Prolific Peppers

You may have noticed that I took the camera with me to the garden this morning to do the daily picking. As you can see on these two pictures of peppers...I got plenty. These two are mariachi and serrano.

Working the Blooms

Speaking of sunflowers. Same flowers but a little closer and getting some reward for not cutting it down when I planted the sweet potatoes. Not only is this creature visiting here but I will guarantee that it's little legs also have pollen from my cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe, peppers, okra and everything else blooming in the garden right now. Thanks little buddy.

Summer Defined

I think this sunflower stands as a fairly good definition of summer, all by itself. It is a volunteer that I chose to allow to grow in the corner of the sweet potatoes. Seems like it was a good decision to allow it to remain.

Not Just Vegetables

Look what else I found growing in the garden this morning secreted in among the tomatoes. Seems I can grow more than just vegetables. Not sure but I think it is the nest of a brown thrasher(the state bird of Georgia). Now I am going to have to be careful when picking tomatoes but it is rather cool.

This and That

Had a day off today and it has been pretty productive. Got a couple of loaves of whole wheat sourdough baked. Did a little bit of gardening. Had a session with the trainer (the second of the week) and I can feel it. Even though I work out on my own as much as I can the trainer can find those muscles that have been neglected.
Finally scored a visit to the Riverview Farms mobile farm truck and came away with a small Berkshire pork roast, Portuguese chorizo, some Tasso ham, and Tennessee farmhouse cheddar. It was probably good that they were out of some stuff or I would have spent a lot more. Thanks to Carmen for alerting me to their local presence today. I have now "liked" them on Facebook so I will get updates for when they are going to be close.
Have to work full shifts tomorrow and the weekend and I have to close Saturday night (1015p) and be back at the store for a store meeting at 6am Sunday though my shift won't start until noon. I'll be dragging.
Hot and dry and I am going to have to water the garden if something doesn't happen on the rain front in the next day or so. With our new tiered water billing you get hit harder for the more you use over your base amount. The more I have to water the better chance I get of getting pushed up the ladder of really expensive water. Nothing to do but keep it at a minimum as there is too much work and time in the garden to just let it die for lack of moisture.

Happy Solstice

Everyone have a great Summer Solstice or midsummer's eve or Litha or whatever. Today will be the longest of the year and from here until the Winter Solstice the days will get shorter. I have to work today so there won't be any dancing or "bone-fires" until later. This is a great time to spend some time in the garden as high summer is when the life force is strongest in nature and it will only wane from here until next year. I highly recommend sitting quietly for a few hours in the garden or woods and let yourself merge into the forces around you. It's amazing.

So Long And Good Night

Even though I am a geek of the first order I don't usually post all of my geekiness here. I, however, must announce that the human race as left the solar system. Voyager 1 has now left the heliopause and is therefore in interstellar space and waiting for the Startship Enterprise to pick her up and we won't even go into Persus Kambata here since this is a public blog.

Funny Peculiar

I worked the garden register for a while yesterday covering for a lunch. While I was there a minivan pulled up and discharged  5 Buddhist monks complete with the saffron robes. All but one made a beeline for the back while one peeled off and headed into the store proper. A few minutes later they all returned pushing a flat cart piled with organic soil conditioner and the loner returned with several pairs of work gloves. The eldest pulled out a Visa from somewhere and slid it through the terminal and boom they all piled their goods into the waiting minivan and vanished. The whole episode lasted no more than 5 minutes and afterwards seemed very surreal. One, I didn't know there was a monastery in Roswell but where else would a minivan of monks come from? Just what are they planting and how do I find out where they are?

First Tomato

First tomatoes from the garden today (cherry) and the first batch of cold water dill pickles is ready today as well. Guess what I had for lunch? Most excellent with a couple of chunks of smoked English cheddar and rye biscuits. If I didn't have to head off to work in a few minutes it would have gone really well with a porter. Next time.

Blackberry Time

All the rain over the last few days sent the wild blackberries in the vacant lot next door into a frenzy of ripening and even though I was in shorts and couldn't penetrate very deeply I manage a good quart of beautiful berries and only a couple of scratches. The berries turned into a tart last night...nothing fancy just a nice crust in a 12 inch tart pan filled with fresh berries a small drizzle of honey and some bits of good Irish butter. 40 minutes at 400F and it was delicious. I could have dusted the berries with a bit of corn starch for a little thicker texture but it was fine without. There will be more berries soon as the bushes are loaded with plenty of red berries. I think the next berry event will be individual "bubbly pies".

Back to work today.

Cold Water Pickle Time

Got a couple of gallons and a couple of quarts of cold water dill pickles started today. The cucumbers are a little earlier this year since it has been so warm. I didn't start pickles until the first week of July last year. The link above is for the recipe I posted last year. This is the old fashioned way to make pickles as you don't have to cook or can and just let them work in the jar or crock and it makes an excellent pickle and one that is not too salty. This is the time of year to keep an eye out for pickling cukes in the farmer's markets and make your own.

Rainy Day

Its a good day to get into all the blog mechanics since it is raining and therefore no gardening. I do have to go to work at 230p for a few hours but I imagine it will be pretty slow with the weather since it really puts a crimp in peoples DIY stuff....especially gardening.

If anybody has any comments about the new commenting took please feel free. Once and if everything gets synched with blogger there will be nothing keeping me from reverting back to just using the blogger comments.

If you are interested I couldn't get the new js-kit widget stuff to work and the web site is no help what so ever. Bye-bye is all I can say.

Disqus Enabled

I think I got everything straight and got the Echo/Haloscan turned off and out. Disqus seems to be working with current posts and we'll just have to see if it synchs up all the old comments after it runs for a while. It accepted the XML file and is crunching away so we shall see. I still need to figure out all the bells and whistles and get those corrected but the motor seems to be running and there are four tires.

Echo,Haloscan,js-kit Going Away

I knew this would happen eventually but now it is happening for real. I have never upgraded to the js-kit widget on the blog and still use the old haloscan code in the template. If I just turn this code off I and revert to the blogger comments I will lose all the old comments and that is years worth of comments. From what I can tell if I upgrade the blog to the new advanced blogger template and then enable the js-kit widget in the new template it should synch all the echo comments with blogger and once synched I can then remove the widget and continue on with  blogger comments. The other option is to export all the echo comments in XML and then enable another third party comment tool like Disqus and import the comments.

The first option sounds simple and the way to go but I am not sure if it doesn't sound too simple. Anyone had any experience with this stuff?

Regardless, I need to do something soon as everything goes away in a couple of months with js-kit.
If things look different around here and there is no commenting then you know I have jumped the shark. I'll make back ups of the old template and export the comments from js-kit to xml just to have some possibility of recovering but I may lose everything in the process. Oh! and the art of HTML has progressed far beyond my once feeble skills so I won't be doing anything fancy.

Vege Time

The garden is starting to produce. Zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, cukes so far. We also dug the potatoes the other day and got a good little yield considering they started as the left overs from last year that were in the bottom of the basket and starting to sprout.
So tonight's dinner will be roasted zucchini, yellow squash, onion and peppers with a balsamic vinaigrette and I'll probably toss in some green and yellow beans from my friends down the road as my beans haven't come in yet. We'll also have a roasted jacket potato.
Rain for two days has kept the gardening at a minimum...just checking and picking what's come in. I work again tomorrow morning but I have the afternoon off and I'll get something done with the weeds that just love the rain. Tomatoes soon and the corn has tasseled and the ears are starting to fill. Not long. 

Slip Sliding Away

I guess the Rethuglicans aren't too happy with being Number Two and are addressing child poverty with any number of innovative plans to get us where we deserve to be. How tragic is this?

According to a new report from the Office of Research at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the developed world. Of the 35 wealthy countries studied by UNICEF, only Romania has a child poverty rate higher than the 23 percent rate in the U.S.:

[The rate is] based on the definition of relative poverty used by the OECD. Under this definition,a child is deemed to be living in relative poverty if he or she is growing up in a household where disposable income, when adjusted for family size and composition, is less than 50% of the median disposable household income for the country concerned. By this standard, more than 15% of the 200 million children in the 35 countries listed in Figure 1b are seen to be living in relative poverty.

The top five positions in the league table are occupied by Iceland, Finland, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Norway (with Slovenia and Denmark close behind). All of these countries have relative child poverty rates below 7%. Another eight countries including two of the largest — Germany and France– have rates between 7% and 10%. A third group, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, post rates of between 10% and 15%. A further six, including populous Italy and Spain, show rates of between 15% and 20%. In only two countries are more than 20% of children living in relative poverty — Romania and the United States.

