Eat Your Sand, beautiful edibles for the front yard

Announcing the official opening of project Eat Your Sand

After two grueling years of college, I have finally emerged. Hopefully the headaches will be over, and I will have more time to do the things that I love to do, like teach the little ones about nature and growing plants. I have also been cultivating a minimalist lifestyle, and this spring I have been potting and propagating, in hopes to find other permits to trade with, or just interested gardeners. Its not about selling plants and rabbits, its about sharing, getting, and producing bounty. Care of people and all.
So this spring I have more growies than I know what to do with. It has inspired me to create a trading page with a listing of everything that I have a lot of success with, including rabbits and premium plants.
Come check it out
EatYourSand
Don't hesitate to shoot me an email or use the form to contact me. I love to trade! Eat Your Sand will be updated frequently with what is currently being offered, and I am willing to travel to trade.

Backyard Green Smoothie Recipe

1 loquat leaf
4 red hibiscus leaves
4 hibiscus leaves
6 lemon leaves
1/2 ginger leaf
rosemary - greens from one sprig 4" long
1-2 cups cold water

optional : canna - no added flavor, no significant nutrition
     lemongrass - tasty but adds a real "grassy" flavor
     mints

     Directions - add all ingredients to blender and blend on high for at least 30 seconds. There should be enough blending that a foam is created on the top, which quickly dissipates. Then pour through a strainer into a large enough jar to hold your smoothie, which should be enjoyed immediately or refrigerated and enjoyed within about 3 days. Take the strained contents to the compost heap, give to the rabbits now, or freeze into cubes for treats for the rabbits later.

Manure Brewer

How to ghetto-tastically make a manure brewer. (Say that 5 times fast!)

     The first step: Get your hands on a blue barrel. This is probably the hardest part, but they are out there if you really want them. There are many sources,  I ghetto-tastically just asked someone who wasn't using theirs.
     Then, using a saw, slice in half in the middle. This is the best time to clean the inside out really good.
     If it had a cap or plug on the top, take it off. Get a large piece of old screen to more than cover the cap area.
     In the base, drill a hole and install a spigot. This will need to be glued and caulked very well so there are no leakage problems.
 Then invert the top onto the bottom, so the top acts as a cup for the raw manure. It should be open to the air so rain can come in.

This one isn't so attractive. Yours can be better.

     Then fill the whole top with all the rabbit manure, waste hay, other manure, and small bits of kitchen waste, like eggshells. If you find any worms in your garden, add them as well.
     How to use the manure brewer:
Dump water in the open top
Open the spigot and drain manure water into your watering can or bucket.
Take the watering can or bucket to your hungry plants, water slowly so more nutrition is absorbed.

Harvesting the Cranberry Hibiscus

     Earlier this spring my mother found these young plants at a garage sale, and they must have been priced well because she picked up one for me. It turned out the bargain annual happened to be the interesting and beautiful Hibiscus sabdariffa mentioned on the Florida Survival Gardening blog by David. No doubt the original seeds were from ECHO, as my mother lives not too far from there.

     I had no idea this plant could be so beautiful, unusual, useful, pest free, maintenance free...

     Today I am going to harvest the fruit. According to David, the round green bits are not the delicious part, but are where the seeds are stored. It's the red wrappers (or calyx) around the  round green fruit that is used for cooking and eating. This year recouping seeds is a high priority, since this is the only plant that I can source, and likely the only cranberry hibiscus growing in my county. It would be amazing to grow about 10 of these next year, as they like full sun. They do visibly wilt if you neglect to ensure hydration, but bounce back very easily and quickly. (I must have wilted it at least 5 times during the hot part of the summer.) Never would a tomato be this resilient.


       The leaves are edible, and I can tell you that the rabbits eat these leaves even before they eat their normal favorite weeds, Spanish Needle (Bidens alba). Although Hibiscus sabdariffa is tasty, none of the plants in the mallow family, or rose family, are particularly high in nitrogen (protein about 2 1/2%) - a consideration for overall rabbit dietary needs. I did eat a few of the leaves, which were very mild but did have a pretty tasty flavor, much better than Bidens, which is tart. These leaves would be good in a salad or on a sandwich (which is probably what I will be doing since the cold weather is here.)

     The seeds are higher in protein and very high in omega 6 fatty acids, and in quantity are valued as animal feed, particularly for chickens.

     This is the first and largest of probably two harvests from my one plant.

Fats Villainized

     Fat, whether eaten or trimmed, frequently gets blamed for making Americans a country of large waist proportions.

     One potential cause of fat villainy is displaced anger against sugar. A study's highlights here show that sugar is just as damaging if not moreso than dietary fat intake, and that the brain gets pleasure from consuming sugar just as much as fat.

     Trimmed fat has many uses, not excluding soap making. A really interesting chemistry read of how fats become saponified can be found here. Soap made from animal and vegetable fats contains glycerine, a natural moisturizer, where commercial soaps lack this valuable by-product. The glycerine is removed via a chemical process, and sold to be used for , but since glycerol is a by-product of manufacturing biodiesel, it isn't worth as much as it used to be. The glycerin-devoid soap is milled, or ground down, and rebatched into what we call bar soap.


