Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Dec. 23

Happy Run-up to Christmas, everyone! Are your yard decorations holding up? Have you retreated indoors? Above, a lovely arrangement, accompanied by a wonderful sentiment:

Dear KT
Thanks as always for the gardening thread.
No flowers for Christmas but I hadn't sent Mrs. R a bouquet in a while so ordered these from the Green Griffin. She's been taking care of her Mom with COPD (a full time job) and deserves so much more than flowers.
Merry Christmas!
Rodent

The note is a perfect. Take heed, guys.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

We have recipes using lemons and eggs this week, after receiving some input on lemons (including Meyer lemons) and earlier about members of The Horde who keep chickens:

The lemon tree is so heavy with fruit that it is leaning eastward.
Nan in AZ

The lemons look great!

We also had some comments last week (see link below) about what to do with the sudden over-abundance of Meyer lemons for those who have a tree. Their season generally starts in December.

Preseved lemons were one interesting suggesting that fits into the "Putting Things By" category.

They are not as tart as "regulation" lemons, so some recipes are made specifically for them. Here are a couple of recipes for lemon curd using Meyer Lemons. One is richer than the other. One has directions for cold pack canning.

Eggs from your own chickens are superior. Raising chickens involves some learning. Have you been successful in raising chickens and getting them to lay eggs?

Had these chickens for about 2 years and never got any eggs. I think they are upset because all they do is fight with each other. What am I doing wrong, and why are my chickens so unhappy?
JB

Not our JB

Lemon Snow Pudding

Our family use to make Lemon Snow Pudding with regular lemons.

I'm not sure which recipe my family used when I was growing up, but I found several online versions, and decided to adapt and comment on some of them. If you don't have a "White Christmas", maybe you could at least have a "white dessert".

Lemon Snow Pudding

I adapted the directions below from this website. It uses regular lemons, but I think it could also work with Meyer lemons. It uses more combined lemon juice and zest than some of the other variations. You could probably cut down on the amount of sugar.

I didn't use the custard sauce recipe because it's too sweet for me, and I don't think it makes enough to go with the fluffy part of the dessert. See below for notes on custard sauce.

1/4 OZ (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin (like Knox)
1/4 cup cold water
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup very hot water
1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large egg whites Room temperature, If you are concerned about salmonella, use pasteurized egg whites or powdered egg whites

Pour 1/4 cup cold water into a large bowl and sprinkle with gelatin, let stand 5 minutes.

Add the hot water, then the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Set bowl in a larger bowl full of ice and cold water. Allow mixture to cool for 45-60 minutes or until it resembles the consistency of egg whites. Refrigerate for 20 minutes if needed to get it to set up.

Beat gelatin mixture with an electric mixer until frothy, 1-2 minutes.
In another bowl beat egg whites (with clean beaters) until they form soft peaks.

Add egg whites to gelatin mixture and then beat at high speed until it has tripled in volume. When you lift the beaters out a wide ribbon should form.

Pour mixture into a large serving bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Here's a variation with less lemon juice and zest, more custard.

And here's one from a caterer in Phoenix with less egg white and slightly simplified directions. The custard sauce is flavored with lemon zest instead of vanilla. Compare to this one, which uses part cream and has a Meyer Lemon variation.

I like this:

Classic light custard sauce

Mix 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch (Julia Child's trick for reducing the chance of curdling) or arrowroot, a dash of salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in two cups whole milk and heat, while stirring, in the top of a double boiler, until the milk is scalded. Gradually beat some of the milk mixture into 4 beaten egg yolks. Return to the top of the double boiler and cook just until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Remove from heat and continue stirring while placing the pan with the custard in cold water. Stir occasionally to release steam, add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla and serve warm or chilled. Similar to this.

I recommend a double batch to go with Snow Pudding.

Did you know this about Julia Child?

"My first big recipe was shark repellant that I mixed in a bathtub for the Navy, for the men who might get caught in the water."

Before she mastered the art of French cooking, Julia Child cooked up shark repellent while working for the precursor to the CIA as a covert operative… pic.twitter.com/HxdKAH3iOU
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) December 19, 2023

Another Custard

Easy, Light Custard Sauce

May be cooked over direct heat, as it has less tendency to curdle than classic custard sauce. Recipe is suitable for doubling, quadrupling or even really big batches if you have a means of even heating. A little thicker than classic custard after chilling.