Lamb Kebab

Since I didn't get much of a Memorial Day weekend so I thought I would make up for it tonight. Cooked one of my favorites, Lamb Kofta Kebab. Lamb shoulder minced with pistachios, sumac, cumin, fresh thyme and olive oil and then formed around skewers and grilled.  Made some fresh whole wheat pita and served the lamb with macerated Vidalia onions (thinly sliced and soaked in lime juice and salt) with diced fresh tomato and parsley and a little Greek yogurt. I haven't been eating big meals for the last few months but tonight I put away two pitas stuffed with the grilled lamb and fixings. Mighty fine but am I stuffed!
If anyone would like the actual recipe for the lamb kebabs or the whole wheat pita let me know and I'll post them. I've found that most folks(American) don't fancy lamb and they look at you funny when you mention it. I've run into a lot of people that have never even tried it but insist they don't like it. I actually wasn't exposed to it growing up but fell in love with lamb when I was in the Middle Eat. Once you have tasted a slow roasted lamb that has been studded with garlic and rosemary then basted with olive oil and lemon while it slowly cooked over an olive wood fire you won't turn up your nose at lamb. Besides, when they are culling the sheep herds in the spring of the excess males, lamb is cheap eats and good protein which might otherwise go to waste.

Still Dry

I had high hopes for the tropical storm but it brought no rain of any consequence to the Northern burbs of Atlanta. I'm going to have to water. Bummer.

Say Cheese

I have to work today/tonight so no BBQ or anything. As you can see I have been on walkabout with the camera. Since I can't revel in any good food today I thought it would be nice to share a picture I took a while back at a nice little place down on the square called Provisions. Run by a very nice young Frenchman. Good selection of cheeses and other good stuff. There is also a pic of another new shop that sells nothing but brilliant olive oils and vinegars. You can taste before you buy and all the oils and vinegars are in nice stainless containers from which they will fill your bottles or theirs. I got a little carried away on my first visit but am enjoying the results. The apricot balsamic vinegar is amazing.

Goddess Working

I caught a picture of the Goddess working hard in the cosmos or if you prefer the cosmos working hard in the cosmos. I know it looks just like a bumblebee but it is so much more.

Leek Blossom

Just in case you have never seen what a leek blossom looks like. They bloom in their second year and are really quite showy. If you are going to save seed you have to let some of the leeks winter over so you can get them to blossom.

Garden Today

Just so you know I haven't been making up the hard work in the garden. Here it is today. Under the black weed fabric on the left are the melons and pumpkins, then a row of Hutterite Soup beans, eggplant and okra, three rows of peppers, four rows of tomatoes(mostly heirlooms), cukes, more tomatoes, peas, ground cherries, herbs, leeks.I'm ahead of the weeds for now as you can see but it is early. You can barely see the corn but it is tasseling and there are more beans and sweet potatoes in the back. Looking pretty good for the end of May and there will be cherry tomatoes within a week or so.

Not National BBQ Day

This is Memorial Day weekend. It's the "official beginning of summer" and a time when everybody seems to focus on a good time outdoors, BBQ, adult beverages and all that. Take a moment during all the festivities this weekend to remember the real reason for the holiday. If all you can do is pause and lift a cool one n remembrance then so be it.

Susie Madrak posted this picture in her annual Memorial Day post and it really touched me. Let's try and honor our heroes on this day and remember not only their sacrifices but the sacrifices of their families and loved ones. Don't forget to fly your flag.

Smaller Place

Madam has already started in on the decorations for Bulloch Hall for Christmas (yeah it is only May) and her project yesterday, while I was working, was constructing a small paper White House. The theme this year is Grover Cleveland's two terms in office. She did a nice job but it got me to thinking that if Mitt should win the election he is going to have to get used to living in a smaller place. The "low rent" district as it were. It is appropriate in some ways since if he should become President we will all probably have to look into finding a cheaper place to live. Speaking of "cheap" I need to head off to a shift at the Depot...and yes I am working everyday this weekend and Monday. No holiday for me.

Out With The Old

I know it has been quiet around these parts but nothing really much going on except gardening and working. Madam and I are dog sitting Minimonk's three this week so that adds a bit of adventure and a few walks into the mix. Off to work in a few minutes and aside from a little time in the garden this morning Madam and I purged my closet of things that are now too big for me to wear. The charity shop will get 12 pairs of dress slacks, 12 pairs of golf shorts, 4 pairs of casual slacks and some other assorted stuff. I still haven't resolved to get rid of my suits just yet but I actually don't think I can wear them. Forty pounds makes a big difference in how clothes fit. It's also a good thing I don't have to replace a wardrobe right now.

Sugar Update

Since I posted about HFCS in the last post I thought it might be time to update where I am with my attack on my Type II  diabetes/metabolic syndrome. Toward the end of February I took the bull by the horns and following the advice in Dr. Mark Hyman's Blood Sugar Solution coupled with Dr. Stefan Ripich's The 30 Day Diabetes Cure made big changes in my diet/lifestyle. No more simple carbohydrates, no sugar(even substitutes) and absolutely no HFCS, no processed foods, more veges and less meat and some additional supplements.
Things are going well....I've lost just under 40 pounds(it would be more but I have added considerable muscle due to my gym sessions). My fasting blood sugar is mostly staying below 90 (which is by definition non diabetic). I've had to buy new clothes(2 waist sizes). Granted, I'm exercising so you can't attribute all of the weight loss to diet alone but so far so good. This is a forever diet and lifestyle change and yes I do miss fresh white bread and some other things but the trade off is worth it. We'll see where I am in a couple of more months. Oh! and I am feeling pretty good as well and sleeping better and Madam says I have stopped snoring for the most part. All good.
The next step is to see my doctor and see about dropping the diabetes meds. I have already dropped Lipitor but I want to drop the blood pressure and diabetes meds as well.

HFCS Really Is Poison

The evidence keeps piling up and you need to consider it the poison it really is, regardless of what the HFCS manufacturers and peddlers say. Read every package of every processed food you buy...better yet, don't buy any processed food. All the food producers that use this stuff are trying to kill you. They know it is dangerous and what's worse it is unnecessary. They could use proper sugar but it would cut into their already obscene profits by a couple of pennies per ton. This is really dangerous stuff:

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.
In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.
“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

In results published online Feb. 26 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.
The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.
The second experiment — the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals — monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet.
“These rats aren’t just getting fat; they’re demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides,” said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. “In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.” In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.

Finally!

I actually finished putting in the garden today. The last of the Hutterite Soup beans went into the ground. I also got the pumpkins, cantaloupe, watermelon and acorn squash planted. This is, of course, in between endless hours of weeding and cultivating. The Goddess rewarded my diligence and hard work with a nice thunder shower this evening. Now all we have to do is keep ahead of the weeds and wait to begin harvesting. (No Goddess I am not counting my chickens!)

Thank you friend, thank you friend, thank you friend...that's the little thing I hear in my consciousness every time I put a seed into the ground. Each seed is about to have the opportunity to fulfill its purpose and grow more seeds...with the little tickle of fun that is natural selection thrown in for spice. By the same token I should be thanking them for allowing me the honor of planting and harvesting. I'll do my part by preserving seed but the lesson is that we all need to be thankful. Blessed Be!

Traditional Marriage- You want Fries With That?

Hecate does an admirable job of dismantling the wacko right's hoorah over President Obama's admission that he sees nothing wrong with gay 'marriage'.  I would just like to add that were I one of the 'jumped by Jesus' crowd I would be embarrassed by the obvious lack of knowledge and history displayed by these idiots.
'Traditional marriage' as defined by these bible thumpers is a fiction of ignorance and it doesn't matter how many times you repeat the lie it is still untrue. Then again, ignorance is a key component of what these folks deem "Christianity" so we shouldn't be at all surprised by all this.

