Gardening / Homesteading

[Uncle Joe]

On 7/17/2024 at 6:22 PM, Foxx said:

Slice some patties, bread'em, pan fry. Cover with a marinara and mozzarella if you like

^^^^ I would grow zucchini just to make this in the fall.^^^^

(I bake the zucchini and sauce and add the mozzarella before serving. Assuming you do the same)

There was a time when I could give most of my zucchini to my neighbor and receive zucchini bread in return. They have since moved.

Edited July 21 by Uncle Joe

[The Guy In Pants]

Zucchini is great when it doesn't get mushy. I have way too many this year and since my little roadside stand isn't happening this year I've been cutting them up, vacuum sealing them in bags and freezing them. Same with tomatoes. I am slicing them, sealing and freezing. I know the longer they stay in there the mushier they get but I can make sauce with them. I have all the stuff to start canning but I have a glass top range and don't trust it. I bought an outside propane stove that I could use. 

 

It is so funny to see all the stuff I purchased during the covid bullshit in my "emergency response" closet. The only thing I am not ready for is a second flood.

 

I can't wait to show you guys her patio I am transforming. 

[Ann]

13 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Zucchini is great when it doesn't get mushy. I have way too many this year and since my little roadside stand isn't happening this year I've been cutting them up, vacuum sealing them in bags and freezing them. Same with tomatoes. I am slicing them, sealing and freezing. I know the longer they stay in there the mushier they get but I can make sauce with them. I have all the stuff to start canning but I have a glass top range and don't trust it. I bought an outside propane stove that I could use. 

 

I prefer to freeze tomatoes rather than can them. I dice them and we use them in soups, chili, and sauce. It takes no time at all to scald them, ice bath, and then freezeproof food containers and top with tomato juice.  Easy-peasy.

 

13 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

It is so funny to see all the stuff I purchased during the covid bullshit in my "emergency response" closet. The only thing I am not ready for is a second flood.

Speaking of covid stash... we finally opened the last case of toilet paper that I bought when "supplies were short."  I guess I can start looking for deals before we run out next year. 

 

13 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

 

I can't wait to show you guys her patio I am transforming. 

Patio transformation!! I love before and afters. Can't wait to see it  

[The Guy In Pants]

I made chicken pot pie tonight 

[Uncle Joe]

7 minutes ago, The Guy In Pants said:

I made chicken pot pie tonight 

So chickens have doubled their egg production today, amirite?

[Fansince88]

1 hour ago, The Guy In Pants said:

I made chicken pot pie tonight 

recipe please. 

[The Guy In Pants]

13 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

recipe please. 

 

I start with making a whole chicken. I cut all the meat off the bones and then boil the bones and fat for like 7-8 hours for broth. A quicker option is to buy a rotisserie chicken and some broth. I recommend no salt added. You can use breast but it likes to dry out faster unless you cut into thinner pieces and cook.  Also; if you want to make the pie crusts -do so ahead of time. or buy a package of the ready made in the refrigerator aisle. 

 

2-3 cups of chicken cut into chunks

1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth

2 pie crusts

1/3 cup milk - heavy cream works too just reduce the amount of flour you use to thicken the sauce.

1/4-1/2 cup of flour - to thicken

Peas, carrots, green beans. - I had green beans from the garden but you can use frozen/fresh - don't use canned. 

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion - chopped

Pepper, chicken bullion, garlic powder

egg for brushing on top.

 

Oven at 425

Boil vegetables until soft - drain - mix with cooked chicken - set aside

Melt butter in a pan and add onions - cook until soft

Stir in flour and whisk it into the remaining butter

Slowly stir in broth and milk. Whisk to mix with flour. Season to taste with bouillon powder, garlic, pepper. Constantly stir while you heat it to a simmer to thicken. 

 

One 9 inch pie crust on the bottom, press against the side and stretch to just above the rim of the pie pan. Add some of the veggie/chicken to form a single layer on the bottom, add thickened sauce on top of that. Another layer of the veggies and chicken, another layer of the sauce. Make sure to level it out. You can mix it all together with the sauce but the veggies get mashed. I just layer it and it keeps everything intact and just tastes better to me. The sauce will work its way through the pie as it bakes.

 

Add second pie crust; pinch closed along the sides. Whisk an egg and brush it on top of the pie. Cut 3 slits in the center. Bake for 30-35 until golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes. 

 

As you know; I am on a limited salt diet. This is the bullion I use. They also have beef. This stuff tastes amazing. I can use a generous amount and really bring the flavor out and not have to worry about sodium overload.  It is a bit more expensive. Also; if I am not boiling chicken to make my own stock; I always get the no salt added broth. 

 

 

 

Edited July 29 by The Guy In Pants

[CarpetCrawler]

This stuff is great too for every day seasoning

 

[The Guy In Pants]

30 minutes ago, CarpetCrawler said:

This stuff is great too for every day seasoning

 

Yes it is; I have all her stuff. I do like the Chipotle southwest one

[CarpetCrawler]

1 minute ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Yes it is; I have all her stuff. I do like the Chipotle southwest one

 

Sounds good, I'll pick one of those up next time I'm out.

[Foxx]

This is the first year I can remember, in over 2 decades of gardening, that we have not had any cucumber beetles.

 

Nice not to have to spread Seven around though.

 

[Fansince88]

2 hours ago, Foxx said:

This is the first year I can remember, in over 2 decades of gardening, that we have not had any cucumber beetles.

 

Nice not to have to spread Seven around though.

 

My cukes are horrible this year. growing real fat and short and seedy. Not sure what changed. 