Mix a tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch with 1/4 cup sugar, a dash of salt, two cups milk, two egg yolks or one whole egg, beaten. Cook, stirring constantly, reducing heat as mixture starts to steam. Remove from heat, place pan in water to cool and stir in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. Serve warm or chilled. Avoid too much stirring once custard is cold if you used arrowroot.

Compare to this recipe. It also makes a lot of custard without a lot of eggs. It uses flour instead of cornstarch or arrowroot.

You're on your own if you want to try these recipes with artificial sweetener, but you can add sweeteners to the liquids after cooling (before gelling) if they are heat sensitive.

Did you make fruitcake this year?

My mother used to make Boiled Raisin Cake with seeded Muscat raisins and spiced tiny gumdrops instead of candied fruit. No licorice. Seemed to turn out better than this:

Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake

(There's a little surprise for dancers at the end.)

Art

A little refugee from summer

this is an image taken quite some time ago at Country Gardens Nursery in Cordova, TN when I lived there. This ravenous little grasshopper was livin' quite the high life - as you can tell by the condition of the petals he's munching on. Later, he probably became a meal for a bird or some other hungry critter who found him (?) quite the appealing little morsel.
Dr_No

Puttering

Word to the wise:

Outdoor Decorations

Gardens of The Horde

Hi KT, if you aren't done with your Christmas blogging yet. Portrait or landscape pictures. Thanks. Gene
These poinsettias used to line our long driveway, interspersed with ~40 year old non-flowering bougainvillea on a chain-link fence. Spring project was pulling out bougainvillea and fence, replacing that with a 3-rail fence, and transplanting the poinsettias. Only lost one poinsettia, and my will to live (did I mention a loooong driveway lined on both sides with 40-year old bougainvillea enmeshed in a chain-link fence?).

Wow! What a job! They look great already!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Dec. 16

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:21 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Where is everybody?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at December 23, 2023 01:29 PM (nC+QA)

2 I recommend not consuming anything that started out white but is now yellow.

Posted by: Next2Nothing at December 23, 2023 01:31 PM (tA1/w)

3 Next2Nothing at December 23, 2023 01:31 PM

You can pour the custard sauce on yourself.

Posted by: KT at December 23, 2023 01:33 PM (rrtZS)

4 Good Afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 01:34 PM (fwDg9)

5 This week we went out to the Oregon Gardens, in Silverton Oregon. It is a large garden set up on terraces facing West-ish, and goes from Gary (white) Oak to formal gardens, water gardens and wetland exhibits.
Unfortunately, Oregon in December is not very colorful, but it was a lovely walk, and we spent it with some family.

Not much is going on in the garden, I just put some service berry seeds into a baggy of dirt to join the apple seeds I have in their own baggies, stratifying in the crisper in the fridge.
My wife is very understanging of baggies of dirt and fruit wood for grafting stored in the bottom of our fridge. One day I should get my own dedicated refrigerator

this is the slow time of the year, and I am not able to get out to do the clearing I need to, later in the winter, though, I should be able to get out and get to work.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 01:35 PM (D7oie)

6 This is a picture of the family grave wreaths a few of us made this year for past on family members.
http://tinyurl.com/3dtjczuj
This has been a family tradition for a long time, wonder how much longer though.

Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 01:38 PM (fwDg9)

7 serviceberry, amalanchier. Known in other places as Saskatoon berry

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 01:38 PM (D7oie)

8 Hellooooo! Well, the backyard has been effectively cleared of everything but stones and a couple of plants, and digging the new French drain has begun. And I found the gas line that runs along the patio and terminates at a stub valve.

Plus...it's not going to interfere with the routing for the drain.

Minus...The house was built in '68, so it's only about 4 inches deep and just a thin walled copper pipe.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at December 23, 2023 01:39 PM (YRsIm)

9 And, my climbing rose is running amok. I bet one of the runners is easily 6+ feet.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at December 23, 2023 01:41 PM (YRsIm)

10 6 This is a picture of the family grave wreaths a few of us made this year for past on family members.
http://tinyurl.com/3dtjczuj
This has been a family tradition for a long time, wonder how much longer though.
Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 01:38 PM (fwDg9)

Nice, Skip!

