Tereza Okava

I grew up with these!! I had an aunt who sold all sorts of things and I am pretty sure the one we had was also a Fuller Brush Company one. It was great (and we always had wall to wall carpeting, and no indoor pets).
Now I have wood floors and it probably wouldn't do much! I do actually vacuum a lot now, thanks to a shedding dog, but I also appreciate the power of a broom on a carpet.

Rebekah Harmon wrote: black soybeans

They are a heritage food here in the Japanese community, and they make fabulous natto, among other things. I wish I could swap you some jam for some seeds!!

(another super funky looking 'alt-milk' we used to make in my house for my no-dairy kid was black sesame, highly recommended and very tasty. Might not grow where you're at, but definitely worth trying to make if you have access)

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Thanks. I suppose an oven might work, but I'm not willing to spend one penny of electricity for this project.

If you have a car and a sunny fall day, you have a low-temp oven.

I am following this because I have sunflowers in my yard (winter sunflowers???) that got 12 foot plus and I want to save seed. I have never managed to get good seed out of a homegrown sunflower, unfortunately, they always go moldy first.

I stand corrected! I said here that I never peel taters and then last night found myself peeling potatoes for my husband's pre-colonoscopy-prep lunch!
So I guess its "only when absolutely necessary".

i bake a lot, and so when i go to a bakery i want something that i don't make at home. Usually something with buttercream!! I'm partial to a nice cupcake, or those huge cookies with monstrosities of icing, candy, etc. Or a huge almond cookie with that big plop of fudge in the middle.

That said, I almost never get these things, because the local variations aren't to my taste (or they don't exist here). I don't like flaky pastry and I'm meh about cheesecake (omni-present). When I want a treat generally I'll make brownies.

i have been getting a lot of good apples at good prices lately. While we also appreciate a good savory recipe (made apples, sauerkraut and pork chops with spatzle the other day) most of what I make is cake.

I made this custard/cake yesterday and it was marvelous!
https://www.eatingwell.com/magic-apple-cake-12071281

and this one was last week. https://www.eatingwell.com/irish-apple-cake-11897812

(we try to eat as much fiber as possible and this site has a lot of whole grain options that taste great, i'm working my way through their apple recipes)

if that is your tree and the brown spots are like that, i'd say it's trauma. looks like the spots are right where the leaves were banging against the stem.

I would add dirt and maybe some leaves or fouled straw, pet shavings etc and mix up and let stand for a few months. My first barrel bokashi doesnt lose volume as it ferments but it does turn into a "solid mass" type situation. I mix it half and half with dirt from old planters or just any old dirt and some of the rabbit bedding and in a few weeks it's fabulous compost. Make layers and make sure you have some worms in there.

Carla Burke wrote:I leave them on. Even in my potato salad & mash. Granted, I prefer a rustic mash, complete with both peels and lumps. But, especially with ared potato, I like the visual of the intact peel.

Definitely! and if it's a German potato salad, even better, I think it makes it a lot nicer looking.

Eino Kenttä wrote:I generally prefer not peeling, but I think a case can be made for it if the potatoes are on the verge of turning green.

Of course! I definitely cut out any green or bad spots or patches, along with any eyes or anything else untoward. But I don't throw out a potato unless it's really a horrid situation, there's almost always something to salvage.