R Dell

r ranson wrote: What I need is a really simple recipe I can add to depending on my mood.  REALLY simple!  Like Idiot proof simple.  

My family have been "Ranch" fans for eons, we use it on everything! It's easy to modify, but below is the basic ingredients and portions that give it that perfect "Hidden Valley Ranch" consistency.  

For simplicity, I pre-mix the spice-combination that we enjoy and keep it in a jar. (Jar also doubles as those "Onion Soup" packets or for a quick dip for veggies or beet chips.)  Then when we need some ranch, I just grab a dollop of yogurt & a scoop of spices from the jar -- viola! quick ranch!  

Basic Ranch Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp plus ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ cups full fat sour cream
• ¾ cup buttermilk

I usually use 2 cups of plain yogurt for the full recipe, but if you value taste and texture then this recipe is good.

Source

r ranson wrote: What are the names for / and \?
Also, if you can say where in the world you are, that would be great, as I suspect there's some regional variation.

In some system coding languages:
\ - backslash  (usually activates commands defined after the mark)
/ - forward slash (usually authorizes commands preceding the mark.)

(I am sure there are other great insights, but as for location, I have tested systems for companies around the world.)

Joshua Johnson wrote:I think you might have an easier time getting one to move down the Caribbean than to Wyoming. Just a hunch.

There are also ladies that would prefer Wyoming over the Caribbean. Personally been to both places and definitely prefer Wyoming!

Compliments of my Old Farmer's Almanac "Moon Calendar":

The Moon has inspired many people throughout history, including culinary creators. Here are a few popular foods with lunar names:
• Moon milk (warm cow or nut milk with honey and herbs/spices)
• Moon pies
• Moon cakes (Asian sweet round pastry)

Also, perhaps:
• Circle Sandwiches made with two-tone bread (white & wheat or rye) cut in eclipse phases
• Croissant Sandwiches with Swiss Cheese
• Little dippers (pretzels connected with marshmallows)
• Carrots and Cucumbers sliced in crescent and star shapes (or any fruit or veggie...)
• Eclipse Tostadas (recipe )
• Circle crackers with star-shape-cut cheeses

Hope your party is wonderful no matter what you make!

credit: CoolMomEats

Cade, does this help at all? May not, but thought I would share in case it provides another idea to try.

https://urbanwormcompany.com/guide-biochar-101-introduction/
(scroll about half-way down, with the header of "Method 2: Top-Lift Updraft or TLUD")


credit: UrbanWormCompany

Mike Farmer wrote: In case you missed it, there's a good thread on here about different ways to make biochar in the wood stove: https://permies.com/t/44894/Containers-making-biochar-wood-burning

Thanks Mike! Yes, that was actually the thread that introduced me to stacking two functions (Mark Brunnr's post on Edible Acres' video of making biochar while heating the home). Great info!  
By the way, those steel "hotel pans" (steam pans/chaffers/foodwarmers) work well to release the gases, and they are ~80% off right now on LionsDeal! It's helpful that they have multiple sizes so one can select a size that fits in their stove.  It also works perfectly for using smaller alternate mediums, like pine needles, avocado pits, etc.  

This forum has offered tremendous information on creating biochar as well as ideas to stack different functions. My personal favorite is using the burn-cycle as a "log" within a traditional wood stove to also create heat for the home (seen here), as it works really well for my heating situation.

Recently, in studying historic and ancient methods of creating charcoal for cooking purposes, I ran across this video where the wood sap is extracted during pyrolysis, thus creating 2 resources at once: clean char and distilled sap that can be used for salves, pitch, resin, glue, weather-proofing, etc.  (It's what they used to seal boats, houses, waterproof-fabric, glue arrowheads onto arrows, make furniture, etc.)

Video 1 - Russian simple process and uses

Video 2 - Austevoll high-yield process

Video 3 - North Carolina process and uses

(Obviously this is done with "fatwood" and may be an option for those that have easy access to that type of wood.  Which is 95% of the wood in my area.)

What if biochar creation & tar extraction could be stacked with heating the home at the same time? Mini-extractor/retort of sorts for the wood stove or RHM? (I am not an inventor, but still interesting to think about! Perhaps a cast iron pot with a sturdy sieve leading to a pipe draining to another cast iron catchment? Or an upside-down borosilicate glass distiller where the liquid boils down to a catchment?)

Thoughts?  Ideas on how to make a mini-retort-extractor?

What are other stacked-functions to add to the biochar-creation process?

Jan Macdonald wrote: Any suggestions please to purge the infection now?

Hi Jan, hoping you are doing better! If you haven't already, as Heather and Pete mentioned, Plantain (Plantago major) is very good at drawing out toxins from within the body. It is so easy to apply and works pretty quickly.  I had a horrible infection from a wound on my hand that turned into sepsis. On a quick break from work, I ran to a nearby field, picked some plantain, smashed it up with my fingers (to release the juices) and put it over the original wound and covered it with a bandage. By that evening the swelling was down and sepsis gone. Within two days it looked completely normal.   Hope my experience will help others as well.  

Kombucha strains are such a great (and easy) alternative!  

If it helps your journey in baking, here are a few helpful resources:
Making bread with Kombucha yeast:


Also, a few alternative recipes:
https://www.kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-recipe-sourdough-kombucha-bread-starter-plus-more-recipes

Scott Foster wrote:Can you make your own yeast for bread making?

Townsends has a very informational video about historical ways for leavening bread: