December on the 'Stead

Podster did you know that bamboo fabric is a natural antibacterial material ? Also it is very soft and comfy.

MableRuth ~ glad to see you join us. I had been seeing bamboo material advertised for sale but I did not know it had that quality. I will have to look into that tip. Do you use it for anything special?

Some of the more common natural antibiotics out there that can help strengthen the bodys' resistance are foods high in garlic, honey, onions, ginger, foods with vitamin C, Shitake mushrooms. There are a lot of herbs and spices too than can be used in foods to this benefit. Some of the more common spices are sage and cayenne. I just got a book back that I had loaned to a friend. I've been reading thru it again and am interested as this book was written to help fight some of the antibiotic resistant strains that are getting established. It is Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner if interested. I don't think onions and garlic are good for pets though.

Garlic is OK in limited quantities... it is a natural anti-coagulant, so more is not better. But some people feel it has flea/fly repellant qualities. I've tried it & it made no difference for my animals.

In older animals, I'd pay some attention to the quality & quantity of protein in the diet. Kidney failure is very common in older dogs, & the effect of poorly functioning kidneys can be mitigated to a large extent for quite a while (years) by removing poor quality protein (plant based) from the diet & replacing it w/smaller quantities of high quality protein (meat based). Most cheap dog food is low quality protein. Obesity is another common treatable problem & it makes a huge difference in the animal's quality of life to take those extra pounds off. It's really hard on their back to be carrying extra weight around.

Astragulus is another important immune boosting herb. More importantly, I'd work to improve the overall health of the animal's digestive system... better quality food & probiotics (yogurt, buttermilk, etc). to help w/the absorption of all the micronutrients important to health.

Now I wonder if my wife's poodle is going to eat yogurt & I think I remember a recent Mother Earth article about making your own yogurt.

If my dog's are any indication, the poodle will knock you down to get to it. LOL

Jay, thanks for the great info.

In the bit of research I did online last night, I happened on a website that discussed all of those. I was just reading right along until they began talking about giving these items to birds. (The website address "avianweb" should have been my first clue LOL) I've also read a lot about giving garlic for flea protection....but have been told by a friend that she also found it ineffective.

Dyson, yogurt is easy to make, but you need to start with a spoonful of plain yogurt. You'd be able to give the poodle some to taste, before you made any homemade yogurt.

My dog will eat just about anything we give him, too, including cooked onions, garlic and bell peppers. He waits to eat his dogfood until he's sure we didn't save him anything from our meals.

I know my dog has eaten her share of cooked onions... I think it might be more of a dose thing, like garlic & chocolate. Yes, I give my dog a little chocolate; the problem w/chocolate is dose dependent... an oreo is not a problem for any but the tiniest dog. A pound of bittersweet chocolate IS a problem.

I had another dog that would push herself through the field fence around my garden to steal ripe tomatoes... and we routinely give our dogs raw cabbage. During winter, it seems to satisfy their grass gnawing cravings.

I was a vet tech for 10 years, and the healthiest oldest dog I met was a 21 year old miniature poodle who had been fed people food his whole life... eyes clear, heart & lungs healthy, rowdy & rambunctious. But not crap people food... his elderly owner fixed him the same thing she fixed herself... a little lean meat, a veg, a starch. Appropriate portion size. Nothing fancy, no radical diet extremes, just basic good food simply prepared. They were both in great health.

It's harder w/a big dog, but doable. I used to make a bunch of meatloaves for my old lab/golden cross on the weekends... he'd eat about 3 during the course of the week. Cheap ground beef, rolled oats, peas & carrots all mashed into a loaf pan & baked. Then just slice & serve the rest of the week. Supplemented w/ a doggie daily vitamin.

Now I think the only change I would make to that recipe would be to soak the oats overnight in acidified water to reduce the phytic acids. I'm just learning about that. We tried that w/black beans yesterday (doing our part to reduce the generation of greenhouse gases) & it made the beans much more compatible w/our systems. =0)

I've also started taking willow bark, as there seems to be good evidence that daily low dose of aspirin significantly decreases the development of many cancers. Willow contains a natural form of aspirin, without the problematic chemical group that causes bleeding. So I'm giving it a try & if my system has no trouble w/it, I'll add it to my dog's diet. Or, I'll try. Pills are a little trickier than yogurt. LOL

Sue's is a miniature poodle, and she thinks she is a people - if she goes near the dog food - she is really hungry. Unfortunately I do not think our diet is that good for us .. much less her!

