Mike Feddersen

Hi Paul, or whoever adds forum categories.
I recently concocted a new dessert, and being the generous guy I am, I wanted to share it with the world. Or at least all you permies...
Anyway I was kinda surprised that there was so few categories in the "Kitchen Forum."
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Here's the dessert, in case you need it. As a kid my dad occasionally asked if I wanted some ice milk. But I never took him up on it. I wonder if his was the commercially available version, or similar to mine?
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Chocolate Ice Milk
(This isn't true ice milk, but it is pretty good.)
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I had brought home a new gallon jug of chocolate milk, and before I dumped the half gallon of expired chocolate milk out, I tasted it. It was fine. Running out of fridge space I threw it in the chest freezer.
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The first evening I pulled it out before it had completely hardened up. The wife ate it as is.
But I wanted it just a bit chocolatier, so I sprinkled some powdered unsweetened baking chocolate on top. Then I thought it needs a little liquid.
I didn't want it less sweet, so I grabbed some Vanilla Carmel coffee creamer (Walmart Great Value).
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I think I invented something truly unique and awesome!
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Directions/Recipe
Mock Chocolate Ice Milk

Freeze about 4 cups of chocolate milk.
When the frozen chocolate milk comes out of the freezer, you will need to soften it up a little. We nuke it for a minute to a minute and a half in the microwave.
Then you take a big serving spoon and break it up, kind of scraping it out.
When you have a desired amount in your bowl, sprinkle a little bit of unsweetened chocolate baking powder on top. Then add just a little of the Vanilla Carmel coffee creamer to the bottom of the bowl.
Enjoy!
Top off your bowl of frozen chocolate milk with a bit of fresh for next time, tomorrow perhaps... Put it back in the freezer.

Chocolate Ice Milk
(This isn't true ice milk, but it is pretty good.)
.
I had brought home a new gallon jug of chocolate milk, and before I dumped the half gallon of expired chocolate milk out, I tasted it. It was fine. Running out of fridge space I threw it in the chest freezer.
.
The first evening I pulled it out before it had completely hardened up. The wife ate it as is.
But I wanted it just a bit chocolatier, so I sprinkled some powdered unsweetened baking chocolate on top. Then I thought it needs a little liquid.
I didn't want it less sweet, so I grabbed some Vanilla Carmel coffee creamer (Walmart Great Value).
.
I think I invented something truly unique and awesome!
.
Directions/Recipe
Mock Chocolate Ice Milk

Freeze about 4 cups of chocolate milk.
When the frozen chocolate milk comes out of the freezer, you will need to soften it up a little. We nuke it for a minute to a minute and a half in the microwave.
Then you take a big serving spoon and break it up, kind of scraping it out.
When you have a desired amount in your bowl, sprinkle a little bit of unsweetened chocolate baking powder on top. Then add just a little of the Vanilla Carmel coffee creamer to the bottom of the bowl.
Enjoy!
Top off your bowl of frozen chocolate milk with a bit of fresh for next time, tomorrow perhaps... Put it back in the freezer.

My grandfather said as a kid running the milk cows in, he would either heat up a flatstone by the wood stove to take with to stand on, or wait for a cow peeing.
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Too many sand burrs in my past to enjoy getting grounded nowadays.
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And for the gal above who's husband wears shoes inside, I don't blame him. My wife and son thinks the vacuum is for hangs clothes on. My 16 year old son actually said, "It's too soon to vacuum already." I think it had been a month. My Mom had vacuumed 2 times a week and her carpets lasted over 27 years.
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Baking soda in the foot bath with Epsom salts helps tenderize those callouses.

Raven,
I never realized what a money pit Kickstarter was.
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It's your project, don't let myself or any others steer it in a direction you don't want it to go.
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Make sure you include links here to wherever you share the project.
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Maybe a GoFundMe, or a PayPal link for donations. I just had a few extra dollars show up that I had not expected.
Mike
Others should continue with their ideas, a forum is a great place to share and plot....

