Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Nothing. Nada. Zilch
Anyone that pops in here might do so just because I posted a comment on someone else's blog and they clicked my name. Obviously I went nowhere with this and probably won't. But.. I keep the page and the ID for ease of commenting on other sites.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Joy of Cooking
Just to let you know I'm still alive! And, I have no idea where I'm going with this blog or even if. Been so busy. I'll give it some thought. In the meanwhile....
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Hummingbird, Don't Fly Away! Don't Fly Awaaaaay!
With the end of the dog days of summer, goes the hummingbirds.
We have been cultivating our local population for many years and thoroughly enjoy their company, their chatter and their fearlessness.
Here is a short clip of one of our feeders out back.
We put several feeders up each year but one inevitably gets the most action.
There are a few tricks to building up ones hummingbird population...make sure your feeders are up every year at the same time and IN time for the first arrivals. In our case, we must have our feeders out at the end of the 3rd week of March because we usually view our first hummers around the 1st or 2nd week of April and occasionally at the end of March. The hummers that you fed the previous year will usually return and bring their younguns and others with them. If your feeders are not up when they return, they will go elsewhere. So it's important to have the feeders out in time.
You do NOT need to color your nectar. As a matter of fact, it really isn't that good for the little buggers.
Keep the feeders filled and if the nectar gets cloudy, change it. If you don't it will turn and you'll have a feeder full of vinegar and no hummers.
When hurricane Katrina hit, it wiped out much of the hummingbird population and this is the first year since that we have seen a return of our normal business about the feeder. It's nice to have them back but it is work.
If feeders run dry, they will skidaddle.
Also, contrary to popular belief, DO leave your feeders (or at least 1)up late in the season in case there are any weak stragglers or hummers from farther north still passing through on their migratory path. You will NOT stop the hummers from leaving. They know when it's time to go and feeders or not, they'll head out.
As much as it can be work, we'll miss the little buzz bombs.
Seals & Croft understood.
We have been cultivating our local population for many years and thoroughly enjoy their company, their chatter and their fearlessness.
Here is a short clip of one of our feeders out back.
We put several feeders up each year but one inevitably gets the most action.
There are a few tricks to building up ones hummingbird population...make sure your feeders are up every year at the same time and IN time for the first arrivals. In our case, we must have our feeders out at the end of the 3rd week of March because we usually view our first hummers around the 1st or 2nd week of April and occasionally at the end of March. The hummers that you fed the previous year will usually return and bring their younguns and others with them. If your feeders are not up when they return, they will go elsewhere. So it's important to have the feeders out in time.
You do NOT need to color your nectar. As a matter of fact, it really isn't that good for the little buggers.
Keep the feeders filled and if the nectar gets cloudy, change it. If you don't it will turn and you'll have a feeder full of vinegar and no hummers.
When hurricane Katrina hit, it wiped out much of the hummingbird population and this is the first year since that we have seen a return of our normal business about the feeder. It's nice to have them back but it is work.
If feeders run dry, they will skidaddle.
Also, contrary to popular belief, DO leave your feeders (or at least 1)up late in the season in case there are any weak stragglers or hummers from farther north still passing through on their migratory path. You will NOT stop the hummers from leaving. They know when it's time to go and feeders or not, they'll head out.
As much as it can be work, we'll miss the little buzz bombs.
Seals & Croft understood.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Girls Like Shiny Things!
Pretty much all sorts of shiny things apparently.
(obviously, I need to do some studying on taking photos for the blog)
See that roll that says "Clear Iron-on Vinyl"? That's the shiny stuff. And it's pretty cool. I have no real use for another cosmetic or toiletry bag but I wanted to check out this stuff that I had read about elsewhere. So, the best my imagination could come up with at that time was a toiletry bag since I was getting ready for a road trip anyway.
And boy, did I blunder! That cloth was in my stash and the colors are really much more vivid than they are in that photo and it also has a bit of a waterproof quality to it. I don't know what it is but it probably would be well used for outdoor cushions or something. I thought it might add to using it for a toiletry bag. Which it would have...if...I hadn't used an iron on it.