Will look into building yogurt!

I know what you mean about our diet maybe not healthy enough for the dog... LOL

In making yogurt, use regular plain yogurt as your starter... it'll work better. The nonfat plain has pectin in it & that interferes w/the culturing of the new batch. Once you get things going at home, you won't need the store bought start anymore, you can just use your own.

Home made nonfat yogurt will be thinner than the store bought (no pectin), but draining it in cloth will thicken it right up. A piece of well rinsed old sheet or muslin-like material works well... the stuff they sell as cheesecloth in supermarkets is worthless. Between drainings rinse & boil the fabric, hang to air dry... don't throw it in the laundry unless you want to taste your laundry soap & softener. Bleh!

You can also thicken homemade nonfat yogurt by doubling, which is adding dry milk to the nonfat milk. But I don't really care for the taste.

Jay, thanks, that's good to know about people food for dogs not being so bad. The meatloaf is a great idea! Our dog will only eat dogfood after he knows there is no people food left for him, even if it's only a bite or two. We regularly give him the little bit of leftovers from our meals. Mostly unbuttered vegetables, plain rice or mashed potatoes, cooked meat, etc. I'll sometimes scramble a couple of extra eggs for him when fixing our breakfast. We don't eat as healthy as we should, but I do try to limit grease/fats and sugar, so I don't feel his diet is too "rich" for him. Plus he is very active outside as long as we are throwing the ball for him, so he runs a lot of it off.

Although, at the moment, he is quite a fat boy. What do you suggest to help him lose weight? He probably eats twice as much dogfood as he should, but I wonder if a lot of it is just boredom eating. He has food available all day, as he really isn't one to gobble it up, like some dogs are.

We're up to 39* here with bright sunshine with a few patches of snow left. I piddled around outside for a little while earlier and it wasn't too bad.

Here's the basic formula for weight loss... figure out how much he should weigh (the vet may be able to give you an idea if you don't know), multiply that by 60% (or 0.6) and that's the size dog you feed.

So, if your dog weighs 80# and he should weigh 60#, then you feed him as if he weighed 40#. All dog foods have feeding guides on them; that'll tell you how much per day.

I feed twice a day. It's not a good idea to leave feed available all the time; very few yard dogs maintain healthy weights free feeding. Also, you don't know if he's eating or not right away... I can not tell you how many times a dog has gone days w/out eating before the owner has noticed. By then, you've got a dog that's a whole lot sicker than it would have been if you'd noticed the first missed meal. So feeding twice a day means you notice twice a day how your dog's appetite is. One of the first warning signs of illness.

I'd start a dog diet w/a day of fasting... he'll certainly look at that food much more keenly when you put it down next time. And if he doesn't eat it in 15 minutes, pick it up & make him wait til the next feeding time. Until he hits his target weight, I'd ONLY feed dog food, cause it's easier to measure & know how much you are giving him. For treats use raw carrots, sliced raw broccoli stems, bits of apple, raw cabbage. Not grapes or raisins (for some dogs, it shuts their kidneys down & they die... just a few grapes or raisins will do it. They are MUCH more dangerous than chocolate). If they get to begging... walk them, do obedience (using raw veggies for treats), shut them in the bedroom & turn the stereo up. But DON'T feed them. Not even a little.

Once you get him to his fit weight, then you can gradually increase the portion size towards the recommended amount, weighing weekly to catch any weight gain before you go too far. After you find his personal daily amount, then when you give him people food, you MUST remove that much dog food from his meal (this is the real problem w/people food... folks don't cut back on the dog food). Two eggs is probably plenty for an entire meal for a miniature poodle. Sounds to me like your dog is picky 'cause he's overfed.

I've never had a picky eater...oh, I've had some that started out picky, but they sure didn't stay that way for long. Not if they were healthy.

I feed my 70# lab/pit cross 1 1/2 cups of Evo a day (a very premium dog food) divided into two 3/4 cup feedings, one morning, one evening. If I'm feeding Iams (basic premium), she gets a total of 2 cups per day, divided. Our 50# heeler/pit cross gets 1 cup Evo, divided, or 1 1/2 cups Iams, divided. Doesn't seem like much in their bowls, but it's clearly enough for their level of exercise. I can easily feel their ribs w/light pressure when I pet them (another way to determine healthy weight).

