My Side of the Mountain Trilogy

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
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In 1959, Jean Craighead George published My Side of the Mountain. This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys.

The two books that followed–On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful’s Mountain–were equally extraordinary. Now all three books are available in one deluxe yet affordable volume for veteran devotees and brand-new fans alike.

Before this I had no idea this was a trilogy.  Because of this my childhood was less.  Honestly, this book probably was the greatest literary influence of my childhood.  I am waiting patiently until I can read My Side of the Mountain with my son.

I can’t say I would be as open to WT moving to the mountains alone, but that may be because of his mother.

Jean Craighead George was the preeminent nature writer for children. She is the author of My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves, and her work spanned 50 years. She died in May 2012 at age 93.  I am interested in self reliance in large part to her work.

Leather Thumb Guard for Carving Review

Leather Thumb Guard for Carving
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When carving my first spoon with a hook-knife, I learned very quickly that my thumb and fingers needed protection.  I quickly bought a leather thumb guard so that I could carve without hurting myself.

The thumb guard I bought was an add-on item from Amazon, meaning it was so inexpensive I had to buy other items before they would ship it.  I rose to the challenge and bought a bunch of other neat stuff so I could make the video shown in this post.

Basically the thumb guard is just a leather patch that has elastic sewn onto it so that it forms a glove around your thumb.

This allow you to press against the double edged hook knife blade to carve with power and control but without pain.

I should have bought this when I got my knife, but I didn’t think it was necessary – boy was I wrong.  This tool really saved my thumb and made carving easier.

A thumb guard is not strictly necessary, but neither are shoes.  Once you have some you don’t want to go around without them.  They really make a difference in safety and comfort.

The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual

Book Review: The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual
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The .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual is a book allows do-it-yourselfers to try building their own .50 Caliber rifles.

DIY gunsmiths have been demanding the book since the best-selling Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle videotape first came out. In this companion book, Bill Holmes uses easy-to-follow foldout drawings and precise dimensions to take you step-by-step through the process of designing and constructing your very own .50-caliber rifle easily and inexpensively.

Find out this master gun maker’s professional secrets to fashioning the receiver, barrel and accessories, bolt, trigger assembly, buttstock, scope mount, bipod and muzzle brake using commonly acquired materials.

Once you have made all the component parts, Bill then instructs you in the right way to assemble and test-fire your new home workshop firearm. With Bill Holmes as your guide, construction is a snap.

Warning: It is your responsibility to make sure that you have complied with all local, state and federal laws with regard to the manufacture of any firearm.

I have wanted to build my own .50 Caliber Rifle for decades, and the .50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual is a great way to go about doing it.  One day I will get around to it and try this for myself.  until then, I just look at this book.

Cheaper and Better

Cheaper and Better
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Author Nancy Birnes will soon launch a 13-part PBS series based on the recipes and formulas of Cheaper and Better. Reissued to tie in to the show, this guide shows consumers how to save thousands of dollars with products made at home.Cheaper and Better is a book detailing things you can make at home, usually cheaper and often better, goods that you buy everyday.

If you have allergies or sensitivities to chemicals used in commercially produced products this could be a life saver.

If you are trying to live frugally it’s a real budget saver. This book is well organized, easy to use.

You won’t use every recipe but it’s amazing how many things you really can make at home “cheaper and better”.

I love books like this as they are a constant source of ideas and reference material as I try to solve my problems without endless trips to the store.

Books like Cheaper and Better are a source of entertainment for me, but a source of consternation for my wife.  It seems everytime I get a book like this we end up going to the store for ingredients.

In any book like this I will find multiple ideas that are Must-Try….

creme fraiche

How to Make Creme Fraiche

Kitchen DIY: Creme Fraiche
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Today we are going to talk Creme Fraiche.

Crme Fraiche is a fermented dairy product used in both hot and cold French cuisine.

I think it is important to note that French does not always mean snooty and haughty (most times it does though).

As a practical person, I am a big fan of what is called “peasant food” – local, nutritious, inexpensive, and plentiful food that is used by the lower economic class as staples.

I figure if it was used to keep the average peasant alive in the 1600’s it would work to keep me alive if I had to deal with the End of The World As We Know it…

Now back to French cuisine…

Creme fraiche or (Crème fraîche for the haughty) is a think fermented liquid cream, like yogurt. Because it has greater than 30% fat content It can be used to finish hot sauces without curdling.

Making it is pretty simple, all you do is add a starter culture to heavy cream, and allowing it to stand at appropriate temperature until thick.

What starter culture should you use? – Buttermilk comes to mind.

The ratio of cream to buttermilk doesn’t really matter all that much.

Add more buttermilk and you’ll need less time for it to thicken (but it’ll be less creamy). .

Add more, and it takes longer, but tastes better.

One tablespoon per cup (that’s a 1:16 ratio) is the closest to the European product.

With a 1:16 ratio It will be very rich and creamy about 12-hours after mixing.

You can also halt the process early by just refrigerating it to stop the bacterial action.

This is useful if you want a thinner Mexican-style crema agria for drizzling over tacos or nachos.

Yes we are dealing with room temperature milk, but for the safety nellies, the good bacteria from the buttermilk prevents the dangerous bacteria from taking over.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.