Mish Mash

Well, it's the 12th of May today, just over a week since our first rhubarby feast and we've just finished our third. We've had two (three?) batches of sauce, a decadent upside-down cake, and a rhubarb crisp. Mmmm. I'm in heaven!

Renovation update...

You thought it was all over. We had almost forgotten it ever happened and then... I gave up on the parts we were awaiting for the range hood - THREE MONTHS was my absolute limit. SO I packed it into the van and returned it to the shop. Then I went up to order a different one, only to be shown this interesting thing they found... the PARTS! So, I took ours back and VOILA it is installed and working and sucking all the smoke and grease and steam straight out of our kitchen. Here is Joe, not making enough steam to justify the expense but HE WILL!

That leaves just the kitchen lights to go - they are here but I just need to get the electrician back to install them. Oh, and then there are the boxes in the basement that are still full of all the crap that used to fill up the kitchen... I think they will go directly out to the lawn for the Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale in a few weeks...

Project - Opinions welcome:

I'm starting a new garden where the sandbox used to be. It's beside the "garage" which is really just a (shockingly shabby-looking) shed. I've made two parts. The path across the middle is made from the caps that used to be on the front porch but which were replaced by the stonemason when he discovered they were causing the porch bricks to degrade. In front of those will be an herb garden - Joe wants one he can see from the kitchen window so he'll remember to go out and get some. The back will be for climbing beans - I've picked up some lovely ones at the seed exchange. So the question is this - I have a little rustic trellis at the left that I made from sticks a while ago. Then I've been saving this stair railing set for years thinking I could use it for something - that's the thing in the middle that looks like an inverted v. Can't decide if it looks good or just dumb. Or if I should get rid of both and just run lots of string from top to bottom or what. Any thoughts? (PS the garage doesn't look this bad in real life... I hope!)

On a related note, there is still lots of compost to be transported...

Cheers,

c.

First Rhubarby Feast

I just picked my first bunch of rhubarb for the season - May 4 - which I believe is a few weeks early.

(I wish I could post this in smell-o-vision! Wow!)

And I just went to reprint my rhubarb cheat sheet from my previous blog post and realized it's no longer printable. I thought it was - I was sure I had posted a pdf. Now I'm not even sure that's possible...
I will try to figure that out but meanwhile, I will post the stewed rhubarb recipe as that's what I plan to make along with some scones - want to savour the pure rhubarbiness. I will likely shorten the sugar. I like a little bite in my rhubarb.

stewed rhubarb
6 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp water (try without) 
simmer 15 m minutes.


(Seems a bit silly posting this - too simple - but I guess if you've never made it...) 


Cheers,
c

Happy To Make L...

The title is my attempt at humour - I'm taking an html course. Well, it's actually a introductory web design course which starts with HTML. I have much and varied experience but no clear overview of how it all fits together, plus much of my knowledge is outdated. SO, I signed up for a course at our local community college. Naturally the course I picked is at their furthest-away campus. Anyway, it's a nice drive, once a week, and an evening all to myself. The skill level of the group is quite varied and the instructor is a guy who actually runs a business in web design and not a teacher per se. I successfully resisted my teacherly instinct to explain more clearly when someone didn't understand, and to run around helping people who were having difficulty. I just sat, and played, and tried stuff out, and had fun. It felt so indulgent. I was really happy by the time I got home. Looking forward to next week. When I have something worthwhile to show, I will post a link. Meanwhile, here's how to make a break
in your work. And how to make a larger

heading

.
Cheers
c

A Wee Dent

Well, after 20 or more wheelbarrow loads of compost, I have managed to make a wee dent in the side of the massive compost pile on my lawn. What was I thinking? Three and a half yards of compost could cover every garden on the street! Well, I've now put at least an inch on all my flower beds. I have put an inch on some of the veggie beds and will work them in later this week. Joe has added four or five loads to the former sandbox and this is what remains. Compare and be awed by my hard work (and sore back).

