Heidi Schmidt

This may not be 100% in the spirit of this thread, but I want to point out another practice I think should be done away with: Scraping all the good topsoil off a new property to build (and selling it, I presume), and then replacing it with a few inches of topsoil brought back in. Really messes with the ability to have decent gardens without a whole bunch more inputs.

Jane Mulberry wrote:What a wonderful thread. Some truly talented people here!
Writing is my main hobby, as well as an income source. I've learned all aspects of indie publishing, so I do everything that's needed for my own books myself, apart from editing and proofreading.
My next time-use is reading, planning, and daydreaming for my future piece of land I'm in the process of purchasing, a weed-filled acre with an old house and a stream at the bottom of the garden. Reading "Invasive Plant Medicine" in preparation.
I also sew, paint, and do a little woodworking, all badly but I have fun so that's the main thing.  Oh, and fermenting. I'm just getting back into it again and making some interesting (and sometimes explosive!) edibles.

What IS that chocolatey-ice-creamy looking thing??

David Royal wrote:

Heidi Schmidt wrote:I didn't look at all the rules, but this sounds an awful lot like "Dutch Blitz", which is my family's all-time favourite when we get together! Highly, highly recommended for tons of fun. A little wild at times, as it's a speed game (all play at once), but that's what makes it so fun!

I remember being a teen and getting the Dutch Blitz game as a family present... it looks so un-fun and old fashioned when you just look at the cards, but looks are truly deceiving in this case

Thanks for posting this!  I got Dutch Blitz for Christmas -- I'd heard it was good, but I haven't taken the time to figure it out yet.

You're welcome! Just take a little time to learn a few nuances in the rules, and play a few rounds slowly...  Try to play with four people for the most fun--three people are ok in a pinch. And watch out--it's a bit addictive. Have fun!

Tyler Ludens wrote:What is your hobby besides permaculture?

I have two main hobbies which are related; Embroidery, and Ernest Thesiger.

My embroidery: http://imagination-heart.deviantart.com/gallery/33561114/mixed-media

My Ernest Thesiger website: http://ernestthesiger.org/Ernest_Thesiger/Home.html

What's yours?  The more obscure and bizarre the better!

GOREGEOUS embroidery! I especially love that little hedgehog...

I didn't look at all the rules, but this sounds an awful lot like "Dutch Blitz", which is my family's all-time favourite when we get together! Highly, highly recommended for tons of fun. A little wild at times, as it's a speed game (all play at once), but that's what makes it so fun!

I remember being a teen and getting the Dutch Blitz game as a family present... it looks so un-fun and old fashioned when you just look at the cards, but looks are truly deceiving in this case

Mariamne Ingalls wrote:Hi all-

Our favorite family game (after scrabble) is a card game we call Peanuts (aka Nerts or Pounce or Squeek, I guess):

http://www.pagat.com/patience/nerts.html

My grandmother brought it back from Florida in the 70's. And we just played it here last week.
It's a form of multi-player solitaire, with no turns, and it's a riot.

It takes a lot of decks of cards: one deck for each player.

The only thing about winter play, is that it's much more fun to play if you have at least 4 or more people, which may not be the norm on a snowy day.
I laughed out loud when I read the rules web page (above) that says that it "gets out of hand" if five or more people play!
Because that's the way our family REALLY likes to play it (a fast free-for-all with no turns and lots of competition!)

I especially recommend it if you have a group with small kids (5 years old and up) and adults, total group about 6 to 8. Then you can pair each kid with an adult partner. The kid partner has the responsibility of watching for a chance to play just the one card off the pair's Peanuts pile (aka Nerts pile), while the adult does all the rest of the demanding fast work of trying to play out cards. This makes for lots of teamwork. The kids have one of the most important jobs, and there's lots of opportunity for the adults to help, coach and joke with their kid partners. And the adults can help the kids to reach down the long dining room table, to play their cards.

One thing we insist on, that makes it more fun, is how we turn over the cards in the stock pile, 3 cards at a time (just like in solitaire).We do this using a "flip".
That is: hold the stock pile in your left hand, slide the top card off with right hand's thumb into your right hand; then repeat with the next 2 cards, and flip the resulting 3 cards in your right hand over, to reveal the card you can play. (Please forgive the right-hand bias). You'll get why this is more fun, once you play.

You can see the whole thing demonstrated as "Squeek" on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ssLI51RZ4
This family is faster than mine, and there isn't as much good-natured yelling as there is at our house. And they play the Peanuts pile face up (what's up with that?!).
Watch the player to the lower right of your screen -- it's easy to see him doing doing the "flip".

I guess you can tell by now that I REALLY like this game! And that this post definitely belongs in the meaningless drivel forum!

Have fun!
Mariamne

I was the kid who saved all the wrapping at Christmas, probably starting at 10 years old. Then my wonderful grandma made a pile of Christmas sacks out of festive quilting material. I have been the keeper of these, and do most of my "wrapping" in them... sure cuts down on wrapping work! Also, believe it or not, there was a time probably 30 years ago when festive reusable Christmas gift sacks were a freebie handed out at a local gas station if you got a fill up. So we have a few of those, too. Christmas morning clean up is pretty easy, and not much is thrown away.

We often receive gifts in paper gift bags. These are also stored from year to year to be used, and this is what I use if gifts are going to people outside the family/house. I also refold tissue paper to reuse in the paper gift bags. Any wrapping paper we get from others also gets refolded, and then often used to wrap the tiny things inside stockings. My mom loves using real, beautiful ribbon on gifts, so I always save that too. Gift tags might be anything from upcycled cards, to reused tags, to stickers, to handmade out of cardstock. (I loved that idea about "permanent" gift tags, too!)

Sometimes people will say to me (especially when my daughter was younger): "Don't you enjoy the wild ripping open of wrapping paper? Isn't it a bit sad to miss out on that part?" Um... nope. I actually don't like it. And my daughter never particularly cared either. The gift is the thing, not the wrapping. And anyway, under our tree looks just as festive and happy as under any tree! Colourful sacks, big ribbons... it's beautiful. Plus, c'mon, it's Christmas... doesn't a gift to our Earth seem like the right thing to do?

We made our first homemade one this year... and have eaten at least half of it already. That stuff is addictive.

In answer to the variables:
Brandy.
Dark.
Cherries, pineapple, sultanas, Thompson raisins, candied peel.
Almonds and pecans.
Wheat free (used a 1:1 baking substitute of rice flour, etc.)

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm. We're talking about making another one to take on camping and boating trips in the summer, since it's such a good traveller.

And incidentally, I'm genX.

Jay Angler wrote:

Carla Burke wrote:

Heidi Schmidt wrote:If anyone has a recipe / tried-and-true method for making gluten free pie crust, I would be all ears!

Me, too!

I have a friend who's made an almond flour crust and used it for pumpkin pie. With stuff I've recently read about the almond industry, I'm not sure I'd want to go there, but I can try to get the recipe from her if you've got a source of safe almonds. I do recall you 'press it in place' rather than rolling it.

Ok, I'm interested to at least hear about it. Can you also tell more about the almond industry? I'm aware of the huge monocultures and horrors of all the pollinator bee importing... anything else?

If anyone has a recipe / tried-and-true method for making gluten free pie crust, I would be all ears!

I love it! I think with a few lyrics changes in the verses, I might just be able to have a really good use for this song!