Grass-carrying Wasps

I learned something new this week. For years I have had a bee hotel filled with bamboo tubes. Every summer several of the tubes get sealed off with plugs. I believe it's the mason bees laying eggs in the tubes and sealing them with a mud plug to protect them. This year looks different. A couple holes are stuffed with grass and another looks like the grass was trimmed. 

I reached out to our local county nature club. Some nice fellow filled me in on what was happening. I had never heard of this. "These are made by a harmless species of wasp...Isodontia. I would just leave them alone. The wasps will not harm the mason bees."

I looked it up. Sure enough, Isodontia. The common name is grass-carrying wasp. Why have I never heard of them. They can sting but aren't aggressive. I tried to get a photo of them in action, but I don't have the patience to sit there for hours. I found this public domain photo. I have seen these wasps, but I never thought much about them. They look like a cross between a fly and a wasp.

I guess we are never to old to learn new things.

Summer 2024

I can't believe it's been 2 1/2 months since I have written. Time has a way of marching forward whether we are ready or not. I have to admit I am out of practice. My first couple years of blogging were very productive. I found a lot of things to write about. Sometimes I wrote every day. I wanted to document my daily life for my family and also to remind myself of certain events and even recipes. As the years go by my history as far as nature, trips and food repeats itself. There is not as much to write about. One thing that has changed are my grandchildren. Where I used to write about the antics of little children, I now have grown or nearly grown grandchildren. They now range in age from 23 to 14 with individual lives and that's the way it should be. 

I have had a few adventures since May. I made the decision to have cataract surgery. I could still see fine with my glasses but it was explained to me that it won't get better and insurance will cover it, so why not enjoy perfect vision for the rest of my life. It is amazing how easy this surgery is now. Except for the preparation at the surgery center, the surgery takes less than 10 minutes. New techniques don't even require drops afterward. I opted for perfect far sighted vision.  I can see close up, but I prefer a little magnification. I wore glasses for so many years that having cheaters is fine for me. I am so used to glasses that I often push up the glasses that aren't even there. Overall, it was a good decision. 

In June, my family and I had a vacation near Twin Bridges, Montana. Everyone could come except for the three oldest grandchildren with adult jobs. Last year my daughter, grandson and I traveled to South Dakota so this time we chose the northern route through North Dakota. http:/www.thecabincountess.com/2023/09/the-summer-of-2023-part-1.html Except for traveling around Minneapolis, it was a beautiful route. We stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We saw beautiful views including buffalo and wild horses.

From Theodore Roosevelt we continued west to Medora, ND. We slept (or in my case didn't sleep) in a covered wagon. It was so cute and a fun experience, but it should be experienced at an age where it isn't necessary to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. Even though this covered wagon had air conditioning, I should have known it did not have a bathroom. 

Before settling down for the night, we attended the Medora Musical and had a pitch fork fondue meal. Steaks were cooked on pitch forks and fried in oil. The musical consisted of an ode to country music with most songs we recognized, an America themed story, the badlands and of course Theodore Roosevelt. There were many talented people performing in this show.

From Medora we proceeded to Pompey's Pillar, Montana. This is a National Historic Landmark with hundreds of historical markings, pictographs and inscriptions. It is the only place where Clark (of Louis and Clark) actually documented that he was there in 1806. William Clark had canoed down the Yellowstone River that summer and carved his name in the sandstone. He named it Pompy's Tower in honor of Sacagawea's infant son. Sacagawea was the Shoshone woman who traveled with and helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition. She was able to establish Native American contacts and had a great knowledge of the history of the area.

Next stop was the Rack and Reel Ranch outside of Twin Bridges, Montana where we spent the next week. 

Since everyone had different likes and abilities, we mostly did our own thing. An example was horseback riding in the mountains. That was a little too daunting for this old gal, but the rest of them enjoyed it.

For those who hadn't been to Yellowstone National Park, they took the day and went there.

The rest of us went exploring. During the week, we sometimes went together and sometimes separately. We went to Bannack State Park. It's a ghost town with a rich history. We panned for garnets, we dug for crystals at another park, we went fossil hunting, we took an old firetruck tour in Virginia City and saw boot hill, ate at wonderful local eateries, we saw antelope, elk, mule deer, eagles etc. and there were breweries and thrift shops. For being so remote, there were a lot of interesting places to visit and see. The Yellowstone crew saw big horn sheep, black bear and more bison. Not a lot of coffee shops or shopping but lots of nature and gorgeous views. This blog is long enough so I won't share all the photos we took.

