Awww, I didn't think you guys would miss me.
But You are right again. I just got behind.
The kids were here from Ohio and yahhh I was busy too. cukes, tomatoes, peppers and now some apples. Had a picnic on Monday the kids put in a request for apple crisp, so yup I had to fix that too.
I got a bunch of repair work to get done too. The skid loader lost drive, to the left side. When it was some one else's, they were easier to repair. I shudder at what $$$$$$$$$$ are involved. Before the kids come home I was hauling out some junk. I am at a point where I need the loader to lift a couple things and I'm sure it will be needed this winter too. so I will be pretty busy but I will still have to take a bunch of breaks. I haven't tried Margaritas for breakfast yet, snicker snicker! May have thought about a lemon-aid/ with a kick though, about the times when the sweat was rolling off me.
I'll check in once in a while. I'm not lost yet, just having fun.
Russ
General Discussions 2008 - Chapter 24
Well Russ, as long as you are having fun is all that matters, 'cause you know there isn't much fun coming up when there is snow to move around.
How about that apple crisp recipe!! Haven't had that in a long time.
Jeanette
Hi everyone, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to SALLY! Sorry I missed it. I have been out in the garden non-stop these past 5 days, digging over beds and playing with compost. We have had some fantastic weather for the first time in months, and I wasnt going to miss out. Now that the first big burst of spring excitemnt is out of the way I can get back to my school work. What is apple crisp?
Lena
Taking a break again. LOL
Lena a crisp is sort of a pie, only you make a crumbly mix and use a cake pan instead..
Jeanette; I'll don't really have written recipe, However I will try.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 Tb, spoon butter
Mix these dry ingredients and cut or mix in the egg and butter to make the crumb mixture. Put half of the crumb mix in a greased cake pan and pat it down for the bottom crust.
If you prefer not to use egg, you could use 1/2 cup of butter instead, instead of the combination of one Tb spoon of butter and an egg.
I have done it both ways. It just depends on if we are short of butter, or eggs.
4 cups apples, pealed and cut in small pieces. You can leave the peals on.
Just depends who will be eating it.
1 cup sugar. I now use Splenda. It is the same measurement.
2 Tb spoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
Put the apples in the cake pan over the crumb mix
In another sauce pan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook and stir untill thick and nearly clear.
Pour this over the apples and sprinkle the remaining half of crumb mix over the apples.
I like to put little butter dabs on top of the crumb mix, depending on how thick my mix turns out to be.
Like I said I don't really have a recipe and I don't really measure. I just add about what I think is right. any way
Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour.
Enjoy!!
You know It would be nice if we could raise our gardens, here in the Northern hemisphere, then hurry down to N Z and enjoy spring and summer all over again. LOL
Well lunch time, then I better get back to work.
Russ
it's been a good day for me !! the bobcat was here and got all the dirt out and leveled up . only got to do a small amount of work to get it ready for footing to be poured . the guy that did it is a neighbor and his name is hatfield , direct desendent of the old fueding hatfield and mccoys . just a little information that was intresting to me 15 yrs ago when i first met him. russ , that sounds like the same apple crumb that i make , only i use flour instead of cornstarch . that is one fine pie .lena , make that and a man will follow you anywhere .lol and thank you for bd wishes . i sure would like to see what doug and his garden looks like . yes , jnette , i'd like a group picture . hugs all , sally
Sally; yup flour would work. Grandmother used cornstarch for that part, so I guess I do too. Old habits are hard to break.
One other thing the kids hit me up for at Christmas, that's fudge.
So I ususlly make up a bunch for each of the girls, as well as some for snacking when we are all together, only they don't care for walnuts in it. I have to make a little extra for me, with walnuts. lol
Here in Australia, where the nuts come from (take that however you like) you can buy or make fudge with Macadamia chunks - Yum! Yum!
LOL, KK.
That all sounds good guys. Bet that fudge would be good with the Macadamians in it. I will have to try the crisp Russ. Thanks.