Good Day Off

I had the day off yesterday and got a lot done. Tilled the rest of the garden(the part that doesn't get good sun until the real summer) and got the cantaloupe and watermelons planted. The pumpkins and some other squash will have to wait until Tuesday when I'm next off. Had to work in a light rain this morning to finish up and plant a fig tree that my friends down the road gave me. It's not looking the least bit happy but maybe it will catch hold.
I also built a bridge over my garden ditch(which diverts the heavy run off from my neighbor around the garden) and it looks pretty good. Now I can roll my carts, tiller, etc. right into the garden and not have to struggle through the ditch...a much needed addition.
I had such an issue with weeds last summer in the melon patch that this year I'm trying a weed block fabric which adds a lot of time to the planting process but maybe it will enable me to find the melons this year. Off to a fun filled Saturday afternoon/evening at the Depot(1:15 - 10:15) let's just keep our fingers crossed that I don't wind up at the returns desk again. Goddess it sucks...I don't mind the "legitimate" returns so much but the "stupid" ones irritate me to no end. One 50 cent switch plate, a couple of extra screws, 20 cinder blocks that weren't needed after all and on and on. I plan my projects down to the last screw and foot of wood and I never have "extra" when the project is done...if anything I need an extra trip for one more piece of something.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

So North Carolina has decided, like Georgia, to instill discrimination into its constitution. Like Georgia, this just proves that the majority of voters in North Carolina are insane and in a bad way. I like to think that in some not too distant future the voters of Georgia and North Carolina will look back upon this in supreme embarrassment.

Impressed

I sat on the deck tonight while a thunderstorm rolled in from the West. First the light breeze and the smell of moisture. Lightning, a long way off, then closer. Finally the rain and a full fledged rain....cold and clean. I'm impressed.

Super Moon

Be on the lookout for the Super Moon tonight. I'll be getting off about 1015p so there is a good chance I will be able to catch it in all its glory.

The moon will be up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the other full moons of 2012, according to NASA.
It will reach perigee, its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, at 11:34 p.m. ET and become full just a minute later.

Down Day

Kind of a down day today. I got up and went for a haircut at 9am. Made a trip to Home Depot and Trader Joe's for some stuff and that is about it. Thought seriously about going to the gym but just couldn't get motivated enough. Did go to the garden but since we had a good rain this morning it is too wet to get much done. Suckered a few tomatoes and checked on everything...lots of blooms on the tomatoes and quite a few on the peppers. There are even some small ground cherries in place. Worked out there all day yesterday and all the weeding shows....looking good for a few days. Don't have to work until 6pm today until closing at 10p so it is an easy one today. Got to work 3p to 10 tomorrow and Saturdays at the Depot are a zoo. Off Sunday and Monday though  and I'll get the weeds that spring up between now and then on Sunday. I'm mulching like crazy to try and keep them under control and trying to stay ahead of them but I think it rains weed seeds here cause there is a new batch after each rain. BTW we are 4 inches behind on rainfall so far this year and with it this hot this early and so dry we may be in for a scorcher 'Death Valley' summer.

Really depressed about my family of bluebirds that were in the house by the garden. I hadn't seen any activity in a few days so I thought the little ones had fledged. Not so. As usual after the fledging I clean out the house to ready it for another batch as bluebirds won't move into an existing nest and won't build a new one over an old. Found to little bodies inside and it appears that for some reason the parents, who had been doing a great job of feeding just abandoned the nest and left the little ones to starve. They didn't seem to mind my working in the garden in close proximity as they kept up a constant stream of meals whilst I did my work. I sure hope I wasn't to blame. Sometimes Mother Nature makes a sad.

Happy May Day

It's now 6 months before November 1st and beginning of the temporary rule of darkness. Today is May Day and we should all celebrate the ascendance of the light. May the next 6 months allow you to harvest and store the energy necessary to overcome the darkness. May the power of Beltane be with you in the coming months.

Pebbles In the Stream

In responding to comments to my post about the presidential election and why it is important to consider carefully your vote and why it should be for the President I touched on a theme I would like to expand on a bit.

Everyday we make decisions about our relationship to the universe and each of those decisions, on balance, determine whether our influence/relationship with the universe is net positive or negative. Getting in the care and driving a block to the store(when we could probably walk if not disabled) is probably a negative, tossing the empty bottle in the recycling is probably a positive. The universe flows by and through us throughout our lives and as we each participate in the flow our tiny contribution is either, on balance, going to shift the overall flow toward the positive or the negative however miniscule our individual contribution is. Each action or inaction we take needs to be considered in light of the flow. Do I want to be a positive influence or a negative influence.

Home Stretch

Nice surprise the... PTB cancelled my shift for today which means that I will have a third day off in a row and I should get the final tasks in the garden completed with time to spare. Pretty much everything is planted. All the tomatoes are caged and/or staked and the peppers as well. Today will be mulching and other finalizing chores. They also cut my shift on Tuesday in half so I have actually had three and a half days it show in the progress. Everything looks nice right now but soon the battle of the weeds begins but on the plus side it is also that much closer to reaping the bounty. Really looking forward to all the new heirloom tomatoes and the new peppers. I have again planted too many of everything but I can't help myself.  I
I'll try and get a picture this afternoon if I remember to show off the handiwork.

Ditto

I just want to echo Bobby's post at BBWW re: Romney's effect. If Romney pulls out a win in November it will also probably mean that he will have both house of Congress at his back at will. For those of you that, for whatever NOBLE reason, think that withholding your vote for President Obama will somehow allow you to mark your protest of the fact that President Obama has turned out not to be the Second Coming or whatever...think again.
With a GOP congress and Romney at the helm we will be in for a nightmare. Cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, decreased spending on the safety net, increased spending for defense, complete abandonment of environmental laws and wise energy policy. Increased flow of the nation's wealth to the 1% and a complete abandonment of the less fortunate. Everything we progressives hate most will be the plan. If you can't see the positive potential of keeping the GOP at bay even with the evidence of the Ryan budget and the last 3 plus years of dysfunctional government staring you in the face you are at best delusional. Protest, write letters, blog your dissatisfaction, wear your hair shirt anyway you like but make the only semi-rational decision and do your best to see that we don't become a nation where the idiots in the current GOP are running the show.
I know President Obama has not my or your expectations but I also understand a lot of the reasons why. The reality of GOP governance has me scared juice less and if Bugs Bunny were my only choice over Romney that is where my vote would be.

To reiterate what Bobby said....If you don't vote for Obama over Romney or you withhold your vote for Obama out of protest for not getting whatever "pony" you were expecting, you will be doing exactly as Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, Norquist and all the other wealthy white old guys want.  Of course they want you to vote against your own self interest and vote for Romney but if they can get you to not vote for Obama it will be at least a half a loaf and they will win, just with not as large a margin. Think about it....do you really want to do what Karl Rove wants.

Earth Day

It is Earth Day tomorrow and more than ever we need to recognize the important relationship we all have with our Mother. We cannot continue to ignore her needs lest she begin to ignore ours. We are of her and her health and well being are ours. To challenge this truth is insanity. Thanks to Hecate for the poem.

May the blessing of Sunlight fall upon you!
May its warmth embrace you like a great
hearth-fire, and nourish your green growing things.
And may its heat not exceed proper measure!

May the blessing of rain wash over you!
May its sweet waters run through
your streams and rivers and render
them fair and clear once again.
May they find their way to your
seas, your deep seas where the blue
of heaven shines, and may your seas
teem again with fish of every kind.
And may your seas not exceed proper measure!

May your old forests rise again, that
the council of the growing things be
heard in the land.
May we remember each and all living
things have a place in the order.
And may we not let our portion, the
human being portion, exceed our own
proper measure!

~Michael Green

It's Earth Day and you need to figure out how you can be a blessing to Mother Earth. You need to concentrate on how you can leave Her healthier than you found Her. It doesn't take much. Recycle, compost bin, vegetable garden, leaving off with insecticides, whatever. Small things add up.

 Note:
For those of you not aware. The above poem is a powerful spell and you should each read it out loud and with an emotional commitment to its truth and power.  If enough of us make the emotional investment in the ideas expressed it will shift the force just that much further toward the positive.

Blessed be!

No Surprise

Well it is two years tomorrow since the Deepwater Horizon spill and in spite of what we are being told by the PWTB and American media Al Jazeera actually has done some reporting on the ongoing effects of the worst environmental disaster of all time. It's ugly and very sad.

“The fishermen have never seen anything like this,” Dr Jim Cowan told Al Jazeera. “And in my 20 years working on red snapper, looking at somewhere between 20 and 30,000 fish, I’ve never seen anything like this either.”
Dr Cowan, with Louisiana State University’s Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences started hearing about fish with sores and lesions from fishermen in November 2010.
Cowan’s findings replicate those of others living along vast areas of the Gulf Coast that have been impacted by BP’s oil and dispersants.
Gulf of Mexico fishermen, scientists and seafood processors have told Al Jazeera they are finding disturbing numbers of mutated shrimp, crab and fish that they believe are deformed by chemicals released during BP’s 2010 oil disaster.
Along with collapsing fisheries, signs of malignant impact on the regional ecosystem are ominous: horribly mutated shrimp, fish with oozing sores, underdeveloped blue crabs lacking claws, eyeless crabs and shrimp – and interviewees’ fingers point towards BP’s oil pollution disaster as being the cause.