Day 1. Friday. Untouched. 3.5yards.

Day 2. Saturday. 5 hours work. About 14 barrowfuls.

Day 3. Sunday. 4 more hours of hauling. About 10 more wheelbarrows. (And still enough to feed every earthworm in the northern hemisphere and two or three thousand from down under.)

Ok, I admit I stood further back in the street for the last photo. It's not as small as it looks but it is demonstrably dwindling... I just wanted it to look as impressive as my lower back feels.

Here's where some of it went. Remember, this is still April. We've just unthawed from winter although everything is MUCH further ahead this year than normally. A couple of more months and these beds will seem just PACKED with perennials and lettuce and beans and tomatoes.

Main veg patch. That's my horehound under glass to the right. You can't see them but the peas have broken through the surface. And there are some veeeeerrrryyyy tiny cilantro, lettuce and arugula sprouts coming along.

Front flower garden. Only a few tulips and bergenia so far but give me a month...

This is beside the back stairs. Again, tulips, euphorbia (yellow centre top) and two measly daffs. The sign says "beware of cat".

Breakfast for the forsythia.

And the periwinkle.

And the former sandbox, pre-compost, soon to be a bean and herb garden.

Sorry for the lousy pictures. It was getting dark. I also have to figure out how to rotate the darn things. 

Cheers,

C.

Black Gold Mwahahah!

I just arrived home to this beautiful pile of compost that was delivered today by the city. This is what 3.5 yards looks like.

Of course, my immediate thought was "Can I take a personal day for compost redistribution?" I'm pretty sure it's not on the list of acceptable reasons but perhaps it's worth a try? I have been talking about ordering a load of compost for a few years now and I finally did it. The price is probably good but makes me blanch because I can make compost for NOTHING in my backyard. And I do, but  I can't make enough to keep my voracious gardens happy. This year though - ho ho - the veggies will be bountiful, the flowers will be vivacious, my back will be killing me...

And in other gardening news...
The rhubarb is growing like gangbusters - at this rate I may have my first rhubarb cake made in the first week of MAY!

The peas, are sprouting (despite the cement like soil that is dying to be amended by that lovely compost)...

and the first asparagus is tall enough (weird how it grows horizontally here in the northern hemisphere hey?)

 and about to be eaten! (Watch for our deliciosity rating post tomorrow.)

Cheers,
C.

Quick Stolen Post

Another one stolen from my daughter... this is one of those "makes me inexplicably happy" objects. Made by her and photographed by her and posted by her . Weighs a ton but works!

PS. Hello Cambodia and Russia! tee hee.

Soreno!

Ok, I admit that my brain did not un-fart itself - I resorted to re-researching a topic that I had researched before. The picture below is from an e-bay seller but until recently I owned one of each size of these jugs (although a longer story is hiding there to be told another day). This is the same series as C's salt and pepper shakers noted in the previous post.

These ultra groovy glasses from Anchor Hocking were also made in amber, turquoise, and clear, lots of sizes and shapes of glasses plus bowls, vases, jugs, and salt-and-peppers. A similar series called Lido had bigger uneven bubbles, was available in the same colours but also had a big ball-shaped jug that IS perfect for sangria as the lip holds the fruit in the bowl while you pour. Or so I'm told...

This is a picture from an etsy shop of the Lido jug in turquoise (my current one is avocado although I've had a gold one in the past... part of the long story for another day...)

PS I hate when the computer thinks it is smarter than me. Just realized the computer had changed "easy" (damn -there it goes again!) that was ETSY to easy. grrrrrrr!

Oops, the colour up there is actually aquamarine! See... (now I'm really stopping this post no matter what else I find!)

image from rubylane

OK, you know what, the middle jug might be the Milano style - flatter more open bubbles, the lido is more wormy looking and the sore no is the straight worms. (Damn! SORENO not sore no!) bye.