Btw Russ, when do I do something with my sweet potatoes to see if they did anything?? The climate is in the low 70s during the day and 40s at night.
Jeanette
KK heh heh I have five walnut trees. and one of them is right where I mow. That is when I don't like the tree. The tree rats like to sit right where all the shells fall right at the base of the tree. No bare foot walking there or even kneeling down to weed the flower bed.
Jeanette; I would check a hill, and see if there are any that are big enough. Just gently dig into the side of it, so you aren't destroying very many roots. If they are big enough to suit you, get ready to dig. I usually wait untill we are to have a dip down into the thirties. Don't let them stay in the ground if it does freeze though. Frozen vines will make the core of them tough, and they won't keep very well.
I checked mine early last month, they weren't ready yet.
I do like the weather to be in the seventies when I dig. as they need to air dry at about that temp, but not right in the sun, as that could scald them let them air dry, to let the starch turn sweet.
That is about what our temps are now, 40 s at night up to 70 days.
I'm thinking I can leave them the rest of this month. I don't think it will have a frost for at least two or three weeks. I don't know about where you are. that freezing weather will probably hit there first. You can cover them and protect them through a light freeze. but then you know there will be another freeze very soon. So you will want them out so they will still have there cure time. before you store them.
Do you still have the file on storing them? If not I will send it. or you can just google harvesting sweet potatoes. there should be several sits show up. Same way with storing them, just google storing sweet potatoes. It will tell you they don't store well. However I store mine, where The temp don't get cold but stays below 70. Also they should get some air circulation. I have only had a couple spoil, in that many years.
Sally I am about ready to dig up some rhubarb, I need to thin some out any way. So start thinking where you want some.
Russ
how bad does it spread , russ ? i have a lot of places to grow it . does it have to be in a bed , or just an area in the yard ?out behind the barn or what ? i'm ready anytime , just let me know how to repay you .i can get silver queen or even shupeg corn . that will be spring .you'll have to tell me how to grow it . i'll look it up tomorrow , read up on it . sally
Sally; It really don't spread. The roots just get too bound up to feed the stalks, and then the stalks start to get smaller. also they send up more seed heads.
I like to dig a little deeper than necessary and put leaf mulch under the roots. Here I would bury the roots 3-4" deep. you may need to go shallower. To do well it needs cold and frost in the ground.
I till both sides of my row of it, for weed and grass control. No need for making it fight for survival among the weeds. Mine is right in the garden. I just remember where it is but it wouldn't hurt to put a stake at each end of your row.
I'll do some checking tomorrow too. ????? Might even have to dig it up and store it in the freezer for the winter LOL. I really don't think so but that could be one way.
Russ.
I had beautiful rhubarb this spring, and past years. But for some unknown reason I think the whole large clump has died. Sure hate to lose it. The stalks were more than 24" and very large and tender.
Russ i will try your good sounding apple crisp. thanks for recipe.
Donna
Sorry folks, I've been like all of you. In the garden til dark instead of on the computer! Me and the little woman have done so much planting this year it isn't funny. I think we have 5 or 6 new beds just this year full of flowers and shrubs. Sally my tomatoes in bales are outperforming EVERYONE'S in the dirt. I'll try to post a pic this weekend. Russ try a little Pineapple Rum in that lemonade, it's quite tasty especially on one of them HOT days!!!
Doug
beer over ice and a half lemon squeezed in is a real thirst quencher . when you get too hot and can't get enough to drink, and almost sick to your stomach from too much water and still thirsty , try it , it really works ! thanks doug , you can include the missus . sally
Thanks for the recipe Russ. Ill have to try it soon. I just picked my first havest of rhubarb ever last night, I got some small divisions from my neigbour a year ago. They are still smallish, but gave enough to make a crumble with. BEFORE I read your last post with the recipe. Oh well next time. My rhubarb keeps its leaves in winter, it just keeps growing normally. Is there a best time to pick it? And should I be leaving the plant with some leaves? I wasnt sure so I left them a big leaf each plus the developing baby ones. I have never grown rhubarb before but am keen to learn how to do it properly. Mine are in the front row of a vege bed, I keep them well muched and weed free and they seem to be doing ok, both have made a tiny offshoot by now.