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 01:42 PM (x7m+Z)

11 I had several gardening questions that have completely deserted me at this time.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 23, 2023 01:42 PM (Mzdiz)

12 I also have to cut back and re-string my black cap raspberries, they started putting out fruit last year, the second year after I dug them out of the woods.
These raspberries fruit on second year canes, so I have to cut last years' out.

I like native plants, they require less maintenance. I will never have commercial amounts of berries, but there were enough last year to make me think it was worth replacing the traditional raspberries in that plot.

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 01:44 PM (D7oie)

13 I'm about 9 days away from starting to walk around my property and starting to think about what new and fun garden/yard projects I want to do next year. Goals include having a pear crop that matches the apple crop, digging up and replanting strawberry roots, since the old ones seem to be losing vigor, and trying to find a way to protect the goose berries from the chipmunk who have learned to come in under the protective netting. Maybe ill start by trimming back the ever bearing raspberries that finally froze back and are looking scraggly. Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at December 23, 2023 01:46 PM (d9Cw3)

14 Lucky Mrs. Rodent.

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 01:56 PM (x7m+Z)

15 Christmas (and Easter) for me are times to think of miracles. In today's case it's a Peace Plant Mrs. JTB got from coworkers when she retired many, many moons ago. The miracle is that I have kept it alive and growing all these years. Obviously, God works through the most unlikely tools. :-)

Posted by: JTB at December 23, 2023 01:57 PM (7EjX1)

16 Yeah, thornless blackberries. We're in zone 7b and have a place with full sun where I'd like to plant. Which varieities would you recommend? Our soil is pretty good, although not humus-rich or anything like that.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 23, 2023 01:58 PM (Mzdiz)

17 I make McCall's Best of All Fruitcakes in October for Thanksgiving. The cake is so great that my brother-in-law stopped ordering from the monks and eats mine instead. I have just enough left to enjoy some with vanilla ice cream on Christmas Eve.

Hint: wash the sugar syrup from the candied fruit and let dry in a colander before adding it to the batter. The cake won't be sticky like certain store-bought bricks.

Posted by: wcgreen at December 23, 2023 01:58 PM (jQSQV)

18 I closed outmy hydroponics experiment. There is a problem. You have 12 slots for growing plants. They never grow evenly. You have one big hog that sucks up all the water and nutrients. I had an impressive escarole plant this time. The lighting system is nice and I'll use it to start seeds this spring.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 23, 2023 02:01 PM (L8hCM)

19 Pretty sure we made 18 wreaths, and about 3 hours start to clean up

Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 02:04 PM (fwDg9)

20 Did you make fruitcake this year?

I made a different recipe this year, using chocolate. Haven't tasted it yet, it's still "marinating". One of the ingredients I used that wasn't in the recipe is dried mandarin oranges, because I like the way orange and chocolate go together.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:05 PM (dCxaZ)

21 the entire citrus family is spectacular in cooking and for eating.

But lemons are the absolute workhorse of the kitchen. They're used in every step of the meal, from appertizer to dessert, and even beverages.

Posted by: kallisto is a big fan of the Mighty Lemon at December 23, 2023 02:09 PM (dCxaZ)

22 20 Did you make fruitcake this year?

I made a different recipe this year, using chocolate. Haven't tasted it yet, it's still "marinating". One of the ingredients I used that wasn't in the recipe is dried mandarin oranges, because I like the way orange and chocolate go together.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:05 PM (dCxaZ)

Dried mandarin oranges sound like something I could become addicted to. Like dried cranberries and dried cherries.

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 02:11 PM (x7m+Z)

23
My indoor experiment of growing spinach is coming along at a snails pace. Maybe as the days get longer it will get the hint.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at December 23, 2023 02:11 PM (enJYY)

24 Posted by: wcgreen at December 23, 2023 01:58 PM (jQSQV)

I don't use too much of the candied fruit mix, mainly dried fruit with some candied citron or lemon peels and cherries for color accent. The one step I never forget is to steep them in liquor for at least a day before adding to the batter.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:11 PM (dCxaZ)

25 I bought some nice bird houses, one for the woodpeckers and two open ones for the doves. Bought a squirrel house too, because my dog loves to chase them. Plan to hire the guy that painted the house to install them. I try to stay off ladders.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 23, 2023 02:11 PM (L8hCM)

26 Did you make fruitcake this year?

I made a different recipe this year, using chocolate. Haven't tasted it yet, it's still "marinating". One of the ingredients I used that wasn't in the recipe is dried mandarin oranges, because I like the way orange and chocolate go together.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:05 PM (dCxaZ)

My sister gave me a fresh-bake, but "unmarinated" fruit cake . How long will you let your fruitcake sit?