We are being lied to. No surprise there. Just keep in mind that the Gulf of Mexico provides about 40% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. and if you think all the eyeless shrimp, mutated crabs and lesion covered fish were consigned to the trash and never reached a dinner table somewhere think again. We haven't seen the full effect of the spill even yet and when we do we are going to be even more horrified. Don't worry though because BP and the other oil companies are making record profits and we are paying record prices for gas.

Surprised

I was scheduled from 8a to 1p yesterday but instead of cashier I had to work the lot as the actual lot guy didn't show up. All the rest of the folks in the "front end" department are women so it fell to me to do the lot. Shouldn't have been too hard on a Monday morning but the "garden fever" of the weekend spilled over and I found myself really busy. Just for fun I kept track of what I loaded in my 5 hours. 172 bales of pine straw. 24 bales of wheat straw. 62 bags of "Moo-nure", 26 bags of top soil and 108 bags of assorted mulch. I was cream crackered by the end. I did, however, with Madam's help, get my 100 plus pepper plants in the ground yesterday afternoon in anticipation of the overnight rains which never came. I don't have to be at work until 3p today so I am going to try and get some more stuff planted before then.

Different

Funny, as in weird, the new store is scheduling me as a garden associate a couple of days a week. I've always been just a cashier but now, even though I am still in the "cashier department" I am having to cross clock into the "garden department" every once in a while. No big deal and it is a nice change not to be tied to a register and be able to walk around and help customers with their garden questions. It isn't like I don't know anything about gardening as you sometimes find at such places. It is also surprising how little so many people know about the basics of gardening and plant care. You get questions about fertilizing beans and their faces go blank when you explain how legumes fix their own nitrogen. I am off in a few minutes for another day as a "garden associate" and we'll see what we can do to help the world stay a little greener. It is a quandary though when people ask me about pesticides and such...yes they will kill the bugs but at what price to your kids, pets, neighbors and planet? I try and give them some options.

Hard Gardening

I'm on the second of two days off and more intensive gardening today. Yesterday I got half the tomatoes planted...that would be 55 plants so far. The balance today plus an almost equal number of pepper plants if I have time. Yesterday were the main season varieties, Celebrity, Rutgers, San Marzano, and Italian Heirloom. Today will be smaller numbers of heirloom varieties. Lemon Drop, Cherokee Purple, Velvet Red, Wapsipincon Peach, Moonglow, Gold Medal and a couple of others. Also have to plant the Aunt Molly's ground cherry which will be a new one for me.
All the squash, beans, cucumbers, okra, corn and all still need to be planted but this is the last day off for a few. I have to keep reminding myself that it is only the middle of April and that I have plenty of time but the warm temperatures are driving me.
This year I am going for low maintenance since I have limited time. Newspaper mulch around the tomatoes, okra, peppers, and eggplant to help with the weeds and heavy mulching of other stuff. Maybe I can stay ahead of the weeds with less work this year.
If the warm temperatures and scarce rainfall so far this year it could be a challenging summer for us gardeners.

Holiday Over

Our friends have left to  catch the last two days of the Masters in Augusta. We had a great time...ate too much and all that. Both of them look great and especially Fred and he seems to have bounced back from heart surgery and abdominal surgery last year. He even went to the gym with me one day. Madam caught up on all the gossip with her best friend. It was really a nice time. No real agenda, just hanging out.
I did get the garden laid out yesterday afternoon so some gardening was done on the week off and I'll probably get some planting done over the week. The nighttime temps have gone back to pretty much normal for this time of year so I don't feel so pressured to get something in the ground as they will just sit there until the temps stay a little warmer overnight.
Back to work today and tomorrow and both days I am scheduled as a Lot Associate. Probably won't have to actually do the lot stuff, which is hard work for an old man but I can....at least it won't get into the 80's today or tomorrow.
Everyone, who feels so inclined, enjoy your Easter. Try and limit the jelly beans, Peeps and chocolate bunnies if you can. If you actually went all old fashioned and colored some actual eggs try making deviled eggs after you roll them around the lawn. I might add that a pinch of curry powder, Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt and rice vinegar make a nice deviled egg. If you are adventurous then a bit of Srirachi makes a fine addition as well.

Friends Time

Our friends from Arkansas arrived last night on their way to the Masters. We haven't seen them in a couple of years and it is really nice to get back together. They drove straight through and arrived just at the beginning of the NCAA game. A good thing as they are big time Kentucky fans as he is an alum.
Going to play for the next couple of days and get caught up. Eat some good food and probably drink a little too much and laugh a lot. It will be even quieter that usual around here.

Just Stuff

Today Madam and I celebrate our 39th anniversary...hard to believe. For her gift she got new tires and a tuneup on her Explorer. Aren't I romantic?  I have to work this afternoon and evening so we won't be doing a special dinner, tonight at least.
I did hit a rather nice milestone Wednesday as well. Since I modified my diet(6 wks ago) to eliminate "fast carbs" (high glycemic index foods), eliminated processed foods, foods made with white flour, and all sugars even substitutes and increased the whole grains and added mostly vegan protein I have shed just over twenty pounds. Granted I am working out but I was before with no appreciable weight loss so this seems like a good thing. I might also note that my fasting blood sugar is staying at about 90 or below and while I am still taking the meds I will shortly start removing them and we'll see what happens. That will be the true test.
My first two shifts at the new store were rather challenging. For some reason my userid and password aren't working at the new store yet and since I can't log into a register they had me on the lot. That means loading a lot of bags of mulch, top soil, pine straw, etc, as well as rounding up carts and wagons from all over the lot. Not a job for an old man even one in reasonably good shape. I told them yesterday that I wouldn't do that again and to get the password thing fixed or don't bother scheduling me. I'm scheduled today, tomorrow and Sunday so they will have a shortage of cashiers if it is not fixed and it is a "Black Friday" weekend starting today. Lots of deals so the place will be hopping especially in the garden. Last Saturday the garden center accounted for almost 70% of the day's store sales about 80K$ and it should be even busier this weekend.
Off to water in the greenhouse where everybody looks happy and almost ready to go into the garden and then to work. Cheers!

Patience

I really, really need to keep reminding myself that it is just now spring and not yet time to go full tilt in the garden. We can still have some freezing weather between now and Easter so I need to hold off a bit longer. With the highs hitting the 70's everyday it is really hard to believe that Spring is fully sprung. I've got a day off but there is transplanting to do and more seeds to get started. I'm going to start the corn in trays again this year since I was so successful last year. Way late in getting basil and parsley started as well. I was going to get an early start today but when I picked up my glasses yesterday morning to put them on they just snapped in half so instead of gardening this morning I had to make a trip to the optician. It always something.
Minimonk dropped off the three dogs yesterday so we now have a houseful of canines to watch over as well. They are probably going to want to do something besides watch me transplant  tomato seedlings most of the day.

Whirlwind

Good productive two days off. Finished the final tilling of the garden and now it is ready for the beginning of planting. The team finished the house painting just as scheduled and now it is a nice dark green (rosemary) with white trim. Much different experience than the last painting job which took 6 weeks and the involvement of my lawyer. The recommendations of Angie's List came through this time.
While the boys finished up the painting yesterday I got all the outside lighting replaced with new lanterns by the garage doors and front door. Replaced the locks and deadbolts on the front and back doors. I also (Madam's help) got half the tomato plant seedlings transplanted into their own little cells. They'll be ready for the garden in a couple of weeks. I once again have way too many tomato plants but I'm thinking my friends down the road will take some off my hands. Now back to work for the last three days at the old store and then start the next Tuesday at the new one around the corner. Gotta go make my lunch and head out...everyone enjoy their weekend.

Just The First of Many

A little more is coming out about the tragic murder of civilians in Afghanistan by an American serviceman. It turns out the guy is on his 4th rotation only this time it was Afghanistan and he was not happy about the deployment. The military/government are trying to hype this as a soldier becoming deranged and the rampage the result. The probable truth is that the guy was frustrated, mentally exhausted and lashing out. If he was actually "deranged" then he would have probably turned his weapon on his buddies. It happened in Vietnam and even after deployment to Vietnam was over in places like Hawaii. I know because I was there and witnessed it first hand. It is just one of the symptoms of "battle fatigue".