     There is quite a bit of research that shows that people can't survive without dietary fats. Most people are familiar with the concept of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids being good for us. Other fats are necessary as well, as this post I wrote a while back demonstrates. Indeed, too much protein with too little fat has been known to cause a dietary phenomenon called Rabbit Starvation, sometimes known as protein poisoning. It happens in the absence of carbohydrates and fat, as the name implies. The liver can't effectively metabolize the high amounts of protein, and the kidneys are inefficient when blood urea levels are that high. Death soon results. The prevention? Eat a wide variety of foods, including natural carbohydrates and fats.

     In summation, blaming carbon molecules for poor life choices is like blaming guns because psychopaths use them.

Turk's Cap Hibiscus, Malvaviscus penduliflorus, Sleepy Mallow, Mazapan

Uses: Edible, Xeriscaping, Forage, Medicinal. Native to: Mexico.
     This is another great plant that looks beautiful and blooms for most of the year. It's a great candidate for turf replacement, since it is very well-behaved once established. The bright red flowers attract pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds.
     Perhaps one of the best things about Turk's Cap Hibiscus is that the leaves and flowers are edible, like all members of the mallow family. Wikipedia says, "Certain species of hibiscus are also beginning to be used more widely as a natural source of food coloring (E163), and replacement of Red #3 / E127." I have used it to color handmade soap, by making a tea for the water portion of my recipe, coloring the soap a pinkish hue.
     Have you ever had Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tisane? According to their website, Hibiscus flower is their main ingredient. And after reading that list, doesn't it sounds pretty simple to make a version at home?

     Hibiscus flowers are known to be medicinal. They contain vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. A study in 2008 found that it can lower blood pressure in mild cases. The flowers contain anthocyanins, acting as natural ACE inhibitors. This study reveals hibiscus' strong link to lessening the effects of metabolic syndrome. With a bit of looking, much more research can be found regarding the downward blood cholesterol effects of hibiscus. Some people are convinced the properties mentioned above can help them to lose weight.

Survival Gardening in Florida, Part 2

     As far as growing carbohydrates, nothing really jumps out at me beyond sweet potatoes, cassava, sugarcane, the safe yams, and coontie, which are all very nutritious and pack a good deal of fiber as well. Also, kids like them. The leaves of all but coontie can be eaten or used as fodder. White potatoes are great too, if you are really good at growing them. Some grains that do well in Florida include amaranth and sorghum. Sorghum can be made into a tasty molasses if a person desired it. There are a ton of fruits that grow very well in Florida, the most well-loved being citrus, which can, with choosing proper varieties, be available for picking fresh about half the year. Canna, carrots, lilies, and cassava roots are all loaded with vitamins and nutrition. Sugarcane grows very well through most of the state. Bees love it here too.
     As far as growing fats, that's going to be a tough one. This might be a good time to mention micro-livestock like rabbits, guinea pigs, or chickens. Quail are great, but need an extremely high-protein feed as they naturally eat insects. Rabbits can live almost completely on grass and weeds. Chickens can live on almost completely grains and bugs. Fish can be raised in ponds or containers and fed things like azolla, duckweed, or garden worms.
     If I had to choose just three plants to grow to survive on, it would be cowpeas, cannas, and sweet potatoes. Cowpeas are a nitrogen-fixing legume that grow very well in poor soil and can be grown twice a year. The beans are high in protein and fiber, while the plant is high in protein for the rabbits. Cannas, aside from being beautiful and able to handle our hot, humid weather, can yield a starchy root and the leaves are high in vitamins for the rabbits. Sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense starch, with very excellent tasting leaves which are high in protein. The leaves from all three plants can be eaten raw or cooked.
     Areas of the property which are not actively gardened can be, over time, landscaped with perennials that produce nutrition, fodder, or both. My favorite useful perennial is probably the wild rose bush. They don't have much of a smell, but make large, beautiful flowers that turn into rose hips - very nutritious. The leaves are good fodder and the thorns make the plant valuable for fencing. Thorned or thornless prickly pears are also a wonderful perennial, as the leaves are edible and the fruit is delicious. Plant those with an asiatic lily in between each bush and you will have created lush, flowery nutrition.
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Actual Survival Gardening, Part 1

    Survival gardening is a phrase that has been thrown about and equated with permaculture, which it is not. Permaculture is lasting plantings of perennials which give abundantly year after year, while survival gardening is active gardening with a care to provide all of a person's nutritional needs.
     All nutritional needs. Fats, carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, trace minerals, and vitamins.
     There is a lot of debate as to how much land it would take to provide for all nutritional needs. Some people might say one acre per person, others more. Would all nutritional needs include meat and fish? what about the healthy fats that are in avocado and olives? So everyone is going to have their own opinion on land consumption, particularly in regards to climate and use, for example, like bio-intensive agriculture.
     I think as far as growing protein the first thing that jumps to mind is nut trees, and the first one that really jumps to mind is pecans. They grow really well in most parts of Florida, where other nuts fail. The rumors of a pecan blight exist, though I have not seen it for myself yet. Then there are bean plants, which are low-growing, sun-loving herbaceous protein factories. Peanuts, cowpeas, and green beans all do well here. Probably the best part about growing beans is that the plant stalk and leaves make great fodder for livestock once the beans are harvested. Sprouted grains are reputedly high in protein and vitamins.
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Perennial Vegetables for the South

