I planted two rows each of carrots (seed tape – gotta love that), two rows of red onion bulbs, two rows of last years seeds of red Detroit beets (hopefully they will still be good), one row of radishes (seed tape again – yay), and one row on Swiss chard seeds (so second generation and climatized seeds for my garden) that I dried out last fall.
My method this year of two rows is the tracks that the garden tiller left behind each time I tilled a row so that the two rows are about 4 -6 inches apart. When I would move on to different vegetable then I would leave about a foot between the rows. I also planted some (old) marigold seeds and some third generation calendula seeds (that I dried last fall) at the ends of each row of veggies to attract the good bugs and it looks so pretty too!
I also found some bone and blood meal in my gardening shed so I tilled that into each row (except the carrots – I forgot). I am hoping that with the the tens bags of sheep manure distributed last fall and tilled into the garden and the six bags of sheep manure, five wheel barrel fulls of compost and lots of red wrigglers tilled into the garden this spring that I will have some great veggies this summer.
Yesterday I dug and spread five wheel barrel fulls of compost. The first three barrels was very dry compost without any worms – I was concerned. The next two barrels had loads of tightly wound together red wrigglers which tells me they were all hanging out in a certain area. I distributed the red wrigglers evenly threw out the vegetable garden.
It was a lovely day to be outside so today was the day I started my vegetable garden. It is April 18 close to 22 celcius.
I gently raked the old maple leaves away from the south end of the vegetable garden. Supposedly maple leaves are toxic and not suppose to be put into your compost or on your garden to rot for that matter but I had them just on the perennial flower part of the vegetable garden. There is big pile of rotting leaves in the nearby field so I broadcast my old 2007 & 08 seeds on top of it then I put the raked up maple leaves on top of that ~ maybe something will come of it ~ whatever.
I turned the soil in an 8 by 4 foot area in the south end of the veggie garden just north of the perennials. I planted in one row, half of spinach (’09 Mr. Fotherhill seeds) and half of mixed lettuces (’10 Morgan and Thompson seeds). Next to that I planted three rounds of Little Knight pea seeds that I dried myself from my pea plants last year ~ these Little Knight seeds are supposedly container friendly and do not need to be staked at all. I did grow them in a container last year and found that they should be staked (so this year I will try it again and use one foot garden fencing to see how that works). The ones I just planted in the garden I put upside down tomato cages as a staking ~ if I remember correctly after I did this last year, I think I told Bob that we will have use regular pea staking in 2010~ oh-well, live and learn that is the whole point of the garden diary.
I had dug up three different asparagus roots so I replanted them in the row next to the peas which is where I have lots of asparagus (I hope).
It was such a treat to see so many big, fat, juicy worms in the area that I was working in today.
Everything got a good watering. What I just listed took me approximately 3.5 hours (noon to 3:30). My knee is fairly tender and I am pretty warn out.
I am going to try to blog each time I am in the garden so I can use this as a reference next 2011 season. I will write a new post when ever I plant new stuff but I will comment on the posting of as a progress report on whatever is already planted.
MMmmm . . . Double Chocolate Stout. Yesterday I made a beef short rib dish and one of the ingredients that the recipe called for was a cup of strong stout. I saw Young’s Double Chocolate Stout was on sale, sounds like the best choice of beer was made for me. It comes in a 500 ml bottle which meant there was going to be 250 mls left. Well of course I tried it and it is just heavenly ~ very delicious and I could detect the chocolate as well. It was the perfect stout to use for my beef short rib dish (which also turned out simply fabulous).
So next time you are in the liquor store wonder over to the imported beer section and buy a bottle of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout ~ it is silky rich and creamy smooth ~ simply luxurious!
Also according to Alton Brown this is a recipe for the perfect Bloody Mary:
- fill a normal size blender with cherry tomatoes to the top and add two ounces of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 tsp. of your favourite hot sauce ( I prefer Tabasco’s Chipotle Sauce and would probably use more), 2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 tsp. of Kosher salt. and blend for a full two minutes
- into a tall glass add 3 frozen tomatoe juice ice cubes and 2 ounces of good Vodka ~ top with blended mixture
- add a slice of lemon and a rib of celery
Can you imagine using the cherry tomatoes that you have just picked off your organic cherry tomato plant that you have growing in your back yard!!