The thing is, it doesn't matter how professional, elite, or well-disciplined your army is, if you put them in theaters like Iraq, Afghanistan and yes, Vietnam for 10 years with an open ended and undefined  mission  mixed with an indigenous population where you can't tell the good guys from the bad you're going to have trouble. Add rotations of four, five, or six tours to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster.  Afghanistan is not materially different from Vietnam in this respect and until the generals and chicken hawks admit it, this kind of thing will continue to happen and even escalate.

In case I wasn't clear...this guy wasn't "deranged" or just all of a sudden went off the deep end. His actions were a product of this environment and completely the result of his repeated deployment into what I am sure he realized was a "no win" situation. Frustration, anger, resentment and a sense of powerlessness to control his own destiny were the triggers. It is tragic that a bunch of civilians got in his way of venting his anger. Just as tragic, however, is for us to buy into the military/government hype that this guy was "deranged" thereby removing any responsibility for the soldier's actions. They will try very hard to distance themselves from the reality that this whole tragic affair is because of their poor or nonexistent management of this whole Afghanistan thing and the terrible burdens that they are putting on our men and women in uniform.

Snakes Today

Just came back from the gym and went out to open the greenhouse door as it is going to be in the 80's again today and lo and behold there was a small king snake stalking a lizard in front of the basement door. I spent a good half hour watching the snake inch closer and closer and finally spring. It only took a couple of minutes thereafter for the lizard to disappear down the hatch. The crazy thing is that this happened in the middle of March. Very bad sign for the summer which is probably going to set records for temperature and who knows what else.
We've got house painters coming Monday to start on the house and I have to remember to tell them not to panic or kill the snake if they see it. King snakes are nice to have around as they do a  good job of keeping the poisonous away. In this part of Georgia we normally only see copperheads and the occasional moccasin though the rare Eastern timber rattler will surface now again. I am sure it will be a Hispanic crew and I don't know if they have the same reiculous fear of all snakes that your typical American does.

Sprung

By my calendar it is officially Spring as I tilled the garden yesterday. I got two passes in and got most of the green manure turned under before it started to sprinkle. That should break down before planting gets into full swing in mid April. Rained all night and it is just beginning to clear up this morning. Since my outdoor endeavors are on hold I am going to plant some stuff. I'll get the okra and eggplant started today and maybe a little more. Going to try rest up a bit today after a couple of hard days. Going to the gym and then spending the  rest of the day in the garden is a lot. Since we are now on daylight time  I also have to gird myself for the earlier mornings and later nights. I don't start tomorrow until 8a but Thursday it is 545a..uhg!
There is some good news however....and that is my efforts to get transferred to the store nearest me (5 minutes) have finally borne fruit and I start there on the 26th...hooray.

Poison Sugar

Today is my third "official day" without sugar of any kind...not even fruit. Whole grain, lean meat, yogurt, eggs vegetables, legumes, etc. This is only for the first 10 days or so and then I can start adding some fruit. Just tow days without any sugars and I added 10 pounds to most of the exercises in my weight routine and 15 pounds to the chest press. I also added 15 additional situps to each of my three sets. I have to believe that the lack of sugar has to be the cause of some of it especially as my fasting blood sugar was 111 this morning when it is normally 130 or 140 and sometimes even higher. Just saying.  I've actually jumped the gun a bit since the program I am following calls for eliminating just sugar the first day, adding a teaspoon of cinnamon the second, eliminating soft drinks and fruit juice the third and "fast carbs" the fourth. I was already doing cinnamon daily and except for my Snapple Green Tea not doing soft drinks. I decided "fast carbs" and sugar could be eliminated from the get go. The next couple of days are eating a good breakfast with eggs and or Greek yogurt which I already do and not eating any fast food which I don't do very often (every week or two I will have a Wendy's cheeseburger so I won't miss fast food). All things considered I am well ahead of the curve. Though I must admit I was tempted this morning to do my traditional Sunday breakfast with bacon, eggs and toast. I opted for oatmeal with cinnamon and Greek yogurt and the gym.

There is also the requirement to drink a liter/quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight a day which is proving very tough. For me that is 5 liters and that's a lot of water. What's worse is I had a cup of coffee and a cup of tea this morning which means an extra liter. I'll be doing yard and garden work for the rest of the day so maybe I'll have a chance to meet my water quota. It's another gorgeous spring day here in Atlanta and the forecast is for daytime highs in the 70's for the next week. Lots of blooming already happening.

New Program

I have been doing a lot of research on Type 2 diabetes and am convinced that all the medications I am taking(metformin, glimiperide, losartan, plus the statin) are probably not necessary if I can change my lifestyle just a little.
Sugar and "fast carbs" are the devils that I have to purge. I already do a lot of things right...no sodas(even diet), eat mostly whole grains, lots of veges and legumes. I still have to deal with things like chips, crackers, etc.
Today I started on a program to eliminate every sugar and "fast carbs" from my diet for 10 days including all the "hidden sugars in processed foods(I don't really eat that many but some). All forms of sugar are out including artificial sweeteners. Today I had my one cup of coffee without Splenda and I eliminated it from my tea a while back. This also means I have to give up my Snapple Diet Green Tea which I love since it has both Splenda and sugar. Bummer. The other bummer is that I am going to have to cut way back on my wine which isn't going to make me happy.
The thing is I already am pretty careful about my food, no HFCS, minimal sugar etc. and I try and avoid processed foods and white flour. Not careful enough so now I have to become a fanatic. Hopefully in a couple of weeks my insulin and adrenaline will be back in balance and my pancreas all rested up from having to produce insulin in excess and we will see if this lifestyle change has an impact on the diabetes and the need for all the drugs for sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. Everything I have read tells me I can lose these drugs with some changes to my life style. We shall see.
Did you know that today the average American consumes 170 pounds of sugar per year in all its forms compared to 100 years ago when the average consumption was 4 pound per year.
In a famous study with rats it was discovered that given the choice of cocaine or sugar the rats chose sugar and worked harder to get sugar than cocaine.
It is poison.

Almost Off

I was off yesterday and got the peas(sugarsnap and green) planted as well as potatoes. I was beginning to worry that I was going to miss the window. I also managed to get four more blueberries planted. I am off today for the most part as well (I do have to go in for 4 hours tonight at 5) but I should actually have a chance to get something done before then. I just finished 6 days straight and so the first thing this morning will be the gym which I haven't seen in a week.
I will have 3 whole days off starting tomorrow...hooray!

Murder By Any Name

There has been quite a dust up regarding the Attorney General's comments on the Executive branch's need and justification for killing American citizens without "due process". Let me just start out by saying that I don't agree that "due process" justifies killing anybody whether friend or foe. I do, however, want to try and bring some perspective to the issue.

The harsh reality is that our government has been killing American citizens without "due process" since before it was actually our government and that has been through the inhuman act of war. Thousands and thousands of American soldiers have been killed since our country's founding in war without "due process". You can argue that a Declaration of War by the Congress is "due process" but I beg to differ. Regardless of whether an official Declaration of War is, in fact, "due process" the point becomes effectively mute when you consider the actions of our government since the Authorization to Use Military Force was granted after 9/11. You can argue until you are blue in the face that the AUMF was "due process" but the fact remains that thousands of American lives were lost and are still being lost based on lies and without "due process".

The idea that killing/murder/death of your own or others for any reason that you might decided upon is wrong, regardless of reason whether it be for revenge, oil, politics or religion. Nothing justifies it.

So here is the deal. It is wrong for the Executive branch to effect this power but let's be real...it is just another flavor of government sanctioned killing/murder/death. If we are going to get our skivvies in a knot let's, at least, get them in a knot over the whole enchilada and not as some half-baked excuse to accuse this President of some grievous crime against the Constitution.

While I am at it I might as well go the next step and mention that our current sanctions against Iran are just another way of killing/murder/death without the bullets. Just like the sanctions we imposed on Iraq, these sanctions are going to kill the poor, the children and the least able to protect themselves. None of the powerful in Iran will suffer just like none of the powerful in Iraq suffered. The sanctions will, just like Iraq, kill thousands of the least able to protect themselves and it will all be without "due process".