Spring is so exciting! Flowers everywhere, and sunny weather. My tomato and pepper seedlings are growing into their bigger pots already. Almost time to plant beans and cucurbits.
Lena
I sure do envy you Lena girl, going into spring instead of winter. 'course I said the same thing last year didn't I? Your rhubarb sounds like it is doing really good. Funny how it grows all year. But then there are a lot of places here that things do the same.
I guess I would get tired of them easily if they grew year round. That's why there are so many different plants I guess. So we can change them. lol
Jeanette
several years ago , a friend told me they had taken up in an area around the railroad tracks and he would bring me some roots . that's why i thought they spread so much . i just assumed , don't know anything about them except i sure do like 'em . got the bobcat in and he did a great job for me , now all i have to do is a very small amount of leveling by hand and dig down for my footing and dig out the water line enough to hook onto it for outside faucet and line up into new room to be . got my camera set up and have learned how to get pictures so will take some ,and then somebody can teach me how to post . happy dance and hugs , sally
Sally, you better get that camera working before you do all of that stuff so you can send pics as you go.
Jeanette
jnette , i am , and was up in the morning and too hot today , in the sun . will start on it in the a.m. not too much to do now .lena , what are you taking in school ? i may have missed it before ?...hugs , all sally
Jeanette; Have you checked your SPs for size yet ?? Was going to check mine again but it give us a good rain before the garden had a chance to dry any. The rain may increase their size but it could also cause them to split. I think I am safe there as it has been wet for quite some time. Well since the last I checked mine anyway.
Got my fingers crossed. This has been a touch and go spring and summer.
No, not yet. Think I should tho, I think it was in the 30s last night.
Jeanette
It got down in the thirties here too. I think I have most of this month left yet though. As soon as it gets dry enough I will check mine. I think I should have some by now. and I did get mine in a little before you though.
The closer to the 100 days you can get does help to guarantee good size taders.
This year we will probably have to take what we get.
Russ
Let me know when you do, and what you get. Jeanette
Will do!
The 30's? You people are scaring me! It got to a high here today of 68-71 and my DW was freezing! She said the flannels were coming out for bed tonight! It's been a really nice summer here over all. The past 3 weeks or so we've had the normal heat and humidity but July was fantastic. It's dry at the moment but it's been a good growing season for everything. I feel for you guys that had an unusually wet spring and also the ones with a severe lack of rain the past two years.
Love to all my new friends at DG - Doug
Doug, its nice here now too, even suppose to be 80 next Monday (so they say now). However, it is still getting down there at night. Once it freezes us good then it might be good right up until November. Very unpredictable.
Jeanette
Jeanette I know what your weather is like. I used to ride my motorcycle over the Cascades from Whidbey Island and it is a totally different world there. I rode from Tacoma to just south of Louisville KY in August of '79. The first night out I stayed in Coeur d'Alene ID. The next morning I took off on the Interstate for a few miles (was gonna take back roads all the way to KY) and my motorcycle broke down. I spent about 4 days there and had to have my Mom wire me money to get the motorcycle fixed. Needless to say I took Interstates all the way home but it was a great and memorable experience.
Doug
Doug; We had a cold wet start this spring. I pushed it as much as I could but a lot of garden things were really late getting in.
I'm glad that last year was as good as it was or I might consider not putting garden. Not really though but this lets you know that we are not the ones in control.
Even though the outside temp got down into the UPPER 30s. we didn't turn the heat on. The inside temp didn't drop that much. It was still 70 inside at 11:00, It felt just a tad cool toward morning but when I looked at the inside temp in the morning it was 65.
Last year I was a penny pincher I turned the furnace down to 60. but plugged in one of those Eden Pure electric heaters, set it on medium.
