Category Archives: family life

Autumn Garden Chores

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I’m looking forward to spring. I know, it’s not even winter yet, but autumn is the season when I pull apart the fading foliage of my garden and take steps to prepare for next spring. Chuck got into the thick of it this year. Take a look.

Straw bales and repurposed boards

Straw bales and repurposed boards

Another Angle

Another Angle

Rather Awesome, I'd say.

Rather Awesome, I’d say.

Yesterday and today I took to the task of harvesting all tomatoes that could ripen indoors. The herb pots are already inside. Next, I pulled all the tomato plants and tossed them on the brush pile at the back of our yard.

We’re adding leftover potting soils to the new patch as I deal with most of the containers. If weather permits, I will dig out compost from the base of the brush pile and from the base of the compost bin and fill in what I can of the new patch. It’s going to be a raised bed, built inside the repurposed lumber that Chuck assembled so nicely. Whatever I don’t fill this fall, we’ll build up next spring.

It’s another experiment: straw bale gardening. As long as we were expanding the once-triangular plot, we decided to try the bales. A year from now, when the growing season is done, the straw-based soil will become compost for the future. Planning ahead, we are.

But stay tuned, folks. There are still piles and piles of green tomatoes ripening indoors. I’m sure there will be stories.

So, readers, what kind of autumn tasks have fallen your way? Leaves? Lawns?

 

 

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Gol’ Dang Varmints

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Pears. We have pears! The Dean of Students brings plums and pears to work, and we inhale them as though they were… never mind.

Pears! I bartered a handful of rhubarb for pears from Green Girl. These delicious fruits became a big pot of sauce with cranberries in it. Yum.

Pears! Pears! Chuck’s coworker sent home a third – yes, third – bushel of pears from his own overproductive pear tree.

I made a delicious pear sauce. It was the consistency of applesauce, but made with pears, and just a little cinnamon sugar. A trip through the food mill took out the hard pieces and the skins, and we had a simple and fresh fruity side dish.

But then – oh, come on, readers, you must know there’s a “but wait!” in this story. Pears in quantity attract fruit flies. Fruit flies fly around my kitchen and spread their fruity equivalent of urban sprawl to other rooms, too. We set a large bowl of the sweet treats on our deck. Not on the deck itself, of course not. We were well aware of tiny furry creatures that could look absolutely adorable until they steal the carrots or dip into the dill. The bowl of pears went on the almost- top shelf of my mini greenhouse shelves. They’d be safe there, right?

Wrong.

grrrrrr

grrrrrr

This is not the work of something small, furry, and adorable. This is the work of a furry bandit with opposable thumbs. First the compost, and now the pears? Get out of my yard, punk!

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Amigo – and why his blog name is Amigo

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Long ago, when Compost Happens was in its infancy, I nicknamed my family. Amigo is short for Amigo de Animales. He’s friend to animals, and they love to make friends with him.

These two are no exception.

Both Echo and Q want his attention.

Both Echo and Q want his attention.

Echo, on the right, is a service dog for Amigo’s friend. Q, a former breeder, is now a pet. Both are big, beautiful, and friendly as can be. This is the only picture that turned out; the others were all blurry as Echo and Q fought for Amigo’s attention.

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The To-Do In the Dirt List October

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I did this list making task in May. Now it’s October, and the weather’s been lovely, so I’m out in the dirt after school or after supper before the sun goes down.

Let’s see: Done or Ta-Dah! 

  • containers emptied (mostly) of soil and dying plants
  • excess potting soil in new homes such as atop rhubarb patch
  • dill harvested, dried, and put away for seasoning
  • rhubarb final picked, washed, diced, and frozen
  • strawberry plant moved to new home, hopefully to rejuvenate next spring

And to do:

  • Bring in the best rocks from the rock garden
  • Find and plant garlic bulbs!
  • Decide on a location for the two stray straw bales
  • Stir compost. Spread any compost that’s ready!
  • Drain rain barrels. Tip rain barrels for winter. Sob. Winter.

And I suppose there is a list I could call keep on doing: 

  • pick tomatoes
  • eat tomatoes
  • cook tomatoes
  • can tomatoes
  • harvest jalapeno and yellow banana peppers
  • freeze, pickle, or cook peppers

Got it? I think so. Good.

 

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Ducks and Fish

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Chuck said he was glad he didn’t catch a duck. I thought, What? You went fishing, dear darling husband. Fishing with Amigo.

It seems a small family of rather assertive ducks chased after his line and stole the worm right off the hook.

Hungry Ducks

Hungry Ducks

They decided to move to a new location. There was a rails to trails bridge nearby, a space that had been railroad right of way until recently. Now it’s part of the Ahnapee Trail and will eventually connect with the Ice Age Trail. For now, it’s a good place for fishing.

Amigo fishing

Amigo fishing

Amigo wasn’t the first to find this bridge and decide it was the perfect place for fishing. A quick search found historical record of the same bridge more than 100 years ago.