Ewan my youngest grandchild lives and breaths fishing. Montana is a dream for this activity. He was able to fish everyday and even got a tour of the famous Winston Rod Company including the bamboo division. Ewan ties his own flies and even has his own YouTube channel called Old Time Skills Outdoors. I am sure he would appreciate a follow.

Even staying back at the ranch was enjoyable for me. The views were awesome. It was hot and 90 degrees when we arrived, but it snowed a couple days later. Montana is very dry and the ranchers were delighted to get the snow.

I am ending this blog with one more adventure. Last week we drove to Michigan to attend the wedding of my nephew and his wonderful bride. It was the kind of wedding everyone should have. It was casual but very touching and meaningful. It was wonderful to spend time with my family. We hadn't seen each other for a year, and it is so much fun spending time with people who have enjoyed the same history. We had so many stories and laughs.The downside is that we were so busy having fun we didn't take any group photos.  Hopefully we can see each other soon. Congratulations John and Lisa.

Making Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

In the past few years this blog has turned into a recipe book more than anything else. I apologize for that but nothing very interesting happens anymore. Everyday is a Choose your own Adventure and most of the time that revolves around taking pictures of the same things or making something in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I have a very nice fulfilling life, but it’s nothing to write home about or blog about. Today I made Fresh Mozzarella cheese. 

Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 gallon of milk

1/2 cup of white vinegar 

Heat the milk on the stove to 120 degrees. You will need a thermometer for this.

Next stir in a scant 1/2 cup of white vinegar. The milk will start to curdle. Put a cover on the pan and leave it for 20 minutes.

It looks kind of disgusting at this point but don’t worry. After twenty minutes take out the curds in any manner that works for you. I have a fine sieve I use for yogurt but putting cheese cloth in a strainer works just fine. Press out as much liquid as you can.  This process is separating the curds from the whey. Save the whey and start forming the curds in a ball. The ball will be a bit crumbly at first but stretch and knead it just like you would a ball of dough for bread. 

At first it looks a little rough and bumpy, but just put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. When you take it out, it will be a little hot but just keep working with it. Add some salt or even Italian seasonings at this stage and stretch and knead until the cheese is smooth. You can microwave again and again if you need to get to the smooth end product.

Now you can drop the ball in a bowl of ice water to cool it. I cooled it but then refrigerated it for an hour or two. It is ready to use. I sliced some so you can see the texture. It’s good for whatever you use fresh mozzarella for. It is good on pizza, in salads, on crackers or eat it plain. This cheese is lactose free for the most part because all the lactose is in the whey.

Now for the whey you have saved. It can be used for many things. It can be used in place of water or milk in recipes, it can be fed to animals or put it in your smoothie. Some people dilute it and water plants with it. I haven’t done that but Mr. Google says whey contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chlorides. I will try it on a few plants and see if I notice a difference. I mainly use it to make bread. I just substitute the liquid for whey. It gives the bread a little sourdough flavor and adds protein.

Chicken Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar

We all have struggled to think of something to prepare for our meals. If we haven’t prepped ahead of time and want a meal in a hurry, we end up with a pizza or take out.  Even myself, who has all the time in the world, wants something quick most of the time. We have to eat.  I like to know what I am eating so I like making my own food.

I have made Hamburger Helper in a jar including the lasagna version. I have jars of side dishes like rice-a-roni and herbed rice, cream soup mixes, vegetable bouillon mix and a variety of freezer meals, but today I made chicken noodle soup mix in a jar.  It is so easy to just open a can of high sodium soup but as I have said many times real food is the best tasting and the healthiest. This process does require a little prep work, but I think it’s worth it. I will freeze this batch in individual servings. I don’t really like to freeze soup because the texture changes a little, but it’s what I have to do with leftovers.

This is the recipe. I divided it in half which is enough for 2 jars. I put 1/4 cup of the spices in a plastic ziplock bag and 1/4 cup in another. Then I put 1/2 cup of the dried mixed vegetables* in each bag. I put 1 1/4 cup pasta in the jar with the plastic bag containing the other ingredients. I sealed the lid with the lid sealer. 

Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. celery seed
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. parsley flakes
1 T minced onion
4 1/2 T. chicken bouillon*
1 cup dried mixed vegetables**

2 1/2 cups pasta (I like to cook the pasta noodles separately and add them to the soup at the end. I think they are less starchy and it takes a while for the dried vegetables to reconstitute. If you put them in together the noodles would be overcooked.) That is why I separate them in the jar.

