Yeast

Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter Recipe:

Looking to buy bread at the grocery store, and seeing it was sold out at the time, I next moved on to looking for yeast. Thinking well I'll just make bread myself, and the yeast was sold out! After a few shopping trips at multiple stores I did indeed find yeast and eventually bread, but I was then inspired to start my own yeast to have on hand as well. An abundance of herbs and the cool spring weather fuelled the desire to bake as well.

What you need:

• Pineapple juice
• Flour
• Water
• Mason Jar 

How to:

1. Keeping at room temperature, Mix 2 tbsp of Pineapple Juice and 3 Tbsp Flour in a Mason Jar.
2. Stir the mixture 3 times in 24 hrs.
3. After 24hrs, add 3 Tbsp of Flour and 2 Tbsp of water.
4. Stir the mixture 3 times in 24 hrs.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for 5 days. Yeast should start forming after that, creating bubbling.

Ongoing Maintenance:

• Discard half, use in a recipe.
• If you plan on using a lot of yeast you can leave it at room temperature to grow faster while feeding it daily/or you may keep it in the fridge, feeding once weekly to make about enough for weekly use.
• ...And to Feed:
• After discarding half of the mixture, fill mixture amount back with equal amounts in weight of water and flour(2 parts water and 3 parts flour). Place the mixture in the fridge. 
• If your mixture starts to have an unpleasant smell or shows growth of mold, toss immediately and start again new.
• If your mixture accumulates access liquid, poor the excess liquid out and add more flour to feed it in the future.
• If you are going to substitute dry yeast in a recipe for your wild yeast sourdough starter: Substitute 1 cup of starter for a package of dry yeast, then subtract 1/2 a cup of water and 3/4 cup of flour from your recipe. 

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!™

Sustainable Scraps

Sustainable Scraps

Some foods, such as celery, can be regrown from the produce you would normally toss. Instead of tossing our Celery scraps into our compost, we have decided to regrow our Celery. This is a great family project to do with kids or for anyone's own self sustaining household.

Celery from Scraps:

What you will need:

Celery Stalk Cutting
A Cup/or Dish
Water
Sunlight/Plant Light

A method for transplanting the Celery once it is restarted:

• Dirt indoors in a planter or outdoors in your garden.
• Hydroponic planting system
• Aquaponic planting system. 

How to:

Once you have finished using your Celery, you will be left with a cut Celery Stalk. 

Take the Celery Stalk Cutting and place in a Cup or Dish with water covering the bottom of the Celery and leaving the top exposed to air. Place the Cup or Dish in a window for sunlight or under a Plant light if you have one. 

Change the water out with fresh water daily. After about a week or two you should see some growth in roots in the water, and leaves appearing on top.

Once there is regrowth, you can transplant your Celery to Dirt in a planter or outside depending on the season in your area. Celery is a harder plant to grow outside.

We have gone with an indoor small Hydroponic System to replant our Starters. 

What we used:

• Organic Clay Pebbles for a Media
• A Net Cup Pot
• A 32 oz Wide Mouth Mason Jar
• A water soluble Fertilizer to feed our Celery.

 

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!™

Soil Sanitizing:

When recycling used soil from old planters or elsewhere, it's a good idea to sanitize your soil to remove possible pathogens. However, once your soil is "Sanitized" it will actually be dirt. You may need to add amendments, microbes, to bring your soil situation back to a living growing environment again. 

What you will need:

A Large container for your Mixture

A garden trowel/hand shovel to mix with

Soil 

Baking dishes

An oven

How to:

Preheat oven to 200

Place dirt in 5 gallon bucket.

Mix with garden trowel/hand shovel. Take out any unwanted matter. 

Place dirt in baking dishes.

Place baking dishes in oven for at least a half hour. 

Remove dirt and let cool before mixing with soil enhancers.

  

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Additional resources:

https://www.almanac.com/organic-soil-amendments-explained

https://cedarcirclefarm.org/tips/entry/the-living-soil-microorganisms

Choose a large container to mix your sanitized dirt with amendments, bringing it back to healthy Soil again.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!™

Banana Peel Tea

Banana Peel Tea Recipe:

Save your ripest Bananas for your Smoothies or Homemade Banana Bread. Save your Peels for Tea!

Ingredients:

Clean Ripe Banana Peels
Hot Water
Cinnamon Stick (Optional)

How to:

Steep Clean Ripe Banana Peels in Hot Water as you would most other Teas. Cut the peels in necessary to fit them in the steeping method of your choice. Toss the used peel into your compost when you are done. Add a Cinnamon Stick or other Flavors and Spices to Taste.

Be careful, hot tea is hot.

If you are using the Tea for a Fertilizer, do not add anything to the tea and wait for it to cool so you don't cook your plant.

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Fertilizer

Fertilizer:

Plant Food:

Just like Humans, Plants need water and nutrients to live and grow.

Plant fertilizers are labeled in a NPK format. N=Nitrogen, P=Phosphorus and K=Potassium/Potash(Plant Ashes).

http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/label.htm is a great link for better understanding the fertilizer label. They also have other educational links for Children and Families. Information explaining plant nutrients: http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm

The ratio or Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in a mixture of fertilizer will serve different plants differently. Below is a chart explaining the three and their roles in plant growth, with information from Better Homes and Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/garden-care/what-do-nitrogen-phosphorus-and-potassium-do/

There are many different types of Fertilizers that can be applied in different ways. Finding the right fertilizer depends on how you are caring for your plants, the envioronment in which they are stored and which type of plants you are fertilizing.

