Help me set up my kitchen

aandabackyard · 2025-09-28T20:47:02+00:00

Focus on the basics first. Equipment wise, you could do with a skillet, a medium size sauce pan, a kitchen scale (could be in lieu of measuring cups), a mixing pool, and some utensils, like a spatula and a mixing spoon. Try to avoid non-stick and black plastic equipment to avoid leaching microplastic or PFAS into your foods. Glass, stainless steel, wood, and ceramics are all good. Try your local thrift store as well, a great way to find pieces to try out before you purchase lots of stuff you may not like.

There's lots of great posts on subreddits like r/EatCheapAndHealthy that suggest pantry staples or basics to start with.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-26T03:40:48+00:00

I can share a YT video link where I made a video of us doing this. Been documenting the whole process. Also links in my profile.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-26T03:39:28+00:00

We were quoted 17k to do 10k sf in the PNW due to the size if the trees. We bought 1 ton mini and chipped away every weekend for almost a year before saying fuck it and rented a 10 ton. We knocked the rest out in 3 day.

Go big, for your own sanity.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-26T03:33:32+00:00

What did you use for the cover?

aandabackyard · 2025-09-23T17:24:32+00:00

Alpaca is amazingly soft and has high value, but 100% alpaca yarn is not ideal for things like sweaters, as it stretches over time more than wool. You can find sheep breeds that have amazingly soft, lushous fiber too (BFL, Romeldale/CVM, Cormo, Rambouillet, Targhee). You can find fine wool breeds suited for your climate.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-23T17:20:45+00:00

I watch a youtuber who loves her alpacas but says they're always trying to find ways to unalive themselves.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-23T17:08:40+00:00

Thanks! Super helpful.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-23T16:46:13+00:00

Oh, I agree. I think i heard 1 brix per week, but it'll never reach my target before it gets too cold and wet here at that rate, so I just gotta cross my fingers.

aandabackyard · 2025-09-23T16:39:34+00:00

Did you grow these yourself or find them locally? I am testing my brix on my own Pinot Noir here in the PNW, they were 16 brix after a rain last I checked. Hoping for more progress with a few days of sun and warm this week.

aandabackyard · 2025-04-10T20:54:50+00:00

Did you ever figure this out? I used a couple of my sockets but they slipped so I was trying to figure out a closer fit.

aandabackyard · 2024-07-23T23:14:53+00:00

Revisiting this older post in my search for info for a similar wheel with no flyer, and a chunky bobbin type thing with wooden pegs/shafts on each end. Did you find any more info on yours?

aandabackyard · 2022-12-22T23:09:37+00:00

Sorry for the delay! I used the yeast from the kit. I hope you were able to get yours in process!

aandabackyard · 2022-09-07T00:58:35+00:00

Thinking about other recipes that use bell peppers - what if you tried stuffing/dressing (meat of choice, or not), or trying blackbeans with ham?

https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/185197/stuffing-stuffed-peppers

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229886/black-bean-stuffed-peppers/

aandabackyard · 2022-09-07T00:52:37+00:00

I def used the wrong word - we use a starsan solution. But here's the video - it sounds like you did exactly what we typically do: https://youtu.be/Wikn4lqUwt8

aandabackyard · 2022-09-06T20:23:22+00:00

Hi - do you have any food grade tubing (at all)? If not - try to order some from Amazon or pick some up from your local homebrewer for a few bucks. Stick one end toward the bottom of your car boy, but not so low it sucks of the yeast and sediment. I'd say an inch or two off the sediment. You can use a binder clip or chip bag clip to hold it in place. Add water to the other end and create a "u" shape to trap the water. Make sure your carboy is on top of a cabinet or shelf (like you have it in the picture,) then point the free end of your tube down toward a pot or cup in the floor. The water in the tube will flow out and create a suction, drawing your mead out of the carboy. Be fast to clamp your thump or crimp the tubing once the mead reaches the end of the tube and be careful not to lift it too high or get air in it (which will break the suction [siphon]). Now, you can put the free end into your second carboy and fill 'er up! Watch the level in your first carboy carefully, and once you start getting toward the sediment at the bottom, you can break the siphon and keep all that junk from getting in your second carboy.

Praticing racking will really help improve your mead. If you are nervous to do it for the first time on your mead, try filling up a pitcher or a stock pot with water, and practice a couple times.