I forgot to mention, that girl that did the ebay paintings also would sell prints of the paintings.
And I meant to mention the drawings, whether in pencil or charcoal, etc could be part of your rewards if you did a Kickstarter.
I remember seeing a pencil sketch by Picasso that was reportedly worth $10,000

Raven,
I think this a fantastic idea!
So much so I began scheming how to fund it, and I don't know, but I like this better than your calendars I invested in in the past. 😉
Paul Wheaton loves to promote permies through Kickstarter projects, he's at what? 13? 14?
Anyway I had thought I would love to help finance your dream, but I am recovering from an accident a year ago. I can still give voice to ideas here.
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I was thinking maybe Paul could do a Kickstarter fundraiser with your project, your actual costs plus 50%
Maybe a big hatchery or chicken producer could fund it, with permission to use the chicken portraits.
I like the idea of the Kickstarter and how they reward backer's.
Going by your numbers, what would each portrait cost? $30-40 dollars? I don't know, but with a Kickstarter the shipping cost varies by country so it is added to the backer's investment.
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I like the idea of you creating a blog/podcast to keep track of your learning process.
I like the idea of the chickens being on a postcard, a coffee table book, maybe an animated something or other.
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Every year lately Kickstarter has done a Maker 100, where individuals can have a small project with 100 backer's. I think this could be much bigger than 100 backers.
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I knew a Ebay artist that would record herself painting a painting and commenting about it. She would post the painting on eBay with the video and let the bidding begin. I bought one, I don't remember what it went for a couple hundred dollars I believe. They were unique.
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Human interest stories are what feeds the news, your project has that. I love the idea of depeopling.

My aunt who I am having coffee with this morning mentioned she would can every bit of meat from a butchered animal. She has a root cellar next to a rock cliff here in West Virginia. Her log home was built by her and her husband and her dad from locally harvested wood. She said her dad wasn't much for straight lines, so some logs needed put up twice. They used motor oil to preserve the wood. The first 3 years you could see thru the logs to outside.
She has an exterior kitchen for canning.

On a trip to Alaska we were taken to an oil pipeline. The oil had to be heated to flow through the pipes. Because of the permafrost layer in the ground, the pipeline had to have a way to freeze the pads that supported the pipeline. Ammonia was used. If I remember the temperature right, the pipe was around 400 degrees Fahrenheit and the ammonia would freeze to -175? No pumps, just the temperature of the pipe running the system.
Kat mentioned something about water cooling, I watched a video about running a pipe through your yard as a cheap geothermal system.
I could see running a pipe in to a cold lake the same way, but winter freezing might require two systems. One for summer, one for winter.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pipeline-designs-protect-permafrost/

Kathleen Sanderson wrote: Not sure I would -- beer smells so bad to me that I've never even tasted it.  

Kathleen, some thing's need perspective, and no sniffing. Ask anyone who's had an ice cold beer on a hot afternoon, it's heavenly.
But it's okay if you don't, someone needs to be the designated driver.

Hi Thekla,
Thanks for restarting this thread.
I am currently off work because of an at work injury, and it has me wanting to get "my someday garden going."
I live on an acre and a half, big green yard that I pay someone $300/month to mow while I am gone driving truck over the road.
It would be nice to find one or two or three people that wanted a garden, but don't have the area. I think I would need to get it fenced, as the deer are plentiful in the area.
On YouTube there is a guy that lives in a Florida backyard, in a little shack and he tends 3 local gardens, sharing the produce with the landowners.
Taking some of the excess to a farmers market he earns some spending money, I believe it was around $10,000. Not a lot, but if he taught this to a few people he could get paid more by having more to share. Already knowing what grows best, he could teach homeowners how to reap the rewards of their own backyards.
https://youtu.be/4yXU8K-9SIw
I was on the north side of Philadelphia Pennsylvania and found a fenced in area called Victory Gardens, they rented out small parcels for people to have a garden. You would need to be able to trust your neighbors 😉.