     Ever since I found this list I have been returning to it whenever I might be going to a plant sale or nursery. There are many plant sales in the spring and fall, so here's a great list of plants that produce food and grow well here in Florida.
     Most, if not all, of these plants can also be fed to the rabbits, except for maybe taro.                                        

Perennial in all of the Hot and Humid zone:

Allium ampeloprasum perennial sweet leek

Allium cepa aggregatum shallot

Allium cepa aggregatum potato onion

Allium cepa proliferum walking onion

Allium fistulosum Welsh onion

Allium tuberosum garlic chives

Apios americana groundnut

Aralia cordata udo

Arundinaria gigantean canebrake bamboo

Asparagus officinalis asparagus

Asphodeline lutea yellow asphodel

Atriplex halimus saltbush

Bambusa spp. clumping bamboos

Brassica oleracea acephala tropical tree kale

Bunias orientalis Turkish rocket

Camassia scillioides wild hyacinth

Canna edulis achira

Cedrella sinensis fragrant spring tree

Cnidoscolus spp. bull nettles

Colocasia esculenta ‘Celery Stem’ taro

Colocasia esculenta taro, cocoyam, eddo, dasheen

Cynara cardunculus cardoon

Cynara scolymus ‘Purple Sicilian’ globe artichoke

Cyperus esculentus sativa chufa

Dioscorea bulbifera air potato

Dioscorea japonica jinenjo

Dioscorea opposita Chinese yam

Diplotaxis spp. sylvetta arugula

Helianthus tuberosa sunchoke

Hemerocallis daylily

Malva moschata musk mallow

Nasturtium officinale watercress

Nelumbo nucifera water lotus

Oenanthe javanica water celery

Opuntia spp. spineless nopale cactus

Petasites japonicus fuki

Phyllostachys spp. running bamboos

Phytolacca americana pokeweed

Polygonatum biflorum canaliculatum giant Solomon’s seal

Qiongzhuea tumidissinoda running bamboo

Rumex acetosa French sorrel

Rumex acetosa ‘Profusion’ sorrel

Rumex acetosella sheep sorrel

Rumex scutatus silver shield sorrel

Sagittaria latifolia arrowhead

Sagittaria sinensis Chinese arrowhead

Sasa kurilensis chishima-zasa bamboo

Scorzonera hispanica scorzonera

Semiarundinaria fastuosa temple bamboo

Stachys sieboldii Chinese artichoke

Taraxacum officinale dandelion

Tilia spp. linden

Perennial in colder parts of the Hot and Humid zone:

Allium tricoccum ramps

Chenopodium bonus-henricus good king Henry

Cicorium intybus chicory

Crambe maritima sea kale

Laportaea canadensis wood nettle

Levisticum officinale lovage

Matteuccia struthiopteris ostrich fern

Urtica dioica nettles

Perennial in warmer parts of the Hot and Humid zone, or perennial with protection. Most of these species can also be grown as annuals in the colder parts of this zone.

Abelmoschus manihot edible hibiscus (as dieback perennial)

Alternanthera sissoo sissoo spinach

Arracacia xanthorhiza arracacha

Basella alba Malabar spinach

Brassica oleracea wild cabbage

Brassica oleracea acephala ‘Western Front’ perennial kale

Brassica oleracea acephala ‘Tree Collards’, ‘Walking Stick Kale’

Brassica oleracea alboglabra gai lon

Brassica oleracea botrytis perennial broccoli, including ‘9 Star’

Brassica oleracea ramosa branching bush kale, including ‘Dorbentons’

Capsicum annum ‘Perennial Capsicum’ sweet pepper

Carica papaya papaya

Coccinia grandis ‘Sterile’ perennial cucumber (probably as dieback perennial in colder parts)

Cnodoscilus chayamansa chaya (as dieback perennial)

Cucurbita ficifolia Malabar gourd

Dendrocalamus spp. clumping bamboos (probably as dieback perennial even in warmest parts)

Dioscorea alata white yam

Dioscorea esculenta asiatic lesser yam

Dioscorea trifida cush cush yam

Dolichos lablab hyacinth bean

Eleocharis dulcis water chestnut

Gigantochloa spp. clumping bamboos (probably as dieback perennial in bad winters)

Gynura crepioides Okinawa spinach

Hibiscus acetosella cranberry hibiscus

Ipomoea aquatica water spinach

Ipomoea batatas sweet potato

Momordica charantia bitter gourd

Manihot esculenta cassava

Moringa spp. moringa (as dieback perennial)

Musa x paradisica ‘Rajapuri’ banana (warmest parts, with long season protection)

Nastus elatus clumping bamboo

Oxalis tuberosa oca

Phaseolus coccineus runner bean

Phaseolus lunatus Lima bean

Phaseolus polysantus cache bean

Physalis pruinosa ground cherry

Psophocarpus tetragonobolus ‘Day Length Neutral’ winged bean

Psophocarpus tetragonobolus winged bean

Saccharum edule pitpit

Sauropus androgynous katuk (as dieback perennial)

Sechium edule chayote

Smallianthus sonchifolia yacon

Solanum tuberosum & spp. potato

Tetragonia tetragonioides New Zealand spinach

Trichostigma octandrum basket vine (as dieback perennial)

Xanthosoma brasiliense belembe

Xanthosoma saggitifolium tannier, yautia, malanga (roots need long season)

Xanthosoma violaceum violet-stem taro (roots need long season)

Big List of Rabbit Recipes

Stuffed Rabbit
1 rabbit
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups stock
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 large onion, chopped
2 large apples, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons butter
1 egg
Pepper to taste

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Wash and dry rabbit. Fry onions gently in 4 tablespoons butter. Add apple to onions and fry until soft. Mix onions, apple and 1 tablespoon butter with all other stuffing ingredients, and brown quickly. Place rabbit in a casserole dish, stuff, surround with excess stuffing, add well-seasoned stock, and cook in oven for 1 3/4 hours, or until tender.

