2016 Groundhog Day Snowstorm named Bucky

I think most of our lives are controlled by the media especially television reports.  Take politics for example, they are pretty much in charge of who gets facetime and what stories we see.  The same is true for the weather.  A week ago we had 8.5 inches of snow.  There was snow in the forecast, and we ended up with 8.5 inches.  Everyone got out, shoveled and were on their way.  It was slippery for a while but no one panicked.  Yesterday was a different story.  For many days in advance the weather people were warning of a huge snowstorm on the horizon.  They were talking about this storm when it was just a glimmer in the Pacific Ocean.  Days went by and the storm was eminent.  Schools were closed and people were warned to stay off the roads.  The storm was even named Bucky.  In defense, the snow was very heavy and sticky which made driving hazardous.  We had half the amount we had a week earlier.  The most I saw in the area was seven inches.  We live in Wisconsin for heavens sake.  We can take a little snow and cold.  I have to say this is easy for me to say.  I never left the house and I am glad people took this seriously, and remained safe.

I did get some pretty photos.  The heaviness of the snow made it stick to the trees, branches and a lot of other things.

Birdfeeder covered with snow.

 

This little bird reminded me of an incident.  Yesterday I was watching the snow and heard a clunk.  I looked out the window and saw a small bird had hit the window.  He was struggling to get to his feet.  He stuck his wings out to balance and suddenly did a face plant into the snow.  I thought he was dead.  My husband said that something would feast on it and that was the balance of nature.  I was so sad as I saw blood coming out of it's mouth.

Blood left behind in the snow.

I kept checking to see if he stopped breathing.  Then slowly he started coming around.  He sat up and started to move his beak open and shut.  After a short time, he flew off and started to eat.  If he doesn't make it now, I won't know it.  It looked like he was going to be alright.

Make Your Own Almond Milk

Ever since my daughter was a baby she had a problem digesting lactose.  She drank goat milk as a young person.  We got the milk from a friend who milked goats.  It is an acquired tasted that I never acquired.  Over the years we would go back to cow's milk, but there were always issues with it.  My husband doesn't tolerate cow's milk very well either, so we eventually turned to lactose free cow's milk, lactaid and now almond or coconut milk.  Milk is the same as everything else in our food supply, we don't really know what is in it.  One day I watched Dr. Oz make Almond milk.  It was super easy.  He said purchased almond milk is only 2% almonds and has stuff added to it for flavor.  It also has ingredients which probably extends the shelf life.  Have you ever looked at the expiration date on a carton of almond milk?  It lasts for months.  That is when I started to make our own almond milk.  It tastes better.  It actually tastes like almonds because it is 25% almonds and the rest is water.  Nothing else is added.  You could add vanilla or a little sweetener, but we prefer it plain.  My husband is the only person I know who eats his oatmeal plain with milk.  He doesn't add sugar, raisins, cinnamon or anything else.  To me it's like eating wallpaper paste, but that's how he likes it.  I like it loaded with sweetness.  I won't even eat it unless I can doctor it up a bit.

Almond Milk

To make a quart of almond milk you soak 1 cup of plain unsalted almonds in 4 cups of filtered water.  I use the almonds with skin on because I like the fiber in the leftover meal.  Plain blanched almonds would also work as long as they aren't bleached or treated.  Even if you don't make almond milk, almonds should be soaked to eat.  It makes them much more digestible and therefore you get more nutritional value from eating them.

Organic almonds soaking in plain water.

Let the almonds soak to soften them up.  I have read some recipes that say to soak them for an hour.  I usually soak for at least 8 hours.  You can soak them for 24 hours if you can't get to them before that.  When the almonds are soaked, drain off the soaking water and add the softened almonds to a blender.

The soaking water gets discolored so pour it off.

 
Add back 4 cups of fresh water.  Blend on high until the nuts are completely blended.  It only takes a couple minutes.  At this point you have almond milk with ground up nuts in it.  You want to remove the almond meal by pouring the milk through several layers of cheese cloth, a fine sieve or a nut bag.  After the milk is strained, the almond meal is left behind.  Originally I used a metal fine mesh strainer but couldn't get all the milk out so the meal looked very wet.  This is how it looked coming out of a fine mesh strainer. 

 

 

 

I purchased a nut bag to better strain the milk.  A nut bag is a tightly woven cloth bag designed to strain the milk, but it can also be used to strain tea, coffee, broth, or anything else you want to get the debris out of.  It washes easily.  Purchasing one was well worth it.  It cleans up easily after all of the milk is squeezed out and the meal is removed.  The instructions say to store the unused bag in the freezer to prevent any bacteria growing on the bag.  It seems like an excellent idea.