Bring 12 cups (6 cups for one jar) water to a boil
add in soup mix from the plastic bag.
Reduce heat, cover and
simmer for 30 minutes.
Add in 3-4 cups of cooked cubed 
chicken (I bake several chicken breasts and cube them to use in recipes. I freeze the cooked chicken in 1 or 2 cup portions. Sometimes I buy the rotisserie chicken off the bone at Costco and separate it into portions) and add the cooked noodles. 
Simmer 5 more minutes

* This is the bouillon I found. It is gluten free and doesn’t have any high fructose corn syrup.  It does have corn protein which is a by-product during the manufacturing process of corn starch. I am not really sure of its function except it is 50% protein and maybe a flavor enhancer.  If you want to eliminate this ingredient just cook the dried veggies and other spices in boxed chicken broth instead. You may need a bit more salt to taste.

 **If you can’t find dehydrated vegetables, it’s easy to make your own. 

I diced 4 cups of carrots with the Vidalia Chop Wizard http://www.thecabincountess.com/search?q=vidalia, and spread them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I have a dehydrate setting on my toaster oven but basically it’s the oven set at 150 degrees. The carrots took 4 hours to dry. Then I diced 4 cups of celery and did the same. It’s amazing. 4 cups of carrots will dehydrate to 3/4 cup and 4 cups of celery will equal 1/2 cup. I also dried 5 cups of frozen mixed vegetables. That made about 3/4 cup. Bottom line is 13 cups of produce dries to 2 cups. 

The Pheasants In My Neighborhood

I have lived on my property for over twenty years. Once in a great while I would see a pheasant, but they were few and far between. For the past three or four years, in September, I am seeing a dozen or more. At first I didn’t know what was going on, but in talking to others it seems that someone is releasing them in bunches. I don’t know who, but I am very happy to see them in my yard. 

For a couple years, only a few would hang around. I don’t know if they were hunted or if they left to find a mate, Sometimes in the Spring the males will lose their minds and start flapping their wings and puffing up to look huge. They also make very strange loud sounds. Then they would disappear. I always figured there was a girl in the neighborhood they were trying to impress. For the first couple years I never saw females, but now there are a few. I think it's a ratio of about five to one.

This year is very different. They showed up as usual but instead of leaving or spreading out, they are spending the winter as a group. One day I saw three males under the bird feeder, then two females showed up. The guys were showing off by strutting their stuff and suddenly five more males came out of the woods. Then three more females.  I was watching but couldn’t get videos because they were all running around and posturing for the girls. As I am watching more male pheasants came running out of my side yard as fast as they could. It was a circus and reminded me of the phrase "herding cats". In this case it was pheasants. They can run very fast when they want to.  

All these pheasants have become quite tame. I think having available food has made them very comfortable. I can walk outside within a few feet of them, and they just slowly walk away. When I go into the house, they are back before I close the door. I can hear them. Recently I heard one on the step to my porch. I think he was wondering where the corn was. A recent snowstorm covered a lot of their food. I really didn't want to go out to the garage in the cold for seed, so I made popcorn.

Has anyone made popcorn this way? I knew they couldn't have oil or salt so this was my technique. It is actually a really good way to make popcorn without any added calories. I don't eat much popcorn because I like it smothered in real butter. 

All you need is a cake pan, popcorn, water and plastic wrap. Put 1/2 cup of popcorn in the pan and add 1/4 cup of water. If you are making it for yourself add some salt to the water. I wanted it plain this time.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the plastic to vent the steam. Microwave for five minutes. If it isn't starting to pop, then add one minute at a time until all the corn is popped. My popcorn was stored in the refrigerator so it took nine minutes to complete. No oil needed.

I took the popped popcorn and threw it outside. I didn't realize it isn't the best thing to feed birds. It doesn't have much food value and nutrition. It is probably true for humans too. Especially the way I eat it. I ended up adding some corn and seeds to the mix. The bluejays and Dark-eyed Junco's are loving it.

I look forward to seeing these birds everyday. They are in the yard and in my driveway to greet me when I come home. Hopefully this year they will nest nearby, and I will be able to enjoy seeing baby pheasants. The turkeys have become somewhat of a nuisance, but I doubt if anyone will complain if they see more beautiful pheasants in the neighborhood.