Hasenpfeffer
6 - 8 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 rabbits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf

     Heat the roaster or casserole over moderate heat and cook the bacon, stirring and turning it frequently, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set the pan with bacon fat aside for a few moments. Cut the rabbit into serving pieces. Cut away and discard the belly meat. Add the salt, pepper, and flour to a brown paper bag. Add a few rabbit pieces to the bag and shake to coat with flour mixture; repeat with remaining rabbit pieces. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat the reserved bacon fat in the pan over high heat until it sputters. Brown the rabbit pieces on all sides, in batches; this should take about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a serving plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoon of fat and cook the onions in it until they are soft and translucent. Pour in the vinegar and chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the rabbit with juices to the roaster or casserole. Add the drained bacon. Cover the vessel tightly, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the rabbits are tender but not falling apart. Serve the rabbit directly from the roaster or casserole, or arrange the pieces attractively on a heated platter.

Braised Rabbit with Prunes

One 3 to 3 1/2 pound rabbit, cut into six to eight serving parts

Salt

Olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

3-4 large shallots, sliced, about 1 cup

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock with a tablespoon of vinegar)

Freshly ground black pepper

7 ounces (200 grams) pitted prunes (dried plums)

Several sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 rabbit liver (optional, should be sold with the rabbit)

1 Tbsp vinegar (optional)

     Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large thick-bottomed Dutch oven (I used a 5 quart) on medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter. Pat dry the rabbit pieces, sprinkle all over with salt, and working in batches, brown on all sides in the pan. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan. Add the sliced shallots, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic clove and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the white wine and increase the heat to high. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine boil, until reduced by at least a half.Lower the heat to low (you may want to move the pot to the smallest burner on your stove). Arrange the rabbit pieces, prunes, thyme, and bay leaf in the pan. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Cover tightly and let cook for 45 minutes. (Cooking time assumes you are starting with a rabbit that has been brought to near room temp before cooking. If you are using a rabbit straight from the fridge, it may take a few more minutes to cook through. Also, if you keep lifting up the lid to check on the rabbit, it will increase the needed cooking time.) After the rabbit is cooked through, if you want, you can intensify the flavor of the sauce using the rabbit's liver. The liver should have been included with the rabbit from your butcher, just like whole chickens come with the giblets. (Don't worry, the liver won't make your dish taste like liver. You can even try just a little amount to taste to make sure. The liver acts as a "liaison", thickening the sauce and making it richer.) Purée the rabbit liver with 1 Tbsp of vinegar (I used wine vinegar, but cider or white vinegar will do). Remove the rabbit pieces, prunes, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf from the pot (discard thyme and bay leaves) to a serving dish. Whisk the puréed liver vinegar mixture into the sauce in the pot and cook for another 10 minutes. (If the sauce is still too thin, you can thicken further with corn starch or flour.) Then drizzle the sauce over and around the rabbit and prunes.

Rabbit in Wine (Lapin au Vin)
6 slices bacon
1 1/2 -3 lb fryer rabbit, cut up
2 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 cup (10 3/4 oz) condensed chicken broth
1 T ketchup
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup filtered cold water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 jar (16 oz) whole onions, drained
1 can (4 oz) mushrooms, drained

     Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from frying pan, drain and crumble. Cook lapin (rabbit pieces) in the bacon fat on medium heat until light brown - 5 minutes each side. Move lapin into a 4 quart dutch oven. Stir in crumbled bacon, wine, chicken broth, ketchup, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the thickest pieces are done, approximately 40-45 minutes. Remove lapin pieces; skim fat, if there is any. Shake water and flour in a tightly covered container; gradually stir into broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in onions and mushrooms. Return lapin to sauce. Heat to boiling - approximately 2 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

Rabbit Cobbler
3 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, well washed and chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 c quartered button mushrooms
1 ½ c or more chicken stock or, if you have the foresight, rabbit stock
1 sprig fresh, chopped rosemary, plus more to mix into the cobbler batter
2 medium carrots, cut into coins
1 butchered rabbit
1 c peas, frozen or fresh
2 tbsp assorted fresh herbs (e.g., chives, lemon thyme, etc.)
1 c corn, frozen or fresh
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 c flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs

     Heat oven to 375°F. Put oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the leek, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has released and evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add stock and rosemary; bring to a boil, and let bubble for a minute or two, then add carrots and rabbit and reduce heat so the liquid simmers. Cook until carrots are almost tender and rabbit is cooked through — 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of rabbit. Pull out the rabbit parts and pull the meat from the bone. Chop up the meat and add it back into the pot. Add peas, herbs, and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are brightly colored and just tender, another minute or so. Whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of broth to make a slurry. Add slurry to pot and stir until liquid thickens slightly. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and set aside.
Put flour in a food processor with rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and process until mixture resembles small peas, no more than 30 seconds. (You can also do this by hand, using two knives, a fork, your fingers, or a pastry cutter). Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in buttermilk and eggs until it just comes together; it should be sticky. Drop spoonfuls of batter on top of vegetables and rabbit and smooth with a knife, covering as much surface area as possible but leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly underneath. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately.