And yes, they do try to mind meld me, but I have grown a thick skin... remembering all the blubber dogs w/bad backs, congested livers, pancreatitis, and fat globs oozing out of incisions is a big help w/that.

A dog should have a waist when viewed from above (even a basset hound will have a waist)... if your dog doesn't he's fat. It's the leading health problem in American dogs, and it causes no end of health complications.

Yes, I can't believe how many people I know who are very conscientious about their own fitness but own fat dogs, cats, horses, etc!

Robin, the icy snow bullet you (and Cajun) dodged hit me squarely. No power for 3+ days, finally just came back on. Sure showed a hole or two in my prep management!

My cat loves yogurt, and eats about half a cup a day when I make it. (I make mine in the food dehydrator.) Please be advised to check the exp. dates on plain yogurt. Try to get the freshest you can.

Jay, even the organic Stonyfield brand now has pectin added, and you are correct that it inhibits setting. The goat yogurt I sometimes make is thinner than cow yogurt so I strain it. If you strain it long enough, you have a spreadable soft cheese that is almost chevre. The whey that drains off is great additions to feed for any animals you have, or used in making bread.

In manufactured yogurts, the culture is added just before sealing, and works its magic in the container, turning it into yogurt. When the bacteria's food supply (milk proteins in the container) is exhausted, a lot (but not all) of the live bacteria die, and it takes significantly more yogurt to make a decent starter. I've even had some store yogurt that tasted fine but still wouldn't set a new batch of yogurt.

Dyson, you might see what Homestead Creamery makes since you are in their backyard; alas I am not, but I buy their pasteurized but not-homogenized milk (Creamline) when I get near your area or Roanoke. It comes in returnable glass bottles, and the cream rises to the top! By not being homogenized, the cells aren't fractured. When you drink homogenized milk (where the cream/fat cells have been fractured to blend into the milk liquids) your body can't digest the cream in this un-natural state. The fat that is still in the cream gets absorbed through your stomach and intestinal linings, then goes to your blood stream. Where of course it deposits itself in your arteries. http://www.realmilk.com/homogenization.html

As to adding dry milk... I won't, EVER, now that I have read up on how dry milk is made.

Whey is also good for soaking beans in overnight before cooking. =0)

Well, Darius, your issues are not my issues, so I'll continue to use dry milk. I just don't care for the taste in yogurt, so I don't double.

Health isn't an issue for you? LOL.

Let's not go there...

Hey, my remark was not meant to be acrimonious...

How was it meant, then?

Darius, I was afraid it hit you hard, from what I was hearing on the news. So what holes did you find? I'll get back to working on my emergency plans after Al leaves next weekend. He's coming out your way to work a bit, north of Abbington.

Jay, thanks for all the input.

Samson is a Chessie. When he was at the vet last year, he weighed 75#. When I go to the city the next time, I'll take him into the Pet Center to weigh him, but I'm guessing he weighs 90# now. He really gained weight over the last couple of months, when I wasn't spending so much time outside. He's not a full fledge outdoor dog. He spends the nights and really cold or wet days inside with me. And he isn't picky, just spoiled. LOL He just prefers people food. His food bowl is in the house, so I know how much he eats, which is between 2 to 3 cups of dogfood a day (Beneful, sp?), plus food scraps. I did measure the dogfood once a few months ago per recommended feeding amounts on another brand, so I'd know the proper level in the bowl and it looked like a pretty measly portion. Guess we'll BOTH be starting diets next weekend. LOL

He does get a lot of running in when the weather isn't too bad, because he loves fetching the ball and we can send it sailing 100+ feet across the field with a ball thrower. But sometimes (even before the weight gain) he'd hurt himself and we'd have to stop for a few days to let him recuperate. Or it would be just too hot for him to be running that hard and fetching.

Robin, I will try and give some better organization to my thoughts about holes in my prep later. For now, the most obvious was boredom (along with the isolation). My LED headlamp kept my sanity somewhat intact; I read several books, many hours late into the nights because I was tense, first time I've used that headlamp much. Comfortable, hands-free light for bringing in wood, stoking the fire, cooking... anything I did after 4:30 when it started to get dark inside.