We Have Tomatoes

The majick happens once again. Most of the tomato seed I planted last week have now sprouted. It just never ceases to amaze me. Anyhow, off to work in a bit for the fifth day in a row(some part time job!) and I have to work again tomorrow but a day off Wednesday, short (4 hours) Thursday and another day off Friday. Might have a chance to get some garden work done since there is no rain forecast and it might get dry enough to till. Fingers crossed.

On the political front the GOP troglodytes have been here in Georgia and I have felt a weakening of the force. We'll have Super Tuesday out of the way tomorrow and the infestation will go away before we have to resort to drugs. Newt will win in these parts since I am surrounded by idiots.

There Be Dragons Here

I shamelessly appropriated this from the Facebook page Fundies Say the Darnedest Things because it made me laugh.
 Update: I can't seem to make it so when you click on it it gets full page. I'll try and fix it but no promises. It may be because I got it from Facebook.  Update 2: Fixed I think.

Missed A Month

March 1st and it is 74F in Atlanta today. Somehow the universe skipped a month and yes Al Gore is still a little heavy. Only had to work until noon today got home and dug out some shorts and I am still hot. Very strange.

Tomatoes Are Go

My best intentions of getting some garden work done were frustrated by rain so I did the next best thing and started all of the tomatoes. A bunch of heirlooms I got from Seed Savers(all the varieties that have won the annual taste test over the last 8 years. Of course, there are Cherokee Purple as well and seeds from the heirlooms I have saved too. Main season tomato is going to be the hybrid "Celebrity" this year but I have also started some Rutgers(heirloom) as a back up and something to save the seeds from. For my paste tomato I usually plant "Margherita"  but this year I decided to go with "San Marzano" they are both heirloom varieties and we'll see how they do here in the South. I also started seed for a ground cherry called "Aunt Molly's", The are supposed to be native to the Eastern U.S. but I've never actually seen or tasted one but they get raves. They have a husk like a tomatillo but are supposed to be sweeter and juicier. Looking forward to trying those.

Still a few weeks away for the rest of the seed starting....melons and okra and cukes.

Going Fast

Finally some actual time off. The part time job took 37.5 hours last week and six straight days. Seriously thinking about losing it and taking the health insurance risk on myself. So anyway, had a dentist checkup yesterday and my first gym session in a week. I also actually got some yard and garden work done but as is obvious no blogging. The dentist discovered that I had a chipped front tooth and partially missing filling on same so this morning I had that fixed. I am off to the gym again in a bit and then some more yard work and garden stuff. Just about time to get some more stuff planted in seed trays. Tomatoes being the big item. All the peppers are doing nicely and are in the greenhouse as are the shallots, leeks and onions. All the winter stuff(arugula, spinach, lettuces are all in the compost to make room for summer stuff. If we don't get significant rain over the next few days it will be time to make the first till of the garden and get it limed. I should also get some potatoes and peas in the ground within the next week or so. Lots of work and not a lot of time.

A Page From Aristophanes

I have been thinking a lot about the latest assault on women. I had mistakenly thought that(with the exception of the abortion battle) we had put the question of the rights of women to bed. Somehow the bat shit crazy people, in their search for some wedge issue against President Obama, have decided that contraception is the winning game. It is profoundly embarrassing and disturbing to see this happen. It just amazes me that these dirty old men(and a few self loathing crazy women) feel justified in continuing to tell our mothers, sisters, wives, and even grandmothers how they should treat their own bodies. How can they ignore the glorious, magical power of women and their ability to bring new life into the world. How can these jerks insist that this supremely powerful gift of women be turned over to them to do with as they please?
I think it might be high time the women of this country take a lesson or two from Lysistrata.

Crazy Schedule

Somehow the scheduling system has it in for me. I have been doing back to back shifts (closing and then opening the next morning). It basically leaves no time for anything but not enough sleep. I do have two days off coming up after a closing 8 hour shift tonight and another 4 hour closing shift Tuesday. I am also falling behind in my spring preparations for the garden though I do have peppers sprouting as well as shallots, onions and leeks.
BTW the pressure cooking of eggs(hard cooked) really worked. Peeled as slick as a whistle and they were very fresh eggs. Definitely a keeper technique.

Gorgonzola Pita and Pressure Cooked Eggs

I don't why I haven't tried it before but I haven't until today. Got home from the gym hungry but not starving and just wanted a light bite. Rummaged in the fridge and found a whole wheat pita and some Gorgonzola left over from the great pasta the other night. Split the pita and sprinkled a little cheese on one half (not much maybe a 1/4 cup) and put the other half on top. Put in on a hot grill pan brushed with a little olive oil and grilled it on both sides until the cheese melted and there was a little crispness to the bread. Cut it into 6 triangles and ta-da! I must say it makes a tasty little snack. I'm sure you could kick this up with a little fresh spinach or arugula but plain is just fine. I wonder why I never thought of a grilled blue cheese sandwich before! The little wedges would make nice snacks for a party as well.

Now I am off to find a small pressure cooker. I have a big one but I need one in the 5 or 6 liter size. Mark Ruhlman had a post today (by guest Laura Pazzaglia who lives in Italy and blogs at hippressurecooking.com). On how to cook eggs in a pressure cooker. I love hard cooked eggs but since I buy very fresh eggs and they don't hang around long I almost always have trouble peeling them without ravaging them somewhat. Using a pressure cooker is supposed to eliminate the problems of peeling hard cooked fresh eggs. It is also faster than the method I use currently which is bringing the eggs to the simmer and then turning off the heat and let them sit for 13 minutes before rapidly cooling. This method eliminates the eggs getting too hot and developing the unappealing green ring around the yolk. I shall report on whether pressure cooker does the deed.

Oh! If you follow the Mark Ruhlman link above Laura also gives a method of making
Oeufs En Cocotte which is a great alternative to the fried, poached, scrambled dilemma and something I love but never think of when trying to decide how to have my eggs.

Darn Early

Just got back from Madam's little cataract surgery with no problems. I would just like to know why surgery is scheduled at such early hours. We had to be there at 645a and since it is all the way inside the Perimeter off of I-75 we had to leave the house at 545a. I will note that there is not much traffic at that time of day. All's well that ends well but there might be an afternoon nap in the offing.

No More Seal Hunt In Canada

After years of struggle by people horrified by the cruelty and waste that surrounded the Canadian seal hunt it appears that environmental pressures and the lack of market for seal pelts has finally ended the yearly tragedy. That will be my happy thought for the day.

Back to Work

A good two days off but I start back today 1230p til 915p and worse I'm scheduled for returns which really sucks. To top it off I have to back at 745a Sunday. Best case I'll get to bed by 1030p tonight and have to roll out Sunday morning no later than 5a. Not looking forward to the weekend needless to say.
Everybody have a safe and happy weekend. If you are of a mind try the pasta recipe below as it was fabulous, especially with the fresh made spaghetti. Just note that you should be prepared to add a nice dose of the pasta water to the dish or it will gum up quickly as the cheese and pasta cool.

Change In Plans

I grandly announced yesterday that I was going to fry some chicken today but Flavor of Italy published a recipe this morning that changed my mind. I love blue cheese and Gorgonzola is high on my list.  Spaghetti with Gorgonzola Sage Sauce. It's so simple it is bound to be good and with nothing but butter, sage and Gorgonzola how can it be bad?

Here's what you need, to serve one person:

Spaghetti, 100 grams
Gorgonzola cheese, 60 grams
Butter, 20 grams
Sage leaves (fresh), 5 finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated

While your spaghetti is cooking in boiling, salted water prepare your sauce. Put the ingredients in a saucepan and cook until hot and sizzling. Done!
Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Toss the spaghetti in the Gorgonzola sauce. If it's not creamy enough add a tiny amount of the cooking water.
If you wish you can sprinkle the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese. I don't as the sauce is so rich and tasty it really doesn't need it.
Note that there's no salt in the recipe. Gorgonzola is naturally salty so it's quite unnecessary.

This is the menu for tonight with a salad of baby greens from the greenhouse and some fresh made ciabatta. I'm hungry already and all I need to do is stop and get some Gorgonzola and decide whether to make fresh pasta or use the dried stuff. I have the day off so fresh is definitely a possiblity.

Oh, and if you need a lesson on making fresh pasta you can get a nice pictorial from Flavor of Italy as well by going here. It is very simple, the recipe for pasta is simple: 100 grams of flour + 1 egg = 1 portion of pasta. In spite of what you might see in fresh pasta recipes there is no oil or water or salt. The only trick is learning when the dough is right and the lesson linked above does a good job. Even though I have a good Italian made manual pasta machine you don't need one if you have a rolling pin and good place to roll out the dough. Just divide the dough into batches small enough to handle easily.