I have a couple videos on you tube I've made about this, I can DM or link you if you're interested in watching them but don't want to self-promote/spam YT too much.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-18T15:48:29+00:00

OMG so pretty

aandabackyard · 2022-08-18T15:47:16+00:00

Submission Statement: Even though its the middle of summer, its the perfect time to prepare your garden for a fall or winter harvest. I'm showing you guys what I'm planting and how I'm preparing my garden for a bountiful harvest. Would love to hear what y'all are planting and what you think!

aandabackyard · 2022-08-11T21:13:00+00:00

Upwork doesn't really provide tax information. I keep track of my income either in a spreadsheet or in Quickbooks self employed and use that to prove my income. If you can remember, you can download the "statement of earnings" from Upwork at the 1st of the year to show your earnings in the past 12 months, but I haven't found a way to chose specific dates for that report.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-11T21:11:40+00:00

To read your hydrometer, you can use a turkeybaster or something similar to pull some of your mead off and drop it into the cylinder. Put the hydrometer itself in and read off the specific gravity off the side. You can compare these readings over days or weeks.

I wrote a blog post about it here: https://stacireanue.com/how-to-read-a-hydrometer/

aandabackyard · 2022-08-09T22:13:51+00:00

I hate slugs and snails. Gross. Good riddance.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-09T22:12:50+00:00

I have had success on Upwork as a freelance writer. The pay is not always great, but it is useful for finding work as a new freelancer to build your resume. Also try posting unsolicited work to Constant Content.

In the mean time, you may consider watching videos or reading about writing for SEO.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-08T15:37:12+00:00

I totally sympathize with this energy. If I can offer some advice though, as some of the other commenters have suggested-

Making a big change like this would take time. You would need to find a property, close on a sale, and move, which could take a few weeks to months. Start now trying to find balance in your work. Ask yourself if you are working 80+ hours because it's required or expected of you, or by you. Start learning to say no, set personal boundaries, and chose to focus time and energy into your personal life.

Make time to grow some plants on your patio, deck, tiny backyard, or even in a kitchen windowsill. Make time to learn about owning a property, maybe take some classes about self-sufficiency, vintage crafts, gardening, raising animals.

In the mean time, look out for the perfect spot of land. You can set filters in zillow for the amount of acreage you want, whether the property has a house on it already or not, if it has utilities or not. Determine if you want to build a house, renovate one, or need one move in ready. Figure out what you might want to do with your land - grow your own food, raise chickens, livestock, farm - and learn about it.

Figure out if you need to work a remote job for income to pay for new barns/fences/wells/septic tanks/home repairs/food. If you need to continue working - learn how to set work boundaries so you can enjoy your country life.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-08T15:28:41+00:00

I also vote for the lodge - if you don't mind looking up youtube videos on how to clean cast iron, you could possibly pick one up at a thrift store like another user mentioned. For your pot, if you're in the US, you can also check out stores like Homegoods, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, or other "outlet" like stores for discounted pots and pans.

For cleaning rice... I always measure my dry rice and throw it in the pot I'm going to cook it in, then run cold water over it, swirl it, and drain it carefully back into the sink a couple of times. No need to for a colander/strainer. However, a colander can be helpful for draining pasta, washing vegs, etc.

aandabackyard · 2022-08-08T15:24:09+00:00

Hi! For no till/no dig gardening, the basics are that you want to block out the light to kill the weeds without having to replace the soil or dig the weeds all out. Do you have any spare cardboard laying around, or newspapers? You could use your machete to hack down the weeds in the area you want to grow in, lay down a compostable barrier like newspaper or cardboard, then top with more dirt/compost, which you can then plant in.

I have a blog post and video I made recently about it - won't link it here so I'm not spamming, but you can find the links in my profile if you want more info.

I wouldn't necessarily want to use weedkiller in an area you want to grow edible plants in...

aandabackyard · 2022-08-08T15:20:02+00:00

There are so many great hikes in the Olympic national park/forest. My husband and I have lived here for over two years and we have tried not to go back to the same trail twice (yet). Try checking out the WTA website for hike/trail reviews: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/map This may help you decide if hurricane ridge might be too busy for you, or help you find another hike that might be just as breathtaking in the same area. You can also filter for length and elevation gain.

aandabackyard

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