Proper Binge

Michael was a movie maker.

ACTION!!!

I was out garage saling last weekend & came upon the making of the All-Alaskan feature film Proper Binge.  Shot in Wasilla its been 3 years in the making.  In the garage we got to see a 7 minute trailer & it looks like a truly heart-wrenching movie about alcoholism in Alaska.  Look for it at the Cannes Film Festival!

Also picked up a cedar toy chest I am repainting & selling at a local consignment shop.  Before & after pics coming soon...

High & Dry

At Ray Redington Jr."s Knik dog yard.

Ray Redington Jr.'s Iditirod sled.

Knik Historical District

Knik Historical District

Knik Historical District

With most of South Central Alaska at flood stage or flood watch Knik Historical District & Ray Redington Jr.'s dog yard remain high & dry.

Follow Team Redinton here in the 2013 "Last Great Race".

Shaggy Manes

Shaggy Manes are one wild Alaskan mushroom I can identify & have eaten many times.  They come out during moose hunting season in September.  I was surprised to see these in my yard.  As you can see some are turning black.  They do not last long.  As soon as you pick them, cook & eat.  I usually dip them in egg wash, coat with crushed saltines & fry hot & fast.  They go great with fresh moose back strap.

Smells Moosey Out There

When the cranberries ripen after the first frost they have a real musky smell.  Reminds me of moose as it is hunting season.

 Course I have seen no moose.  All the smart ones know its moose hunting season!

These are Mountain Ash trees ( I think) bending in the wind & getting rinsed by the recent rains.

Not many green leaves left.

Triple Take

Take One

Take Two

Take Three

When the sun broke through the clouds, after torrential rains (not as much as Valdez as they broke the record today) for the last 24+hrs, look what appeared on top of the Chugach Mountains.  FRESH SNOW! 

I'm still sticking to my prediction of Oct. 26 for the snow sticking to the roads down here in the valley.

Wasilla 1985

I'm sure your town had one of these maps made by New Sensation artists Paul & Sandie Nadon.  My understanding is they travelled the world financing it by drawing cool maps of the cities they visited.  . 

In 1985 Wasilla had one stoplight, no McDonalds & KABN Radio still existed.  Fun map.

Post Summer Picnics

This is Meier's Lake about 7 miles down Wasilla FishHook Rd.  It is not open to the public but was deserted today when I drove in to take these pics. 

Small Cabbage

 My neighbor shared his garden bounty with me.  I picked the smallest cabbage.  Thinking about getting a couple heads of green cabbage & making kimchee.

The carrots were small but oh so sweet!

Bulgur Moose Stew

Made this delicious soup tonight with some leftover moose back strap.  I used Bulgur wheat which I have to say its nutty flavor complimented the moose meat well.  It only took an hour from start to finish to make.  Biscuits would have been great with this but I had mine with saltine crackers & butter.

Start by adding 1c of Bulgur wheat to a quart of water in dutch oven size pot.  Put on high heat to bring to boil.  While waiting for that start adding carrots, mushrooms, sliced raw bacon and sliced onions sauteed if you wish.  One package of Lipton onion soup.  Bring all this to a medium boil.  This is where I added the cooked moose meat, too.  You could use beef.  The liquid cooked down some so I added more water (2 cups) & a couple beef boulion cubes.  After about 45 minutes I tasted for doneness & flavor and decided to add a can of tomato sauce.  Diced tomatos would have been good, too.  Cooked the remaining 15 minutes & served hot.  The Bulgur wheat made a hearty stew with something different than potatos.  I will be making variations of this again.

Fire Watch

My neighbor keeping an eye on his leave burning pile.  The fireweed has long gone to seed.  According to most Alaskans this means we have approximately 6 weeks to be prepared for that first sign of winter.  SNOW!!!

I predict October 26th for Wasilla.

Wasilla Picker (Shelves)

 I have been having so much fun in the furniture & antique section of the Wasilla area craigslist.  Picked up this white shelf with baskets last weekend.  I was looking for shelves to add to my trailer kitchen.  This was perfect.  Now my potatos, onions, shallots & ginger are eye level.  Seller wanted $60.  Got it for $30.  Sold!