The living room where the Eden Pure was generally stayed around 68 and the adjoining rooms were 60 to 66. We had another heater in the kitchen, that we turned up at breakfast time. and turned it back down after it warmed up a little. It raised our electric bill by about $40.00 for a couple months. The good thing was we saved almost $1000.00 on the propane bill. That was a $1000. we just didn't have, to spare.
If the price hadn't gone up so much I most probably would not have done that. But a blanket while setting in the easy chair watching TV took care of keeping warm. Yep DW did get out her flannels for the nights.
We didn't catch any colds, until early summer, when the wet weather and temps kept going up and down.
Jeanette; I made my way into my sweet potatoes. Dug down a little. Out of two hills I found one tader. There were probably more but just a little digging into the side of two hills, only netted one small tader. it may have been 1-1/2" in the fattest part and was about 8" long. Not much for size yet. I think both of us should wait as long as we can, before digging them up. I'm thinking the cold weather kept them from getting a good start. I'm not sure if it has only been 90 days yet that I planted them. It took them a long time to really take off. Maybe next year we'll get some of Gore's global warming. and have a better year. LOL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`RIGHT?
ok , new friend , doug , where's that picture of you and dw . we're all waiting . and lena , honey , we would love to see our adopted little girl , so please post us a picture . jnette is shy and wont , but we like her anyway . suz, how's the garden today , i'm just picking the green ones now to freeze for fried , later (tomatoes) and finally getting enough okra for a small mess all at one time .and russ, hopefully , we wont get a freeze until nov .i might get some sweet taters . i just put up 20 pints of the hottest jalapeno jelly . didn't take any seeds out. sally
It is 50 degrees outside right now and that is cold enough for now. Has been down to 41 a few days ago. I haven't gotten my little gh cleaned out yet. I don't use it in the summer and it has garden things stored in it. My fall radishes are ready to use, had one sandwich. The lettuce is about ready also. Tomatoes are slowing down because of the extreme heat a month or so ago when they should have been setting small fruit but instead the blooms dropped off. My 2nd plant of corn, 3 small squares, 3 varieties, did not do anything. The darn sparrows ate the pollen and broke the tassels, the earrwigs ate all the silks, so the beginning corn cobs did not develop and kernels. The third and last plant has nice looking corn ears, but too early to tell if developing as they should.
Donna
OK Sally you asked for it! This was taken about two years ago so the hair is a little grayer now but for some reason Cheryl's is still the same color! Can't figure that one out... No I did not rob a cradle, she's only nine months younger. This is the only pic I had on this computer.
Doug
omg ! you guys look soooooo sweet . i thought you would be older . you are a beautiful couple . and your right , she looks a bit younger . you look about my sons age .hugs , sally
Nice pic Doug. You all look like you are headed somewhere important. lol
Ok Russ, if you say so, I will wait. Bob pulled the plastic over the hoophouse to keep any frost off the tomatoes and that is where the sps are. So, they won't get wet. Let me know when to dig.
Nope Sally, I don't like cameras turned in my direction. lol
Jeanette
I turned 50 in Feb and she'll be 50 in Dec. I got a good one for sure! I didn't get married until I was 32. I wanted it to be my only marriage! We still hold hands and kiss when walking down the street.
Doug
my son is 51 and has been married all his life . he got a good one , and is devoted to his family , but yours is much prettier . hope she ,ddil , never looks at dg lol .
Uh Doug; Barb and I have almost been married as long as you are old.
We wanted only one marrage too. Just for fun we each said we'll go for another 25. LOL
All kidding aside I got a keeper too.
Ain't it great! I love being married. No way I'd go back to being single. I love to cook for her and surprise her with weekend getaways. She really is starting to get into gardening almost as much as me!
Doug
cook? weekend getaways ? do you have an older brother? lol , won't do me any good , but i have a friend . sally
No I'm the oldest! My sister is 5 years younger sorry!
Russ I hope you make it another 25!!! She must really like sweet taters!