Rabbit Ragout
2 pounds rabbit, cut into small serving pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced carrot
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1-½ teaspoons fennel seed, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant, then crushed
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Pernod
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¼ heaping teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or seasoned homemade chicken stock
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes in juice

     Season the rabbit all over with salt and pepper. Reserve the rabbit liver, if available, in the refrigerator. In a large braising pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit pieces, about 2 minutes on each side. (Do not crowd the pan; brown the rabbit in batches, if necessary.) As rabbit is browned, transfer to a plate. Add the onion, celery, carrot and fennel to the pan, and sauté for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the fennel seed, garlic and tomato paste, and sauté 1 minute. Add the Pernod and wine and reduce for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the browned bits up. Add the bay leaves, thyme, saffron and broth, and using clean hands, crush the tomatoes and add them to the mixture with their juice. Return the rabbit and any accumulated juices to the pan. Poke rabbit down into liquid to make sure it is covered. Bring to a simmer and braise, uncovered, keeping the sauce at a constant low simmer for about 50 to 60 minutes or until meat is very tender. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer the rabbit meat from the sauce to a baking sheet. Discard the bay leaves. Return the sauce to very low heat. Very finely chop the reserved liver and stir into the hot sauce. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones, chop the meat into rustic pieces and mix it back into the sauce. (Be careful of small bones.) Taste the sauce for salt and season to taste. Enough for 1 pound fresh fettuccine pasta.

Bigos, Hunter's Stew
1 3/4 lb sauerkraut
4 strips bacon, diced
1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
Small handful of dried mushrooms
1/2 lb boneless venison, leg, or a stewing cut (not the loin), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb boneless stew beef, such as chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb pork or veal shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 lb smoked kielbasa, thickly sliced
1 cup pitted prunes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Bread for serving, preferably rustic and dark, such as a Russian loaf


     Drain the sauerkraut, place it in a medium saucepan, and add 2 cups water and bacon pieces. Cover and boil over medium heat for 20 minutes or longer, until the sauerkraut is very tender and the bacon is cooked. Meanwhile, put the fresh cabbage and dried mushrooms in a separate saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the cabbage is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Rinse all the meat and pat dry. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and toss the meat to coat. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil over medium heat in a stew pot large enough to hold all the meat and vegetables. Cook the onion until softened, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to the pot and lightly brown the meat, in batches, over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side, transferring the meat to a plate when finished.When all the meat has been browned, raise the heat to high, pour in the wine, and boil briefly, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the meat and all its resting juices back to the pot, and add the onion, kielbasa, prunes, cabbage, and the sauerkraut and bacon mixture, along with its cooking water. Salt generously, add several grinds of pepper, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover the pot with the lid slightly askew, and simmer on very low heat for a good 2 to 3 hours, until the meat falls apart and the broth is rich and brown. Stir the stew occasionally, and ensure that the liquid isn’t evaporating too quickly (add a small amount of water when necessary). Serve with bread.

Raw Meat May Not be Enough for Your Cat

     Recently a study was completed at a zoo in Illinois regarding the raw meat diet. It covered at least 225 large felids who were fed diets of raw beef, bison, elk, and horse. Care was taken to ensure the meat was as fresh as possible, though the meats were trimmed for the cats.
     It can be inferred that our house cats have the same nutritional needs as the larger cats.
     It was found that though the meats were digested readily, the nutritional needs of the cats were not completely met, and the cats were lacking in essential fatty acids. The elk diet was lacking in overall fats.
     I'm not about to travel to harvest some bison for my cat, so I've sent an email to the person in charge of the study, which overall, I thought was done well. The sample size was adequate to draw the conclusions presented (unlike some medical studies!) This study would be much more useful/practical if it focused on readily-available local meat sources.

My email:

How well did the cats (large or small) do on a diet of rabbit, guinea pig, mice, and small game birds like quail and pigeon?

I only ask because that kind of dish is much more likely to be what most people are going to want to feed their pet cats were cat food prices to increase.

What kind of natural source would you recommend for the missing essential acids? Maybe grasshoppers, eggs, fish, or Black Soldier Fly Larvae? 

Kelly's response:

Chrissy – good questions. We have not tested any of those ingredients in cats because our main focus has been on large captive exotic cats.  To apply more data to small captive exotics and domestic cats, we recently performed a study in which many smaller prey items, including rabbits, mice, rats, quail, and chicks, were analyzed for nutrient composition (protein, fat, etc.).  These data have not been published yet.  We have not tested the digestibility of those items in domestic or exotic cats though.

 As for fatty acid content, the main problem in our study was that trimmed meats had very little fat of any kind.  As long as fat is not trimmed off, numerous sources could be used.  This probably would not be an issue with whole prey items.  Those items, however, often have other problems (e.g., mineral deficiencies).  That data will be submitted for publication soon. 