Posted by: mrp at December 23, 2023 02:13 PM (rj6Yv)

27 Dried mandarin oranges sound like something I could become addicted to. Like dried cranberries and dried cherries.

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 02:11 PM (x7m+Z)

the farmers' market had two kinds of dried apricots: Turkish and California. The Turkish were half the price of the Cali apricots but I think I may purchase the "homegrown" variety just to taste the difference. They looked darker and more shriveled than the Turkish ones.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:13 PM (dCxaZ)

28 My sister gave me a fresh-bake, but "unmarinated" fruit cake . How long will you let your fruitcake sit?

when it's soaked in liquor I'll let it sit in the fridge (wrapped up) for up to a month. But it usually doesn't last that long.

You can freeze them for a few months, before you start the liquor drip, then when they're thawed you can start to douse them. But I know people who have kept them wrapped up and soaking for longer than a month.

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:16 PM (dCxaZ)

29 when it's soaked in liquor I'll let it sit in the fridge (wrapped up) for up to a month. But it usually doesn't last that long.

You can freeze them for a few months, before you start the liquor drip, then when they're thawed you can start to douse them. But I know people who have kept them wrapped up and soaking for longer than a month.
Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:16 PM (dCxaZ)

Thanks. She included a package of cheesecloth with the cake. I wrapped it, tied it up, and poured a generous amount of rum in the tupperware dish. It's been a month (turned every day) so maybe tomorrow

Posted by: mrp at December 23, 2023 02:20 PM (rj6Yv)

30 Oh my gosh, that silhouette! Once you see it, you can’t see it any other way! It cracked me up!

Posted by: Moonbeam at December 23, 2023 02:22 PM (rbKZ6)

31 Panettone is a form of Italian fruit cake. Personally I love it, but tastes vary

I have no idea what this video is all about

https://youtu.be/wgQdkstTNg8?si=269E7Y5oLTzf_wzV

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 02:23 PM (D7oie)

32 Panettone is a form of Italian fruit cake.

https://youtu.be/wgQdkstTNg8?si=269E7Y5oLTzf_wzV
Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 02:23 PM (D7oie)

I thought Panettone was some kind of color palette.

Posted by: Candidus at December 23, 2023 02:26 PM (Ya7DW)

33 I do see lots of silhouettes figures of all kinds

Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 02:31 PM (fwDg9)

34
I thought Panettone was some kind of color palette.

Posted by: Candidus at December 23, 2023 02:26 PM

I remember creating a candidates election material in Panettone 348. Which is basically Panettone 347 with additional black.

Oh, wait a minute... it's Pantone. Nevermind.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at December 23, 2023 02:32 PM (enJYY)

35 Hiya Moonbeam !
Merry Christmas !

Posted by: JT at December 23, 2023 02:32 PM (T4tVD)

36 I remember creating a candidates election material in Panettone 348. Which is basically Panettone 347 with additional black.

Oh, wait a minute... it's Pantone. Nevermind.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at December 23, 2023 02:32 PM (enJYY)

Kelly Green?

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 02:35 PM (D7oie)

37 month (turned every day) so maybe tomorrow

yes, then make sure you save some for yourself if you're planning to have guests. Homemade fruitcake is usually more popular than store bought.

*my experience anyway *

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:38 PM (dCxaZ)

38 I've been tossing millett out in the dead flower beds for the peppers who hang out under my truck. Sulphered all our trees and bushes (50) then covered that with compost from last springs cow culling. Ordered chickens to pick up in April (2 of this, 2 of that, total of 8 assortment and 1 rooster). Want to try to grow arnica as my i new plant this spring. Did celery as my 1 new thing last year. Meh. Not again. Merry Christ-mas to all. Thank goodness it's not a white holiday in SW idaho.

Posted by: S.Lynn at December 23, 2023 02:39 PM (TEBkk)

39 Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 02:23 PM (D7oie)

it's a spoof of an Italian movie, but I've no idea which one and this PC has no sound so...

???

