I am so excited! Sol and I went to our local bookstore,Powell's to just look around. For those of you who do not live here I have to tell you about Powell's book store,it is the largest book store I think in the nation.The main store takes up an entire city block,houses a coffee shop (you can even walk around with your drink) offers new and used books, a rare book room,magazines and an art gallery and it is like 4 stories high! People come from near and far to visit Powell's City of Books.They do ship and have excellent customer service.If you come to Portland take a whole afternoon and set your self a budget.
While cursing around the Cook Book section of our neighborhood Powell's I found a gem.Ball Canning Company has put out a new and larger Canning Book that boosts 400 updated recipes.The price $22.95 was fair considering how much information is in it and would last you a life time. There were 2 recipes that really caught my eye right away,Pear Mincemeat and a Vietnamese Sweet Chilli Sauce ( which I buy and we use all the time).So I put it under my arm with the intention of buying myself a treat.But then I found a copy of Jenna at Cold Antler Farm's book "Made from Scratch" which I had been wanting to look at and what happened next is the cause for my excitement....
In the back of Jenna's book is a nice section of websites she uses.In that list I found the website for Ball Canning (also listed in my links) .It has been my experience that most companies who sell a product,publish a book and have a website also list the same information in their book on their website.I put the Ball book back,there were plenty of copies so if I needed to come back I would not be out of luck.When I came home I checked the Ball website and my guess was right! On their website were ALL of the recipes I had seen in their new book that I could print out at home as needed! I saved myself a bit of cash for some thing else.
On the Ball site they also sell their other products too,canning jars, lids,canning kettles ect. They also have the Blue Book I have been using forever for under $6.And I am lusting over their 1/2 Gallon jars to hold my pickels this year.
I suppose I should give my review of Jenna's book.It's a nice little book with information on how to get started as a Homesteader.It's very much a book for the beginner and if that is where you are at I would invest in her book.We have been at this awhile now so most of it we already have in place.I follow Jenna's blog and enjoy her writing style,friendly,full of cheer and yet she tells you her low points too.Like the nasty Fox who is killing her Chickens. BAD FOX!
This evening as I was writing the outline for our Chicken Butchering Class Chance started a project and DANG IT I missed out on what he was doing!
We needed a Killing or Culling Cone to teach our class.This is not how we do this task here at Hrafinstaad but it was requested that we use one. We looked online,$45 plus shipping ack! None of the local Feed Stores had them either so being who he is Chance made one to use during the class.I tell you being married to such a clever fellow always fills me with wonder. He is also making a few more of them to have for sale at our class for only $25. Chance has promised me he will give me warning when he is going to finish the cones so I can photo it and then write a blog about it.So check back if you'd like to learn to make one.
Well I still have my pocket money and a useful book is sounding like what I want.I never pay for novels,I am a book addict and blow through a book in 2 days easy so I go to the libary and swap books with friends.But a book full of good information is something I'll buy.If I am really lucky the next time I am at Powell's they will have a used copy of something I want.
I have a few days to dream of books,the next 3 days are busy,getting ready to have a one day yard sale,finish writing the class outline and then teach our class. Whew busy times are ahead.
Rois
Awesome. Looking forward to the killing cone instructions. Nice job, Chance!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of Powell's - it's true, their reach is far and wide. My boss was in our Beaverton office for the day (we work in the Silicon Valley of CA)and went to Powell's. Next thing I knew, we were receiving 6 full boxes of books he'd perused while at Powell's. Their customer service IS superior and prices for used books are quite reasonable.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, our area only has one chicken butchering class (once per year, I think) and it's pretty pricey too, at $60 per person. There's probably not much call for that here in Engineer-ville, but the class does fill up quickly.