Unfortunately, I really didn't think of taking any pictures until I completed the project (doing the blog is a new concept to me).
See the pretty shiny lining inside?
Doesn't the toiletry bag look a little more 'square' than the usual rectangle?
There's a reason for that.
Okay, remember the words on that roll...'iron-on'? Remember that pretty fabric already seemed to have a water repellent feel to it? Wellllllll..... as soon as an iron touches it (which is impossible to avoid when using an iron on vinyl), it shrinks! I made the basic piece for the bag twice. Thought perhaps that I'd measured wrong. So, did it again and then I realized what was happening. That stuff apparently has a high nylon content in it and I lost a good inch at least in length when I ironed on the vinyl. You don't notice it while it's happening because you use a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric so you can't really see the fabric while the iron is on it. I've been sewing for a long time. This should have occurred to me when cutting the fabric. But, alas, it worked out. It was more square than any cosmetic bag I had ever seen but I was able to load it with my bottles of bubbles and stuff for the trip.
See that roll that says "Clear Iron-on Vinyl"? That's the shiny stuff. And it's pretty cool. I have no real use for another cosmetic or toiletry bag but I wanted to check out this stuff that I had read about elsewhere. So, the best my imagination could come up with at that time was a toiletry bag since I was getting ready for a road trip anyway.
And boy, did I blunder! That cloth was in my stash and the colors are really much more vivid than they are in that photo and it also has a bit of a waterproof quality to it. I don't know what it is but it probably would be well used for outdoor cushions or something. I thought it might add to using it for a toiletry bag. Which it would have...if...I hadn't used an iron on it.
Unfortunately, I really didn't think of taking any pictures until I completed the project (doing the blog is a new concept to me).
See the pretty shiny lining inside?
Doesn't the toiletry bag look a little more 'square' than the usual rectangle?
There's a reason for that.
Okay, remember the words on that roll...'iron-on'? Remember that pretty fabric already seemed to have a water repellent feel to it? Wellllllll..... as soon as an iron touches it (which is impossible to avoid when using an iron on vinyl), it shrinks! I made the basic piece for the bag twice. Thought perhaps that I'd measured wrong. So, did it again and then I realized what was happening. That stuff apparently has a high nylon content in it and I lost a good inch at least in length when I ironed on the vinyl. You don't notice it while it's happening because you use a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric so you can't really see the fabric while the iron is on it. I've been sewing for a long time. This should have occurred to me when cutting the fabric. But, alas, it worked out. It was more square than any cosmetic bag I had ever seen but I was able to load it with my bottles of bubbles and stuff for the trip.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Good Night, Sweet Basil
It's that time of the year. Time to harvest in what's left of my summer veggies and herbs. I say herbs, but really...herb. One. Basil. I guess I could call him Herbie. And he loves bugs. Well, bugs love him. I don't use chemical pesticides.
I live in the woods. There's a clearing around the house but not much so I get limited sunlight and there is rock everywhere you try to dig. Enough rock that we were told that in order to get an inground pool, they would have to blast which would ruin our house foundation. So, I stick a few plants in lg containers and put them in the one spot that gets a few hrs of sunlight each day.
Pretty leggy, eh? That would be the sunlight issue. 4 1/2 hrs tops. Next year I need to put these pots on something with wheels (you would think Herbie would have his own?) and chase the sunlight across the back yard.
So now it's time to harvest some of this plant to use in cooking throughout the winter. I'm not hanging it to dry but I'll freeze it in cubes.
I can just drop the cube into soups or sauces or, I can use a lot of them and make pesto.
Snip off the branches, wash, chop up and fill ice cube trays with the chopped basil, fill with water and freeze. Viola!
Place the cubes in ziplock freezer bags and done!
Oh... and did I mention that Herbie likes to propagate too much?! Frequently, I'll snip off a stem or two to use and keep it in a little glass of water on my counter to pull leaves off of and in no time at all, it's rooting!
Flower heads fall off and grow. Quickly.