Types of Fertilizer:

• Straight
• Mixed
• Complete 
• Incomplete
• Organic
• Inorganic
• Soluable
• Nonsoluable

Some plants, such as Air plants, don't have roots in soil. They would get their nutrients best through misting a liquid fertilizer on them, or when they are scheduley soaked. Plants that are able to be grown in Hydroponic Gardens will need a fertilizer that is water soluble. An Aquaponic Garden should fertilize itself. If you're growing in an indoor garden or with houseplants, most likely you won't want a harsh smell associated with your home. Each plant has its own needs for best fertilizing them. Always research the needs for a plant's care based on the type of plant and where you are growing it.

This link has a reference chart with a list of Organic Fertilizers and their average NPK ratios:
https://www.americantreeinc.com/healthy-soil-healthy-plants/ 

  

Where Plant care meets Selfcare:

Some teas that do double duty for human and plant care:

Black Tea:

Black Tea is high in Potassium and Phosphorus.

Green Tea:

Green Tea has Nitrogen in it, and is less acidic than Black Tea. Different Plants require more or less acidity to thrive best. 

Chamomile Tea:

Seasonally we use our own Chamomile, grown here at Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC. Chamomile Teas can be used as a calcium fertilizer. 

This link has a recipe for Chamomile Fertilizer:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/calcium-fertilizer.htm

Banana Peel Tea:

A fantastic Potassium source can be found in Banana Peel Tea. Whether made for a fertilizer source or for drinking yourself, Banana Peel Tea is easy to make. It is a great way to reuse your discarded fruit peel.

Banana Peel Tea Recipe: https://www.littlelakeviewconservatory.com/2019/12/banana-peel-tea.html

Always use plain, cooled, unsweetened tea for plants.

Always check with your Doctor or Medical Professional to best serve your own dietary needs.

All DIY projects shown on LittleLakeviewConservatory.com are purely "at your own risk". As with any DIY project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. Posts should be construed as theoretical advice only. 

If you are at all uncomfortable or inexperienced working on these projects (especially but not limited to electronics and mechanical), please reconsider doing the job yourself. It is very possible on any DIY project to damage your cottage, void your property insurance, create a hazardous condition or harm or even kill yourself or others.

Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC will not be held responsible for any injury due to any featured DIY project.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Homemade Herb​al Tea

Homemade Herbal Tea:

Making your own Herbal Tea from Scratch. 

Some Methods for Making Hot Tea:

• Microwave Hot Water in a Microwave Safe Mug.
• Brew Hot Water on the Stove in a Tea Kettle. 
• An Electric Tea Maker.

We used a Tea Kettle to Brew Hot Water here on the Stovetop.

Some Ingredients you can use:

• Fresh or Dried Herbs -Mint, Lavender, Chamomile, Echinacea, Lemon Balm, Rose, Rose Hips.
• Fresh Fruit
• Banana Peels
• Fresh Ginger
• Dried Spices
• Other Beverages, Honey or Flavors can be added to taste.

Here's helpful and informative links we found:
https://www.marthastewart.com/1512086/make-your-own-herbal-tea-blends-what-need-know

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-herbal-teas

Whichever method for water and ingredients chosen, next you will need to steep your ingredients in the hot water to taste. Be careful, hot tea is hot.

We used our own Mint grown here at Little Lakeview Conservatory, Oranges from the our fridge and Spices -Cinnamon, Anise, Whole Cardamom, Whole Cloves, Whole Nutmeg and Dried Orange Peels. Discover your favorite recipe and share with others for gifts or get togethers!

We used one of our all time favorite gifts, a Green Remi Glass Tea Mug with a stainless steel infuser by Teavana. It's been a cherished kitchen item here and would make a great gift for anyone, perhaps with some of your own homemade tea. Here are some amazon links for these and similar products:

   

Another gift idea for sharing your favorite Tea Mixture are Drawstring loose-leaf disposable Tea Bags. And whether for a gift or just for yourself, this Long Handled Heart Shaped Tea Infuser is adorable. 

As an Amazon Associate, Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC earns from qualifying purchases. Since we love Amazon, enrolling in this program was an easy choice.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!

Egg•o Foo Young

Leftover Turkey Recipe:

A deliciously good way to upcycle Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Shredded Leftover Turkey 
• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese
• 5 Eggs
• 1Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup Veggies (whole kernel corn, peas, shredded carrots-leftover veggie or misc. substitutes from Thanksgiving Dinner)
• Olive oil (to spray on Waffle Iron)
• Rice for a side (optional)

How to:

• Plug in waffle maker
• Mix Leftover Turkey, Eggs, Water, Onion, and Veggies.
• Pour 1/2 cup of Mixture (or proportional to waffle maker size) into waffle maker, cook and repeat. 
• Eat Eggo Foo Young alone or on a bed of Rice, with or without Soy Sauce and/or Gravy. 
• Make the night before for easy morning Omelets or as a meal after Thanksgiving to help use up Leftovers. 

As an Amazon Associate, Little Lakeview Conservatory LLC earns from qualifying purchases. Since we love Amazon, enrolling in this program was an easy choice.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC was est. in 2019 to provide sustainable plants in NH and to share information to help people create self sustainability in their own homes.

Please feel free to contact us at LittleLakeviewConservatory@gmail.com be added to our email list or with any questions, requests and comments.

Little Lakeview Conservatory, LLC * Grow a little!