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Of course, off-grid doesn't always mean remote; but in cases of remote and off-grid there can be some difficulty getting some of the more exotic ingredients needed to cook international foods. But, then again, unless you live right in a multi-cultural metro urban area it's likely that you don't have a decent "ethnic" grocer that carries everything either. Even when I lived in Seattle, you couldn't find everything you wanted in one local grocer so had to visit several over the entire metro area, and sadly authentic kosher deli was missing entirely.
So, living remote, on or off-grid, sometimes means you have to get a little creative with substitutions in some recipes or pay a premium. My Thai is still good despite having to sub ginger for galangel and lemon zest for lemongrass and powdered coconut milk for fresh. Of course, where I'm at, everything is expensive and shipped in from "The Outside", even at the grocery stores in town (which have a distinctly limited selection of international foods) and substitutions for American recipers are necessary at times, too. Sometimes it's cheaper (and fresher and faster!) to order foreign food items directly from foreign countries and pay the international shipping and monetary exchange fees because the US importers/distributors seem to think that Alaska isn't in the US (or even on Earth, apparently) and charge astronomical S&H.
But it's been said many times... if you are an extrovert who enjoys and needs regular interaction with lots of people and lots of external stimulation/entertainment, living remote completely off nearly every grid imaginable is probably not the most satisfying lifestyle choice for you Luckily, no one is forcing anyone into exile in the boonies ROFL.
Many people who have actually moved "off grid" are reluctant to share their secrets, experiences, insights and otherwise. One generous and altruistic person who has given a wealth of first hand experience to interested "lookers" can be found here:
Many people who have actually moved "off grid" are reluctant to share their secrets, experiences, insights and otherwise. One generous and altruistic person who has given a wealth of first hand experience to interested "lookers" can be found here:
Bless your heart, Clark Park! You really wouldn't "die" you know...
I go out to eat and get fresh vegetables, locally-caught bass and trout, locally grown grassfed beef and pork and chicken. But honestly, DH and I prefer to stay home and make our own recipes with our own home-raised steer in the freezer, our own vegetables. The other night we had soy-and-lemon pork chops, so good you want to suck the bones!
SCGranny, the pork chops sound scrumptious! I'm coming over to your house for dinner!
Actually my culinary skills are beginning to improve. With cost of eating out and the vagaries of the economy these days I've been spending more time in the kitchen. I've mastered a few "home-style" comfort food dishes like my famous meatloaf with mushroom gravy which has been praised by my friends and relatives. I like to to contribute dishes to a local senior center that has pot luck dinners, and my baked macaroni-n-cheese has won rave reviews. I make it very "cheesy" and use three different kinds of cheese.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
Yeah... was going to say that a cookbook does wonders. You don't have to be Thai to cook Thai food.
Excellent point! I have several Asian markets near me and I am determined to learn how to cook some of my favorite Thai dishes myself.
I was too hasty in suggesting that country living would not be for me because I am a big city boy. Actually I am sure there are dozens of things I would love to do on my own if only I had the peace and quiet and fewer distractions, such as:
- reading those classics I never have time for
- getting back into drawing and painting and other artistic endeavors
- starting a garden
- listening to recordings of classical, folk, jazz, and country music
and most of all: have several pets like 2 dogs and 3 cats a few rabbits and a pig, bird feeders and a bird bath!
Many people who have actually moved "off grid" are reluctant to share their secrets, experiences, insights and otherwise. One generous and altruistic person who has given a wealth of first hand experience to interested "lookers" can be found here:
I don't think that's the case at all. Why would we not share ideas or tips?. It's not like other people moving off-grid are going to be making us lose something. Every off gridder I know (a lot) loves to talk about their setup. It's a point of pride.
I don't think that's the case at all. Why would we not share ideas or tips?. It's not like other people moving off-grid are going to be making us lose something. Every off gridder I know (a lot) loves to talk about their setup. It's a point of pride.
I agree with you mistyriverranch- Quite au contraire- we off-gridders are so off-the-grid we'll *** to anyone who will listen LOL And the off-gridders in these mountains will talk your ears off with how they do it!
As an aside, we are getting quite a heavy snow out our windows right now.
Well, I'm just not that bright about off-grid.
DH is mechanically adept, and understands electricity far better than I; he can discuss deep-cycle batteries and in-line vs in-tandem hookups like nobody's business. Me, I just don't understand it.
We do have a few solar-powered items on the farm; a solar-powered chicken coop heater and light, solar-powered electrical fencing, a solar-powered trough heater, but going completely solar here has inherent problems - high winds that blow heavy objects that smash the larger panels with alarming frequency; heavy snow cover that cancels out the capacity, and wild variations of temps (-40 deg in blizzards to 98 deg in summer - with sudden violent cold-water-rainstorms) that would reduce the longevity of solar panels. One local new house was built on the leeward side of a hill, with large and expansive solar panels built into the roof - within a year they were cracked and shattered.
I would be more inclined to go for wind generation, but I am not willing to spend $30,000 to do it. Our state is very restrictive about independent generation - you can DO it, of course, but you can't sell your generated electricity back to the electric company, and there are a lot of regulations about inspections, converting 12V to 24V, etc that one must wade through. Basically it is politically set up for the large landowners and the electrical co-ops to make money, not for independents to become completely self-sufficient.
Having only part of my electrical requirements supplied by self-generation, and trying to use a propane this-or-that to offset the larger draw like refrigerators, stoves, or freezers, just seems like an incomplete and ultimately costly way to go about things. I mean, if I am still dependent on propane or gas, then I am not truly "off-grid" - I am off the electrical grid but still dependent on the fuel supply. While I can and have washed and dried clothes by hand, cooked and even canned on a woodstove, so I am able - these things are time- and labor-intensive. I would want to be able to go completely off-grid without having to scrape my knuckles on a washboard or burn my arms on the cast-iron stove daily, or break the ice off of the line-dried clothes before I bring them in. Sounds spoiled, but I really do have other things I have to do as well, and I know my limitations.
I have been to all sorts of sites for wind and solar generation, but have yet to find a simple and logical setup that suits my needs - and for which I wouldn't have to take out a house mortgage.
Our state is very restrictive about independent generation - you can DO it, of course, but you can't sell your generated electricity back to the electric company...
Net metering has been legal in Nebraska since 2009. Net Metering
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Luckily, no one is forcing anyone into exile in the boonies ROFL.