This headlamp runs on 3 AAA Photonpump batteries that aren't rechargeable. (Nor do I know if other batteries will work... instructions long gone.) It has an 80 lumen output (fine for reading and tasks within 3-5 feet) and 80 hours of battery life, but the better new ones come with a longer throw to the beam (something close to 600 feet), adjustable focus and dimming by task/output, rechargeable NI-MH batteries and a charger. Of course, I'd want a solar charger like I have for my AA NI-MH batteries. Outside of absolute necessities, it was the single best thing I had on hand! I think I paid between $15-$20 for it, worth every penny and then some.

I was well prepared for food, heat, light, water, wind-up portable radio... but no planned system in place for handling dirty dishes or clothing and bedding. Had the outage continued, I would have rigged up some means to clean dishes closer to where I was keeping warm and preparing food, rather than trucking dirty dishes (and hot water) to the cold kitchen sink 60 feet away. Same for laundry, had it come to that.

I also wasn't well prepared with my 2 cell phones, which I seldom if ever use. Neither had a charge, and only one has a car charger, which I had misplaced.

J, I think that anyone who goes to all the trouble we do of raising so much of our own food, making yogurt and the gazillion other things we do, has some interest in health no matter how we choose to state it. My remark was simply a poor attempt at humor you obviously didn't get.

Happy New Year... yep, those pounds do sneak on when you're not looking. LOL

My dogs spend a lot of time indoors during the winter, sleep inside every night & right now the pit/lab is recovering from double knee surgery, so very restricted exercise. For 3 months. Which is starting to drive us both a little nutz.

I think Chessie's are like labs in being pretty easy keepers, aren't they? So "2 to 3" cups a day... ah, you really should know how much, that vagueness is calories... is 1 to 1 1/2 cups too much.

So feed him like he was a 45# dog til he gets his bikini bod back, and measure every meal.... 'cause it doesn't look like enough, I agree. And the mind starts sneaking it up subconsciously. Or maybe it's the mind meld from the fur butts. =0)

And remove kibble calories when you add people food calories. Also better to feed at slug dog level & add a handful on those days when he runs & plays than the other way 'round.

'Cause spring follows winter & summer's not far behind, and there's that nice girl dog down the road... LOL

Jayrunyen ~ good pet information. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

"to soak the oats overnight in acidified water to reduce the phytic acids"
I was reading on another thread about using ACV for beans. Is that what you use?
If not, would you elaborate on it?

Ah, OK Darius. =0)

ACV? Nope, never heard of it. Que es este?

I used 1 TBL of lemon juice per cup of black beans (thinking that if there was any residual taste, they went well together). You could also use vinegar or whey from draining the homemade yogurt. There're other things, but those are the ones that stuck in my mind 'cause I've got them in my kitchen.

Soaked some pearled barley last night in water acidified in white vinegar... worked great. After rinsing, neither the beans nor the barley had any flavor from the acidifiers. And it only took about 5 minutes to cook the barley for the salad recipe I was using. A saving on fuel there.

Apologies. ACV ~ apple cider vinegar.

I frequently soak meats and other foods in vinegar and have never noticed a residual taste.

For why do you use vinegar?

I have been given to understand vinegar works in the same manner as you use whey to soak beans and grains.
I also use vinegar on the meats to tenderize. It also serves to draw out any strong game taste or blood from venison.
Sorry but I am a carnivore.

I'm more of an omnivore... a grazer of life's abundance.

Though I will confess, some foods scare me just thinking about them. Like brain burgers... I understand some folks find them a delicacy, but it would take some major nerve building up to take that first bite.

I did try steak & kidney pie once... uh... you know, I just wasn't raised eating kidney, I'm pretty sure it's an acquired taste. =0)

Bright and sunny here as the day unfolds at a chiily 10*. Kind of hard to be working my garden (in my mind) when I can't imagine changing out of my warm fuzzy robe and slippers. LOL

Dang, there's some great info here...

Darius, doesn't it feel good that you managed as well as you did? Hate that you had to go through that, but it was a good test. Those headlamps are great. Al has one like yours, plus I picked up a couple of smaller ones that clip on the bill of a ball cap. As far as dishwashing is concerned, what about a couple of sturdy buckets, I think they would be easier to use to wash and rinse, then easily carried to pour down the toilet. Personally, I'd use disposable dishes as much as possible. A bit of water could be heated in the pans with a drop ot two of dish soap, wash them up, then rinse with just a cup or two of water. If there is limited water available, I'd sure hate wasting it on dishes and laundry. An extra set of bedding, layed out under your mattress (if storage space is an issue), would eliminate the need to wash bedding during a short term power outage. Coveralls that you slip on when needing to go outside would keep your clothes from getting wet and dirty. I don't read as much I'd like to, but I have my supplies handy to plan my garden and projects I'd like to do. Plus I have a couple of puzzle books that I can work on and decks of cards to play solitare, if need be.