Little Herbie
I live in the woods. There's a clearing around the house but not much so I get limited sunlight and there is rock everywhere you try to dig. Enough rock that we were told that in order to get an inground pool, they would have to blast which would ruin our house foundation. So, I stick a few plants in lg containers and put them in the one spot that gets a few hrs of sunlight each day.
Pretty leggy, eh? That would be the sunlight issue. 4 1/2 hrs tops. Next year I need to put these pots on something with wheels (you would think Herbie would have his own?) and chase the sunlight across the back yard.
So now it's time to harvest some of this plant to use in cooking throughout the winter. I'm not hanging it to dry but I'll freeze it in cubes.
I can just drop the cube into soups or sauces or, I can use a lot of them and make pesto.
Snip off the branches, wash, chop up and fill ice cube trays with the chopped basil, fill with water and freeze. Viola!
Place the cubes in ziplock freezer bags and done!
Oh... and did I mention that Herbie likes to propagate too much?! Frequently, I'll snip off a stem or two to use and keep it in a little glass of water on my counter to pull leaves off of and in no time at all, it's rooting!
Flower heads fall off and grow. Quickly.
Little Herbie
Friday, August 12, 2011
Google Accounts and Comments
Apparently, google is having a problem with blogger and comments on blogs. Apparently, this has been going on for a while. So, for the time being, commenting is on 'full page' mode and not just embedded below a post.
Anyone with a blog that people are having trouble commenting with their IDs should change their comments settings to 'full page' rather than embedded or pop-up.
Also, to the readers trying to comment, you must enable 3rd party cookies (something in googles set-up) in order to post a comment with an ID. Anonymous and name/url still work and all functions will work for those that already have those settings in place.
here is more info My blog readers can't post comments using their google accounts anymore...
Anyone with a blog that people are having trouble commenting with their IDs should change their comments settings to 'full page' rather than embedded or pop-up.
Also, to the readers trying to comment, you must enable 3rd party cookies (something in googles set-up) in order to post a comment with an ID. Anonymous and name/url still work and all functions will work for those that already have those settings in place.
here is more info My blog readers can't post comments using their google accounts anymore...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sorta Raw, Mostly Clean, Healthy, Kale Salad
My very first post! I should have had several by now (created the blog about 3 wks ago) but keep forgetting to get pictures, etc. So...this time, I just barely remembered before eating and packing it all away.
As you are no doubt aware and have read about me over...there-->,
I've been trying to make better decisions on what I chow down on, on a regular basis.
I've read about kale, I know that it's one of the most healthy veggies that we can eat and I've been searching for recipes to try that I might like. I've had kale chips before and found that I still need to perfect that one. Apparently it's a very fine line between undercooked and burnt. I'll probably try them again soon. I did purchase a living kale salad at Earthfare a few times and I liked it but, you know... $7.00 for a little container and I figured I could probably do a better job, more to my liking, so... here's what I did (I don't measure so, these are guesstimates) Most of my items are organic to keep it clean. This was my lunch today.
I used:
3 large kale leaves/de-stemmed (cut the large center stem out)
1 can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 can artichoke hearts (I haven't found those in organic locally) ,quartered
1/2 small onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
10-12 pitted kalamata olives
1/2 pear
2 tbs sesame seeds
olive oil
dribble of toasted sesame oil
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 heaping tbs plain Greek yogurt
feta cheese
salt, pepper, garlic powder, pinch of cumin powder.
In order for the kale to be tenderized to eat, massage is the word!
Chop the kale up into bits and place in lg bowl, drizzle in about 1+1/2 tsp of olive oil and a little drizzle of toasted sesame oil, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt & pepper. If you're into clean eating or trying to get as many minerals as possible, use good sea salt or something similar. I used pink himalayan (it's reasonably priced at Home Goods store or TJ Maxx).
Lightly toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan on the stove and if you have a mortar and pestle, grind them after toasting to really release the flavor. YUM! Add that to the kale and massage a bit more.
Lightly saute the onions and bell peppers in a bit of olive oil to soften and just before done add in the minced garlic. Cook on low heat just long enough to soften everything but not brown. Add into the Kale.