     So... lesson learned, never trim the fat off of your lion's elk dinner!

Rabbit Nutrition: The Numbers

Purina Rabbit Chow Garden Recipe

 NATURAL, COMPLETE NUTRITION FOR ALL BREEDS OF RABBITS AND BUNNIES OF ALL AGES

Purina® Rabbit Chow™ Garden Recipe™ Natural AdvantEdge™ rabbit food is a fun-to-eat, wholesome blend of pellets, nutritious vegetables, fruits and seeds formulated for all breeds of rabbits and bunnies at all ages. It’s the fun way to feed your rabbits the very best!



GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (Min).................................................... Crude Fat (Min).......................................................... Crude Fiber (Min)....................................................... Crude Fiber (Max)...................................................... Calcium (Ca) (Min)..................................................... Calcium (Ca) (Max).................................................... Phosphorus (P) (Min).................................................. Salt (NaCl) (Min)........................................................ Salt (NaCl) (Max) ...................................................... Vitamin A (Min)..........................................................

14.00% 2.00% 18.00% 22.00% 0.670% 1.10% 0.40% 0.20% 0.70% 3,500 IU/lb

INGREDIENTS

Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Carrot, Sunflower Seed, Papaya, Whole Oats, Cane Molasses, Ground Oat Hulls, Wheat Flour, Timothy Hay, Celery, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Soybean Oil, DL-Methionine, Iron Oxide, Copper Sulfate, DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Nicotinic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Yeast Culture, Biotin, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Ferment Product, Dried Yucca Shidigera Extract, Cholecalciferol, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite.

     This nutrition label is straight from Purina's website, and they are arguably the largest producer of rabbit feed in the United States. It is known that animal food companies will buy the cheapest ingredients, regardless of source, that meets their standard of nutrition. This means that one day you could be buying pellets made of mostly alfalfa, and another day you could be buying pellets made of soybean. 

     In 1982, the Peace Corps published a pamphlet about rabbit nutrition, breaking it down simply by the type of rabbit (pregnant, resting, lactating) with nutrition profile that rabbit needs. Like people, rabbits need protein, fiber, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. 
     If you were to use this to formulate your own feed, you would need to adjust the amounts for the size of your rabbits. Normally this would be measured by weight, and one kilogram is approximately 2.2 pounds.
     Overall, protein seems to be the largest limiting factor for rabbit production, as most of the minerals and fiber can come from the addition of a good quality hay. Some plant proteins are readily absorbed by the animal's digestion, others are not, and this needs to be taken into account when mixing a feed.

Covert Urban Homesteading, Part 2: Animals

   Without animals, your urban homestead is really just a super-nice garden. To really maximize your land use, you will want to get some small herbivores to convert your kitchen waste and yard refuse into instant fertilizer and protein. It should be noted that since you have a homestead here, and not an urban farm, you should be trying to provide as much of your animal feed as possible yourself. Buying feed is not what homesteaders do, it's what urbanites do, right?
     Every one of these animals will need their human caregivers to protect them from human and animal threats in addition to providing quality feed and water, and a clean living environment. Urban homesteaders here in Florida will have numerous pests such as weasels, hawks, cranes, cats, dogs, snakes, raccoons, teenagers, homeless, and the odd code enforcement official to contend with.

     Rabbits are by far my favorite outside animal. They can live on a completely home-grown diet of grasses and weeds, or planted vegetation. Larger operations will probably appreciate he convenience of pellet, which is not prohibitively expensive. The meat and manure are high quality, and extra stock can be sold as pets.

     Chickens are hilarious little birds. I've read that a combination of cat food and day-old bread, supplemented with egg shells, can be enough food for them, though I've never tried it.

     Quail need an extremely high protein diet as naturally they would eat nothing but insects. I've heard that they thrive in areas high in cockroaches, so...

     Guinea Pigs, also called cuys, are good eats in parts of South America. Think of them as slightly smaller rabbits.

     Mice/Hamsters. I'm considering raising them just for their cat and dog food value, since they will eat rabbit pellet and kitchen scraps and be fine with that. Maybe ground hamster could become the next big chicken or fish feed additive?

     Pigeons, especially homing pigeons, are popular outdoor pets in West Florida. I've heard that they can free-range and return home very well. They eat similar feed as chickens.

     Fish can be kept in aquariums as pets, raised for meat value, or raised for their plant fertilization value (think Aquaponics). Crawdads, catfish, and tilapia are all raised successfully here in Florida. Perhaps one of the most covert urban animal operations could involve a decorative "koi" pond filled with catfish or tilapia (Guess what I'm building in my back yard!).

     Bees live very well here in Florida, the main consideration being the location and disguise of your hive(s). After all, no one can complain you have bees if they can't see the hives. Most urban and suburban areas of Florida have decorative flowering plants and trees, that produce year-round blooms.

Surprising Azolla Harvest

     The azolla in the newly built pond is finally growing up to the expectations claimed by numerous sources on the internet. Though the little pond is perhaps about 10 square feet of surface area, and even with the floating  planters, I was able to harvest a full pot of azolla last week and another pot of azolla today.
     I have been steaming to destroy bacteria (and  tadpoles) on the plants before draining and freezing into ice cube trays for ease of feeding to the rabbits. But it just brings up the good point, that if a person was starving, here is an extremely prolific food source for a survival garden.
     The only way to find the betta fish is by harvesting the azolla. It might not be a good idea to add this particular floating plant to decorative koi ponds. Now that my pond is up and running, I find myself wondering why not grow edible snails? They eat algae and won't disturb the floating planters, azolla, or fish.