Old Postcard

Old Postcard

The rest of the story is this: they brought home perch for supper.

They walked in and I asked if they’d already cleaned the perch, since I honestly don’t know how to clean a freshly caught fish for cooking. Amigo stated firmly, “The perch is already cleaned. It’s cleaned, Mom. Don’t worry.” Something in his voice clued me in, though, told me there was more. “Um, did you catch the perch or buy it?”

Darn, I wish the fishmonger’d had duck, too.

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Dilly Dilly

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The key ingredient in my garden today is dill. The dill stalks are taller than almost everything. The dill seeds are drying on the vine. The dill weed pieces are drying, too, but not quite as fast as the seed.

Dill seeds on the vine, sort of

Dill seeds on the vine

I thought it would be easy. Strip the seeds from the blossom, throw the remains in the compost, store the seeds in a jar for winter cooking.

About a third of the seeds were still slightly green. Digging out the dry ones with a tweezers was not a high priority, so I left the bowl outside to dry in the sun.

Dill, in full color

Dill, in full color

Then Mother Nature sent rain.

Wet dill. Wet, wet, wet.

Wet dill. Wet, wet, wet.

With a deep sigh, I drained off the water and set the seeds on a towel to dry – again.

The dill weed, the feathery branches of the plant, went into the oven at a low temperature. The dehydrated, dried results ended up in a jar and ready for using in all kinds of salads and rubs when the weather gets cool.

Recipe ideas are welcome.

 

 

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Encore; an open letter to the healthy recipe master, Zorba

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Originally posted in September of 2009, this post showed my reaction to what could have been a great recipe, but was only good. I have an abundance of corn right now, and I even have dill, the one ingredient I skipped last time.

An open letter to Zorba Paster of Public Radio fame:

Dear Dr. Paster (May I call you Zorba?); I enjoy your heart-healthy recipes. I find most of them delicious and practical. I often print out the good ones on Saturday morning as I’m making my list for the Farmers’ Market. When I heard Summer Vegetable-Corn Chowder, my reaction was “MMmmmm! Must make this!”

But Zorba, there were a few weak spots in this one. I present it here to share with my readers, complete with my own Daisy-style commentary.

2 potatoes, peeled and diced (What kind of potato? Russet? Red? Yukon gold? Blue?)
1/4 cup leeks, sliced thinly (I’ve never cooked with leeks before. This will be fun.)
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup celery (feed the leftovers to the rabbits, of course)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon margarine
2 cups low-sodium broth (my homemade broth is low sodium, but somewhat higher in fat)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups skim milk
2 16 oz. cans Corn (Cans? Zorba, it’s harvest season! Get fresh corn! Cans? No way.)
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup parsley, minced (this came from the garden, and the bunnies got the leftovers)
1 Tablespoon Dill Weed (garden produce, too)

But wait – before we even start. Dr. Zorba, this recipe aired in late August. Really. Think about it. What do gardeners and farmers’ markets have in abundance in late August? Zucchini!! Where’s the zucchini in this recipe? And how about herbs? They’re all over, fresh as can be. 
I added 1/2 cup grated zucchini and at least a Tablespoon each of thyme and oregano and rosemary. The house (and my hands while cooking) smelled wonderful.

Back to business. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add chicken broth, potatoes, leek, onion, and celery. Add in margarine and garlic. Cover and simmer 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in cold skim milk. Whisk over medium high heat until thickened, and then whisk into soup pot. Add corn (cans? Hmph, I used fresh corn), evaporated skim milk, salt, and hot pepper sauce to pot. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to thicken the chowder. Don’t allow to boil! Serve warm in bowls, topped with parsley and dill.

I had fairly good luck with this recipe. I wish I had cut it in half. It says “serves 6” and they mean it. I was feeding three, and I could have halved the recipe and still haved, er, had plenty. 
It wasn’t thick enough for my taste – I like my chowders thick and creamy – but I think that was my fault. I was feeling impatient and hungry and the teenager was too, so I rushed the cornstarch and milk step. Had I given it more time, the chowder might have been thicker. As it was, the soup was still delicious and the house smelled heavenly. 

Really, Zorba, I like going to your web site and finding full nutritional details for the recipe along with many other heart healthy selections. Right now I’m searching for recipes with fresh vegetables, and this one fit the bill.

But really. Canned corn? Bleh.

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Encore: Mom, Where does Zucchini come from?

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Originally posted in 2009. This year I didn’t plant zucchini, and I still have plenty. My coworker brought in a grocery bag full from her over-producing vines. I took two, and she offered more. Here’s the story of the Origins of Zucchinis.

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, about last May, there was a patch of dirt behind the garage. Mom dug in the dirt and called it Soil and planted many, many seeds. Then she watered, pulled out weeds, watered, pulled out weeds, and watched with pride as the many shades of green stems and leaves emerged from the ground. The stems and leaves and vines grew and grew until a forest grew all around and it became the place where the wild things are. Wait, that’s another story.