Peel and thinly slice the pear halve into little pieces like you would a cucumber and toss into the salad.
Chop the olives up.. but not too small. You want to know you just got a nice little chunk when you take a mouthful of salad.
Drain the quartered artichoke hearts and toss in.
Rinse the chickpeas and toss them in.
Crumble the feta and add in.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, put in the yogurt, about 1 tbs of olive oil, about a half tsp of cumin powder and salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. And stir well. Add a bit of water if it needs to thin out a little. I added in 3 drops of stevia extract but really, I'm more of a savory type person and I'll leave it out the next time but.. it wasn't bad at all. A nice little contrast in a way.
Stir that into the salad and you're done.
I got about 6 or 7 cups of a nice dense salad out of it. And, it was really yummy and the kale was very tender to chew.
It looks more complicated than it really is when I see it all typed out, but honestly, I just stood in the kitchen a bit throwing the stuff together and it didn't take long at all. AND... I have enough for a few days!.
Adjust it to your own taste and I hope you enjoy it.
P.S. Normally I would also probably chop in some sun dried tomatoes but, I'm going out of state in a few days and I don't want to open a new pack just to use a bit.
As you are no doubt aware and have read about me over...there-->,
I've been trying to make better decisions on what I chow down on, on a regular basis.
I've read about kale, I know that it's one of the most healthy veggies that we can eat and I've been searching for recipes to try that I might like. I've had kale chips before and found that I still need to perfect that one. Apparently it's a very fine line between undercooked and burnt. I'll probably try them again soon. I did purchase a living kale salad at Earthfare a few times and I liked it but, you know... $7.00 for a little container and I figured I could probably do a better job, more to my liking, so... here's what I did (I don't measure so, these are guesstimates) Most of my items are organic to keep it clean. This was my lunch today.
I used:
3 large kale leaves/de-stemmed (cut the large center stem out)
1 can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 can artichoke hearts (I haven't found those in organic locally) ,quartered
1/2 small onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
10-12 pitted kalamata olives
1/2 pear
2 tbs sesame seeds
olive oil
dribble of toasted sesame oil
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 heaping tbs plain Greek yogurt
feta cheese
salt, pepper, garlic powder, pinch of cumin powder.
In order for the kale to be tenderized to eat, massage is the word!
Chop the kale up into bits and place in lg bowl, drizzle in about 1+1/2 tsp of olive oil and a little drizzle of toasted sesame oil, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt & pepper. If you're into clean eating or trying to get as many minerals as possible, use good sea salt or something similar. I used pink himalayan (it's reasonably priced at Home Goods store or TJ Maxx).
Lightly toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan on the stove and if you have a mortar and pestle, grind them after toasting to really release the flavor. YUM! Add that to the kale and massage a bit more.
Lightly saute the onions and bell peppers in a bit of olive oil to soften and just before done add in the minced garlic. Cook on low heat just long enough to soften everything but not brown. Add into the Kale.
Peel and thinly slice the pear halve into little pieces like you would a cucumber and toss into the salad.
Chop the olives up.. but not too small. You want to know you just got a nice little chunk when you take a mouthful of salad.
Drain the quartered artichoke hearts and toss in.
Rinse the chickpeas and toss them in.
Crumble the feta and add in.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, put in the yogurt, about 1 tbs of olive oil, about a half tsp of cumin powder and salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. And stir well. Add a bit of water if it needs to thin out a little. I added in 3 drops of stevia extract but really, I'm more of a savory type person and I'll leave it out the next time but.. it wasn't bad at all. A nice little contrast in a way.
Stir that into the salad and you're done.
I got about 6 or 7 cups of a nice dense salad out of it. And, it was really yummy and the kale was very tender to chew.
It looks more complicated than it really is when I see it all typed out, but honestly, I just stood in the kitchen a bit throwing the stuff together and it didn't take long at all. AND... I have enough for a few days!.
Adjust it to your own taste and I hope you enjoy it.
P.S. Normally I would also probably chop in some sun dried tomatoes but, I'm going out of state in a few days and I don't want to open a new pack just to use a bit.
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