Posted by: kallisto at December 23, 2023 02:41 PM (dCxaZ)

40
My mom has a very happy Meyer lemon tree that produces far more than she can consume when they fall. She squeezes 'em, fills up one-cup packets, and uses the juice throughout the year. Lemon bars, lemonade, lemon meringue pie, and it's INCREDIBLE with that juice.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at December 23, 2023 02:42 PM (n7rxJ)

41 Not garden gnomes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg-2eMhw0Sw

Full Metal Elves
NSFW language

Posted by: DaveA at December 23, 2023 02:46 PM (FhXTo)

42 KT -

Thank ye kindly for Miss Fogerty’s Christmas Cake…
: -)

Posted by: Adriane the Grinch-ish Critic . . . at December 23, 2023 02:49 PM (4Winp)

43 Mom put her fruitcakes in a large stone jar while they "seasoned". Every once in a while, she'd "freshen them up" and then turn them. They weren't refrigerated. This lasted two months to six weeks. The best fruitcake I've ever tasted. Dark and moist and the liquor wasn't overwhelming.

Posted by: mrp at December 23, 2023 02:50 PM (rj6Yv)

44 No enemy bomber can reach the Ruhr. If one reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Göring. You may call me Meyer lemon.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at December 23, 2023 02:54 PM (lM2MM)

45
Kelly Green?

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 02:35 PM

According to DDG, Pantone Matching System (PMS) 347 is Kelly Green. Which I used to buy a couple hundred pounds of per year. PMS 348 is just a little darker so starting with PMS 347 and adding a little black was easy.

I bought ink made from soybean oil so it works in a gardening thread.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at December 23, 2023 02:56 PM (enJYY)

46 "Where The Lemons Blossom" Waltz by Johann Strauss II

LINK: http://tinyurl.com/2ehjkr4e

Posted by: mrp at December 23, 2023 03:02 PM (rj6Yv)

47 Miss the Meyer lemon that we planted at the last place. It produced prodigious pounds of perfect lemons. Tried to give them all away and never was able to, so we had plenty for the family.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 23, 2023 03:07 PM (t6rP7)

48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg-2eMhw0Sw

Full Metal Elves
NSFW language
Posted by: DaveA at December 23, 2023 02:46 PM (FhXTo)

They left out the part where Elf Pyle there kills the head Elf master with an M14:

'What's your major malfunction numb nuts - didn't your elfin parents give you enough love when you were young!" BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Best part.

Posted by: Boswell at December 23, 2023 03:10 PM (K+UlC)

49 The Swedish tomte, or gnome of sorts, helps around the farm and minds the animals. On Christmas Eve he expects a bowl of porridge with a lump of butter on top. Traditionally, you will place the spoon on top, and the butter in the spoon.

A children's tale (rather horrible) tells of the farmer who foolishly placed the butter at the bottom of the bowl instead of on top. The gnome, thinking the farmer was an ingrate, went into a rage, and grabbed an ax and killed the cow. He then sat down to eat the porridge.

He quickly realized that the butter was in there. So he stole a cow from someone else to replace the one he'd killed.

And yes, this is a children's story, according to my ex, the Swede.

"No, officer, I did not steal the cow. It was the tomte."

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 23, 2023 03:11 PM (Mzdiz)

50 Meyer lemons always make me think of my late aunt Bee. She inherited my maternal family's green thumb--I did not--and she had this large Meyer lemon tree that grew HUGE softball-sized lemons. So juicy and such a lovely flavor.

We always had Christmas dinner at her house and we came home with a big bag of lemons every year. She was a peppery thing but I miss her.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at December 23, 2023 03:18 PM (FEVMW)

51 Ahhhh, the wife's sausage balls are done. Time to hork a few down.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 23, 2023 03:21 PM (Q4IgG)

52 We used to have a meyer lemon tree, it was on the property when I bought my house. It finally got too mature and we had to take it down. What a process. I do miss it.
As mentioned in a previous thread, my neighbor has a coastal redwood, now about 40 feet tall. Since we live on a hillside I consider it to be a stabilizing influence on the terrain. It doesn't drop much in the way of litter, so it's low maintenance. Latin name semper virens (always living). Propagates by either seeds or sending out lignotubers, often called "daughters". An ancient species, it resists attack by disease, bugs and fire. It can drink water from fog.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at December 23, 2023 03:24 PM (MeG8a)

53 Ahhhh, the wife's sausage balls are done.

Phrasing !