Much Ado About Nothing

Thanks to Mother Jones for pointing out that all this flap about President Obama’s “unprecedented assault on America’s religious freedoms” by requiring church-related hospitals and universities to cover contraception at the federal level has actually been on the books for, oh, about 12 years now.

That's right

In December 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that companies that provided prescription drugs to their employees but didn’t provide birth control were in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prevents discrimination on the basis of sex. That opinion, which the George W. Bush administration did nothing to alter or withdraw when it took office the next month, is still in effect today—and because it relies on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, it applies to all employers with 15 or more employees. Employers that don’t offer prescription coverage or don’t offer insurance at all are exempt, because they treat men and women equally—but under the EEOC’s interpretation of the law, you can’t offer other preventative care coverage without offering birth control coverage, too.

The wingnuts are so uninformed about the real world it just makes you want to crawl away and hide.

H/T Balloon Juice

Meat Loaf

I have developed a urge for meat loaf and I will make it for dinner tonight. Madam is not a fan but she is not here and it will a done deal before she gets home. I had to run get some ground chuck but I already had some ground veal and pork in the freezer so I am good. You never know there might also be mashed potatoes (I'm not a fan but Madam likes them) to balance and of course there has to be some Dixie butter peas.
I fortunately fought off the urge for buttermilk fried chicken (mostly because I didn't have time to properly brine the chicken ) but the meat loaf wouldn't go away.

I basically use my recipe for meatballs (add Dijon mustard,Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce)and just make a giant meatball which I cook like a loaf of bread on a sheet pan instead of in a loaf pan as you get a better crust and not as much fat. Sauteed onions, fresh parsley, garlic, 2 eggs, bread soaked in milk, tomato paste, a bit of oregano, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, olive oil, black pepper, salt, Dijon mustard, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce with a pound of ground chuck and a half pound each of ground veal and ground pork.  350F for an hour. If you like you can glaze the loaf with a mixture of half catchup and brown sugar about halfway through the cooking.

If I stop and get a chicken on my way home from my haircut first thing in the morning I will have enough time to brine it properly and fried chicken could be on the menu for tomorrow night.

As you can see I have two straight days off this week and I need some kitchen therapy.

Better Big Blue Marble

NASA has a new earth image available. It is very high definition and was created from multiple earth passes on January 4th of this year. It's a very cool picture.

You might also note the lack of snow cover over the U.S. for a January day. Just sayin'.

It Ain't All Bad

For all those who insist that government regulation is bad and always a failure there is this little bit of good news.

The amount of trans fat in the American bloodstream fell by more than half after the Food and Drug Administration required food manufacturers to label how much of the unhealthful ingredient is in their products, according to a new study.

Blood levels of trans fat declined 58 percent from 2000 to 2008. FDA began requiring trans-fat labeling in 2003. During the same period several parts of the country — New York most famously — passed laws limiting trans fats in restaurant food and cooking. The makers of processed food also voluntarily replaced trans fats with less harmful oils.

The decline, unusually big and abrupt, strongly suggests government regulation was effective in altering a risk factor for heart disease for a broad swath of the population.

Pepper,Pepper

Ok, 19 varieties of peppers in flats and now beginning to react to the moisture. It is truly a miracle that a small little flake of stuff will awaken, answer the program Mother Nature left in its DNA and start the cycle of life once again. I never get tired of the show. Some cool heirlooms in the mix this year and it just tickles me to no end to know that these seeds have been gathered, protected and replanted year after year to preserve their unique qualities. Two of the strains I started today started their journey in Italy, who knows how long ago. I have now stepped up and will add my small bit to their history.

Oh Boy! The Seeds Have Come

My two largest seeds orders came yesterday whilst I was at work. A nice surprise to come home to. I'll do my duty and get an hour or so at the gym this morning since I have a day off but the rest of the day will be dedicated to getting the first seeds of the spring into their little containers. Peppers are the first phase since they will take about 8 weeks to be ready for the outside. Lots of peppers and some new varieties especially two new Italian heirloom sweet peppers and all the regulars as well. Also, I snagged some seed from Seed Savers for an heirloom red habanero to add to my traditional orange. Still a few weeks away from getting all the tomatoes started but I'm looking forward to some new heirlooms. Seed Savers offered a collection this year of all the tomatoes that have won their annual taste test over the last few years. Can't wait...I can almost feel the juice running down my chin! Cherokee Purple hasn't won the taste test and I am looking forward to trying a tomato that could taste better than a Cherokee fresh from the vine and still warm from the sun. Don't worry I will have Cherokee's in the garden as usual as well.

It is also time to get the onions started as well. This year I am going for class and will start cippollini from seed. They are very expensive in the market and they are a brilliant fresh onion and we won't even mention them roasted in olive oil. Of course, I will also start the leeks from seed as well and this year we will try the heirloom variety Lincoln. I still have probably a bushel or more of leeks from last years planting still in the garden. Rather too many than not enough.

Candlemas, Imbolc, Brigid's Day

A blessed Candlemas, Imbolc, Brigid's Day to you. For those of you unfamiliar with this special day it is considered the "morning of the year" when we begin to awaken in the dawn of a new cycle of birth and growth. We revere Brigid the Summoner of Spring, the Radiant Flame of Gold.

May Brigid bring you a new cycle of creativity and growth.



My thanks to Joanna Powell Colbert for pointing me to the video. 

Hotter and Hotter

It's the last day of January and from everything I can see in the meteorological news this January has been the hottest since we've been keeping records. It's supposed to be 64F today here in Atlanta.
Eight of the warmest years  on record have occurred since 2000 and November, December 2011 and now this January will mark the warmest 3 month stretch ever recorded.... But Al Gore is still a little heavy.

It Takes All Of Us

What you are seeing in Oakland is just a preview of coming events. If we don't see any outrage then all the pain and suffering will be for naught. It doesn't take much...just a blog post or an email to the editor of the local fish wrapper. Even better a call or fax to your reps in the Senate and Congress. It won't help but at least they will know we are paying attention.

Saturday Sin

I woke up this morning with a "need" for a hot biscuit. While fresh/hot buttermilk biscuits with Kerry Gold butter and homemade apple butter are quite sinful on their own I also added country ham and crisp thick bacon. Madam extended hers with the addition of local honey. I only ate two but they were what is known down South as "cat head" biscuits. That should keep me satisfied for a few weeks....maybe.

"Pink Slime" Loses

Unless you have been a devotee of Jamie Oliver (I'm a huge fan of his shows and technique/attitude) you probably weren't aware that McDonald's (and Burger King) use a product that is a blend of "off cuts" and ammonium hydroxide to extend their burger in the U.S. Jamie labeled it "pink slime" and McDonald's has finally agreed to remove it from the their hamburger. It is only used in the U.S. (UK, Irish and European MickyD's get their beef from local suppliers.) The reality is it only raises the cost of the burger a penny or so, so why not get pure beef? No word on the fate of "pink slime" from Burger King.

An aside: If you haven't watched Jamie's show on the Food Channel (6pm weekdays on my cable) then you should. Not only is he a very creative cook but he often gathers the food from his own garden and shows you how to make the most of it. Simple but very good cooking. He is fun to watch as well.

All Done

Finally got all my seed ordered yesterday for the summer garden. Just the first step but a step. Not much new stuff except some new heirloom tomatoes from Seed Savers and a few new pepper varieties. Saved quite a bit of seed from last year so the financial hit wasn't too bad this year only about 150 bucks but that includes the 20 bucks for sweet potato plants and a lot of the seed was organic and a little more expensive.
Four straight days of work starting today at 11a which means I won't get any real time off until the weekend. It starts off badly with 11a to 8p today and then 8a to 5p tomorrow. Nice weather though and that is good since I am scheduled for the outside garden both days.
Play nice.

Not In The South

I don't know why everyone is so surprised that Mitt Romney lost South Carolina and why he is already trailing in the polls in Florida. He is a Mormon and from infancy a whole bunch of Southerners have been told over and over that Mormonism is a cult just like Scientology or Jehovah's Witnesses and just as evil as Paganism/Wicca. It is a regular theme in the Bible belt and they believe it with all their black little hearts. It ranks right up there with "black people are lazy and shiftless". There is no way in hell that a Mormon is going to get a vote from one of these Southern Baptist  or Church of God types. They have no trouble at all overlooking Newt's serial infidelity even though it is one of the BIG 10. They have no trouble overlooking his ball faced lies which again is one of the BIG 10. They don't even blink about the Catholic part. We are going to wind up with Newt winning the Southern states and Romney the Northern states and there will be a full blown Civil War at the convention.