Azolla, Azolla spp.

 Uses: Edible, Fodder, Fertilizer. Native to: The Cretaceous Period, worldwide.
     This floating water plant is actually a tiny, prehistoric fern with amazing properties. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen due to its symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, like an aquatic version of our more common legumes. Due to its nitrogen-fixation, it is also an extremely protein-rich plant, making it an excellent choice for home-grown fodder. In fact, there are very few land-based livestock animals that will not eat azolla, if any. Chickens, rabbits, goats, ducks, and cows are reported to gorge on this aquatic plant.
     Historically it has been used as a wetland green manure crop in the warmer parts of Asia. In the spring when taro or rice is planted in the boglands, the azolla would be innoculated to the water's surface. There the little ferns would fix nitrogen and proliferate, crowding out any competing algae or weeds via shading. Since the rice and taro have most of their foliage above water-level, it does not hinder their growth. The azolla will thrive, then self-mulch, then die down when the cooler weather comes. The farmers harvest some and shelter it for next year's use. The green manure properties of azolla make it possibly the six most valuable ferns on the planet.

A close-up of the roots which hang into the water.

     It's culture is simple - grow it in clean still or gentle water. Wind and water turbulence can fragment and destroy azolla, so sometimes floating beds are used. Like duckweed, under the right conditions it can become weedy if it escapes into waterways, so care should be taken to prevent escape. Since it provides it's own nitrogen, phosphorous can be a limiting factor to optimal growth. "The symptoms of phosphorous deficiency are red-coloured
fronds (due the presence of the pigment anthocyanin), decreased growth and curled
roots." A quick search of the webs reveals a superior organic source of high quality phosphorous can be made by burning animal bones at high temperatures to ashes. Never has a rocket mass heater in florida sounded more appealing!
     Azolla species can be used as a very nutritious survival food for humans, but it will need to be cooked to destroy any pathogens that might be living in the watery growing media. For animals, this compilated table shows it to have 16.5% crude protein and a bevy of other useful vitamins, like leucine and alanine. This Australian study lists many of the benefits of using azolla as a large-scale fodder source, but points out a simple drawback to commercial production - that contamination of the plantings by tiny freshwater shrimp can occur. This accidental animal protein renders the azolla illegal to sell as a feed source for ruminants in Australia, as they have strict legislation prohibiting animal proteins for ruminant consumption there. They also recommend the azolla be fed fresh or refrigerated, but within a week of harvest.
     A very nice synopsis of azolla research here.

Some free aquatic snail contamination.

I don't speak this language, but the video is very informative even muted.

The (Draft) Safe Plant List for Florida Rabbits

     There is a large conversation taking up bits of internet as more people worldwide work on safe, natural diets to feed rabbits. There is so much information out there, but most is for climates that have plants that do not grow well here in Central Florida.

     The nutritional makeup up a rabbit's complete diet is a large subject best explored here (Rabbit Nutrition: The Numbers). This is meant to be just a list of safe plants, along with a list of common but unsafe plants. Starred items I have personally fed my rabbits with no ill effects.

Grassy Types 

     Banana leaves*

     Rye*

     Bamboo*

     Yellow Nutsedge*

     Bahia*

     Plantain*

     Sunflower

     Sorghum*

     Pampas Grass*

     Fountain Grass

     Kenaf
Papyrus*

Legume Types

     Cowpea leaves*

     Peanut leaves and shells*

     Black Turtle bean leaves*

     Green runner bean leaves*

     Desmodium spp. leaves*

Herb Types

     Spanish Needle (Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa)*

     Soap Ginger*

     Cardamom Ginger

     Purslane*

     Sweet potato leaves*

     All Rosaceae family, including blackberry*, raspberry, pears*, and roses

     Sycamore*

     Maple*

     Hibiscus*

     Mulberry

     Citrus leaves*

     Persimmon leaves*

     Canna leaves*

     Squash spp.*

     Carrot leaves*

     Cilantro*

     Rosemary

     Basil

     Parsley*

     Lemongrass

     Oregano

     Sage

     Prickly Pear (spines removed)

     Pusley, Brazilian* and Floridian*

     Violet Woodsorrel*
Palmetto*
Spanish Dagger*
Cabbage*
Spiderwort*
Loquat*

Unsafe but common plants

     Crinum

     Century plant

     All Prunus species including Cherry Laurel (fruit may be safe, pits are not)

     Chinaberry Tree

     4 O'Clocks

     Taro, Dasheen, Elephant Ear

     Caladium

     Amaryllis

     Gladiolus

     White Potato Greens

     Oleander

     Tomato plants

     Crape Myrtle

     Lantana

     Privet

     Frangipani

     Rhoeo spathacea Steam (syn. R. discolor Hance)

     Oyster plant

     Moses-in-a-Boat (Purple Heart)

     Rain lily
Asthma Weed, Spurge

Unknown Toxicity Status

     Heliconia

     Ixora
Oak trees and acorns

     Hydrangea

     Ferns

     Bromeliads

     Cabbage Palm

     Crepe Myrtle

     Fig

     Pine needles

     Stargazer or Daylily

     Kiwi

     Muscadine grape

     Orange Honeysuckle

     Mexican Creeper

     Passionflower

     Magnolia

     Allamanda

     Confederate Jasmine

     Wisteria

     Dog Fennel

     Liriope

     Peace Lily

     Periwinkle

     Mexican Petunia

     Air Potato, Diascorea spp.