Now I'd been eyeballing this Japanese tea shelf for a couple of weeks.  When it first came up in the antique section the seller wanted $150 firm for it.  I thought it was adorable but out of my price range.  Then it dissappeared & I thought somebody got a real cool shelf.  Well, it showed up today again.  This time for a $120.  Still out of my price range but wondered if they would come down more.  I emailed them my phone number.  They called back and asked me if I knew where Snowgoose was.  My winter as a cab driver in valley has paid off.  I knew right where Snowgoose was and got on my way.  Seller wanted $120.  Got it for $80.  Sold!



The "pickens" in Wasilla this week were good.

Morning Lake

One of the many un-named lakes in the valley as the fog lifted this morning.  Got down to below freezing last night & my van had frost covered windows.  As you can see the leaves are starting to turn color.  Beautiful fall like day it turned out to be.

Poppies Still Popping

Even after the first frost last night these poppies are still going strong.  Soon, the fall colors will be bursting.  My favorite time of year!  I am getting settled in for the winter.  Got a job, a good place to live & I joined a bowling team!  I call myself the "embarrassed Valdez bowler" since I am way out of practice from living in a town with no bowling alley for 22 years.  I was raised in a bowling alley.  My dad used to moonlight at one when he was in the Army.  He would take one of us kids with him to empty beer bottles & ashtrays.  After work we got to bowl.  I also kept score for my mom's bowling team when I was in the 3rd grade.  So I know the lingo.  Just got to get my curve ball back. 

From the Forest Floor

Northern Lights from the forest floor in Alaska.  Photo by Mark Loiseau via Twitter

Signs of Fall

Copper River Reds in the Can

 All the stars lined up this past week & I was able to home can Copper River Reds!  I left the Kenai for good 10 days ago so when a friend came up with the best salmon in the world I had the time, equipment & know how to do a home pack.  But, it turned out my old electric can sealer did not work properly, so I went to my neighborhood Walmart & purchased a "hand cranker" can sealer for $200.  It works like a charm after I read the directions over & over.  Now I am confidant I won't kill anybody.

 My new Warthog Blade Sharpener made easy work of cutting up the sockeye.  The tough skin of the salmon dulls the knife after a few fillets.  Three swipes through the Warthog and I'm good to go.  No more struggling with dull knives!!!

First pack was a Freshpack with Jalapeno.

Second pack was a Freshpack with Ginger.

                               Copper River Reds are the perfect size for 1/2 lb flat salmon cans. 

 I turned my front entry way into a cannery.  Hooked up the stove to a bottle of propane & I was in business.

Jalapeno Freshpack Signed & Sealed

After the cans are sealed & cooled the next step is to make hand printed labels.  I code the can lids before I seal them with what kind of pack they are.  I know what they are but nobody else does until I stick the label on. 

Doesn't matter that this past week was the hottest days of the summer.  I got Copper River Reds in the can!

Ready for Reds

 Earlier in June I was on the look out for a propane stove (no electricity needed) and found one in Seward.  A six hour round-trip drive away from the lodge.  It was worth it as the stove sold for a hundred bucks & works great!  Perfect for exhausting the salmon cans in the oven & pressure cooking them off on the stove top.

 Last week I had a little bit of time off & instead of taking a nap I drove down to Homer, where the old Kachamak Gear Shed was, now Redden Marine. 

 And bought 600 1/2 lb flat salmon cans for $1.03 a can!  They threw in 600 lids (worth $150) which was a heck of a deal.  Well worth the drive to buy the cans wholesale.  Walmart's price is $62.50 a case of 44 cans leaving space for the lids.  A case holds 48 cans full.  Thats a lot of money for empty cans!  I bought 600 as I had the money, I was there & I figure the price is not going to go down.  My plan is to can at least 300 cans of freshpack Kenai sockeye this summer with plenty of cans leftover for next summer.

 To keep my knives sharp for all this canning I finally ordered & received my very own Warthog Blade Sharpener!  Ever since I used one in Cold Bay I've wanted one. 

I even got the traveling case since I am such a traveler.  Now, there are few things I need to get before the reds start running.  But, I consider myself prepared to can us some reds that are coming soon!