of bookmarks, favorites and all that stuff. I could throw my laptop in the ocean to never look at it again.

Ok, of course I didn't do it. As I boycott Mr. Zuckerberg and his face... I have to use the c99p as a replacement platform. So I ran into a saved link here and read this article.

I give up. Can't make any judgement about anything anymore. So, why read? What happens is that I can't read anymore. Can't focus. Being pissed off by my own incompatibilities to handle online reading.

I am going to throw my laptop into the pacific ... and tell you in the evening how that worked out. Wink

Have a good day.

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Deja's picture

@mimi
I love veggies, but that's a bit much imho. I'm so sorry. Are you not allowed to go get you some fish and cook it yourself?

When my son turned vegetarian, I learned to marinate tofu (firm, drained with some weight on it to get all the liquid out, then cubed) in garlic chili sauce or paste, and then batter with flour, salt, pepper, then fry it. Quite tasty, actually. I'd top a veggie stir fry over rice noodles with it - but it was all cooked.

When I bake my salmon tonight, I'll think of you. I'm so sorry. Sad

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mhagle's picture

@Deja @mimi

When I was younger sometimes I would try to cut out meat . . . eventually felt so iron deficient that I craved liver.

Hope you are able to sneak around and get some real food!

P.S. I am sure there are vegan experts who find a way to get enough iron. Smile

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

mimi's picture

@Deja @Deja
(redacted personal stuff)
... but I do buy some ...
It is said by people in the know here that the local people like to eat their locally caught fish themselves and don't sell them to ... those none locals, if you understand what I mean.

Don't worry, I also realize that many of those extreme veganistas cheat. The love to eat something they hide in between... Smile Thank God, they have a little bit of human empathy with their own "desires" at times.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@mimi
and really, really need to eat loco moco, lau lau and spam musube. Otherwise, you might as well live in Encinitas,Ca, which has beaches, surf, palm trees and vegan food up wazoo.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

mimi's picture

@enhydra lutris
... I'll try.
Biggrin

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20171012_afgan.png

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Deja's picture

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studentofearth's picture

@Deja
how to bounce and try,try again Smile

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Deja's picture

@studentofearth
You're right, they keep trying too lol. Cute creatures. Did you see the video of the mother panda's reaction to her newborn sneezing? It's actually a loud sneeze.

[video:https://youtu.be/5nqQY_dMAro]

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