     Mimosa

     Acacia spp.

     Begonia spp.

     Cypress spp.

     Pecan leaves

     Prickly sida, Sida spinosa
Monkey Ear Tree leaves

     Here is a quick list of some rabbit-safe forages from Hawaii. It may give some ideas to those who live in South Florida.

Kiawe (mesquite) 

Mulberry 

Plantain (the small green lawn weed type as well as the banana types of plantain)

Sweet potato vines

Sunflower - seeds, leaves and stems 

Grape vines and leaves 

Rosemary (it is said rosemary will make their wool lustrous, however they won't always eat it.) 

Basil 

Lemon balm 

Daikon 

Banana - leaves, skins, fruit and trunk

Corn - husks, leaves and stems - not too much of the grain, though.

Roses - leaves, flowers and stems 

Beet greens  - not too much of the root, but you are supposed to eat that yourself.

Pigeon Pea - leaves and pods

Russian olive - although they may not like the taste

Ti leaves

Guinea grass - although they prefer the young leaves to the old stickery ones.

Dandelions

Carrots, especially the green tops

Nasturiums

Parsley

Alfalfa

Clover

   
Rabbits turn weeds into fertilizer, just think of the possibilities...

The Rabbit Manure Garden

     I didn't believe the claim that rabbit manure was garden gold, so I decided to prove it for myself. After all, if a five gallon bucket of this stuff can go for $10 or more, it must be great, right?

    The patch above was the remains of the first pond hole, the hole that had the cable line running through it. I filled it with rabbit manure and planted some seeds, topped with a bit of mulch. (A sunken garden bed). With the watering and excellent spring weather, the squash plants quickly overgrew the beans and peanuts, with the cannas reaching outrageous proportions faster than the cannas elsewhere. I didn't even expect these squash to do much more than sprout, since I have had such dismal luck elsewhere in the yard. They are even larger than my dad's squash plants, and he's a gardening genius who's fond of fertilizer. It would be pretty nifty to get a squash out of this bed, but if I don't, the squash leaves are good rabbit eats.

Same squash plants planted at the same time lacking manure.

     There are wild claims on the internet that rabbit manure is wonderful because it contains no weed seeds. That is true, but only if you feed your rabbits commercially prepared pellet diets and no other food. My rabbit manure has weed seeds from their favorite weeds, and seeds from some of their other foods like strawberries and blackberries. So they poop out more food to eat. Awesome.
     An interesting, but unrelated paper about phosphate.

Easter Eggs Done Right

Technique 1: Get Some Eggs from some chickens.

     Boil the eggs in with your dye solution, generally with vinegar added to mordant the colors to the eggshell.  Let the eggs cool in the dye solution, overnight is ok. Wrapping onion skin around the egg will make a marbling effect. Secure any stickers or flowers by wrapping the individual egg in nylon or cheesecloth. Speckle eggs by adding oil to the dye bath.
     Pictured here from left to right: orange marbling with yellow onion skins, wrapped and boiled, yellow egg dye made with celery and Bidens alba / Tradescantia flowers, blue egg dye made with purple cabbage and Tradescantia flowers, orange and purple marbling with yellow and red onion skins, wrapped and boiled.

• Red Cabbage - Bright Blue
• Beets - Pink
• Yellow Onion Skins - Orange
• Turmeric/Saffron, Celery Leaves - Yellow
• Grape Juice - Bluish Purple
• Grass/Sedge Leaves - Green
• Cranberries - Pale Pink
• Blackberries - Pale Purple

Technique 2: Get your eggs from some rabbits.

Technique 3: After the rabbits hides your eggs, send the kids out to find them and then prepare Die Eier von Satan (Deviled Eggs).

Locavores

     This property in US Hwy 19 has finally been sold to a retail business called Rural King. Yay, jobs for the unemployed, and a convenient source of animal feed. I'm so excited about what kind of goods they are going to offer.
     Again, a fortuitous business deal. Hernando County has recently legalized backyard chickens and Rural King will, no doubt, be the only chicken supply store on the West Side.
     On a completely other side note, I have accidentally run into two chatty young men in the last few months who are interested in opening their own local food restaurants. One was a transplant from New Jersey (surprise surprise) that I met at a local council meeting and another was a chatty young (maybe 20) waiter at a local restaurant. Both are interested in my rabbits. The Yank plans on getting his veggies from Dade City and his meats from a farm in Brooksville. The waiter is still in the planning stages, which is cool.
    Barbecue rabbit with orange sauce...local foods...

Guide to Breeding Rabbits

American Poultry Advocate, Jan 1918.

   It's almost a sad shame that our government and non-governmental organizations are not publishing literature like this, but that all the really good stuff about small livestock comes from the "third-world". This brochure was written in 1992, but the information is just as accurate now as ever.

Guide to Breeding Rabbits

Pictures and techniques for sexing the rabbits. More information about breeding, with pictures.