It was eventful along the way in that little patch of vegetables. A wood chuck paid a surprise visit.  A rabbit squeezed inside through a small opening. Mom fixed the fence and hung old computer CDs to help scare away the critters, hoping all along that the bees would still come by to pollinate the squash blossoms. Pollinators, rumor has it, are not afraid of Windows 3.1.

What’s a squash blossom? Well, honey, it’s this flower: the one that magically changes into a baby zucchini if the birds and the bees stop by at the right time. Ahem. Let’s stop right there. There’s a fiddle tune called Squash Blossom Reel, I think. Let’s look for it tomorrow on YouTube.

Well, little one, after the big orange blossom fades and falls off, the pretty green squash will grow and grow until it’s so long that Dad calls it a baseball bat and Mom takes ahold of it and twists it gently until it comes off the vine. Then she’ll bring it in the house, clean it up, dice it up, and add it to supper. And lunch. And make it into bread. And grate enough to fill the freezer.
Maybe the question shouldn’t be where does it come from, but where will it go? It’ll go in the zucchini bread, in the salads, in the stews, in the freezer, and it’ll end up in…. No, forget I said that, honey, and just go to sleep. Once upon a time, there was a little one who asked Mommy all about zucchini….

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Reasoning for Baking Cookies – the Daisy Reality Show resumes

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Readers, if you haven’t been around long enough to recognize the Daisy Reality Show, here’s a brief introduction.

Daisy (yours truly) hosts a reality show at the O.K. Chorale. The director and her bumbling assistant keep the show on track and provide a running commentary off-screen.

Daisy: I’m baking cookies this afternoon. We have no snack foods worth eating. Well, few snack foods in the house. Peanuts, cashews, the makings for trail mix – that’s it.

Assistant: I see chips. What’s wrong with potato chips?

He had to ask, didn’t he?

Daisy: It’s like Michael Pollan says in his Food Rules: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. In this case, I’m following his advice that whole foods are better than processed foods and junk food is okay in moderation when I make it myself.

Assistant (pretending to understand): Oh.

Daisy’s cell phone chirps, indicating a text message. 

Daisy: Oh, it’s my daughter. She says:

So we were sitting at the fair eating ice cream and I spotted something terrifying — Paul Ryan.

 

Daisy (Laughing): That’s my daughter, a good progressive young woman! I’ll respond and tell her to run, run fast, run far in the other direction.

Director: Oh, I remember you were a volunteer for Obama last year. Was it really only a year ago?

Daisy (texting): It’s been a very full year. La Petite lives in Paul Ryan’s congressional district, and she took great pleasure in voting against him twice last November.

Assistant: She voted twice? Daisy’s phone chirps again. 

Daisy: Here’s the next one!

I was walking towards him to document this with my camera and Audreykins followed. Her mom was all like, “No, nooooo! Don’t get too close!”

And then, after Daisy responds with “He didn’t try to talk to her, did he? Scary.”

No, I didn’t want to talk to him either, so I stayed my distance. Took a photo of people in line to greet him.

Assistant: Twice? Is that legal?

Daisy: She voted for his opposition in two different races — Congress and Vice President.

Assistant: Oh. Um — never mind. Oh.

Daisy: Back to cookies! Real food for snacks at the O.K. Chorale.

Director: Camera One, zoom in on the cookbook.

Daisy: The recipe is on my blog.

Director: Camera One, zoom in on the laptop on the kitchen counter.

Readers, with the exception of the reality show, this post is entirely true. Cookies can be a good snack, I looked up the recipe on a previous post of Compost Happens, and La Petite really did text me the conversation above. She was mixing work with pleasure by photographing the county fair and spending time there with her adorable cousin and family.  

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Scavenger Daisy

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I’ve talked about curb-picking. I’m not a full time full strength make-the-rounds dumpster diver, but once in a while something turns up on a curb and calls my name.

I don’t like to waste leftovers. If the leftovers are food in my own refrigerator, they’re likely to become part of a pantry raid. If the leftovers are food sitting somewhere else, it’s harder.

Last June I staked a claim for leftover tomatoes and onions after our big school picnic at the amusement park. Someone on staff has been pooped on by a gull the last two years running, and – but that’s not suitable for mealtime conversation. Sorry. The tomatoes and onions were clean.

I rescued the leftover tomatoes and onions that were originally destined to top sub sandwiches and brought them home. They slid nicely out of their trays and into my crock pot.

Soon to be Sauce!

Soon to be Sauce!

I added fresh oregano and simmered the lovely mix overnight. The next morning we had tomato sauce, made from scratch from scavenged leftovers. Three containers of sauce, in fact. That’s quite a pantry raid for the last day of school.

And now, with the school year beginning, who knows what kind of scavenging might occur? Readers, you’ll find out here.

Oh, readers? What kind of luck have you had scavenging, food or otherwise?

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