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at December 23, 2023 03:24 PM (lM2MM)

54 Wouldn't mind having a Smith and Wesson lemon squeezer.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at December 23, 2023 03:27 PM (lM2MM)

55 Time to hork a few down.

Were you in the Corps on the west coast in the 80's? I haven't heard that expression since then.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at December 23, 2023 03:28 PM (YRsIm)

56 The species name "sempervirens" means "evergreen"; "sempervivum" = "always living."

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 03:29 PM (x7m+Z)

57 49 ... "And yes, this is a children's story, according to my ex, the Swede."

Some of those Scandi children's stories are pretty rough by today's standards. But they sure got the cautions and traditions of the culture across to the kids.

Posted by: JTB at December 23, 2023 03:30 PM (7EjX1)

58 Remarkable! I plugged in my balky desktop PC, and Shocka! It booted up. So I will shut this laptop down, and plug the Internet cable into the back of the desktop, and see if it will work properly.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 23, 2023 03:31 PM (tkR6S)

59 Thanks for the Latin correction. Mea culpa.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at December 23, 2023 03:31 PM (MeG8a)

60 59 Thanks for the Latin correction. Mea culpa.
Posted by: gourmand du jour at December 23, 2023 03:31 PM (MeG8a)

Mea est voluptas magna.

Posted by: m at December 23, 2023 03:35 PM (x7m+Z)

61 PET NOOD IS UP

Posted by: Skip at December 23, 2023 03:36 PM (fwDg9)

62 > Time to hork a few down.

Were you in the Corps on the west coast in the 80's? I haven't heard that expression since then.
Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead
________________

Nope. D.C. Metro area. Plenty of .mil type around my place of employment tho'.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at December 23, 2023 03:37 PM (Q4IgG)

63 But back to the coastal redwood. The oldest known cross section of the tree shows more than 2,200 tree rings. I have seen this specimen with corresponding tags or labels for historical perspectives, such as the Norman Conquest, Columbous' voyages, the American revolution and of course, the birth of Christ.
Merry Christmas!

Posted by: gourmand du jour at December 23, 2023 03:43 PM (MeG8a)

64 And yes, this is a children's story, according to my ex, the Swede.

"No, officer, I did not steal the cow. It was the tomte."
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 23, 2023 03:11 PM (Mzdiz)

These are ancient stories. My wife told me about listening to The Tiger Grandmother story when she was a wee little one.

(It is supposed to be the Asian version of Red Riding Hood, and the Wolf Grandma, but it also has elements of Ishtar going through the Underworld to rescue her son Tammusz and being stripped of part of her clothes as she passed through each gate - you know, to talk to the management)

Posted by: Kindltot at December 23, 2023 03:52 PM (D7oie)

65 S.Lynn at December 23, 2023 02:39 PM

Celery is a good crop to leave to commercial growers. The root celery is easier for amateurs.

Posted by: KT at December 23, 2023 04:14 PM (rrtZS)

66 From Boise area: Lows 27-32 F, highs 30-37. We had a tiny skiff of snow this morning, already melted away.

I can't think of much to say. I'm trying to keep a sizable rosemary plant alive indoors. The cyclamen a friend gave us weeks ago lost a lot of leaves and flower stalks, but seems to be bouncing back - looks like one flower will open tomorrow, and maybe a second one for Christmas.

I have a fruitcake recipe I like - I make it maybe every 5 to 10 years (now that I make peppermint bark every year, it could be even less frequently). I use actual dried fruits instead of store-bought candied fruits - raisins, gold raisins, dried cherries, blueberries, apricots, figs, dates - things like that. It might not be as colorful as the candied fruit type - but it tastes like real food.

We haven't sat down to do the garden planning, but since S.Lynn mentioned a new crop for next year, I'm thinking broccolini. (Cabbage was sort of a failure due to massive bug infestation, but I want to try a brassica, and we like broccolini.)

A joyous Christmas, and a bountiful New Year, to all!

Posted by: Pat* at December 23, 2023 04:34 PM (td6Vu)

67 Pat, I try 1 new thing every year. I have broccolini seeds in the fridge from last year but never got around to planting them. I was going to try cabbage with windrow covers. i'll let you know how that works out.

Posted by: S.Lynn at December 23, 2023 11:33 PM (TEBkk)

Processing 0.01, elapsed 0.0165 seconds.
14 queries taking 0.006 seconds, 75 records returned.
Page size 64 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.