Jay, thanks again for the great advice. Yes, Chessies have the same disposition as Labs. Mama took care of his chasing the nice girl down the road. He didn't do me much good as a watch dog, when he was gone for days at a time. We had also tried getting him a playmate when he was 1 1/2, but he likes being an only child, so took the playmate off twice and ditched him. We found him the first time, but the new dog found himself a new home the second time.

Anyway...what's your opinion on the dogfoods for overweight dogs that I've seen at the pet stores? Is it worth the price, or is feeding regular kibble with a bit of people food (both in limited quanties) sufficent? With Al leaving next weekend, I know I won't be doing the same kind of cooking that I have been doing since I'll be dieting, so there won't be the leftovers that there are now.

Podster, I'm read that too about using vinegar to tenderize meat. Good to know about taking away the wild game taste.

I had some good news this week. Two of my CSA members are already asking when I am going to start registering for the 2011 season. I was pretty sure everyone was pleased, but the truth lies in them joining again.

Robin, that's great about CSA shareholders coming back!~

The food for fat dogs just has fillers in it...peanut shells or some other non-available thing... so the dog feels full & won't beg; at least that's the theory they push. Frankly, I think it's marketing... a begging dog begs as long as it gets rewarded for it. Many folks just look at that 3/4 C of regular food & feel like they're starving their dog, all evidence to the contrary. LOL Just cut down the portion size by figuring & measuring.

What a great sign of confidence, shareholders eager to join up again! Hooray!

I'd hold off on the people food (except the veggie treats) til you get him back down to his strut-it weight ('cause tho' he can't perform doesn't mean he would like to... LOL). It's too easy for calories to sneak in & slow down the progress.

I'm assuming you're not giving him the fatty parts, right?

Jay, I really appreciate all the advice. Samson is by far the best dog I have ever had and I sure don't want to lose him early due to my feeding him poorly. No, I don't give him fatty parts or greasy foods. I'll cut down on his kibble and dog biscuits effective immediately. I'll check the package for amounts for a 45# dog and feed him that. After he's back down to the proper weight I'll add just a little bit of added plain vegetables, rice and a bite or two of meat scraps. Gonna be tough, but I'll ignore his pouty face...even when he sticks that lower lip out.

They're horrible, aren't they? Mine can roll her eyes up & look so darn pathetic... and yeah, best dog ever & I've had some good ones.

Raw cabbage is good for those moments... they love it!

Once he's got his bikini bod back, he can have lean meat... it's really better for him than the kibble... but you've got to remember to subtract out kibble to compensate. Rice, being an easily digested starch, can fatten 'em up pretty quick & it's empty calories. Better to add another bite of steak... (yes, Samson, the check arrived this morning... LOL)

Hey, you can whine together when the diets get too 'mean'. Ooooow-wooow-ooo!

Boy, I can't believe it's the Solstice already. I don't feel like I've gotten to do my yearly hibernation & planting is just around the corner. It's 43º here this morning, the snow is gone, the mud is almost gone, & the wind was just howling yesterday. The clamp on the end of the purling on the high tunnel hasn't held up in this wind, & the last hoop has been pushed in about 10", wearing through the end fabric. We moved & tightened it this last summer, but the wind has wiggled it again. Got to find a better way to fix that joint.

Did anyone see the eclipse last night? I was up in the wee hours & saw the end, a bite taken out of the moon.

It was clody here.

howdy everyone
Just poped in to say hi

Merry Christmas! Where you been?

Hello Lizards_keep ~ glad to know you are still amongst the living. Are you retired yet? Getting the relocated business site ready? I suppose this is a crazy time of year for you.

Today I am considering myself blessed. I have tried hard not to whine about the shorter, darker days of winter ( which I hate ) and was rewarded by the first day of winter delivering 83° warmth. We actually had to run the a/c at work.

Nope, didn't last for the eclipse though I would love to have seen it. After running the chainsaw and splitting firewood on Monday, I slept way too soundly. Sounds like it did o.k. without my presence.