[Uncle Joe]

3 hours ago, Foxx said:

 

Nice not to have to spread Seven around though.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't want to mistake you for a serial killer 😁

[The Guy In Pants]

Hope everyone is well. We had a good part of that last storm and got 8 inches of rain in about a day. We flooded bad. I’ve had a few contractors out to take a look at everything but the quotes are astronomical. I looked into renting but it’s close to $1000 a week. 
 

Then I found a few of these mini excavators for home owners. I started looking into them and I am pleasantly surprised. I’m currently looking a few. All under $7000 new. they’ll be perfect to get into the tight spaces and can even fit into horse stalls and close work against the buildings and fences.

 

Ive looked at the backhoe attachment for my tractor but everyone who has one says they’re only good for some things and can be a pain in the ass to use and hookup. Plus mine is 10k new and hardly any used found. But even they are 7-8k
 

I’m mechanically inclined and they look simple enough that a decent wrench turner can improvise and overcome some of the flaws. Ive watched plenty of YouTube videos on them and they do a decent job for the DIY’ers. 
 

anyone have one?

Edited August 21 by The Guy In Pants

[Fansince88]

On 8/21/2024 at 7:45 PM, The Guy In Pants said:

Hope everyone is well. We had a good part of that last storm and got 8 inches of rain in about a day. We flooded bad. I’ve had a few contractors out to take a look at everything but the quotes are astronomical. I looked into renting but it’s close to $1000 a week. 
 

Then I found a few of these mini excavators for home owners. I started looking into them and I am pleasantly surprised. I’m currently looking a few. All under $7000 new. they’ll be perfect to get into the tight spaces and can even fit into horse stalls and close work against the buildings and fences.

 

Ive looked at the backhoe attachment for my tractor but everyone who has one says they’re only good for some things and can be a pain in the ass to use and hookup. Plus mine is 10k new and hardly any used found. But even they are 7-8k
 

I’m mechanically inclined and they look simple enough that a decent wrench turner can improvise and overcome some of the flaws. Ive watched plenty of YouTube videos on them and they do a decent job for the DIY’ers. 
 

anyone have one?

No but we want one. There are quite a few different brands. What brand are you looking at? My biggest concern is parts. 

[The Guy In Pants]

11 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

No but we want one. There are quite a few different brands. What brand are you looking at? My biggest concern is parts. 

I’ve been immersed in these things for days. The ones I find with the best support and parts networks are:

 

Rippa (Machpro is their sister company)

AGT

High Top

Youtop

Kymron

GroundHog

 

Problem is, there are three kinds of sellers:

 

A) the kind that really don’t know what they have and just want a quick buck pricing their equipment too high. 
 

B) The “dealers” who purchased a few skids of these machines and watch them go at auction and price them high. 
 

C) Online sales that are priced where they should be but have specific shipping requirements that make the wait 40-50 days and must be offloaded.

 

Most of the ones above have brand name hydraulic pumps and motors. ATG is the least quality of the bunch but still decent. 
 

The more quality the unit; the more it weighs. For example, a 12 in Rippa or one of the others listed weighs as much as a 15 in ATG.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 26 by The Guy In Pants

[The Guy In Pants]

Rolled with a used AGT for a quarter of the price of a new one. Marketplace finds are hard to pass up.

 

 

[Fansince88]

1 hour ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Rolled with a used AGT for a quarter of the price of a new one. Marketplace finds are hard to pass up.

 

 

Let me know your thoughts. Have seen a few used ones.

[The Guy In Pants]

4 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

Let me know your thoughts. Have seen a few used ones.

 

Just the little bit I’ve used it, I’m impressed. It’s not a cat 305. It’s a 420CC gas Briggs and Stratton on a surprisingly sturdy machine. I like what the did with the pins. Instead of cheap bolts; these are the same pins as my big tractor. 
 

The front does lift up when digging if you aren’t used to using one. It’s a bit jerky but should pass with usage time.

 

SLOOOOOOOOW. This thing crawls. But, unless you’re going to fork over $14k for two stage motors; it is what it is.

 

The engine compartment gets hot. The metal under your seat gets hot. This model does have a hydraulic cooler and fan but I ordered a 12vdc fan and rocker switch to add one to push hot air out.  
 

The guy hardly used it. To the extent that the cardboard hanging instructions on the Briggs and Stratton engine are still there and the plastic is still on the decals. 

 

Im about to do a drain system so I’ll let you know what it does.

 

All in all; looks like a solid addition. 
 

what ones have you seen used?

 

 

 

 

[Fansince88]

2 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

 

Just the little bit I’ve used it, I’m impressed. It’s not a cat 305. It’s a 420CC gas Briggs and Stratton on a surprisingly sturdy machine. I like what the did with the pins. Instead of cheap bolts; these are the same pins as my big tractor. 
 

The front does lift up when digging if you aren’t used to using one. It’s a bit jerky but should pass with usage time.

 

SLOOOOOOOOW. This thing crawls. But, unless you’re going to fork over $14k for two stage motors; it is what it is.

 

The engine compartment gets hot. The metal under your seat gets hot. This model does have a hydraulic cooler and fan but I ordered a 12vdc fan and rocker switch to add one to push hot air out.  
 

The guy hardly used it. To the extent that the cardboard hanging instructions on the Briggs and Stratton engine are still there and the plastic is still on the decals. 

 

Im about to do a drain system so I’ll let you know what it does.

 

All in all; looks like a solid addition. 
 

what ones have you seen used?

 

 

 

 

Have not seen one first hand. That said, Im interested. Have some work fixing some trails and redirecting streams thst are causing issues. This would be the cats meow.