This is the brand I bought, but there are many on the market.

The finished milk which looks just like "real" milk.

The almond meal that comes out of the nut bag is much drier and dries completely quite quickly.  After it is dried, I just save it in the refrigerator and sprinkle it on yogurt, cereal or I put it in baked goods for added nutrition.

I dehydrate the meal but a low oven will dry it just fine.

The dried almond meal saved from making the almond milk.

I made a loaf of Banana Bread today and put in 1/2 cup of Almond meal.

Let It Snow

A lot of snow has fallen all over the country recently, but the one place everyone expects a lot of   snow is Wisconsin.  We haven't received much this winter.  After Christmas we had one snowstorm.  I'm not sure how much snow we got that time.  My husband wasn't feeling well and his snowblower didn't start, so we just drove over the snow in driveway to pack it down.  I don't think it was a lot.  Yesterday the weather people predicted an inch or so of snow which we don't even count as a snowfall.  When we woke up to a few inches, we were surprised.  It was a pleasant surprise.  It was beautiful.  The trees, bushes and bird feeders were blanketed with snow.

Snow on the deck railing at the break of day.

Snow on the bushes.

The snowblower is running and my husband is clearing the driveway.

There is snow on the woodpile.

A Mourning Dove is wondering where the food is.

They went to sit in the tree to wait for me to clear the feeders.

The black eyed junco is also waiting.

The water in the heated dog dish never freezes and provides water.

A deer came out of the woods to see what she could find.  She looks like her front right leg hurts.

The weather people reported we got 8.5 inches.  It didn't seem like that much so we even got out today.  A stinkin 8.5 inches of snow wasn't going to stop us.  We went on an adventure with our daughter's mother and father in law. We got a lot of great bargains.   It was a wonderful day.

More snow is predicted in a few days.  I don't mind at all. 

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Don't Throw Away Your Lemon Peels

About three weeks ago I blogged about a raw lemonade I made.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2016/01/raw-lemonade.html

I warm the lemon juice and drink first thing in the morning.

I make it everyday, most of the time without the sweetener or essential oil.  We drink it first thing in the morning to get our day started out right.  Fresh lemon juice is wonderful for many reasons.  I'm not sure I believe the hype that says drinking lemon juice will cure all that ails you or cure diseases.  I do know it makes drinking water in the morning easier for me.  I drink it when my coffee is brewing which is what I really look forward to in the morning.  Drinking lemon juice is hard on the tooth enamel so I figure I am rinsing my mouth afterward with the coffee.  Coffee drinkers will say anything to justify the habit.

In the blog about raw lemonade I also mentioned how I zest the lemon instead of peeling it.  I have plenty of zest in the freezer so instead I cut the peel off and save it. 

 Be sure to wash the lemons well before you cut the peel off.  Organic lemons are better, but it isn't always possible to get them where we live.  I use 14 lemons a week.  I let the peels air dry until I have a batch.  Then I put the peels in a food dehydrator and finish off the drying process.  This same thing could be accomplished in an oven set on a low temperature or just wait until they air dry completely.  Finally when the peel is completely dried, I put them in the blender and grind them into a fine powder.  I think a coffee grinder would also work.  Some of the lemon’s richest nutritional properties are in the rind.   Lemon peels are full of antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.  The lemon peels have twice as much Vitamin C in them than does the fruit.  Lemon essential oil is made from the lemon rind, not the juice.  This process also work with oranges or other citrus fruit.

This powder is a completely natural source of vitamin C.  It is much better for you than taking a Vitamin C tablet made out of ascorbic acid.  At least I usually feel something that occurs naturally in food is probably better than something made in a laboratory.  I could be wrong, but I tend stay away from fake things.  I could go off on a tangent at this statement, but I will stick to my topic.

I put the powder in food or a hot drinks.  It doesn't dissolve completely but I like it very much.  I especially love it in yogurt or my drained kefir. I have been draining the whey off of the kefir.  This leaves behind a thick creamy product resembling plain yogurt but with more probiotic properties.

I realize some of my hair brained ideas aren't for everyone.  I probably won't live any longer than anyone else, but as long as I think I'm trying to do the best I can, I feel better.