Bumper Sticker

I spotted an interesting bumper sticker on the way home a while ago...

If we all stop voting...will they all go away?

The Race For Bat Shit Crazy HQ

I always considered Texas(sorry Steve) the HQ of bat shit crazy but I was obviously misguided. South Carolina has now given Newty the nod for Prez which confirms that they are truly the HQ. While the zombie from Bain will probably wind up with the nomination in the end it does give one pause to imagine "President Newt". I know the late Molly Ivins considered her beloved Texas a wellspring of bat shit crazy and she is surely looking down and laughing hysterically as the Palmetto state challenges the Lone Star state for the title.

Just as an aside, I have met Mr. Gingrich a few times and my very reliable 'radar' effected a rather strong dislike upon shaking hands. It doesn't happen very often that I immediately dislike someone on first contact but it surely and strongly did on each occasion. I should add that I had the same reaction to my Congressman Dr. Tom Price on the multiple occasions we have met. It is also, most assuredly, not because they are Rethuglicans as I have a number of Rethuglican friends that are actually quite pleasant as long as you keep the conversation away from anything even closely political or (Goddess forbid) liberal. Many of them still even talk to me whilst knowing that I am a DFH.

Bad Dreams

I need to get to bed but I really, really need the Goddess to grant me a small boon before I retire. Please gracious lady don't let me dream that Newt is the GOP nominee for Prez. I am not sure I can stand 10 months of his bile. Then again what are the options? I think the Lost Bunny of the Apocalypse would be the best choice...all things considered.

Effective

It looks like the blackout/strike was successful a both bills were put on indefinite hold today. There is power in the people when properly focused.

No Politics

You will have noticed that I am not getting embroiled, excited, upset, angry or impassioned of the current circle jerk of GOP politics. I will wind up voting for Mr. Obama because he offers at least some hope of change. Granted it hasn't happened but there are valid reasons for why it hasn't. Patience. There is also no redeeming value in the entire GOP contingent of clowns and I just don't have the energy to erase thenm from my reality. I will do my best to ignore them and understand that I do so at my peril.
Believe this and use  it to judge your choices:

If one leader had true wisdom.

They'd quit.

Pleasant Surprise

We had all intentions of spending Sunday afternoon sort of chilled and maybe doing a few things that needed doing. Unfortunately, a friend has come down with the flu (he's a retired doctor and that's his diagnosis) asked if we wanted the tickets to a play this afternoon since he wasn't going anywhere. We happily accepted and spent a nice afternoon at the Arts Center here in town watching the Georgia Ensemble Theater's production of "Becky's New Car".  The fact that our friends are also patrons of the theater meant that we had excellent seats which was a real plus. Not all of the productions of the GET are to my liking but this one was a lovely little play and the cast, especially the lead were superb.
It is so nice to have friends that think of you when there is something like this.
Yeah, I had to shower and shave and put on proper clothes but it was worth it.

Seeds and Stuff

Finally have worked through the seed catalogs and I think I have everything identified that I need to order. Some from Park, some from Seeds of Change, some from a few other sources like Traditional and The Cook's Garden. Trying to decide what not to plant(cause I want to plant everything) is difficult enough but then you have to decide on variety...which is especially bad when it comes to peppers and tomatoes. I lean toward the heirlooms but I also need to have some variety.

I just took my sourdough baguettes out of the oven and they don't look too bad...not as much oven spring as I anticipated with such a wet dough but we'll see what the crumb looks like when they cool. I do think trying the same technique with a regular yeast poolish is worth a try. I like the "no knead" aspect of the stretch and fold method and it makes great ciabatta so a little more experimentation is worth the effort. Yes, I already make a great baguette with a combo of yeast and sourdough but you never know when you will stumble on an even better method.

The pot roast is simmering away and filling the house with all kinds of good smells mixed with the fresh baked bread aroma. I'm getting hungry!

Purged the canned stuff today as well. Everything from 2009 went into the compost and there were a lot of pickles...I definitely need to step up the pickle consumption around here. I did take one batch of last year's apple sauce that Madam deemed too thin and am turning it into apple butter.

All in all a pretty productive day off and I have another tomorrow!

Winter Finally

It's actually snowing this morning in Atlanta. Not expecting any accumulation but it is nice to see some winter finally. Got the day off and have already gotten my haircut and am off to the gym for a good workout. Nice wintery day so it might be pot roast for dinner. Madam has a lunch with the girls thing today so she might put the kibosh on a big dinner but we'll see. I might finally get the time today to get all my seed ordered for the spring. There will be some bread baking today though. Going to try a new method for baguettes using a very high hydration and no kneading(just stretch and fold) and a long slow fermentation with only sour dough(aka wild yeast) for leavening. I make ciabatta with a similar technique (stretch and fold) but I use commercial yeast and a regular fermentation and it comes out nice. The wild yeast only and the long fermentation out to give some nice flavor and the high hydration ought to give a very open crumb. We'll report.

TJ's Marinated Bean Salad

I got pretty close in recreating the discontinued Trader Joe's marinated bean salad. The recipe could use some minor tweaks but it is good as it is. Any suggestions welcome.

1 15 oz. can each of kidney, garbanzo, and pinto or other light bean such as cannellini rinsed and left to drain in a colander.
In the bowl of your food processor mince 2 cloves of garlic and half of a medium onion. Add the juice of two lemons and a half cup of extra virgin olive oil and a handful of parsley leaves. Whir this up for a couple of seconds and add a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of kosher salt, a teaspoon of dried oregano, and a teaspoon of dried thyme. Pulse a couple of times to blend and then (in a non reactive bowl) pour this marinade over the beans and stir to coat the beans. Refrigerate overnight and then serve at room temperature. Like I said this is close to the canned version TJ's used to carry and which I sorely miss.

Day Off

Whew! Finally a day off. Been to the gym. Baked two loaves of sourdough. Got a pot of pinto beans with the scraps from my Honey Baked ham simmering away. Finally getting caught up on what is going on in the world. Still have to do more research and order my seeds and I also need to get a Penzey's order together as I am almost out of black pepper. The last  two weeks have been way too much and thank goodness next week is down to a more reasonable 20 hours. I can live with that.
Next project is to try an recreate Trader Joes marinated bean salad. The jerks have discontinued it ( a couple of months ago) and I just used the last can I was hoarding yesterday. You can buy other canned bean salads but all of them have green beans which I don't care for canned. The Trader Joes is just kidney, garbanzo and Roman or pinto beans in a nice marinade. I think I can get close with a lemon/olive oil vinaigrette, a bit of garlic and onion and chopped parsley. I bought the oragnic canned beans the other day so we'll make a pass at it and work from there. I've searched the tubes and found nothing so I will have to do it myself.  I'll post the recipe if I get close enough as there are a lot of fans of the product judging from the internet postings and gripes about it being discontinued.

Not Really So Bad

Here is a post that is worth reading entitled: President Obama: A Radical Liberal Moderate Conservative Socialist Corporate Stooge?


Here is the great line in the last paragraph...

...the next bill the President needs to sign, aimed at Congressional Republicans, is the Cut the Crap Act; Republicans won’t out-game this president, and he seems ready to let them know it.

While I can say that I was expecting a "little" more change from Mr. Obama I cannot honestly say that he is a failure as many on the left are saying. I mean the man was handed a "bag o' shit" when you boil it down and the reality is that he prevented it from getting a lot more worse. When you consider what he has had to deal with from Congress it is amazing that he has had any successes at all. Just because the "professional left" didn't get all their blue sky dreams answered doesn't mean we haven't made progress. You really have to be a bit pragmatic about it.

May 2012 Be Better

I missed ringing in 2012 awake but Happy New Year to all. Worked Friday 9a to 6p, did a little dinner party for friends that evening and didn't get to bed until about midnight. Off to work again at 630a until 330p and therefore crashed last night at about 9.
Finally going to get cold around here tonight and it is supposed to be about 20F for the low for the next few days. Not sure it is a long enough cold snap to reduce the insect pests for next year but its a start.
Everyone have a nice relaxing 1st day of the year and don't forget your collards and black-eyed peas for wealth and good luck in the New Year. Even though it is a Presidential election year please keep focused on the positive and if all else fail there is always the Mayan thing.
Cheers!