Doesn’t that look good ~ looks like you can use a pickle spear too! 
With a few tweaks you can make the perfect Caeser – which my friends, Cathy and Albert can as well as myself. Leave a comment and I will let you know how to make the perfect Caeser! 
I saw a show today that claimed to make the perfect margarita. This is what Alton Brown claims to be the perfect Margarita:
- dip a Margarita glass in Tequila then wait 10 seconds then dip into Kosher salt
- squeeze the juice of two limes into a steel shaker
- into a different steel shake put one orange cut into eights, one and a half limes cut into sixths and 2 ounces of Agave nectar then muddle for two whole minutes and strain into the first steel shaker that has the lime juice
- add two ounces of excellent quality Tequila to the first steel shaker and three good quality ice cubes ~ pop the lid onto said steel shaker and shake for a full 30 seconds
- strain into the rimmed Tequila glass and add a slice of lime
Enjoy
The last time I was grocery shopping one of the items on my grocery list was dishwasher detergent. I prefer to use Electrsol but I haven’t seen it the last two times that I have been grocery shopping. I was totally out of dishwasher detergent so I settled for a new brand. This new brand to me does a fairly good job cleaning but try getting the stuff out of the bottle. It is suppose to be a liquid but trying to squeeze that stuff our of the bottle is a work out in it self. Each time I need to put the dishwasher on and try to fill the compartments with this so-called liquid - I think of some old couple that don’t have a lot of muscle strength left and what they are going through just to get their dishes clean. I finally popped the squirt spout off and I am now squeezing the stuff out through the bigger opening – still a work out but now low-impact.
I am going to email the company now that makes this stuff and let them know about their product and that they should put a warning on it that says “The Dishwasher Detergent for the Physically Fit”!
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks is a very sappy romance. It annoyed the hell out me while I was reading it – come on – people aren’t really like that.
This book is about a journalist, Jeremy Marsh, that lives and breathes New York City until he meets Lexie Darnell, a librarian from Boone Creek, North Carolina. Well he gets 31 year old Lexie pregnant and gives up his whole New York lifestyle to do the right thing which is move to Boone Creek, North Carolina and the story unravels from there.
I found this book annoying because it seemed to go on and on with the sweetness between Jeremy and Lexie and the over-the-top politeness.
Last night I decided to finally put an end to my misery and finish this book so I could move onto to something with more depth. I went to bed at 9 p.m. and was determined to read it until I finished it which was 11:45 p.m.. When I did finish the last page my very first thought was ~ thank goodness it is over.
If your are a lover of romance novels go for it. I am sorry Nicholas but it will be a very long time before I read another one of your novels.
I am either going to continue on with Treading Water by Anne DeGrace ~ a story about the community of Renata, BC in the early 1900′s. I started it a while back then started the sappy romance novel because I forgot the Treading Water novel at home and I happen to have At First Sight with me at that given time.
Or I am going to start Here’s the Deal Don’t Touch Me by Howie Mandel. I think I will call it a biography. I got the book from the library for Bob and he absolutely totally enjoyed the book. It is not due back until April 20 which gives me a fair amount of time.
Mmmmm . . . I made Easter dinner chowder with the leftovers and it turned out quite delicious. I had made three batches of Scalloped Potatoes with one batch not having any flour or dairy in it so I had not only ham leftover but Scalloped Potatoes as well. Here is the recipe ~ depending on how much ham you have leftover and how much chowder you want to make:
Chop equal amounts of onion and celery and shredded carrots then saute with a little EVOO: add the rest of the bag of undressed coleslaw that you didn’t use to the sauteing mixture: add the slightly mashed leftover Scalloped Potatoes to the same pot; add however much chopped ham you want in that pot: add either veggie or chicken broth just to cover all that is in the pot: add a little milk for that chowder appearance. Taste and adjust seasonings then let simmer for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with a slice of grainy bread. Mmmm . . . Easter Chowder!
What a lovely surprise. Yesterday afternoon my brothers and sisters from PPWC local 26 had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to me as a get well gesture ~ how thoughtful. The bouquet is sitting pretty on my living-room coffee table.