Our Big Year Seeing A Snowy Owl

As some of you know my husband and I have had a really good week.  Mid January in Wisconsin can be pretty quiet and low key.  It is a time to stay inside to keep warm and snack too much.  I always gain weight in the winter.  It is easy to hibernate, but it isn't the best thing to do.  That is why we like to take drives around the country side in search of winter scenes and wildlife.  The eagles and winter birds are active this time of year.  They are easy to see because the leaves are off the trees, and the birds are more visible because they have to work a little harder to get food.  We heard eagles were hanging out at a nearby lake that hadn't frozen yet.  On one of our drives, we discovered where some eagles were spending time.  Two separate days we saw this fellow watching patiently for food.  As Spring approaches we see more eagles on our property but there haven't been many so far.

We also saw a couple young eagles waiting in the trees looking for their next meal.  The young eagles don't have the white head or tail feathers yet.  That happens when the eagle is about three years old.

Then the icing on the cake happened.  We saw a bird that we never thought we would see.  I told my daughter and she said "this is the big year".  I said "yes, I guess so".  She told me she was referring to a movie she watched with Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson.  It was about a year long competition to see who can spot the most birds.  The movie was called The Big Year.  That is what she was referring to.  I hadn't seen it or even heard of it, so I looked on the library website.  The movie was available for check out and so we did.

It is a cute little story.  I am a terrible movie viewer.  I can't concentrate enough to keep track of complicated story lines and a lot of characters.  This movie is simple with a good message about what is important in life.  The elusive bird in the story is the Snowy Owl.  They saw hundreds of different birds but the most sought after bird was the owl.  This week my husband and I saw two.  I thought it was the same owl on two separate days, but it turns out there are two separate owls in the area.  I was told I was very fortunate to see two separate owls in a lifetime.  I told my husband that even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then.  It wasn't anything we did, we were just at the right place at the right time.

The first sighting of the snowy owl was off in a tree.  I got this picture.

As we approached, he flew off across the field.  You can see through the trees how large he is.

If you look carefully you can see him sitting at the very top of the tree in the middle of the picture.

Another local person was luckier and captured this awesome shot.*

* I have asked permission to use this photo.  I have not heard so I am thinking it is ok with her.  If I need to delete it, I will.  Hopefully before winter is over, I will be able to get a similar picture myself.

The next day we were out shopping and decided to swing by the area on the way home.  I just wanted to get another glimpse of this amazing owl.  If I had my choice, I would go everyday.  We managed to see the owl again.  I thought he looked darker but then thought the other one we saw was probably hunkered down so we couldn't see the markings.  I posted the picture on a local birding site and learned that we had seen two separate birds.

We saw this heavily barred snowy owl near dusk.  Apparently this owl had not been spotted in this area.

I feel very fortunate to live where we do.  We may not have a lot of shopping opportunities or fancy restaurants, but we can see nature at its finest.  With the lakes not freezing as quickly this year, many varieties of ducks, geese and even swans can be seen at any time.  We have indeed had The Big Year within a few miles of our home.

My Family Escaped The "Escape Room"

 
Imagine living in a small town of 1,192 people in South Central Wisconsin in the winter.  The temperature this morning was minus 8.  It was the coldest day we have had so far this winter.

 
It is a Sunday, and there is not much to do.  I don't look at living in Wisconsin's cold clmate as much different from living in the Southern climates in the summer.  In both places it is difficult to do any outside activities.  It is dangerous to be outside in extreme heat, just as it is dangerous to be outside in minus zero temperatures.  In both situations a person needs to do something fun and safe.  Today we did just that.  A while ago my daughter participated in an activity for her job.  It was called the Escape Room of Wisconsin.  It was meant to build trust and team building among co-workers.  She loved it so much, she signed up for six people to do a family oriented escape room on January 17, 2016.  Little did we know today would be so cold and that it would be a perfect day for such an activity.  The six who participated were my husband, my daughters and three of our oldest grandchildren.  I came along for the ride.  The thought of being locked in a room caused me a little panic so I stayed out in the waiting room.  I was able to watch the whole process on a TV screen and hear how they were solving the puzzles.  I couldn't understand why they found a flashlight and needed to use it because it looked so bright on the TV screen. Afterward they told me it wasn't bright in the room and was very dark and hard to see.

What I viewed on the TV screen.  They weren't aware I was watching.

The general idea of the Escape room is that you choose a room you would like to escape from.  The room my family picked was called Escape Snape.  It was geared for families and based on the Harry Potter character.  It was kind of ironic because the actor Alan Rickman, who played Snape, died this past week.  I'm not sure if you need to know about the Harry Potter stories to escape this room, but I think it helped. 

Next you are put into the room and the door is locked.  You have to search for clues by solving puzzles and using logic to find the final way out of the room.  You have 45 minutes to complete and escape.  The better you work together and communicate, the faster you can escape.  The owner sits and watches on the TV monitor to make sure you are on the right track, and to make sure everyone is safe.

Some groups make it out, others get out with help and some need to be let out at the end of the 45 minutes.  It is fun no matter the outcome.  There are other rooms which are a little harder and require even more logic and puzzle solving skills. 

or

 
New rooms are added regularly so you can come back at another time.  When you are finally out of the room, they take fun photos to post on Facebook.  It was a great day for everyone, including me.

The Calendar Fiasco

 
I am in a winter rut.  It seems that everything I touch lately has turned to mush.  Nothing makes much sense, but for some reason I'm not depressed or even in a bad mood.  I just can't figure out why the stars are not aligning or the sun of life is clouded over a bit.  I know it happens to everyone every now and then.  Just read some Facebook posts for one day.  Facebook is the new National Inquirer.  There is a lot of information, but not a lot of accuracy.  You can't believe a large percentage of things posted.  This is why I'm not surprised over my latest fiasco. I'm annoyed, but not surprised.  It started early in December.  Many of my friends have suggested that I make a calendar.  I take a lot of pictures and many of them are of our local wildlife and scenery.  It occurred to me that instead of sending Christmas cards, I would make a calendar to send.  I got together a dozen photos from different times of the year.  I assigned the photos to a month and decided on a format.  Then I started searching for the best deal.  I searched and searched but most of the calendars would cost in excess of $20 per calendar.  I found some for around $7.50, but I wanted to order several which added up to too much money for the quality of the calendar.  After all, a calendar is only good for one year and gets thrown away.  Then one day I saw a Groupon.  Groupon is an internet company that connects consumers and businesses.  It is a way for local companies to find buyers.  I had success with ordering Groupons and thought they checked out the companies they make available.  The company I used to print the calendars was not a local company, but I was lured in by the product.  It allowed me to create affordable wall calendars with my own pictures.  I started with ordering ten (10) calendars.  It cost $50 with the shipping.  Five dollars each wasn't too bad.  I ordered on the 7th of December.  When I placed the order, it was slightly confusing but the code I had from Groupon was for ten calendars, so I wasn't too worried.  I even emailed the company to make sure the order was correct.  I got an automated response that they had received the email.  I even tried to call the company but got a message that they were having technical issues with the phone.  Oops, RED FLAG.  I decided to trust that everything would be fine.  I waited and in about 10 days got an email that my order had been shipped.  I was anxious to get the calendars and even bought big envelopes to mail some out as soon as the order came.  I waited and waited again, and finally on Christmas eve I received my order.  The trouble is it came in a tiny little package.  No wonder the package was small.   I received one (1) calendar that was creased and on very very bad quality paper.  For my $50, I received one ugly calendar.

I was pretty upset.  I have ordered hundreds of items over the years from many different companies and have never had this type of problem.  When there is a problem, businesses are usually very cooperative to make the situation acceptable.  Over a period of time, starting on December 24th, I have called and emailed the company at least six separate times in addition to the initial phone calls and emails.  I have never gotten through on the phone and have gotten the same automated response to my emails.  I decided to quit dealing (or not being able to deal) with the company and contact Groupon directly.  That was not easy either.  To actually find a phone number and email address requires being a pretty good detective.  I got the number and called.  I did talk to a person but had to be transferred to another department.  Then I waited on hold listening to the loud music and messages.  The message stated that an email address should be used unless the phone call was an emergency.  It wasn't an emergency at that time, so I hung up and emailed Groupon.  They were very nice, but required many emails asking questions and me giving them details.  They said they would contact the business and the business would be in contact with me.  I didn't hear a word and nothing happened.  As of today Groupon has given me credit for the price I paid, less the shipping.  The problem with that is it's a credit, and I have to order something from them to use the money.  I imagine I will order something at some point, but I didn't get the cash back and I have not heard a word from Printerpix.  Never order from this company unless you are ready for a fight.  I had read some reviews, and they weren't terrible.  Now looking into this company in depth, I have found I am not the only person having issues.  It remains to be seen if I will ever hear from Printerpix.  Hopefully I will, and if I do I will come back to this blog and update everyone.  I don't expect to hear, and I will never order from them again.  It is no way to run a business.

In the past I have gotten some beautiful calendars from Walgreens and Shutterfly, but they were expensive.  Next year I will research better and hopefully end up with a quality product in a timely manner for a good price.  Now I just have to be sure I don't fall on the ice or burn our dinner and things will be fine.

 *UPDATE*  Two months after my order was submitted, I received nine more calendars.  They blamed me for not putting the right amount in the item box, but in reality it was a glitch in their system.  Several emails and a lot of hassle was not worth it, but it is behind me and I did receive the calendars.